Self-care Prevention Research Articles

Prevention of osteoporosis in female students based on the Orem self-care model.

BackgroundThe World Health Organization has introduced osteoporosis as the fourth main enemy of mankind. Self care has served as a new trend in health care.ObjectiveEducational intervention for osteoporosis related preventive self care in female university students using the Orem model.MethodsThis study is a controlled filed trial, carried out with female students of Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord Branch, Iran, from October 28, 2014 to November 15, 2016. Two-stage random stratified sampling was performed and the data were collected through a validated questionnaire developed by the researcher for osteoporosis preventive self-care based on the Orem model. The intervention group received education about osteoporosis preventive self-care through two months training, as per the dimensions in the Orem model. For statistical analysis, independent-samples t-test and paired t-test were used in SPSS version 23.ResultsAs revealed, mean scores for self-care agency, self-care demand, self-care operation structures and total self-care in the intervention group were significantly different before and after the intervention (p=0.014, p<0.001, p=0.002, and p<0.001, respectively). Accordingly, educational intervention seems to be effective in promoting self-care for the prevention of osteoporosis. While the control group, showed no significant difference in any of the above-mentioned aspects before and after intervention (p=0.90, p=0.53, p=0.51, and p= 0.97, respectively).ConclusionThe results are in favor of the effects of educational intervention on osteoporosis preventive self-care among female students. It can be suggested that education during a woman’s young age, can be very beneficial for the prevention of osteoporosis in the future.Trial registrationThe trial was registered at the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (http://www.irct.ir) with the Irct ID: IRCT201510028742N8.FundingThe authors received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Evaluation of Preventive Self-care Behaviors and Its Related Factors in Patients with Heart Failure

Evaluation of Preventive Self-care Behaviors and Its Related Factors in Patients with Heart Failure

The evidence base for professional and self-care prevention--caries, erosion and sensitivity.

BackgroundThe aim of this conference paper was to examine the evidence base for primary and secondary prevention of dental caries, erosions and dentin hypersensitivity through professional and self-care measures.MethodsA mapping of systematic reviews (SR) of literature was carried out in PubMed and the Cochrane library through April 2014 using established MeSH-terms and disease-related search words in various combinations. The search was restricted to SR's published in English or Scandinavian and all age groups were considered. The reference lists of the selected papers were hand-searched for additional review articles of potential interest. Meta-analyses, guidelines and treatment recommendations were considered only when SR's were lacking. In the event of updates or multiple systematic reviews covering the same topic, only the most recent article was included. No quality assessment of the systematic reviews was carried out. The quality of evidence was rated in four levels according to the GRADE scale.ResultsIn total, 39 SR were included. For primary caries prevention, the quality of evidence was high for the use of fluoride toothpaste (with and without triclosan) and moderate for fluoride varnish and fissure sealants. The quality of evidence for fluoride gel, fluoride mouth rinse, xylitol gums and silver diamine fluoride (SDF) was rated as low. For secondary caries prevention and caries arrest, only fluoride interventions and SDF proved consistent benefits, although the quality of evidence was low. Likewise, the GRADE score for preventing erosions located in the enamel with fluoride supplements was low. The quality of evidence for various professional and self-care methods to prevent and manage dentine hypersensitivity was very low.ConclusionsThere are knowledge gaps in many domains of cariology and preventive dentistry that must be addressed and bridged through clinical research of good quality.

The Role of Technology in Home-Based Medication Adherence for Preventive Cardiac Self-Care: A Human Factors and Usability Perspective

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the role of persuasive technology in home-based medication adherence in a cardiovascular disease patient population. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States (Mozaffarian et al., 2015), which is why prevention is increasingly important in this national epidemic. Several medical conditions put people at a higher risk for developing cardiovascular disease, such as diabetes, obesity, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia (Mozaffarian et al., 2015). Because of the numerous co-morbidities that accompany heart disease, patients frequently are tasked with taking several different medications to treat these conditions, which can lead to issues related to medication non-compliance. Research studies show that medication compliance is directly linked to improved patient outcomes (Ho et al., 2009). For example, one study with self-reported measures of medication compliance showed that non-adherent patients had nearly double the cardiovascular events compared to adherent patients and independently predicted adverse cardiovascular events (Gehi et al., 2007). A literature search was conducted to learn more about the many contributing factors leading to medication non-adherence, and to gather data on current methods of measuring and increasing medication adherence. This information was useful in informing our decisions to develop a preliminary survey on potential technology p reference for medication adherence for cardiac patients. The survey was administered to twenty patients at the University of Maryland Medical Center. All patients had a history of either cardiovascular disease resulting in revascularization, myocardial infarction, and/or stroke. This survey, which was given to patients with the aim of learning about current behaviors, current technology use, and desires for technology to manage their medication and disease, will eventually be used to tailor a non-invasive technology intervention (in the form of an audio-visual reminder or a similar system) for this population. We predict that those with the technology will have improved outcomes of medication adherence and a better quality of life. We hope to also develop a set of human-computer interaction guidelines that will render the technology more usable to the specific population.

