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PubMed1984

Affective behavior of abused and control children: comparisons of parent-child interactions and the influence of home environment variables.

Affective behaviors of 14 pairs of infant and preschool abused and control children matched on age, race, sex, and socioeconomic level were assessed in parent-child interaction. Subgroups of abused and control samples were formed by introduction of selected home environment variables chosen to represent properties of the parent-child dyad. Matched-pairs analysis showed few matched t-test comparisons to be significant. However, significant interactions were observed when two-way analyses of variance were performed with abused-control and status of home environment as factors. For positive affective behaviors, the abused group favored on home environment variables was higher than the favored control group. For negative affective behaviors, the abused group less-favored on home environment variables was higher than the less-favored control group. As a response to abuse, an increased sensitivity to the physical and social stimulation of the home environment is proposed.

Affect↗

PubMed1997

Augmented Feedback Presented in a Virtual Environment Accelerates Learning of a Difficult Motor Task.

One can use a number of techniques (e.g., from videotaping to computer enhancement of the environment) to augment the feedback that a subject usually receives during training on a motor task. Although some forms of augmented feedback have been shown to enhance performance on isolated isometric tasks during training, when the feedback has been removed subjects have sometimes not been able to perform as well in the "real-world" task as controls. Indeed, for realistic, nonisometric motor tasks, improved skill acquisition because of augmented feedback has not been demonstrated. In the present experiments, subjects (Experiment 1, N = 42; Experiment 2, N = 21) performed with a system that was designed for teaching a difficult multijoint movement in a table tennis environment. The system was a fairly realistic computer animation of the environment and included paddles for the teacher and subject, as well as a virtual ball. Each subject attempted to learn a difficult shot by matching the pattern of movements of the expert teacher. Augmented feedback focused the attention of the subject on a minimum set of movement details that were most relevant to the task; feedback was presented in a form that required the least perceptual processing. Effectiveness of training was determined by measuring their performance in the real task. Subjects who received the virtual environment training performed significantly better than subjects who received a comparable amount of real-task practice or coaching. Kinematic analysis indicated that practice with the expert's trajectory served as a basis for performance on the real-world task and that the movements executed after training were subject-specific modifications of the expert's trajectory. Practice with this trajectory alone was not sufficient for transfer to the real task, however: When a critical component of the virtual environment was removed, subjects showed no transfer to the real task.

augmented feedback↗

PubMed1999

Relations between traumatic brain injury and the environment: feedback reduces maladaptive behaviour exhibited by three persons with traumatic brain injury.

Feedback is a commonly used technique in neurorehabilitation. It functions to strengthen or weaken select relations between individuals' behaviour and their environment. The study of behaviour-environment relations is a focus of operant psychology, commonly referred to as behaviour analysis. Central to behaviour analysis is the analysis of interrelations among stimuli, behaviour, and consequences. The focus on behaviour-environment relations may have considerable benefits for designing clinical treatments and accounting for successful and unsuccessful treatments, especially psychological interventions for maladaptive behaviour. In the present investigation, three persons with traumatic brain injuries, diagnosed with depression and presenting mild cognitive impairments, received feedback about their maladaptive behaviour. Weekly feedback resulted in general reductions in the variability and frequency of maladaptive behaviour. The results support the utility of giving equal consideration to relations between persons with traumatic brain injury and their environment, despite existing psychological or cognitive impairments. Future research on variables that influence the development and maintenance of behaviour-environment relations, and more generally operant behaviour, may provide a unique perspective on the effects of traumatic brain injury.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed1981

Toward a model of person-environment congruence: development of the EPPIS.

The Person Environment (P-E) Congruence model represents an approach to understanding the impact of the environment on the well-being and adjustment of elderly which may also provide information for the development of intervention programs at individual, group and/or institutional levels. Assessment of P-E congruence, or fit between the person and his/her environment, was operationalized in two studies through the development of the Environmental Perception, Preference and Importance Scale (EPPIS). the EPPIS provides scales to assess environmental perceptions, individual environmental preferences and the important or salience of the environment on 15 empirically derived, commensurate dimensions. In a third study, the four-month test-retest reliability of the overall P-E congruence score of the EPPIS, defined as the absolute difference between the perceived and preferred environment weighted by importance, was .78 while the unweighted model reliability was .76. Also, the 15 dimensions of the EPPIS were observed to be significant predictors of well-being. It was proposed that the EPPIS may be used both to determine areas of intervention which the elderly themselves feel are important and as a means to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions intended to reduce P-E incongruence and increase psychological well-being.

