Positive Choice Research Articles

The experiences of student nurses on placements with practice nurses: A pilot study

To prepare the registered nurse of tomorrow in the United Kingdom (UK) to care for patients in general practice (GP)-led services, today's student nurses need to have the opportunity to experience placements with practice nurses to enable them to make positive career choices to become practice nurses in the future. The role of the practice nurse is described in the article. As a pilot project, seventeen students undertook placements with practice nurses in one of seven GP practices selected by the London GP Deanery and the university as having fulfilled the criteria to support student nurses in placements. A mentorship preparation programme was provided to prepare practice nurses for mentoring these students. An evaluation study was undertaken of this pilot project. Findings showed that students were highly positive about the experience; the majority rated this placement as being as good as or better than previous placement experiences. The evaluation also explored the impact on student learning and the value that the placement had. There was a positive impact on students' knowledge and skills in certain clinical areas especially related to health promotion. Students also indicated that they would like to have additional placements with practice nurses and would consider a career as a practice nurse in the future.

The Effect of Choice in Physical Education on Time on Task for Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

Research indicates that exercise has a positive effect on the behavior of individuals with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBDs). In order to realize this benefit, the students must be engaged in the physical activity, maintaining high time on task (TOT). Management of students with EBDs, especially large groups of these students, maintaining high TOT and engagement, can be challenging in the physical education (PE) environment. Given the research indicating the positive influence choice in PE has on student engagement, a study examining the effect of choice in PE on TOT among students with emotional and behavioral disorders was conducted. The research question examined was the following: Is there a difference in mean TOT scores for students with EBDs in a PE class in a choice setting compared to a no-choice setting? Results of the independent samples t-test indicated a statistically significant difference in mean TOT scores among students with EBDs in a choice PE setting compared to a no-choice PE setting. Examples of ways choice can be incorporated in PE are provided.

Staying in the ‘sweet spot’: A resilience-based analysis of the lived experience of low-risk drinking and abstention among British youth

Objective: The aim of this study was to understand how and why young people drink less or not at all when with their peers. Understanding the subjective experiences of moderate or non-drinkers may help identify protective processes facilitating resilience to cultural norm and influences that encourage excessive alcohol consumption among young people.Design: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 25 moderate- or non-drinkers aged 17–25 years (13 young women) living in South East England. Interviews explored recent experiences of social situations and encounters that did or did not involve alcohol. Transcripts were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis.Results: Analysis identified six conceptually coherent themes clustering within a superordinate theme of a healthy experience of moderate alcohol use or abstention: ‘the sweet spot’. These themes were: feeling good in the body, feeling like you can be who you are, feeling like you belong, making a free choice, enjoying the moment, and feeling safe and secure.Conclusions: This resilience-based analysis showed how non-drinking and moderate-drinking may be experienced as a positive and proactive choice. Understanding the subjective experiences of young people may aid development of specific, realistic interventions to promote moderate drinking and abstention among young people in drinking cultures.

CardioAlert: An Hear Rate Based Decision Support System for Improving Choices Related to Negative or Positive Future Events

With this study, we investigated the possibility of exploiting the psychophysiological predictive anticipatory activity to avoid random negative events by using a portable device we named CardioAlert. The device uses the heart rate to send an alert when a negative event is anticipated, thus giving the individual an opportunity to change his/her choice. In an exploratory experiment, one-hundred participants were asked to choose between two alternatives which had a random chance of leading to a “winning” outcome. Participants obtained 52.5% of “winning” choices when using the CardioAlert and 48.2% when they were not using it (effect size = 0.18; 95% confidence interval -.02 to .38).The results of a pre-registered confirmatory experiment confirmed the main findings of the exploratory one. The mean percentage of positive choices was 52.7% when using the CardioAlert with an effect size of 0.23, 95% confidence interval .03 to .43. A conceptual replication experiment which used the heart rate PPAA to avoid the negative event automatically instead of voluntarily, correctly predicted the occurrence of 56.3% of negative events with an effect size of 0.69, 95% confidence interval .47 to .91.These findings suggest that psychophysiological predictive anticipatory activity can be exploited for developing practical decision supporting systems.

