Context Of Health Promotion Research Articles

My Healthy Body by L. Framer and F. Gerstein

Fromer, Liza, and F. Gerstein. My Healthy Body. Toronto: Tundra Books, 2012. Print. Liza Fromer is a broadcast journalist with a degree in Radio and Television Arts from Ryerson University. In addition to working with The Discovery Channel and being a weekend anchor and reporter at A-Channel in Calgary, Liza has co-hosted CityTV’s Breakfast Television, hosted The Weather Network’s “Good Morning Toronto” and SLICE network’s series, “The List”. Currently, Ms Fromer lives in Toronto, as does her co-author sister-in-law, Dr. Francine Gerstein, a family physician and cosmetic medicine practitioner. Together they have co-written My Healthy Body and five other books that make up the Body Works Series. My Healthy Body opens with an author’s note about seeking medical advice for health concerns, then covers the following topics: sleep, exercise, nutrition, vaccination, eye and dental care, and the importance of family and friends, learning, and personal hygiene. Fun facts and true/false questions signal the end of each topic. Colourful illustrations depict children engaged in a variety of daily activities related to the health topics being discussed. The book focuses on the role that individuals play in being healthy. While it does not specifically situate health behaviours in a broader context of health promotion (i.e., that being healthy is affected by many factors, one of which is individual behaviour) the sections on family and friends and learning, although presented from a personal choice perspective, are a nod to some of these broader determinants. Overall, My Healthy Body is engaging and informative without being text heavy. However, it does have a few limitations. Firstly, I was surprised that, despite the book being written and published in Canada, the nutrition section does not refer to Canada’s Food Guide, highlighting the USDA’s guide instead. Similarly, the section on exercise eschews the more inclusive term, physical activity, used in the Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines. Secondly, while the publisher’s website lists the book as suitable for children ages six to nine years old, this book includes vocabulary that may be more suited to the upper end of this range and readers may need assistance to understand some of the terms. Some terms are introduced in plain language, followed by the medical term in parentheses. This treatment of health-related terminology is inconsistent – some words, such as “tissues”, “self-esteem”, “obesity” are not defined in the text, nor are they addressed in the brief glossary at the end of the book; unexpectedly, the glossary does introduce some terms that do not appear in the text (e.g., antigen). Finally, the book ends abruptly, with no conclusion, suggestions for further reading, or mention of the glossary. Recommended: 3 out of 4 stars Reviewer: Maria TanMaria is a Public Services Librarian at the University of Alberta’s H. T. Coutts Education Library. She enjoys travelling and visiting unique and far-flung libraries. An avid foodie, Maria’s motto is, “There’s really no good reason to stop the flow of snacks”.

Health-education policy interface: the implementation of the Eat Well Be Active policies in schools

While grappling with their traditional core business of imbuing students with official curricular knowledge, schools have simultaneously, increasing demands to take on health promotion responsibilities. This paper examines the mandated implementation of the Eat Well Be Active (EWBA) Action Plan and its subsidiary ‘Smart’ policies in schools in the state of Queensland, Australia. Within the context of health promotion, the interaction between the health and education policy interfaces was explored. In particular, we paid close attention to the responses of the schools and their staff to the convergence of various health policies within their institutions. Drawing on Bernstein's concept of field, this paper reports our analyses of responses within the reproduction field to the imperatives of the Smart policies. The results suggest that there exists a disjunction between the recontextualising and reproduction fields in terms of the EWBA policy intent and implementation.

The role of sport in promoting prisoner health.

The existing evidence base and policy context of sports-based prisoner health promotion is evaluated, and an original analysis of current provision and best practice in delivering sport to address physical, mental and substance misuse needs among prisoners across the secure estate in England and Wales is presented, with a focus on the variability of provision across different prison establishments. Inspectorate reports published by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Prisons (n=184) were analysed to assess the extent to which health promotion objectives are being implemented through physical education in prisons across England and Wales. Examples of innovative sport-based health promoting programmes are drawn upon in order to illustrate principles of best practice. Despite health promotion being engrained in existing policy, the degree to which physical, mental health and substance misuse needs are addressed through sport in prison remains highly variable and locally contingent across the secure estate, although examples of innovative practice are evident. For sport to promote prisoner health most effectively, tailored sports provision should be embedded within multi-modal interventions which draw on internal and external partnerships and promote opportunities for ongoing sporting participation. Further research is required to delineate principles of best practice applicable to discrete prisoner populations. Sport can play a key role in addressing a multitude of prisoner health needs whilst contributing to achieving "healthy prison" objectives in practice. Sport and physical activity clearly offers a valuable way of motivating prisoners to engage in health promoting initiatives.

