Social Dimensions Of Health Research Articles

How poser relations impact pregnancy and childbirth: Knowledge, Healthcare and Work in France

Based on a constructivist approach to human reproduction, this focus analyses the ways childbirth in mainland France is framed by natalist and health policies and by social inequalities. Beyond the tension between naturalness and technicality, birth is subject to a diversity of power relations. We focus here on power dynamics around class, sex and race, which impact the access to and the quality of perinatal care. Drawing on qualitative and quantitative studies, we show that women and couples have unequal access to information during pregnancy, for several reasons. Firstly, the standardised length of antenatal consultations. Secondly, differences in understanding of information that is implicitly adapted to the most educated and affluent social classes. Thirdly, the ambivalence of the information, which oscillates between autonomy and injunction in terms of how the baby should be delivered and fed. Fourthly, pregnant workers have little knowledge of their reproductive rights. We also show that the provision of perinatal care is unequal despite a supposedly universal health insurance system. Racially Minoritized women are subject to more complex administrative procedures and to more medical interventions. In addition, health and diet recommendations, and alternative birthing methods, are better suited to the individualistic logic and material conditions of the middle classes than those of the working classes. As far as working conditions are concerned, women in arduous occupations use sick leave as a means of protection, whereas women in less arduous occupations take maternity leave later than the other women. Lastly, men's involvement in domestic tasks during women's pregnancies remains occasional and limited to the physical dimension of those tasks, even more so as this assignment of women to domestic labour is reinforced by healthcare professionals. Finally, we contend that equal care for all pregnant women can only be achieved if the social dimensions of health are fully taken into account.

Promoting Wellness Among Orthopaedic Surgeons.

» Wellness encompasses multiple dimensions of well-being, including physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual health. Prioritizing physician wellness is crucial for ensuring high-quality patient care and reducing the risks of burnout, depression, and other mental health issues. Poor wellness among physicians not only affects their personal and professional lives but also has a ripple effect on patient care. It is associated with higher rates of medical errors, lower patient satisfaction, and an increased risk of mental health disorders including anxiety, depression, substance abuse, and suicide. » Burnout is a significant issue among healthcare professionals, particularly physicians. It can lead to severe consequences like increased medical errors, job dissatisfaction, and a decline in both personal and professional well-being. Addressing burnout through coping mechanisms and better work-life balance is essential. Moral injury occurs when physicians are forced to act against their moral beliefs due to systemic flaws, leading to inner conflict. Unlike burnout, which is often attributed to individual resilience, moral injury points to issues within the medical system itself. » Anxiety and depressive disorders can alter an individual's ability to participate in work and daily function. Among orthopedic surgeons, burnout has been described as an occupational hazard associated with medical errors, as well as with physical and mental exhaustion. Orthopedic surgeons face a burnout rate ranging between 40% and 60%. Tragically, they also have the highest suicide rate, comprising 28.2% of surgeon suicides from 2007 to 2013. » More flexible work hours, adequate time off, and efficient workflow are methods that can be used to improve the work environment, as well as providing easy access to mental health counseling and confidential support groups. Research has shown that residents do not utilize employee assistance programs; however, programs with directors that regularly inquire about well-being has led to increased well-being and use of assistance programs and groups.

Social health, activity behaviors, and quality of life among young adult cancer survivors: Protocol for a prospective observational study.

Approximately 85,000 adolescent and young adults (AYAs; age 15-39) are diagnosed with cancer in the United States annually. Experiencing a cancer diagnosis as an AYA can substantially impact social connections and social health. This paper describes the design and protocol of an observational study to prospectively assess social health and its association with physical activity and quality of life among AYAs after a cancer diagnosis. The study uses a longitudinal observational design to prospectively explore the relationships between social health and activity behaviors (physical activity and sedentary time) at four clinically significant timepoints over the course of 12 months among AYAs newly diagnosed with cancer. Patients are recruited at three hospitals and surveyed at each time period. Multiple dimensions of social health are assessed including social support, social roles, loneliness, social anxiety, and social networks. A wrist accelerometer is worn for one week at each assessment period. Change in social network structures will be analyzed using egocentric social network analysis. Structural equation models will be fitted to analyze the relationship between social constructs and physical activity. Findings from this study will address gaps in our understanding of the impact of a cancer diagnosis on multiple dimensions of social health for AYAs and the potential role social factors play in physical activity and quality of life. Understanding these processes will inform age-tailored interventions to improve health and quality of life outcomes for this at-risk population.

