Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Women Health and hygiene Victoria'
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1
Yacelga, Calderon Elva Susana. "Knowledge, attitudes and practices concerning alimentary customs and beliefs of women with children younger than 5 years old, nursing and pregnant mothers, of the following ethnic groups: black, mixed race and natives in three rural regions of the Imbabura province, 1998-1999." BYU ScholarsArchive, 2000. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/5453.
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Ecuador, a country of multi-ethnic culture, has very acute health problems, especially in rural areas where two out of every three poverty-stricken Ecuadorians live. 77% of the population under 18 years of age is under the poverty level. The greater part of the indigenous population inhabits the rural areas of the Andes and the Amazon. 76% of children in the rural Andes are poor. Little Afro-Ecuadorian boys and girls also face severe disadvantages where, in the rural areas, poverty climbs above 70% of the population under 18 years of age. Academic desertion is another factor that affects especially the young women, who have to assume agricultural and communitary jobs due to the adult men's migration to the cities. In areas of indigenous population, chronic malnutrition in those who are under five years of age ascends to 65.3% while the national average reaches 49.4%. Another at-risk group is expecting mothers. Of every 1,000 births, 70 will die before living one year, and for every 100,000 births, 198 mothers die. The Province of Imbabura is rich in alimentary production and has hot, cold, and temperate climates which in turn contribute to a diversity of cultivated products. Nevertheless, the polarization of wealth and the existence of classes with low income levels lessen the possibility of acquiring good nutrition. To this is added the individual nutritional customs and beliefs of each culture that do not allow adequate nourishment in communities which are principally indigenous, Mestizo, and Black. Indigenous, Mestizo, and Black communities have very small parcels of land (minifundios or "small farms") which they cultivate with few resources and tools. This destines the majority for living conditions of extreme poverty. The majority of Mestizos are unemployed or semi-employed, have limited health services, and lack a basic sanitary infrastructure. Another minority group is the Blacks, the majority of whom cultivate fruit and legumes, who also have limited health services and a barely acceptable sanitary infrastructure. In addition, all of these people are victims of racism and federal neglect, and claim the highest rates in general, infant, and maternal mortality in the country. This reality makes difficult the development of adequate training activities which bring about the improvement of the nutritional state of the designated at-risk groups: nursing babies, children under five years of age, and pregnant women. Facing this lacerative situation, and thanks to the support of the EZRA TAFT BENSON Institute (Agriculture and Food Institute. Brigham Young University), we designed this study to determine the understanding, attitudes, and practices in nutritional traditions and beliefs of mothers of nursing babies, children under five years old, and expecting mothers. These three groups were analyzed within the three ethnic groups in the communities of Chota, La Gangotena, and Chilcapamba-communities selected randomly and because of their ethnic populations. In the mothers of the three ethnic groups, we found similar beliefs regarding certain foods. But, there are also discrepancies regarding other recommended and prohibited foods. Diets have a lack of indispensable foods such as vitamins and minerals. Even though these goods are produced in the communities, they are not administered due to stronger ancestral traditions and beliefs. This study provides profound knowledge of their nutritional traditions and beliefs, and with the results, an appropriate intervening proposition may be formulated. The proposition will permit the bettering of alimentary and nutritional conditions in nursing babies, children under five years, and pregnant women by ethnic groups. The Universidad Ténica del Norte has complied in this manner with the social commitment assigned by the State for improving the quality of life of Ecuadorians in general and of the groups studied in particular.
2
Meliala, Andreanyta 1971. "Dietary phytoestrogens and hormone-related health conditions in men and women." Monash University, Monash Asia Institute, 2002. http://arrow.monash.edu.au/hdl/1959.1/8504.
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Hunt, Kate. "Understanding gender and health : systematically comparing the health and health experiences of men and women." Thesis, University of Glasgow, 2007. http://theses.gla.ac.uk/99/.
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Gender differences in health are the product of a complex interaction between biology and the social world. Our ascribed sex and how this is interpreted in the culture within which we live (gender) have life-long consequences for our life chances, including our health. For many years the aphorism that ‘men die quicker but women are sicker’ was presumed to encapsulate gender differences in health. The first paper presented in the thesis challenged this dominant paradigm. First, an analysis of morbidity in two British data sets showed more similarity than difference between men and women. Secondly, we highlighted earlier research with similar results which had been overlooked and failed to shake the ‘gender orthodoxy’. Thirdly, we stressed the ahistoric and decontextualised way in which research on gender and health had been conducted or reported. The remaining papers in the thesis share two underlying principles; all make systematic comparisons between men and women, and all attempt to also examine diversity within gender. All but one of the papers utilise data from the West of Scotland Twenty-07 Study, a study of the social patterning of health in three age cohorts. The second paper examined the impact of paid and unpaid work on symptoms, treating each domain as being relevant in principle to the health of both women and men. The experience of paid work was the predominant influence on malaise symptoms, and unpaid work in the home did not explain any variation in men’s symptom scores. Similar associations were seen between most aspects of paid work and malaise symptom scores in both genders. The paper highlighted the dearth of literature that had compared systematically either the conditions of men’s and women’s paid work, or the health effects of the paid and unpaid work environment for men and women. Men’s ‘under-usage’ of health care is often constructed as a problem, potentially reinforcing an assumption that women ‘over-use’ health care. On average, women have more consultations with their general practitioner, but this excess is mostly apparent in the reproductive years. The third paper examined whether these gender differences exist when taking account of the underlying nature and perceived severity of illness. Women were no more likely than men to have consulted their GP in the past year amongst those reporting morbidity in any of the five condition groups, and men were more likely to have consulted amongst those who reported digestive conditions. The fourth paper takes as its starting point the strong patterning of cigarette smoking by gender (and class) throughout the twentieth century. In it we examined the relationship between ‘masculinity’ and ‘femininity’ scores using the Bem Sex Role Inventory (BSRI, an instrument developed within social psychology in the 1970s). No relationship was seen between either score and smoking in the youngest cohort, nor amongst men in the middle cohort, and in the oldest cohort there was only a suggestion of an association between higher femininity scores and smoking in men. The strongest relationship was seen between ‘femininity’ score and smoking amongst women born in the 1950s who also had a somewhat elevated risk associated with higher ‘masculinity’ scores. Suicide and suicidal behaviours are strongly patterned by gender, and the dramatic rise in suicides amongst young males in the late 1980s and 1990s in several countries was often attributed to a ‘crisis’ in masculinity. The fifth paper examines the association between serious suicidal thoughts and the same measures of ‘masculinity’ and ‘femininity’ and a measure of gender traditionalism. In both men and women in early and late middle age, we found a negative association between higher ‘masculinity scores’ and serious suicidal thoughts, and a positive association between more traditional gender role attitudes and serious suicidal thoughts at older ages. No such associations were seen in early adulthood, and no relationship was seen between serious suicidal thoughts and ‘femininity’ scores at any age. Gender differences in the pattern of coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality have been described as enigmatic and one of the most striking features of cardiovascular mortality in the twentieth century. In an analysis controlling for many of the classic risk factors for CHD (smoking, blood pressure, body mass index, mental health), we found that higher ‘femininity’ scores (using continuous scores from the BSRI) were associated with a decreased risk of CHD mortality in men. No such association was seen in women, and the continuous ‘masculinity’ scores were unrelated to mortality in both women and men. Some advantages and problems with using these measures of ‘masculinity’ and ‘femininity’ in sociological research on gender and health are discussed. Previous research on one distressing side effect of some cancer treatments, chemotherapy-induced hair loss, has almost exclusively focussed on women. The final paper compares young adults’ experiences of hair loss following chemotherapy. Hair loss was a challenging aspect of the experience of cancer for both women and men which made them acutely aware of their vulnerability and visibility as a ‘cancer patient’. Both recounted negative reactions to their altered image, challenging social norms of interaction. However, there were two notable gender differences: it was only men who discussed the loss of body hair below the eyeline; and only women who spoke of being encouraged to wear wigs or offered ice helmets to delay or disguise hair loss. These differences are discussed in relation to social constructions of hair as a marker social identity, including gender. I argue that the gender-comparative approach taken reveals important commonalities across gender, highlighting a greater need for more support for men with chemotherapy induced alopecia, and makes what is not said in the women’s interviews as revealing as what is said in men’s. The concluding remarks highlight the challenges in researching gender and health, and discuss the complex ways in which gender can influence health and vice-versa.
4
Carango, Kathryn Price. "An analysis of President Barack Obama's Global Health Initiative within the framework of a women-centered approach to the socialdeterminants of health." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2010. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B45170757.
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Plugge, Emma. "A longitudinal study to investigate how imprisonment affects the health of women." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2007. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.670157.
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Caruth, Fran. "The health of Canadian women in the workforce : a comparison between homemaker women, workforce women and workforce men based on the 1979 Canada health survey." Thesis, University of British Columbia, 1987. http://hdl.handle.net/2429/26181.
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In the past twenty-five years there has been a marked increase in the number of women in the paid labour force, especially among women with young children. Time studies have shown that when a woman has a young family plus a position in the paid labour force, she works a very long day and has little time for recreational or leisure pursuits.
This thesis therefore poses the following questions:
1. Do women who participate in the paid labour force report poorer health status than their counterparts who are homemakers?
2. Do women who participate in the paid labour force exhibit lifestyle patterns significantly different from their homemaker counterparts?
3. Do women in the paid labour force exhibit health care utilization patterns significantly different from their homemaker counterparts?
and 4. Do women's lifestyles, reported health status and health care
utilization patterns differ from those of their male counterparts in the paid labour force?