Howard B. Wigglebottom Learns We Can All Get Along by H. Binkow & A. Reverend

Binkow, Howard and Ana Reverend. Howard B. Wigglebottom Learns We Can All Get Along. New York: Scholastic Inc., 2014. Print.This fictional picture book tells a ­­­­­­­heartwarming story of a young rabbit named Howard who has a conversation with his Grandma after his friends host a picnic but neglect to invite him. Howard’s Grandma helps him realize that he has a tendency to cause conflict between his friends in an attempt to “get his way” or “always be right,” and that this may be why he wasn’t invited. After considering ways to sneak into the party in a disguise, wise Grandma rabbit suggests he learn to get along with his friends so he can go as himself. Grandma teaches Howard some important lessons in considering the perspectives of his friends. She helps Howard see how his friends feel when he insists on always being right and reminds him that he will need plenty of practice. Grandma’s main lesson is that “everyone gets the chance to be right, have a say, and have a turn”. In the end, Howard apologizes to his friends, promises to practice making better choices, and gets to go to the picnic.Howard Binkow and Reverend Ana specifically guide the reader through 29 pages with 0 – 6 sentences per page containing rich language regarding positive friendship choices. The text provides the foundation for an effective teacher read-aloud appropriate for students in lower elementary. The artists David A. Cutting and Mike Ferrin use a colourful sponge technique to soften the borders and gently shape the characters on every page. The illustrations are self-explanatory and contain engaging expressions, showing a range of different emotions on the characters’ faces.The use of various animals allows the characters to be universally relatable to most students. The text and images explicitly teach lifelong lessons and establish the cause and effect impacts of a child’s behavior on other people. It relays the powerful message that change requires practice and that it can sometimes be hard work to get along with others. The ending provides a reasonable solution to the problem, leaving the reader with a positive outlook on the lesson and its outcome.Howard B. Wigglebottom Learns We Can All Get Along is part of a series of life lesson books using Howard as the main character. While he is far from perfect, students enjoy the realistic relationship struggles he learns to overcome. A unique feature of all of the books in the series is that the last two pages have a “Suggestions for Lessons and Reflections” based on lessons in the book.This lesson-explicit picture book meaningfully relates to the audience and is a promising start to any cooperation or emotions lesson.Recommended: 3 out of 4 starsReviewer: Jane WilliamsJane Williams is a grade one teacher in Beaumont who is working on completing her Masters of Education in Language and Literacy. She believes that every GREAT lesson begins with a story.

How UK internet websites portray breast milk expression and breast pumps: a qualitative study of content.

BackgroundExclusive breastfeeding for six months is recommended but few parents achieve this; particularly younger and less well-educated mothers. Many parents introduce infant formula milk to manage feeding but describe a desire to express breastmilk alongside a lack of support or information. The Internet is highlighted as a key resource. This study aimed to examine UK websites on expressing breastmilk to identify key messages and how information is provided.MethodsWe used search terms in Google to identify websites with information rich content on expressing breastmilk and breast pumps. Ten sites were purposively selected at two time points in 2013 and 2014 to represent 3 categories: commercial, NHS or 3rd sector (voluntary or not for profit). Each site was reviewed by two researchers, data and reflective analytical notes were uploaded into NVivo and thematic data analysis undertaken.ResultsSites varied considerably in their design, use of images, videos, audio files, product placement and marketing opportunities. Three key themes emerged: depiction of expressing; reasons to express; and recommendations about expressing. Inconsistent and conflicting information was common within and between sites. Expressing was portrayed as similar to, but easier than, breastfeeding although at the same time difficult and requiring to be learned. Expressed breastmilk is promoted by mainly commercial sites as immediately available, although pumps were also presented as needing to be concealed, not heard or seen. Health benefits were the overarching reason for expressing. Although predicated on separation from the baby, commercial sites identified this as a positive choice while other sites focused on separation due to circumstance. Commercial sites emphasised restrictions related to breastfeeding, lack of sleep and bonding with the father and wider family. Non-commercial sites emphasised hand expression, with some not mentioning breast pumps. Practical information about starting expressing in relation to infant age or duration of breastfeeding was conflicting.ConclusionsInternet information about expressing breastmilk is inconsistent, incomplete and not evidence informed. The lack of research evidence on the relationship between expressing and feeding outcomes has provided opportunities for commercial companies, which have the potential to further exacerbate observed health inequalities. Access to good quality information based on robust evidence is urgently required.