Black gold, dark realities: Unpacking the socio-economic and environmental fallout of unauthorized oil extraction (Investigation in East Aceh, Indonesia)

Environmental degradation can lead to climate change, air and water quality degradation, and biodiversity loss. The study aims to assess the impact of illegal oil extraction on environmental, social, economic, and public health dimensions in Peurelak, East Aceh, Indonesia. Using proportional random sampling techniques, 245 respondents were selected, representing owners and investors (9), tenant investors (18), workers/laborers (68), melters (6), public figures/community leaders (3), the community (138), and village government officials (3). Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM) with AMOS software. The results revealed a significant negative effect of illegal oil mining on social, environmental, and health performance (p-values = 0.031, 0.029, and 0.010, respectively, at a 95% confidence level). Additionally, informal leadership and government support were found to positively influence illegal oil mining (p-values = .017 and .035, respectively, below the significance threshold of .05). Furthermore, illegal oil mining significantly affects economic performance (p-value = .021). This paper emphasizes the adverse impacts of unauthorized oil extraction on community well-being while highlighting the collusive role of informal leaders and government authorities. Additionally, the study reveals a worrisome positive relationship between illegal oil mining and economic performance in Indonesia.

Identifying Future Study Designs and Indicators for Somatic Health Associated with Diets of Cohorts Living in Eco-Regions: Findings from the INSUM Expert Workshop.

Diets, but also overall food environments, comprise a variety of significant factors with direct and indirect impacts on human health. Eco-Regions are geographical areas with a territorial approach to rural development, utilizing organic food and farming practices, and principles and promoting sustainable communities and food systems. However, so far, little attention has been given to quantifying aspects of the health of citizens living in these sustainable transition territories. The project "Indicators for Assessment of Health Effects of Consumption of Sustainable, Organic School Meals in Eco-Regions" (INSUM) aims to identify and discuss research approaches and indicators that could be applied to effectively measure the somatic, mental, and social health dimensions of citizens in Eco-Regions, linked to the intake of organic foods in their diets. In this paper, we focus on the somatic (physical) health dimension. A two-day workshop was held to discuss suitable methodology with an interdisciplinary, international group of experts. The results showed the limitations of commonly used tools for measuring dietary intake (e.g., relying on the memory of participants), and nutritional biomarkers (e.g., variations in correlations with specific intakes) for research understanding dietary intake and the health effects of diets. To investigate the complexity of this issue, the most suitable approach seems to be the combination of traditional markers of physical and mental health alongside emerging indicators such as the microbiome, nutrigenomics, metabolomics, or inflammatory biomarkers. Using new, digital, non-invasive, and wearable technologies to monitor indicators could complement future research. We conclude that future studies should adopt systemic, multidisciplinary approaches by combining not only indicators of somatic and mental health and social wellbeing (MHSW) but also considering the potential benefits of organic diets for health as well as aspects of sustainability connected to food environments.

How is human well-being related to ecosystem services at town and village scales? A case study from the Yangtze River Delta, China

ContextThe relationships between ecosystem services (ES) and human well-being (HWB) have been found to be influenced by geographic locations and socioeconomic development, and vary from local to global scales. However, there is a lack of comparative analyses at fine administrative scales such as town and village scales.ObjectiveThis study took the core region of the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) of China as the study area to examine the spatial characteristics of the values of ES and the subjective satisfaction scores of HWB and then compare their relationships at the town and village scales.MethodsThe values of 9 ES indicators were quantified using the ecosystem service equivalent factor method, and the subjective satisfaction scores of 11 HWB indicators were investigated using the questionnaire survey. The ES-HWB relationships between 9 ES and 11 HWB measures in the study area were investigated using Spearman's correlation analysis.ResultsThe value of ES per unit area in the study area in 2020 was about 15,202.90 USD/ha, nearly three times the average level in China, but the per capita value was relatively low, at 322.11 USD/person. The satisfaction score of HWB was relatively high, especially for the dimensions of social relations (4.46), health (4.26), and safety (4.22), based on a 5-point Likert scale. As spatial scales decreased from town to village scales and thematic scales increased from secondary to primary indicators, the strength of the ES-HWB correlations diminished and their direction changed as well. According to secondary indicators, most of the ES-HWB relationships were positive at the town scale but became negative or nonexistent at the village scale (e.g. the Spearman correlation coefficient between the value of raw material supply and the satisfaction score of leisure and entertainment shifted from 0.9 at the town scale to -0.51 at the village scale).ConclusionsThe correlation strength and direction of the ES-HWB relationships still changed with spatial and thematic scales at the town and village scales. Thus, better understanding the relationships requires studies at multiple and broader scales and calls for caution when using the aggregating indicators, because they can also lead to different ES-HWB relationships.

