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Biomedical subjects

E Holroyd

Publications and source records attributed to E Holroyd.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2002

Women's knowledge about cervical cancer and cervical screening practice: a pilot study of Hong Kong Chinese women.

Cervical cancer is the seventh leading cause of death and the fourth most common type of cancer among Hong Kong Chinese women. Despite the provision of cervical screening programs, women's attendance for screening remains low at 59%. Evidence suggests that women's knowledge about cervical cancer and preventive strategies are significant to their screening practice. A preliminary pilot study consisting of a two-phase descriptive design using quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection was undertaken to investigate the level of knowledge about cervical cancer and cervical screening among a population of Hong Kong Chinese women. From a total sample of 467 women, 242 (52%) responded to a confidential questionnaire, 18 of whom, aged between 30 and 54 years, volunteered to participate in a semistructured interview. A total of 135 (57%) women had attended screening, with those who were married with children significantly more likely to attend. Although no significant difference was found between the overall level of knowledge of attenders and nonattenders, individual items such as women's knowledge of risk factors were significant. The need for further knowledge about the preventive nature of cervical screening and regular screening was demonstrated. Other factors influencing Chinese women's attendance patterns included advice from practitioners and the significance of children to women's propensity for self-care. The implications of these findings to women's attendance patterns for screening are considered, particularly the need for culturally sensitive health promotion and intervention strategies.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Hong Kong Chinese daughters' intergenerational caregiving obligations: a cultural model approach.

This paper, based on a study carried out in Hong Kong, outlines the caregiving obligations of Hong Kong Chinese daughters towards their frail elderly parents. A cultural model approach drawn from cognitive anthropology is taken to focus on how Chinese caregiving daughters develop a sense of what is right and emotionally fulfilling and acquire the motivation to care for their parents. An ethnographic approach was used in the study and techniques included guided and open-ended interviews and non-participatory observations. A total of 20 co-residential caregiving daughters were interviewed in their homes on average twice over the course of one year. All interviews were conducted in Cantonese. Although the sample was small, daughters' accounts are structured by reference to cultural models and this structure provides the common basis for generalisability of results. Concepts of Confucian antecedents, reciprocity and personhood and other modern ideas of filial duty are explored. Conclusions are drawn about the shifting rights and obligations of Chinese caregiving daughters within the contemporary urban realities of Hong Kong. The findings of this study have relevance for the development of welfare policy for older Chinese persons and the chronically ill, and to all services involving women. The findings will also serve to inform family caregiver education programs.

Aged↗
PubMed2001

Evaluating psychosocial nursing interventions for cardiac clients and their caregivers: a case study of the community rehabilitation network in Hong Kong.

AIM OF THE STUDY: The purpose of this exploratory study was to describe the type and nature of psychosocial nursing interventions provided for cardiac clients in Hong Kong's Community Rehabilitation Centres (CRNs). DESIGN/METHODS: Using a two-phase case study design data were collected from nurses, cardiac clients and their caregivers. The initial phase focused on identifying the types of psychosocial interventions provided. These data were obtained by observing nursing activities and the keeping of daily journals by the nurses. The second phase acquired data from structured telephone interviews, that reviewed clients' perceptions of the psychosocial interventions provided by the nurses and face-to-face interviews with clients and their caregivers. FINDINGS: These findings revealed that the nurses' interpersonal skills of information giving, social support and counselling were highly valued by cardiac clients and their caregivers. Both clients and caregivers outlined a concern about the lack of individual care and this was reflected in the focus of the CRN on group processes. CONCLUSION: Recommendations for psychosocial cardiac care are made for public health nurses and nurses working in community settings.

Aged↗
PubMed2001

Exploring factors influencing Chinese women's decision to have elective caesarean surgery.

OBJECTIVES: to identify the factors that influence Hong Kong Chinese women's decision to have an elective caesarean section. To explore Chinese women's perceptions of their autonomous involvement in childbirth decision-making. DESIGN: a qualitative exploratory design. SETTING: a postnatal ward of a private hospital in Hong Kong. PARTICIPANTS: a purposive sample of six postnatal women who had undergone an elective caesarean section. FINDINGS: four thematic categories were identified including: avoiding fetal and maternal risks, exercising autonomy to make an independent choice, Chinese belief systems, and rejoicing and regretting. KEY CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: we propose the provision of a 'named' midwife and continuity of care. Improving the availability of information on caesarean sections, accommodating a Chinese belief system in the planning of midwifery services at the international level and establishing post caesarean section peer support groups are recommended.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Chinese women's experiences and images of the Pap smear examination.