Spontaneous eye blink rate predicts learning from negative, but not positive, outcomes

A large body of research shows that striatal dopamine critically affects the extent to which we learn from the positive and negative outcomes of our decisions. In this study, we examined the relationship between reinforcement learning and spontaneous eye blink rate (sEBR), a cheap, non-invasive, and easy to obtain marker of striatal dopaminergic activity. Based on previous findings from pharmacological and patient studies, our main prediction was that in healthy individuals, low blink rates (and concomitant lower striatal dopamine levels) would be associated with better learning from negative choices, while high blink rates (and concomitant higher striatal dopamine levels) would be associated with learning from positive choices. Behavioral analyses showed that in healthy individuals, lower blink rates were indeed associated with greater learning from negative outcomes, indicating that lower dopamine levels per se may enhance avoidance learning. Yet, higher EBR was not associated with better learning from positive outcomes. These observations support the notion that sEBR reflects tonic dopamine levels, and suggest that sEBR may specifically relate to dopamine D2 receptor function, given the importance of the dopaminergic D2 pathway in avoidance learning. More generally, these findings highlight the usefulness of sEBR as a non-invasive and cheap method for assessing the relationship between striatal dopaminergic function and behavior.

Staying With the Party, Switching or Exiting? A Comparative Analysis of Determinants of Party Switching and Abstaining

A large body of literature has investigated the factors that lead to abstention on the one hand or vote volatility on the other hand. We argue in this paper that the most fruitful approach is to simultaneously consider the exit, voice, and loyalty options. The analyses are based on data from the Comparative Study of Electoral Systems and cover a broad set of advanced democracies. We demonstrate that while party switchers and abstainers have a lot in common, switching parties can be considered a more positive choice. Most importantly, contrary to what previous research suggested and in contrast to abstainers, party switchers cannot be characterized as frustrated with politics. Furthermore, the supply side does to a certain extent affect whether voters choose to remain loyal, switch parties, or abstain from voting.

Overweight and obese adolescent girls: the importance of promoting sensible eating and activity behaviors from the start of the adolescent period.

The adolescent period is associated with changes in eating and activity behaviors in girls. Less reliance on parental provision and choice of food, coupled with a decrease in participation in physical activity and sport, can create an energy imbalance, predisposing to weight gain. Physiological alterations to body composition, reduction in insulin sensitivity, and psychological adjustments may further amplify the risk of becoming overweight and maintaining an unhealthy level of body fat into childbearing years. During pregnancy excess body fat is a risk factor for poor pregnancy outcomes and may predispose an infant to a lifelong heightened risk of being overweight and developing chronic disease. Interventions aimed at preventing the accumulation of body fat in adolescent girls and young women may have far reaching impact and be critically important in reducing intergenerational weight gain. Lifestyle interventions in adolescence have the potential to modify adult obesity risk by switching at-risk individuals from a high to lower obesity risk trajectory. This paper discusses multiple approaches to assist at-risk individuals reduce obesity risk. A key focus is placed on engagement in food preparation and choice, and opportunities for physical activity and sport. Support, education, and opportunity at home and at school, are often associated with the success of lifestyle interventions, and may enable adolescents to make positive choices, and engage in health promoting behaviors during adolescence and childbearing years.

