N. Jafari-Golestan, M. Hosseini, A. Dalvandi, M. Fallahi-khoshknab, M. Rahgozar, N. Sharifi, S. Sidani
Purpose: PSCA (Perceived Self-Care Ability) is an important factor in the management of chronic diseases. However, there is no clear consensus over the definition of this concept among patients with stroke. The aim of this study was to analyze the concept of PSCA among patients with stroke and provide a clear definition for it. Methods: This concept analysis was conducted using Walker and Avant’s eight-step approach. Relevant articles, theses, and books published in English or Persian between 1987 and 2021 were reviewed. Findings: PSCA is a subjective and dynamic multidimensional concept with self-care agency, self-care ability, self-management, and fluctuating over time. Attributes which is affected by Perceptual and cognitive stability, psychosocial factors, health literacy, and sociocultural and economic contexts. The consequences include effective coping, satisfaction with life, prevention of adverse complications, continuity of care, and reduced healthcare costs. Conclusions: Defining the PSCA in stroke survivors makes them more likely to live a better and more independent life. With an increasing prevalence of chronic diseases worldwide, defining the concept of PSCA in stroke patients is essential to design appropriate interventions aimed to promote patients’ active role in managing chronic diseases. Nurses’ adequate knowledge about PSCA helps them develop more effective nursing interventions, discharge plans, and rehabilitation programs. The results of this concept analysis can be a basis for designing a tool to measure perceived self-care ability of stroke patients in the chronic stage of the disease.
{"title":"Perceived self-care ability among patients with stroke: Concept analysis","authors":"N. Jafari-Golestan, M. Hosseini, A. Dalvandi, M. Fallahi-khoshknab, M. Rahgozar, N. Sharifi, S. Sidani","doi":"10.32920/ihtp.v3i2.1784","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.32920/ihtp.v3i2.1784","url":null,"abstract":"Purpose: PSCA (Perceived Self-Care Ability) is an important factor in the management of chronic diseases. However, there is no clear consensus over the definition of this concept among patients with stroke. The aim of this study was to analyze the concept of PSCA among patients with stroke and provide a clear definition for it. Methods: This concept analysis was conducted using Walker and Avant’s eight-step approach. Relevant articles, theses, and books published in English or Persian between 1987 and 2021 were reviewed. Findings: PSCA is a subjective and dynamic multidimensional concept with self-care agency, self-care ability, self-management, and fluctuating over time. Attributes which is affected by Perceptual and cognitive stability, psychosocial factors, health literacy, and sociocultural and economic contexts. The consequences include effective coping, satisfaction with life, prevention of adverse complications, continuity of care, and reduced healthcare costs. Conclusions: Defining the PSCA in stroke survivors makes them more likely to live a better and more independent life. With an increasing prevalence of chronic diseases worldwide, defining the concept of PSCA in stroke patients is essential to design appropriate interventions aimed to promote patients’ active role in managing chronic diseases. Nurses’ adequate knowledge about PSCA helps them develop more effective nursing interventions, discharge plans, and rehabilitation programs. The results of this concept analysis can be a basis for designing a tool to measure perceived self-care ability of stroke patients in the chronic stage of the disease.","PeriodicalId":231465,"journal":{"name":"International Health Trends and Perspectives","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-07-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"129654431","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sandeep Bhupendra Maharaj, Gerald Hadeed, Darleen Y Franco, Terence A. R. Seemungal, Amrica Ramdass
The Caribbean Region has been one the hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic due to vaccine inequity, human resource constraints, and pre-existing infrastructural constraints, which led to countries taking viral mitigation and prevention measures for instance border lockdown and states of emergency. While at that phase, treating COVID-19 patients has been the number one priority, several other health services have been neglected, threatening public health. During that period there was significant disruption of healthcare delivery to patients with Chronic non-communicable Diseases in the region which deteriorated capacity issues in the health system, for example Human Resource Deficiencies, Financing of the Health Sector, Governance, and a lack of Health Information Systems. This paper provides an overview of how pandemic insurance claims and big data analytics tools can assist in gaining insights into the current state of the population’s health. Big data and analytical approaches provide a variety of solutions, including the detection of current COVID-19 cases and the forecasting of future outbreaks which can aid in obtaining some insight into the present state of the health of the population.
