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PubMed1996

Sports participation and emotional wellbeing in adolescents.

BACKGROUND: Regular physical activity may have psychological benefits. Our study assessed the association between extent of participation in regular sport or vigorous recreational activity and emotional wellbeing in adolescents aged 16 years. METHODS: Data were collected from a cohort of adolescents, born between April 5 and April 11, 1970, in England, Scotland, and Wales, who took part in the follow-up assessment at age 16 years. Emotional wellbeing was assessed by the general health questionnaire (GHQ) and the malaise inventory (divided into psychological and somatic subscales). Information was obtained about participation in ten team and 25 individual sports and vigorous recreational activities during the previous year. Non-vigorous recreations, such as darts and snooker, were assessed separately. Social class and health status (recent illness and use of hospital services) were included in our analyses as possible confounding factors. 2223 boys and 2838 girls with a mean age of 16.3 years (SD 0.38) were included in our analysis. Statistical analysis was by multiple linear and logistic regression. FINDINGS: The sport and vigorous recreational activity index was positively associated with emotional wellbeing independently of sex, social class, health status, and use of hospital services. These associations were significant for the psychological symptom subscale of the malaise inventory (regression coefficient -0.024, 95 percent Cl -0.036 to -0.011, p<0.001) and the GHQ (odds ratio of emotional distress per unit increase in vigorous physical activity 0.992, 95 percent Cl 0.985-0.998, p<O.O1). By contrast, participation in non-vigorous activities was associated with high psychological and somatic symptoms on the malaise inventory. INTERPRETATION: We conclude that emotional wellbeing is positively associated with extent of participation in sport and vigorous recreational activity among adolescents. Although causal associations cannot be assumed in this cross-sectional analysis, our results are consistent with experimental evidence that vigorous exercise has favourable effects on emotional state.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

Religious coping and psychological wellbeing in carers of relatives with schizophrenia.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the use of religious coping and its relation to psychological wellbeing in carers of relatives with schizophrenia. METHOD: Sixty carers of patients with an ICD-10 diagnosis of schizophrenia, were assessed on strength of religious belief, perceived burden, religious and other coping strategies and psychological wellbeing. RESULTS: Coping strategies of denial and problem solving, strength of religious belief and perceived burden were significant predictors of wellbeing. CONCLUSION: Strength of religious belief plays an important role in helping family members to cope with the stress of caring for a mentally ill relative. In addition to psychoeducation and problem solving coping, the role of religious coping in enhancing wellbeing of carers needs to be considered in family intervention programmes.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed2000

Tackling inequalities in health and social wellbeing: evidence of 'good practice' by nurses, midwives and health visitors.

This paper details a project which assessed the contribution made by nurses, midwives and health visitors to Targeting Health and Social Need (THSN). Targeting Health and Social Need is an important theme within the Northern Ireland Regional Strategy entitled Health and Wellbeing into the Next Millennium: A Regional Strategy for Health and Social Wellbeing 1997-2002 which is concerned with addressing inequalities in health status and social wellbeing. While there is a considerable body of research and information on variations in health and social wellbeing there is a paucity of corresponding research on those interventions which may improve the health of disadvantaged groups. Health professionals are addressing such inequalities so it is appropriate that their efforts should be recorded and assessed. The project was conducted jointly by the departments of nursing at The Queen's University of Belfast and the University of Ulster, funded by the Department of Health and Social Services and had a timetable that covered three phases. Phase 1 entailed the distribution of a survey questionnaire to all nurses, including those professionals working with community and voluntary groups, to assess their contribution to THSN. The paper describes the results from the 392 questionnaires identified (a response rate of almost 40%) and the work in phase 2 of analysing the responses by selection criteria devised by the Project Advisory Board to allow further investigation. The resulting interventions were reduced to 22 and in an overview of each of these a number of characteristics kept recurring that could serve to define aspects of 'good practice'. These 22 case studies demonstrate the efforts made by nurses and health professionals to change behaviour, practice, the community and the environment. Also highlighted are the nursing competencies gained through working, the lessons learnt and the problems and difficulties encountered. The paper concludes that the use of qualitative research opens the door to measures of social position that reflect the ways in which people define themselves and the relationships that sustain them. Although there is still some way to go in understanding the different approaches to evaluation, an environment that fosters the monitoring and assessment of practice might be created in the future within the nursing community.