Choosing health: embodied neoliberalism, postfeminism, and the “do-diet”

Feminist scholars have long demonstrated how women are constrained through dieting discourse. Today’s scholars wrestle with similar themes, but confront a thornier question: how do we make sense of a food discourse that frames food choices through a lens of empowerment and health, rather than vanity and restriction? This article addresses this question, drawing from interviews and focus groups with women (N = 100), as well as health-focused food writing. These data allow us to document a postfeminist food discourse that we term the do-diet. The do-diet reframes dietary restrictions as positive choices, while maintaining an emphasis on body discipline, expert knowledge, and self-control. Our analysis demonstrates how the do-diet remediates a tension at the heart of neoliberal consumer culture: namely, the tension between embodying discipline through dietary control and expressing freedom through consumer choice. With respect to theory, our analysis demonstrates how the embodied dimensions of neoliberalism find gendered expression through postfeminism. We conclude that the do-diet heightens the challenge of developing feminist critiques of gendered body ideals and corporeal surveillance, as it promises a way of eating that is both morally responsible and personally empowering.

English

Currently, heart disease and diabetes dominate society as the leading cause of death for Americans. In this study, we examined the effectiveness of a lifestyle enhancement program on factors related to the development of heart disease. The Wabash Valley Complete Health Improvement Program (CHIP) is a community-based lifestyle change program with the aim to prevent and reverse the effects of all forms of heart disease through educating participants to make more positive choices in regard to their dietary habits, physical activity, stress management, and tobacco use. Fifty-one participants participated in this 8-week study consisting of 16 sessions that included pre– and post–health screenings for comparison. The health screenings included total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose, weight (pounds), body mass index, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and resting heart rate. Aggregate data for the group were used to compare the pre– and post–heart screen data for each category. According to the American Heart Association (2006), approximately 34.3% of deaths in the United States are caused by some form of cardiovascular disease. Most of these cases result from unhealthy lifestyle choices related to poor nutrition, physical activity, stress, and tobacco use. In this study, we examined several factors to look for correlations between healthy lifestyle and risk of heart disease. Results show CHIP was effective in reducing the aforementioned factors from 4.8% to 19.2% from pre- to postscreening. These results suggest that the CHIP program was successful in reducing the participants' overall risk of heart disease.

Agent-Based Microsimulation Approach for Design and Evaluation of Flexible Work Schedules

The policy of a flexible work schedule has been practiced for years in order to stimulate the redistribution of departure time of commuters. However, its potential influence on travelers’ departure time shifts is infrequently seen in existing studies. This study extended an agent-based positive departure time choice model to gain perspective on travelers’ dynamic reaction toward the flexible work schedule policy. Unlike most rational behavior models, the positive model emphasizes the bounded rationality in people's actual behavior and allows for heterogeneity among travelers. Dynamic traffic assignment is integrated with this proposed model to build up a feedback loop between individual choice (demand side) and network performance (supply side). Scenarios of different percentages of the population with a flexible work schedule are analyzed. It is found that travelers with flexibility in their work schedules tend to depart for work later to avoid peak periods in the morning. The average travel time in the network will decrease by at most 22% when 60% of the travelers have flexible work schedules.

Why medical students choose orthopedic surgery as a specialty?

Before the crisis announced the Moroccan surgery, the objectives of this study were to analyze the choice of specialties newly appointed to the internal review and the guidance of medical students and to determine the factors influencing this choice. Data on specialty choice students were analyzed and a questionnaire was offered to students of Morocco at the beginning of academic year 2013-20014 The form consisted of questions on the year of study. sex, professional guidelines and reasons for choice. candidates were male, the average age of our residents was 28 years. We also noted the importance of the passage as well as external service trauma. Care provided to patients, lifestyle and income reported by 85% of respondents to be the most important factors to pursue orthopedics as a career. The TR-Orth is now a specialty that responds to a positive choice. The choice of TR-Orth by students at the end of medical school curriculum is reinforced by teaching and practicing the specialty during the internship. The overall training is unsatisfactory overall. Students would deepen in some areas. This study confirms that there is currently a shift in trauma surgery, mostly induced by an a priori negative for particular workloads.

