Role of social support in cognitive function among elders in central China.

Aims and objectives. To examine cognitive function and its relationships to demographic characteristics and social support among elders in central China. Background. Cognitive decline is prevalent among elders. Few studies have explored the relationship between social support and cognitive function among elders. Design. A cross-sectional, descriptive correlational study. Methods. A quasi-random, point of reference sample of 120 elders residing in central China was recruited for study. Instruments used included a: Socio-demographic Questionnaire, the Multidimensional Scale on Perceived Social Support and the Mini-Mental State Examination. Hierarchical multiple regression was performed to examine the relationships among demographic variables, social support and cognitive function. Results. Age, education and social support accounted for 45•2% of the variance in cognitive function. Family support was the strongest predictor of cognitive function. Elders who had higher educational levels and more family support had better cognitive function. Relevance to clinical practice. Community healthcare providers should consolidate social support among elders in China and use family support interventions to reduce or delay cognitive decline, especially among those of increased age who are illiterate. Conclusion. Elders who had higher educational level and more family support had better cognitive function levels. Interventions that include family support are needed to improve cognitive function among elders in China

Health-Related Quality of Life in Low-Income Older African Americans

This study examined the relationships among comorbid conditions, symptom stress, depression, functional status and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in low-income older African Americans with chronic diseases. A convenience sample of 83 older African American adults living in subsidized housing for elders participated in the study. Data were collected in face-to-face interviews. Participants reported lower scores on HRQOL than the SF–36 norms for age 60 or older in the general U.S. population. Comorbid conditions, symptom distress, depression, and functional status significantly predicted both the physical (F = 38.92,p <.001) and mental (F = 23.21,p <.001) health components of HRQOL, accounting for 63% of variance in the SF–36 physical health score and 55% of the variance in the SF–36 mental health score. The findings suggested that developing interventions to assist older African Americans to better manage their symptoms and depression are of prime importance for improving HRQOL

Women and Diabetes: A Global Perspective.

The epidemic of diabetes is now worldwide. Diabetes affects 347 million people and this number is projected to reach 438 million by the year 2030 [1]. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), diabetes caused 1.3 million deaths worldwide in 2008 [2]. Diabetes increases the risk of both heart disease and stroke. The risk of death for people with diabetes is about twice as high as than that for people without diabetes [3]. The cost of diabetes ranges from 0.4% to 2.3% of GDP in some countries in the world [4]

SPECTRUM-BASED AND COLLABORATIVE NETWORK TOPOLOGY ANALYSIS AND VISUALIZATION

Networks are of significant importance in many application domains, such as World Wide Web and social networks, which often embed rich topological information. Since network topology captures the organization of network nodes and links, studying net- work topology is very important to network analysis. In this dissertation, we study networks by analyzing their topology structure to explore community structure, the relationship among network members and links as well as their importance to the belonged communities. We provide new network visualization methods by studying network topology through two aspects: spectrum-based and collaborative visualiza- tion techniques. For the spectrum-based network visualization, we use eigenvalues and eigenvectors to express network topological features instead of using network datasets directly. We provide a visual analytics approach to analyze unsigned networks based on re- cent achievements on spectrum-based analysis techniques which utilize the features of node distribution and coordinates in the high dimensional spectral space. To assist the interactive exploration of network topologies, we have designed network visual- ization and interactive analysis methods allowing users to explore the global topology structure. Further, to address the question of real-life applications involving of both positive and negative relationships, we present a spectral analysis framework to study both signed and unsigned networks. Our framework concentrates on two problems of net- work analysis - what are the important spectral patterns and how to use them to study signed networks. Based on the framework, we present visual analysis methods, which guide the selection of k-dimensional spectral space and interactive exploration of network topology. With the increasing complexity and volume of dynamic networks, it is important to adopt strategies of joint decision-making through developing collaborative visualiza- tion approaches. Thus, we design and develop a collaborative detection mechanism with matrix visualization for complex intrusion detection applications. We establish a set of collaboration guidelines for team coordination with distributed visualization tools. We apply them to generate a prototype system with interactions that facilitates collaborative visual analysis. In order to evaluate the collaborative detection mechanism, a formal user study is presented. The user study monitored participants to collaborate under co-located and distributed collaboration environments to tackle the problems of intrusion detection. We have observed participants’ behaviors and collected their performances from the aspects of coordination and communication. Based on the results, we conclude several coordination strategies and summarize the values of communication for collaborative visualization. Our visualization methods have been demonstrated to be efficient topology explo- ration with both synthetic and real-life datasets in spectrum-based and collaborative exploration. We believe that our methods can provide useful information for future design and development of network topology visualization system

The Impact of Team Building on Communication and Job Satisfaction of Nursing Staff

A series of team-building activities were conducted on a medical-surgical unit and their impact on staff's communication and job satisfaction was examined. Forty-four unit personnel participated in the interventions. Staff communication and job satisfaction were measured before and after the intervention. The findings linked team-building activities with improved staff communication and job satisfaction. Team-building strategies assisted the nurse leader/manager to build an effective work team by strengthening communication and interpersonal relationships so that the staff could function as a more cohesive group. Staff development consultants can help nurse managers become more effective team leaders by identifying the necessary resources and by helping to plan and coordinate team-building strategies

Stress, coping and psychological well-being among new graduate nurses in China.