Aged↗

PubMed2002

Characteristics of the social environment of small group homes for individuals with severe mental illness.

As part of research into small group homes run by local authorities for those with severe mental illness the characteristics of the social environment was investigated. The ideal and real versions of the Community Oriented Program Environmental Scale (COPES) were administered to residents and staff of small group homes in a county in southern Sweden. Both these groups were also interviewed on their opinions as to the main characteristics that should exist in the social environment in small group homes. High levels of support, order and organization, and program clarity and a low level of anger and aggression distinguished the real social environment according to the residents. Differences between residents' and staff's perceptions were less pronounced than in most other studies, probably owing to a greater level of resident--staff interaction in the home-like milieu. In the interviews both the residents and staff emphasized the importance of social interaction as a major constituent in the social environment of small group homes. The COPES instrument appears to be valid for use in small group homes, although some concern can be raised about two of the subscales, Involvement and Practical Orientation. The social environment, as rated by the residents and staff, was similar to that recommended for psychotic patients and to that proposed as a suitable supportive profile together with low levels of staff control and anger and aggression.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

Identification of ergonomic issues that affect workers in oilrigs in desert environments.

The main objective of this research was to conduct an assessment of ergonomic-related problems in oilrigs in a desert environment. A checklist, physical audit and medical records were used in the investigation. The results showed significant health, environment and work-related problems that could be attributed to ergonomic deficiencies in the work system of the oilrig. Some major ergonomic issues identified were hard physical work, back pain, discomfort, hot environment, long shift, and diverse schedule. Ninety-four percent of the employees perceived the workday as very long, 79% were dissatisfied with the work schedule, while 61% of the employees perceived the summer work environment as extremely hot. Ergonomics should be considered in the work system design so as to reduce or eliminate problems in oilrigs in hot desert environments.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Wayfinding in familiar and unfamiliar environments in a case of progressive topographical agnosia.

A 71-year-old right-handed man (F.G.) presents with prosopagnosia and with an inability to recognize famous and familiar buildings. Despite his deficit, F.G. obtained normal scores on neuropsychological tests of executive functions, language, praxis and primary visuoperceptual skills. Brain MRI showed atrophy predominantly in the right temporal lobe, particularly in the fusiform gyrus and the parahippocampal cortex. The present study investigated F.G.'s ability to orient himself in familiar and new environments. His wayfinding abilities in a familiar environment (i.e., his hometown) were preserved despite an inability to recognize familiar and famous buildings, monuments and landmarks in this environment. Wayfinding was achieved through a heavy reliance on written indications (e.g., names of restaurants and streets), preservation of a pre-existing cognitive map of this familiar environment, and normal executive functions necessary to plan the execution of a given trajectory. In an unfamiliar environment, F.G.'s topographical agnosia resulted in severe wayfinding difficulties and in the inability to build an adequate cognitive spatial representation. F.G.'s topographical agnosia results from a high-level visuoperceptual deficit, characterized by an inability to access a global configuration of complex visual stimuli such as familiar and famous monuments, and an over-reliance on the processing of local features.

Aged↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Family environment and emotional and behavioural symptoms in adolescent Cambodian Refugees: influence of time, gender, and acculturation.

For young refugees, the turmoil of adolescence is exacerbated by the acculturation process that sometimes places them at odds with the traditional culture of their ethnic group. The family environment can affect how adolescents cross that pivotal period. This paper focuses on the influence of family environment, gender and acculturation on the mental health of young refugees from early to mid-adolescence. Sixty-seven Cambodian adolescents were followed up from early to mid-adolescence. The effects of the youths' acculturation level, gender, and family environment and structure on internalising and externalising symptoms were analysed through linear regression analyses. Family conflict tends to increase from early to mid-adolescence. The association between family environment and mental health changes over time and, overall, family environment is associated with externalisation whereas gender, acculturation level, and family structure influence internalisation. Cambodian girls and boys cope differently with the challenges of adolescence in the host country, adopting traditional strategies and borrowing new ones from the host culture. Family therapy may help the parents and their adolescents address this process of change, which is both a source of vulnerability and of fulfilment, and enhances the ability of the family to negotiate between the cultural worlds of the home and of the host countries.

