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PubMed2001

Perception of genital prolapse: a hospital-based study in Alexandria (Part II).

Genital prolapse is a common health problem, understanding women's perceptions and beliefs may illuminate our understanding of their health seeking behavior which form a first step in any effort to improve their health. The present study was designed to investigate the perception of genital prolapse among women attending the outpatient clinic in El-Shatby Maternity University Hospital in Alexandria. Data was collected from a sample of 291 women who had any form of genital prolapse. Women's knowledge about risk factors for genital prolapse, women's beliefs related to genital prolapse as well as their beliefs about assistance at delivery (beliefs were assessed through the Health Belief Model) were measured for women who knew that they were suffering of genital prolapse (n = 40). The results revealed that more than two thirds of cases (70.4%) had poor (36.4%) or fair knowledge (34%) and only 29.6% had satisfactory knowledge. The majority of women having positive perception to diagnosis and symptoms for genital prolapse had high perception of "susceptibility" to and "severity" of complications of genital prolapse (97.5% and 85% respectively). More than two thirds (67.5%) had high scores of "perceived benefits" of treatment and medical advice, while nearly one third (32.5%) scored moderate. The majority of women (82.5%) had either moderate scores (55%) or high scores (27.5%) of perceived barriers to compliance to medical instructions or recommended surgery. About two thirds of cases (65.6%) sought medical care later than one year of perception of symptoms. Women's knowledge and degree of genital prolapse were directly related to women's report of symptoms characteristic of prolapse, while the level of education was inversely related. Health education for women on different aspects of reproduction using appropriate materials is highly recommended.

Egypt↗

PubMed1991

Critical care nurse perceptions of family needs.

Family needs research has for the most part focused on the families' perceptions when a significant other is admitted to the intensive care unit. We examined critical care nurse perceptions of family needs. The questionnaire "Needs of Families of Critically Ill Patients" was given to 126 intensive care unit nurses. The tool was an adaptation of Molter's questionnaire "Needs of Relatives of Critically Ill Patients." The revised tool examined nurse perception of family needs, perception of time available to meet the needs in daily practice, and the best professional to meet the family need if the need was identified as best met by someone other than the nurse. The majority of the nurses perceived family needs as important or very important, and 85% of the nurses indicated that they were able to meet family needs and had the time to do so. Cognitive family were ranked higher than psychologic or personal and physical needs. Nurses from the four intensive care units ranked family needs significantly differently, a result that may be influenced by differing patient acuity and patient length of stay on individual units. Nurses' perceptions of family needs were influenced by units worked, length of time practicing in critical care, educational preparation, and length of time in nursing.

Analysis of Variance↗

PubMed1990

Physicians' perception of personal risk of HIV infection and AIDS through occupational exposure.

Physicians' response to acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) is poorly understood and often attributed to fear of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection through occupational exposure. We surveyed 268 physicians from three geographic regions in North American with different specialties and responsibilities for HIV-positive patients. An important difference was found between the published risk and the physicians' perceived risk of infection after a single occupational exposure. Almost half of the respondents stated that they feared contracting AIDS more than other diseases. The physicians who perceived themselves to be at high physical risk were more likely than the others to report that AIDS had changed the way they interact with their patients (r = 0.26, p less than 0.001). No relation was found between the perception of physical risk and the number of HIV-infected patients (r = -0.07, p = 0.15). However, the perception of social risk showed a small inverse correlation (r = -0.15, p less than 0.02), in which the physicians with more HIV-infected patients reported less concern about negative social consequences. The physicians who perceived themselves to be at high personal risk were more likely than the others to report that surgeons have the right to refuse patients who do not wish to undergo HIV antibody testing (r = -0.16, p less than 0.01 for physical risk; r = -0.29, p less than 0.001 for social risk). Multiple regression analyses indicated that physicians' perception of physical risk was not related to age or sex but was modestly related to income source. The perception of social risk was related to sex and income source. Physicians' perception of personal risk is a crucial, yet often unacknowledged, component of the fight against AIDS. Our findings suggest that lack of attention to this issue is seriously compromising initiatives designed to facilitate physician participation in AIDS care.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Departmental image: consumer perceptions.

