Does cancer affect the divorce rate?

Discrete-time hazard regression models were employed to register and census data on 1.4 million Norwegian married couples from 1974-2001 to explore the probability of divorce following cancer illness. Divorce rates for around 215 000 persons diagnosed with cancer were compared to divorce rates for persons for whom all the other observed variables were the same. No overall harmful influence of a cancer diagnosis was observed. Most cancer forms resulted in small, immediate declines in divorce rates the first years following diagnosis. Exceptions were significant increases in the divorce rates for persons diagnosed with cervical and testicular cancer.cancer, cervical cancer, divorce, illness, marital stability, Norway, testicular cancer

Do spouses coordinate their work exits? A combined survey and register analysis From Norway

Research on spouses’ joint work exits is scarce, although household factors such as spouses’ work status, marital quality, and caregiving burdens are likely to affect seniors’ work engagement. We therefore examine whether the work exit probability of one spouse affects that of the other. Discretetime hazard regression analyses of survey data linked to later registry information including all gainfully employed married respondents aged 50–74 with a working spouse (N ¼ 1,764) were used to assess subsequent work exits. A spouse’s work exit is a strong predictor of a respondent’s work exit (hazard ratio 3.1, 95% confidence interval [2.5, 4.0]). Educational attainment, poor marital quality, and spouses’ health and care needs do not predict work exits. Surprisingly, no gender differences are observed. Research on larger survey samples to distinguish different work exit routes and reasons for spouses

Keeping tradition alive: just war and historical imagination

The just war tradition is one of the key constituencies of international political theory, and its vocabulary plays a prominent role in how political and military leaders frame contemporary conflicts. Yet, it stands in danger of turning in on itself and becoming irrelevant. This article argues that scholars who wish to preserve the vitality of this tradition must think in a more open-textured fashion about its historiography. One way to achieve this is to problematize the boundaries of the tradition. This article pursues this objective by treating one figure that stands in a liminal relation to the just war tradition. Despite having a lot to say about the ethics of war, Xenophon is seldom acknowledged as a bona fide just war thinker. The analysis presented here suggests, however, that his writings have much to tell us, not only about how he and his contemporaries thought about the ethics of war, but about how just war thinking is understood (and delimited) today and how it might be revived as a pluralistic critical enterprise

Experiences of stigma amongst HIV-positive people encountering the healthcare system in Scandinavia: a systematic review.

Abstract Objective: This systematic review aims to investigate the experiences of HIV-related stigma among people living with HIV in Scandinavia Introduction: Stigma has existed for centuries, with some groups of people being more prone to stigma than others, one example being people living with HIV. HIV-related stigma has existed from the beginning of the epidemic, 1980's, and may still be experienced after almost 40 years. HIV-related stigma may cause both physical and psychological illnesses and is seen as a barrier to treatment and medication adherence, as well as being an obstacle in the fight against HIV. The treatment and attitudes have changed since the 1980s, thus it is expected that people living with HIV should be treated as any other patients. This review attempts to explore the experiences of people living with HIV in relation to stigma and the health care system in modern times. Inclusion criteria: This systematic review included studies dated between 2011 and 2021 that are conducted in the Scandinavian countries. Participants were living with HIV, and with focus on their experiences of stigma in relation to their diagnosis. If not solely focusing on the healthcare system, the included studies had to include experiences from the healthcare system. The studies had to be written in English or any of the Scandinavian languages (Swedish, Danish, and Norwegian. Methods: The databases used to obtain relevant studies were Cinahl, Medline, PsychInfo, and Norart. Pubmed, google scholar and grey literature were used for supporting and background information. Articles included is written in English or any of the Scandinavian languages (Swedish, Danish, and Norwegian). Four studies were included in the review, three from Sweden, and one from Norway – all written in English. Last search was conducted in 10th of January 2022. When writing this review and conducting the search and critical appraisal JBI approach for systematic review were used, as well as the CASP-checklist and Finding What Works in Health Care: Standards for Systematic Reviews description on synthesizing body of evidence. This review explored only qualitative studies with in-depth interviews. One study was excluded due to methodological approach being quantitative, the other studies excluded were due to lack of information concerning stigma in the healthcare system. Results: The studies reviewed did not primarily focus on experiences of stigma within the health care system/setting, however, they all reported to some extent situations and experiences of HIV-related stigma in their study. All the participants were living with HIV in Sweden or in Norway and were both male and female. The review extracted 21 findings regarding experiences of HIV-related stigma in healthcare system. These was subcategorized into two sub-categories: Experiences with health care providers and treatment. Conclusions: Across the reviewed studies, participants reported being fairly satisfied to satisfied with their experience in the healthcare system, however HIV-related stigma in the healthcare system in Scandinavia is still experienced. Experiences of HIV-related stigma has become evident in this review, and current literature support the evidence found. Further research on HIV-related stigma in the health care in Norway, as well as further research on healthcare providers knowledge on HIV so as to determine where the knowledge gap lies

A Quality Improvement Project Implementing a Depression Screening Protocol for Post-Myocardial Patients in the Cardiology Clinic

