Abstract Aim: The aim of this study was to describe cancer patients’ experiences of quality of life and wellbeing in relation to yoga practice. Method: A descriptive qualitative study with semi structured interviews was carried out during the fall of 2009 at the University of Uppsala. Informants in the study were cancer patients who were participating in the yoga/psychotherapy group at the clinic of oncology at the Akademiska hospital in Uppsala. Result: Five out of six informants experienced that their quality of life and their wellbeing improved by practicing yoga. One informant had mixed feelings which were not due to the yoga practicing, but to the place where it was practiced. For her this place was associated with illness. Informants accentuated the importance of the fellowship in the yoga/psychotherapy group. They experienced that yoga practicing could not be separated from psychotherapy and vice versa. Informants believed that yoga and psychotherapy reinforced each other’s effect. The study showed that the yoga exercises had been of great help, for example, in connection with medical examinations or as a tool to cope with one’s situation, thoughts and/or secondary effects of the disease and pain experience. The yoga had strengthened the informants both physically, psychologically and spiritually. It helped them to cope with sleeping difficulties and respiratory difficulties. The study also shed light on two aspects previously not included in yoga research: respiratory difficulties and sexuality. Conclusion: The study displayed that the informants experienced that yoga had a positive effect on their quality of life and wellbeing. Further studies are suggested (qualitative and quantitative) that examine the joint influence of yoga/psychotherapy on the quality of life and wellbeing as well as the aspects “Breathing difficulties” and “Sexuality”.          Keywords: Yoga, cancer, quality of life, wellbeing

The purpose of this thesis is to achieve a greater understanding of how the social workers at the family unit in one of Stockholm municipalities comprehend the work environment at the workplace. Our aim is also to find out how the work environment can affect the health of the social workers in the form of their wellbeing and comfort at the workplace. In order to answer our purpose we conducted interviews of all social workers at the family unit in one of Stockholm municipalities that describe how they experience the work-environment in the workplace and how it influences their health.  We have analyzed the interview material in a thematic analysis based on three theoretical perspectives; SOC, claim – control - support and Human relations. We have also coupled the interview material to the background chapter in this thesis that describes how a good working environment should be structured.  The chosen method characterizes an abductive process. Our finding shows a relation between work-environment and health. This is evidence for that all social workers at the family unit experiences that the work- environment affects their health in the form of wellbeing and comfort. Furthermore, it appears that the unity among the group at work is perceived as an important factor within the work-environment as it has an influence on the health of social workers. In the discussion part, we highlight possible formulated questions that have not had space earlier in the thesis.

For hundreds of years, supporters of the traditional Martial Arts have spoken of the ability to promote the personal development of the practitioner through serious training practices (Lu, 2008). The connection between personal development and mind-body training practices is illustrated in the Japanese concept of budo, which applies generally to “those Martial Arts that have more than a combat dimension” (Lawler, 1996, p.9). While the physical training is similar to other forms of combat (such as boxing or military training), it is the philosophical focus of the training as a form of personal development that makes budo a unique characteristic of certain forms of Martial Arts practice. The current study attempts to examine the way in which training in the Martial Arts affects the overall lifestyle of the individual. Understanding the main relationship between Martial Arts participation and personal wellbeing, and how this is influenced by the identity of the participant, represents the central focus of the current study. While the main relationship being studied is the one between Martial Arts participation and well-being, there are several l factors at play in influencing this central relationship. Given the unique connection of mind and body in the practice of the Martial Arts, one factor that influences the relationship between Martial Arts participation and well-being is the spirituality of the individual practitioner. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between Martial Arts participation and well-being, and to investigate how this central relationship is influenced by the associated concepts of identity, spirituality, serious leisure, motivation, and involvement. This study found that although Martial Arts participation displayed significant power in predicting wellbeing scores, the psycho-social factors associated with the training experience heavily shaped this relationship. The results of this study also suggest that it is not the style of Martial Arts participation, but the way the individual engages with the act of training and incorporates it into their daily life that separates individuals.

