Broadening Our Perspective on Spirituality and Coping among Women with Breast Cancer and their Families: Implications for Practice

The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the role of spirituality in coping among women with breast cancer and their families. This phenomenological study was guided by family systems theory and the recognition that a family is a complex system whereby family members interact with one another as well as with the outside world. A change in any of these interactions/relationships can affect the rest of the system, and the diagnosis of breast cancer in mothers within the family system is no exception. Five families (five women, five men and six children) comprising a total of 16 participants took part in this study. The women in this study reported using a number of methods to cope with their illness, one of which was utilising their spiritual beliefs. Although they placed a great deal of importance upon their spiritual beliefs, their families did not. The implications of this reality upon nursing practice will be discussed here

Mind Over Matter: A Qualitative Examination of the Coping Resources Used by Women with Cancer

Aim: This exploratory study investigates the coping resources used by six women diagnosed with cancer. Objective: The purpose of this study was to provide these women with the opportunity to discuss their cancer experiences along with the specific coping methods they found to be helpful throughout their journey. Methods: The participants, ranging in age from 25 to 63, completed a background questionnaire, followed by either a semi-structured interview (n=3) or an interview via written response (n=3). Results: Several key coping methods were described as being helpful to these women, and these methods fell into three major categories: intrapersonal, interpersonal, and extrapersonal coping resources. Although each of these resource categories had a direct influence on overall well-being itself, the interpersonal and extrapersonal resources also influenced the intrapersonal category, offering an alternate means by which they could influence overall well-being. These findings highlight the many coping resources used by these women when navigating their cancer journey

Suggested reading program for academically talented students

The purpose of this paper is to suggest a program to be used by classroom teachers in teaching reading to academically talented students in Manawa Elementary School, grades one through four

A Woman's Level: The Insight of Campaign Consultants on Female Candidates

In 2014, female candidates are still a minority in electoral politics. The general election in 2014 featured 169 female candidates for U.S. Congress. This study examines four campaigns of female candidates for U.S. Congress. Interviews with campaign staff shed light on how female candidates choose issues and plan communication strategy. Contrary to prior academic literature, findings from interviews suggest that party affiliation is a better determinant of strategy than gender. Staffers acknowledge gender and stereotypes associated with gender; however, in 2014 these staffers did not think gender was an important factor in the general election.Bachelor of Art

Adolescents and Self-Reported Physical Activity: An Evaluation of the Modified Godin Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire

International Journal of Exercise Science 9(5): 587-598, 2016. The Godin Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire assesses self-reported physical activity (PA) among adults, and was later modified for children. However, the modified version (Godin-Child Questionnaire) has not been validated among adolescents. This study evaluates the construct validity and test-retest reliability of the Godin-Child Questionnaire among adolescents. The study participants, sixth graders (age M= 11.06 ± 0.436; 48% males, 48% Latino), were assessed at 2 time points (fall and spring: N= 139). First, the study determined whether adolescents accurately reported exercise intensity based on adolescents\u27 ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) during moderate- and hard-intensity exercise tasks. Second, objective assessments of PA obtained using the Actigraph® accelerometer were correlated with PA self-reported on the Godin-Child Questionnaire. Third, test-retest correlations evaluated the Godin-Child Questionnaire for its reliability. Finally, interviews explored participants’ interpretations of the Godin-Child Questionnaire. RPEs suggested that adolescents generally perceived exercise intensity accurately, with no significant differences between genders. There was a weak correlation between the Godin-Child Questionnaire and the Actigraph® during fall (r=.22, P\u3c .05) and spring (r=.24,

Enjoyment of exercise moderates the impact of a school-based physical activity intervention

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>A school-based physical activity intervention designed to encourage adolescent girls to be more active was more effective for some participants than for others. We examined whether baseline enjoyment of exercise moderated response to the intervention.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Adolescent girls with a low level of baseline activity who participated in a controlled trial of an intervention to promote increased physical activity participation (<it>n </it>= 122) self-reported their enjoyment of exercise and physical activity participation at baseline, mid-way through the intervention, and at the end of the 9-month intervention period. At all three time points, participants also underwent assessments of cardiovascular fitness (VO₂peak) and body composition (percent body fat). Repeated measures analysis of variance examined the relationship of baseline enjoyment to change in physical activity, cardiovascular fitness, body composition and enjoyment of exercise.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A significant three-way interaction between time, baseline enjoyment, and group assignment (p < .01) showed that baseline enjoyment moderated the effect of the intervention on vigorous activity. Within the intervention group, girls with low enjoyment of exercise at baseline increased vigorous activity from pre-to post-intervention, and girls with high baseline enjoyment of exercise showed no pre-post change in vigorous activity. No differences emerged in the comparison group between low-and high-enjoyment girls.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Adolescent girls responded differently to a physical activity promotion intervention depending on their baseline levels of exercise enjoyment. Girls with low enjoyment of exercise may benefit most from a physical-education based intervention to increase physical activity that targets identified barriers to physical activity among low-active adolescent girls.</p

Learning by volunteer computing, thinking and gaming: What and how are volunteers learning by participating in Virtual Citizen Science?

Citizen Science (CS) refers to a form of research collaboration that engages volunteers without formal scientific training in contributing to empirical scientific projects. Virtual Citizen Science (VCS) projects engage participants in online tasks. VCS has demonstrated its usefulness for research, however little is known about its learning potential for volunteers. This paper reports on research exploring the learning outcomes and processes in VCS. In order to identify different kinds of learning, 32 exploratory interviews of volunteers were conducted in three different VCS projects. We found six main learning outcomes related to different participants' activities in the project. Volunteers learn on four dimensions that are directly related to the scope of the VCS project: they learn at the task/game level, acquire pattern recognition skills, on-topic content knowledge, and improve their scientific literacy. Thanks to indirect opportunities of VCS projects, volunteers learn on two additional dimensions: off topic knowledge and skills, and personal development. Activities through which volunteers learn can be categorized in two levels: at a micro (task/game) level that is direct participation to the task, and at a macro level, i.e. use of project documentation, personal research on the Internet, and practicing specific roles in project communities. Both types are influenced by interactions with others in chat or forums. Most learning happens to be informal, unstructured and social. Volunteers do not only learn from others by interacting with scientists and their peers, but also by working for others: they gain knowledge, new status and skills by acting as active participants, moderators, editors, translators, community managers, etc. in a project community. This research highlights these informal and social aspects in adult learning and science education and also stresses the importance for learning through the indirect opportunities provided by the project: the main one being the opportunity to participate and progress in a project community, according to one's tastes and skills