Role Of Caretaker Research Articles

Central Hemodynamics in African American Women: Examining the Role of Superwoman Schema Endorsement.

African American women bear a disproportionate burden of cardiovascular diseases, potentially due to altered central hemodynamics. Racism and sexism often lead to African American women taking on numerous caretaking roles and overall increases their use of the Strong Black Woman (ie, Superwoman) mindset, which may have negative health consequences. We hypothesized that endorsing the Superwoman role and its Obligation to Help Others dimension would be associated with a deleterious central hemodynamics profile in African American women. Using cross-sectional data, we examined central systolic blood pressure (mm Hg; n=408), augmentation index (percentage, adjusted for height and heart rate; n=408), and pulse wave velocity (m/s; n=368) in African American women aged 30 to 46 years. The Giscombe Superwoman Schema (SWS) questionnaire assessed endorsement of Overall SWS (range, 0-105) and SWS-Obligation to Help Others (range, 0-3). Multiple linear regression modeled associations between Overall SWS (10-unit increments) and SWS-Obligation to Help Others (1-unit increments) and central hemodynamics while adjusting for pertinent sociodemographic, clinical, and psychosocial factors. In fully adjusted models, central systolic blood pressure was significantly associated with Overall SWS (β=0.83 [95% CI, 0.19-1.47]) and SWS-Obligation to Help Others (β=2.03 [95% CI, 0.39-3.67]). Augmentation index was associated with Overall SWS (β=0.66 [95% CI, 0.02-1.30]) and SWS-Obligation to Help Others (β=2.21 [95% CI, 0.58-3.84]). Significant associations were not observed between pulse wave velocity and SWS. Greater endorsement of the Superwoman role and prioritizing caregiving over self-care were associated with higher central systolic blood pressure and augmentation index, which may contribute to adverse cardiovascular health among African American women.

Interdependence between Nuclear Pore Gatekeepers and Genome Caretakers: Cues from Genome Instability Syndromes.

This review starts off with the first germline homozygous variants of the Nucleoporin 98 gene (NUP98) in siblings whose clinical presentation recalls Rothmund-Thomson (RTS) and Werner (WS) syndromes. The progeroid phenotype caused by a gene associated with haematological malignancies and neurodegenerative disorders primed the search for interplay between caretakers involved in genome instability syndromes and Nuclear Pore Complex (NPC) components. In the context of basic information on NPC architecture and functions, we discuss the studies on the interdependence of caretakers and gatekeepers in WS and Hereditary Fibrosing Poikiloderma (POIKTMP), both entering in differential diagnosis with RTS. In WS, the WRN/WRNIP complex interacts with nucleoporins of the Y-complex and NDC1 altering NPC architecture. In POIKTMP, the mutated FAM111B, recruited by the Y-complex's SEC13 and NUP96, interacts with several Nups safeguarding NPC structure. The linkage of both defective caretakers to the NPC highlights the attempt to activate a repair hub at the nuclear periphery to restore the DNA damage. The two separate WS and POIKTMP syndromes are drawn close by the interaction of their damage sensors with the NPC and by the shared hallmark of short fragile telomeres disclosing a major role of both caretakers in telomere maintenance.

Witnessing the Recovery: Storytelling and Family Building, from Belsen to Ireland

This article will explore three individuals (nurse Muriel Knox Doherty, pediatrician William Robert Fitzgerald Collis, and administrator Olga Eppel) who took on the role of caretakers but who were also, as James Young would call them, “eyewitness scribes”: those who aspire both “to represent the sense of discontinuity and disorientation in catastrophic events and to preserve [their] personal link to events — all in a medium that necessarily ‘orients’ the reader, creates continuity in events, and supplants his authority as witness.” While many scholars have explored the ethics, complexities, and textures of the stories of child survivors who were eyewitness scribes, comparatively little has been written about caretakers who had not been the targets of genocide but who developed an intimate connection with the youngest survivors, who felt compelled to write about these connections, and who were testifying and processing the trauma of the survivors under their care, all the while attempting to make sense of their own relationship with the Holocaust. As such, they serve a triple function of being active participants in healing, front-row spectators to survivors rebuilding their lives, and eyewitness scribes intent on telling stories of their caretaking as well as retelling the stories of the children who received their care for a broader audience.

