Developing a measure of blind patients\u27 interactions with their healthcare providers

Background: People who are blind (PWB) are often perceived as being incompetent with common tasks and functions. When patients detect that their healthcare providers (HCPs) have negative perceptions of them, they often report less satisfaction with their healthcare and disengage in their own healthcare. Objective: A scale assessing the experiences of PWB interacting with HCPs was developed and validated across two studies. Methods: In Study 1, 144 participants completed the scale and provided feedback. In Study 2, 214 participants completed the scale and 4 additional scales to assess construct validity. Results: An exploratory factor analysis in Study 1 revealed a two-factor model consisting of General Quality of Health Care (30.5% variance explained) and Stereotype Content-related items (9.4% variance explained). Study 2 confirmed and validated this two-factor structure (RMSEA (90% CI) = 0.068 (0.057, 0.079), CFI = 0.898, SRMR = 0.066, AIC = 14568.902). Conclusions: This scale is one of the first tools developed from the perspectives of PWB. Results from these studies highlight and elaborate on how PWB perceive that they are viewed by their HCPs in terms of competence and how they perceive to be treated by these HCPs. This scale can be used in training HCPs to better serve their patients with disabilities

The underrepresentation of Latinx students in the professional dissemination of psychology research

Latinx students are well represented among undergraduate psychology majors. However, there is an underrepresentation of Latinxs in psychology graduate programs, among faculty, and licensed practitioners. This underrepresentation is evidence of a leaky pipeline of attrition among Latinx psychology students from bachelor to postbachelor career tracks. The present research investigates one point of this leaky pipeline—research activity and professional dissemination of research. We used public data sets and surname matching to compare Latinx student representation at a regional psychology conference to Latinx enrollment and psychology degree completions at colleges and universities represented at the conference. We found consistent evidence of Latinx underrepresentation in the professional dissemination of research. This underrepresentation occurred at both federally designated Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs) and non-HSIs. This research shows one point in the academic pipeline in psychological science at which Latinx students are underrepresented. Results provide evidence for a lack of recruitment of Latinx students into the research process. This disparity in research activity may lead to attrition from undergraduate to postbachelor education and career tracks in psychology. Strategies that faculty and departments can employ to address these disparities are discussed

“It’s embarrassing. I get angry. I get frustrated.”: Understanding severe hypoglycemia and glucagon usage from the perspectives of people with type 1 diabetes

Introduction This study characterized the emotional impact of severe hypoglycemia, views of glucagon, and barriers to glucagon use from the perspective of adults with type 1 diabetes (T1D). Methods Participants included individuals recruited from the T1D Exchange online community. The current study conducted 7 focus groups consisting of adults with T1D (N = 38, average age 49.4, SD = 16.11 years). Average duration of diabetes was 34.4 years (SD = 17.3) and average self-reported A1c was 6.8 % (SD = 0.7). Focus group interviews were recorded, transcribed, and thematically analyzed. Results A range of emotions was expressed about severe hypoglycemia including fear, anxiety, stress, frustration, shame, and embarrassment. Participants frequently identified prescription cost and insurance deductibles as barriers to glucagon use. Participants were also concerned about ease of administration—how difficult it is to prepare the glucagon in an emergency. Many participants expressed a preference for auto-injectables over nasal administration. Timing of glucagon action and time to recovery were high priorities. Some participants, while they had not self-administered glucagon, were interested in a mini-dose glucagon they could self-administer. They also identified desirable characteristics of glucagon treatment including reduced cost, long shelf-life, and quick activation. Conclusions These results highlight the attitudes about severe hypoglycemia and emergency treatment with glucagon. Healthcare professionals should assess glucagon training needs and knowledge when they meet with their patients with diabetes

Associations between parenting strategies and BMI percentile among Latino children and youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities

Introduction: Maintaining healthy weight is a challenge for all children, and particularly for children with IDD compared to nondisabled children and for Latino children compared to non-Latino White children. Parenting practices related to food intake and physical activity have been found to be important in maintaining children\u27s weight. In this study, we describe the prevalence of overweight and obesity status among Latino children with IDD and their maternal caregivers and determine the relationship between food and physical activity parenting practices and childhood obesity among Latino children with IDD. Methods: We interviewed 94 Latino parent/child dyads and collected information about parenting practices, home environment, and parent and child height and weight using standardized measures. Parent body mass index (BMI) and child BMI percentile were calculated from height and weight. Results: The combined overweight/obesity status for children in our sample was high (60.3%) compared to national rates among nondisabled Latino children (56%) and non-Latino White children with autism (37%). Contrary to research on nondisabled children, we found that greater parental use of controlling dietary strategies was associated with lower BMI percentile in Latino children with IDD. These findings may be indicative of the fact that children with IDD tend to have unique dietary behaviors that warrant more disability and culturally sensitive strategies. Discussion: Our findings suggest that overweight and obesity is especially prevalent for Latino children with IDD and that more research is needed on family factors that promote health in Latino families of children with IDD

Associations of positive and negative affect on health risk behaviors among Latinos.

Objective: Negative affect is widely emphasized in behavior modification interventions. However, positive affect is associated with smoking cessation, physical activity, and healthy dietary habits and may be an important treatment target. Few studies have examined the relationship between positive affect and health behaviors among Latinos, who disproportionately experience modifiable health risk behaviors. This study examined the independent associations of positive affect and negative affect on modifiable health risk behaviors among Latino adults. Method: Data came from 432 persons who participated in one of two studies examining determinants of modifiable health risk behaviors among Latino adults. Primary outcomes were current smoking, at-risk drinking, insufficient physical activity, and insufficient fruit and vegetable consumption. Predictors were positive and negative affect as measured by the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule. Associations between positive and negative affect and health risk behaviors were examined using multiple logistic regression. Results: Positive affect was associated with lower odds of insufficient physical activity and insufficient fruit and vegetable consumption and lower odds of engaging in multiple health risk behaviors. Negative affect was associated with higher odds of at-risk drinking and current smoking. Conclusions: Emphasis on increasing positive affect may be warranted for multiple health risk behavior interventions targeting Latinos. Intervention development efforts may also consider prioritizing positive affect for physical activity and dietary interventions, and negative affect for at-drinking and smoking cessation interventions. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved

Perspectives of Interactions with Healthcare Providers Among Patients Who Are Blind

Healthcare providers’ (HCPs) stereotypes about the incompetence of blind and low-vision patients may lead them to patronize blind patients, over-focus on impairments, and neglect the presenting problem. The content of perceived HCP stereotypes about blind patients in the clinical setting was examined from the patient perspective with seven focus groups, including a total of 42 individual participants. Most participants reported an interaction when their HCPs treated them as if they were incompetent, and discussed how perceived evaluations of their warmth and competence impacted whether their HCPs trusted and respected them. Participants also discussed their evaluations of their HCPs’ warmth and competence, and how these evaluations impacted their trust and respect for the HCP. These results provide insight into blind patients’ experiences interacting with their HCPs and can inform interventions to 1) help HCPs avoid stereotypic attitudes and 2) improve HCPs’ comfort and abilities when working with patient with disabilities

Interventions for Health Promotion and Obesity Prevention for Children and Adolescents with Developmental Disabilities: a Systematic Review

This systematic review evaluated interventions and relevant outcomes for health promotion and obesity prevention among children and adolescents with developmental disabilities (DD). Twenty-one studies including randomized control trials (n= 9) and quasi-experimental studies (n=12) published between 2010 and 2021 met inclusion criteria related to participant characteristics, intervention type, and child obesity-related outcomes. Five types of intervention programs were identified: aerobic and strength training, sport-based physical activity, aquatic exercise, active video gaming, and diet and lifestyle. Whereas analysis of intervention outcomes, efficacy, and study rigor showed mixed results and weak evidence of effective interventions, this review identified gaps in the literature, promising strategies for addressing obesity in children with DD, and implications for practice and future research