3 research outputs found
Family’s health: Opportunities for non-collocated intergenerational families collaboration on healthy living
When a family is engaged in healthy living practices together, it enhances the quality of life for all individuals. However, when members in families are separated over distance, the everyday encouragement and support may shift and obstacles arise within the family. In this study, we investigate non-collocated family members’ practices of healthy living, their perspectives on their family’s healthy living activities, and what obstacles exist regarding collaboration on their family health. We conducted an interview study with 26 independently living participants representing “elderly parents” and “adult children” in a family dynamic. We present members’ practices and strategies for sustainable healthy living activities. We also explore members’ creative use of technology for health promotion and describe existing obstacles that prevent families to effectively collaborate in healthy living. Based on our findings, we suggest design implications to support family members living apart on their efforts to cultivate health within their families
Working Together in a PhamilySpace: Facilitating Collaboration on Healthy Behaviors Over Distance
Studies have shown that interpersonal relationships such as families and friends are an important source of support and encouragement to those who seek to engage in healthier habits. However, challenges related to geographic distance may hinder those relationships from fully collaborating and engaging in healthy living together. To explore this domain, we developed and deployed a lightweight photo-based application called PhamilySpace with a week-long intervention. Our goal is to examine family members\u27 and friends\u27 engagement and awareness on healthy behaviors while living apart. Our analysis of the semi-structured interviews, pre/post-intervention instruments, and application logs suggests three main benefits of interventions for health promotion in this context: (1) increased awareness on acts of health; (2) reciprocal sharing of health information supports social accountability over distance; and (3) positive dialogue around health enhances support on healthy living. By providing insights into distributed family/friends interactions and experiences with the application, we identify benefits, challenges, and opportunities for future design interventions that promote healthy behaviors
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Knowledge of Family Health History and its Association with Social Determinants of Health and Personal Medical History
Knowledge of family health history (FHH) is a key component of genetic counseling practice. As practitioners, it is important to be aware of the factors that can affect a patient's knowledge of their FHH, which can impact the ability to provide accurate risk assessment. In addition, guidelines to determine who is eligible for genetic testing and recommendations for management often incorporate FHH information and applying these guidelines without understanding that some individuals may have limited FHH knowledge leading to inequities in care. This research project was designed to explore these factors by analyzing the relationships between reported knowledge of FHH, reported presence of anxiety and depression within a family, and social determinants of health (SDoH) related to support, relationships, perceived stress, and religion and spirituality. Using the All of Us Research Researcher's Workbench, data was collected from the SDoH, FHH, and Demographics surveys, with sample sizes of 117,023, 184,155, and 410,361 respectively. Analysis revealed significant differences in reported knowledge of FHH in various racial/ethnic backgrounds (p<0.00001) and gender identity (p<0.00001). In three SDoH categories analyzed (support, relationships, and perceived stress) higher average SDoH scores were seen for those who reported higher FHH knowledge (p<0.01). In addition, within all SDoH categories examined participants who reported personal anxiety or depression have lower average SDoH scores compared to those who reported no personal anxiety or depression (p<0.05). Participants who reported a personal history of HTN also had lower SDoH scores in the category of support compared to those who had no personal history (p<0.05), but interestingly had higher SDoH scores for perceived stress (reflecting less reported stress) and for religion and spirituality (p<0.05). The results of this study are valuable in gaining perspective about factors that may be associated with a patient’s knowledge of their FHH. Understanding that patients come to healthcare providers with various levels of FHH knowledge and how certain SDoH factors are associated with FHH knowledge has the potential to improve the ability to provide personalized care for all patients. In addition, it provides information about the importance of taking into account a patient’s FHH knowledge when determining a differential diagnosis, the type of carrier screening to order, or a patient’s eligibility for genetic testing