Social Health and its Related Factors in Students

Background: Recently, social health has become significantly important as one of the dimensions of overall health. Additionally, the issue of students› social health is a crucial concern that poses numerous challenges. This study aimed to assess the social health status of students enrolled at Bam University of Medical Sciences and identify the factors that influence it. Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was conducted in 2017, involving 260 students from Bam University of Medical Sciences. The participants were selected using the quota sampling method. The data collection tool was the Social Health Standard Questionnaire developed by Keyes. Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics and chi-square test, performed using SPSS version 22. Results: Among the students studied, women accounted for 67.7% of the participants. In terms of age distribution, 53.6% fell into the 20- to 24-year-old age group. Regarding social health, 78.4% of the students exhibited an average level. The dimension with the highest social health score was social participation (15.21±4.30), while the lowest score was recorded for social prosperity (11.18±3.10). Female students had slightly higher social health scores (76.51±14.33) compared to male students (76.21±14.33). The research findings indicated that the relationship between social health and variables such as gender, age, marital status, and educational level was not significant. However, significant relationships were observed with interest in the field of study (P=0.002), field of study (P=0.048), and academic year (P=0.008). Conclusion: The study results emphasize the significance of implementing educational and health promotion interventions aimed at enhancing social health among students. It is hoped that these interventions will provide a foundation for improving the various dimensions of social health and fostering the overall well-being of students.

Assessing the Social Dimension of Health in Rural India: A Transverse Study

Abstract Introduction: Social health will be formed with the help of a healthy family, a healthy and communicating society, an individual having basic knowledge of good and healthy living practices, an individual giving equal respect to all genders and each age group, and full utilization of his productive time with his own choice of work. Promoting health and active participation of people in social and civic behaviors is considered one of the indicators of youth development. The present study focuses on assessing the social health status of study participants in rural areas in terms of illiteracy, gender discrimination, unemployment, and substance abuse. Objectives: To assess the social health profile of the study population (illiteracy, unemployment, male gender preference, and domestic violence) and to associate the social health profile with the demographic profile of the study participants. Materials and Methods: The present study is a cross-sectional study done at the Rural Demographic Surveillance Site of the Native Institute. A total of 430 individuals in the 15–59 years age group, both male and female, were included in the study. Data are analyzed using percentage, proportion, mean, and standard deviation. The association between social health problems and demographic factors was estimated by confidence interval, significance level. Results: The most prevalent social health problem among the study participants was unemployment (45%), followed by illiteracy (43%), substance abuse (18%), domestic violence (11%), and attitudes favoring male gender preference (7%) in the descending order. On correlation analysis, illiteracy found to be associated with age, gender, marital status, family type, education, occupation, and socioeconomic status (SES). Male gender preference attitude is associated with age, marital status, education while domestic violence is associated with age, gender, marital status, education, occupation, and SES. Unemployment found to be associated with age, gender, marital status, education, occupation, and SES. Substance abuse is associated with age, gender, marital status, and type of family. On multivariate analysis, unemployment was found to be associated with gender, illiteracy was associated with age, gender, and type of family, substance abuse was found to be associated with age, gender, and education level, and attitudes favoring male gender preference were found to be associated with marital status, age, and education level. Conclusion: Various social health problems are prevalent in rural India, and these problems are not only associated with education level but also dependent on various other factors. A targeted approach can help reduce these problems and ultimately improve the social health status of rural populations.