{"title":"Assisting small Caribbean islands in health sector planning post pandemic: A brief discussion","authors":"Sandeep Bhupendra Maharaj, Gerald Hadeed, Darleen Y Franco, Terence A. R. Seemungal, Amrica Ramdass","doi":"10.32920/ihtp.v3i2.1728","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.32920/ihtp.v3i2.1728","url":null,"abstract":"The Caribbean Region has been one the hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic due to vaccine inequity, human resource constraints, and pre-existing infrastructural constraints, which led to countries taking viral mitigation and prevention measures for instance border lockdown and states of emergency. While at that phase, treating COVID-19 patients has been the number one priority, several other health services have been neglected, threatening public health. During that period there was significant disruption of healthcare delivery to patients with Chronic non-communicable Diseases in the region which deteriorated capacity issues in the health system, for example Human Resource Deficiencies, Financing of the Health Sector, Governance, and a lack of Health Information Systems. This paper provides an overview of how pandemic insurance claims and big data analytics tools can assist in gaining insights into the current state of the population’s health. Big data and analytical approaches provide a variety of solutions, including the detection of current COVID-19 cases and the forecasting of future outbreaks which can aid in obtaining some insight into the present state of the health of the population.","PeriodicalId":231465,"journal":{"name":"International Health Trends and Perspectives","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-07-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"114898424","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Background: The nexus between pregnancy and substance use disorders is usually studied from the perspective of the fetus, quantitatively examining the risks associated with in utero substance exposure. There is little regard for the mother and her experience. With an awareness of some of the challenges pregnant women with substance use disorders face, the purpose of this research was to explore how pregnancy and substance use disorders are situated within motherhood and to identify opportunities to shift the understanding of women’s experiences among health care professionals so more supportive care can be offered. Methods: Narrative inquiry was used for this research. The researcher engaged with three pregnant women who self-identified as having a substance use disorder. Formal and informal conversations, field notes, and a research journal were used to collect data. Narratives were co-constructed between the researcher and each woman. Results: The results are presented as excerpts from each woman’s narrative. Narratives extended beyond pregnancy and into a period of conditional motherhood where women were forced to meet state mandated conditions or risk loss of motherhood. Sobriety was fragile and impacted by stressful events such as child apprehension and treatment programs did not meet the needs of mothers. Conclusions: Ongoing, comprehensive services that support pregnant women and are continued into the postpartum period are needed. Peer support models may be an effective means for providing pregnancy specific substance use treatment. Treatment programs must be accessible and meet the distinct needs of women. Extensive breastfeeding support should be considered for women in recovery to promote mother infant attachment.
{"title":"Who cares for the mothers?: A narrative inquiry exploring substance use disorders among pregnant women","authors":"Jodie Bigalky","doi":"10.32920/ihtp.v3i2.1806","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.32920/ihtp.v3i2.1806","url":null,"abstract":"Background: The nexus between pregnancy and substance use disorders is usually studied from the perspective of the fetus, quantitatively examining the risks associated with in utero substance exposure. There is little regard for the mother and her experience. With an awareness of some of the challenges pregnant women with substance use disorders face, the purpose of this research was to explore how pregnancy and substance use disorders are situated within motherhood and to identify opportunities to shift the understanding of women’s experiences among health care professionals so more supportive care can be offered. Methods: Narrative inquiry was used for this research. The researcher engaged with three pregnant women who self-identified as having a substance use disorder. Formal and informal conversations, field notes, and a research journal were used to collect data. Narratives were co-constructed between the researcher and each woman. \u0000Results: The results are presented as excerpts from each woman’s narrative. Narratives extended beyond pregnancy and into a period of conditional motherhood where women were forced to meet state mandated conditions or risk loss of motherhood. Sobriety was fragile and impacted by stressful events such as child apprehension and treatment programs did not meet the needs of mothers. Conclusions: Ongoing, comprehensive services that support pregnant women and are continued into the postpartum period are needed. Peer support models may be an effective means for providing pregnancy specific substance use treatment. Treatment programs must be accessible and meet the distinct needs of women. Extensive breastfeeding support should be considered for women in recovery to promote mother infant attachment.","PeriodicalId":231465,"journal":{"name":"International Health Trends and Perspectives","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-07-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"116703005","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Introduction: Older immigrants face several factors that increase their feeling of loneliness. Identifying determinants of loneliness is essential for designing relevant interventions that address to mitigate loneliness. Objective: This scoping review aimed to generate a list of factors and map those that are associated with older immigrants’ experience of loneliness. Methods: Arksey and O’Malley’s revised framework informed this scoping review. Various databases were searched to locate quantitative studies that were published in English between 2000 and 2023 that examined determinants of loneliness in older immigrants. In total, 23 studies were included. Extracted data (related to study characteristics, and results pertaining to the association of determinants with loneliness) were summarized using the vote counting method. Results: The results indicated that older immigrants experienced high levels of loneliness, which were associated with poor general and mental health. In addition, being married; having adequate income; large social network sizes, and frequent contacts with network members; participation in social activities; and a high sense of belonging to society; reduced older immigrants’ feeling of loneliness. Conclusion: Healthcare and social service providers can work with older immigrants to co-design interventions that target potentially modifiable determinants that address loneliness.
