<p>Mot bakgrund av den dokumenterat goda effekt träning har på psykisk och fysisk ohälsa och möjlighet till träning på arbetstid som många arbetsgivare erbjuder sina anställda, syftade denna kvalitativa studie till att få förståelse för vad som styr anställdas vilja att delta i erbjudna träningsmöjligheter. Datamaterialet tolkades med induktiv tematisk analys och baserades på halvstrukturerade intervjuer med sex personer. Resultatet visade att attityden till träning var betydelsefull för intervjupersonernas beslut att delta i erbjudna aktiviteter. Attityden kunde i sin tur kopplas till personernas självförtroende och self-efficacy. Företagets friskvårdspolicy och anställdas tillgång till aktivt stöd av friskvårdspersonal, såväl som utbudet av träningsaktiviteter upplevdes ha betydelse för viljan att engagera sig i träning. Lustkänsla och gemenskap motiverade till fortsatt träning. Resultatet stöds av tidigare forskning som behandlat motivation till träningsengagemang.</p>

Mot bakgrund av den dokumenterat goda effekt träning har på psykisk och fysisk ohälsa och möjlighet till träning på arbetstid som många arbetsgivare erbjuder sina anställda, syftade denna kvalitativa studie till att få förståelse för vad som styr anställdas vilja att delta i erbjudna träningsmöjligheter. Datamaterialet tolkades med induktiv tematisk analys och baserades på halvstrukturerade intervjuer med sex personer. Resultatet visade att attityden till träning var betydelsefull för intervjupersonernas beslut att delta i erbjudna aktiviteter. Attityden kunde i sin tur kopplas till personernas självförtroende och self-efficacy. Företagets friskvårdspolicy och anställdas tillgång till aktivt stöd av friskvårdspersonal, såväl som utbudet av träningsaktiviteter upplevdes ha betydelse för viljan att engagera sig i träning. Lustkänsla och gemenskap motiverade till fortsatt träning. Resultatet stöds av tidigare forskning som behandlat motivation till träningsengagemang.

Background: Self-rated health (SRH) is among the most frequently assessed health perceptions in epidemiological research. While the predominant focus has been the predictive relevance of SRH, there is increasing interest in understanding the nature of SRH. Recently a conceptual interpretation of SRH was proposed. Purpose: To assess the tenability of the recently proposed distinctions of self-rated health, as a spontaneous assessment of overall health, or as an enduring self-concept, or both, and to determine the significance of mental well-being, physical and social health for SRH. Methods: A cohort of individuals undergoing total joint replacement (TJR) for hip or knee osteoarthritis (OA) was followed over 6 months of recovery. Participants (n=449) completed (pre-surgery, 3 and 6 months post-surgery) measures associated with physical health: pain, physical function, sports/recreation, fatigue; mental well-being: anxiety, depression; and social health: social participation, passive/active recreation, community access. Using structural equation modeling, confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) investigated 3 latent health variables, and the responsiveness of SRH to current and changing health status, as well as its predictive significance for future health status was investigated. Results: CFA analyses confirmed relationships between observed health measures and hypothesized latent health dimensions. SRH was responsive to current and changing mental well-being. The effects of physical and social health were mediated through mental well-being. SRH was a strong predictor of future SRH and future health status. Conclusion: SRH displayed features of both an enduring self-concept and spontaneous assessment of health status; evidence is provided that both operate simultaneously. While aspects of physical health have always been perceived as the major determinants of SRH, these findings indicate that mental and social health explain much of the relationship between physical health and SRH. These results are particularly unexpected since this is a sample of individuals undergoing TJR surgery, for which pain and restricted physical function are primary indicators. Since SRH is a significant predictor of health status, TJR outcomes, health care utilization and mortality, this study suggests that health research and care, treatment and management modalities should consider a broad range of health dimensions, not only physical aspects of health, and SRH.