Data from the 1978-79 Canada Health Survey (C.H.S.), which had asked a wide cross-section of Canadians about their lifestyle, health status and use of the health care system, were used to explore these questions. A model was then developed for this study which linked health risk behaviours, health status and health care related behaviours, and which used the variables available in the C.H.S. data base. Multiple Classification Analyses were carried out to determine the best predictors of women's health risk behaviours, health status and health care related behaviours. The three study groups were then standardized using the top two predictors and the rates of the various states and behaviours were compared.
First, in the prediction of women's health risk behaviours, the demographic variables included in the model were not effective as only 3-4% of the variance in the scores could be explained. Secondly, in the prediction of health status scores, the composite health risk scores developed for each subject plus the demographic variables were able to explain 4 - 11% of the variation. Thirdly, in the prediction of women's health care related behaviours the composite health risk scores, the health status scores and the demographic variables were together able to explain 14 - 27% of the variance.
When the standardized rates for high health risk behaviours were compared, there were significant differences between the three groups but no group was consistently better or worse than any other. The men's group however, consistently reported better health and less use of the health care system. The women's groups reported similar health states but women in the paid labour force reported a higher use of medications and fewer days in hospital.
The C.H.S. was designed to address issues which affect the whole population. The questions therefore, were not always sufficiently specific to describe the special circumstances of women, especially for example in their childbearing and nurturing years. The rapidly changing social and economic circumstances of women and their families, as women enter the paid labour force, plus the need for more information on their health risk behaviours - what these behaviours are, and what predisposes women to engage in them - point to the need for more research focused specifically on this section of the population.Medicine, Faculty of
Population and Public Health (SPPH), School of
Graduate
7
Carter, Alice Powers. "Biopsychosocial Factors Related to Health among Older Women." Thesis, University of North Texas, 1995. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc277811/.
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Older adults are more vulnerable to the ill effects of life stress due to physiological changes associated with aging that result in decreased immunocompetence. Stressors interacting with an aging immune system may produce further declines in health. Variables shown to modulate the effect of stressors on neuroendocrine and immune function and health include social support, personality, coping style, and health locus of control. A comprehensive model is proposed that includes: life stressors, social resources, psychological resources, interaction between stressors and social resources, neuroendocrine and immune function, and symptomatology. This model was evaluated using structured equation modeling. Participants were 97 active, community dwelling, older women, ranging in age from 60 to 93 years.
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Cooper, Diane. "Women's social position and their health : a case study of the social determinants of the health of women in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, South Africa." Doctoral thesis, University of Cape Town, 1995. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/14955.
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Includes bibliographical references.This thesis examines the social determinants of women's health status, health knowledge and knowledge and use of health services in a peri-urban area, using Kbayelitsha in Cape Town, South Africa as a case study. It argues for the importance of women's health as a specific focus, looks at some trends in women's health internationally over the past two decades and reviews the main factors affecting women's health. Some key issues in women's health of special relevance to developing countries such as South Africa are discussed. There is a special focus on newly urbanised women in peri-urban areas. Against this background the results of a community-based survey, preceded by indepth interviews, and conducted amongst 659 women in Kbayelitsha in 1989 and 1990 are presented. Data collected were statistically analysed using unIvariate,, bivariate and multivariate analysis. A number of priority social and health problems are identified: poverty; poor environmental conditions; lack of education, partlcularly skills training appropriate for finding work and the subordinate social status of women. Major health concerns included reproductive tract infections, especially sexually transmitted diseases, infertility, contraceptive use and ante-natal care during pregnancy. There were inadequacies in cervical screening conducted by health services and deficiencies in respondents' knowledge of AIDS. cervical smears and where to obtain various health services . Young, newly urbanised women, living in the poorly serviced and unserviced informal housing areas were partlcularly vulnerable in their socio-economic and health status within a peri-urban African community such as Khayelitsha. They also had poorest health knowledge and least knowledge of where to acquire health services. Some recommended interventions focussing on certain of these areas are suggested. It is argued that changes in the provision of women's health services within a primary health care setting can only be part of the process of improving women's health. Improvements in women's economic status and their social status are fundamental to any initiatives to improve their health status.
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Fong, Choi-ching, and 方賽貞. "Factors affecting influenza vaccination among pregnant women : a systematic review." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10722/193774.
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Objective: Pregnancy has been recognized as a risk factor for severe pandemic influenza illness and this “vulnerable” group is suggested to be heightened alertness to the disease by WHO. This systemic review aims to identify the factors affecting the uptake of influenza vaccination among pregnant women as the immunization uptake among this particular group of population is low or suboptimal worldwide.
Methods: Systematic literature reviews were conducted by using MEDLINE and PubMed with the key words: “influenza vaccination uptake” and “pregnant women” in the period of January 2004 to January 2013. It was further supplemented by a manual search for literatures and articles on the WHO website, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website, Google Scholar, and reference lists of reviews captured by initial searches.
Results: Of the 222 articles identified, 10 studies were found to be relevant in this system literature review. Influenza vaccine coverage among pregnant women was highly diverse (6.2-76%) among the 10 studies. Overall, pregnant women were more likely to take the vaccination against influenza if they: (1) believed the benefits of the vaccine outweighed the potential barriers, (2) believed the influenza was severe and they were highly susceptible to the disease, and (3) were influenced by the positive cues to action such as recommendation from health care professionals and the experience of the influenza vaccination uptake.
Conclusion: Overall, greater emphasis on vaccine effectiveness and safety, and the recommendation from health care providers is needed to increase the number of pregnant women influenza immunization in the future public health campaigns.published_or_final_version
Medicine
Master
Master of Public Health
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Roussy, Joanne Marie. "How poverty shapes women's experiences of health during pregnancy, a grounded theory study." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 1999. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk1/tape9/PQDD_0028/NQ38967.pdf.
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Blair, Susan Heather Ruth. "The relationship among self-esteem, health locus of control, and health-promoting behaviours of midlife women." Thesis, University of British Columbia, 1990. http://hdl.handle.net/2429/28765.
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This descriptive correlational study was designed to increase the knowledge needed to understand the relationship among health-related variables that facilitate or sustain health-promoting behaviours of midlife women. Specifically, this study investigated the relationship among self-esteem, health locus of control, and health-promoting behaviours of women in this age group. Pender's (1982) original Health Promotion Model provided the theoretical framework to structure this study. The sample included 84 midlife women volunteers who were current or prospective members of a Vancouver-based social networking group for mature women. Data were collected using the Rosenberg (1965) Self-Esteem Scale, the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale -Form A, and the Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson's product-moment correlations, and stepwise multiple regression. Three significant predictors, self-esteem, chance health locus of control, and powerful others health locus of control, explained 24.5% of the variance for engaging in health-promoting behaviours. The study findings supported Pender's Model which postulated that individual perceptions of self-esteem and health locus of control, among other personal factors, influence one's likelihood of engaging in health-promoting behaviours. The findings also supported Pender's contention that selected demographic variables, as modifying variables, have an impact on health-promoting behaviours.Applied Science, Faculty of
Nursing, School of
Graduate
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Hanusaik, Nancy Anna. "Association of measures of functional status with fat-free mass in frail elderly women." Thesis, McGill University, 1996. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=27333.
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The association of functional status with fat-free mass (FFM) was examined cross-sectionally in a sample of 30 frail elderly women $(81.5 pm 7$ years) to evaluate potential outcome indicators for nutritional interventions. FFM, determined using multi-frequency bioelectrical impedance analysis, was lower in this frail group than in previous reports for "younger" elderly females. All measures of muscle strength (handgrip, biceps, quadriceps) were significantly correlated with FFM $ rm (r ge 0.45, p le 0.02),$ while the measures of global function (Timed "Up & Go" Test and walking speed) as well as self-perceived health were not. The measures of muscle strength and global function were found to have good reliability based on measurements taken on two occasions separated by one week $ rm (ICC ge 0.80).$
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Bartholomew, Michelle L. "Health experiences of older African Caribbean women living in the UK." Thesis, University of Huddersfield, 2012. http://eprints.hud.ac.uk/id/eprint/17501/.
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This thesis examines older (60-75 years) African Caribbean migrant women‟s experiences of health and the extent to which these connect with identity across the life-course. It draws on their accounts to consider how gender, migrant and ethnic identity are produced and constructed in later life. The thesis considers the religious experiences of older African Caribbean women and how these influence health and well-being. The relationship between past and present homeland experiences, traditions and homeland produce such as food and medicine, is further examined. The aim here is to identify how the maintenance of ethnic and cultural identities influences their perceptions of health, western healthcare and medical practices. The key theories examined relate to identity construction and how identity categories are inter-dependant, constantly changing and made up of boundaries that are not totally fixed. In addition to this, the formation of religious identity is examined to see the extent to which religion and its practices are contained within certain parameters and constraints which can structure the nature of both self-representation and subjectivity. The gendered nature of knowledge is also examined to ascertain how knowledge influences individual power and how power can influence the connections between the body, surveillance and health. A qualitative and in depth interpretative analysis guided by feminist epistemological and ontological thought is used. A methodological aim was to deconstruct the universal categories of women‟s experiences, in order to enable insight into the different types of regulation that define the individual experiences of older migrant African Caribbean women living in the UK. A second aim within the research process was to explore how the researcher‟s biography influences and is influenced by the biographies of the research participants. The key findings suggest past experiences have impacted on the health and well-being of African Caribbean women in later life. For instance, life-course inequalities had a direct impact on their health and life-fulfilment as they grew older. The experiences of older African Caribbean women link to the construction of both their ethnic and cultural identity, and these identities are constructed in such a way as to maintain the self and identity boundaries. Religion and its practices are of immense importance to older African Caribbean women. It is through such activities that many were able to cope with hardship and the effects of multiple oppressions. These have influenced how older African Caribbean women perceive and maintain their health and well-being. In understanding the lives of older African Caribbean women, it is important to consider the ways in which cultural, migratory and social experiences shape their experiences of health and well-being in later life; in order to acknowledge diversity through the recognition and acceptance of difference.