Acculturation↗

PubMed2005

Development of the home and community environment (HACE) instrument.

OBJECTIVE: To develop and pilot test the Home and Community Environment instrument (HACE), a self-report measure designed to characterize factors in a person's home and community environment that may influence level of participation. DESIGN: A cross-sectional survey. SUBJECTS: Sixty-two adults recruited from community organizations and an outpatient rehabilitation center. METHODS: Six environmental domains were assessed: (i) home mobility; (ii) community mobility; (iii) basic mobility devices; (iv) communication devices; (v) transportation factors; and (vi) attitudes. Descriptive statistics, Kappa statistics and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to ascertain whether persons were capable of assessing characteristics of their environment, could do so reliably and whether the distribution of environmental factors differed by type of living situation. RESULTS: Participants were capable of characterizing their home environment and most aspects of their community with acceptable reliability. The median percent agreement of the 6 environmental domains ranged from 75% to 100% (median Kappa values ranged from 0.47 to 1.0). Percent agreement for individual HACE items ranged from 58% to 100%. The lowest reliability values were observed in the community mobility domain. As hypothesized, individuals who lived in private homes characterized home and community mobility factors differently from those who lived in multi-unit complexes; evidence of HACE's validity. CONCLUSION: HACE is a promising self-report instrument for assessing characteristics of an individual's home and community environments. Additional research is needed to assess its utility for rehabilitation research.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Context-dependent intergenerational effects: the interaction between past and present environments and its effect on population dynamics.

Intergenerational effects arise when parents' actions influence the reproduction and survival of their offspring and possibly later descendants. Models suggest that intergenerational effects have important implications for both population dynamical patterns and the evolution of life-history traits. However, these will depend on the nature and duration of intergenerational effects. Here we show that manipulating parental food environments of soil mites produced intergenerational effects that were still detectable in the life histories of descendents three generations later. Intergenerational effects varied in different environments and from one generation to the next. In low-food environments, variation in egg size altered a trade-off between age and size at maturity and had little effect on the size of eggs produced in subsequent generations. Consequently, intergenerational effects decreased over time. In contrast, in high-food environments, variation in egg size predominantly influenced a trade-off between fecundity and adult survival and generated increasing variation in egg size. As a result, the persistence and significance of intergenerational effects varied between high- and low-food environments. Context-dependent intergenerational effects can therefore have complex but important effects on population dynamics.

Acaridae↗

PubMed2006

Assessment of emotional reactivity produced by exposure to virtual environments in patients with eating disorders.

The aim of this study was to assess the usefulness of virtual environments representing situations that are emotionally significant to subjects with eating disorders (ED). These environments may be applied with both evaluative and therapeutic aims and in simulation procedures to carry out a range of experimental studies. This paper is part of a wider research project analyzing the influence of the situation to which subjects are exposed on their performance on body image estimation tasks. Thirty female patients with eating disorders were exposed to six virtual environments: a living-room (neutral situation), a kitchen with high-calorie food, a kitchen with low-calorie food, a restaurant with high-calorie food, a restaurant with low-calorie food, and a swimming-pool. After exposure to each environment the STAI-S (a measurement of state anxiety) and the CDB (a measurement of depression) were administered to all subjects. The results show that virtual reality instruments are particularly useful for simulating everyday situations that may provoke emotional reactions such as anxiety and depression, in patients with ED. Virtual environments in which subjects are obliged to ingest high-calorie food provoke the highest levels of state anxiety and depression.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1998

Genotype-environment interaction at quantitative trait loci affecting sensory bristle number in Drosophila melanogaster.

The magnitude of segregating variation for bristle number in Drosophila melanogaster exceeds that predicted from models of mutation-selection balance. To evaluate the hypothesis that genotype-environment interaction (GEI) maintains variation for bristle number in nature, we quantified the extent of GEI for abdominal and sternopleural bristles among 98 recombinant inbred lines, derived from two homozygous laboratory strains, in three temperature environments. There was considerable GEI for both bristle traits, which was mainly attributable to changes in rank order of line means. We conducted a genome-wide screen for quantitative trait loci (QTLs) affecting bristle number in each sex and temperature environment, using a dense (3.2-cM) marker map of polymorphic insertion sites of roo transposable elements. Nine sternopleural and 11 abdominal bristle number QTLs were detected. Significant GEI was exhibited by 14 QTLs, but there was heterogeneity among QTLs in their sensitivity to thermal and sexual environments. To further evaluate the hypothesis that GEI maintains variation for bristle number, we require estimates of allelic effects across environments at genetic loci affecting the traits. This level of resolution may be achievable for Drosophila bristle number because candidate loci affecting bristle development often map to the same location as bristle number QTLs.

