Background: Advanced breast cancer (ABC) is affecting substantial number of Chinese women in Hong Kong. Understanding their unmet supportive care needs (SCNs) is important for health care system to precisely allocate resources to areas demanded for help the most and for patients to achieve better quality of life. Objectives: (1) To validate Chinese version of Supportive Care Needs Survey Questionnaire (SCNS-SF34), (2) to address the prevalence of unmet SCNs at baseline (newly diagnosis of ABC) and explore relevant factors associating with baseline unmet SCNs, (3) to identify the trajectories of unmet SCNs from baseline, 6-week, 12-week, 18-week to one-year post-diagnosis of ABC among Hong Kong Chinese women and identify the predictors related to individual resources. Methods: The study consisted of two phases. In Phase I, breast cancer (BC) patients were recruited from six public hospitals and the SCNS-SF34 (which covers five domains of needs) was administered concurrently with measures of psychological distress CHQ-12 (Chinese Health Questionnaire-12), HADS (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale), symptom distress (MSAS-SF), and patient satisfaction (ChPSQ-9) to explore factor structure by using Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and to examine internal consistency, and convergent, divergent and discriminant validities of the identified factor structure. In phase II, women newly diagnosed with ABC were recruited and followed up to assess their unmet SCN trajectories one year after diagnosis. Prevalence of initial baseline SCNs and associated demographic, medical and psychological factors were identified. Linear Mixed Modeling (LMM) was performed to assess trajectories for each SCNs domain. Hypothesized variables reflecting personal and social resources (optimism, trait hope, social support, psychological distress and patient satisfaction) were examined for association with the changes of unmet SCNs after adjusting for demographic and medical characteristics. Results: Instead of five-factor structure identified in the original SCNS-SF34, a four-factor structure with 33 items was identified, comprising: 1) Health system, information and patient support needs (HSIPS), 2) Psychological needs (PSYC), 3) Physical and daily living needs (PDL) and 4) Sexuality needs (SEX). The SCNS-SF33-C demonstrated moderate-to-good internal consistency (Cronbach’s alphas=0.75-0.92) across all domains. Acceptable convergent and divergent validity were demonstrated. Discriminant validity was demonstrated in the SCNS-SF33-C’s ability to differentiate between clinically distinct patient groups (ABC vs. localized BC and active treatment vs. no active treatment). Of the top 15 unmet SCNs, all belonged to the HSIPS domain. There were significant linear declines in unmet HSIPS and PSYC needs over the year after diagnosis, but not in PDL and SEX. After adjusting for demographic and medical factors, LMM identified symptom distress, patient satisfaction and patient satisfaction x time are predictors of HSIP. Total symptom distress, optimism, anxiety and anxiety x time predicted PSYC. Total symptom distress was predictor of PDL. Anxiety was predictor of SEX. Conclusions: The SCNS-SF33-C has a suitable factor structure and psychometric properties for the use in assessing unmet psychosocial SCN among Chinese women with BC. Generally, unmet HSIP and PSYC tended to decline, while levels of unmet PDL and SEX tended to persist over time. Specific individual resources predicted the future change of unmet SCNs. / published_or_final_version / Community Medicine / Master / Master of Philosophy

This ex post facto correlational study seeks to identify if a relationship between blood glucose values and vasomotor instability intensity exists. The population consisted of a convenience sample of seven type 2 diabetic postmenopausal women experiencing vasomotor instability living in Southern Alberta. This study hypothesizes that a significant negative correlation would be identified between these two variables based on research done by Dormire and Reame (2003). The correlational results suggest that a small to moderate significant positive relationship exists between blood glucose and vasomotor instability: increased vasomotor instability was associated with increased blood glucose values. Overall, this study suggests a relationship exists between blood glucose and vasomotor instability but causality or direction of this relationship cannot be determined. Further research studies are recommended to clarify and validate this research. In particular, such a study should include type 1 diabetic postmenopausal women, a larger sample size, and sampling a wider geographical area. / ix, 109 leaves ; 29 cm.

Menstruation is all at once a cultural, social, historical, and biological process. Intertwined, these forces create menstrual experiences which are neither fixed nor universal, but rather adaptable and transformable not only between cultures, but from within cultures as well. How these factors interrelate, what menstrual discourse they create, and how that translates into women's everyday lives, becomes the focus of this research. Structured around the relationship between prescription and reality, this study examines the interplay of those who defined the menstrual discourse: doctors, mothers, and the sanitary napkin industry, and those who experienced it. / Listening to the lives of twenty-four women, born between 1910 and 1965, a complex and ambiguous tale of the menstrual experience emerges. Through their narratives, we learn the importance of early instruction by mothers; the emphasis placed on hygiene and concealment; the effect menstruation had on women's sexual, feminine, and (re)productive identity. Once women's voices are taken into consideration, it becomes clear that the dynamic between prescription deeming menstruation as unclean or deviant and women's reality is not straightforward. Women reacted to the menstrual discourse, at times they rejected it, other times adhered to it, but for the most part, simply transformed it to meet their daily needs.

<p>The study findings were thematically grouped into three themes including the coordination and partnerships, culture and implementation challenges. Poor coordination and failure of systems in place appeared to characterise the many challenges. Gender inequalities and masculine dominated cultural practices like polygamy and widow inheritance are associated with consequences of ill health among women / including high HIV/AIDS prevalence, early marriage, high teenage pregnancies and high maternal mortality. Although these practices are in favor of men, they hardly protect them from the wrath of poor RH like STDS, HIV/AIDS, stressful big families and vast poverty. Hence, Tanzanian men are also victims of their own behavior.</p>

No abstract available. / Thesis (LL.M.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2012.

Studies have shown that pregnant women do understand and value information of their unborn child. However, those providing health promotion services often focus on medical procedures and health education messages, ignoring the cultural, socio-economic and psychological dimensions that impact on women's health. This research aimed to look at a specific component of health promotion, i.e. health promotion messages shared with pregnant women attending Stellenbosch and Klapmuts Community Health Centre Antenatal Health Promotion Programme and their perceptions of how they apply messages in their daily lives.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1989.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1989.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1994.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1994.