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Cheek, Rita Elaine. "The relationship between sleep hygiene practices and nocturnal sleep for midlife women with and without insomnia /." Thesis, Connect to this title online; UW restricted, 1996. http://hdl.handle.net/1773/7207.
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Hammond, Marsha V. "Breast Cancer Screening Health Behaviors in Older Women." Thesis, University of North Texas, 1994. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc278973/.
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Health beliefs of 221 postmenopausal women were assessed to predict the Breast Cancer Screening Behaviors of breast self-examination (BSE) and utilization of mammography. Champion's (1991) revised Health Belief Model (HBM) instrument for BSE, which assesses the HBM constructs of Seriousness, Susceptibility, Benefits, Barriers, Confidence and Health Motivation, was utilized along with her Barriers and Benefits instrument for mammography usage. Ronis' and Harel's (1989) constructs of Severity-Late and Severity-Early were evaluated along with Cuing and demographic variables. These exogenous latent constructs were utilized in a LISREL path model to predict Breast Cancer Screening Behavior.
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Lorimer, Karen. "Non-medical approach to screening young men and women for chlamydia trachomatis." Thesis, University of Glasgow, 2006. http://theses.gla.ac.uk/1338/.
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The aims of this PhD study were to assess the feasibility of accessing non-medical settings within which to offer chlamydia screening, to ascertain the knowledge of chlamydia and young men’s and women’s views towards non-medical screening, and to assess relative willingness to be screened for chlamydia by young men and women. Results: Eighty-four percent of age eligible users approached participated in education, health and fitness and workplace settings (n=126, n=133 and n=104, respectively). Of all sexually active people 113 (32%) were willing to be tested for chlamydia in non-medical settings. Uptake of testing was highest in the health and fitness setting (50% uptake for both women and men compared with 20% in education and 30% in workplace settings). In each setting young men were more willing than women to accept the offer of a chlamydia test. Overall, 40% of men approached provided a sample compared with 27% of all women. Disease prevalence was 4.4% (4.9% in men; 3.8% in women). Interview data suggests young men’s willingness to be tested for chlamydia in non-medical settings is due to convenience and raised awareness of the largely asymptomatic nature of chlamydia infection. Whilst 94% of men screened had never been tested for chlamydia before, one in three young women screened had previous screening experience. Women’s lower uptake of screening was due to concerns about the public nature of the settings leading to stigma. Conclusions: Increasing opportunities for the take-up of screening in non-medical settings could be an effective approach to reaching young men and have a significant impact on the incidence and prevalence of this easily treated STI, thereby reducing the future burden of unwanted reproductive health sequelae.
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Stone, Sharon Ann. "The relationship between self-esteem and health promoting behaviors in working women." Thesis, University of British Columbia, 1990. http://hdl.handle.net/2429/28952.
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To date, the undertaking of health promoting behaviors in working women is an issue which has not been explored in any depth. This issue has become particularly important because of two parallel phenomena - the rapid expansion of the numbers of women in the workforce, and the growing interest in health promotion - which have emerged in Canada in the last twenty years or so. As well, factors which may relate to the undertaking of health promoting behaviors have been hypothesized and investigated to some extent, but have not yet been fully determined.
Self-esteem has been proposed as one motivational factor in the undertaking of health promoting behaviors. The present study has sought to determine the extent to which self-esteem, working conditions, and demographic factors, are related to the undertaking of health promoting behaviors in working women. The conceptual model used is a modified version of Pender's (1982) Health Promotion Model in which a feedback mechanism operates, reinforcing the performance of health promoting behavior as self-esteem levels grow, and equally, reinforcing self-esteem levels according
to the extent to which health promoting behaviors are undertaken.
Subjects of a random sample of 500 female union members working in the greater Vancouver area were mailed a questionnaire package. The questionnaires asked for data on present levels of self-esteem, health promoting behaviors presently undertaken, and demographic and working condition factors. Following a repeat mailing, the final number of responses available for analysis was 229 (46%).
Simple linear regression analysis revealed that self-esteem was predictive of health promoting behaviors in a global sense, and, in particular, of self-actualization, health responsibility, exercise, and nutrition. However, neither demographic variables, nor the number of hours worked per week, were found to be predictive of health promoting behaviors.
Although the study suffered from a limitation due to a low response rate, the sample was determined to be broadly representative of the union population. Therefore, these study results may be generalized to other urban, unionized females sharing similar demographic characteristics.Medicine, Faculty of
Population and Public Health (SPPH), School of
Graduate
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Germain, J. S. "One size does not fit all : a qualitative study exploring unlicensed weight loss drug use in women." Thesis, Liverpool John Moores University, 2018. http://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/9617/.
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The pervasive demand and desire for an ideal body evident in today's society has led to the normalisation of beautification and enhancement treatments. Unlicensed weight loss (UWL) drugs which comprise of 2,4 dinitrophenol (DNP), sibutramine and rimonabant are just one method used in enhancing and improving the body in line with social expectations. However, previous research exploring the use of these drugs has been confined to male dominated bodybuilding communities, despite women experiencing increasing pressures to look a certain way. This doctoral research explores the use of UWL drugs by women, focusing specifically on attitudes and perceptions of UWL drug use, motivations for use, experiences of use and self-reported adverse effects. This qualitative research involved an online forum analysis. Online discussion forms (n=10) were selected based on their levels of popularity, the proportion of female users accessing them and because they contained relevant UWL drug discussion. All threads (470) relating to UWL drug discussion were downloaded and analysed using thematic analysis conducted through the software package NVivo version 10. Four forum moderators and three female UWL drug users were also recruited, with their interviews presented as case studies. Online communities can provide a raft of knowledge concerning hidden or hard to reach populations. This research however advocates for greater consideration to be given to the methodological and ethical implications of online research and reflects on what is public information, the protection of anonymity and protecting online users from harm. This research also identified that removal of a license from a drug does not prevent use, but once outside regulatory control or medical supervision, UWL drugs are often purchased online with risks to the user of potential drug interactions, adulteration and contamination. UWL drug user engagement needs to be reclaimed as part of a wider health agenda, something that has been lacking due to the unlicensed status of the drugs. However, the findings highlighted the diverse motivations for why women use UWL drugs as well as differences in experiences, drugs used, willingness to take risks and adverse effects and argues against there being a typical female UWL drug user. Given this heterogeneity, a one size fit all model for harm reduction may be ineffective. Additionally the rapid changes in online communities as well as the diffusion of these drugs into different populations creates another challenge for public health in identifying and targeting specific groups. Online discussion of these drugs focuses on user experience and anecdotal evidence. Education on the different types of drugs as well as the risks and harms of using them is therefore warranted for all online communities as well as a focus on specific harm reduction strategies including harm minimisation, engagement with health care practitioners and peer to peer education. However, further consideration is needed concerning how this information should be disseminated, identifying those who have authority within the community, but also have the appropriate credentials, knowledge, skills and desire to offer advice.
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Warren, Ann Marie. "Partner abuse: Health consequences to women." Thesis, University of North Texas, 2003. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc5534/.
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Intimate partner violence is endemic in the United States. According to the American Medical Association (1992), one-fifth to one-third of women will sustain violence from a partner or ex-partner in their lifetime. The relevant literature was organized by ICD-9-CM categories. This study examined the health consequences of partner abuse in a sample of community women using a sample consisting of 564 women in three ethnic groups. Because prior research has failed to account for variations by type of abuse on health consequences, this study assessed psychological abuse, violence and sexual aggression by women's partners. To determine whether or not different types of abuse had an effect on women's health, hierarchical regression analyses were conducted. The regression equations were calculated for women within each ethnic group to facilitate identification of similarities and differences and to control for ethnic differences in risk for specific diseases. The results were consistent with past research on health consequences of abuse and extended the prior literature by showing that psychological abuse had a pervasive effect on health conditions, distress and use of health care resources. Additionally, ethnic differences emerged. As expected, ethnicity appeared to function as a moderator. Clinical implications and recommendations are made for future research, suggesting the development of a new assessment tool for partner abuse screening.
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Wong, Susan Carol. "Cardiorespiratory fitness during pregnancy and its relationship to outcome." Thesis, University of British Columbia, 1985. http://hdl.handle.net/2429/25154.
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In order to determine the effects of aerobic fitness on pregnancy and the newborn 20 primigravid subjects were studied throughout their gestational period and immediately post-partum. The subjects were classified as trained (T=10) or untrained (UT=10) based on the heart rate response to submaximal cycle ergometry testing done in each trimester. Case room reports were reviewed after delivery. There was no difference between groups in the length of gestational period (T=40.75;UT=40.75 weeks) nor weight gained versus prepregnancy
measures (T=13.92; UT=13.30 kgs). The first stage of labour was extended in the UT, 13hrs.58.8min. vs 1lhrs.18.Omin. UT had a longer second stage, 90.57 vs 70.0 mins. for T. Stage 3 was also prolonged in UT, 15.17 vs 7.43 mins. In both groups analgesia and/or anaesthesia was used equally. Two of the 10 T females had caesarean sections vs 3 of the 10 in the UT group. The mean apgar scores at 1 and 5 minutes were: T=7.70, 9.20; UT=7.90, 9.33, respectively. The birth weights of the T babies were marginally larger than the UT newborns (3733.00 vs 3679.97 gms). The T newborns were 8 males and 2 females, and the UT were 5 males and 5 females. All babies were healthy and without apparent abnormalities. There appears to be no positive or negative effects of maternal fitness on the newborn. The reduction in the active stage of labour in the T group may reflect their improved fitness levels.Education, Faculty of
Curriculum and Pedagogy (EDCP), Department of
Graduate
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Montgomery, Elsa. "Voicing the silence : the maternity care experiences of women who were sexually abused in childhood." Thesis, University of Southampton, 2012. https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/349089/.