‘You’re 16…you should probably be on the pill’: Girls, the non-reproductive body, and the rhetoric of self-control

In this paper I explore the ways that the use of the pill and the ideal of the non-reproductive body intersect within the unique context of girls as subjects in contemporary Canadian society. Analysis draws on a series of twenty-seven qualitative interviews conducted in Montreal as part of my doctoral research with young Canadian women currently taking the pill. I found that women are expected to exercise choice, even though they have access to very few options. However, this disjuncture is even more marked when the subject in question is a young woman due to the intersection of youth, gender, and sexuality, which produces a more complicated practice of freedom because the boundaries of subjectivity are in flux. The pill is a manifestation of an ethic of rational preventative self-care. While we might embrace these technologies of freedom for how they provide increased control over the body, the material point is that in using technologies like the pill young women enter into complex social systems and relationships that paradoxically limit their autonomy.

Self-care groups of leprosy-affected people in Mozambique

In 2011, the national leprosy control programme in Mozambique decided to promote the setting up of self-care groups (SCGs) for prevention and care of disabilities. To present an overview of the national SCG strategy and to understand the perceptions of people with leprosy regarding the benefits and challenges of participating in the SCGs in Mozambique. Semi-structured group interviews were carried out with 22 SCGs involving 299 leprosy affected people in Nampula and Manica provinces. SCGs are involved in different activities and do not limit themselves to activities related to disability care. The majority of respondents expressed satisfaction about their participation in SCGs. Apart from perceived benefits in relation to their disabilities, the majority of SCG members also reported benefits in social participation. Lack of training, insufficient resources for income generation and long distances were the major challenges for SCGs, especially in the Manica province. People affected with leprosy perceive SCGs as useful in self-care for prevention of disabilities and social participation.

Câncer de colo uterino em profissionais de saúde: práticas preventivas e de autocuidado

Objective: to investigate the habit of self-care for the prevention of cervical cancer in health professionals. Methods: quantitative study with a cross-sectional design. It was used a questionnaire for data collection. Eighty professionals performed: 8 physicians, 16 nurses and 56 nursing technicians. This study was approved by the Committee of Ethics in Research of the State Department of Health of the Federal District (395/08). Results: the most professionals 49 (61.25%) did not practice physical activity, and although 57 (71,25%) reported to have healthy eating habits, only 23 (28,75%) carried approximately for 4 to 6 meals a day and 30 (37,5%) ate fruit and vegetables daily. Regarding to cyto-pathological abnormalities presented on preventive routine tests, 46 (57.5%) professionals reported inflammation episodes, 3 (3.75%) reported cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN I), 2 (2.5%) CIN II and 1 (1.25%) CIN III. When they were asked about the promotion of self-care for the prevention of cervical cancer, 26 (32.5%) reported not being thorough about effective personal care. Conclusion: it was identified the important role of the motivation of health professionals to the preventive practice and self-care, by continued education or by workshops to raise awareness of the issue above, mainly if promoted by institution where they work. Descriptors: self care; neoplasms; uterine neoplasms; uterine cervical neoplasms; women's health.

産業現場におけるストレスに対するセルフケア

In order to assess the significance of self-care in stress prevention at an enterprises level, a questionnaire survey was conducted. The questionnaire was mailed to 678 occupational physicians and 320 responded (response ratio 47.5%), among whom 229 (71.6%) were full-time occupational physicians. Forty-five percent answered that self-care was important and practiced it actively; however, almost the same percentage of occupational physicians complained that there ware no appropriate procedures for self-care, nor enough time to introduce them. When a comparison was made between full-time and part-time, the full-time occupational physicians showed a more positive attitude. The same comparison made based on specialties in mental-health demonstrated that the doctors with higher specialty had a more positive attitude toward self-care than those with lower specialty. The main procedures or techniques applied to improve job-stress were group lecture, personal interview, and/or questionnaire. The occupational physicians who applied psychological techniques, such as the autogenic training and/or the transactional analysis, were few in number, 17.8% and 14.8% of the total respectively. Both autogenic training and transactional analysis were applied by full-time and highly specialized occupational physicians. These results suggest that self-care is recognized as being important for preventing job stress and for promoting mental health of employees; however, the usefulness and effectiveness of each technique at the worksite should be evaluated carefully. Education of occupational physicians is considered be indispensable for the acceptance of autogenic training and transactional analysis.

Gender, Self-Care and Functional Status Among Older Persons with Coronary Heart Disease: A National Perspective

ABSTRACT The risk and burdens of cardiovascular diseases rise in late life and shift from men to women at age 65. This study uses baseline data from the National Survey of Self-Care and Aging to assess the association of self-care and functional status of older men and women with coronary heart disease (CHD). We first compare men and women with and without CHD, then base subsequent analyses on 597 persons with CHD. Three types of self-care (behavior changes, environmental adaptations, medical equipment use) were examined, and functional status was measured as difficulty with basic, mobility, and instrumental ADLs. Regardless of gender, persons with CHD had more functional impairment and used more self-care than those without the disease. Women were more impaired and engaged in more self-care than men. Equipment use was associated with higher functioning for men and women. Behavioral changes were significant only for men, as were advanced age, non-white ethnicity, more depressive symptoms, and low physical activity for women. Education, intervention, and supportive care for older adults with CHD should consider the role of specific types of self-care in disease management and prevention of decline as well as gender differences in use of various self-care strategies.