The role of subjective, interpersonal, and structural social isolation in 12-month and lifetime anxiety disorders

BackgroundAnxiety disorders are among the most prevalent psychiatric conditions worldwide, and the incidence of anxiety disorders among adults in the U.S. have increased over the last decade. Anxiety disorders can have debilitating effects on multiple areas of functioning and quality of life. Recently, social isolation has emerged as an important public health problem associated with worse health and well-being outcomes. Research on the connection between social isolation and mental health has found that multiple dimensions of social isolation may negatively impact mental health, but few inquiries have focused on the association between social isolation and anxiety. This study examined the relationships between multiple dimensions of social isolation and anxiety disorders in a nationally representative sample of adults aged 18 and older.MethodsThe sample includes 6082 individuals from the National Survey of American Life. This study examined whether three different dimensions of social isolation—subjective, interpersonal, and structural—were associated with 12-month and lifetime anxiety disorders (any anxiety disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), panic disorder (PD), social anxiety disorder (SAD), and agoraphobia (AG). Logistic regressions were used to test the associations between the three social isolation variables and the anxiety outcomes.ResultsThis study found that of the three dimensions of social isolation, subjective isolation was most consistently related to both lifetime and 12-month anxiety disorders. Those who were subjectively isolated had increased odds of meeting criteria for any anxiety disorder, PTSD, GAD, PD, and AG over the past 12 months and throughout their lifetimes. Structural isolation was negatively associated with lifetime and 12-month AG.ConclusionsPublic health approaches should include mental health and primary care providers and need to target social isolation, especially subjective isolation, which may be key in preventing anxiety disorders and the worsening of anxiety disorders. Future public health research is needed on how and in what ways the differing dimensions of social isolation impact mental health.

Fertility by Design: Integrating IVF, Biopsychosocial Tenets, and Counseling

Women's health is a vast and complex field, encompassing diverse experiences and challenges throughout the pregnancy lifecycle. Despite advanced medical facilities in the United States, pregnancy-related mortality rates remain higher than in other countries, with alarming disparities affecting minority populations. This article explores the multifaceted landscape of infertility, focusing on women in heterosexual partnerships pursuing in vitro fertilization (IVF). In exploring the biological, psychological, and social dimensions of women's health in the context of IVF, this article employs the biopsychosocial model as a systemic framework to comprehend the comprehensive nature of the IVF process. It delves into the challenges faced by individuals and couples, emphasizing the vital role of mental health services in promoting overall wellbeing.

A central role for stressor appraisal in the social dimensions of health and aging in nonhuman primates

Being social is by no means the default in the animal kingdom; even most mammals meet only briefly to mate and otherwise lead happy solitary lives. Because conspecifics occupy the same ecological niche, seek the same ecological conditions and resources, they can be each other’s strongest competitors when resources are scarce. Yet, sociality, i.e. associating, communicating, coordinating, cooperating, and competing in structured ways, has evolved independently many times across the tree of life. The consequences of competition and conflict are often not shared equally among members of a society, resulting in status-associated health prospects. In response, affiliative strategies have evolved to navigate such structured societies and to partially compensate for certain costs of sociality. The importance of such affiliative strategies may change with age and neurodegenerative disease. Their shared longevity, physiological and anatomical similarity, including in brain areas affected by aging, and particularly the homologies in how social status, affiliation, and cooperation structure their societies, make nonhuman primates the preferred models for the social dimensions of health and aging in humans.

Context-Aware Behavioral Tips to Improve Sleep Quality via Machine Learning and Large Language Models

As several studies demonstrate, good sleep quality is essential for individuals’ well-being, as a lack of restoring sleep may disrupt different physical, mental, and social dimensions of health. For this reason, there is increasing interest in tools for the monitoring of sleep based on personal sensors. However, there are currently few context-aware methods to help individuals to improve their sleep quality through behavior change tips. In order to tackle this challenge, in this paper, we propose a system that couples machine learning algorithms and large language models to forecast the next night’s sleep quality, and to provide context-aware behavior change tips to improve sleep. In order to encourage adherence and to increase trust, our system includes the use of large language models to describe the conditions that the machine learning algorithm finds harmful to sleep health, and to explain why the behavior change tips are generated as a consequence. We develop a prototype of our system, including a smartphone application, and perform experiments with a set of users. Results show that our system’s forecast is correlated to the actual sleep quality. Moreover, a preliminary user study suggests that the use of large language models in our system is useful in increasing trust and engagement.