{"title":"Determinants of loneliness in older immigrants: A scoping review","authors":"S. Guruge, S. Sidani","doi":"10.32920/ihtp.v3i2.1731","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.32920/ihtp.v3i2.1731","url":null,"abstract":"Introduction: Older immigrants face several factors that increase their feeling of loneliness. Identifying determinants of loneliness is essential for designing relevant interventions that address to mitigate loneliness. Objective: This scoping review aimed to generate a list of factors and map those that are associated with older immigrants’ experience of loneliness. Methods: Arksey and O’Malley’s revised framework informed this scoping review. Various databases were searched to locate quantitative studies that were published in English between 2000 and 2023 that examined determinants of loneliness in older immigrants. In total, 23 studies were included. Extracted data (related to study characteristics, and results pertaining to the association of determinants with loneliness) were summarized using the vote counting method. Results: The results indicated that older immigrants experienced high levels of loneliness, which were associated with poor general and mental health. In addition, being married; having adequate income; large social network sizes, and frequent contacts with network members; participation in social activities; and a high sense of belonging to society; reduced older immigrants’ feeling of loneliness. Conclusion: Healthcare and social service providers can work with older immigrants to co-design interventions that target potentially modifiable determinants that address loneliness.\u0000 ","PeriodicalId":231465,"journal":{"name":"International Health Trends and Perspectives","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-07-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"131644402","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Satish BP Kumar, H. Vinay, Anvil Preem Rebello, S. Lohita, H. T. Rakshith
The number of people using the internet has skyrocketed during the past two decades, making screen addiction a threat greater than substance addiction. Clinical instances of screen addiction symptoms have emerged in the midst of the rising social media popularity. The existing scales for assessing screen addiction are dated and are lengthy, hence our primary objective was to develop a novel brief self-diagnostic scale that can detect internet addiction disorder. Our secondary objective is to conduct psychometric evaluations of this scale. The scale was administered to a total of 1057 participants (493 males, 564 females) with ages ranging from 14-24 years of age. Face and content validity, reliability, and internal consistency were assessed. Participants did not report any difficulty in understanding the questions. The final version of the scale comprises 10 items. A content validity index of 1, a Pearson correlation value of 0.98, and a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.923 were obtained. Findings suggest the SAIAS-10 is a reliable and valid tool for screening screen addiction and may aid in the clinical evaluation of symptomology and research.
{"title":"Development and validation of the Self-Administered Internet Addiction Scale (SAIAS-10)","authors":"Satish BP Kumar, H. Vinay, Anvil Preem Rebello, S. Lohita, H. T. Rakshith","doi":"10.32920/ihtp.v3i2.1809","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.32920/ihtp.v3i2.1809","url":null,"abstract":"The number of people using the internet has skyrocketed during the past two decades, making screen addiction a threat greater than substance addiction. Clinical instances of screen addiction symptoms have emerged in the midst of the rising social media popularity. The existing scales for assessing screen addiction are dated and are lengthy, hence our primary objective was to develop a novel brief self-diagnostic scale that can detect internet addiction disorder. Our secondary objective is to conduct psychometric evaluations of this scale. The scale was administered to a total of 1057 participants (493 males, 564 females) with ages ranging from 14-24 years of age. Face and content validity, reliability, and internal consistency were assessed. Participants did not report any difficulty in understanding the questions. The final version of the scale comprises 10 items. A content validity index of 1, a Pearson correlation value of 0.98, and a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.923 were obtained. Findings suggest the SAIAS-10 is a reliable and valid tool for screening screen addiction and may aid in the clinical evaluation of symptomology and research.","PeriodicalId":231465,"journal":{"name":"International Health Trends and Perspectives","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-07-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"116782985","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