Preventive practice of Mongolian dental students.

To investigate the preventive practice of Mongolian dental students, in relation to their knowledge of preventive care, self-perceived competency, oral self-care, and dental health status, a questionnaire was distributed to all (n = 79) clinical-year students of The Dental School of the Mongolian National Medical University. Dental students' reported preventive practice was explained by their knowledge of preventive care (P = 0.002) and self-perceived competency (P = 0.002), whereas their study-year, oral self-care, and dental health status, expressed as the Tissue Health Index (THI), remained statistically non-significant in the linear regression model. This explained 28% of the variation in the parameters examined. In logistic regression analysis, a student's study year (OR = 2.5), knowledge of preventive care (OR = 1.1), and THI (OR = 1.8) were related to their highest scores on preventive practice. Preventive practice among Mongolian dental students could be improved by increasing their knowledge, particularly in modern methods for caries-prevention such as fluoride, sealants, and xylitol. Preventive methods should be integrated into all topics of the dental curriculum and the learning environment should support such training for future oral health professionals.

Take Advantage of Managed Care Opportunities

Looking at the positive outcomes of managed care emphasizes the opportunities specific to nursing: continuum of care, critical pathways and patient education. With advanced information systems and managed care, nurses can demonstrate how models of preventive care, patient education and self-care should be set up and managed.

Health practices among Russian and Ukrainian immigrants.

Since 1990, due to political and legislative changes, immigration from the former Soviet Union to the United States has increased significantly. Population reports from 1988 indicate that there were approximately 406,000 Soviet immigrants in the United States at that time. This number is expected to increase due to the Immigration Reform Act of 1990, which raised the Soviet refugee ceiling to 50,000 per year. Currently, very little is known about the health status and health practices of this population, although some published data indicate that life expectancy and infant mortality rates compare poorly with those of the general population in the United States. Although the former Soviet republics experienced universal health care coverage, there was little emphasis on promoting a healthy lifestyle. Heavy cigarette use, high alcohol intake, poor dietary intake, little attention to physical fitness, and crowded living conditions have been described. Environmental pollution and poor occupational safety are common and have contributed to the health problems of the population. As the influx of immigrants continues, the consequences of these health conditions will impose a burden on health care services in this country. As with any immigrant group, an understanding of the potential health conditions and cultural values can facilitate appropriate medical care. This research was conducted to explore these issues. Interviews and a physical assessment were conducted with 30 adults from the former Soviet Union. The major health problems identified included various dental conditions requiring treatment, obesity, and the absence of basic health screening measures such as cholesterol testing, high blood pressure screening, Pap smears, and mammograms. The authors also identified a need for translators and for education regarding preventative self-care, such as breast self-examinations.

Tolerance begins at home: Implications for counsellor training

In recent years there has been an increasing body of literature investigating the motives of counsellors and psychotherapists. Although there are considerable methodological problems with researching this area, the consensus in this literature seems to be that one determinant for becoming a counsellor may be a conscious or unconscious wish to make good the unresolved difficulties of early childhood. The unsurprising findings that counsellors have had as least as much trauma in their early lives as the general population raise questions about the impact of this for counsellors in training. This paper summarises the literature relating to the concept of the ‘wounded healer’ and examines the implications of this for tolerating distress among trainee counsellors. A model is presented that aims to address this distress and teach the trainee to practice effective preventative self-care.

Preventive self-care in three Free State communities

There has been increasing interest in self-care as a potential role-player in health care provision. Existing knowledge about self-care however, is regarded as insufficient, and such knowledge is especially relevant when governments plan to support self-care development programmes. A survey on self-care among whites, blacks and coloureds in the Free State also focused on preventive self-care, and large differences were found between the three groups. Due to several factors, a uniform self-care development programme for all population groups in South Africa, will not be viable.

Factors relating to frequency of breast self-examination among low-income Mexican American women

This descriptive study of low-income Mexican American women examined the central role of self-efficacy, or perceived capacity to perform a given activity, as it related to the frequency of breast self-examination (BSE), an important health practice for the early detection of breast cancer. Previous studies document the importance of self-efficacy as a predictor of health status, preventive self-care, and disease self-management. In turn, social support from others is a factor relating to self-efficacy. For Mexican Americans, previous research substantiates English language proficiency and barriers to access of health care as other predictors of compliance with recommended health care behaviors. Using bivariate correlations and analysis of variance, the findings revealed a strong relationship between self-efficacy and frequency of BSE. Neither social support nor barriers to health care had a significant effect on self-efficacy or frequency of BSE. The effects of English language proficiency are indirect and mediated by self-efficacy. This paper describes how these findings can be applied to the clinical practice goal of facilitating consistent and correct usage of BSE in the Mexican American community.

第14回日本総合健診医学会学術大会講演抄録 成人病健康診査にとり入れたセルフ・ケア・システム

第14回日本総合健診医学会学術大会講演抄録 成人病健康診査にとり入れたセルフ・ケア・システム