Sharing is caring : the everyday informal exchange of health information among adults aged fifty and over

Introduction: Most studies on information behaviour focus on individual behaviour, predominantly seeking, scanning and avoiding. This paper explores sharing, the understudied informal exchange of health information in everyday social settings. Method: Forty qualitative in-depth interviews were held with adults in the age range of fifty to eighty in Flanders, the Dutch-speaking northern part of Belgium. Analysis: Thematic data analysis was carried out to identify and single out sharing behaviour. Using a grounded analysis approach, data findings were compared with and placed within the literature and conceptual frameworks. Results: The study finds that health information sharing is a common and frequently occurring type of health information behaviour, embedded in everyday social and supportive interactions. The sharing of knowledge, experiences and advice takes place intentionally and in a premeditated fashion, as well as spontaneously and unintentionally when opportunities arise. Respondents observe and learn from others about health conditions, although the doctor remains the foremost expert. Conclusions: Driven by social motivations, sharing plays an important role in the acquisition, exchange and circulation of health information. This suggests that more attention should be paid to the social, collective and collaborative aspects of information behaviour, specifically everyday information sharing

'You can just get it from Wikipedia' : a qualitative exploration of the attitudes, perceptions, and use of Wikipedia as a source of health information by middle-aged and older adults

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Older people’s emotional connections with their physical urban environment

ncreasing urbanization of human society is a universal trend and one that is likely to affect global levels of health and well-being. Rapid expansion of urban living opens new opportunities for people, but also creates significant challenges. We do not always understand how people interact with and connect to their environment, how they experience it and what meaning they attach to certain aspects of it. However, this knowledge can be essential for better understanding of the impact these aspects of the environment can have on their mental health and well-being. In this photo essay, we explore older people’s perceptions of their urban living environment in a highly densely populated urban area; the city of Amsterdam. Participants took photos of salient aspects of their living environment that as they believed influenced their mental health and well-being. Participants searched their living environment for tranquility, peace, beauty, memories and meaning. Listening to the experiences and stories of older adults makes us more aware of their emotional world in this time of global urbanization

To share or not to share : an explorative study of health information non-sharing behaviour among Flemish adults aged fifty and over

Introduction: This study explores health information non-sharing behaviour in everyday social settings and interactions. The novelty and relevance of the study lies in the fact that it explores a common yet understudied information behaviour, as very few studies have examined information non-sharing. Method: Forty qualitative in-depth interviews were held in Flanders, the Dutch-speaking northern part of Belgium, with adults between the ages of fifty and eighty. Analysis: A contextual framework was drawn from information studies and health information and communication research, consisting of the concepts of health orientation, information avoidance, uncertainty management, to help understand health information non-sharing. Thematic analysis was employed to identify reasons for non-sharing behaviour. Results: Seven key themes or reasons emerge for health information non-sharing behaviour; health as a non-topic, avoid being labelled as ill, individual responsibility, avoid burdening others, lack of trust in others, lack of trust in the internet, and avoiding information overload. Conclusions: This study is not only more nuanced than earlier work on sharing behaviour, but also leads to new questions about outcomes of health information non-sharing. The findings further illuminate'non-information behaviour' within information studies, while also offering insights relevant to health communication researchers and healthcare practitioners

National and transnational belonging among Turkish and Moroccan older migrants in the Netherlands: protective against loneliness?

This research investigates how a sense of belonging functions as protective mechanism against loneliness. Inspired by the work of Berry (1980) on acculturation strategies (i.e. integration, assimilation, separation and marginalization), we distinguish migrants who feel a relatively strong or weak sense of belonging to larger society and those who feel a strong or weak belonging to the “own group.” We expect that more national belonging contributes to less loneliness. We add a transnational perspective by arguing that feelings of belonging to the own group can take place in the country of settlement, but can also be transnational, i.e. a feeling of belonging to the country of origin. Transnational belonging can protect against loneliness, as it acknowledges the importance of place attachment. Using data from the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam on older migrants aged 55–66, we employ latent class analysis and find five national belonging clusters, interpretable in terms of Berry’s acculturation strategies. Further analyses reveal mixed evidence: some aspects of transnational belonging vary with belonging to the own group, but other aspects point to a third dimension of belonging. Regression analysis shows that those marginalized are loneliest and that a transnational sense of belonging contributes to more loneliness. We conclude that Berry’s (1980) typology is useful for interpreting older migrants’ national belonging and that a transnational sense of belonging is apparent among older migrants, but needs to be explored further

Wie is de Ander? De representatie van Japan in het Nederlandse televisieprogramma Wie is de Mol? (2010)

In 2010 the popular Dutch reality television show ‘Wie is de Mol?’ took ten Dutch celebrities to Japan. Applying discourse analysis, this article explores the representation of Japan and its culture as portrayed in the show. Building upon theories about Orientalism and cultural stereotypes, the study illustrates that the programme provides a fairly balanced and nuanced depiction of Japan. This is in part due to the nature of the programme, which mainly revolves around the candidates and uses the country as an ‘interactive background’. However, the show does largely follow the Orientalist representational paradigm of depicting Japan, as the programme needs to provide images and narratives that are recognizable to Dutch viewers of whom most are not familiar with Japan. Stereotypes and clichés are therefore used, but often in innovative and playful ways. It is argued that popular television shows can influence and shape ideas and images of other countries

The association between depressive symptoms in the community, non-psychiatric hospital admission and hospital outcomes: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVES: This paper aims to systematically review observational studies that have analysed whether depressive symptoms in the community are associated with higher general hospital admissions, longer hospital stays and increased risk of re-admission. METHODS: We identified prospective studies that looked at depressive symptoms in the community as a risk factor for non-psychiatric general hospital admissions, length of stay or risk of re-admission. The search was carried out on MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Cochrane Library Database, and followed up with contact with authors and scanning of reference lists. RESULTS: Eleven studies fulfilled our inclusion and exclusion criteria, and all were deemed to be of moderate to high quality. Meta-analysis of seven studies with relevant data suggested that depressive symptoms may be a predictor of subsequent admission to a general hospital in unadjusted analyses (RR=1.36, 95% CI: 1.28-1.44), but findings after adjustment for confounding variables were inconsistent. The narrative synthesis also reported depressive symptoms to be independently associated with longer length of stay, and higher re-admission risk. CONCLUSIONS: Depressive symptoms are associated with a higher risk of hospitalisation, longer length of stay and a higher re-admission risk. Some of these associations may be mediated by other factors, and should be explored in more details.No funding bodies had any role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. The authors have no competing interests to report. No specific funding was set aside for this project. Matthew Prina was supported by the Medical Research Council [grant number RG56433].This is the final published version. It first appeared from Elsevier via http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychores.2014.11.00