Community Health Nursing↗

PubMed2007

DHEA therapy for women: effect on sexual function and wellbeing.

DHEA is increasingly available commercially as a supplement aimed at improving libido and wellbeing in postmenopausal women. However there is scant evidence to support the use of DHEA for this purpose, and safety data for DHEA therapy are lacking. Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and its sulphate DHEAS are the most abundant circulating sex steroid hormones in women, providing a large precursor reservoir for the intracellular production of androgens and oestrogens in non-reproductive tissues. Levels of DHEA and DHEAS decline with age. It has been proposed that restoring the circulating levels of these steroids to those found in young people may have anti-ageing effects and improve wellbeing and sexual function. However this is not supported by the published literature. We have reviewed the physiology of DHEA and DHEAS in women and the published literature pertaining to the use of DHEA therapy for libido and wellbeing in postmenopausal women. The literature was searched using Medline (Ovid) and Pub-Med for original studies. Overall, the interpretation of data from randomised controlled trials conducted in well women is limited by inadequate sample size and short treatment durations with inconsistent results for the outcomes of libido and wellbeing. Studies of DHEA in women with adrenal insufficiency, although indicating potential improvements in mood and libido, are also limited by their short treatment phase durations. In addition safety data for DHEA therapy are lacking. The potential value of DHEA therapy for women still requires exploration in adequately powered well-designed randomised placebo-controlled trials. The studies of DHEA therapy in women with adrenal insufficiency suggest that this group is the most likely to derive health benefits from DHEA supplementation.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗

PubMed2000

Evaluating aboriginal empowerment programs: the case of Family WellBeing.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of a Family WellBeing empowerment course. METHOD: A range of methods were used, including: theory-driven analysis of literature and project documentation; participant observation; and analysis of course participants' personal narratives against set empowerment criteria. RESULTS: Participation in the Family WellBeing course resulted in high levels of personal empowerment. The course enhanced participants' sense of self-worth, resilience, ability to reflect on root causes of problems and problem-solving ability, as well as belief in the mutability of the social environment. They were able to bring about modest, but significant, improvements in their general sense of wellbeing and those of the people around them in ways that were previously impossible. There was no evidence of organisational and community empowerment, such as stronger social networks and systems-level changes. DISCUSSION: The effectiveness of the Family WellBeing course shows the importance of resourcing Aboriginal people to develop their own programs that address trauma and other issues resulting from settler colonisation. CONCLUSIONS: The study highlights three lessons for the use of empowerment interventions to improve health conditions, particularly among socially disadvantaged groups: 1) A need to adopt an ecological approach that simultaneously addresses empowerment at multiple settings or levels. 2) A need to ensure that such programs reach a critical mass of the target group. 3) Policy-makers and practitioners need to take a longer-term approach to empowerment interventions, including properly resourced longitudinal studies to document and enhance the evidence base for such interventions.

Family Health↗

PubMed2005

Adapting the 'family wellbeing' empowerment program to the needs of remote indigenous school children.

OBJECTIVE: To adapt the Family Wellbeing empowerment program, which was initially designed to support adults to take greater control and responsibility for their decisions and lives, to the needs of Indigenous school children living in remote communities. METHOD: At the request of two schools in remote Indigenous communities in far north Queensland, a pilot personal development and empowerment program based on the adult Family Wellbeing principles was developed, conducted and evaluated in the schools. The main aims of the program were to build personal identity and to encourage students to recognise their future potential and be more aware of their place in the community and wider society. RESULTS: Participation in the program resulted in significant social and emotional growth for the students. Outcomes described by participating students and teachers included increased analytical and reflective skills, greater ability to think for oneself and set goals, less teasing and bullying in the school environment, and an enhanced sense of identity, friendship and 'social relatedness'. CONCLUSION: This pilot implementation of the Family Wellbeing Program adapted for schools demonstrated the program's potential to enhance Indigenous young people's personal growth and development. Challenges remain in increasing parental/ family involvement and ensuring the program's sustainability and transferability. The team has been working with relevant stakeholders to further develop and package the School-based Family Wellbeing program for Education Queensland's New Basics curriculum framework.

Child↗

PubMed1995

The Chernobyl accident and mental wellbeing--a population study.