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Childhood sexual abuse is a major, but hidden public health issue estimated to affect approximately 20% of females and 7% of males. As most women do not disclose to healthcare professionals, midwives may unwittingly care for women who have been sexually abused. The purpose of this study was to address the gap in our understanding of women’s maternity care experiences when they have a history of childhood sexual abuse with the aim of informing healthcare practice. This narrative study from a feminist perspective, explored the maternity care experiences of women who were sexually abused in childhood. In-depth interviews with women, review of their maternity care records and individual and group interviews with maternity care professionals were conducted. The Voice-centred Relational Method (VCRM) was employed to analyse data from the in-depth interviews with women. Thematic analysis synthesised findings, translating the women’s narratives into a more readily accessible form. The main themes identified were: narratives of self, narratives of relationship, narratives of context and the childbirth journey. Medical records provided an additional narrative and data source providing an alternative perspective on the women’s stories. Silence emerged as a key concept in the narratives. This thesis contributes to ‘Voicing the silence’. The particular contribution of the study is its focus on the women’s voices and the use and development of VCRM to listen to them. It highlights where those voices are absent and where they are not heard. Women want their distress to be noticed, even if they do not want to voice their silence. The challenge for those providing maternity care is to listen and respond to their unspoken messages and to hear and receive their spoken ones with sensitivity.
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Strauss, Johannes Albertus de Wet. "Faktore wat die prestasie en gesondheid van vroue-atlete kan beinvloed." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2003. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/53423.
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Dissertation (PhD)--University of Stellenbosch, 2003.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Although it is common knowledge that regular exercise has many beneficial effects on the human body, it is also true that many highly competitive athletes neglect their health for the sake of performance. With this as a general objective for the study, women athletes of the Matie Athletics Club were recruited as subjects and were monitored and tested for several health-related parameters. Current results indicate that, although the average total cholesterol (TC) concentrations of the group were within normal ranges, quite a number of the sprint and field athletes had TC values regarded as a cardiovascular risk (> 5.2 mmol.l"). Serum testosterone levels of the sprint and field athletes were also higher than those of the distance athletes, but a correlation between TC and testosterone was not established. In general, cholesterol intake of women athletes was within the recommended daily allowance (RDA) prescriptions. The high-density lipoprotein fraction was also within the norm, but a better chemical pathological range had been expected. All haematological parameters were within the normal ranges of distribution, but the red blood cell count, haemoglobin concentration and hematocrit were on average lower than the standard average for females. Athletes, quite often, have higher plasma volumes than average and this can disguise normal haematological values and is described as sport anaemia. The current study has also indicated an iron deficiency (83% RDA) in the diet of female athletes in general. Thus the relatively low observed red blood cell count could not necessarily be attributed to sport anaemia. The energy intake was also poor and did not comply with the energy needs of the athletes. Bone mineral density (BMD) and plasma electrolytes were normal. Distance athletes had a higher BMD of the hip compared to the lumbar spine area. This is probably related to the stress to the hip associated with running. A correlation was observed between TC and BMD of the hip of eumenorrheal and amenorrheal athletes, which had not been observed before. The influence of the phase of the menstrual cycle on the immune system is controversial, and the results of the thesis confirm those of other studies that indicated no influence. In addition, it has been shown that the exogenous ingestion of glutamine, before the onset of exercise, can increase the plasma concentration thereof, and that the formerly observed decline (also seen in the current study) after intense exercise can be totally neutralized. This had not been reported before. The physiological significance of this has not been established, but the assumption is that a continuous adequate supply of glutamine will benefit the immune cells with regard to its reaction to pathogens. As reported by others, it has been shown that the ingestion of 5% glucose during long duration exercise eases the stress on the immune system, as both leucocytes and cortisol levels were attenuated compared to intake of a placebo. A new discovery, however, was that the ad libitum ingestion of glucose was not enough to produce desired significant results. The importance of this finding may have practical implications with regard to desirable amounts of glucose supplementation during races. In conclusion: Female athletes of club performance level are on general in a healthy condition, but are not excluded from the risk with regard to cholesterol. The screening of TC alone is insufficient with regard to competitive athletes, unless the sub-fractions are screened as well during routine medical examinations. Adjustments with regard to the energy and iron content of the diet are suggested. Supplementation of glutamine and glucose before and during exercise could be beneficial to the immune system. More studies with regard to the association of cholesterol with BMD are recommended.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Alhoewel dit algemeen bekend is dat oefening groot voordele vir die gesondheid van die liggaam inhou, is dit ook so dat atlete wat hoogs kompeterend is hul gesondheid kan verwaarloos ten koste van prestasie. Dit was die oorkoepelende doel van hierdie studie om vroue-atlete van die Maties Atletiekklub as proefpersone te toets en te monitor vir verskeie gesondheidsverwante parameters. Huidige resultate dui daarop dat alhoewel die gemiddelde totale cholesterol (TC) van die groep binne die normale grense was, 'n hele aantal van die naelloop- en veldatlete het TC gehad wat oor die grens was wat as 'n risiko (> 5.2 mmol.l") vir kardiovaskulêre verwante siektes beskou kan word. Serumtestosteroon-konsentrasie van die naelloop- en veldatlete was ook hoër as dié van die langafstandatlete, maar dit het nie gekorrileer met TC nie. In die algemeen was die cholesterolinname van vroue-atlete binne die aanbevole dieettoelaag (ADT) voorskrifte. Die hoë-digtheid-lipoproteïenfraksie was ook binne die normale, maar nie volgens verwagting in 'n meer gunstige chemies-patalogies gebied van verspreiding nie. Alle hematologiese parameters was binne die normale grense, maar die gemiddelde rooibloedseltelling en hemoglobienkonsentrasie, asook die hematokrit was deurgaans laer as die standaard gemiddeld vir dames. Atlete het heel dikwels hoër plasmavolumes as normaal en dit kan normale hematologiese tellings verbloem en word beskryf as sportanemie. Die huidige studie het egter ook getoon dat 'n ystertekort (83% ADT) in die dieet algemeen in vroue-atlete kan voorkom en daarom kan die relatief lae rooiseltellings nie noodwendig aan sport anemie toegeskryf word nie. Die energie-inname was ook laag en het nie aan die energiebehoeftes voorsien nie. Beenmineraaldigtheid (BMD) en plasma-elektroliete was normaal. Langafstandatlete het 'n hoër BMD van die heupbeen teenoor die werwelkolom getoon wat waarskynlik verband hou met die stres wat deur hardloop op die heupbeen geplaas word. 'n Verband is ook gevind tussen die BMD van die heup en TC van eumenorreale en amenorreale atlete wat nie vantevore waargeneem is nie. Die invloed van die fase van die menstruale siklus op die immuunstelsel is kontroversieel en die bevindinge in die tesis dra by tot die stawing van studies wat geen invloed bevind het nie. Voorts is getoon dat die eksogene inname van glutamien voor die aanvang van oefening, plasmaglutamien kan verhoog en dat die verlaging daarvan, wat voorheen (asook in die huidige studie) na intense oefening waargeneem word, geheel en al teengewerk kan word. Dit is nog nie vantevore waargeneem nie, en mag 'n fisiologiese voordeel inhou vir die immuunselle ten opsigte van hul reaksie op patogene. Dit is huidig, ook soos voorheen, aangetoon dat die inname van 5% glukose tydens langdurige oefening die stres wat op die immuunsisteem geplaas word, verminder word. Dit, omrede beide die leukosiete en kortisolkonsentrasies laer was in vergelyking met 'n plaseboproefneming. 'n Nuwe bevinding is egter dat die onvoorgeskrewe inname van glukose nie genoegsaam is om dieselfde insiggewende resulaat te toon nie. Die belang van hierdie bevinding mag praktiese gevolge hê vir die gewenste voorskrifte van glukose-inname tydens wedlope. In opsomming: Vroue-atlete van klubprestasiegehalte is oor die algemeen gesond, maar is nie vrygespreek van risiko in terme van cholesterol nie. Die monitering van TC alleenlik is onvoldoende in kompeterende atlete en die subfraksies moet derhalwe deel wees van roetine ondersoeke. Dieetaanpassings ten opsigte van die energie- en ysterinhoud kan aanbeveel word. Supplementasie van glutamien en glukose voor en tydens oefening respektiewelik, kan voordelig wees vir die immuunsisteem. Verdere studies word aanbeveel in terme van die verbande tussen cholesterol en BMD.
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Wong, Wing-yu Valerie, and 王詠瑜. "A randomized controlled trial of an educational intervention to improve influenza vaccine uptake among pregnant women." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10722/209503.
Full textAbstract:
Despite the World Health Organization identifying pregnant women as the highest priority group for seasonal influenza vaccination, many pregnant women remain unaware of the recommendation and have substantial concerns about the adverse effects of the vaccine on them and their unborn foetuses. Few interventions have been conducted to improve influenza vaccine uptake among pregnant women. Among these studies, the results are inconsistent and the quality is generally low. Brief education has been previously shown to improve women’s health practices during pregnancy.
An open-label randomized control trial was conducted to assess the effect of providing brief education on influenza vaccine uptake among pregnant women. A total of 163 unvaccinated pregnant women in at least their second trimester were recruited from antenatal clinics of four public hospitals in Hong Kong. They were randomized to receive standard care or a one-to-one brief education session that provided an overview of the safety and benefits of the vaccine to both pregnant women and their foetuses. Participants were followed up by telephone at two to three weeks postpartum to ascertain vaccination status. The primary study outcome was the influenza vaccine uptake rate and the second study outcomes were the proportion of participants initiating discussion about influenza vaccine with their health care providers, the proportion attempting to be vaccinated, and their knowledge of influenza infection and vaccination.
