Social Work in Public Health最新文献

Engaging men as advocates and change agents is a critical mechanism to challenge and reform the social and political factors that impact women's sexual and reproductive health. While there is a growing body of evidence that well-designed interventions can increase males' gender-equitable attitudes and behaviors regarding sexual and reproductive health, most studies focus on men as partners. This paper describes the development and implementation of Men in the Movement, an intervention that provides a safe space for young men of color in Baton Rouge and New Orleans, Louisiana, to consider a gender-equitable future of manhood, discuss issues that are important to them, and to empower them to become advocates and leaders in their communities. This program trained two male youth education interns to facilitate discussions with about 100 young men of color about sexual health, healthy relationships, social justice, advocacy, and leadership.

The Dobbs decision adversely impacts maternal health, with generational impacts on healthcare access and quality. Analyzing existing data, this article examines the overturning of Roe v Wade, specifically exploring the effect on health disparities, particularly for low-income Black women. This article will discuss reproductive health and decision-making through the lens of the Health Belief Model. Utilizing this model, a strength-based, empowerment approach is recommended as an alternative response to restrictive and harmful maternal health policy. Recommendations are provided to help mitigate the detrimental impacts of the Dobbs decision. The implications for social work practice, policy, and research are discussed.

Social workers provide services to populations considered vulnerable, marginalized, or in need. Despite the action-based profession's best efforts, opportunities for reproductive education remain limited in social work classrooms and continuing education. The historical overturn of Roe v. Wade, paired with an overwhelming prevalence of reproductive challenge conditions like family planning, infertility, child loss, reproductive law, and medical/mental health diagnoses within American society, solidifies the need for professional awareness and expertise within social work. A social issue directly referenced within the Social Work Grand Challenges, these topics encompass many aspects of healthcare; however, standardized education has yet to be developed. This written work will explore social constructivism and current perceptions that influence education and ethics. Literature involving reproductive health, social work instruction, and reproductive challenge issues will be reviewed to identify relevant gaps and education-focused areas of improvement. The Reproductive Justice Framework will be highlighted as the ideal option for standardized efforts in social work. Overall, the work proposes recommendations to improve education and practice engagement within the profession.

Maternal health is a very serious issue that has grown unabated over time. This public health issue has grown more rapidly among underserved women in minority communities than the general population. However, it must be noted that this public health issue exists in all communities regardless of socioeconomic status. The significant difference among socioeconomic groups is the degree of healthcare access or lack of healthcare access at all. The United States Supreme Court's action overturning Roe v. Wade levied a major assault on the health of all women in this country particularly maternal health. Therefore, the primary focus of this research paper is the role of nutrition as an intervention strategy to improve women's health in general and maternal health in particular. The purpose of the multi-variate and multi-comparison design of this study was to investigate specific nutritional deficiencies that adversely impact maternal health.

Today, COVID-19 has become a global pandemic. Prevention has been described as the best way to break the transmission chain. The present study aimed to determine the predictors of protective behaviors against COVID-19 based on the protection motivation theory. The participants in the present cross-sectional study were 662 Sabzevar city (Iran) residents. Data was collected through a virtual questionnaire distributed through virtual media in non-probable methods (non-probability and snowball). The questionnaire used in this study was researcher-made that covered demographic questions and protection motivation theory variables. The validity and reliability of the questionnaire were assessed. Independent t-test, analysis of variance, Pearson, and linear regression were used for data analysis by SPSS23. In this study, the mean age of the participants was 40 years, 59% men and 76% married. The results showed that response efficacy, perceived rewards, and self-efficacy variables predicted at least 25% of protection motivation variability. Among these variables, self-efficiency had a more critical role than other variables (Standardized β = 0.276). Based on the findings of this study, protection motivation theory has an essential role in predicting the factors affecting the motivation to protect from Covid-19. Therefore, it is suggested that this theory be applied in educational planning to prevent Covid-19 and transmission chain disruption.