Self-Determination Theory Applied to Health Contexts

Behavior change is more effective and lasting when patients are autonomously motivated. To examine this idea, we identified 184 independent data sets from studies that utilized self-determination theory (SDT; Deci & Ryan, 2000) in health care and health promotion contexts. A meta-analysis evaluated relations between the SDT-based constructs of practitioner support for patient autonomy and patients’ experience of psychological need satisfaction, as well as relations between these SDT constructs and indices of mental and physical health. Results showed the expected relations among the SDT variables, as well as positive relations of psychological need satisfaction and autonomous motivation to beneficial health outcomes. Several variables (e.g., participants’ age, study design) were tested as potential moderators when effect sizes were heterogeneous. Finally, we used path analyses of the meta-analyzed correlations to test the interrelations among the SDT variables. Results suggested that SDT is a viable conceptual framework to study antecedents and outcomes of motivation for health-related behaviors.

Reducing widespread pipe sharing and risky sex among crystal methamphetamine smokers in Toronto: do safer smoking kits have a potential role to play?

BackgroundCrystal methamphetamine smoking is associated with many negative health consequences, including the potential for transmission of hepatitis. We examined whether or not a kit for crystal methamphetamine smoking might have some potential to reduce the negative health effects of crystal methamphetamine smoking.MethodsFive focus groups were conducted with crystal methamphetamine smokers recruited by community health agencies and youth shelters in Toronto, Canada. Target groups included homeless/street-involved youth, sex workers, men who have sex with men, and youth in the party scene. Participants (n = 32) were asked questions about motivations for crystal methamphetamine use, the process of smoking, health problems experienced, sharing behaviour, risky sexual practices, and the ideal contents of a harm reduction kit.ResultsPipe sharing was widespread among participants and was deemed integral to the social experience of smoking crystal methamphetamine. Heated pipes were unlikely to cause direct injuries, but participants mentioned having dry, cracked lips, which may be a vector for disease transmission. Many reported having sex with multiple partners and being less likely to use condoms while on the drug. Demand for harm reduction kits was mixed.ConclusionsChanging pipe sharing behaviours may be difficult because many participants considered sharing to be integral to the social experience of smoking crystal methamphetamine. Within the context of a broader health promotion and prevention program, pilot testing of safer smoking kits to initiate discussion and education on the risks associated with sharing pipes and unprotected sex for some communities (e.g., homeless/street-involved youth) is worth pursuing.

Nurturing Mindfulness in Children and Youth: Current State of Research

Abstract— This article reviews the current state of research on contemplative practices with children and youth. It reviews contemplative practices used both in treatment settings and in prevention or health promotion contexts, including school‐based programs. Although there is great interest and potential promise for contemplative interventions, enthusiasm for promoting such practices outweighs the current evidence supporting them. Interventions that nurture mindfulness in children and youth may be a feasible and effective method of building resilience in universal populations and in the treatment of disorders in clinical populations. This review suggests that meditation and yoga may be associated with beneficial outcomes for children and youth, but the generally limited quality of research tempers the allowable conclusions. Well‐designed experimental studies that are grounded in developmental theory and measure multiple indicators of change must fully test the efficacy of such interventions.

Program Director Perceived Factors for an Enhanced Advanced Education Program in Prosthodontics Recall System