S. Azam, Mahima Mehrotra, A. Dhawan, Yasmine Shalaby, E. Radwan, Mithila Orin, W. Al-Chetachi, Agafya Krivova, Tasmia Tazrin, H. Badran, Nida Fathima, S. Bhuiyan
Little is known about the impact of "home-based records'' on the health promotion of mothers and children. Considering this, we compiled and analysed existing evidence on the effectiveness of a specific home-based record, the Maternal and Child Health Handbook (MCHHB), in enhancing the health of mothers and their children. A systematic search of PubMed, Google Scholar, Maternity, and Infant Care, CINHAL, and Ovid was conducted. All types of original research articles published in English were considered. A narrative synthesis was used due to the heterogeneity of findings among the included studies. Out of a total of 1351 papers, 45 studies were included. Breastfeeding, immunisation, family planning, antenatal care, maternal nutrition, maternal Tetanus Toxoid (TT) immunisation, vitamin A and iron supplements, smoking and alcohol consumption during pregnancy, healthy and safe delivery, awareness of pregnancy complications, and healthy child development are all areas where MCHHB has been implemented and evaluated. Although one study found no effect, our findings indicate a positive impact. The results emphasised the effectiveness and value of MCHHB in enhancing maternal and infant health. However, given that only a small number of studies were available for each outcome group, we suggest more research be conducted on the MCHHB's positive effects on mothers’ and children’s health.
{"title":"A global perspective of the role of the maternal and child health handbook in health promotion: Narrative synthesis","authors":"S. Azam, Mahima Mehrotra, A. Dhawan, Yasmine Shalaby, E. Radwan, Mithila Orin, W. Al-Chetachi, Agafya Krivova, Tasmia Tazrin, H. Badran, Nida Fathima, S. Bhuiyan","doi":"10.32920/ihtp.v3i2.1640","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.32920/ihtp.v3i2.1640","url":null,"abstract":"Little is known about the impact of \"home-based records'' on the health promotion of mothers and children. Considering this, we compiled and analysed existing evidence on the effectiveness of a specific home-based record, the Maternal and Child Health Handbook (MCHHB), in enhancing the health of mothers and their children. A systematic search of PubMed, Google Scholar, Maternity, and Infant Care, CINHAL, and Ovid was conducted. All types of original research articles published in English were considered. A narrative synthesis was used due to the heterogeneity of findings among the included studies. Out of a total of 1351 papers, 45 studies were included. Breastfeeding, immunisation, family planning, antenatal care, maternal nutrition, maternal Tetanus Toxoid (TT) immunisation, vitamin A and iron supplements, smoking and alcohol consumption during pregnancy, healthy and safe delivery, awareness of pregnancy complications, and healthy child development are all areas where MCHHB has been implemented and evaluated. Although one study found no effect, our findings indicate a positive impact. The results emphasised the effectiveness and value of MCHHB in enhancing maternal and infant health. However, given that only a small number of studies were available for each outcome group, we suggest more research be conducted on the MCHHB's positive effects on mothers’ and children’s health.","PeriodicalId":231465,"journal":{"name":"International Health Trends and Perspectives","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-07-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"121794233","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Guilherme Cezar Kniphoff da Cruz, F. Şekercioğlu, W. Santos
The present study analyzed documents by health departments in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and Brasília, Federal District, Brazil that address strategies for prevention and control of mosquito-borne diseases (MBDs) between 2012 and 2022. Nineteen documents were fully read and analyzed. Results suggest both Toronto and Brasília base their strategies on Integrated Vector Management, performing entomological, environmental, vector and epidemiological surveillance; source reduction; public education and mobilization; and chemical control as an ultimate resource. In addition, results indicate many documents lacked references lists with scientific evidence, although the most recent ones usually follow international protocols and national experiments results. Most do not teach workers on how to verify the effectiveness of the executed measures. Further research investigating people’s perceptions and behaviors towards MBDs can provide a more solid ground for effective health policy development, especially in cases of major public health concern, such as dengue and other neglected tropical diseases epidemics.