A total of 163 participants were recruited with 155 (95%) participants completing follow-up. The overall influenza vaccine uptake rate was 17.8%. When compared with those receiving standard care, the vaccination rate was higher among participants who received the intervention (23.5% vs. 12.2%; p=0.06). In addition, the increase in the rate of self-initiated discussion with HCPs before and after the intervention was significantly higher in intervention group (26.7% vs. 9.3%; p<0.001) but not in standard care group (13.3% vs. 8%; p=0.481). Among participants who did not receive influenza vaccine, pregnant women in intervention group were substantially more likely to have made an unsuccessful attempt to be vaccinated (39.3% vs. 9.2%; p<0.001). Almost one-third of the pregnant women who had attempted to receive the vaccine (n=13) reported they received advice against vaccination during pregnancy from HCPs. If participants had not been advised against influenza vaccine and were successfully vaccinated, the overall difference in the vaccine uptake rate between the two treatment groups would have been statistically significant (34.6% vs. 18.3%; p=0.02).
Brief education can be one strategy to improve vaccination uptake rates among pregnant women. In addition, it is clear from this and other studies that recommendations from HCPs substantially influence vaccination behaviours among pregnant women, both positively and negatively. Therefore, multicomponent approaches should be considered in future vaccination programmes and the synergistic effect of both brief education and HCP recommendations should be further evaluated.published_or_final_version
Nursing Studies
Master
Master of Philosophy
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Dunk, Pamela Wakewich. "My nerves are broken : the social relations of illness in a Greek-Canadian community." Thesis, McGill University, 1988. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=64074.
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Bocchino, Lisa. "The effects of exercise on serum lipoproteins in postmenopausal women." Scholarly Commons, 1989. https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/uop_etds/2190.
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A lot of attention has been focused on reducing cholesteric problems before individuals reach middle age, but is it not possible to reduce the risk factors for CHD after middle age? This study was initiated to determine id moderate exercise had an effect on the serum lipoproteins in postmenopausal women. Plasma concentrations of glucose, triglyceride (TRIG), TC, HDL, and LDL were measured before and after a monitored regime of moderate exercise.
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Hardy, Jean Ann. "AN EXPLORATORY STUDY OF FEMALE URINATION." Thesis, The University of Arizona, 1985. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/275306.
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Bell, Lisa Anne. "The effects of dietary restraint and red meat avoidance on the occurrence of eating disorder attitudes and behaviour in a non-clinical female sample." Thesis, Canberra, ACT : The Australian National University, 1994. http://hdl.handle.net/1885/141344.
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Boonyaprapa, Sathon. "Self-care in pregnancy and breastfeeding : views of women and community pharmacists in Thailand." Thesis, University of Nottingham, 2010. http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/11605/.
Full textAbstract:
During pregnancy and breastfeeding, women are concerned about the health and safety of themselves and their baby. They undertake many activities in order to maintain good health, manage minor ailments and improve their lifestyle, including seeking help and advice from pharmacies. Community pharmacists have an important role in selecting appropriate medicines and encouraging good health behaviours. The Thai population can purchase medicines from pharmacies without a prescription, and self-treatment or self-medication is commonly used and important to the health status of Thai people. In addition, culture, family and relatives have an influence on health behaviours in Thailand. There have been very few previous studies about self-care behaviours including self-medication in Thailand focused on healthy women during pregnancy and breastfeeding, and the views of community pharmacists in self-medication and self-care during pregnancy and breastfeeding. In addition, the modern lifestyle and accessible health information might be affected by the current attitudes and behaviours of women during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Therefore, an investigation of self-care behaviours in pregnant and breastfeeding women was needed to explore their recent behaviours in terms of maintaining health and well-being as well as managing minor ailments. Views and experiences of community pharmacists about self-care in pregnancy and breastfeeding were also explored. This study contributes to the understanding of self-care behaviours and indicates the actual situation in community pharmacies regarding self-care and self-medication in pregnancy and breastfeeding. Two in-depth interviews in the Thai language were held with 43 women in Chiangmai about their self-care experiences and behaviours during pregnancy (>34-weeks gestation) and 35 out of the 43 women in the breastfeeding period (>four weeks following birth). Audio-taped interviews were transcribed, translated and analysed by using interpretative analysis. In addition, a postal questionnaire survey was used to collect data from 198 full-time community pharmacists in Chiangmai province. The first mailing was sent in April 2006 and a reminder was posted in June 2006. The completed questionnaires were returned from 110 pharmacists and the response rate was 56%. The majority of pregnant women tended to change their habits and adopt activities that they thought could make them and their babies healthy. They tried to consult their doctor rather than self-medicating. The traditional beliefs still had a very strong influence on most women interviewed during both pregnancy and postnatal period. The majority of pharmacists strongly agreed that self-care is important for both pregnant and breastfeeding women and they believed they provided good support for these women. Some pharmacists, however, still lacked the confidence to provide appropriate advice for these women and appeared to need more support with up-to-date information. Regarding the implications of this study, some self-care activities are harmful to women and their babies, so their dangers should be widely advertised in appropriate places. Furthermore, health professionals should consider a balance between safe traditional beliefs and modern health systems to ensure the best self-care practices for both women and their babies. In addition, continuing education and up-to-date information will help to increase the pharmacists’ confidence in providing appropriate advice to pregnant and breastfeeding women.
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Salsman, Jill R. "An examination of proposed risk factors in bulimic symptomatology among college women." Virtual Press, 2007. http://liblink.bsu.edu/uhtbin/catkey/1379126.
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General relationships between the proposed risk factors of perfectionism, body dissatisfaction, depression, and interoceptive awareness and the presence of bulimic symptoms were examined in this study. Interactions between these risk factors presented by previous theoretical models were also explored through Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) analysis. A sample consisting of 200 female undergraduate students completed the following measures: The Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (MPS), The Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), and the Questionnaire for Eating Disorder Diagnoses (Q-EDD). Taken together, the proposed risk factors of perfectionism, body dissatisfaction, depression, and interoceptive awareness were found to make a difference in predicting the presence of eating disorder symptoms. Body dissatisfaction served as the strongest predictor of bulimic symptoms in college women of all risk factors tested in this study. Direct relationships between perfectionism and depression, depression and body dissatisfaction, and body dissatisfaction and bulimic symptoms were supported by the current study's data. Clinical implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services
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Clark, Lauren. "Mormon women and the role of religion in obtaining relevant health care." Thesis, The University of Arizona, 1988. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/276791.
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Using the qualitative methodology of grounded theory, decision-making about health and illness situations was studied in a sample of six women members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons). The purpose of the study was to identify the process used by Mormon women in deciding when to use available healing alternatives, namely self care, the laying on of hands, biomedical practitioners expertise, and social support networks. The identified process, called the "Mormon Woman's Decision-Making Road-Map to Health," is composed of the categories of Protecting Health, Diagnosing a Problem, Considering Possible Treatment Actions, and Evaluating Treatment Effectiveness. The process described in the Road Map to Health model is helpful to health care professionals who seek to understand and influence the health care decision-making of their clients.
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Ainsworth, Marie K. "Feminine Discourse and the "Frequently Neglected Area" of Mental Hygiene in 1950s Ontario Elementary Health Textbooks." Thèse, Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10393/23515.
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This thesis examines how mental hygiene principles were adopted for a student audience through the elementary-level health textbooks series, Health and Personal Development, used in Ontario schools from 1952 until 1963. In particular, I explore the didactic messages pertaining to mental hygiene as they related to girls. The results of this analysis demonstrate that healthy mental hygiene and personal development for girls, according to the textbooks, meant becoming wives, mothers, and homemakers, as their own mothers model. While these roles required many skills and responsibilities, and provided women with a certain amount of agency in the female-dominated sphere, girls were represented in the textbooks as having a limited set of options in life: to emulate their mothers’ feminine domesticity, or to risk a life marred by poor mental hygiene.
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Walter, Cheryl Michelle. "Physical activity in the lives of two generations of black professional women in the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Municipality." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/664.