A survey study of program directors in Advanced Education Programs in Prosthodontics (AEPPs) was conducted to determine the barriers to and factors that can lead to an enhanced patient-centered recall system. Surveys were sent to AEPP directors across the United States to assess their program's recall protocol. This survey first identified whether an active recall program existed. Based on the existence of recall, the survey then delved into benefits of recall systems for patients and residents, barriers to the formation of a successful recall system, and factors that can be improved upon for an enhanced recall system. Thirty-two of the 45 programs responded; however, only 28 of the surveys were completed entirely, giving a response rate of 62%. Of these 32 programs, 19 (59.4%) reported having a recall system. A majority of the AEPPs with recall (87.5%) indicated that their system can be further improved. Almost all of the programs without recall (91.7%) indicated that if solutions to the most common barriers to recall were found, they would like to implement one within their program. Some hindrances faced by all programs included budget for initiating and maintaining a recall system, personnel to perform hygiene, a patient tracking system, patient education, and time allocation in the residents' curriculum. Mann-Whitney analyses indicated no statistically significant difference in each factor between programs with and without a recall system. Power analysis suggested that differences in perceived barriers between programs with and without recall systems may have been found if the response rate was 71% or greater. Necessary budget and facilities for initiating or maintaining a recall system may be the greatest difference in barrier importance between programs with and without recall. Prosthodontic program directors perceived their program's recall system could be improved. If solutions to the most common hindrances were found, almost all program directors desired to establish a recall system within their AEPP. Therefore, a pilot recall system could be valuable in identifying these solutions in establishing an effective recall system for prosthodontic programs within the context of patient health promotion, program curriculum, and financial ramifications.

Sportski uzori i njihov uticaj na bavljenje fizičkom aktivnošću adolescentkinja

Adolescence as a transitional stage between childhood and adulthood, bears numerous developmental challenges. Special attention should be paid to physical activity decrease, particularly pronounced in adolescent girls, and associated health risks. A number of studies analyzed concept of role modeling within the context of health and physical activity promotion in young people. This paper critically reviews current knowledge about relevance and influence of sport role models on physical activity participation of adolescent girls, including media presentation of female sport role models and designing of effective strategies in physical activity promotion in population of adolescent girls.

Reviewing the meanings of wellness and well-being and their implications for food choice

Wellness and well-being are terms found in a broad range of literature such as economics, social science, food marketing and general social commentary. These terms are often used in contexts that encompass mental, physical and emotional health as well as broader more esoteric aspects of life satisfaction such as happiness. The terms wellness and well-being are also used ubiquitously and variably in health practice. However, there is limited understanding about how they are used in the broader health promotion context and how consumers might interpret these terms in the context of food and nutrition messages. The primary aim of this paper is to review how the terms wellness and well-being are being used within a number of disciplines and describe implications for food choice. It is proposed that identifying the way these terms are used by key players in the food industry would enable more effective communication across sectors. This may assist in the collaborative development of public health food and nutrition messages with a consistent meaning.

Fitness Test Profiles As Determined by the Eurofit Test Battery in Elite Female Gaelic Football Players

Gaelic Football is the main sport in Ireland and has potential for use as a means of fitness in health promotion contexts. The present study entailed a cross-sectional comparison of performances in a motor test battery between elite female players and an age-matched reference group. The aim was to identify the fitness items that characterize top performers in the game. Altogether, 83 women aged 18-29 participated in the study and completed a series of tests consisting of 8 items in the Eurofit Test Battery. The profiles of the 2 groups were subjected to logistic regression analysis. Four of the test items contributed to group discrimination (endurance, flexibility, trunk strength, and limb speed). Based on percentage difference, the most prominent discriminator was the estimated VO2max (mean 49.9+/-4.2 vs. 39.7+/-6.3 ml.kg(-1).min(-1)). Grip strength and agility were also significantly superior in the Gaelic Football players (p<0.05), who had significantly lower body fat values (23.3+/-2.3%) than the reference group (27.2+/-3.6%). The use of the Eurofit Test battery in games players was confirmed as were the multifactorial requirements of fitness for women playing this sport. It was concluded that elite Gaelic Football at top level is characterized mainly by high aerobic fitness, but a holistic training program is needed to cover the multiple fitness requirements of the game. Practical applications include the use of this game for health-related purposes.