Opening up the ‘black-box’: what strategies do community mental health workers use to address the social dimensions of mental health?

PurposeCommunity-based workers promote mental health in communities. Recent literature has called for more attention to the ways they operate and the strategies used. For example, how do they translate biomedical concepts into frameworks that are acceptable and accessible to communities? How do micro-innovations lead to positive mental health outcomes, including social inclusion and recovery? The aim of this study was to examine the types of skills and strategies to address social dimensions of mental health used by community health workers (CHWs) working together with people with psychosocial disability (PPSD) in urban north India.MethodsWe interviewed CHWs (n = 46) about their registered PPSD who were randomly selected from 1000 people registered with a local non-profit community mental health provider. Notes taken during interviews were cross-checked with audio recordings and coded and analyzed thematically.ResultsCHWs displayed social, cultural, and psychological skills in forming trusting relationships and in-depth knowledge of the context of their client's lives and family dynamics. They used this information to analyze political, social, and economic factors influencing mental health for the client and their family members. The diverse range of analysis and intervention skills of community health workers built on contextual knowledge to implement micro-innovations in a be-spoke way, applying these to the local ecology of people with psychosocial disabilities (PPSD). These approaches contributed to addressing the social and structural determinants that shaped the mental health of PPSD.ConclusionCommunity health workers (CHWs) in this study addressed social aspects of mental health, individually, and by engaging with wider structural factors. The micro-innovations of CHWs are dependent on non-linear elements, including local knowledge, time, and relationships. Global mental health requires further attentive qualitative research to consider how these, and other factors shape the work of CHWs in different locales to inform locally appropriate mental health care.

Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) in Haemodialysis Patients in Khartoum, Sudan

Much research has been conducted in many countries on the Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) of haemodialysis patients, but few have been conducted in Khartoum, Sudan. All studies have shown that patients’ Quality of Life regarding the dimensions of physical, psychological, social, and environmental was affected by the disease. Previous research ignored the impact of religious beliefs on haemodialysis patients. We used the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire (the English standard version) to collect data from 181 participating patients. Religious beliefs had a significant impact on the overall outcome of the study, and strong social relationships among the Sudanese population (which distinguishes the Sudanese population from other nations) increased the patients’ satisfaction rate with their social relationships. The lack of transport facilities from the patients’ homes to the dialysis center (and vice versa) forced the patients to reduce the number of prescribed sessions. Background: In recent decades, Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) endpoints have proven to be valuable research tools for evaluating the outcomes of therapeutic interventions in chronic diseases. End-stage renal disease (ESRD) is one such chronic disease that leads to a high degree of disability in various aspects of the patient’s life and impairs their quality of life. Objectives: The main objectives of this study were to assess the QoL in haemodialysis patients concerning their physical, psychological, social, and environmental health dimensions, and to assess the effects of age, sex, income, and level of education, in addition, to identify modifiable factors in Khartoum Sudan, associated with Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) among chronic haemodialysis patients. Instrument and Material: A sample of 181 patients was recruited for this study. To collect the data we used the WHOQOL-BREF (the English standard version), a generic health-related questionnaire developed by the WHOQOL group and available in 19 different languagesThe English standard version was recommended by Mrs Sibel Volcan (WHOQOL representative) because it is best suited to Sudan. Scoring and Validation of WHOQOL-BREF Questionnaire: A detailed step-by-step guide to using the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire was clearly explained to me in a separate document by the WHOQOL representative. Results: Religious beliefs have a significant impact on the overall outcome of the study. No correlation was found between patients’ age, gender, and quality of life. Physical pain prevented 63.5% of the participating patients from doing what they needed to do, 49.2% of the haemodialysis patients had the energy to carry out their daily activities, 71.8 were satisfied with their sleep, 34.3% often had a negative feeling, 83% were satisfied with their sex life, 2.8% do not have a physically healthy environment, 43.3% were dissatisfied with the condition of their living spaces, the transportation was a nightmare for the majority of patients, 84.5% were satisfied with their social relationships and the support they receive from people around them, and .6% of patients have no way at all to meet their daily needs. Discussion: Physical pain prevented 63.5% of patients from doing what they needed to do to some extent, 40.9% were dependent on medical treatments to perform their daily activities, more than half of haemodialysis patients can get around, the lack of important information harms patients and transportation is a nightmare for the majority of participating haemodialysis patients. Conclusion: Inadequate distribution of dialysis centers in Sudan, lack of stable transportation from patients’ homes to dialysis centers (and vice versa), and insufficient information on how to deal with the disease were significantly associated with lower scores for all general and several kidney disease-related HRQoL scores. Key words: HRQOL, Haemodialysis, Sudan

Using self-reported health as a social determinants of health outcome: a scoping review of reviews.