This study examined the relationships between demographic characteristics, sources of nursing stress and coping strategies, and psychological well-being within graduate nurses. Moving from the student role to the staff nurse role can be an uneasy journey, transition is recognized as a stressful experience, and many graduate nurses find it difficult to cope with their new roles in their first few months. Four self-report questionnaires were administered to a sample of 96 new graduate nurses in central China. Death and dying, workload, and inadequate preparation were the most common sources of nursing stress, whereas the most frequently used coping strategies were planning, acceptance, and positive reframing. A number of significant correlations were found among demographic characteristics, sources of nursing stress, coping strategies, and psychological well-being. Negative predictors of psychological well-being were denial (coping strategies) and death and dying (workplace stressor). Role transition is often difficult when an individual comes to a new environment and is given new responsibilities and expectations. Although this transition is stressful and they feel inadequately prepared, with assistance, the new graduate nurses can develop effective coping strategies to adjust to the new role

Acculturation in Filial Practices Among U.S. Chinese Caregivers

In this article, we explore the phenomenon of acculturation in filial practices among 21 Chinese immigrants in a suburban city in the Midwestern United States using focus groups and individual interviews. All participants were situational reciprocal-filial caregivers who had acculturated into mainstream filial practices while preserving their heritage to deal with the challenges of parental care. Factors that influenced participants’ acceptance of new filial practices included comfort in accepting new practices, financial status, and past relationship with the care receiver. Their motivations to acculturate included being overwhelmed, a multitude of situational constraints from being an immigrant, access to and utilization of resources, and the need for a coordinated approach to filial responsibilities. Their filial motivations included love, honoring traditions, meeting personal values, and meeting social expectations. These findings provide insight for designing culturally competent training and immigrant caregiver education

The effects of a pilot intervention for community-dwelling adults with rheumatoid arthritis inWuhan, China Wenfang

This study examined the effects of a pilot educational intervention program on knowledge, perceived self-efficacy, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of community-dwelling adults with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). A convenience sample of 16 participants with RA completed the program in Wuhan, China. Data were collected in face-to-face interviews using questionnaires at baseline, post-test, and 1 month follow-up. Knowledge scoreswere significantly increased over time. Significant differences were found in pain self-efficacy, symptoms self-efficacy, bodily pain, social functioning, and role emotional functions. Community health providers should provide educational programs to improve HRQoL for adults with RA

Health-related quality of life in individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (Findings presented in part at the Annual Meeting of the American Thoracic Society in 2001 held in San Francisco, California)

Background Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is an individual’s perception of physical and mental health. Objective The objective of this study was to examine the relationships between symptoms and HRQOL in individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), using a modification of a HRQOL model in COPD. Design A correlational descriptive design was used to examine the relationships between symptoms and HRQOL in individuals with COPD. Subjects A convenience sample of 58 subjects with a medical diagnosis of COPD, specifically chronic bronchitis or emphysema, was evaluated. Measures The Vertical Visua

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors Related to HIV and AIDS among Female College Students in Taiwan

Our purpose was to assess the knowledge and attitudes, source of HIV and AIDS information, and behaviors related to HIV and AIDS among female college students in Taiwan and to explore the factors associated with knowledge and attitudes of HIV and AIDS among female college students in Taiwan. We employed a descriptive cross-sectional design. Using a mail survey, the investigators collected data from a convenience sample of 99 female undergraduate students at a 4-year university in Taiwan. The self-administrated questionnaire included a demographic questionnaire and the International AIDS Questionnaire—Chinese Version. Our study revealed that the majority of respondents (68%) were sexually active in the last year. Findings revealed that the sexually active women had more overall HIV and AIDS knowledge and attitudes compared to those who were not sexually active. Overall, findings revealed a significant number of participants were not aware of HIV and AIDS facts and held many myths about the transmission of HIV and AIDS. Accurate HIV and AIDS information is the first step in preventing the spread of this epidemic. Ideally, the fight against AIDS should involve the family, education system, mass media, and society at large; however, the lack of necessary knowledge, values, and skills often results in ineffective and inconsistent HIV and AIDS prevention programs