Representation of Elizabethan women in William Shakespeare's Othello

This research explores Shakespeare's Othello as a complex play that explores the essence of womanhood through its characters. This research focuses on Desdemona, the central female figure, aiming to uncover the roles that Shakespeare crafted for women in Othello and the influences on these roles. Cultural feminism theory has been applied as a critical lens in this descriptive qualitative study. The study has yielded two main discoveries. Firstly, women in Shakespeare’s Othello play the roles of wives, caretakers, and peacemakers. Secondly, the researcher finds that the roles of women in the play are shaped by relational and personal factors. This research is qualitative in nature. Theories presented by J. Bingham and I. Maylani supports this research to analyze its text. Here, the researcher examines the roles that women play in Othello by Shakespeare as a point of reflection for those who are interested in the study of women. In addition, the researcher educated the public through this study on the various feminist critiques, including cultural feminism. This study aims to investigate the roles played by women in Shakespeare’s Othello and the elements that influence those roles.

Developing a model to promote caretaker confidence and communication in treatment decisions for dairy cattle through case studies

The significant role of dairy caretakers in maintaining animal welfare on dairy farms emphasizes the necessity of appropriate training and education to ensure the implementation of practices that promote good animal welfare. This study explored the potential of case-based learning as a novel approach to training for dairy caretakers by investigating dairy caretakers' perspectives on case study discussions. Additionally, this study sought to understand thoughts and feelings of caretakers during case study discussions to help identify information that caretakers use to evaluate cases and make decisions. Two case studies were developed and presented to participants, and thematic analysis of case study discussion transcripts was performed. Pre- and post-training questionnaires for 21 caretakers (n = 21) were summarized. The study found that caretaker reactions to case studies were generally positive. Thematic analysis revealed that caretakers use previous knowledge to make treatment decisions for cattle, and valued discussion with coworkers. The results of this study suggest the need for further investigation into the use of case studies and other activities that provide opportunities for critical thinking as training opportunities on dairy farms.

Long life: Aging and the anxieties of longevity from the premodern to the present

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed concerns around life span and aging, but these tensions and anxieties around longevity are not new. Physicians, scientists, and philosophers have been meditating on the idea and consequences of life extension for many centuries. In this short article, we put into conversation some of the ways that people have understood longevity from the early modern period to the present. We trace the history of texts like Alvise Cornaro's Treatise on the Sober Life through present-day dieting manuals, consider accounts of extreme old age from Old Man Parr in the sixteenth century to Jeanne Calment in the twentieth, and reflect on the role of caretakers for older adults, from Gabriele Zerbi’s fifteenth-century gerontocomos to graphic novel representations of aging parents in the present. Our goal is to represent the history of human longevity and aging as integrated, dynamic processes, helping us better explain and address the present treatment of elders and how to improve their care in the future.

The myth of gender neutrality in family court: A clinician's perspective on determinations of “the best interest of the child”

AbstractMisogyny is a universal prejudice against women manifest in all areas of society. To interrogate the nature of this prejudice, the author uses the family court system as her focus. The myth of gender neutrality in family court is pervasive. Current laws are framed around the assumption that both parents are on a level playing field. The reality is that our legal system is biased against mothers. This often reveals itself in the way courts make determinations of “the best interests of the child”. Family court is a microcosm of societal attitudes about parents, especially mothers, and related beliefs about what protects children. A brief review of family law and the “best interest” standard follows as well as a review of what we know and do not know about what is protective for children. The author reviews the problems inherent in family law and mental health training and practice—forensic and clinical. Although mandated to protect children, family court decisions sometimes have the opposite impact, and at times, even endangering the most protective parent and the child. This occurs mainly by devaluing the caretaking role while requiring the more responsible parent to facilitate the other parent's relationship with the child—regardless of the impact on her and the child. There are many reasons for this, but the basic one is the misogyny built into this system. This essay describes how social science research, psychological theory, and developmental principles are misused by both the legal and mental health professions to that end.