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The association between physical inactivity, adverse health and hypokinetic diseases has been widely researched. There is an increased risk of being overweight, and of developing certain chronic diseases and suffering premature death associated with physical inactivity (Young, Miller, Wilder, Yanek & Becker, 1998). Recent surveys and studies have revealed that the majority of the South African population has moved extensively along the epidemiological transition towards a disease profile related to Western lifestyle, where deaths due to chronic diseases of lifestyle is a great cause for concern (Steyn, 2006). Black women, in particular, have been identified as a high risk group with the highest levels of inactivity and the highest levels of overweight and obesity in the country (SADHS, 1998; WHO, 2005). Although there is a growing body of knowledge and research on physical activity in general, there is still a lack of data on the determinants and barriers to participation in physical activity (Lambert & Kolbe-Alexander, 2006). Cultural patterns and economic, political and ideological orders affect the participation of women in sport (Hargreaves, 1994:5). Black women in South Africa have been disadvantaged by the past government’s policy of apartheid, and have also been marginalized and oppressed in their own patriarchal societies. The first democratically elected government in 1994, however, committed itself to gender equality and women’s emancipation, with constitutional guarantees on equality and an affirmative action policy to address gender inequalities. In order to evaluate the extent of the beneficial impact of these political changes in women’s lives, this study proposed to investigate physical activity patterns in the lives of two generations of black professional women (teachers, nurses, social workers and public managers) from the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Municipality. The objectives that guided the research were: • To describe and compare the physical activity patterns and health status of two generations of black women through questionnaires, physical activity records and mechanical devices. • To explore and describe the psychosocial context and socio-cultural influences on physical activity in the lives of the participants. xi • To explore and describe the participants’ perceptions and attitudes, motivations and constraints relating to physical activity. • To use the research findings to compile guidelines to promote physical activity participation among black women. A mixed method approach using both quantitative and qualitative methods was selected to achieve an holistic understanding of physical activity in the lives of black South African women. The older generation (OG) of professional women was comprised of community teachers, nurses, social workers and public managers (n=111, aged 35 to 45 years, mean age = 39.87 years). These women, through their occupations, were in constant contact with the community and could be regarded as role models who influence community lifestyle, attitudes and behaviour. The younger generation (YG) (n=69, aged 18 to 21 years, mean age = 20.12 years) was comprised of teaching, nursing, social work and public management students in the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Municipality. The objective of the quantitative section of the study was to provide baseline information on the physical activity patterns and health status of these two generations of black professional women. Physical activity and health questionnaires were administered and the ActiGraph GT1 accelerometer was used to provide an objective measure of energy expenditure. The objective of the qualitative data collection was to explore and describe the psychosocial context and socio-cultural influences on physical activity in the lives of the participants, and to investigate their attitudes to and perceptions of physical activity, and their motivations and constraints related to it. In-depth qualitative interviews were held with the participants who wore the ActiGraph, and a group of 47 were interviewed (sample size determined by data saturation from the interviews). An explorative-descriptive research design was used in the study. The sampling method was purposive and criterion-based. The younger generation of students were mostly selected from the various campuses of the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, while additional student nurses were recruited from the Lilitha Nursing College in the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Municipality. The older generation of professionals were recruited from schools and clinics in the areas of New Brighton, Kwa-Zakhele, Zwide, Motherwell and Kwa-Nobuhle (all historically black areas), the Eastern Cape Department of Social Development, non-government organizations and the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Municipality. xii The quantitative data were analysed by means of descriptive and inferential statistics. The qualitative data was analysed according to the steps described in Creswell (2003). The results of the quantitative data indicated that prevalence of overweight and obesity among both the YG and OG was high. The mean BMI for the YG and OG were 24.71 kg/m2 and 31.27 kg/m2, respectively, with 41% of the YG and 86% of the OG falling into the overweight/obesity category. BMI was significantly greater (p<.05) for the OG than for the YG. In addition, both the OG and YG had satisfactory scores for the health-related behaviour measures (the Belloc and Breslow Lifestyle Index and the HPLP). All the physical activity measurements (the FIT Index of Kasari, the GPAQ and the ActiGraph data) confirmed that both the YG and OG were not sufficiently physically active. They did not meet the Centre of Disease Control (CDC) and American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommendation of engaging in at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity on most, or preferably all, days of the week. The YG were significantly more active than the OG in all the physical activity measuring instruments. They were still, however, not reaching the health enhancing physical activity (HEPA) level (≥7 days of any combination of moderate and vigorous activity, ≥ 3000 METmins/week). Pearson Product Moment correlations were calculated to determine the relationship among the various measurements of physical activity o the one hand and the relationship between the measurements of physical activity and the health-related behaviour measurements on the other hand. The correlational analyses highlighted a good cross-validation of the various measures of physical activity. There was a significant correlation between the measures of leisure time physical activity, that is the FIT Index, and the leisure domain of the GPAQ. There was also a significant relationship in the area of walking or steps taken, that is the ActiGraph steps and the GPAQ transport domain. There was also a significant relationship between the overall measures of physical activity, that is the GPAQ total score, and the ActiGraph calories. The correlations between the various physical activity and health related behaviour measures revealed that only the leisure related physical activity measurements, that is, the FIT index and the GPAQ leisure domain, had a significant correlation with the two health related behaviour measures, namely the Belloc and Breslow Lifestyle Index and the HPLP, respectively. xiii The results from the qualitative data revealed that both the OG and YG had positive attitudes towards physical activity participation (displayed by their awareness of the many benefits, their expressed intention to start exercising, the encouragement given to their children in relation to physical activity participation), even though the majority of them were not active on a regular basis. Participants recognized the educational, recreational and developmental importance of being physically active, a shift in attitude from their own upbringing and lifestyles. Regardless of how firmly people may believe that physical activity is beneficial to their health, there are many barriers, whether real or perceived, that represent significant potential obstructions to the adoption, maintenance, or resumption of participation in physical activity (Booth et al., 1997). Three sub-themes were identified in relation to the barriers to physical activity participation, namely personal factors, environmental factors and socio-cultural factors. The personal factors included time constraints, stress and tiredness, lack of motivation, negative school experiences, negative associations with exercise and financial constraints. The environmental factors included residential areas, availability of recreation and sports facilities, and safety. The socio-cultural factors were lack of social support, exercise “not being a part of African culture”, traditional roles of males and females, dress code, exercise associated with the young, exercise associated with undesirable weight loss and negative comments by the community. On the basis of research findings, guidelines were drawn up for the promotion of physical activity participation among black women.
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Strychar, Irene. "The relationship between learning, health beliefs, weight gain, alcohol consumption, and tobacco use of pregnant women." Thesis, University of British Columbia, 1988. http://hdl.handle.net/2429/29241.
Full textAbstract:
Understanding how women learn during pregnancy is the foundation for planning prenatal education programs. To date, adult educators have not investigated, in any depth, the learning process during pregnancy. The purpose of this study was to examine learning during pregnancy and relate this learning to learning outcomes. The principal research questions were: "What are the learning patterns of pregnant women?" and "What is the relationship between learning and health behavior of pregnant women?"
It is unknown whether learning during pregnancy is directly associated with behavior or mediated through health beliefs. The objectives of this research were to identify pregnant women's health behaviors, learning patterns, and health beliefs. The three health behaviors examined in this study were eating, drinking, and smoking. These behaviors were operationalized in terms of their outcomes: weight gain, alcohol consumption, and tobacco use. These factors are amenable to an education intervention and are behavioral risk factors associated with low birth weight. The process of investigating learning patterns consisted of identifying: what was learned during the pregnancy, which resources were utilized, what advice was given, what amount of time was spent in learning, who initiated the learning episodes, and what learning transaction types emerged. Determining learning transaction types was based upon an adaptation of Tough's (1979) concept of planners and Knowles's concept of self-directed learners. The process of investigating health beliefs consisted of identifying pregnant women's concerns, perceived risk, perceived use of the information, and perceived barriers, defined according to an adaptation of the Health Belief Model. The principal hypotheses of the study were: (1) self-initiated learning will be positively correlated with knowledge scores, (2) self-initiated learning will be positively correlated with ideal health behaviors, and (3) health beliefs will be positively correlated with ideal health behaviors: ideal weight gain during pregnancy, reduced alcohol consumption, and reduced cigarette smoking.
The research, an ex post facto design, involved a one hour structured interview with women within the week following delivery of their infants in hospital. A proportional sample of 120 primigravidas was selected from seven hospitals with average number of monthly births greater than 100. Reporting of results was based upon 120 interviews conducted as part of the main sample and eight interviews conducted during the pilot study. Pilot responses were included because these responses were similar to responses provided by the main sample, with the exception of health belief data. One case was excluded from the sample, making for N = 127.
Data analyses were based upon the entire sample N = 127, with the exception of health belief measures. Since alcohol and smoking health belief questions were administered to drinkers and smokers and since health belief measures related to weight gain, alcohol, and smoking were missing data, health belief analyses were based upon N=123 for weight gain, N = 88 for alcohol, and N = 43 for smoking.
Women had spent an average of forty-one hours learning about weight gain, alcohol consumption, and tobacco use during pregnancy. The principal resources used were: reading materials, physicians, family members, and prenatal classes. The majority of pregnant women had engaged in other-initiated learning episodes in the one to one setting, that is with a health professional, family member, or friend. Self-initiated learning about weight gain was associated with higher knowledge scores and ideal prenatal weight gain (p≤0.05); and, weight gain health beliefs were negatively correlated with ideal prenatal weight gain (p≤0.05). Finding a negative correlation, in contrast to the predicted positive correlation, may have been due to the fact that in a retrospective study the behavior precipitated reporting of health beliefs. Other-initiated learning about alcohol was associated with higher knowledge scores and reduced alcohol intake (p≤0.05); however, alcohol health beliefs were not associated with reduced alcohol intake. For smoking, neither self-initiated nor other-initiated learning was associated with knowledge scores or reduced cigarette smoking; however, a low degree of perceived risk was predictive of reduced cigarette smoking (p≤0.05). Knowledge about tobacco use was positively correlated with health beliefs, suggesting that learning may be indirectly related to smoking behaviors.
This study contributes to the knowledge about learning during pregnancy by providing a descriptive profile of learning patterns during pregnancy, and by examining the relationship between learning, health beliefs, and behavior. Fostering a learning environment which stimulates self-initiated learning may assist women reach ideal weight gain during pregnancy. For alcohol, encouraging health professionals, family members, and friends to initiate learning about the hazards of consuming alcohol during pregnancy seems warranted. Self-initiated learning may not be superior to other-initiated learning but may be topic specific, due to the nature of the health behaviors examined. Identification of women's smoking health beliefs seems warranted during prenatal education. Further research is required to better understand the role of learning with respect to changing smoking behaviors during pregnancy.Education, Faculty of
Educational Studies (EDST), Department of
Graduate
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Polimeni, Anne-Maree, and Anne-Maree Polimeni@dhs vic gov au. "Narrative of women's hospital experiences the impact of powerlessness on personal identity." Swinburne University of Technology, 2004. http://adt.lib.swin.edu.au./public/adt-VSWT20050309.143640.
Full textAbstract:
Since women dominate the health care system as consumers, it is important to understand how women want to be treated by medical staff, and the factors that contribute to satisfactory hospital experiences. The present research comprised two separate but integrated studies exploring these issues. The first study adopted an
atheoretical approach. Qualitative and quantitative methods were used to examine the
importance of hospital experiences in the lives of women, and the role of power within those experiences. Closed answer items about hospital experiences were completed by 124 women who had had a hospital stay of at least one night. In addition, ten of the women provided open-ended oral and written comments about their hospital
experiences, which were used as the basis of the qualitative data. The majority of the women were satisfied with their hospital stay, but a small group recalled experiences of powerlessness associated with the non-medical aspects of their treatment, such as behaviours on the part of health professionals that influenced participants� sense of control as hospital inpatients. The qualitative data reflected similar issues to the quantitative data and provided �process� information by demonstrating how health professionals� behaviour could contribute to patients� feelings of powerlessness. The results suggested that hospital experiences were a salient part of these women�s lives. The richness of the qualitative data suggested that qualitative methodology would be a productive way to further study this area.