The image of any radiology facility is a direct result of perceptions gathered by the consumer of their services. These consumers--referring physicians and patients--may be inaccurate in their perceptions, but it is these perceptions that form the basis for their opinions. Damage to the image of the facility may occur as a result of inaccurate but negative perceptions. Such negative perceptions must be determined and addressed in the promotion of a favorable community image. Actual increases or decreases in referrals to a radiology facility are directly related to the image of that faculty within its medical community.

Consumer Behavior↗

PubMed1995

Patients' perception of health on renal replacement therapy: evaluation using a new instrument.

Patients' perception of their health is an important outcome measure in the management of chronic disease. Comparing that perception from patients receiving different forms of renal replacement therapy (RRT) with data from the general population could be used to monitor the effectiveness of treatment. The short form 36 (SF-36) questionnaire is a general measure of health status which has been validated in the UK and uses eight health scales comprising physical function, social function, role limitation (physical and emotional), mental health, energy, pain and overall health. Using the SF-36 questionnaire, the perception of health of patients receiving RRT was compared with data from healthy control subjects. One hundred and seventy-two of 185 (93%) patients receiving RRT--transplant (n = 102), haemodialysis (n = 43), and peritoneal dialysis (n = 27) completed the questionnaire; scores were compared with those from 542 healthy control subjects. The perception of health of haemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis patients was significantly worse than transplanted patients and controls in six of the eight scales (P < 0.05 dialysis versus transplant and controls). That of transplanted patients was worse in only two and better in one of the eight scales compared with the general population (P < 0.05). Patients were also stratified into low, medium, and high-risk groups based on age and comorbidity and were analysed irrespective of treatment modality. Scores were significantly different across the risk groups in five of the eight scales. We conclude that the SF-36 questionnaire is acceptable to patients on RRT and enables the perception of health of patients receiving RRT to be compared with that of the general population.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗

PubMed1996

Do Polynesians still believe that big is beautiful? Comparison of body size perceptions and preferences of Cook Islands, Maori and Australians.

AIMS: To examine body size perceptions in a group of Polynesians from the Cook Islands and compare these with perceptions of Australians of European decent. METHODS: Residents of Tutakimoa village on the island of Rarotonga, Cook Islands completed a questionnaire on body size perception (83 females, 49 males, 80% response rate). The responses were compared with the same number of Australian subjects who were matched for sex, age and body mass index (BMI). Culturally appropriate, graded sets of photographs (one female and one male for each ethnic group) were used as the stimuli for questions on body perception. RESULTS: Cook Islands women were the most accurate in their perception of their current size; other groups overestimated. All groups preferred to be smaller, particularly women, with similar preferences (BMI 23-24) in women of both ethnic groups. Cook Islands subjects chose larger ideal sizes than Australians for both females (BMI 24.4 vs 22.5) and males (BMI 27 vs 24.2). CONCLUSIONS: The traditional Polynesian concepts of very large body sizes being considered healthy and attractive are not evident in the modern day Cook Islanders. The excessive pursuit of western fashions for small female body size may have longer term detrimental effects in Polynesian women.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1996

Perception of the impact of a child's chronic illness: does it predict maternal mental health?

Longitudinal data were used to investigate direct and indirect effects of demographic factors, parameters of chronic health conditions, service use variables, and perception of family impact of illness on mental health of 169 mothers of children with diverse chronic health conditions. Bivariate analyses indicated that baseline assessments of demographic factors, condition parameters, and service use were: (1) generally unrelated to maternal mental health at 1 year and (2) modestly related to maternal perception of the condition's impact on the family 1 year later. Perceived impact and maternal mental health themselves were moderately related. Multivariate analyses indicated that the need to watch for changes in the child's condition, the presence of communication or speech problems, and the number of hospitalizations in the previous year predicted maternal perceptions of the impact of the condition 1 year later. Mothers perception of impact had a direct effect on mothers' mental health after accounting for condition parameters. Results suggest that condition parameters and service use can affect maternal mental health through mothers' perceptions of the impact of the condition on family life. Implications for interventions to prevent maternal health problems are discussed.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed1997

Randomized, prospective, double-blind study of the effects on pain perception of lidocaine jelly versus plain lubricant during outpatient rigid cystoscopy.

