Ethnic and gender differences in perceptions of mortality risk in a Canadian urban centre

Gilat L Grunau1, Pamela A Ratner1,2, Shahadut Hossain11NEXUS; 2School of Nursing, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada; University of British Columbia, Vancouver, CanadaBackground: Women reportedly do not perceive heart disease (HD) as a major threat to their health; however, men’s perceptions are rarely studied.Purpose: We explored gender and ethnic differences in risk perception of HD mortality.Methods: The survey was completed by 976 people 40+ years of age, in metropolitan Vancouver, Canada.Results: Men, compared with women, were more likely not to know the answer to a question about whether HD is the most common cause of death for women; however, women were more likely not to know the answer to a question about whether HD is the most common cause of death for men. Chinese-Canadian and South Asian-Canadian participants were more likely than participants of other ethnic groups not to know the answer to either question, and the Chinese-Canadian participants were more likely to disagree that HD is the most common cause of death for women.Conclusion: There is a need to educate the Chinese-Canadian and South Asian-Canadian communities about HD as a first step in promoting health behavior change. Men and women must be educated about the other gender’s risk of HD because all adults play integral roles in making decisions about the prevention of and early intervention for HD.Keywords: risk assessment, heart disease, mortality, gender, ethnic group

Initial Impact of Tailored Web-Based Messages about Cigarette Smoke and Breast Cancer Risk on Boys\u27 and Girls\u27 Risk Perceptions and Information Seeking: Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND: Recent evidence indicates a causal link between both active smoking and secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure and breast cancer (BC). OBJECTIVE: The objective of the present study was to evaluate the initial reactions of girls and boys to tailored Web-based messages that describe the relationship between SHS and BC, using a parallel, single-blinded cluster randomized controlled trial. METHODS: This trial was nested within a cycle of an ongoing longitudinal study of 1498 students from 74 secondary schools. Self-reported assessments were used to evaluate the impact of study messages on participants\u27 risk perception and interest in obtaining additional information after participants were randomized by schools to control or intervention groups. The intervention group received a tailored visual message (based on gender and Aboriginal status) about BC and tobacco smoke. The control group received a standard visual message about smoking and cancer. RESULTS: SHS exposure was identified as a BC risk factor by 380/1488 (25.54%) participants, during the preintervention analysis. Compared to the female participants in the control group (491/839, 58.5%), girls who received the intervention (339/649, 52.2%) were 14% more likely to agree that exposure to SHS increased their BC risk (relative risk [RR] 1.14, 95% CI 1.07-1.21). Nonsmoking girls who received the intervention were 14% more likely to agree that starting smoking would increase their BC risk (RR 1.14, 95% CI 1.07-1.21). Compared to the male participants in control group (348/839, 41.5%), boys who received the intervention (310/649, 47.8%) were 10% more likely to agree that girls\u27 exposure to SHS increased their BC risk (RR 1.10, 95% CI 1.02-1.18). Compared to controls, girls who received the intervention were 52% more likely to request additional information about SHS and BC (RR 1.52, 95% CI 1.12-2.06). CONCLUSIONS: Brief gender-sensitive messages delivered via the Internet have the potential to increase awareness and to stimulate information seeking about the risk for BC associated with SHS

Initial Impact of Tailored Web-Based Messages About Cigarette Smoke and Breast Cancer Risk on Boys’ and Girls’ Risk Perceptions and Information Seeking: Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: Recent evidence indicates a causal link between both active smoking and secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure and breast cancer (BC). Objective: The objective of the present study was to evaluate the initial reactions of girls and boys to tailored Web-based messages that describe the relationship between SHS and BC, using a parallel, single-blinded cluster randomized controlled trial. Methods: This trial was nested within a cycle of an ongoing longitudinal study of 1498 students from 74 secondary schools. Self-reported assessments were used to evaluate the impact of study messages on participants’ risk perception and interest in obtaining additional information after participants were randomized by schools to control or intervention groups. The intervention group received a tailored visual message (based on gender and Aboriginal status) about BC and tobacco smoke. The control group received a standard visual message about smoking and cancer. Results: SHS exposure was identified as a BC risk factor by 380/1488 (25.54%) participants, during the preintervention analysis. Compared to the female participants in the control group (491/839, 58.5%), girls who received the intervention (339/649, 52.2%) were 14% more likely to agree that exposure to SHS increased their BC risk (relative risk [RR] 1.14, 95% CI 1.07-1.21). Nonsmoking girls who received the intervention were 14% more likely to agree that starting smoking would increase their BC risk (RR 1.14, 95% CI 1.07-1.21). Compared to the male participants in control group (348/839, 41.5%), boys who received the intervention (310/649, 47.8%) were 10% more likely to agree that girls’ exposure to SHS increased their BC risk (RR 1.10, 95% CI 1.02-1.18). Compared to controls, girls who received the intervention were 52% more likely to request additional information about SHS and BC (RR 1.52, 95% CI 1.12-2.06). Conclusions: Brief gender-sensitive messages delivered via the Internet have the potential to increase awareness and to stimulate information seeking about the risk for BC associated with SHS

Культурологічний компонент професійної підготовки іноземних студентів вищих медичних навчальних закладів