State-level abortion bans enacted after Dobbs v. Jackson may have a deleterious impact on the health of women and may increase maternal morbidity and mortality. In obstetrics-gynecology, strong patient-physician relationships, which are built via patient-centered care strategies, are associated with better pregnancy-related outcomes. Abortion bans may limit physicians' ability to utilize these strategies by restricting care that can legally be provided. Further, all members of the care team, including social workers, may face legal and professional consequences for engaging in options counseling, altering how providers engage with patients. This study assessed OB-GYNs' perceptions of how patient relationships have been impacted by Dobbs, using semi-structured interviews with 54 OB-GYNs from 13 US abortion-restrictive states. Four themes emerged: mistrust and fear of legal consequences; governmental intrusion into the patient-physician relationship; patients assigning blame; and strategies for strengthening relationships post-Dobbs. These findings indicate that abortion bans may have a substantial impact on patient-physician relationships. Knowledge of this dynamic provides context for social workers related to identifying gaps in patients' education about care options and intervention targets.

Despite widely accepted clinical care guidelines, uninsured pregnant migrants in Canada face health inequalities and there are ethical implications of denying them publicly-funded care. Uninsured migrants face multiple barriers (financial, systemic, and cultural) to their perinatal care access, which can negatively impact their health and psychosocial outcomes, as well as those of their families. Drawing on interviews with 10 uninsured migrant women in Montreal, Canada, we explore the factors that enabled their access to perinatal care. Our findings underline the importance of health professionals' ability to exercise discretion to volunteer their time, reduce their fees, or "go the extra mile" to ensure care. On the part of the pregnant migrants themselves, individual factors such as resourcefulness, patient proficiency, and social location may enable their care access. This individualization of the access to care is both ethically and politically problematic, and we discuss the role of social workers in addressing the needs of this population.

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the complex interplay between family economic well-being and psychological health, a critical area at the intersection of social work and public health. This study investigates the relationships between family economic well-being, psychological symptoms, family emotional well-being, and family interaction among university students who experienced the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns with their families. Drawing on Family Resilience Theory, we hypothesized that family economic well-being would negatively predict psychological symptoms, and that this relationship would be mediated by family emotional well-being and family interaction. Data were collected from 587 university students using the Beach Center Family Quality of Life Scale (25 items) and the Brief Symptom Inventory (53 items). Structural equation modeling revealed that family economic well-being negatively predicted psychological symptoms. However, mediation analysis uncovered an inconsistent mediation effect: while the direct effect of economic well-being on psychological symptoms was positive, the indirect effect through family emotional well-being and family interaction was negative and stronger. These findings inform social work practice and public health interventions by illuminating the complex dynamics between economic factors and family resilience during crises. They underscore the need for integrated approaches in addressing both economic and psychosocial aspects of family well-being in community health initiatives and social work interventions.

Social workers have been an integral part of pandemic squads in combating the crisis created by Covid-19. They have been working at the ground level along with healthcare workers and security forces to contain the virus and reach the needy. While doing so, the social workers have faced various challenges everywhere with Kashmir being no exception. The study is based in Kashmir province of the Jammu and Kashmir union territory of India. It was conducted with 17 participant professional social workers working in different governmental and non-governmental organizations working in Kashmir (India). A qualitative research approach was used to study the challenges faced by social workers during COVID-19 pandemic in Kashmir. Thematic analysis was used to arrive at the findings. Themes emerged from the study include increased workload and complexity of cases, physical health issues and Covid risk, mental health issues and burnout, familial responsibilities, redispositioning and change in job profiles, ethical challenges, hurdles in going digital and need for staff with expertise in mental health. The themes delineate the experiences of the professional social workers during COVID-19 pandemic in Kashmir.

Food insecurity has increased among households with children in urban settings in the United States. Up-to-date information on the major challenges and facilitators to reducing food insecurity is needed. This qualitative study provides cross-agency perspectives on the major barriers and facilitators to food security. In-depth interviews were conducted with n = 6 service staff and volunteers recruited from community food assistance agencies in one urban neighborhood to examine major challenges, facilitators, and promising approaches to reduce food insecurity. Data was analyzed using MAXQDA using systematic content analysis. Poverty and system fragmentation at organizational and community/family levels were identified as root causes of food insecurity. Providers shared existing and recommended change efforts, including collaboration between community organizations and practices to increase community buy-in. Findings outline critical advancements in future food insecurity research with attention to community strengths and facilitating factors to buffer the effects of major challenges on organizations, communities, and families.