Female lawyers in Egyptian and Lebanese films over the last 75 years: caretakers and anomalies with limited back stories

ABSTRACT Women in the Arab world have never had better access to education and professional careers. Despite this, gender stereotypes are hampering women’s progression towards gender equality. This article considers how the representation of women in film is contributing to the issue. The representation of female lawyers in Lebanese and Egyptian cinema over the last 75 years demonstrates gender disparity. On the scarce occasions when female lawyers are represented, they are confined to a caretaker role and associated with family disputes. By associating female lawyers with the family, they are put into the traditional Arab role of a woman, reinforcing the imbedded stereotypes that hamper the career progression of Arab women. We do not see male family members contributing to family obligations, which would demonstrate a significant move towards gender parity. Female lawyers are often defined by a relationship, romantic or otherwise, with a male protagonist. This perpetuates the patriarchal norm that Arab women are subordinate to their male relatives. There has been a shift towards greater gender equality in the representation of female lawyers in contemporary portrayals in Lebanese cinema. However, female lawyers still most often appear in isolation, giving them the status of an anomaly, the “Other”.

One World: 24 Hours on Planet Earth by Nicola Davies

Reviewed by: One World: 24 Hours on Planet Earth by Nicola Davies Kate Quealy-Gainer, Editor Davies, Nicola One World: 24 Hours on Planet Earth; illus. by Jenni Desmond. Candlewick, 2023 [40p] Trade ed. ISBN 9781536226133 $18.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R 6-10 yrs On April 21, at one minute to midnight in Greenwich, London, two siblings leap into the air to take a quick jaunt through Earth’s time zones. Jumping locations with a page flip, their first stop is the Arctic Circle, where a polar bear mother and baby cubs are hunting seals. Their next site is Zambia where a group of elephants welcome a newborn elephant, then on to a beach in India as baby sea turtles hatch and sprint toward the ocean. The siblings’ trip continues as midnight chimes, and they swim with whales, zip and zoom with hummingbirds and honeybees, and delight in the breadth of activity happening around the world at any given moment. The focus stays on Earth’s flora and fauna, and Davies points out the necessity of each ecosystem and the human impact on that environment, from the melting homes of polar bears, to the deforestation of gibbon habitats, to the danger of plastic in oceans. The combination of awe and wonder at nature’s beauty along with the various ways it is threatened is a poignant reminder of the caretaking role humans have mostly failed at. Mixed media art has varying textures and richness to match the settings: sweeping painterly strokes and deep jewel tones capture the drama of a breaching humpback whale, while softer dappling and cheerful hues evoke the gentle busyness of a springtime garden. This could make an engaging Earth Day storytime, especially when paired with Davies’ previous work, Emperor of the Ice (BCCB 2/23), or Fleming’s Polar Bear (BCCB 11/22). The book concludes with author and illustrator notes along with a brief note on climate change and potential action items. Copyright © 2023 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois

Black motherhood and the dual pandemics: The protective role of stable income on mental wellbeing

AbstractThe dual pandemic (racial discrimination and COVID‐19) has contributed to mental health disparities across various social identities. Black mothers, in particular, have shouldered the heightened stresses of being Black and female during a time of immense anti‐Black racism and societal pressures to assume caretaking roles at the expense of, or in addition to, other financial obligations. Thus, this study examines the relationship between COVID‐19 related financial difficulties, racial discrimination, and the protective role of stable income on Black mothers’ (N = 949) mental wellbeing (i.e., anxiety, depression, loneliness, and stress). Using regression analyses, we find that financial difficulties and experiences of racial discrimination along with related concerns for children are associated with higher rates of anxiety, depression, loneliness, and stress. Moderation analyses suggest that at the highest level of financial difficulties, stable income can serve as a protective factor for anxiety. However, the study found no significant interactions between financial difficulties and experiences of racial discrimination or related concern for children. Implications for short‐and long‐term social policies are discussed.