Reducing disease prevalence rather than promoting health has long been the objective of significant population health initiatives, such as the social determinants of health (SDH) framework. However, empirical evidence suggests that people with diagnosed diseases often answer the self-reported health (SRH) question positively. In pursuit of a better proxy to understand, measure and improve health, this scoping review of reviews examines the potential of SRH to be used as an outcome of interest in population health policies. Following PRISMA-ScR guidelines, it synthesizes findings from 77 review papers (published until 11 May 2022) and reports a robust association between SDH and SRH. It also investigates inconsistencies within and between reviews to reveal how variation in population health can be explained by studying the impact of contextual factors, such as cultural, social, economic and political elements, on structural determinants such as socioeconomic situation, gender and ethnicity. These insights provide informed hypotheses for deeper explorations of the role of SDH in improving SRH. The review detects several gaps in the literature. Notably, more evidence syntheses are required, in general, on the pathway from contextual elements to population SRH and, in particular, on the social determinants of adolescents' SRH. This study reports a disease-oriented mindset in collecting, analysing and reporting SRH across the included reviews. Future studies should utilize the capability of SRH in interconnecting social, psychological and biological dimensions of health to actualize its full potential as a central public health measure.

Dance and Psychological Health: Effect of Dance Participation on Social Development

Dance is listed among the most common physical activities that have been integrated into almost all cultures and societies worldwide. The art of dancing engages an individual’s cognitive, social, and physical facets, all of which are integral components of psychological health and wellbeing. The social element of dance has been integrated into the modern health sector and other social settings to influence the relationship between psychological health and wellbeing and social support-related challenges. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate whether engaging in dance has an impact on the social dimension of psychological health and well-being. The initial hypothesis of the study, which was based on a literature review, was that participating in dance positively influences the social dimension of psychological well-being. An online literature review search that was conducted on the Google Scholar database for research published between 2013 and 2023 yielded 169 results from which 20 most recent studies between 2019-2023 were selected for inclusion in the final analysis. Dance promotes social wellness regardless of the settings in which it is performed by influencing the cognitive and behavioral processes regulating social relations among humans. Thus, dance is an effective vehicle for social support and a vital network for healthy social connections. Recent dance-based trends and dance practice characteristics could potentially serve as the new modes of social connections to promote social welfare.

Social Determinant of Health Framework to Examine the Impact of COVID-19 on Latino Health.

Evaluated how COVID-19 impacted Latino health across social, economic, and emotional dimensions and differentiated whether adverseCOVID-19-related effects persisted across respondents. In both English and Spanish, a cross-sectional survey was conducted in the USA from June 2021 to April 2022. Chi-square tests, Z-tests, and T-tests were used to test for significant differences between Spanish- and English-speaking respondents. Multiple linear regressions were carried out to understand whether previously established determinants of health for Latinos accounted for greater COVID-19-related adversity across social, economic, and mental health dimensions. English as a primary language was significantly related to greater adverse emotional/mental health COVID-19 experiences after controlling for other social determinants of healthfactors (β = - 0.355, p < 0.001). Individuals who reported worrying about housing loss were significantly more likely to experience more adverse economic adversity due to COVID-19 (β = - 0.234, p < 0.001). Household income < $35,000 (β = 0.083, p < 0.05), having more than 5 people living in the same home (β = -0.102, p < 0.05), and work-related transportation barriers (β = - 0.114, p < 0.05) all increased the likelihood of household-related stressors occurring because of the pandemic. The study highlights the heterogeneity in the Latino community and the key social, economic, and community-level factors most strongly correlated with adverse COVID-19-related outcomes.