We studied the long-term effects of the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident on mental wellbeing 7 years after the event. Mental wellbeing was assessed using a 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ). The study group comprised 325 persons (aged 15-54 years) who had continued to live in the high-fallout area in Bryansk, Russian Federation, classified as a strict control zone with respect to the level of fallout and subsequent radiation protection countermeasures. The control group comprised 278 persons living in a noncontaminated area. The mental wellbeing of women in the study group was poorer than in controls (age-adjusted means). Based on the GHQ score, a minor mental disorder was detected in 48% of the women in the study group and 34% of the female controls. The corresponding figures for men were 26% and 28%, respectively. Those living with a partner coped better mentally than the others. The level of education was not associated with the GHQ score. Poor financial situation and self-rated poor health were associated with a high GHQ score. Fifty-nine per cent of the study group and 14% of the control group wanted to move away from the area of residence, but it was not associated with GHQ score. In a logistic regression analysis, independent factors explaining the GHQ score in the study group were uncertainty about the future in the men and, in addition, poor financial situation and insufficient social support in the women. According the results, the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident impaired the long-term mental wellbeing of women living in the contaminated area.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed2002

Parents' labour market participation as a predictor of children's health and wellbeing: a comparative study in five Nordic countries.

OBJECTIVE: To study the association between parents' labour market participation and children's health and wellbeing. DESIGN: Parent reported data on health and wellbeing among their children from the survey Health and welfare among children and adolescents in the Nordic countries, 1996. A cross sectional study of random samples of children and their families in five Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden). PARTICIPANTS: A total of 10 317 children aged 2-17 years. RESULTS: Children in families with no parents employed in the past six months had higher prevalence of recurrent psychosomatic symptoms (odds ratio 1.67, 95% confidence intervals 1.16 to 2.40), chronic illness (odds ratio 1.35, 95% confidence intervals 1.00 to 1.84), and low wellbeing (odds ratio 1.47, 95% confidence intervals 1.12 to 1.94). Social class, family type, parents' immigrant status, gender and age of the child, respondent, and country were included as confounders. When social class, family type and the parents' immigrant status (one or more born in the Nordic country versus both born elsewhere) were introduced into the model, the odds ratios were reduced but were still statistically significant. Health outcomes and parents' labour market participation were associated in all five countries. CONCLUSIONS: Children in families with no parents employed in the past six months had higher prevalence of ill health and low wellbeing in the five Nordic countries despite differences in employment rates and social benefits.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2006

Attitudes of direct care staff towards external professionals, team climate and psychological wellbeing: a pilot study.

Relationships with external professionals may be an important factor in the psychological wellbeing of care staff. A questionnaire to measure team climate and staff wellbeing was developed, tested and revised. Seventy-two direct care staff completed the revised questionnaire, which had acceptable levels of internal consistency. Significant correlations were found between care staff attitudes towards professionals and levels of team climate and psychological wellbeing. The pattern of relationships was explored by path analysis. Further work is needed on the reliability and validity of the questionnaire. There is a clear association between attitudes to professionals and team climate and between some aspects of climate and psychological wellbeing. Professionals should adopt collaborative ways of working based on problem-solving approaches with staff teams, with the aim of delivering improved quality of care to residents.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Life in a time of uncertainty: optimising the health and wellbeing of young Australians.

Perceptions of young people's health and wellbeing vary greatly, reflecting differences between disciplines, ideologies and generations. Young people are resilient, adaptable and doing well but, at the same time, are experiencing increased rates of important mental and physical health problems. While some of the contradictions in the evidence can be explained--for example, between measures of life satisfaction and happiness and indicators of psychosocial health--tensions between perspectives remain. We describe briefly a project involving cross-disciplinary synthesis that sought to gain a better understanding of the points of convergence and divergence in the commentaries and evidence on young people's wellbeing in Australia. The project suggests that, if young people's situation is to be optimised, there needs to be greater focus in both research and policy on: the "big picture" of the social changes reshaping life today; total health and wellbeing, not just ill health; the "mainstream" of youth, not only those young people who are marginalised and at-risk; and social and cultural resources that are as important to wellbeing as material and economic resources.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2001

Fetal vibroacoustic stimulation for facilitation of tests of fetal wellbeing.

