Socioeconomic conditions and number of pain sites in women

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Women in deprived socioeconomic situations run a high pain risk. Although number of pain sites (NPS) is considered highly relevant in pain assessment, little is known regarding the relationship between socioeconomic conditions and NPS.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The study population comprised 653 women; 160 recurrence-free long-term gynecological cancer survivors, and 493 women selected at random from the general population. Demographic characteristics and co-morbidity over the past 12 months were assessed. Socioeconomic conditions were measured by Socioeconomic Condition Index (SCI), comprising education, employment status, income, ability to pay bills, self-perceived health, and satisfaction with number of close friends. Main outcome measure NPS was recorded using a body outline diagram indicating where the respondents had experienced pain during the past week. Chi-square test and forward stepwise logistic regression were applied.</p> <p>Results and Conclusion</p> <p>There were only minor differences in SCI scores between women with 0, 1-2 or 3 NPS. Four or more NPS was associated with younger age, higher BMI and low SCI. After adjustment for age, BMI and co-morbidity, we found a strong association between low SCI scores and four or more NPS, indicating that there is a threshold in the NPS count for when socioeconomic determinants are associated to NPS in women.</p

The association between stress, sense of coherence and subjective health complaints in adolescents: Sense of coherence as a potential moderator

The present study investigated the association between domain-specific stress, sense of coherence (SOC) and subjective health complaints (SHC), as well as the possible moderation effect of SOC on the relationship between stress and SHC. The study is based on responses from 1183 adolescents 13-18 years old. The initial results showed that girls scored higher than boys on all stress domains and on SHC. Conversely, boys reported stronger SOC. Results from the hierarchical multiple regression analysis showed a significant association between increasing stress related to each of the stress domains of peer pressure, home life, school attendance, as well as to a higher level of SHC. SOC was inversely related to SHC. However, no moderation effect of SOC was found. The findings in the present study thus show that stress and SOC are separately associated with SHC. The results support the importance of improving coping efficacy with stress during adolescence. The results also give some preliminary support for the view that promoting salutogenic factors has positive implications in relation to subjective health in adolescents

Participants and developers experiences with a chronic pain self-management intervention under development: A qualitative study

Background: Non-pharmacological interventions aim to promote health and self-management for people with chronic pain. Objective: The aim of this study was to explore if the participants’ experiences with a self-management intervention under development were aligned with the developers’ rationale and desired outcome of the intervention. Methods: This was a qualitative study interviewing both participants and developers of a chronic pain self-management intervention. Seven participants, six females and one male in the age from early thirties to mid-seventies attended the chronic pain self-management intervention developed by the staff at a Healthy Life Centre. The data were analysed by the systematic text condensation method. Results: The analyses showed that the participants evaluated the intervention as valuable. They described using coping techniques to manage their chronic pain better, and the developers stated that the aim with the intervention was to provide the participants with coping techniques. The intervention was built upon the developers’ professional knowledge and experience in cognitive techniques, health theories, models for behavioural change, and service user involvement. Conclusion: This study found that the chronic pain self-management intervention was in concordance with theory of health promotion and empowerment. The participants experienced the intervention as targeting their resources, capacities, and fulfilling social needs, which aligned with the developers aim with the intervention. The participants found the intervention evocative; they learned new ways to manage their pain through theory/education, movement exercises, homework, and sharing their experiences with each other

Participants and developers experiences with a chronic pain self-management intervention under development: A qualitative study

Background: Non-pharmacological interventions aim to promote health and self-management for people with chronic pain. Objective: The aim of this study was to explore if the participants’ experiences with a self-management intervention under development were aligned with the developers’ rationale and desired outcome of the intervention. Methods: This was a qualitative study interviewing both participants and developers of a chronic pain self-management intervention. Seven participants, six females and one male in the age from early thirties to mid-seventies attended the chronic pain self-management intervention developed by the staff at a Healthy Life Centre. The data were analysed by the systematic text condensation method. Results: The analyses showed that the participants evaluated the intervention as valuable. They described using coping techniques to manage their chronic pain better, and the developers stated that the aim with the intervention was to provide the participants with coping techniques. The intervention was built upon the developers’ professional knowledge and experience in cognitive techniques, health theories, models for behavioural change, and service user involvement. Conclusion: This study found that the chronic pain self-management intervention was in concordance with theory of health promotion and empowerment. The participants experienced the intervention as targeting their resources, capacities, and fulfilling social needs, which aligned with the developers aim with the intervention. The participants found the intervention evocative; they learned new ways to manage their pain through theory/education, movement exercises, homework, and sharing their experiences with each other