PURPOSE: There is no clear evidence that intraurethral lidocaine jelly decreases pain and/or makes rigid cystoscopy more tolerable for patients. Since lidocaine jelly is significantly more expensive than plain lubricant, we attempted to assess the true benefit of this agent. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a randomized, prospective, double-blind study to compare the anesthetic effects of intraurethral 2% lidocaine jelly versus plain lubricant in patients undergoing rigid cystoscopy. Unlike previous studies, we ensured adequate urethral filling by using 30 cc of each agent and we waited 20 minutes after instillation of the agent before performing cystoscopy to allow adequate absorption. Cystoscopy was performed using a 17 to 21F rigid instrument. A total of 189 patients was entered into the study but 10 were excluded from analysis due to incomplete questionnaires. A 10-point scale (1-least to 10-most painful) was used to measure pain perception. RESULTS: In men pain perception was significantly decreased when lidocaine jelly was used (mean plus or minus standard error 3.00 +/- 0.21 versus 4.36 +/- 0.37 points, p = 0.002). In women there was no observed difference in pain perception when lidocaine jelly or plain lubricant was used (3.21 +/- 0.38 versus 3.11 +/- 0.30 points, p = 0.823). Patient race, performance of a related procedure, cystoscope size or history of cystoscopy did not significantly affect reported pain scores. There was a slight decrease in pain perception with increasing age (-0.23 +/- 0.10 points per decade, p = 0.021). The level of patient anxiety before cystoscopy was also significantly associated with pain perception (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Lidocaine jelly offers no advantage over plain lubricant in regard to pain control during rigid cystoscopy in women. However, when used in adequate amounts and allowed to dwell in the urethra for 20 minutes before cystoscopy, lidocaine jelly can significantly decrease pain in men.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Self-perception of health and survival. A 10-year follow-up among Italians aged over sixty.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the long-term relationship between the self-perception of health and survival data in an Italian population. The study was a cross-sectional survey performed in 1978-1982; survival data were obtained from the municipal administration register 10 years later. Subjects were selected in the city of Genoa (NW of Italy) through a preventive bio-medical survey. Baseline data involved 433 Italian subjects 60+ years old (34.4% males, age range 60-92), living at home, with adequate/ good physical and psychological autonomy. Self-perception of health and symptomatology were recorded using standardized items. Self-perception of health, scored from 0 (healthy) to 4 (very sick), was closely related to the survival status (UML-LOGIST: beta = 0.72 +/- 0.25, aOR (exp beta) = 2.06, CI(95%) = 1.27-3.30, chi 2 = 8.70, p = 0.0032), controlling for the effect of age, gender, years of schooling, income, doctor's appraisal. Symptomatology was evaluated through 30 close items; muscular strength and motility (beta = 0.51 +/- 0.31, p = 0.1), psychic troubles (beta = 0.47 +/- 0.24, p = 0.05), articular pain and rachialgias (beta = -0.62 +/- 0.25, p = 0.01), neuralgia (beta = -0.76 +/- 0.37, p = 0.04), and dyspeptic disorders (beta = -0.74 +/- 0.32, p = 0.02), were the symptomatologic conditions linked to survival levels. These findings confirm the importance of the self-perception of health as a predictor of survival status also in an Italian sample. To explain the predictive covariance of the baseline self-perception of health versus mortality, the decreased variability in the adaptive processes during the transition from psychophysiological to physiopathological states was hypothesized.

Aged↗

PubMed1997

Late adolescents' perceptions of their caregiver's feeding styles and practices and those they will use with their own children.

The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of late adolescents regarding their caregivers' feeding styles and practices and their perceptions of those they plan to use with their children. The 546 subjects were from a randomly selected sample of 1,000, nonparenting, 18 to 23-year old college students who responded to a questionnaire. Two distinct feeding styles emerged: adult-controlled and cooperative. The adult-controlled style reflects a perception of control which the adult decides what and how much a child will eat. The cooperative style reflects shared control where the adult decides what food will be presented and the child decides how much and whether to eat. Chi-square analysis of the relationship between subjects' perceptions of their caregivers' feeding styles and their perceptions of the styles they believe they will use with their children, resulted in a positive association. To examine perceived past and future feeding practices, a Pearson's r was computed on subscales from a factor analysis. Results indicated positive correlations between subjects' perceived past and future feeding practices. These results suggest generational transmission of feeding styles and practices. A recommendation is made for parent and nutrition educators to focus on both parenting styles and feeding practices.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1997

Quality of life of individuals with end stage renal disease: perceptions of patients, nurses, and physicians.

