Categories Of Social Support Research Articles

Attitude towards diabetes and social and family support among type 2 diabetes patients attending a tertiary-care hospital in Bangladesh: a cross-sectional study.

BackgroundBangladesh has been suffering from an epidemiological transition from infectious and maternal diseases to non-communicable lifestyle-related diseases like diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, cancers etc. The burden of diabetes has been increasing rapidly due to high incidence as well as poor glycemic control leading to various macro and micro-vascular complications. In this study, we aim to assess the attitude towards diabetes and social and family support among the Bangladeshi type 2 diabetic mellitus (T2DM) patients.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional study among 144 patients with T2DM at the medicine outpatient department of Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) in Dhaka, Bangladesh between 1 July and 31 July 2014. Data collection was done by interviewing patients using structured questionnaire. Understanding diabetes, education/advice received, attitude towards diabetes, family and friend support were measured by validated scales adapted from diabetes care profile.ResultsThis study includes a total of 144 patients (101 males and 43 females) with type 2 diabetes aged between 20 and 84 years. 87 % of the patients had inadequate blood glucose control (fasting blood sugar >7.2 mmol/L or >130 mg/dl). Statistically significant differences were observed in the mean scores of various attitude scales (i.e. positive, negative, care ability and self-care adherence scale) among patients with adequate and inadequate blood glucose control (p < 0.05). Statistically significant positive correlations were found between these three categories of social and family support. Self-satisfaction with diabetic care was significantly associated with adequate blood glucose control (p = 0.05).ConclusionsPositive attitude towards diabetes management and support from friends and family were associated with adequate diabetes management. Appropriate public health interventions should be designed to educate and motivate the family members to offer greater support to the diabetes patients.

Gender Differences and Psychosocial Factors Associated with Quality of Life Among ART Initiators in Oromia, Ethiopia.

Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is an important outcome to assess among persons living with HIV/AIDS, but few studies have been conducted in sub-Saharan Africa. We examined HRQoL among 1180 ART-initiating adults from six clinics in Ethiopia in 2012-2013, and compared the correlates of two subscale scores between women and men. Women scored significantly higher than men on both overall function (8.4 points higher) and life satisfaction (6.3 points higher). In multivariable models, psychological distress, low CD4+ count, unemployment, and food insecurity were associated with lower quality of life scores among women and men. Men whose last sexual encounter occurred 3months to 1year from the interview date had lower overall function and life satisfaction scores. Men between the ages of 30-39 had lower overall function scores. Protestant women and women in the low-middle social support category had lower life satisfaction scores. Assessment of HRQoL over time will help inform HIV care and treatment practices to ensure favorable patient outcomes.

Progression of antepartum depression differs by level of perceived social support and food insecurity

BackgroundAntepartum depression (AD) is a risk factor for adverse pregnancy outcomes and may be worsened by food insecurity (FI) and lack of social support (SS). We studied the progression of AD from mid gestation to term and examined whether such progression differed by measures of SS and longitudinal measures of FI.Methods403 women were recruited (mean (±SD) gestational age =19.4 (±−3.8) weeks) and followed to term or dropout. At baseline, SS was assessed using a modified Duke‐UNC functional scale. Women were binned into 2 SS groups, based on scoring &lt; or ≥ than the median SS value. FI (IFIAS) and AD (CES‐D≥17) were assessed at each visit using validated scales. Other variables were assessed at baseline using structured tools. Separately by SS category, we used mixed effects logistic regression models to examine the progression of AD; and, assessed whether such AD progression differed by longitudinal measures of FI.ResultsAt baseline, 55.8% of the pregnant women belonged to the higher SS group. At this time point, the prevalence of AD among women in the low SS group (80.9%) was 2 times higher than similar levels in the higher SS group (40.4%). AD in the low SS group tended to decline with increasing gestational age but was always more prevalent than AD in the high SS group. In both SS groups, the progression of AD was positively associated with longitudinal measures of FI; and, the effect of FI on the progression of AD attained statistical significance among women in the low SS group. In the adjusted analyses, the probability of AD was three times higher among food insecure women in the low SS group than it was among food secure women in the high SS category.ConclusionsWe observed high levels of antepartum depression among women in northern Uganda that differed by social support and food insecurity suggesting the need for integrating mental health services that include food security and social support components into antenatal programs in this or similar contexts.Support or Funding InformationThis research was funded in part by Cornell University Weill Medical College Intercampus Seed Funds, K01 MH098902 from NIMH and USAID Cooperative Agreement AIDOAAL1000006

