Socioeconomic conditions and number of pain sites in women

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Women in deprived socioeconomic situations run a high pain risk. Although number of pain sites (NPS) is considered highly relevant in pain assessment, little is known regarding the relationship between socioeconomic conditions and NPS.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The study population comprised 653 women; 160 recurrence-free long-term gynecological cancer survivors, and 493 women selected at random from the general population. Demographic characteristics and co-morbidity over the past 12 months were assessed. Socioeconomic conditions were measured by Socioeconomic Condition Index (SCI), comprising education, employment status, income, ability to pay bills, self-perceived health, and satisfaction with number of close friends. Main outcome measure NPS was recorded using a body outline diagram indicating where the respondents had experienced pain during the past week. Chi-square test and forward stepwise logistic regression were applied.</p> <p>Results and Conclusion</p> <p>There were only minor differences in SCI scores between women with 0, 1-2 or 3 NPS. Four or more NPS was associated with younger age, higher BMI and low SCI. After adjustment for age, BMI and co-morbidity, we found a strong association between low SCI scores and four or more NPS, indicating that there is a threshold in the NPS count for when socioeconomic determinants are associated to NPS in women.</p

Exploring experiences of fostering positive work environment in Norwegian nursing homes: A multi method study

Objective: The aim of the study is to explore what characterizes the work culture in Norwegian nursing homes and what promotes the positive aspects in the work culture. Methods: Research design: Multimethod research. Two surveys (N = 105) and interviews with 11 informants at three Norwegian nursing homes were conducted. We included the questionnaires: The Systematizing Person-Group Relations, that seek to explore which aspects dominate the particular work environment identifying challenges, limitations and opportunities and The Sense of Coherence (SoC) that was used as an indicator for overall quality of working life with a salutogenic orientation. The data were analyzed using independent samples student’s t-test and factor analyses, the material from the interviews was systemized and worked through using well known analytical methods. Results: The results showed that the informants feel more meaning, manageability and comprehensibility in their work environment, when they are engaged and focused on goal orientation. In the interviews the informants expressed engagement related to their work environment and to patients and colleagues. They mentioned that being a team and working together was positive for their perception of their work environment. A positive work culture was characterized by solution orientation and the experiences of better opportunity to “attend to the patients in a good way”. Conclusions: It seems like healthcare workers as individuals has both a positive attitude and ways to express this in the work culture, such as humor and positive thinking. But the work culture itself seems to create some negative issues

Exploring experiences of fostering positive workenvironment in Norwegian nursing homes: A multimethod study

Objective: The aim of the study is to explore what characterizes the work culture in Norwegian nursing homes and what promotes the positive aspects in the work culture. Methods: Research design: Multimethod research. Two surveys (N = 105) and interviews with 11 informants at three Norwegian nursing homes were conducted. We included the questionnaires: The Systematizing Person-Group Relations, that seek to explore which aspects dominate the particular work environment identifying challenges, limitations and opportunities and The Sense of Coherence (SoC) that was used as an indicator for overall quality of working life with a salutogenic orientation. The data were analyzed using independent samples student’s t-test and factor analyses, the material from the interviews was systemized and worked through using well known analytical methods. Results: The results showed that the informants feel more meaning, manageability and comprehensibility in their work environment, when they are engaged and focused on goal orientation. In the interviews the informants expressed engagement related to their work environment and to patients and colleagues. They mentioned that being a team and working together was positive for their perception of their work environment. A positive work culture was characterized by solution orientation and the experiences of better opportunity to “attend to the patients in a good way”. Conclusions: It seems like healthcare workers as individuals has both a positive attitude and ways to express this in the work culture, such as humor and positive thinking. But the work culture itself seems to create some negative issues