На основі аналізу наукових джерел та власного досвіду автор розкриває поняття «культура», розглядає шляхи застосування культурологічного компоненту у професійній підготовці іноземних студентів-медиків, зокрема під час вивчення дисципліни «Іноземна мова (українська)». Автор пропонує впровадити вивчення спецкурсу “Основні аспекти спілкування іноземною (українською) мовою в міжкультурному просторі”. Це, на думку автора, сприятиме формуванню у студентів-іноземців умінь і навичок володіння мовою в усній і писемній формах відповідно до цілей, мотивів та соціальних норм мовленнєвої поведінки в типових ситуаціях. Адже саме на заняттях з іноземної мови (української) формуються базові механізми іншомовного спілкування й засвоюються знання про культуру країни, мову якої студенти вивчають; На основе анализа научных трудов и личного опыта автор раскрывает понятие «культура», рассматривает пути применения культурологического компонента в профессиональной подготовке иностранных студентов-медиков, особенно при изучении дисциплины «Иностранный язык (украинский)». Автор предлагает ввести спецкурс «Основные аспекты общения на иностранном языке (украинском) в межкультурном пространстве». Это, по мнению автора, будет способствовать формированию у студентов-иностранцев умений и навыков владения языком в устной и письменной формах соответственно социальным нормам поведения в типичных ситуациях. Так как именно на занятиях по иностранному (украинскому) языку формируются базовые механизмы общения и усваиваются знания о культуре страны, язык которой изучают студенты; On the basis of analysis of scientific sources and practical experience the author describes the word «culture». The author writes about the implementation of culturological component to the training of foreign students at the universities in Ukraine particularly in the study process of such discipline as «Foreign language (Ukrainian)». The author suggests studying a special course «The main aspects of communication in a foreign language (Ukrainian) in cross-cultural space». It, according to the author, will promote formation students’ skills of language proficiency in oral and written forms according to social norms of behavior in typical situations. The author thinks that during studying foreign (Ukrainian) language basic mechanisms of communication will form and student will get knowledge about the culture

Sex is Associated with Differences in Individual Trajectories of Change in Social Health after Implantable Cardioverter-defibrillator

Social health is a dimension of quality of life, and refers to people’s involvement in, and satisfaction with social roles, responsibilities, and activities. The implantable cardioverter-defibrillator is associated with changes in overall quality of life, but little is known about sex differences in individual trajectories of change in social health. Methods and Results We prospectively measured changes in 3 subscales of the SF-36v2 generic health questionnaire (role physical, role emotional, and social functioning), 2 Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System short forms (satisfaction with participation in social roles and satisfaction with participation in discretionary social activities), and the Florida Patient Acceptance Survey before and at 1, 2, and 6 months after implantation. Individual growth models of temporal change were estimated. The scores of the 6 indicators improved with time. The unconditional model demonstrated significant (fixed effects: P<0.05; covariance parameters: P<0.10) residual variability in the individual trajectories. In the conditional model, men and women differed significantly in their rates of change in the scores of 3 of the 6 measures. Although men’s mean scores exceeded women’s mean scores on all indicators at baseline (range of relative mean difference: 11.0% to 17.8%), the rate of women’s change resulted in a reversal in relative standing at 6 months after implantation, with the mean scores of women exceeding the men’s by 4.5% to 5.6%. Conclusions Men and women differed in their trajectories of change in social health, both in terms of their starting points (ie, baseline scores) and their rates of change. &nbsp

The Privileged Normalization of Marijuana Use – an Analysis of Canadian Newspaper Reporting, 1997–2007

The objective of this study was to systematically examine predominant themes within mainstream media reporting about marijuana use in Canada. To ascertain the themes present in major Canadian newspaper reports, a sample (N = 1999) of articles published between 1997 and 2007 was analyzed. Drawing from Manning’s theory of the symbolic framing of drug use within media, it is argued that a discourse of ‘privileged normalization’ informs portrayals of marijuana use and descriptions of the drug’s users. Privileged normalization implies that marijuana use can be acceptable for some people at particular times and places, while its use by those without power and status is routinely vilified and linked to deviant behavior. The privileged normalization of marijuana by the media has important health policy implications in light of continued debate regarding the merits of decriminalization or legalization and the need for public health and harm reduction approaches to illicit drug use

Differences in the smoking identities of adolescent boys and girls

Objective: To assess sex-disaggregated differences in youths\u27 characterizations of their own smoking behavior. Method: Cross-sectional data including demographics (sex, age, and grade level), perceived addiction to tobacco, Dimensions of Tobacco Dependence Scale (DTDS) scores, the Modified Fagerström Tolerance Questionnaire (M-FTQ) scores, smoking history, and self-reported smoking identity were collected from questionnaires administered to 7246 students in British Columbia, Canada. Differences in tobacco dependence by sex and by smoking identity were examined. Results: Girls were more likely to report being ex-, social, irregular, or regular smokers than were boys; and were more likely to select more than one smoking identity to describe their smoking behavior. Among the current smokers, the boys smoked more cigarettes each day, on average, and had significantly higher scores on the social and sensation dependence dimensions of the DTDS, and the M-FTQ, compared with the girls. Girls in each smoking identity group had lower scores on every tobacco dependence measure, except the emotional dependence dimension of the DTDS. Conclusion: Adolescent boys and girls appear to understand and subscribe to ‘smoking identity’ groups in similar patterns. However, there may be differences in the ways boys and girls conceptualize, describe, and endorse smoking identities. Researchers should examine the consistency between adolescents\u27 smoking identities and researcher-derived categorizations of their smoking in planning and selecting appropriate interventions. Future research should explore qualitative gender differences in the smoking identities of adolescents

Are There Differences in the Smoking Identities of Adolescents Boys and Girls?

Purpose: To assess sex-disaggregated differences in youth characterizations of their own smoking behaviour Background: •Smoking identities represent psychosocial constructions of how adolescents who smoke perceive themselves in relation to their smoking behaviour (e.g, ex-smoker, social smoker, occasional smoker, e.t.c.) •These smoking identities converge (or diverge) with established taxonomies used to describe youth smoking behaviour •Few quantitative studies have examined differences in smoking identity between boys and girl