RELATIONSHIP OF PARENTAL HEALTH AND SOCIAL SUPPORT DURING PREGNANCY WITH THE RISK OF NON-SYNDROMIC ORAL CLEFTS: A CASE � CONTROL STUDY

AbstractOral clefts are divided into cleft lip, cleft palate and cleft lip along with cleft palate. Cleft palate is defined as an inability of palatal shelves to approximate and close during the first months of embryogenic period thus leaving an opening in the roof of the mouth and forming communication between the nasal and oral cavities.Objective:To determine the relationship of risk of oral clefts with parental health and social support.Study Design: Case Control Study.Study Setting and Duration:Various hospitals in Lahore and 3 month duration.Materials and Methods:A Case Control Study was conducted. A total of 100 subjects (50 cases, 50 controls) were included. Sampling was done by purposive method. Data was collected with the help of Cornell Medical Index Health Questionnaire and Social Support Questionnaire after taking their informed consent. Data was analyzed by using SPSS version 20.0. Mean and standard deviation were used to describe quantitative variables like age. Test of significance were applied.Results:56% of cases were females and 44% were males. Mean age of mothers was 27 and fathers was 31. Most mothers were uneducated (36%) while most fathers were educated till matric (34%). Income of most parents was in the range of 10,000-20,000 PKR (44%). 24% of controls were females and 76% were males. The associations of oral cleft was found significant with parental respiratory, cardiovascular, gastro-intestinal, musculoskeletal, skin-related, genitourinary health, easy fatigability, health habits, anxiety, anger, paternal nervous system health, sensitivity, and mater-nal frequency of illness, depression and feeling of inadequacy (p &lt; 0.05). Maternal social support catego-ries indicated that cases were less supported than con-trols: number of persons available and level of satisfaction (p &lt; 0.05).Conclusion:Oral clefts have a multi-factorial etio-logy. Hence, an effective preventive program should take into account parental health and social support factors.Key Words:Non-syndromic Oral Clefts, Parental Health, Social Support.

The combined associations of social participation and support with self-rated health and dietary satisfaction in men with spinal cord injury

Cross-sectional study. (1) To examine the association between social participation (SP) and social support (SS) with self-rated health and dietary satisfaction and (2) to explore the joint association and interactions of SP and SS with self-rated health and dietary satisfaction in community-dwelling adult men with spinal cord injury. Members of the Spinal Injuries Japan organization. We sent questionnaires to 2731 registered members of Spinal Injuries Japan via mail. Responses from 625 men aged ⩾40 years were analyzed. Respondents were categorized into four groups: SP/sufficient SS, SP/insufficient SS, no SP/sufficient SS and no SP/insufficient SS. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine the odds ratios for self-rated health and dietary satisfaction according to the SP/SS categories. Relative to participants in the no SP/insufficient SS category, those in the SP/sufficient SS group demonstrated significantly better self-rated health and dietary satisfaction after adjusting for sociodemographic variables. There was no interaction between SP and SS in self-rated health or dietary satisfaction. SP was associated with high self-rated health without SS, and sufficient SS was associated with high dietary satisfaction without SP. Relative to other groups, participants with SP/sufficient SS demonstrated higher self-rated health and dietary satisfaction. Sufficient SS was associated with high dietary satisfaction without SP. This study suggested the importance of addressing aspects of both SP and SS using self-rated health and dietary satisfaction as outcome measures in health promotion programs.

