ABSTRACT
Domestic abuse is the leading cause of injuries and death among women of childbearing age in the United States. The broad purpose of this research is to discover how pregnant women's psychological and behavioral responses to abuse affect birth outcomes. To select a diverse sample of women, we identified 8 prenatal care sites and completed the human subjects approval process with each. Rates of screening for abuse range from all but 12 women over a 2-1/2-year period at one site to no screening for abuse at another site. In this article, we will review pertinent literature and discuss the supports and barriers we observed when implementing an abuse screening program using the Abuse Assessment Screen, a well-tested and valid clinical instrument. Suggestions will be made for improving the screening rates at those sites where screening is absent or inconsistent.
Subject(s)
Health Services Accessibility/organization & administration , Mass Screening/organization & administration , Pregnancy Complications/diagnosis , Prenatal Care/organization & administration , Spouse Abuse/diagnosis , Attitude of Health Personnel , Clinical Competence/standards , Female , Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice , Health Services Research , Humans , Inservice Training , Needs Assessment , Pregnancy , Pregnancy Outcome , Program Development , Program Evaluation , Social SupportABSTRACT
Responsibility for self-care is the purview of the pregnant woman. Her self-care behaviors are influenced by her quest for a healthy pregnancy and by her health care providers and social network. Our purpose in this descriptive ex post facto study was to examine women's reported self-care behaviors during pregnancy. The 100 women in the study sample reported engaging in self-care behaviors that were both positive and negative. More than half of the women reported activities to keep healthy that included walking or jogging, 48 changed their diets, 25 reported working out, exercising, and/or mediating. Of the 32 women experiencing a medical problem with their pregnancies, none reported engaging in behaviors to keep healthy. Assessing reported self-care behaviors early in pregnancy might help identify women who can benefit from advice about self-care strategies to increase their chances of healthy outcomes.
Subject(s)
Attitude to Health , Pregnancy/psychology , Prenatal Care/methods , Self Care/methods , Women/psychology , Adolescent , Adult , Female , Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice , Humans , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to explore the following questions: What are the perceptions of midlife women as to the care they receive from a variety of healthcare providers? What are the issues and concerns that influence their decision making about hormonal therapy? What strategies do women find helpful in accommodating to menopause? What are the knowledge and perceptions/role of the partner during the menopause transition? The research design for this study used a nonrandom survey. The nonrandom convenience sample consisted of 320 midlife women 46-55 years of age. Data were gathered via a mailed self-administered Menopause Questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the survey data. Qualitative data revealed more in-depth and personal comments from women concerning menopause. The most significant findings were that respondents (1) were in conflict about hormone therapy (HT), yet they had read extensively about menopause and used a variety of strategies to cope with symptoms; (2) reported that they received conflicting information and advice about menopause from a variety of sources and expressed concerns about not being fully informed by their healthcare providers; and (3) who received care from nurse practitioners (NPs) were quite satisfied with their care.
Subject(s)
Attitude to Health , Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice , Menopause/psychology , Women's Health , Women/psychology , Decision Making , Estrogen Replacement Therapy , Female , Humans , Menopause/drug effects , Menopause/physiology , Middle Aged , Nurse Practitioners , Nursing Methodology Research , Surveys and QuestionnairesSubject(s)
Clinical Competence , Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate/organization & administration , Education, Professional, Retraining/organization & administration , Public Sector , Students, Nursing , Universities , Urban Population , Adult , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Nursing Education Research , Program Evaluation , Students, Nursing/psychology , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
This study examined the paid work role as a predictor of widows' health during conjugal bereavement. The sample of widows aged 55-75 bereaved for two years prior to the study (N = 157) was identified through recorded death certificates as the surviving spouses of deceased men. Work history and work attitude were statistically significant predictors of health during bereavement.
Subject(s)
Bereavement , Death , Health Status , Single Person/psychology , Work , Aged , Attitude , Employment , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Nursing Research , Regression Analysis , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
This investigation examined the content of advertisements in medical and nursing journals to determine if the images of nurses reflect the roles nurses play in health care. The method used was content analysis. Thirty-five nursing journals and 48 medical journals yielded 313 different advertisements picturing nurses. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square, correlation coefficients, and interpreted for overall impressions of the portrayals. Nurses are portrayed as sex objects, ornaments and as handmaidens to physicians. The findings demonstrate a freezing of the image of nurses in the print media.
Subject(s)
Advertising , Nurses , Periodicals as Topic , Social Perception , Female , Gender Identity , Humans , Male , RoleABSTRACT
This study was designed to examine the content of advertisements in medical journals to determine if the images of women are different than those of men. The method for this investigation was content analysis of a stratified random sample of issues of selected medical journals that regularly include picture advertisements. Advertisements were analyzed according to criteria and characteristics derived from a review of the literature. Interrater reliability was computed as a function of agreements. The results indicate that readers of medical journals are still being exposed to images of women that are negative and outdated. Until portrayals of women are consistently positive and timely, the images can have a negative effect on the health care women receive.