Cervical cancer remains a significant cause of mortality and morbidity in Chinese women, despite the efficacy of the screening procedure for the disease. This article focuses on specific gender and culturally related experiences of Chinese women presenting for Papancolaou (Pap) tests. The first phase of a descriptive exploratory study involved the administration of a questionnaire to a total population of female Hong Kong Chinese clerical and technical staff working in academic departments of a tertiary institution. The second phase consisted of in-depth semistructured interviews with a purposive sample of women to explore experiences of Pap smear screening. Of these women, 68.2% associated pain with a Pap smear. In addition, 78.6% of the women associated a Pap smear with embarrassment. Older women were more likely to experience pain and embarrassment during the procedure. In the qualitative data, women's personal images and experiences reflected four subthemes including pain, sexual connotations of the procedure, vulnerability, and diminished embarrassment after childbirth. The second substantive theme, characteristics of the practitioner, highlighted the importance of procedural, interpersonal, and culturally sensitive skills, particularly in respect to information-giving and interaction with women. The conclusion outlines the nursing implications for Chinese women presenting for Pap smears in terms of cultural sensitivity as a means of enhancing attendance patterns.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Hong Kong Chinese perceptions of the experience of unrelated bone marrow donation.

This paper presents a qualitative perspective of the Chinese experience of unrelated bone marrow donation. A total population of 37 Chinese men and women, residing in Hong Kong who had donated bone marrow to an unrelated recipient were interviewed and asked their retrospective perceptions and experiences during the process of unrelated bone marrow donation. The majority was female (60%) and single (59.3%). The median age was 30.9 years. The main themes drawn from thematic content analysis included: association with bad and good fortune, religious concerns associated with complete bodies, barriers posed by the extended family, fulfilling personal identities linked to perceptions of altruism, reciprocity and generosity and the differences between the expectations and reality of the experience of bone marrow donation. These accounts indicate how, for Chinese populations, the act of body fluid donation cannot be isolated from the experiences of life-long immersion in the dominant social and cultural processes of the time. In addition, Confucian notions of the body, the power of body fluids to pollute, the importance of blood and bones as sources of vital energy and the process of bodily transference into the after life are highlighted. Furthermore, what is also identifiably Chinese is that donation is more of a self-fulfilling act than a social act with very little familial or social recognition being accorded in the public world. The conclusion highlights how donors entered into the decision to donate with little awareness of the long-term consequences. The process, however, was seen by the donors to be beneficial. A compelling argument is made for more educational and emotional support regarding the experience of bone marrow donation from Hong Kong's formal service providers.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Assessment of psychosocial adjustment in Chinese unrelated bone marrow donors.

This descriptive study assessed the experiences of unrelated bone marrow donation in 27 Chinese donors and compared their mood states with a random sample of 78 Chinese adult non-donors using four scales. The donors demonstrated better mood states in terms of anger- hostility and fatigue compared to non-donors. However, their self-esteem was low (similarly to the non-donors), they did not see themselves as a better person as a result of the donation and they thought they did an act somewhat more generously than usual. This is possibly attributed to the cultural influences of normative obligation. The majority (57.9%) believed that they were not prepared well for the donation, and 40% found the experience emotionally less positive than they expected. Some found the experience physically stressful (10.5%) and some others were worried that their future health may be affected as a result of the donation (15.8%). Although a quarter of the donors was unsure whether they would donate again or whether they would encourage others to donate, the majority would donate again. Such results demonstrate that donors need careful and individualised attention in order to gain a more positive overall experience of the donation. Furthermore, services should be more vigilant in assessing donor needs and intervening when donors experience difficulties due to the donation process.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1999

Translation of questionnaires and issues of equivalence.

The validity of studies using translated instruments may be questioned when there is a lack of attention to and/or minimal explanation of the procedures used for determining the equivalence between the primary and secondary language tool. Ensuring equivalence of a translated Chinese version of the Menstrual Distress Questionnaire is an important prerequisite for identifying culturally specific expressions of concepts under investigation and for cross-cultural comparisons. This paper examines the principles and procedures for determining equivalence of translated tools and their application to the development of an equivalent Chinese version of the Menstrual Distress Questionnaire. Translation and back-translation were used to develop a Chinese version of the Menstrual Distress Questionnaire. Bilingual university students completed both versions of the Menstrual Distress Questionnaire. Most of the Menstrual Distress Questionnaire items had an acceptable Kappa of >0.4. Intraclass correlation coefficients indicated moderate to high levels of equivalence for total scores and all scales. Improvement in the translation of some items is needed to further enhance the equivalence of the Chinese version of the Menstrual Distress Questionnaire.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

The effectiveness of tutorials in behavioural sciences for nurses: an action learning project.

As the first round of an action research project, this paper describes a between-methods triangulation process which examines the effectiveness of tutorials in a post-registration nursing degree course. The major concerns of the research team were with student learning approaches and student satisfaction. The research utilized a pre-/post-test experimental design as well as descriptive designs including non-participant observation of tutorials, tutor journal keeping and student interviews, to study the effects of a change from theory-based to learning process-based tutorials. The experimental design utilized the 'study process questionnaire' and the 'approaches to study inventory'. Two experimental groups showed a significant change in pre-/post-test scores. The qualitative data indicated that there were differences in the ways in which these two groups operated. The qualitative data also indicated that students were largely subscribing to achieving approaches and that satisfaction with tutorials was mainly related to relevance to the previous lecture as well as the perceived contribution to course assessment. As a consequence of this study it was concluded that the efficiency of tutorials could be increased by reducing the number of assignments, designing a set of specific tutorial activities that integrate theory and process, and having an explicit tutorial group formation policy.