Relevance of psychosocial factors to quality of life in oral cancer and oral lichen planus: a prospective comparative study

We can improve our understanding of how patients cope with oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) by making a comparison with their processes of coping and those used in other conditions. We have therefore compared quality of life (QoL), severity of symptoms, coping strategies, and factors that influence coping between patients with oral SCC and those with oral lichen planus. We asked 104 patients with oral SCC and 51 with oral lichen planus to complete questionnaires about their coping strategies, social support, locus of control, spirituality, QoL, and severity of symptoms. The outcome was that patients with oral SCC were far more likely to resort to coping strategies such as depressive coping, distraction, and self-motivation. The groups also differed regarding QoL and severity of symptoms. Patients with oral SCC had a poorer QoL and higher depression scores, whereas patients with oral lichen planus had better scores in the social support and spirituality categories. Patients with oral SCC generally had more distress than those with oral lichen planus. Not only did the former resort to depressive coping strategies, but they also had poorer QoL and higher values for depression. For the patients with oral lichen planus, social support and spirituality were protective, whereas they were associated with distress by patients with oral SCC.

Abstract 104: The Effect of Low Perceived Social Support on Health Outcomes in Young Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction: Results from the VIRGO Study

Background: Social support is an important predictor of health outcomes after acute myocardial infarction (AMI), but significant variability in social support exists by sex and age. Most studies have been conducted in populations of predominately older, male patients; little is known about the impact of social support on outcomes after AMI in young patients, who may have unique demands and resources. Methods: We used data from the VIRGO study, an observational study of patients aged ≤55 years with AMI in the US and Spain, to examine the association of low perceived social support (LPSS) with baseline and 1-year health status, depression, and quality of life. Patients were categorized as having low vs. moderate/high social support using the ENRICHD Social Support Inventory (ESSI), which was collected during the index AMI hospitalization. A modified 5-item version of the 7-item ESSI was used for this study in order to examine marital status and instrumental support separately from perceived social support. Outcomes included health status (assessed by the Short Form-12 (SF-12) physical and mental component scores (PCS and MCS)), depressive symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9)), and angina-related quality of life (Seattle Angina Questionnaire (SAQ)) evaluated at baseline and 1-year. We used linear regression to compare 1-year health status between social support categories, adjusting for baseline health status, socio-demographics, comorbidities, severity of disease, and therapies used. Results: Among 3,432 patients, 728 (21.2%) were classified as having LPSS. Men and women had comparable levels of social support at baseline. On average, patients with LPSS reported lower functional status (PCS and MCS), lower quality of life, and more depressive symptoms at baseline and 1-year post-AMI. After multivariable adjustment, including baseline health status, LPSS was associated with lower mental functioning (mean MCS -2.34 (95% confidence interval [CI] -3.35, -1.34) p&lt;0.001), lower quality of life (mean SAQ -4.58 (95% CI -4.58, -2.57), p&lt;0.001), and more depressive symptoms (1.01 (95% CI 0.52, 1.51), p&lt;0.001) at 1 year. The relationship between LPSS and worse physical functioning was not significant after adjustment (mean PCS -0.28 (95% CI -1.33, 0.77), p=0.6). We observed no interactions between social support, sex or country. Conclusion: Lower social support is associated with worse health status and more depressive symptoms 1-year after AMI in both young men and women recovering from an AMI.

The Attitudes to Ageing and the Influence of Social Support on It

Because no study has been conducted on the attitude to ageing among the community dwelling elderly in Malaysia, the objective of this study was to determine the attitudes to ageing among the elderly and the influence of social support on it. This cross sectional study was conducted among randomly sampled 2005 elderly in Penang, Malaysia. Attitude to Ageing Questionnaire (AAQ) and the Oslo-3 Social Support Scale (OSS-3) was used. Majority considered those in the age group 60-69 and health status, appearance and level of fitness as the criteria to consider some one aged. The attitude to ageing score ranged from 39 to 109 with a mean score of 78.9. The mean score for the psychosocial gain, physical change and psychological growth domains were 27.2, 24.6 and 27.2 respectively. The differences in the mean scores among the age groups, races, marital status, level of education, employment status, socially active, mobility and living arrangement was statistically significant. As the social support category increased from poor to strong the mean scores also significantly increased. After controlling for all other demographic factors, strong social support was significantly associated with increased AAQ score. The total AAQ score and the score of all the three domains was above average suggesting a positive attitude to ageing and social support is a significant predictor for the AAQ score. Change in the family dynamics in Malaysia may have a negative influence on the attitudes to ageing among the elderly in the future.

