Qualitative Exploration of Illness Perceptions of Rheumatoid Arthritis in the General Public

Treating patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) within three months of symptom onset 2 leads to significantly improved outcomes. However, many people delay seeking medical 3 attention. In order to understand the reasons for this delay, it is important to have a thorough 4 understanding of public perceptions about RA. The current study investigated these perceptions 5 used the Self-Regulation Model (SRM) as a framework to explain how health behavior is 6 influenced by illness perceptions (prototypes) through qualitative interviews with 15 members of 7 the public without RA. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed and analyzed using 8 framework analysis based on SRM illness perceptions. 9 Both accurate and inaccurate perceptions about the identity, causes, consequences, 10 controllability and timeline of RA were identified. This highlights opportunities to enhance public 11 knowledge about RA. These findings further support the utility of exploring prototypical beliefs of 12 illness, suggesting their potential role in influencing help-seeking behaviors and identifying 13 probable drivers/barriers to early presentation

Health-Promoting Lifestyles of English-Speaking and Spanish-Speaking Mexican-American Migrant Farm Workers

This study was conducted with 62 Mexican-American migrant farm workers at four different sites in northern Illinois. An established English and a newly developed pilot Spanish version of the health-promoting lifestyle profile was used. The concept of health-promoting lifestyle appeared to be culturally relevant to study participants. English-speaking migrant workers scored significantly lower than Spanish-speaking workers on the dimensions of self-actualization, exercise, and stress management. Patterns of scores among both groups were highest in self-actualization and interpersonal support, and lowest in health responsibility and exercise. Further research in health-promoting behaviors with all cultural groups and socioeconomic levels of society will contribute to achievement of the World Health Organization's goal, health for all by the year 2000.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/75750/1/j.1525-1446.1990.tb00616.x.pd

Empirical Legal Studies Before 1940: A Bibliographic Essay

The modern empirical legal studies movement has well-known antecedents in the law and society and law and economics traditions of the latter half of the 20th century. Less well known is the body of empirical research on legal phenomena from the period prior to World War II. This paper is an extensive bibliographic essay that surveys the English language empirical legal research from approximately 1940 and earlier. The essay is arranged around the themes in the research: criminal justice, civil justice (general studies of civil litigation, auto accident litigation and compensation, divorce, small claims, jurisdiction and procedure, civil juries), debt and bankruptcy, banking, appellate courts, legal needs, legal profession (including legal education), and judicial staffing and selection. Accompanying the essay is an extensive bibliography of research articles, books, and reports

Mexican-American, Black-American and White-American differences in reporting illnesses, disability and physician visits for illnesses

This paper presents data on the reporting of illnesses, disability due to illnesses and the decision to seek medical attention for illnesses among a representative sample of Mexican-Americans, Black-Americans and White-Americans in Los Angeles. Few differences were observed among these groups with respect to the reporting of illnesses, disability due to illnesses or in the frequency with which illnesses were brought to medical attention. Hierarchical stepwise multiple regressions were run for each of these variables within each of these subgroups. Some differences were found among these groups in the variables that predicted illness reporting, disability and the use of physician services for illnesses. These differences indicate that ethnicity affects health behaviour through its interaction with other variables. Speculations are offered regarding the meaning and historical sources of the differences observed.