OBJECTIVE: The objectives of this study were to describe the perceptions of physicians, nurses, and patients regarding the quality of life (QOL) of individuals with end stage renal disease (ESRD), to identify differences in ratings of QOL, and to identify predictors of perceptions of QOL for each group. DESIGN: A cross-sectional, descriptive comparative design was used. Three measures of QOL, the Self-Anchoring Striving Scale, Index of Well-Being, and Time Trade-Off were used. SAMPLE/SETTING: The subjects included 215 patients with ESRD (including dialysis and transplant), and 42 nurses and 7 physicians who cared for them. All were from a major tertiary care hospital renal program in western Canada. METHODS: Patients were interviewed and asked to complete questionnaires relating to quality of life, health status, functional status, outlook, support, medical, and demographic characteristics. Three measures of QOL, the Self-Anchoring Striving Scale, Index of Well-Being, and the Time Trade-Off were used. Primary physicians and nurses were asked to complete the same questionnaires within one week of the patients. RESULTS: It was found that there were significant differences in the ratings among the groups. The nurses' ratings of patients' QOL were significantly lower than were patients (T2 = 21.89, df = 5, 377, p < .001). Physicians' mean ratings were higher than patients' ratings (T2 = 14.24, df = 5, 338, p < .05). Correlations among patients', nurses', and physicians' ratings of QOL ranged between .19 and .49. It was also found that different variables explained the perceptions of each group regarding the patients' QOL. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, nurses, physicians, and patients rated the QOL of individual patients differently, and different factors explained the perceptions of QOL of each group. Although findings of the study are not generalizable, it may be advisable for nurses to be aware that patients and physicians may not share their perceptions of patients' QOL.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1997

Adolescent body mass indices and self-perception.

This study examined the relationship between body mass index (BMI) of adolescents and their perceived-weight status and self-concept, controlling for confounding factors. The data base was drawn from the High School and Beyond (HSB) study, which included 17,318 females and 15,878 males. BMI was calculated using self-reported weights and heights. Response variables included a self-concept index and evaluation of the statement "I am overweight." While respondents' perception of overweight status was accompanied by higher mean BMI values, there were discrepancies in perceived-weight and BMI-weight status. Logistic regression of explanatory variables on perception of overweight status revealed that BMI was the strongest predictor, gender was the second strongest, and the odds of perception of overweight status were higher for females than males by a factor of more than eight. Ordinary least squares regression of explanatory variables on the self-concept index revealed that perception of normal weight status, lower BMI, and male gender were strong predictors of positive self-concept. The findings indicate that substantial numbers of teenage females perceive themselves as overweight when BMI values suggest they are not, while males have a reasonably accurate weight perception.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1997

Perceptions of orthodontic appliances among grade seven students and their parents.

A survey of 468 Grade Seven students and 437 parents in the North Brisbane region was undertaken to determine perceptions of orthodontic appliances. Based on responses to statements on the survey, a Perception Score was created for both students and parents in relation to both fixed and removable appliances. Both students and parents had more negative perceptions of fixed appliances than of removable appliances. Fixed appliances were perceived to attract more teasing, to cause more problems in the maintenance of oral hygiene and to be more painful than a removable plate. Respondents also felt that children would have to be more careful about what they eat when wearing fixed appliances. Approximately forty per cent of students and parents did not know whether teeth could be damaged by orthodontic appliances nor whether the appliances would cause discomfort. Parents had significantly more negative perceptions of both types of orthodontic appliances than did the students. The Perceptions scores were not significantly influenced by whether the students attended a private or public sector dentist, the frequency of dental visits, any history of orthodontic treatment, nor by the parents' level of education and their occupations. A forewarning about experiences of orthodontic appliances would better prepare patients and assist operators in providing the community with a more comprehensive orthodontic service.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1981

Shadworth Hodgson and William James's formulation of space perception: phenomenology and perceptual realism.

This paper has two related goals. First, it seeks to show that the theory of perception found in William James's Principles of Psychology is thoroughly consistent if it is approached through the framework of perceptual realism versus constructionism rather than the nativism versus empiricism debate. As such, this paper offers an alternative to Nicholas Pastore's claim that there are two contradictory theories of perception in the Principles. James's commitment of perceptual realism is articulated within the contexts of his (1) critique of constructionist perception theories, (2) notion of the spatial quale, and (3) formulation of the role of knowledge in adult perception. The second goal of this paper deals with the historical development of James's perceptual realism. Here it is argued that Shadworth Hodgson's method of reflection-an anticipation of Husserl's phenomenological reduction-served as the basis of James's commitment of perceptual realism.