#Gettinghealthy: The perceived influence of social media on young adult health behaviors

Young adults (18–25years old) spend a majority of their waking hours with technology and young adulthood is an important developmental time period for establishing lasting health behaviors. Considering the relevance of technology and health during young adulthood the current study explored young adults (N=34) perceptions of social media’s (e.g., social networking) influence on their health behaviors (i.e., diet and exercise) using a social ecological framework. Data was collected through eight focus groups and four individual interviews. Three themes were identified through phenomenological qualitative analysis. Young adults perceived that technology could be both a barrier and a motivator for exercise. Social media was also credited with expanding food choices through creating access to a variety of recipes, providing a venue for showcasing the food young adults eat or prepare, and distracting young adults from making positive food choices. Participants also reported that it is common to post statuses or pictures relating to exercise practices on social media during young adulthood. Young adults indicated that these posts could be inspirational or misused, depending on the context. Results are discussed in terms of theory and preliminary implications.

Critical success factors in awareness of and choice towards low vision rehabilitation.

The goal of the current study was to examine the critical factors indicative of an individual's choice to access low vision rehabilitation services. Seven hundred and forty-nine visually impaired individuals, from the Montreal Barriers Study, completed a structured interview and questionnaires (on visual function, coping, depression, satisfaction with life). Seventy-five factors from the interview and questionnaires were entered into a data-driven Classification and Regression Tree Analysis in order to determine the best predictors of awareness group: positive personal choice (I knew and I went), negative personal choice (I knew and did not go), and lack of information (Nobody told me, and I did not know). Having a response of moderate to no difficulty on item 6 (reading signs) of the Visual Function Index 14 (VF-14) indicated that the person had made a positive personal choice to seek rehabilitation, whereas reporting a great deal of difficulty on this item was associated with a lack of information on low vision rehabilitation. In addition to this factor, symptom duration of under nine years, moderate difficulty or less on item 5 (seeing steps or curbs) of the VF-14, and an indication of little difficulty or less on item 3 (reading large print) of the VF-14 further identified those who were more likely to have made a positive personal choice. Individuals in the lack of information group also reported greater difficulty on items 3 and 5 of the VF-14 and were more likely to be male. The duration-of-symptoms factor suggests that, even in the positive choice group, it may be best to offer rehabilitation services early. Being male and responding moderate difficulty or greater to the VF-14 questions about far, medium-distance and near situations involving vision was associated with individuals that lack information. Consequently, these individuals may need additional education about the benefits of low vision services in order to make a positive personal choice.

Conceptualize Governing with the Ethic of Care and Justice

Throughout corporate America’s history, we experience periods of positive ethical behavior when negative activity momentarily may dissipate or be hidden. However, a positive ethical behavior flash in business often is brief. As seen in economic challenges from the Great Depression to the savings and loan crisis to the financial collapse of the 2000s to the more recent mortgage financial crisis, public and governmental respect of the business sector is decreasing. Individual actor behavior around ethical choices and its connection to organizational culture have much input into the crisis of the business community and its subsequent ramification. Despite much work around positive business ethics, consistent and sustained individual behavior and positive ethical choices are moving at snail-like speed. Thus, this article proposes a dual system for individual decision analysis for organizational responsibility. I label this dual system, “dual ethical analysis.” The dual ethical analysis, which is conceptual, posits using both the ethic of care and ethic of justice as the organizational model for individual decision analysis. Ethic of care would be the foundation for individual decision analysis, while the ethic of justice is for surface analysis.The dual ethical analysis attempts to establish positive, consistent, and sustainable ethical behavior by decision makers. I further argue its importance for corporate governance in that it can support an officer or director decision maker in meeting her fiduciary duties, specifically the duty of care. By drawing upon business ethics literature and practical examples, I desire to initiate a conversation about using the ethic of care as a foundation for business decision making.

Exclusive use of alternative medicine as a positive choice: a qualitative study of treatment assumptions among people with multiple sclerosis in denmark.