Animals↗

PubMed2026

Satisfaction with clinical practice environments among early-career health professionals in South Africa: Findings from the WiSDOM cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The work or practice environments of health professionals play a central role in their retention in the healthcare system and their ability to provide quality patient care. The aim of the study was to examine and compare the satisfaction of early-career health professionals in the WiSDOM (Wits longitudinal Study to Determine the Operation of the labour Market among its health professional graduates) study with their clinical practice environments (CPEs) in South Africa, and the factors influencing their satisfaction. METHODS: WiSDOM, a prospective longitudinal cohort study, consists of eight health professions: clinical associates, dentists, doctors, nurses, occupational therapists, oral hygienists, pharmacists, and physiotherapists. Every year we collect information on the cohort's involvement in direct patient care, their perceived workload, availability of medicines and equipment for patients in their care, and their satisfaction with the clinical practice environment (CPE).We used Stata®19 for analysis. We used panel linear regression to investigate factors associated with the cohort's satisfaction with their clinical practice environments from 2018 to 2024, and logistic regression to evaluate the association between CPE and intention to leave in 2024. RESULTS: In 2024, the mean age of the cohort was 30.9 (± 2.0), the majority were female (74.4%) and working in urban areas (92.7%). In 2024, 59.7% of the overall cohort reported a heavy workload compared to 69.2% in 2018. Over the follow-up period, reported problems with the availability of medicines or equipment were worse in the public sector and in rural areas, compared to the private sector and urban areas respectively.The cohort's satisfaction score with the CPE was 6.7 out of 10 in 2018 and 6.9 in 2024. The predictors of CPE were year of follow-up, health profession, employment sector, and geographic location. Nurses (β=-1.2; 95% CI -1.7, -0.7; p < 0.001), and pharmacists (β=-0.7; 95% CI -1.1, -0.4; p < 0.001) scored their CPE significantly lower compared to the other professional groups. Health professionals in the public sector (β=-1.1; 95% CI -1.3, -0.9; p < 0.001) and in rural areas (β=-0.6; 95% CI -0.9, -0.3; p < 0.001) were less satisfied with their CPE compared to those in the private sector and urban areas respectively. Dissatisfaction with the CPE was significantly associated with intention to leave the workplace and the profession. CONCLUSION: The study findings underscore the need for positive clinical practice environments for early-career health professionals in South Africa both as a health workforce and patient safety imperative.

South Africa↗

PubMed1999

Neighborhood social environment and risk of death: multilevel evidence from the Alameda County Study.

Recent reports suggest the importance of associations between residential area characteristics and health status, but most research uses only census data to measure these characteristics. The current research examined the effect of overall neighborhood social environment on 11-year risk of death. On the basis of data, the authors developed a three-component neighborhood social environment scale: 1) commercial stores; 2) population socioeconomic status; and 3) environment/housing. Data from the 1983 wave of the Alameda County Study (n = 1,129) and deaths over 11 years were analyzed with two-level logistic regression models. Age- and sex-adjusted risk of death was higher for residents in low social environment neighborhoods (odds ratio = 1.58, 95% confidence interval 1.15-2.18). Mortality risks were significantly higher in neighborhoods with a low social environment, even after account was taken of individual income level, education, race/ethnicity, perceived health status, smoking status, body mass index, and alcohol consumption. When each component of the neighborhood social environment characteristics score was examined separately, each was found to be associated with higher risk for mortality, independent of individual risk factors. These findings demonstrate the role of area characteristics as a health risk factor and point to the need for more focused attention to the meaning and measurement of neighborhood quality.