Patient Recall in Advanced Education in Prosthodontics Programs in the United States

This study surveyed program directors of Advanced Education Programs in Prosthodontics (AEPP) in the United States to determine the extent, type, incidence, and perceived effectiveness of implemented recall systems. Surveys were sent to AEPP directors across the United States to assess their program's recall protocol. This survey first identified whether an active recall program existed. For programs with recall systems, rigor in promoting ongoing oral health was surveyed by focusing on recall frequency, patient tracking protocol, involved personnel, interaction with other university departments, provided clinical procedures, and therapy completion protocol. Whether the directors perceived that their recall system was successful was also investigated. Thirty-three of 46 programs responded, giving a response rate of 72%. Of these 33 programs, only 21 (64%) had an active recall system, although 30 (91%) believed recall to be important. Twelve (57%) directors with recall programs considered their system to be effective. Prosthodontic program directors felt their program's recall effectiveness could be improved. Due to the numerous potential benefits of an active recall system, AEPPs should consider implementing or enhancing their recall programs. Further studies are indicated to determine specific criteria that describe an effective recall system for prosthodontic programs within the context of patient health promotion, program curriculum, and financial ramifications.

Stirring up the Mud: Using a Community-Based Participatory Approach to Address Health Disparities through a Faith-Based Initiative

This case study provides a mid-course assessment of the Bronx Health REACH faith-based initiative four years into its implementation. The study uses qualitative methods to identify lessons learned and to reflect on the benefits and challenges of using a community-based participatory approach for the development and evaluation of a faith-based program designed to address health disparities. Key findings concern the role of pastoral leadership, the importance of providing a religious context for health promotion and health equality messages, the challenges of creating a bilingual/bi-cultural program, and the need to provide management support to the lay program coordinators. The study also identifies lessons learned about community-based evaluation and the importance of addressing community concern about the balance between evaluation and program. Finally, the study identifies the challenges that lie ahead, including issues of program institutionalization and sustainability.

Identifying Key Questions to Advance Research and Practice in Cancer Survivorship Follow-Up Care: A Report From the ASPO Survivorship Interest Group

Cancer survivorship encompasses the physical, psychosocial, and economic consequences of cancer, including issues related to health care and follow-up treatment, late effects of treatment, surveillance for recurrence of the primary, screening for second primary cancers, and quality of life. Almost

Water, ecology and health: ecosystems as settings for promoting health and sustainability

Despite the proposed ecological and systems-based perspectives of the settings-based approach to health promotion, most initiatives have tended to overlook the fundamental nature of ecosystems. This paper responds to this oversight by proposing an explicit re-integration of ecosystems within the healthy settings approach. We make this case by focusing on water as an integrating unit of analysis. Water, on which all life depends, is not only an integral consideration for the existing healthy settings (schools, hospitals, workplaces) but also highlights the ecosystem context of health and sustainability. A focus on catchments (also know as watersheds and river basins) exemplifies the scaled and upstream/downstream nature of ecosystems and draws into sharp focus the cross-sectoral and transdisciplinary context of the social and environmental determinants of health. We position this work in relation to the converging agendas of health promotion and ecosystem management at the local, regional and global scales--and draw on evidence from international initiatives as diverse as the WHO Commission on Social Determinants of Health, and the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. Using water as a vehicle for understanding the systemic context for human wellbeing, health promotion and disease prevention draws inevitable attention to key challenges of scale, intersectoral governance and the complementary themes of promoting resilience and preventing vulnerability. We conclude by highlighting the importance of building individual and institutional capacity for this kind of integration--equipping a new generation of researchers, practitioners and decision-makers to be conversant with the language of ecosystems, capable of systemic thought and focused on settings that can promote both health and sustainability.

Neighbourhood walkability and its particular importance for adults with a preference for passive transport

In this study, differences in physical activity between adults living in high versus low walkable neighbourhoods were examined. In Sint-Niklaas, Belgium, neighbourhood walkability was defined by geographical map data and observations. One high walkable and one low walkable neighbourhood were selected. A sample of 120 adults between 20 and 65 years old, agreed to participate in the study and wore a pedometer for seven days. Self-reported physical activity and psychosocial data were collected. Results showed that residents of the high walkable neighbourhood took more steps/day and walked more for transport in their neighbourhood. Further analyses showed that living in a high walkable neighbourhood was associated with taking more steps, especially in adults with a preference for passive transport and/or a low intention to walk or cycle. In a health promotion context, these results are very promising.