A survey of members of the Danish MS Society revealed that a minority of MS patients choose to forgo all types of conventional treatment and use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) exclusively. A qualitative follow-up study was performed to elucidate the choice of exclusive CAM use by exploring treatment assumptions among a group of exclusive CAM users. The study was based on a phenomenological approach. Semistructured in-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with 17 participants, using program theory as an analytical tool, and emerging themes were extracted from the data through meaning condensation. Four themes characterized the participants' treatment assumptions: 1) conventional medicine contains chemical substances that affect the body in negative ways; 2) CAM treatments can strengthen the organism and make it more capable of resisting the impact of MS; 3) the patient's active participation is an important component of the healing process; 4) bodily sensations can be used to guide treatment selection. Exclusive use of CAM by MS patients may reflect embracing CAM rather than a rejection of conventional medicine. Health-care practitioners, patient organizations, and health authorities within the MS field should be aware of possible changes in patients' attitudes toward both CAM and conventional treatment interventions.

Empowering School Nutrition Staff to be Champions in School Health

Current research shows the environments in many schools, where children spend much of their day and eat at least one meal, do not promote healthy behaviors. Children’s is helping kids make positive choices regarding the foods they eat, instilling in them the behaviors that will help them lead healthier lives at school and home. Efforts were focused on one of Atlanta’s highest risk and most populated areas, Fulton County. Because of this partnership, Fulton County School Nutrition was selected as a 2013 Georgia Best Practice Award Winner for Promoting a Healthy School Environment by the Georgia Department of Education. Children’s School Nutrition Program is based on research that has demonstrated the impact of small low or no cost environmental changes on student food choice. The program has provided 98 nutrition managers with training to improve the nutrition environment in schools and to positively influence the health behaviors of children where they make food choices. Our approach with school nutrition personnel and cafeteria employees includes a combination of action-oriented techniques and tangible tools that ultimately empower kids and key influencers, promote responsible discussions about lifestyle choices, and offer a proactive framework for addressing childhood obesity issues. Evaluation of the program included surveys, observations, focus groups, and financial metrics.

Satisfaction and Race Influence on Positive Health Choices among Patients at an Urban Community Health Center

Background. Promoting positive health choices is one way to lessen health care disparities in indigent populations. This pilot study investigated satisfaction with the health information received at an urban heath care center for the indigent and its effect on health behaviors. Such information will inform providers on their role in advancing the health center’s quality improvement goals (i.e., goals used to measure the clinic’s performance in providing preventive service information to patients). Methods. A survey was used to determine respondent satisfaction with health care information and whether respondents would make positive health choices based on this information. Results. Respondents (n = 185) were satisfied with the health information received; this was the most consistent predictor of making a lifestyle change. Minority respondents were more likely to get a vaccination, to not start smoking, and to start exercising than non-minority respondents. Conclusion. The results suggested that, for the positive health choices examined, satisfaction with education is very important. For certain positive health choices, race also may play a role. Additional studies should be undertaken linking chronic health problems to patient responses.

The stigmatisation of abortion: a qualitative analysis of print media in Great Britain in 2010

The media play a significant part in shaping public perceptions of health issues, and abortion attracts continued media interest. Detailed examination of media constructions of abortion may help to identify emerging public discourse. Qualitative content analysis was used to examine if and how the print media in contributes to the stigmatisation of abortion. Articles from seven British and five Scottish national newspapers from 2010 were analysed for overall framings of abortion and emergent themes, including potentially stigmatising discursive constructs and language. Abortion was found to be presented using predominantly negative language and discursive associations as ‘risky’, and in association with other ‘discredited’ social practices. Key perspectives were found to be absent or marginalised, including those of women who have sought abortion. Few articles framed abortion as a positive and legitimate choice. Negative media representations of abortion contribute to the stigmatisation of the procedure and of women who have it, and reflect a discrediting of women's reproductive decision-making. There is a need to challenge the notion that abortion stigma is inevitable, and to encourage positive framings of abortion in the media and other public discourse.