Fear, Loneliness, Happiness and Mental Health in the Post-COVID-19 Period: A Cross-Cultural Study in a Sample of Japanese and Polish University Students.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, interpersonal relations were highly constrained due to the social distancing rules and sanitary restrictions imposed to prevent the transmission of the virus. These social changes gave rise to ever-deepening experiences of loneliness, deterioration of mental well-being, and fear of COVID-19, which affected the citizens of all the countries struggling with the pandemic. The present paper reports the results of a study on mental health, interdependent happiness, loneliness and fear of COVID-19 in Polish and Japanese university students. A total of 180 people (83 Poles and 97 Japanese) aged 19-41 participated in the study. The participants were surveyed using the Mental Health Continuum-Short Form to assess three dimensions of mental health; the UCLA Three-Item Loneliness Scale to measure loneliness; the Interdependent Happiness Scale based on the concept of a relational sense of community with others as associated with well-being, and the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S). The respondents were also asked one question about their subjectively perceived economic status. The largest cross-cultural difference in the investigated variables concerned fear of COVID-19. The Japanese university students showed higher levels of this fear. The level of fear of COVID-19 in the group of women, regardless of the culture they came from, was not associated with any other variables we analyzed. In the Japanese sample, it was negatively correlated with interdependent happiness, and in the Polish sample, fear od COVID-19 was only correlated with the Social dimension of Mental Health. Other variables that differentiated the two nationalities, though to a lesser extent, were the Social dimension of Mental Health, which was higher in the Japanese sample, and the Psychological dimension of Social Health, with higher scores in the Polish sample. The power of mental resources, although it may vary among individuals, is independent of culture. Regardless of the level of fear of COVID-19 in the two cultures, the examined mental resources are positively associated with well-being and the return to normal functioning after the pandemic.

Urinary incontinence in the postpartum 1-year period: Its prevalence and effect on psychosocial status of women.

In this study, it was aimed to determine the prevalence and effect of urinary incontinence in the postpartum 1 year period on psychosocial status of women. This study with a cross-sectional and descriptive design was conducted between 01.10.2021 and 01.04.2022. There were 406 women in the postpartum 8 weeks to 1 year period who participated in the study. The data were collected through Identifying Information Form, Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, and Nottingham Health Profile. In the study, it was determined that 21.9% of the women in the postpartum period experienced urinary incontinence problems, and that the most common type of incontinence experienced was stress incontinence (62.9%). Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale mean score of the women who experienced urinary incontinence problems in the postpartum period was found to be significantly higher compared to those who did not experience this problem (P < .05), but no significant difference was found between the rates of those with depression risk according to the cutoff point of the scale (≥13 points). As a result of the regression analysis, it was determined that the increase in depression risk resulted not from urinary incontinence but from age and parity. It was also determined that the mean scores of the women who experienced incontinence problems from the subscales of Nottingham Health profile was significantly high (P < .05). In conclusion, urinary incontinence in the postpartum period is a prevalent problem affecting approximately one-fifth of women. In addition, this problem negatively affects the psychological and social dimensions of women's health.

Primary Health Care and Foreign Aid: A Tale of Two Germanys.

The Declaration of Alma-Ata remains one of the momentous documents of public health. Its origins lie both in postwar efforts to improve population health in low-income countries and in social medicine promoted decades earlier in Europe. For industrialized countries in East and West, Alma-Ata, therefore, should have provided health-related guidelines both for domestic and foreign policy, though political interpretations of the social components of medicine and health differed. Due to its unique history of ideologically informed division after 1945, Germany forms a fascinating case study. Important German contributions to the early social medicine discourse fed into ideas of primary health care, the basis of the Alma-Ata process. However, the concept found little resonance in domestic policies. After World War II, the two Germanys chose different paths for health systems but were similarly reluctant to address the social dimension of health in their cooperation with Africa, Asia, and Latin America. In the 1970s, new international health concepts and civil society discussions about "development aid" caused changes in West German policies. No such discussions took place in the German Democratic Republic (GDR), where Alma-Ata was interpreted as a confirmation of the domestic health system. Thus, ironically, West German health workers pursued a keener policy of principles of social medicine in their partner countries than the GDR government, which considered its role in the global transformation of health care mainly fulfilled by serving as a model.