The symbolic power of ‘healthy lifestyles’

Within the health promotion context, ‘lifestyle’ is a contested concept. On the one hand, it is an incontestable health determinant, and as such forms the primary focus of traditional health education; whilst, on the other, the customary usage of lifestyle within health education points to a narrow and superficial understanding of the nature of health and the priorities of health promotion. To develop a more comprehensive analysis of the structural aspects of lifestyles, recourse needs to be made to the work of sociological theories. A number of authors have turned to Pierre Bourdieu and his concept of ‘habitus’. This article draws on a hitherto neglected aspect of Pierre Bourdieu’s analysis of lifestyles, by elaborating on the implications of his concept of ‘field’, and the relational analysis implicit in this concept, as a means of gaining an understanding of ‘healthy lifestyles’.

Farmacoterapia adjuvante no tratamento da dor oncológica

Objective: To evaluate the adjuvant analgesic pharmacotherapeutic treatment, in cancer patients. Methods: The records of 63 patients with malignancy were analysed and they also answered to an interview consisting of the following data: description of pain regarding the location, intensity (the numerical scale from 0 to 10) and relief. Moreover, the analgesics schemes were grouped into compatible and not compatible, based on the analgesic scale (Numeral Rating Scale) World Health Organization - WHO. Results: The findings showed a frequency in patients below 60 years of age, besides the adoption of a polypharmacy and concomitant diseases that corroborate as risks for treatment. About the intensity of pain, the greatest percentages varied from moderate to intense and pain relief was reasonable in most patients. The majority of prescriptions were not compatible, according to the standards recommended by WHO and the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) represented the most used. A high percentage of side effects and drug interactions were also observed. Conclusion: Within the context of health promotion, the evaluation of adjuvant analgesic therapy through pharmacy surveillance has great relevance, once that the therapeutic success is better achieved when it enhances the perception of pain referred by the patient. This, allied to appropriate therapeutic management, can avoid the appearance of side effects and drug interactions

An examination of the stages of change construct for health promotion within organizations

The purpose of this research is to examine the organizational stages of change construct of the transtheoretical model of behavior change. Data on organizational and individual stages of change for tobacco reduction, physical activity promotion, and heart healthy eating promotion were collected from service provider, senior management, and board level members of provincial health authorities across three data collection periods. Results revealed significant correlations between individual and organizational stages of change for management level respondents, but inconsistent relationships for service providers and no significant correlations for board level respondents. There were no significant differences between respondent levels for organizational stage of change for any of the promotion behaviors. In general, changes in stage failed to predict whether there was a belief in an organization's capability of addressing any of the health promotion activities. There was also a large amount of variance between individual respondents for most health authorities in their reported organizational stages of change for physical activity and healthy eating. Based on the results of the present study it is concluded that there is little evidence that the organizational stages of change construct is valid. The evidence indicates that assessing individual readiness within an organization may be as effective as asking individuals to report on organizational stages of readiness. This paper reports on the validity of the organizational stages of change construct in a health promotion context and provides information for those who are considering using it.

Community Pharmacy's Role in Promoting Healthy Behaviours

ABSTRACTMany have commented on the potential of community pharmacy as a health promotion setting, due to accessibility, high level of use, and the respect afforded to pharmacists. Community pharmacy could be a setting through which to address risk and protective health behaviours relevant to Australia's National Health Priority Areas. However, apart from some studies on smoking cessation, there is scant evidence on its involvement in other healthy behaviours. This paper discusses how to increase research and interventions on healthy behaviours in community pharmacy. This includes placing community pharmacy's role within a broader health promotion context, expanding community expectations of pharmacists, and addressing barriers to performing a health promotion role.

Community as practice: social representations of community and their implications for health promotion

AbstractHealth promotion researchers and practitioners have increasingly turned to community‐based approaches. Although there has been much work around the diverse understandings of the term in areas such as community psychology and sociology, I am concerned with how such understandings relate directly to community health research and practice. From a discursive perspective ‘community’ is seen as a socially constructed representation that is used variously and pragmatically. However, from a wider view, community can be seen as a matter of embodied practice. This paper draws on social representations theory to examine the shifting constructions of ‘community’, the functional use of those understandings in social life, and the practices that suggest that it is important to attend to their use in particular contexts. Accordingly, the paper argues that meanings of community in the health promotion or public health context must be seen as representations used for specific purposes in particular situations. Furthermore, the broader notion of embodied practice in social life has implications for community participation in health promotion. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.