Problem Statement: Depression post-myocardial infarction (MI) is a risk factor for worse cardiac outcomes and all-cause mortality (Gan et al., 2014; Lane et al., 2002; Lichtman et al., 2008; Lichtman et al., 2014; May et al., 2017; Wu & Kling, 2016). Purpose: The purpose of the quality improvement (QI) project was to determine if implementing a depression screening protocol in cardiology clinics would increase depression screening in patients who have had an MI in the last year. Methods: A QI project utilizing a quasi-experimental, two-group design was used to compare rates of depression screening in post-MI patients before and after implementing a depression screening protocol. A convenience sample was selected from two cardiology clinics – one metropolitan hospital- affiliated and the other suburban. The pre-screening group included 116 post-MI patients, 75 of whom met inclusion criteria for screening, seen in February and March 2017. The post-screening group included 85 post-MI patients, 65 of whom met inclusion criteria for screening, seen in October and November 2017. Depression screening was done using the patient health questionnaire two-item (PHQ-2) screening tool, and if either question was answered positively, then the nine-item (PHQ-9) questionnaire was used. Results: With the implementation of the depression screening protocol there was an increase in depression screening for those who met criteria for screening from 0 (0%) out of the 75 candidates in the pre-implementation group to 23 (35%) out of the 65 candidates in the post-implementation group. Of the 23 who were screened in the cardiology clinic, 11 (48%) went on to complete the PHQ-9 with eight of them having scores that indicated moderate to major symptoms of depression. Conclusion: Implementing a depression screening protocol in the cardiology clinic did increase depression screening in post-MI patients

Do older parents' assistance needs deter parent-child geographic divergence in Norway?

The role of intergenerational geographic proximity in individuals' migration decisions has been well-established. The circumstances under which parents and their adult children move away from or remain close to each other are, however, less clear. Drawing on Norwegian register data for 2014-2016 and three-level logistic regression models, we examine whether formal care needs of older parents (aged ≥65) deter parent-child geographic divergence and whether variation in the likelihood of divergence is associated with municipal-level characteristics. After accounting for location-specific capital and parents' and children's sociodemographic characteristics, parents and children were less likely to diverge after the onset of parental care needs. Utilising in-home nursing decreased the likelihood of divergence for mothers while utilising institutionalised care decreased the likelihood of divergence for fathers. The use of in-home nursing care among single mothers further reduced the likelihood of divergence. Parents and adult children living in central areas were the least likely to diverge geographically. The likelihood of intergenerational divergence was lower for fathers and children living in municipalities with high healthcare spending.publishedVersio

Robotic Virtue, Military Ethics Education, and the Need for Proper Storytellers

The introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) challenges much of our traditional understanding of military ethics. What virtues and what sort of ethics education are needed as we move into an ever more AI-driven military reality? In this article we suggest and discuss key virtues that are needed, including the virtue of prudence and the accompanying virtue of good and proper storytelling. We also reflect on the ideal of “explainable AI,” and philosophize about the role of fear in helping us understand what is actually at stake in a military infused with AI-enabled and AI-driven weapons

A Cross-Cultural Perspective on Challenges Facing Comparative Cancer Survivorship Research

Cancer survivorship research includes the study of physical, psychosocial, and economic consequences of cancer diagnosis and treatment among pediatric and adult cancer survivors. Historically, the majority of cancer survivorship studies were from the United States, but survivorship issues are increasingly being addressed in other developed countries. Cross-cultural studies remain, however, scarce. The degree to which knowledge attained may or may not be transferred across cultures, countries, or regions is not known. Some important challenges for comparative research are therefore discussed in a cross-cultural perspective. Several substantive and methodological challenges that complicate the execution of cross-cultural cancer survivorship research are presented with examples and discussed to facilitate comparative research efforts in the establishment of new survivorship cohorts and in the planning and implementation of survivorship studies. Comparative research is one key to understanding the nature of cancer survivorship, distinguishing modifiable from nonmodifiable factors at individual, hospital, societal, and system levels and may thus guide appropriate interventions. Lastly, suggested future courses of action within the field of comparative cancer survivorship research are provided

Partners in Peace: A Sketch for a Link between the Nobel Peace Prize and NCHC

In a plenary address at the 2023 NCHC annual conference in Chicago, the former Vice Chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee issued a challenge for honors students and educators to use their voices and positions of local leadership to promote peace. The call for peace advocacy extended in Chicago resonated with the large audience, as leadership development represents a high-impact practice that many honors programs embrace. As national and international conflicts produce increasing polarization and divisiveness that seep into our campuses and local communities, the urgency for honors students to hone critical thinking and practical skills needed for citizen leadership and peacemaking magnify. Nobel Peace Prize laureates are diverse and interdisciplinary exemplars that honors educators can utilize as they seek to inspire and instruct students who strive to fulfill the Chicago challenge. Drawing content from the history and laureates of the Nobel Peace Prize, we provide two tested educational modules designed to illuminate a wide lexicon of strategies and practices that leaders employ in their pursuit of peace. We share best practices gleaned from eight years of honors curricular and co-curricular program development, enriched by consultation with leaders from the Norwegian Nobel Institute, the Norwegian Nobel Committee, and the Nobel Peace Center. A link of mutual value exists between NCHC member institutions and the legacy of Alfred Nobel, which we call Partners in Peace. The models offer easy adoption logistics for NCHC institutions of any composition. We conclude with future possibilities, a few poised for adoption by NCHC’s International Education Committee