Exploring experiences of fostering positive work environment in Norwegian nursing homes: A multi method study

Objective: The aim of the study is to explore what characterizes the work culture in Norwegian nursing homes and what promotes the positive aspects in the work culture. Methods: Research design: Multimethod research. Two surveys (N = 105) and interviews with 11 informants at three Norwegian nursing homes were conducted. We included the questionnaires: The Systematizing Person-Group Relations, that seek to explore which aspects dominate the particular work environment identifying challenges, limitations and opportunities and The Sense of Coherence (SoC) that was used as an indicator for overall quality of working life with a salutogenic orientation. The data were analyzed using independent samples student’s t-test and factor analyses, the material from the interviews was systemized and worked through using well known analytical methods. Results: The results showed that the informants feel more meaning, manageability and comprehensibility in their work environment, when they are engaged and focused on goal orientation. In the interviews the informants expressed engagement related to their work environment and to patients and colleagues. They mentioned that being a team and working together was positive for their perception of their work environment. A positive work culture was characterized by solution orientation and the experiences of better opportunity to “attend to the patients in a good way”. Conclusions: It seems like healthcare workers as individuals has both a positive attitude and ways to express this in the work culture, such as humor and positive thinking. But the work culture itself seems to create some negative issues

Life satisfaction in association with self-efficacy and stressor experience in adolescents – self-efficacy as a potential moderator

Aim This paper reports associations among socio‐demographic variables, stressor experience, self‐efficacy and life satisfaction among Norwegian adolescents aged 15–21 years and the potential moderating role of self‐efficacy on the association between stressor experience and life satisfaction. Methods The cross‐sectional school‐based survey study involved 1816 upper‐secondary school students from Mid‐Norway. Data were analysed with independent samples t test, Pearson's product moment correlation and multiple linear regression analysis. Results Bivariate results showed that boys scored higher than girls on life satisfaction and self‐efficacy, whereas girls scored higher than boys on all stressor domains. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that life satisfaction declined weakly with age, whereas stronger family economy and having parents who work full‐time associated with higher life satisfaction. Stress with teacher interaction, peer pressure, home life, school attendance, school–leisure conflict and school performance were all negatively associated with life satisfaction, whereas self‐efficacy associated positively and strongly with life satisfaction. Self‐efficacy moderated the association between both interpersonal and school‐related stressors and life satisfaction. Conclusion The results provide support for the unique role of stressor experience and self‐efficacy in association with adolescents' life satisfaction as well as self‐efficacy as a stress moderator in relation to life satisfaction

Exploring experiences of fostering positive workenvironment in Norwegian nursing homes: A multimethod study

Objective: The aim of the study is to explore what characterizes the work culture in Norwegian nursing homes and what promotes the positive aspects in the work culture. Methods: Research design: Multimethod research. Two surveys (N = 105) and interviews with 11 informants at three Norwegian nursing homes were conducted. We included the questionnaires: The Systematizing Person-Group Relations, that seek to explore which aspects dominate the particular work environment identifying challenges, limitations and opportunities and The Sense of Coherence (SoC) that was used as an indicator for overall quality of working life with a salutogenic orientation. The data were analyzed using independent samples student’s t-test and factor analyses, the material from the interviews was systemized and worked through using well known analytical methods. Results: The results showed that the informants feel more meaning, manageability and comprehensibility in their work environment, when they are engaged and focused on goal orientation. In the interviews the informants expressed engagement related to their work environment and to patients and colleagues. They mentioned that being a team and working together was positive for their perception of their work environment. A positive work culture was characterized by solution orientation and the experiences of better opportunity to “attend to the patients in a good way”. Conclusions: It seems like healthcare workers as individuals has both a positive attitude and ways to express this in the work culture, such as humor and positive thinking. But the work culture itself seems to create some negative issues