NCAA Division I Student- Athletes’ and Athletic Administrators’ Perceptions of Social Support

NCAA Division I Student- Athletes’ and Athletic Administrators’ Perceptions of Social Support This study explored perceptions of available and accessible social support in an athletic department. Interviews were conducted with three student-athlete welfare athletic administrators and 13 student-athletes from one NCAA Division I University chosen from a purposive sample based on demographic characteristics and nominations. Interview questions were based on social support constructs and psychosocial model of development vectors. Data from interviews were analyzed using five categories of social support to examine differences and similarities between types of support identified as available and accessible by student-athletes and athletic administrators. From the 13 student-athletes and three athletic administrators that were interviewed, 38 themes were identified in the categories of emotional support, instrumental support, informational support, appraisal support, and lack of support. From student-athlete data, 29 themes were identified in the five categories; from athletic administrators, 19 themes were identified in the five categories. Similarities between studentathletes and athletic administrators were found in 14 themes.

“Gone too soon”: did Twitter grieve for Michael Jackson?

PurposeGrieving resulting from death is a painful process and individuals invariably seek support to help them through this difficult period. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role microblogs play in providing social support following the death of a public figure, Michael Jackson, “the King of Pop”.Design/methodology/approachIn total, 50,000 tweets from the first 12 days after Jackson's death were harvested from Twitter. A content analysis using a coding instrument characterizing a set of social support categories was conducted. Categories not related to social support were also inductively constructed and applied to the tweets.FindingsTwitter was primarily used for providing informational support, followed by emotional support. Surprisingly, categories not normally associated with grieving, such as spreading of rumours, expressions of hatred, and spam, also occupied a large proportion of tweets.Practical implicationsResults suggest that microblogging has the potential to facilitate the grieving process and in some aspects of social support. However, information quality could be an issue that calls for better information management tools.Originality/valueThere has been little work done in examining microblogs as platforms for grieving in general, and more specifically, for providing social support during bereavement. The present research is timely, as we seek to understand the role microblogs play in the grieving process.

Parents Managing Clubfoot: A Content Analysis of Internet-based Social Support Behaviors with a Focus on Uncertainty Management and Health Communication

Using established categories of social support and the Uncertainty Management Theory, this interdisciplinary study situated at the intersection of social science, medicine, information technology and health communication explored the types of social support exchanged by caregivers in a virtual online support community for parents of children with clubfoot. A systematic content analysis of 775 messages indicated that the online environment allows participants to receive and provide a wide range of social support, particularly informational, emotional and esteem support. Results reveal what social support behaviors members of the online support community (OSC) exhibit as a result of requests from their peers, thus identifying what types of health communication may be effective in such settings. Furthermore, OSCs provide a great opportunity for scholars and practitioners to learn about the experiences of caregivers of children with health conditions and explore where gaps in health communication may exist. It is suggested that online support communities are key channels for future health research, communication and interdisciplinary practice.

What Do People with Diabetes Talk about on a Diabetes Social Networking Web Site?

Computer-based peer-directed forums for diabetes patients can potentially improve health outcomes;1 however, little is known about the content of conversations shared by diabetes patients. To better understand this interaction, we studied communication on a social networking Web site, http://www.NING.com, over 3 months. Participants first completed an Internet-based self-paced educational tool adapted from the Penn State Diabetes Playbook.2 Upon completion of six educational modules, participants were permitted to engage in conversation on the online forum. At the end of the trial period, a transcript of all conversations was analyzed using the Giorgi phenomenological method,3 which breaks content down into meaning units and then transforms units into theoretical categories. In analyzing the NING© manuscript of conversations between 35 diabetes patients, four categories of social support emerged. The four categories were (1) affirmation of feelings about diabetes, (2) sharing of personal stories about diabetes, (3) information or knowledge sharing about diabetes, and (4) statements of encouragement. These categories appeared evenly distributed throughout the transcript. Affirmation statements were comments where agreement was expressed or stories mirroring the feelings of another user were posted. Personal stories were differentiated from affirmation statements by their focus primarily on events versus feelings. These comments read as a chronology of participant experiences. The third category identified was posts providing information or knowledge. Solicitation for fact-based knowledge was met with objective comments that provided resources as opposed to emotional support. The final category that appeared in the discussions was statements of encouragement. These posts sought to inspire and reassure. Though not prevalent, there were some comments expressing disagreement and conflict. Some comments were negative statements made by those with type 1 diabetes criticizing those with type 2 diabetes. Affirmation statements appeared 94 times (30.8%), sharing of personal stories 41 times (13.4%), information sharing 128 times (41.9%), and encouraging statements 37 times (12.1%); 1.6% percent of comments showed disagreement. Our experience suggests that online social networking has great potential to supplement medical treatment for diabetes patients. Though participants completed a set of educational modules prior to using the online forum, a great deal of posts still centered on information sharing. This suggests a discrepancy between information provided by health care providers and what patients need. Starting and maintaining such a Web site was relatively easy. Though our Web site was prepopulated with stories from well-controlled diabetes patients, participants did not reference those posts, suggesting prepopulation is unnecessary. A researcher monitored conversations; however, there were no issues with users making inappropriate recommendations. Other papers have cited concerns over the extent to which postings were fictitious testimonials by manufacturers.4 In the closed online community, we did not have similar concerns. Feedback about the Web site was positive. The impression, flow, design, and degree users felt engaged were rated well. Users felt that the Web site was useful and found it helpful to learn about the habits of others. Future studies might separate type 1 and type 2 as the self-management required for both is different.