American Occupation of Haiti, 1915 – 1934: The End of a chapter in U.S. History of Imperialism and caretaker role in the western Hemisphere

American Occupation of Haiti, 1915 – 1934: The End of a chapter in U.S. History of Imperialism and caretaker role in the western Hemisphere

Perceptions of the rabbit as a low investment 'starter pet' lead to negative impacts on its welfare: Results of two Danish surveys.

Concerns over compromised companion rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus domesticus) welfare are widespread. The welfare problems have been linked to the perception of rabbits as low investment 'children's pets.' To test this hypothesis and investigate the current conditions for rabbits, data were gathered from two surveys in 2021: a nationally representative survey of Danish companion animal owners (Survey I) and a detailed social media-based survey of Danish rabbit owners (Survey II). Using logistic regression, three owner-related variables (whether a child/adult was responsible for care of the rabbit, owner-opinion on rabbits' suitability as 'starter pets' and willingness-to-pay [WTP] for veterinary treatment) were employed to investigate the effect of rabbit status on owner-provision of selected husbandry conditions. The 76 (Survey I) and 4,335 (Survey II) responses suggested that most rabbits are acquired for children and are solitarily housed, and that many are kept in cages of an unsuitable size and not checked daily. Owners who perceived rabbits as 'starter pets' and with lower WTP were more likely to house rabbits in restricted space and to not provide continuous gnawing opportunities, ad libitum hay or routine healthcare. A child fulfilling the role of the rabbit's main caretaker was also associated with inadequate housing type and fewer gnawing opportunities. Thus, many rabbits live in unsuitable conditions, and owners who perceive rabbits as low investment 'children's pets' are more likely to not provide recommended resources. Changing owners' perceptions of rabbits and promoting suitable husbandry through official education programmes and minimum requirements is important if there are to be improvements made to rabbit welfare.

The protective role of caretakers in the delinquency of detained youth in São Paulo, Brazil

BackgroundBrazil is one of the world’s most violent countries, and much of that violence is perpetrated by juveniles. A common judicial sanction for the riskiest delinquents is commitment to facilities which perform the dual role of caring for and incapacitating these youth. ObjectiveOur study describes the disadvantages to which detained youths are exposed and investigates the association between these youth’s household configuration and their prior delinquency history. Participants and SettingWe analyze novel survey data of 281 juveniles who are detained in facilities throughout São Paulo—the most populous state of Brazil. MethodsWe use negative binomial regression models to estimate the association between youth’s household configuration and the (1) frequency, (2) severity, and (3) duration of their delinquency history. ResultsThe presence of any caretaker is a key protective factor against delinquency. Fathers are a rare element in delinquents’ households, but their presence has a strong negative effect on delinquency. We also found similar effects for the presence of extended family and of configurations that do not involve a family member. However, single mothers and stepparents are less protective for reasons described in the literature. ConclusionsFindings highlight the importance of the presence of a caretaker, but show that the specific configuration through which this guardianship operates (whether by a parent, grandparent, or other) carries less importance. Implications are discussed.

The International Missionary Council and Mission Cooperation in Tanzania’s Southern Highlands, 1916–28

AbstractHealthy mission cooperation between Scottish and German missions around the northern end of Lake Malawi was a feature of the period from 1891, when the German missions were establishing themselves in the Southern Highlands of Tanzania. This happy collaboration was shattered by the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, which led to the internment of the German missionaries and the cream of the local church leadership. In this context, the Continuation Committee of the Edinburgh 1910 World Missionary Conference, which took permanent form as the International Missionary Council (IMC) from 1921, played a critical role as broker. It first negotiated a caretaker role for British missions in regard to the “derelict” German missions and later facilitated the return of the German missionaries. While European missionaries held centre stage in the international discussions, on the ground, the decisive role was played by Malawian evangelists and Tanzanian church leaders – a case of mission from the margins. At the same time, the supra‐national understanding of mission championed by the IMC enabled it to exercise a highly influential role in facilitating the mission cooperation that ultimately overcame the division, suspicion, and mistrust that had arisen during the war.