BACKGROUND: Acoustic stimulation of the fetus has been suggested to improve the efficiency of antepartum fetal heart rate testing. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this review was to assess the merits or adverse effects of the use of fetal vibroacoustic stimulation in conjunction with tests of fetal wellbeing. SEARCH STRATEGY: We searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group trials register. Date of last search: October 2000. SELECTION CRITERIA: All published and unpublished randomized controlled trials assessing the merits of the use of fetal vibroacoustic stimulation in conjunction with tests of fetal wellbeing. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Both reviewers independently extracted data and assessed trial quality. Authors of published and unpublished trials were contacted for further information. MAIN RESULTS: A total of seven trials with a total of 4325 participants were included. Fetal vibroacoustic stimulation reduced the incidence of non-reactive antenatal cardiotocography test (odds ratio (OR) 0.61, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.49-0.75) and reduced the overall mean cardiotocography testing time (weighted mean difference (WMD) -4.55 minutes, 95% CI -5.96 minutes to -3.14 minutes). Vibroacoustic stimulation evoked more than mock stimulation when used in conjunction with fetal heart rate testing (OR 0.08, 95% CI 0.06-0.12). REVIEWER'S CONCLUSIONS: Vibroacoustic stimulation offers benefits by decreasing the incidence of non-reactive cardiotocography and reducing the testing time. Further randomized trials should be encouraged to determine not only the optimum intensity, frequency, duration and position of the vibroacoustic stimulation, but also to evaluate the efficacy, predictive reliability, safety and perinatal outcome of these stimuli with cardiotocography and other tests of fetal wellbeing.

Acoustic Stimulation↗

PubMed2001

Maternal glucose administration for facilitating tests of fetal wellbeing.

BACKGROUND: Antenatal maternal glucose administration has been suggested to improve the efficiency of antepartum fetal heart rate testing. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this review was to assess the merits or adverse effects of antenatal maternal glucose administration in conjunction with tests of fetal wellbeing. SEARCH STRATEGY: We searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group trials register in June 2001. SELECTION CRITERIA: All published and unpublished randomized controlled trials assessing the merits of antenatal maternal (oral or intravenous) glucose administration in conjunction with tests of fetal wellbeing. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Both reviewers independently extracted data and assessed trial quality. Authors of published and unpublished trials were contacted for further information. MAIN RESULTS: A total of two trials with a total of 708 participants were included. Antenatal maternal glucose administration did not decrease the incidence of non-reactive antenatal cardiotocography tests. REVIEWER'S CONCLUSIONS: Antenatal maternal glucose administration has not been shown to reduce non-reactive cardiotocography. More trials are needed to further substantiate this and to determine not only the optimum dose, but also to evaluate the efficacy, predictive reliability, safety and perinatal outcome of glucose administration in conjunction with cardiotocography and also other tests of fetal wellbeing.

Administration, Oral↗

PubMed1982

Community stressors, mediating conditions and wellbeing in urban neighborhoods.

Individual and community measures of stress are related to the presence of depression/demoralization symptoms (Feeling Bad), to positive Wellbeing (Feeling Good) and to the combination of these two (Wellbeing), in an urban sample of 549 adults. The mediation and moderation of these effects by indicators of social support, evaluation of status, and belief variables intended to measure aspects of individual coping tendencies are examined and tested. The findings suggest the absence of moderating effects of any of the support and coping variables on each stressor or on the effects of stressors on Feeling Bad, Feeling Good, and Wellbeing. A number of the variables do, however, have significant main effects, and thus appear to operate directly on the dependent variables, regardless of the presence or level of stress. Differences between apparent effects on Feeling Good and Feeling Bad and the increase in effects for the combination measure are discussed.

Factor Analysis, Statistical↗

PubMed2004

Are serum cortisol levels a reliable indicator of wellbeing in the tammar wallaby, Macropus eugenii?

Serum corticosteroid levels were measured in six female tammar wallabies (Macropus eugenii) at Macquarie University, NSW, Australia, to assess their reliability as indicators of wellbeing in this species. Animals were challenged with a change in conditions over the course of approximately 3 weeks, comprising (i) isolation and movement; (ii) altered feeding routine, in order to impose a disturbance to homeostasis ("stress"). Blood samples were collected five times during the study period, and analysed for corticosteroid concentration and a number of haematological and biochemical measures. The use of enzyme immunoassay for the measurement of corticosteroids in marsupial serum was validated. We found that there was no significant change in serum corticosteroid concentrations in response to either of the changed conditions suggesting that serum corticosteroid concentrations are not reflective of a change in wellbeing. Cortisol was the dominant serum corticosteroid, with concentrations up to 50 times higher than corticosterone. Significant differences were observed in aspartate amino-transferase, alanine amino-transferase, haemoglobin, total erythrocyte count and mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration over the period of study. However, no significant correlations emerged to justify any of these measures, or serum corticosteroid levels, as reliable indicators of compromised wellbeing in the tammar wallaby.