{"title":"Prevention and control of mosquito-borne diseases across Toronto and Brasília: A document-based descriptive analysis","authors":"Guilherme Cezar Kniphoff da Cruz, F. Şekercioğlu, W. Santos","doi":"10.32920/ihtp.v3i2.1832","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.32920/ihtp.v3i2.1832","url":null,"abstract":"The present study analyzed documents by health departments in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and Brasília, Federal District, Brazil that address strategies for prevention and control of mosquito-borne diseases (MBDs) between 2012 and 2022. Nineteen documents were fully read and analyzed. Results suggest both Toronto and Brasília base their strategies on Integrated Vector Management, performing entomological, environmental, vector and epidemiological surveillance; source reduction; public education and mobilization; and chemical control as an ultimate resource. In addition, results indicate many documents lacked references lists with scientific evidence, although the most recent ones usually follow international protocols and national experiments results. Most do not teach workers on how to verify the effectiveness of the executed measures. Further research investigating people’s perceptions and behaviors towards MBDs can provide a more solid ground for effective health policy development, especially in cases of major public health concern, such as dengue and other neglected tropical diseases epidemics.","PeriodicalId":231465,"journal":{"name":"International Health Trends and Perspectives","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-07-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"127193916","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Purpose: To identify factors affecting emergency department (ED) use by immigrant and refugee children under the age of 18 years in North America and Europe, where similar primary, secondary, and tertiary healthcare structures exist. Methods: A narrative review methodology was used to complete a search of three databases including CINAHL, MEDLINE, and SCOPUS. Inclusion criteria and exclusion criteria were applied following screening and full-text review, resulting in the 8 articles that were selected for this review. Results: Six central themes were identified for presentation to ED’s including: (1) financial accessibility; (2) health insurance; (3) presence of a primary care provider; (4) language barriers; (5) transportation; and (6) health literacy, with health literacy further being divided into a lack of knowledge and parental perception and understanding of illness. Implications and Conclusion: Factors that influence ED use by pediatric immigrant and refugee patients are multi-factorial and interconnected. Recommendations are made to encourage informed changes based on population healthcare needs, with the overall goal to reduce non-essential ED use and improve patient health outcomes. While this review identifies and evaluates the limited research available in this area, further studies need to be completed before generalizations can be made for all pediatric immigrant and refugee populations.
{"title":"Factors affecting emergency department use among pediatric immigrants and refugees: A qualitative narrative review","authors":"Indeep Thandi, B. Salami, T. Ladha","doi":"10.32920/ihtp.v3i2.1744","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.32920/ihtp.v3i2.1744","url":null,"abstract":"Purpose: To identify factors affecting emergency department (ED) use by immigrant and refugee children under the age of 18 years in North America and Europe, where similar primary, secondary, and tertiary healthcare structures exist. Methods: A narrative review methodology was used to complete a search of three databases including CINAHL, MEDLINE, and SCOPUS. Inclusion criteria and exclusion criteria were applied following screening and full-text review, resulting in the 8 articles that were selected for this review. Results: Six central themes were identified for presentation to ED’s including: (1) financial accessibility; (2) health insurance; (3) presence of a primary care provider; (4) language barriers; (5) transportation; and (6) health literacy, with health literacy further being divided into a lack of knowledge and parental perception and understanding of illness. Implications and Conclusion: Factors that influence ED use by pediatric immigrant and refugee patients are multi-factorial and interconnected. Recommendations are made to encourage informed changes based on population healthcare needs, with the overall goal to reduce non-essential ED use and improve patient health outcomes. While this review identifies and evaluates the limited research available in this area, further studies need to be completed before generalizations can be made for all pediatric immigrant and refugee populations.","PeriodicalId":231465,"journal":{"name":"International Health Trends and Perspectives","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-07-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"122585332","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Background: Despite emerging knowledge on the pandemic’s impact, first-hand experiences of post-secondary students are not well understood. Focus groups were conducted with students to elicit their perspectives on the changes in their life routines, learning and coping. Methods: Five focus groups were conducted with 37 undergraduate students enrolled in a Canadian university. The transcribed discussions were thematically analyzed using the constant comparison technique. Results: While overall pandemic experience was mostly negative, five dominant themes emerged. Students experienced Disrupted Routines and discussed wellness and health changes (physical activity, sleep, diet) and its negative impact on their online learning due to lose of differentiation of time and space. They discussed Online Learning as having both pros (e.g., save commute time/cost, balance employment-study) and cons (e.g., technical issues, lack of interactive-learning, home distractions, screen-time increase, concentration/ motivation difficulties). Students used various strategies to overcome challenges (e.g., better technology, efficient schedules, Zoom libraries, WhatsApp groups). In terms of Mental Stress and Coping, they experienced emotional turmoil whereby feelings ranged from worries, uncertainties, fears, hopelessness, loss of motivation, anxiety, low mood, and helplessness along with caregiving-burden in some instances. The discussion on coping centred on positive (e.g., exercise, prayers, limiting social-media use, fun-activities) and some negative (e.g., more alcohol, smoking, online shopping) behaviors. The Social Connectedness theme revealed feelings of social isolation with a concurrent increase in use of social media and family-bonding opportunities. A few changes in everyday conversations were discussed: more empathy in small talks for some but lose-of-comfort in communicating with unfamiliar people for others. Student discussion on Institutional Response focused on financial supports, mental health resources, and online learning supports. Conclusion: Post-secondary students faced many stressors during the pandemic and used multiple ways to cope. The gained insights should inform development of programs at academic institutions and government support initiatives.