The focus of the study is on restorative experiences and the relationship between these experiences and psychological well-being. The variety of experiences that people experience as restorative were explored, as well as how often these experiences occurred. A working definition were written since no generally accepted definition of restorative experiences exists. A checklist with 22 categories of restorative experiences has also been drawn up. Students completed psychological well-being questionnaires and the results were used to form two groups: one with higher and one with lower levels of psychological well-being. The two groups were compared in terms of the restorative experiences present in their lives. Nature emerged as the most popular restorative environment. Rest was the most popular category with subcategories for sleep and holidays. Interpersonal contact was also a popular category for both groups. The categories for eating and drinking and activities that are damaging to the body showed important differences between groups in terms of popularity and frequency. The group with the higher levels of psychological well-being shows signs of a healthier lifestyle and they have a greater capacity to postpone gratification. In addition, they show fewer signs of substance dependency, fewer symptoms of psychological disorders and less avoidance than the group with the lower levels of psychological well-being. / Thesis (M.A. (Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2004.

For hundreds of years, supporters of the traditional Martial Arts have spoken of the ability to promote the personal development of the practitioner through serious training practices (Lu, 2008). The connection between personal development and mind-body training practices is illustrated in the Japanese concept of budo, which applies generally to “those Martial Arts that have more than a combat dimension” (Lawler, 1996, p.9). While the physical training is similar to other forms of combat (such as boxing or military training), it is the philosophical focus of the training as a form of personal development that makes budo a unique characteristic of certain forms of Martial Arts practice. The current study attempts to examine the way in which training in the Martial Arts affects the overall lifestyle of the individual. Understanding the main relationship between Martial Arts participation and personal wellbeing, and how this is influenced by the identity of the participant, represents the central focus of the current study. While the main relationship being studied is the one between Martial Arts participation and well-being, there are several l factors at play in influencing this central relationship. Given the unique connection of mind and body in the practice of the Martial Arts, one factor that influences the relationship between Martial Arts participation and well-being is the spirituality of the individual practitioner. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between Martial Arts participation and well-being, and to investigate how this central relationship is influenced by the associated concepts of identity, spirituality, serious leisure, motivation, and involvement. This study found that although Martial Arts participation displayed significant power in predicting wellbeing scores, the psycho-social factors associated with the training experience heavily shaped this relationship. The results of this study also suggest that it is not the style of Martial Arts participation, but the way the individual engages with the act of training and incorporates it into their daily life that separates individuals.

The overall objective of this thesis is to compare and contrast alternative measures of wellbeing in New Zealand during the 19th -early 20th centuries from a spatial perspective by collecting, collating and analyzing new economic, social and anthropometric data. Provincial data was collected from the Statistics New Zealand Annual Reports and New Zealand Census. Anthropometric data was derived from the personnel records of New Zealanders serving in WWI, which only became available to the public in 2005. Time-series tests for convergence and causality have been applied to analyze New Zealand’s economic history, where appropriate. The last quarter of the 19th century in New Zealand was a period of rapid change both in terms of economic and demographic indicators. Prior to the universal convergence of the existing monetary-based measures of wellbeing across Provinces, there were some apparent disparities in the commodity price and real wage series, as well as urban-rural differences in occupation-specific real wages and infant mortality trends. There was also no single pattern of stature decline across provinces during 1871-1898, or between urban and rural areas, where disparities were particularly apparent. The traditional view of the healthy and wealthy New Zealand could only be established at an aggregate level, during a certain time period and for a certain ethnic group (New Zealand European only). Using Provincial data for the period 1874-1919 I have been able to show that improvements in real wages and a decrease in education inequality (between females and males) corresponded to lower infant deaths and thus better health outcomes, while increased dwelling density created unfavorable conditions for infants’ chances of survival. Anthropometric data was used in conjunction with socio-economic provincial data to establish the relationship between stature, urbanization, real wages and infant mortality. The results showed that dwelling density (overcrowding) and general economic conditions were both important in determining stature outcomes during 1870-1900, while the effect of infant mortality on stature was negligible. Most importantly, it has been demonstrated that in New Zealand stature represents a much more robust measure of living standards than real wages or health indicators on their own, at least during the 1870-1900 period.