Gender Norms and Gender Equality in Full-Time Employment and Health: A 97-Country Analysis of the World Values Survey.

Gender Norms and Gender Equality in Full-Time Employment and Health: A 97-Country Analysis of the World Values Survey.

Indigenizing Philosophy on Stolen Lands: A Worry about Settler Philosophical Guardianship

Indigenizing Philosophy on Stolen Lands: A Worry about Settler Philosophical Guardianship

Hidden Mothers, Hidden Others

Hidden Mothers, Hidden Others Susan E. Cook (bio) The photograph discussed in this essay is a tintype portrait of a young child, their fair hair and skin fading into their white clothing (fig. 1). The child stares out of the frame toward the camera and us, unsmiling, somewhat awkwardly perched on what appears to be a cloth backdrop. But that backdrop has a human form. At the top of the image, a deliberate swipe in the emulsion obscures—incompletely—the head of the person propping up the child. Below the swipe we can see a chin, lips, and part of a nose—the skin of the person holding the child also fading into their clothing, which appears darker than that worn by the child. This photograph is described by its eBay seller as an "Antique American hidden 'mother' African American nanny mammy rare tintype photo," thereby situating the covered figure beneath at least two additional layers of obfuscation as it describes the individual as both mother and African American nanny. The photograph is a hidden mother photograph, an example of a popular Victorian vernacular photographic trend still in use today that features a child held or secured by an obscured adult. Hidden mothers may be covered beneath a shroud, concealed behind furniture or other materials, partially cut from the frame, or scratched or burned out of the image. The image shared here is an example of this last type, and it comes across as a violent erasure. There is no attempt to hide the scratch, except behind a mat that would likely have encircled the child: the edges of the scratch are rough and uneven, the result of a hasty swipe across the emulsion. The person is not just obscured or cropped out of the frame; they are removed from the image. This type of erasure comes across as much more violent and final—more of a rejection of the person holding the child, even though the child still relies on the support of that person—than other forms of concealment. This image accepts a form of care often coded as maternal while forcefully rejecting the individual performing the role of caretaker. The name "hidden mother" appears to be a modern construction emerging out of collectors' circles and the marketplace in the first decade of this century.1 As a modern term, "hidden mother" describes but also reinforces [End Page 24] Click for larger view View full resolution Fig 1. Tintype portrait of child with hidden mother, date unknown. Courtesy of the author. and constructs Victorian gender norms and domesticity. The term is an attempt to categorize and track a photographic trend, but it also obscures the diversity of relationships documented by these pictures and risks limiting critical engagement. Specifically, the term reinforces the idea that the Victorian mother is defined by her effacement2—thereby binding maternity to occlusion, contributing to what Andrea Kaston Tange describes as the "continuous history of pretending that mothering is fundamentally marginal." How we read these images is informed by what we call them, and the term "hidden mother portrait" supports a narrative of maternity that leaves no room for seeing things otherwise. What makes any of these hidden mother figures mothers? Clearly, some fulfilled a biological role: an essay for the Philadelphia Photographer in 1872 explains that mothers are necessary for keeping their children still for the camera (Petsch 68). In many instances, the mother would no doubt be well situated to help soothe frightened or uncomfortable child subjects. Yet some [End Page 25] of these portraits clearly or potentially depict individuals who are not the biological mothers of the children they support. For example, in some cases we see servants, marked as such by their clothing, or men, again marked by their clothing. Hidden mothers, in other words, were not all necessarily the biological mothers of the children they held: "Perhaps," as Kaston Tange suggests of another image, "the supporting lap is obscured because it does not belong to the child's actual mother?" "Mother" may denote less a familial relation than a social function: an individual who is defined through their concurrent effacement and intimate support of a child's...