History, 19th Century↗

PubMed1988

Determinants involved in the perception of the Necker cube: an application of catastrophe theory.

The study is concerned with evaluating interactions at the organic level within the visual perception subsystem of living systems. The reported work focuses on the identification of some of the determinants of multistable perception by experimentally testing a nonlinear dynamical systems (catastrophe) model of the Necker Cube. This technique serves as an advantage over linear threshold models which cannot effectively study multivalued functional relationships. It was proposed that manipulation of two independent control parameters (bias or changing shape by continuously varying perspective lines and selective stimulus shading) was compatible with the subjective dichotomy of bistable perception of the Necker cube. One hundred and twenty naive subjects, categorized by age, sex, and optical aids, were presented with a computer-generated sequence of 63 stimuli (7 shading levels X 9 perspective levels) to which they had to respond as to whether they saw a "hollow" or "solid" image. The work revealed that bias and shading exerted their effects in opposition and that each influenced the other. Both were decisive factors involved in the perception of the cube. These findings are supported by topological and psychological evidence.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1998

The role of hemispheric activation in person perception: evidence for an attentional focus model.

Two studies assessed the role of hemispheric activation in person perception. Results of Study 1 supported an attentional focus model of hemispheric differences in person perception as opposed to a stereotyping/individuating model. Relative to left hemisphere-activated participants, right hemisphere-activated participants made more individuating judgments and engaged in more trait level stereotyping, whereas left hemisphere-activated participants engaged in more global stereotyping. In Study 2, greater individuation by participants under higher levels of motivation and ability was shown to be mediated by relatively greater right hemisphere activation. Results of both studies are interpreted in terms of an attentional focus model of person perception. Implications for dual process models of social perception are also discussed.

Adult↗

PubMed1996

[Direct loudness scaling in diagnosis of tinnitus. A contribution to loudness perception in tinnitus].

We used free-field audiometry to investigate the loudness perception of unilateral high-frequency tinnitus in 16 "normal-hearing" ears by comparing the results with loudness scaling in 20 normally hearing ears without any tinnitus. Narrow-band noise signals at four different frequencies from 500 to 4000 Hz were employed. The parameters used included the slope m of the loudness function and the level Lm (corresponding to the loudness perception of "medium loud") as well as the suitability of fit (delta FIT). The results showed that in subjects with tinnitus the slope of the mean loudness level tended to decrease at 4000 Hz. The dynamic range of ears affected by tinnitus was restricted for stimulation with noise signals at 1000, 2000 and 4000 Hz. The parameters of delta FIT fitted to the loudness functions were increased in the whole frequency range of 500-4000 Hz, indicating that loudness scaling was not as reliable for normal hearing ears when influenced by tinnitus. Tinnitus masking was based on the finding that external sound could change tinnitus loudness. Our results showed that the loudness perception of external sound was influenced by tinnitus. This change in loudness perception seemed to be not restricted to the frequency range of the tinnitus.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Peripheral vision for perception and action.

Anatomical and physiological evidence suggests that vision-for-perception and vision-for-action may be differently sensitive to increasingly peripheral stimuli, and to stimuli in the upper and lower visual fields (VF). We asked participants to fixate one of 24 randomly presented LED arranged radially in eight directions and at three eccentricities around a central target location. One of two (small, large) target objects was presented briefly, and participants responded in two ways. For the action task, they reached for and grasped the target. For the perception task, they estimated target height by adjusting thumb-finger separation. In a final set of trials for each task, participants knew that target size would remain constant. We found that peak aperture increased with eccentricity for grasping, but not for perceptual estimations of size. In addition, peak grip aperture, but not size-estimation aperture, was more variable when targets were viewed in the upper as opposed to the lower VF. A second experiment demonstrated that prior knowledge about object size significantly reduced the variability of perceptual estimates, but had no effect on the variability of grip aperture. Overall, these results support the claim that peripheral VF stimuli are processed differently for perception and action. Moreover, they support the idea that the lower VF is specialized for the control of manual prehension. Finally, the effect of prior knowledge about target size on performance substantiates claims that perception is more tightly linked to memory systems than action.

Adult↗