This thesis focuses attention on the ongoing effects of the earthquakes on children in Christchurch. It identifies the learning and behavioural difficulties evident in an increasing number of students and cautions the use of the word 'resilient' to describe children who may be just managing. This assumption has a significant impact on the wellbeing of many Christchurch children who, disaster literature warns, are likely to be under-served. This thesis suggests that, because of the scale of need, schools are the best place to introduce practices that will foster wellbeing. Mindfulness practices are identified as a potential tool for ameliorating the vulnerabilities experienced by children, while at the same time working to increase their capabilities. This thesis argues that, through mindful practices, children can learn to be more reflective of their emotions and respond in more considered ways to different situations. They can become more relational, having a greater understanding of others through a deeper understanding of themselves, and they can build resilience by developing the protective factors that promote more adaptive functioning. This thesis identifies the strong links between mindfulness and the holistic wellbeing concept of Te Whare Tapa Whã and a Mãori worldview. Strong links are also identified with the vision, values and key competencies of the New Zealand Curriculum and 21st Century learners. Both short and long term recommendations are made for the introduction of mindfulness practices in schools to enhance the wellbeing of children.

The focus of the study is on restorative experiences and the relationship between these experiences and psychological well-being. The variety of experiences that people experience as restorative were explored, as well as how often these experiences occurred. A working definition were written since no generally accepted definition of restorative experiences exists. A checklist with 22 categories of restorative experiences has also been drawn up. Students completed psychological well-being questionnaires and the results were used to form two groups: one with higher and one with lower levels of psychological well-being. The two groups were compared in terms of the restorative experiences present in their lives. Nature emerged as the most popular restorative environment. Rest was the most popular category with subcategories for sleep and holidays. Interpersonal contact was also a popular category for both groups. The categories for eating and drinking and activities that are damaging to the body showed important differences between groups in terms of popularity and frequency. The group with the higher levels of psychological well-being shows signs of a healthier lifestyle and they have a greater capacity to postpone gratification. In addition, they show fewer signs of substance dependency, fewer symptoms of psychological disorders and less avoidance than the group with the lower levels of psychological well-being. / Thesis (M.A. (Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2004.

No description available.

Sports participation imparts a risk of injury. By considering the risk factors involved and taking appropriate action, many injuries can be prevented, or at least their severity minimised. Among the many injuries sustained in sport ankle injury is well substantiated to be one of the most prevalent, particularly ankle sprain in football. While ankle supports are commonly used in an attempt to decrease the risk of ankle injury, there are concerns over their effect upon performance and the actual mechanism of support. Taping is a universally accepted form of ankle prophylaxis, reportedly protecting the ankle by providing joint stability and enhancing proprioceptive input. Proprioceptive training is used in rehabilitation to reduce proprioceptive deficits and is beginning to be used as a tool in prevention, again by enhancing proprioception. However, despite their widespread use, the proprioceptive effects of both taping and training are unclear for healthy subjects. An investigation was undertaken to confirm results from preceding studies in the literature, concerning the prevalence of ankle injury in football. By means of an injury survey over two football seasons, the high incidence of injury to the ankle was confirmed. This prompted exploration of the influence of taping and training by investigating the consequences of their use upon athletic performance, and their proprioceptive effect upon the ankles of healthy football players. Neither taping nor training was shown to significantly affect athletic performance, so assuaging concerns over any detriment caused by their prophylactic use. Examination of their proprioceptive effects revealed a slight increase in postural sway with taping and proprioceptive training, though this was not overall statistically significant. Significance was seen in centre of balance positioning, with taping causing the centre of balance to shift to the left and proprioceptive training to the right in single leg stance and left in double leg stance. Consideration of electromyography results revealed varying changes in muscle activity due to taping and training dependent upon the muscle examined and its action in postural stability. The conclusion is that both taping and training can be used without concern for impairment of performance but their overall effect on proprioception in the healthy player is still questionable. It may be that the sportsperson is at an optimum level of proprioception that cannot be improved. Nevertheless, knowledge of the proprioceptive level for the individual is useful for rehabilitation and there is still scope to further investigate this phenomenon, particularly in rehabilitation of the injured sportsperson. More importantly, the research paves the way for investigation into the effect of these prophylactic measures on incidence of injury. If either taping or proprioceptively training the healthy ankle can reduce the incidence of ankle injury in football, then their long-term use must be considered.