Adult↗

PubMed1998

Social context of pain in children with Juvenile Primary Fibromyalgia Syndrome: parental pain history and family environment.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to describe parental pain history and the family environment as it relates to the functional status of children with Juvenile Primary Fibromyalgia Syndrome (JPFS). DESIGN AND OUTCOME MEASURES: Twenty-nine parents of children with JPFS completed a pain history questionnaire, Von Korff Chronic Pain Grading system, and the Family Environment Scale (FES). Twenty-one adolescents with JPFS completed the FES, the Visual Analogue Scale for Pain, the modified Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire for Children, the Arthritis Impact Measurement Scales, and the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised. Correlational analyses were performed. RESULTS: Parents of children with JPFS reported multiple chronic pain conditions, including but not limited to fibromyalgia. Parental pain history and the family environment correlated with the health status of adolescents with JPFS. Children with JPFS perceived the family environment as significantly more cohesive than did their parents. Greater incongruence between parent and child responses on the FES positively correlated with greater impairment. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that family environment and parental pain history ày be related to how children cope with JPFS. Behavioral interventions targeting the family may improve the long-term functional status of children with JPFS.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1985

Impact of environment on state university hospital performance. An explanatory model.

This article, by means of a path model, shows the impact of environment on state university hospital performance. The state environment is shown to affect systematically the intensity of local competition, the reputation of the medical school, the financial independence of the parent university, the allocation of indigent care dollars, the nature of governance and management, and the performance of the hospital. Results show that while certain environments are predictably more supportive of universities and university hospitals, these environments tend also to attract health care competition. Competition is shown to pressure hospitals into greater efficiency, but competition is shown also to hurt viability. But a hospital management that pays attention to the hospital environment is shown to help both efficiency and viability. The model explains respectively 37% and 46% of the variance in hospital efficiency and viability.

Data Collection↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Perceived nursing work environment of critical care nurses.

BACKGROUND: Different concepts and measures have been used to evaluate the work environment of nurses in hospital settings. There is increasing need for updated measurement tools that reflect the evolving nature of the work environment. OBJECTIVES: To report the psychometric properties of the Perceived Nursing Work Environment (PNWE) instrument, and to compare these results with those of other scales derived from the same background instrument: the Nursing Work Index-Revised. METHODS: The Nursing Work Index-Revised was used in a national survey of critical care nurses. Exploratory principal component analysis with orthogonal rotation was conducted. Psychometric properties were examined. Construct validity was evaluated by comparing the scores for a subsample of nurses in magnet and nonmagnet hospitals. RESULTS: Surveys obtained from 68 hospitals across the nation had a mean response rate of 41%, resulting in a sample of 2,324 participants. The PNWE, with its seven subscales and 42 items, explained 53% of the total variance of the Nursing Work Index-Revised. The subscales exhibited moderate to high reliabilities ranging from .70 to .91, except for one subscale (.56), and generally low intercorrelation. A similar version of the nurse-physician collaboration subscale was found in three of the other four scales compared. The positive scheduling climate subscale was a unique finding. Nurses employed at magnet hospitals had more positive perceived work environments than those employed at nonmagnet hospitals, and showed higher mean scores in four of the seven subscales (p < .05). CONCLUSIONS: The PNWE, a measure of the work environment as perceived by nurses, represents the latest version of the Nursing Work Index-Revised based on current practice. In this study, it exhibited sound psychometric properties. Further application and testing of the PNWE in various patient care settings is recommended.

Adult↗

PubMed2000

Context determines the type of sensitized behaviour: a brief review and a hypothesis on the role of environment in behavioural sensitization.

Behavioural sensitization to psychostimulants may develop context-dependency in certain circumstances. Animals given a stimulant repeatedly in a test cage but not in other environments may show enhanced drug-induced behaviour in the test cage. Conditioning mechanisms have been claimed to be responsible for these phenomena. However, several recent findings are not properly accounted for by conditioning. In addition, growing evidence supports the hypothesis that behavioural sensitization reflects neural changes induced by repeated exposure to psychostimulants (the pharmacological hypothesis). However, the pharmacological hypothesis itself fails to account for environmental influences. In this paper, we propose a hypothesis on the role of environment that is complementary to the pharmacological hypothesis. According to our hypothesis, environment does not have a causal role in the development of sensitization, but it modifies the mode of expression of the sensitized behaviour. Sensitization primarily reflects a neuroadaptive change induced by repeated exposure of the neural system to psychostimulants. However, psychostimulants are known to induce different behaviours in different environments. Therefore, repeated administration of a psychostimulant in different environments would result in augmentation of different behaviours. Our hypothesis potentially accommodates various previous observations. We briefly review the literature and present our hypothesis.

Adaptation, Physiological↗