{"title":"Experiences of post-secondary students during COVID-19 pandemic: A focus group study","authors":"F. Ahmad, Marlucia Aires","doi":"10.32920/ihtp.v3i2.1734","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.32920/ihtp.v3i2.1734","url":null,"abstract":"Background: Despite emerging knowledge on the pandemic’s impact, first-hand experiences of post-secondary students are not well understood. Focus groups were conducted with students to elicit their perspectives on the changes in their life routines, learning and coping. Methods: Five focus groups were conducted with 37 undergraduate students enrolled in a Canadian university. The transcribed discussions were thematically analyzed using the constant comparison technique. Results: While overall pandemic experience was mostly negative, five dominant themes emerged. Students experienced Disrupted Routines and discussed wellness and health changes (physical activity, sleep, diet) and its negative impact on their online learning due to lose of differentiation of time and space. They discussed Online Learning as having both pros (e.g., save commute time/cost, balance employment-study) and cons (e.g., technical issues, lack of interactive-learning, home distractions, screen-time increase, concentration/ motivation difficulties). Students used various strategies to overcome challenges (e.g., better technology, efficient schedules, Zoom libraries, WhatsApp groups). In terms of Mental Stress and Coping, they experienced emotional turmoil whereby feelings ranged from worries, uncertainties, fears, hopelessness, loss of motivation, anxiety, low mood, and helplessness along with caregiving-burden in some instances. The discussion on coping centred on positive (e.g., exercise, prayers, limiting social-media use, fun-activities) and some negative (e.g., more alcohol, smoking, online shopping) behaviors. The Social Connectedness theme revealed feelings of social isolation with a concurrent increase in use of social media and family-bonding opportunities. A few changes in everyday conversations were discussed: more empathy in small talks for some but lose-of-comfort in communicating with unfamiliar people for others. Student discussion on Institutional Response focused on financial supports, mental health resources, and online learning supports. Conclusion: Post-secondary students faced many stressors during the pandemic and used multiple ways to cope. The gained insights should inform development of programs at academic institutions and government support initiatives.","PeriodicalId":231465,"journal":{"name":"International Health Trends and Perspectives","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-07-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"123475667","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jasna K. Schwind, H. Beanlands, A. Wang, Sophia Aksenchuk
Increasingly, research reveals that higher education students identify perceived stress and anxiety as negatively impacting their personal wellbeing, academic success, and future professional lives. Introduction of mindful practices into higher education settings has been shown to mitigate such stressors, and when practiced regularly, can enhance students’ sense of peace and calm. However, little is known about how students experience the introduction of faculty-led mindful practices in the classroom. As part of a larger mixed-methods study, university students were introduced to mindful activities by faculty, who incorporated these activities in their classrooms. Students were then invited to complete an online survey about their experiences. Student responses (n=45) reflected an overall positive experience of engaging in mindful practices in the classroom. Specifically, students identified benefits to self-care, sense of personal wellbeing, as well as reduction in perceived stress and anxiety. They also felt mindfulness increased their self-awareness and reflexivity and was transferable to personal and professional life-contexts. Students’ written comments about faculty-led mindful practices highlighted perceived benefits, such as improving focus and ability to absorb information, as well as challenges resulting from disruptive behaviours by classmates. Qualitative data collected from faculty suggest reduced student anxiety and increased self-care, as well as enhanced quality of faculty-student relationships and faculty teaching practices. Given the potential benefits of mindful practices for students, faculty may wish to explore strategies for introducing mindful activities into their classrooms in ways that support students who wish to participate, while allowing others to opt out in a respectful, non-disruptive manner.
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