Background: Self-rated health (SRH) is among the most frequently assessed health perceptions in epidemiological research. While the predominant focus has been the predictive relevance of SRH, there is increasing interest in understanding the nature of SRH. Recently a conceptual interpretation of SRH was proposed. Purpose: To assess the tenability of the recently proposed distinctions of self-rated health, as a spontaneous assessment of overall health, or as an enduring self-concept, or both, and to determine the significance of mental well-being, physical and social health for SRH. Methods: A cohort of individuals undergoing total joint replacement (TJR) for hip or knee osteoarthritis (OA) was followed over 6 months of recovery. Participants (n=449) completed (pre-surgery, 3 and 6 months post-surgery) measures associated with physical health: pain, physical function, sports/recreation, fatigue; mental well-being: anxiety, depression; and social health: social participation, passive/active recreation, community access. Using structural equation modeling, confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) investigated 3 latent health variables, and the responsiveness of SRH to current and changing health status, as well as its predictive significance for future health status was investigated. Results: CFA analyses confirmed relationships between observed health measures and hypothesized latent health dimensions. SRH was responsive to current and changing mental well-being. The effects of physical and social health were mediated through mental well-being. SRH was a strong predictor of future SRH and future health status. Conclusion: SRH displayed features of both an enduring self-concept and spontaneous assessment of health status; evidence is provided that both operate simultaneously. While aspects of physical health have always been perceived as the major determinants of SRH, these findings indicate that mental and social health explain much of the relationship between physical health and SRH. These results are particularly unexpected since this is a sample of individuals undergoing TJR surgery, for which pain and restricted physical function are primary indicators. Since SRH is a significant predictor of health status, TJR outcomes, health care utilization and mortality, this study suggests that health research and care, treatment and management modalities should consider a broad range of health dimensions, not only physical aspects of health, and SRH.

Immigration transition may be an opportunity for physical, psychological, and social improvement, but the health of transitioning individuals may actually be at an increased risk for decline. In order to overcome negative influencing factors on the health of immigrants trying to integrate into a new society, examining the impact of transitioning immigration on the health of immigrants is important. Transition has complex and multidimensional patterns based on an individual’s social and cultural background. Korean immigrants in transitioning to the U.S. have experienced a specific and unique situation. Thus, the primary purpose of this study was to identify the impact of immigration transition, which is defined in the middle-range theory of transition, on the health-promoting behaviors and mental well-being of Korean immigrants in the U.S. A cross-sectional, descriptive correlational comparative design was used for examining a total of 192 Koreans: 105 in the U.S. and 87 in S. Korea, which were selected through matched age and gender controls with Korean immigrant participants in the U.S. The average ages were 46.8 (Median = 47, SD = 12.5) of Korean immigrants in the U.S and 46.2 (Median = 46, SD = 12.7) of 87 native S. Koreans. Korean immigrants had a low level of acculturation and limited English proficiency. The level of health-promoting behaviors of Korean immigrants was higher than that of S. Koreans, especially in subscales of health promotion, nutrition, and safety. Social resourcefulness was a key predictor of health-promoting behaviors and mental well-being among Korean immigrants. Also, self-control was a dominant mediator on the relationship between behavioral acculturation and mental well-being. Increasing acculturation and English ability for Korean immigrants, as well as increasing self-control, family functioning, and social resourcefulness were found to be important to improve integrating Korean immigrants into the U.S. These findings provide essential information that all health care professionals can use to increase their awareness of the importance of appropriately treating individuals with different cultural perspectives as well as diverse populations coming from varied countries. / text

The rapid expansion of ecotourism in the Monteverde zone of Costa Rica has increased the incidence in food insecurity in the area. Changes in food preferences and availability have led to a more homogenized diet that is increasingly delocalized and reliant on processed foods. Additionally, there has been a rapid economic shift away from agricultural and dairy farming to an economy more reliant on tourism. This NSF supported study builds upon data from a longitudinal investigation (#BNS 0753017) examining the nutritional effects of this rapid economic transition. Using a mixed methods approach, a culturally appropriate scale of stress was developed and used in conjunction with the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale, the Cohen Perceived Stress Scale, and the Hopkins Symptom Check List to explore the relationship between food insecurity and mental health among residents of the Monteverde zone. Quantitative results show that food insecurity correlated positively with stress, depression and anxiety, and was found to be a significant predictor of stress and depression