Behavioral Sciences↗
PubMed1998

A Chinese cultural perspective of nursing care behaviours in an acute setting.

This study carried out in Hong Kong, identified 29 Chinese patients' perceptions of the importance of nursing care behaviours in an acute setting using a Chinese language translated version of the CARE-Q instrument. Patients ranked items concerned with 'giving the patients' treatments and medication on time' as the most important and 'sits down with the patient' as the least important. Comparisons are made with the results from other cultures and specific Chinese cultural interpretations are drawn to provide direction for nursing care of Chinese patients in Hong Kong and worldwide.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1997

Developing a framework for the future: a qualitative perspective on postgraduate nursing education in Hong Kong.

This paper addresses some of the issues related to determining the postgraduate education needs of nurses and the development of a locally appropriate framework for postgraduate nursing education in a country newly embarking on tertiary education for nurses. It reports part of a survey conducted among graduate nurses in Hong Kong, with reference to their expectations for locally prepared and presented higher education that will equip them for expert practice in their chosen specialty. Over 700 nurses participated in the survey, representing almost 50% of the graduate nurse population. The findings reported here provide a qualitative insight into the reasons underlying their preferences, the difficulties they experience in pursuing further education and the reasons why pragmatic rather than preferred choices must be made. It will be argued that these are important considerations in planning for future developments in postgraduate education in Hong Kong. They may also prove useful to countries facing similar developments.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Hong Kong Chinese women's perception of support from midwives during labour.

OBJECTIVE: to identify what support from midwives hinese women find most helpful in contributing to a positive labour and childbirth experience. DESIGN: a quantitative study using a cross-sectional design was employed. Data were collected using a Chinese language version of the Bryanton Adaptation of Nursing Support in Labor Questionnaire. SETTING: a postnatal ward in a Hong Kong public hospital. PARTICIPANTS: purposive sample of 30 Hong Kong Chinese women, from 24 to 38 hours after delivery. KEY FINDINGS: the category of 'informational support' with the specific behaviour of 'praise' was identified as the most supportive. Tangible support such as 'touching' was considered the least helpful behaviour. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: suggestions are made for promoting culturally-sensitive midwifery care for Chinese women to include: 'saving face'; interpreting personal orientation; and supporting Chinese 'hot and cold' beliefs.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

A re-appraisal of screening for colour vision impairments.

Screening for colour vision impairments (CVI) has been carried out in schools in the UK since 1934, but little is known about its yield or value. A survey was conducted among Sheffield schoolboys, school nurses and optometrists to determine the benefits of CVI screening. The results indicated that between 4.2 and 5.2% of boys had been identified as having a CVI, compared with the expected prevalence of 8%. Boys were ill-informed about the significance of CVI for careers planning but recognized the potential importance of having this information before making decisions about choice of subjects and examinations. Possible reasons for the low yield of screening are reviewed and alternative strategies are discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Postgraduate education expectations: a survey of Hong Kong graduate nurses.

Tertiary education for nurses in Hong Kong is in its early development. With many overseas universities competing to secure Asian students, the need for locally developed programmes to meet Hong Kong's needs can be overlooked. In this survey 705 nurses with degree level qualifications working for the major public and private employing agencies completed a questionnaire designed to obtain details of postgraduate study plans and preferences for the type, focus and mode of postgraduate programmes. Analysis of responses showed 50% of the graduates surveyed intended to pursue further study in the next two years with a clear preference for course work masters, degree programmes (55%), studies with a specialist (71%) rather than a generalist focus, and programmes offered locally (85%) on a part-time basis (86%). Future educational needs were also found to vary according to gender, marital status, place of employment and nursing post. The findings from this survey have considerable implications for educational and professional nursing developments and planning to meet the future health care needs of Hong Kong. In addition, the information may inform the planning of other countries newly embarked on tertiary education for nurses.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Premenstrual syndrome in employed Chinese women in Hong Kong.

Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) has been studied in many countries, but few studies have been reported internationally on the experience of Chinese women. Because culture and employment are important factors in the perception of health status, in this study we sought to determine the existence and features of PMS in Chinese clerical women in Hong Kong. We used a cross-sectional, retrospective approach to collect data with a translation of an established questionnaire (the Menstrual Distress Questionnaire). Fatigue was found to be the most prevalent symptom, and the Pain, Water Retention, Behavioral Change, and Negative Affect scales had more than 64% frequency. The main difference between these findings and those of other studies is that negative affect featured most prominently in Western samples, whereas pain featured most highly in this sample of Chinese women.

Adolescent↗