The second study was an extension of the first via in-depth interviews with 19 women who perceived their hospital experiences as life-altering. The interview content and the analysis were based on a narrative approach that used the theoretical framework of McAdams� (1993) Life Story Model of Identity. Using McAdams� methodology enabled the researcher to evaluate how women constructed meaning from their hospital
experiences, and the main issues they faced. The life story interview also proved a useful way to explore issues of loss and self-growth in the face of traumatic hospital experiences. Transcripts of descriptions of positive and negative experiences were analysed according to McAdams� themes of agency (sense of power and control) and communion (relationships with others), and sequences of redemption and
contamination. Redemption sequences involve the storyline moving from a bad, affectively negative life scene, to a good, affectively positive life scene. In a contamination sequence, the narrator describes a change from a good, affectively
positive life scene, to a subsequently bad, affectively negative life scene (McAdams & Bowman, 2001). Participants also rated their experiences according to Hermans� (Hermans & Oles, 1999) list of affects. There was strong agreement between McAdams� coding of agency and
communion and Hermans� agentic and communal indices: the women�s hospital stories strongly emphasised the negative or opposite of McAdams� agentic theme �Self Mastery through Control�, which indicated powerlessness, and Hermans� affects, which involved low self-enhancement. It may be useful for future studies to conceptualise
McAdams� themes as bipolar by incorporating currently coded themes and their reverse; in particular, by expanding ideas of agency to incorporate powerlessness, as this theme was pervasive in women�s hospital experiences. The rating of affects added to the findings as this showed a latent dimension of communion manifested as isolation. The common agency and communion themes were apparent in the two distinct but related aspects of hospitalisation that affect patients� sense of control: the medical condition and the manner in which patients are treated by medical staff. The findings of the main study built on the pilot study by showing how ideas of control and powerlessness can inform better practice. For example, respectful, dignified and fair treatment by health professionals played a part in determining redemption sequences; women also indicated this was how they wanted to be treated. Due to the vulnerability of the �sick role�, disrespectful or offhand treatment by health professionals had particularly distressing effects evident in contamination sequences, such as negative changes to sense of self and attitudes toward the health care system. In some cases, such treatment led to participants� avoiding subsequent interactions with doctors and to sustained feelings of helplessness. The present thesis demonstrates that doctors, nurses
and other health professionals need to allow time to attend to the affective as well as the medical aspects of the encounter. Health professionals need a good bedside manner, compassion, and communication skills, as these characteristics play a part in maintaining female patients� sense of self and their faith in and satisfaction with the health care system.
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Gashugi, Phophina Muhimpundu. "Prevalence and impact of urinary incontinence on quality of life among adult Kigali women." Thesis, University of the Western Cape, 2004. http://etd.uwc.ac.za/index.php?module=etd&.
Full textAbstract:
Urinary incontinence has already been identified worldwide for years as a health problem affecting essentially women, which can interfere with their overall quality of life. However in Rwanda, this problem has yet not been addressed adequately either because of lack of expertise, or because of cultural traditions associated with taboos among women. Social conditions of women facing this problem hinder them from seeking possibly adequate medical assistance. It is important that this problem be addressed because it may lead to disability, social seclusion, psychological stress and economic burdens. This study was a pioneer one, intended to diagnose the extent of the problem through determining the prevalence of urinary incontinence as well as its impact on the quality of life among women. The study will hopefully be followed by the promotion of physiotherapy to tackle the problem and therefore reduce the number of people suffering from urinary incontinence.
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Monahan, Genevieve Louise. "Cultural knowledge of women in the construction industry related to occupational health and safety." Thesis, The University of Arizona, 1988. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/276752.
Full textAbstract:
The following study identifies and describes the cultural knowledge of women working in the construction industry regarding occupational health and safety. Data was gathered on 6 female construction workers, using the techniques of participant observation and the ethnographic interview. Results of the field observation and the interviews revealed that the women had a high level of knowledge of many work place hazards. They were also aware of kinds of accidents and injuries and a number of ways of cutting down on the hazards. Less was known about chronic, progressive, as opposed to acute injury. Despite their belief that most accidents were preventable, the women described a variety of reasons for not taking precautions. The major reasons given involved peer pressure and lack of time.
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Lawrence, Wendy Turvill. "Food choices of young women with lower educational attainment." Thesis, University of Southampton, 2010. https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/188155/.
Full textAbstract:
Poorly nourished women are more likely to give birth to smaller babies, as nutrients supplied to the fetus determine growth and development of key organs and systems. Children born to poor and disadvantaged women are particularly at risk, as these women are themselves born less able to nourish their babies in utero and are more likely to be eating unbalanced diets. The literature supports the hypothesis that the inadequate supply of nutrients to the fetus and in early infancy will increase the risk of ill health in later life. The Southampton Women’s Survey (SWS) found that education was the strongest predictor of consuming a diet in line with current government recommendations. Women of lower educational attainment ate the poorest quality diets. The current study aimed to understand why women of lower educational attainment have less balanced diets than women of higher educational attainment, and how we can use this knowledge to develop an intervention to improve their diets. Three phases of data collection were undertaken. First, a focus group study showed that a range of psychological and social factors influenced young women’s food choices, with differences emerging between women of lower and higher educational attainment. Social cognitive theory structured the interpretation of the findings. Women of lower educational attainment had lower perceived control over food choices; fewer appropriate mastery and vicarious experiences to provide them with food management, preparation and cooking skills; more negative affect; more impediments to eating healthily; less social support for eating healthily; and ambivalent views about the diet-disease relationship. Some women of lower educational attainment managed the food choices for themselves and their families better than others. In phase two a survey quantified the relationship between diet and these psychological and social factors in Southampton women. Questionnaire development was guided by findings from the focus group study and social cognitive theory. Eating a poor diet was associated with four factors: lower perceived control over life, fewer positive outcome expectancies, less social support for healthy eating and lower food involvement. Bandura’s construct of self-efficacy was less important than perceived control in predicting quality of diet. In phase three an expert panel focus group gauged the views of practitioners working with our target population on how to improve the diets of disadvantaged women. Three themes emerged from the discussion: trust, meeting needs, and barriers to change. The practitioners gave us insight into the challenges they face, the barriers to changing women’s dietary behaviour and what their role might be in bringing about change. This research has increased our understanding of what influences women’s food choices and what we need to do in order to improve the diets of young women with lower educational attainment. Increasing a woman’s sense of control over her life may be the key to empowering her to improve her own and her family’s diets. The next step is to work with key personnel in the City to develop an intervention for Sure Start Children’s Centre staff, who already engage with the most vulnerable populations, and are thus best placed to support women to improve their diets
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Bender, Melissa Ann. "An investigation into disordered eating among athletes." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 2008. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/3390.
Full textAbstract:
The purpose of this study is to investigate the difference between athletes and non-athletes by addressing prevalence of disordered eating and eating disorders, the risk factors associated with the disease(s), and health concerns for those suffering with disordered eating.
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Horner, Katrina E. "The effect of increasing physical activity on health benefits in sedentary women." Virtual Press, 1997. http://liblink.bsu.edu/uhtbin/catkey/1041902.
Full textAbstract:
The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether the current CDC/ACSM physical activity recommendation, ("30 minutes or more of accumulated moderate-intensity activity, most if not all, days of the week") would improve women's health through a reduction ofcoronary heart disease (CHD) risk factors. Twenty-one sedentary females (ages 49 ± 7 yrs.) with one or more CHD risk factors underwent baseline laboratory including: resting heart rate and blood pressure, resting electrocardiogram, body mass index, bioelectrical impedance, skinfold measures, waist-to-hip, blood lipid profile, and V02max. The VO2 was determined by an exercise treadmill test using the Ball State University Ramp protocol. The subjects were instructed on the CDC/ACSM recommendation, the physical activity survey, and given examples of moderate-intensity activity. The survey data was collected bimonthly over the six month period. The subjects reported participating in >_ 30 min. of moderate-intensity activity an average of 4 f 1 days/week with an average duration of 54 ± 26 min. On the remaining days, the subjects reported doing an average of 14 ± 6 minutes per day. Also, 90% of the women reported doing the activity in continuous bouts. Following the six month study period, the women were retested in the laboratory. Sixteen subjects completed the post-testing. The results of the sixteen women showed a significant improvements in HDL-cholesterol (51 ± 15 vs.56 ± 15 mmHg; p=<.05) and TC/HDL ratio (4.5 ± 1 vs.4.25 ± 1.3; p=<.05). There were no significant changes in the other risk factor variables examined or their V02,„.. It was concluded that the majority of previously sedentary, middle aged women can not meet the CDC/ACSM recommendations for daily activity and total energy expenditure. Additionally, it appears that when given the choice, these women choose to do activity in continuous time blocks versus breaking the daily activities into shorter time periods.School of Physical Education
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Al, Hajri Ahlam Saleh A. "Impact of physical activity and dietary programme on metabolic syndrome risk factors in Saudi women." Thesis, University of Nottingham, 2018. http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/51477/.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis explores the impact of lifestyle factors on the development of metabolic syndrome (MS) in Saudi Arabian women. A survey of a snowball sample was used to recruit 258 female and explored factors influencing physical activity (PA) and food intake and their effects on BMI in women living in the KSA and the UK. Participants completed a self-reporting questionnaire relating to knowledge, attitudes, barriers and levels of PA, sedentary activity and eating habits. Excessive energy intake, physical inactivity and sedentary lifestyle were all prevalent in Saudi women, resulting in 80%, over the age of 35y, being overweight or obese. BMI was associated with both energy intake and PA, though the relationship with the former was stronger. The most common barriers to regular exercise were transportation and lack of time. Findings were generally similar between women living in Saudi Arabia and the UK. The efficacy of reducing energy intake, with or without increased PA, on risk factors associated with MS in overweight Saudi women was investigated in a pilot study. After a four-week program, incorporating dietary modification alone (D) or in combination with regular vigorous aerobic exercise (D+E), improvements were seen in body composition and a range of metabolic risk factors. Both groups lost weight, but, paradoxically, those in D lost significantly more than those in D+E (5.3 vs. 3.3%, p=0.016). Moreover, significant reductions were also found in blood pressure, plasma triacylglycerol, insulin, total and LDL cholesterol, with no significant differences between the two groups. Plasma glucose and HDL cholesterol remained unaltered. Overall, these changes led to a decline in the prevalence of MS from 20% to 5% and 21% to 7% for the D and D+E groups, respectively. Thus, reducing energy intake appears, at least in the short term, more important than increasing PA in reducing body weight and associated metabolic risk factors. These studies confirm that excessive dietary intake and physical inactivity both contribute to overweight and obesity in Saudi Arabian women. With appropriate support, it is possible to both reduce energy intake and increase PA, although, in the short -term, the former appears to be most important. It remains to be established whether longer-term improvements in PA would further improve metabolic health.
