Intimate Partner Violence and Disabilities among Women Attending Family Practice Clinics

Purpose: To estimate the frequency and type of disabilities preventing work among those experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV) compared with those never experiencing IPV. Methods: We used a large cross-sectional survey of women, ages 18–65, attending family practice clinics from 1997 through 1998. Participation included a 5–10-minute in-clinic survey assessing IPV experience and a longer telephone survey assessing health status and chronic disabilities that prevented work outside the home or housework. Results: Of 1,152 eligible women surveyed, 54% experienced some type of IPV, and 24% were currently in a violent relationship. Women who had ever experienced IPV were more than twice as likely to report a disability (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] _ 2.2, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.6, 3.0). The most commonly reported disabilities were those associated with heart or circulatory disease (4.9%), followed by back problems (3.5%), chronic pain (3.4%), arthritis (3.0%), nerve system damage (2.4%), asthma or another respiratory problem including emphysema (1.7%), and either depression (1.6%) or another mental illness (1.0%). Women ever experiencing IPV were more likely to report a disability due to generalized chronic pain (aOR _ 2.5, 95% CI 1.5, 4.3) and mental illness (aOR _ 4.5, 95% CI 1.5, 13.1). IPV-related injuries were associated in a dose-dependent manner with having any disability and with disability from chronic pain, asthma and other respiratory diseases, mental illness, and chronic diseases. Conclusions: Primary care-based efforts to screen for IPV and effectively intervene to reduce the impact of IPV on women’s lives must be a public health priority to reduce the shortterm and long-term health effects, including disabilities

Volume 19, Number 1, March 1999 OLAC Newsletter

Digitized March 1999 issue of the OLAC Newsletter

Exploring peer-mentoring for community dwelling older adults with chronic low back pain: a qualitative study

Objectives To explore the perceptions of patients, physiotherapists, and potential peer mentors on the topic of peer-mentoring for self-management of chronic low back pain following discharge from physiotherapy. Design Exploratory, qualitative study. Participants Twelve patients, 11 potential peer mentors and 13 physiotherapists recruited from physiotherapy departments and community locations in one health board area of the UK. Interventions Semi-structured interviews and focus groups. Main outcome measures Participants’ perceptions of the usefulness and appropriateness of peer-mentoring following discharge from physiotherapy. Data were processed and analysed using the framework method. Results Four key themes were identified: (i) self-management strategies, (ii) barriers to self-management and peer-mentoring, (iii) vision of peer-mentoring, and (iv) the voice of experience. Peer-mentoring may be beneficial for some older adults with chronic low back pain. Barriers to peer-mentoring were identified, and many solutions for overcoming them. No single format was identified as superior; participants emphasised the need for any intervention to be flexible and individualised. Important aspects to consider in developing a peer-mentoring intervention are recruitment and training of peer mentors and monitoring the mentor-mentee relationship. Conclusions This study has generated important knowledge that is being used to design and test a peer-mentoring intervention on a group of older people with chronic low back pain and volunteer peer mentors. If successful, peer-mentoring could provide a cost effective method of facilitating longer-term self-management of a significant health condition in older people

Ariel - Volume 12 Number 1

Executive Editors David G. Polin Larry H. Pastor Business Manager Alex Macones Jean Lien Editorial Page Editor Sam Markind Photography Editors Ken Yonemura Lois Leach Sports Editor Todd Hoove

Training peers to support older people with chronic low back pain following physiotherapy discharge: a feasibility study

Objective: To determine the feasibility and acceptability of a training programme for peer volunteers to support older adults with chronic low back pain (CLBP) following discharge from physiotherapy.Design: Feasibility study.Setting: Community-based.Participants17 adults (4 male, 13 female) with CLBP or experience of supporting someone with CLBP enrolled and 12 (2 male, 10 female) completed the volunteer training. Intervention: Volunteers took part in a face-to-face or blended delivery peer support training programme based on the Mental Health Foundation’s “Principles into Practice” and adapted for CLBP by the study team. Main outcome measures. Recruitment/retention rates; demographics; time & resources used to deliver training; training evaluation (questionnaire); knowledge questionnaire, and self-efficacy questionnaire.Results17 participants enrolled on the training programme (11 face-to-face, 6 blended delivery). 12 (71%) completed the training (73% face-to-face, 67% blended delivery). The training was positively evaluated. All but two participants passed the knowledge quiz at the end of the training, and the majority of self-efficacy scores (90%) were high.Conclusions: It is feasible to develop, implement and evaluate a peer support training programme for the facilitation of CLBP self-management in older adults following discharge from physiotherapy. Blended delivery of training may facilitate the recruitment of greater numbers of peer support volunteers in future studies. Supported self-management of CLBP pain is widely recommended but can be difficult to achieve. Peer support might be a promising method of facilitating CLBP self-management without additional burden to health services, and should be further evaluated in a larger study

Volume 20, Number 3, September 2000 OLAC Newsletter

Digitized September 2000 issue of the OLAC Newsletter

Volume 21, Number 1, March 2001 OLAC Newsletter

Digitized March 2001 issue of the OLAC Newsletter

Volume 18, Number 2, June 1998 OLAC Newsletter

Digitized June 1998 issue of the OLAC Newsletter

Volume 18, Number 3, September 1998 OLAC Newsletter

Digitized September 1998 issue of the OLAC Newsletter

Volume 17, Number 2, June 1997 OLAC Newsletter

Digitized June 1997 issue of the OLAC Newsletter