Natural environments, namely green and blue spaces, have been found to have positive influences on mental health outcomes globally. As the contribution of poor mental health to the disease burden increases, the mechanisms through which natural environments may improve health are of growing importance. This study creates a novel visibility index methodology and investigates whether i) views of natural environments and ii) access to natural environments, are associated with psychological stress and physical activity in Wellington, New Zealand. It also builds upon the work conducted in New Zealand as the first study to investigate links between blue space and mental health and provides an insight into the mechanisms through which increased natural environments may improve health. Individual level data for 442 individuals from the New Zealand Health Survey was obtained and Geographical Information Systems (GIS) were used to investigate whether area-level exposure to natural environments influenced their psychological stress and levels of physical activity. Results from regression analysis indicate that increased distant visible green space (beyond 3km), visible blue space, and a combination of green and blue spaces from neighbourhood centroids reduce psychological stress. Some access measures to natural environments were found to have positive associations with psychological stress, however increased proximal access to green space was associated with decreased physical activity. The findings conclude that the visibility of natural environments appears to have stronger associations with stress reduction than access to them. The findings of this paper should influence urban development and inform decision and policy making, particularly the development and/or relocation of health related facilities.

The purpose of this thesis research is to describe the availability of social support among street-involved youth and how this longitudinally predicts their substance use, mental health and mental well-being. Data from a panel study of street-involved youth in Victoria, British Columbia were analyzed (N=130). Thematic analysis of responses to open-ended questions and descriptive analyses of survey data were conducted to describe the availability of social support in participants’ lives. Multivariate regression was used to test two prominent theories of the relationship between social support and health (the stress-buffering and main effect theories) and to examine the association between sources of social support and health. The thematic analysis and descriptive analysis results indicate that there is considerable heterogeneity in terms of the availability, sources and types of social support among this population. The regression results provide partial support for the main effect theory; perceived availability of social support predicted reduced alcohol and hard drug use and better overall mental health and well-being, regardless of the stress levels. The stress-buffering theory was not supported. Sources of social support were not significantly related to health outcomes. The thesis concludes with policy and program suggestions and gives direction for further research on the relationship between social support and health among street-involved youth. / Graduate / 0626 / 0347 / 0573 / mary06@uvic.ca

What impact do social media have on mental well-being and how can design become a tool for increasing awareness among users? To interact on social media means to find new ways of seeking a sense of belonging, of being part of a society that can validate our existence and attribute value to what we decide to share. But what happens when there is a gap separating the ways in which we create value and sense of selfworth online and offline? How does it impact our mental well-being and the capacity to become a productive element of our society? Like Me is a speculative design project that explores the gap between the virtual and the real, while researching how it impacts our mental well-being and sense of self-worth in society. This Bachelor’s thesis delves into this topic through design methods and visual communication, resulting in a short fictional film about a speculative scenario. The aim of this research is to raise a discussion about embracing what is to come, finding a new sense of awareness to improve our impact on social sustainability. KEYWORD

Background: The prevalence of mental health difficulties in d/Deaf populations is higher than that of the hearing population. The association between mental health difficulties in childhood and well-being in adulthood amongst d/Deaf populations, including as perceived by Deaf people themselves, has been little explored. Access by d/Deaf people to mental health services is poor. In addition, there is a paucity of mental health assessments available in British Sign Language. Aims: The aims of this thesis were; (i) to understand the association between childhood and adulthood mental well-being in d/Deaf populations; (ii) to find out how well the standardised mental health assessments can be used with d/Deaf populations; and (iii) to explore Deaf people’s perspectives on mental well-being. Methods: BSL versions of four mental health assessments (the Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation – Outcome Measure (CORE-OM), the Patient Health Questionnaire(PHQ-9), the Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7), and the Work and Social Adjustment Scale (WSAS)) were produced by carrying out a translation process to ensure that the statements in the assessments are linguistically and culturally meaningful to a Deaf population. The reliability and validation of the mental health assessments were examined by piloting them with d/Deaf populations. In order to gain Deaf people’s own perspectives on mental well-being, four focus groups were set up in England. Results: Thematic analysis of the focus group data identified pre-disposing factors in childhood that Deaf participants believed would affect adult mental well-being. The CORE-OM BSL, PHQ-9 BSL, GAD-7 BSL, and WSAS BSL were found to be reliable and have been validated. The pilot study which compared the reliability between the BSL and English version of one mental health assessment (CORE-OM) as completed by d/Deaf people found that two domains had lower reliability in English in comparison with the BSL version. Conclusions: Reliable standardised instruments in BSL are required to identify and assess common mental health problems amongst Deaf people. These are now available. Deaf people identified a number of factors that are important to well-being, for example, ease of communication with others, a strong sense of identity, a ‘can do’ attitude, and a firm sense of belonging. These factors are of importance if we are to attempt to reduce the prevalence of mental health difficulties in d/Deaf populations in the future.