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Ward, Jessica. "The relationship between exercise and physical self-concept among nonparticipants, exercisers, and athletic college females." Virtual Press, 2001. http://liblink.bsu.edu/uhtbin/catkey/1221292.
Full textAbstract:
This research examined the relationship between beliefs about physical activity, physical activity levels, age and the promotional practices for physical activity employed by Air Force squadron commanders. Additionally, differences in levels of promotional practice were evaluated based on group, MAJCOM and rank of the commander. Web based surveys were completed by 178 commanders at bases world-wide.Positive correlations were observed between physical activity and both personal benefit beliefs and organizational benefit beliefs (417 and .298, p <.001, respectively). Using a step-wise linear regression, only age and personal benefit beliefs had small predictive value for promotion practices score (R2 = .063 for age and personal benefit beliefs combined, p < .001). The difference in mean promotion practices score between some MAJCOMs was significant. Open-ended responses provided insight into practices and beliefs.Fisher Institute for Wellness and Gerontology
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Lenning, Alisha Ann. "Health in motion women, health paradigms, and expressive physical culture /." 2003. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/utexas/fullcit?p3118042.
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Phillips, Rachel E. "Health and the sex trade : an examination of the social determinants of health status and health care access among sex workers." 2003. http://hdl.handle.net/1828/424.
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Dyer, Claire. "Gender and the political economy of health and health care of women with reference to African women in the Natal/Zululand region." Thesis, 1990. http://hdl.handle.net/10413/8610.
Full textAbstract:
The purpose of this thesis is two-fold: it attempts to develop a feminist theory of
health and health care of women and moves beyond the political economy theory of
health and health care grounded in Marxist principles. Secondly, it attempts to
apply these feminist theoretical principles, incorporating the methodology of
historical materialism, to a specific historical situation - that of African women in
Natal/Zululand in the nineteenth century.
The thesis is divided into three parts. The first provides an overview of the political
economy of health and the Marxist theory on which it is based. The second section
deals specifically with feminist theoretical concerns: particularly the need to
incorporate the concept of gender and the sexual division of labour into analysis of
the position of women in society. In addition, it focusses on women's particular
health needs and attempts to incorporate these into a feminist theory of health and
health care. The third part examines the health and health care of African women
in pre-colonial Natal/Zululand by focussing on their role in procreation and
production, and changing health patterns and health care under colonial rule.Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, Durban, 1990.
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Huang, Chün. "An exploratory comparison of vertebral fracture prevalence and risk factors among native Japanese, Japanese-American, and Caucasian women." Thesis, 1994. http://hdl.handle.net/10125/9390.
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Yang, Kyeongra. "Physical activities among Korean midlife immigrant women in the U.S." Thesis, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/2152/1767.
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Adams, Karen. "Koori kids and otitis media prevention in Victoria." 2007. http://repository.unimelb.edu.au/10187/2371.
Full textAbstract:
Otitis media and consequent hearing loss are known to be high in Koori communities. Previous research on otitis media in Koori communities has focused on its identification, treatment and management. Little research has focused on the prevention of otitis media. Victorian Aboriginal communities often have small populations which result in small sample sizes for research projects. Consequently use of traditional quantitative methods to measure of change arising from health interventions can be problematic. The aim of the research was to describe Koori children’s otitis media risk factors using a Koori research method in order to develop, implement and evaluate preventative interventions.
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Cousins, Sandra. "The determinants of late life exercise in women over age 70." Thesis, 1993. http://hdl.handle.net/2429/2082.
Full textAbstract:
Too many elderly women suffer rapid aging decline, frailty and hypokinetic disease simply because of inadequate levels of physical activity. While the biopsychosocial benefits of regular exercise are now well-known, explanations are lacking for the reluctance of aging Canadian females to take up, or keep up, healthful forms of leisure-time physical activity. The purpose of this study was to examine and explain the variability of participation in health-promoting form sof exercise in elderly women. Several health behavior theories and personal attributes have shown promise in explaining exercise behavior, and thus, a second purpose of the study was to test the utility of a composite theoretical model. The composite model included ten personal and situational attributes as well as five cognitive beliefs about physical activity adapted from Social Cognitive Theory and a belief about personal control over one's health from Health Locus of Control Theory. A city-wide sample of 327 Vancouver women aged 70 and 98 years filled out survey questionnaires providing information on the 16 model variables in addition to kilocalorie estimates of exercise in the past week. Multiple regression analysis was used to explain late life exercise in three stages: 1) regression on the ten personal and situational attributes; 2) regression on the six cognitive beliefs; and 3) combined regression on all the significant predictors. From the life situational variables, health, childhood movement confidence, school location, and age were significant factors explaining 18% of the variability seen in current exercise level. From the cognitive variables, current self-efficacy to exercise and current social support to engage in physical activity were the only significant predictors (R2 = 22%). A full regression model was tested by including the four statistically important situational variables and the two cognitive variables from the previous analyses. The utility of the Composite Model was supported in that both situational variables and self-referent beliefs played significant and independent roles in explaining late life exercise (R2 = 26%). The main reasons that older women were physically active were: 1) they perceived high levels of social support to exercise (b = .239, p< .01); 2) they felt efficacious for fitness-types of activities (b = .185, p< .01), 3) they had satisfactory health (b = .174, p < .01), and 4) they were educated in foreign countries (b = -.125, p < .01). Health locus of control offered some explanation but was not able to demonstrate significance alongside other cognitive beliefs (b = -.106, p < .06). Education, socioeconomic status, work role, family size, and marital status were not able to explain late life exercise. This study found that health difficulties do indeed interfere with women’s activity patterns. However, women are also influenced by perceptions of declining social support, lower levels of movement confidence, and chronological age, to reduce their physical activity. Thus, regardless of their health situation, the explanation of exercise involvement in older women rests to a large degree on the amount of social encouragement they perceive from family, friends and physicians, their self-efficacy for fitness activity, as well as perceptions of age-appropriate behavior. Older women who were educated as children outside of Canada, Britain and the U.S. appear to be culturally advantaged for late life physical activity participation. Moreover, childhood movement confidence stands as a significant predictor among the situational variables. These findings suggest that participation in physical activity, and positive beliefs about exercise in late
oo, are rooted in competencies and experiences acquired in childhood. Perceptions of inadequate encouragement appear to be limiting females, from childhood on, to develop and sustain confidence in their physical abilities that would promote a more active lifestyle into their oldest life stage.
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Worley, Susan E. "Factors influencing body composition of postmenopausal women." Thesis, 1986. http://hdl.handle.net/1957/27102.
Full textAbstract:
The purpose of this research was to examine some of
the factors which may affect body composition of
postmenopausal women. The effect of estrogen, physical
activity, diet and lifestyle were examined in 9 women
receiving estrogen replacement therapy and 11 women not
using this drug. For 3 consecutive days, the subjects
collected 24-hour urine samples and recorded their
dietary intake. Body fat was estimated by obesity
indices based on height and weight and a regression
equation based on abdominal skinfold, abdominal
circumference and bideltoid diameter (Young, 1964). Lean
body mass (LBM) was estimated from urinary excretion of
creatinine (Forbes & Bruining, 1976). Physical activity
and lifestyle were assessed by a self-administered
questionnaire. Age, height, physical activity, diet and lifestyle were similar for the two groups. Estrogen
users were heavier than non-users (p < 0.05) and as a
group had a higher prevalence of obesity. Percent body
fat and LBM also tended to be higher in the estrogen
users than in the non-estrogen users. The weight
difference between the two groups was already present at
age 25 years and persisted through the subsequent 30-year
period. All 20 subjects maintained their weight between
ages 25 and 35 years, thereafter, increasing in weight
significantly (p < 0.05) by decade through age 55 years.
For all 20 subjects no correlation was found between
energy intake and any measure of obesity or body
fatness. Obesity was unrelated to energy consumption.
Physical activity did not correlate significantly with
any estimate of body composition. Energy intake showed
an inverse correlation with hours spent watching
television (r = -0.82, p < 0.002). Nutrient intake for
most women was adequate; however, calcium intake in women
not receiving estrogen replacement therapy may be
insufficient.Graduation date: 1987
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Mirza, Tanjina. "Health problems of women using contraception in Bangladesh." Phd thesis, 1999. http://hdl.handle.net/1885/148022.
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