Animals↗

PubMed2006

Perceived stress, perceived social support, and wellbeing among mothers of school-aged children with cerebral palsy.

BACKGROUND: The study considers how severity of disability, perceived stress, and perceived social support impact on the wellbeing of a group of mothers caring for school-aged children with cerebral palsy. METHOD: Forty-three mothers attending clinics at the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne, Australia were interviewed and completed the Profile of Adaptation to Life Scale, the Satisfaction with Life Scale, the Perceived Stress Scale, and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. RESULTS: The results confirmed that severity of disability was not significantly related to maternal wellbeing, but that perceived stress and perceived social support significantly predicted wellbeing, both independently and together. CONCLUSION: Social support was found to have a slight to moderate role in mediating the impact of stress on these mothers.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed2007

Continuity of care and general wellbeing of patients with comorbidities requiring joint replacement.

AIM: The aim of this paper is to examine the continuity of care and general wellbeing of patients with comorbidities undergoing elective total hip or knee joint replacement. BACKGROUND: Advances in medical science and improved lifestyles have reduced mortality rates in most Western countries. As a result, there is an ageing population with a concomitant growth in the number of people who are living with multiple chronic illnesses, commonly referred to as comorbidities. These patients often require acute care services, creating a blend of acute and chronic illness needs. For example, joint replacement surgery is frequently performed to improve impaired mobility associated with osteoarthritis. METHOD: A purposive sample of twenty participants with multiple comorbidities who required joint replacement surgery was recruited to obtain survey, interview and medical record audit data. Data were collected during 2004 and 2005. FINDINGS: Comorbidity care was poorly co-ordinated prior to having surgery, during the acute care stay and following surgery and primarily entailed prescribed medicines. The main focus in acute care was patient throughput following joint replacement surgery according to a prescribed clinical pathway. General wellbeing was less than optimal: participants reported pain, fatigue, insomnia and alterations in urinary elimination as the chief sources of discomfort during the course of the study. CONCLUSION: Continuity of care of comorbidities was lacking. Comorbidities affected patient general wellbeing and delayed recovery from surgery. Acute care, clinical pathways and the specialisation of medicine and nursing subordinated the general problem of patients with comorbidities. Systems designed to integrate and co-ordinate chronic illness care had limited application in the acute care setting. A multidisciplinary, holistic approach is required. Recommendations for further research conclude this paper.

Aged↗

PubMed2006

The search for wellbeing in alternative and complementary health practices.

This article is premised on a need to understand and analyse how those turning to alternative and complementary medicines conceptualise the role of these practices; to ask what kind of 'health' is produced through alternative and complementary medicines and how might the help provided by these practices relate to questions of identity, self and subjectivity? Even though alternative and complementary medicines can be utilised in the face of serious illness, the healing produced through these practices is here argued to transcend physiological health and relate rather to a subjectively assessed sense of 'wellbeing'. In this article, I analyse what this wellbeing entails, in particular, in terms of contemporary understandings of selfhood as well as in relation to the production of appropriate emotions through 'emotion management'. I argue that the wellbeing produced through alternative and complementary health practices can be conceptualised as a means of asserting a particular kind of self as well as a means of negotiating identities offered to people in wider societal discourses and institutions. This article is based on qualitative interviews with both practitioners and users of varied alternative and complementary medicines. The focus is on women's experiences.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1993

Mental wellbeing of nurse educators at work.

The aim of the study was to assess the mental wellbeing of nurse educators at their work by means of self-assessment. Questionnaires were sent to 100 randomly selected trained nurse educators. Data were collected from 83 respondents. The nurse educators evaluated their mental wellbeing as being rather good. There were, however, some contradictions in the answers to questions covering identical work areas but having somewhat different formulation. The disadvantages of being a nurse educator, as listed by the respondents, included: too much work, and especially too many administrative duties, communication breakdowns with the directors of the nursing college, and underestimation by others of the value of teaching as such. As characteristics of the job promoting a sense of wellbeing, the nurse educators mentioned their interaction and relationships with the students. In addition, the demands and challenges of the work were found very interesting and rewarding.

Adult↗