Is There Really Support for Breastfeeding Mothers? A Case Study of Ghanaian Breastfeeding Working Mothers

This study was to find out whether the presence or the absence of social support for breastfeeding working mothers who return to work after maternity leave does have any significant effect on their level of satisfaction and also their commitment to their jobs. Three categories of social support were looked at: spousal and family members support, colleagues support at the workplace and support from care givers (house helps). A self administered questionnaire was given to 300 breastfeeding working mothers in Accra, Ghana. This group of mothers had their age range from 24-41 years with the mean age of 37.2 years and standard deviation of 8.8. The hypotheses were tested using Chi Square. The findings of the study revealed that breastfeeding working mothers who had support from their spouse and other family members appeared to be satisfied and committed to their jobs. Those who had support from other colleagues at the workplace reported to be satisfied with their jobs but not committed to their jobs. However, the group of mothers who were getting their child care support from care givers (house helps) appeared less committed to their jobs.

How Can I Help You? A Study of the Perceived Importance of Different Kinds of Hospice Palliative Care Volunteer Support

A total of 143 adults were asked to imagine that they had recently been diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. After reading about the roles of hospice palliative care volunteers, participants were asked whether they would use the services of a volunteer to help them and their loved ones get through this difficult time. The vast majority (94.4%) of the participants said they would choose to have a volunteer. These participants were then asked to rate the importance of 23 different supportive tasks that volunteers can perform. These tasks reflected the different kinds of support--emotional, social, practical, informational, and religious/spiritual--that hospice palliative care volunteers typically provide. Overall, the practical support category (eg, ''Having the volunteer run errands for me'') received the highest mean importance rating. Significant gender differences were found for the categories of emotional support (eg, ''Having the volunteer hold my hand'') and social support (eg, ''Having the volunteer share hobbies and interests with me''), with females rating both of these kinds of support as being more important to them than males did. The findings of this study may have practical implications for volunteer program coordinators.

Parental Social Support and the Physical Activity-Related Behaviors of Youth: A Review

Social support from parents serves as one of the primary influences of youth physical activity-related behaviors. A systematic review was conducted on the relationship of parental social support to the physical activity-related behaviors of youth. Four categories of social support were identified, falling under two distinct mechanisms-tangible and intangible. Tangible social support is divided into two categories: instrumental-purchasing equipment/payment of fees and transportation-and conditional-doing activity with and watching/supervision. Intangible social support is divided into the two categories of motivational- encouragement and praise-and informational-discussing benefits of. The majority of studies demonstrated positive associations among selected measures of parental tangible and intangible social support and youth activity. Overall, parental social support demonstrated positive effects. Many studies, however, combine social support categories and/or respondents into composite measures, making it difficult to disentangle the specific effects of parents and the type of support provided.