Grandparenting Activities and Mental Health in Northern Sri Lanka

ABSTRACT Grandparenting activities are of increasing interest to researchers seeking to understand reduced social engagement and depression among aging adults. Heterogeneity in the population and caretaking roles complicate its measurement. We piloted a measure of grandparenting activities among 79 grandparents (aged 55+) in Sri Lanka and correlated those activity levels with psychological distress. Second, we explored whether the aforementioned correlation varied by grandparent functional limitations. We found that greater engagement in generative grandparenting activities was correlated with lower distress, and that association was stronger among grandparents with more functional limitations. We discuss possible explanations and implications of these findings.

Insomnia episodes, new-onset pharmacological treatments, and other sleep disturbances during the COVID-19 pandemic: a nationwide cross-sectional study in Brazilian health care professionals.

To evaluate the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on insomnia and other sleep disturbances in health care professionals. A survey was distributed using social media and organizational emails to Brazilian active health care professionals during the COVID-19 outbreak. We explored potential associated factors including age, sex, occupation, workplace, work hours, income, previous infection with COVID-19, recent/current contact with COVID-19 patients, regional number of incident deaths, anxiety, and burnout. We evaluated new-onset/previous insomnia worsening episodes (primary outcome), new pharmacological treatments, sleep quality, duration, nightmares, and snoring (secondary outcomes). A total of 4,384 health professionals from all regions of the country were included in the analysis (44 ± 12 years, 76% females, 53.8% physicians). Overall, 55.7% were assisting patients with COVID-19, and 9.2% had a previous COVID-19 infection. The primary outcome occurred in 32.9% of respondents in parallel to 13% new pharmacological treatments for insomnia. The sleep quality worsened for 61.4%, while 43.5% and 22.8% reported ≥ 1-hour sleep duration reduction and worsening or new-onset nightmares, respectively. Multivariate analyses showed that age (odds ratio [OR]: 1.008; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.001-1.015), females (OR: 1.590; 95% CI 1.335-1.900), weight change (decrease: OR: 1.772; 95% CI 1.453-2.161; increase: OR: 1.468; 95% CI 1.249-1.728), prevalent anxiety (OR: 3.414; 95% CI 2.954-3.948), new-onset burnout (OR: 1.761; 95% CI 1.489-2.083), family income reduction > 30% (OR: 1.288; 95% CI 1.069-1.553), and assisting patients with COVID-19 (OR: 1.275; 95% CI 1.081-1.506) were independently associated with new-onset or worsening of previous insomnia episodes. We observed a huge burden of insomnia episodes and other sleep disturbances in health care professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic. Drager LF, Pachito DV, Moreno CRC, etal. Insomnia episodes, new-onset pharmacological treatments, and other sleep disturbances during the COVID-19 pandemic: a nationwide cross-sectional study in Brazilian health care professionals. J Clin Sleep Med. 2022;18(2):373-382.

Empowering Female [Student] Veterans through Community Writing and Experiential Learning in the Classroom

This article argues for the importance of community writing groups on college campuses targeted towards female veterans to aid in female student veterans’ successful transition to the university. Female veterans, in general, often face a host of additional challenges upon homecoming compared to their male counterparts including, but not limited to, higher incidents of depression, repression of memories of military sexual trauma (MST), and struggles to reacclimate to caretaker roles as wives and/or mothers. While Veteran Service Organizations (VSOs) can play an important role in rebuilding eroded support levels and creating a social bridge for transitioning veterans, studies indicate that many current organizations do not reach women veterans with ideal effect. This article argues that the presence of veteran community writing groups on college campuses that are directed toward females may encourage female student veterans to disclose and self-identity their veteran status. Further, given data that indicates returning female veterans are likelier to have negative personal and family reintegration experiences, female veteran focused community writing groups can provide a much-desired sense of comradery, increase social connectivity and positive relation to the university, and serve as an outlet for secure emotional expression.