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Wendy Watson

Publications and source records attributed to Wendy Watson.

6 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2007

Situating alcohol use and delinquency within developmental and societal context: the case of Korean youth.

In this study involving self-report questionnaire data from 955 tenth-grade students in three locations within Korea, we address the meanings of alcohol use and delinquency for Korean youth. Findings (a) supported a facilitative role for alcohol, but not delinquency, with respect to perceived peer social competence; (b) indicated negative associations of both alcohol use and delinquency with parental relations, valuing academic achievement, and collectivistic values, and positive associations with friends' risk behaviours; (c) showed no relationship of these behaviours with self-esteem, coping, parental permissiveness or individualistic values; and (d) revealed that perceived benefits of alcohol use and delinquency include not only social facilitation but also exploration and assertion of independence, suggesting a potential connection, as in Western societies, between risk taking, and identity exploration.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

A privacy challenge to longitudinal study methods: patient-derived codes.

Recent changes to privacy legislation in Australia have resulted in more stringent requirements with respect to maintaining the confidentiality of patient health information. We describe a method employed to de-identify health information collected in a longitudinal study using codes. Using a patient-derived code that did not change during the life of the study follow-up resulted in errors in a quarter of the follow-up surveys. This may introduce bias that could compromise the validity of the study. Alternative methods of coding may alleviate some of these issues. However, removal of some of the constraints imposed by interpretations of privacy legislation may be the best way forward.

Cohort Studies↗
PubMed2004

Introducing Critical Care Outreach: a ward-randomised trial of phased introduction in a general hospital.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study was to investigate the effects of introducing a critical care outreach service on in-hospital mortality and length of stay in a general acute hospital. DESIGN: A pragmatic ward-randomised trial design was used, with intervention introduced to all wards in sequence. No blinding was possible. SETTING: Sixteen adult wards in an 800-bed general hospital in the north of England. PATIENTS AND PARTICIPANTS: All admissions to the 16 surgical, medical and elderly care wards during 32-week study period were included (7450 patients in total, of whom 2903 were eligible for the primary comparison). INTERVENTIONS: Essential elements of the Critical Care Outreach service introduced during the study were a nurse-led team of nurses and doctors experienced in critical care, a 24-h service, emphasis on education, support and practical help for ward staff. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: The main outcome measures were in-hospital mortality and length of stay. Outreach intervention reduced in-hospital mortality compared with control (two-level odds ratio: 0.52 (95% CI 0.32-0.85). A possible increased length of stay associated with outreach was not fully supported by confirmatory and sensitivity analyses. CONCLUSIONS: The study suggests outreach reduces mortality in general hospital wards. It may also increase length of stay, but our findings on this are equivocal.

Aged↗
PubMed2004

Self-reflecting in developmental context: variations in level and patterning during the first 2 university years.

Self-reflection, typically operationalized in scales of egocentrism and introspectiveness, is portrayed as problematic in much of the literature on adolescents. Self-reflection has been linked to dysfunctional self-consciousness, symptomatology, and risk behaviors. Yet, self-reflection also is seen as essential for adolescent development, particularly with respect to individuation and identity. In this exploratory study, the authors focused on the process of self-reflecting. From interviews with 10 students conducted over the first 2 university years, the authors longitudinally assessed and then evaluated self-reflecting patterns in relationship to a narrative analysis of developmental change. Students who showed evidence of developmental change or sustained engagement in developmental work over the study period devoted a higher percentage of their interview conversation to self-reflecting content. Differences in self-reflecting patterning over time among the students who showed developmental change further suggest linkages between self-reflecting and development. The authors discuss implications for the conceptualization of self-reflecting in relationship to development and for the reinterpretation of previous studies.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Enhancing partnerships with relatives in care settings.

AIM: The aims of this project were to implement guidance that sought to involve carers of older people in decision-making processes, and to promote practice development through work-based learning. METHOD: Data were collected and analysed to examine how carer involvement was being managed on the wards. The data were then fed back to staff in each area and meetings were held to discuss which aspects of carer involvement were priorities for them. These were then matched with the four markers of satisfactory involvement identified in a previous study (Walker et al 1999). RESULTS: Several strategies were implemented to enhance carer involvement, including life story work, written communication books and a newsletter. Early feedback from the project highlighted benefits for staff and relatives, which included greater confidence in negotiating care and closer relationships between relatives and staff. CONCLUSION: If carer involvement in care is to become a reality, staff need support and encouragement to develop meaningful relationships with relatives and to value their expert opinions.

Caregivers↗