Persuasive Systems Design: Key Issues, Process Model, and System Features

A growing number of information technology systems and services are being developed to change users’ attitudes or behavior or both. Despite the fact that attitudinal theories from social psychology have been quite extensively applied to the study of user intentions and behavior, these theories have been developed for predicting user acceptance of the information technology rather than for providing systematic analysis and design methods for developing persuasive software solutions. This article is conceptual and theory-creating by its nature, suggesting a framework for Persuasive Systems Design (PSD). It discusses the process of designing and evaluating persuasive systems and describes what kind of content and software functionality may be found in the final product. It also highlights seven underlying postulates behind persuasive systems and ways to analyze the persuasion context (the intent, the event, and the strategy). The article further lists 28 design principles for persuasive system content and functionality, describing example software requirements and implementations. Some of the design principles are novel. Moreover, a new categorization of these principles is proposed, consisting of the primary task, dialogue, system credibility, and social support categories.

Practice Wisdom on Custodial Parenting with Mental Illness: A Strengths View

ABSTRACTSocial work principles of strengths, empowerment, and consumer-centered care for persons with mental illness are currently being adapted to broader contexts. This article presents study findings on practice wisdom about custodial parents with mental illness, a potentially increasing group of consumers in light of mental health reform. The research team organized thirty-six professionals with practice experience into five focus groups. Findings reflect strengths perspective categories of resilience, social support, family functioning, self-care, and parents' positive experience of their symptoms. Implications discuss how providers who work with custodial parents and their children can apply these findings in assessments and interventions.

Configurations of Informal Social Support Among Older Lesbians

ABSTRACT Limited research has been conducted on the needs and concerns of older lesbians in the American population. The purpose of this paper is to present findings from a qualitative study of older (aged 55 and older) lesbians' experiences of and perspectives on aging, with a focus on their discussions of social support. Through an in-depth qualitative study with 25 older lesbians, we found that aging lesbians may be less likely to access formal social services due to perceptions of bias within the services and a potential lack of connection with those who do use services. However, participants were creative at formulating informal networks of support. Four heuristic categories (empowered, secure, independent, and precarious) of informal social support were developed to characterize the various ways in which participants configured their support systems. Social support within each category was conceptualized both in terms of intentionality and degree of connectedness. Being partnered did not necessarily equate with a strong sense of social support. Further research needs to be conducted on older lesbians in order to better characterize and respond to their needs as they age.

Características do apoio social oferecido a idosos de área rural assistida pelo PSF

Trata-se de um trabalho epidemiológico do tipo transversal, com o objetivo de descrever as características do apoio social e identificar associações entre as variáveis sociodemográficas e categorias de suporte social, em população rural do Bairro dos Aleixos, no município de Taquarituba SP. Para medir o apoio social, utilizou-se da escala Medical Outcomes Study (MOS), traduzida para o português e validada em nosso meio. A população caracterizou-se por mulheres, predominantemente da raça branca, entre 60 a 69 anos, casadas e/ou vivendo em concubinatos, de baixa renda e residindo em domicílios multigeracionais. Escores de apoio médios elevados foram identificados, indicando situação favorável entre os idosos estudados. Em termos médios, a categoria de apoio com pior escore foi "interação social positiva". A análise bivariada demonstrou uma diferença significativa entre escore de apoio afetivo e de apoio emocional com número de pessoas no domicílio e maior freqüência de escores altos de interação social (3º tercil) em idosos do sexo masculino e naqueles com maior grau de escolaridade. O estudo apontou ainda que escores de apoio social menores foram mais freqüentes em mulheres, analfabetos, viúvos ou solteiros, idosos com renda entre um e dois salários mínimos.

Receiving Social Support Online: An Analysis of a Computer-Mediated Support Group for Individuals Living with Irritable Bowel Syndrome

In recent years, the rapid expansion in Internet access and computer-mediated communication has fostered new opportunities for individuals with health-related concerns to participate in supportive communication within a network of individuals dealing with similar issues. The aim of this study was to examine the nature of socially supportive communication that took place within a computer-mediated support network for individuals affected by irritable bowel syndrome. Using deductive thematic analysis, 572 posted messages were examined with reference to five main categories of social support (i.e., emotional, esteem, information, network, and tangible assistance). The analysis suggests that the primary function of this group was the communication of informational support, notably within the areas of symptom interpretation, illness management, and interaction with health care professionals.