Group Health & Wellness Coaching: development and validation of the required competencies.

BACKGROUND: As the popularity and demonstrated effectiveness of Health and Wellness Coaching (HWC) continue to grow to address chronic disease prevalence worldwide, delivery of this approach in a group format is gaining traction, particularly in healthcare. Nonetheless, very little empirical work exists on group coaching and there are currently no published competencies for Group Health and Wellness Coaching (GHWC). METHODS: We used a well-established two-phase (Development and Judgment) process to create and validate GHWC competencies with strong content validity. RESULTS: Seven highly qualified Subject Matter Experts systematically identified and proposed the GHWC competencies, which were then validated by 78 National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coaches (NBC-HWCs) currently practicing GHWC who rated the importance and use frequency of each one. The validation study led to 72 competencies which are organized into the structure and process of GHWC. CONCLUSIONS: GHWC requires not only coaching skills, but significant group facilitation skills to guide the group process to best support members in maximizing health and well-being through self-directed behavioral change. As the presence of HWC continues to grow, it is imperative that GHWC skill standards be accepted and implemented for the safety of the public, the effectiveness of the intervention, and the value analysis of the field. Such standards will guide curriculum development, allow for a more robust research agenda, and give practical guidance for health and wellness coaches to responsibly run groups. High quality standards for GHWC are particularly needed in health care, where a Level III Current Procedural Terminology (CPT®) code for GHWC has been approved in the United States since 2019 and reimbursement of such has been approved by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid for 2024.

"We're Going to Book This for You": Threats to Informed Decision-Making in the Down Syndrome Determination Experience.

OBJECTIVES: To identify and describe threats to informed decision-making at key junctures of the Down syndrome (DS) determination experience. METHODS: We conducted 32 narrative interviews with 42 participants (10 couples and 22 individuals). Participants relayed their stories of receiving their child's or a prospective child's DS determination. Interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed thematically. RESULTS: We identified the following 5 threats to informed decision-making: routinization of screening, screening for reassurance's sake, equating an openness to screening with an openness to testing and termination, misunderstanding and miscommunicating about probability, and a lack of up-to-date, accurate, neutral information. CONCLUSIONS: The results contribute to an existing body of literature on the DS determination experience with a uniquely Canadian lens. The threats outline how well-intended counselling can ultimately undermine reproductive autonomy and informed decision-making. With knowledge of how these seemingly harmless behaviours threaten informed decision-making and reproductive autonomy, care providers can modify their counselling to lessen their impact.

"Expectation is Always that the Practitioner Might Not Be Okay with Queerness": Experiences of LGBTQ+ With the Healthcare System in Saskatchewan, Canada.

This project aimed to explore the experiences of perceived mistrust and stigma by the LGBTQ+ members while accessing healthcare services in Saskatchewan, Canada. In partnership with local organization, a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach was employed and, semi structured descriptive interviews were conducted. Sixteen participants ranging from age 20-60 were recruited and interviewed. Inductive coding method with thematic data analysis was performed, and descriptive comprehensive results were produced. The LGBTQ+ community reported negative experiences within the context of four emerging themes: (a) perceived stigma and discrimination in healthcare settings, (b) practitioners' LGBTQ+-specific healthcare knowledge, (c) the need for LGBTQ+-specific cultural sensitivity and inclusion, and (d) a call for changes in healthcare policy. Each theme and its corresponding experiences serve as a baseline of information to demonstrate the need for improved access to safe healthcare and increased sustainable health for the LGBTQ+ community members. This calls for training and education, establishing cultural sensitivity, and mandating policy changes could improve the experiences of the LGBTQ+ community members.

Remotely and collaboratively evaluating a campus-based therapy dog program during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic adversely affected the wellbeing of university students and adults in general, emphasizing the need for mental health programming that was compliant with physical distancing mandates. The present evaluation investigated mental health and social connection within the context of COVID-19 by remotely evaluating a virtual animal-assisted activity at the University of Saskatchewan - PAWS Your Stress. The purpose of this article is to outline our evaluation methods and findings, while calling specific attention to the collaborative strategies that were implemented within a remote, time-sensitive context. The evaluation findings revealed that remote animal-assisted programming can facilitate connections with humans and animals, and promote multiple mental health benefits, despite the lack of physical interaction with the animals. Our lessons learned indicate that remote program logic modelling workshops are feasible when suited to audience demographics. Further, our experience suggests that the Most Significant Change technique (a qualitative, participatory, storytelling method that elicits outcome data) can be useful in time-restricted evaluations, and the necessity of central steps in the process may vary depending on evaluation goals. This project has implications for future evaluation work, by demonstrating the effective use of remote methods that allowed for successful stakeholder collaboration.

"We're in the same book, but we're in different parts of the book": Dominant and sub-group narratives of life following a Down syndrome determination.

Parents of children with Down syndrome (DS) were interviewed about if their experiences raising their children matched their initial assumptions about parenting a child with DS. A dominant narrative was identified, wherein most parents described initially having negative assumptions, which did not come to fruition; parenting their child was not very different from parenting a typical child. There was also a sub-group of participants who disputed the dominant narrative; parenting their child was challenging and the dominant narrative marginalizes that experience. The findings indicate that although for many parents, having a child with DS is like "taking the scenic route" (i.e., it involves a few more hurdles, but often more rewards), this framing is not always applicable. Therefore, health care providers and support organizations should promote a narrative that encompasses the diversity of parenting a child with DS.

The role of motherhood schemas and life transitions in reproductive intention formation.

OBJECTIVE: This study provides a theory-based snapshot of the processes involved in women's fertility intention formation and decisions regarding the timing of motherhood. BACKGROUND: The trend to defer childbearing is linked with both empowering and challenging outcomes for women. The cognitive-social (C-S) model suggests that deliberative thinking regarding reproduction occurs following fertility-relevant life transitions, which results in fluctuations in motherhood schemas and fertility intentions. This framework was applied to explore fertility intention formation. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with twelve women who either had children or desired children. RESULTS: Two overarching themes central to the C-S model are discussed: (a) passive expectations and (b) deliberative intentions. Women's motherhood schemas were often underpinned by schematic structures (e.g. group norms and scripts) and material structures (e.g. observational influences). Life transitions and personal experiences tended to prompt deliberative thinking about motherhood plans. CONCLUSION: The results were generally consistent with the C-S model, but highlight complexities to consider when investigating fertility expectations and intentions.

Understanding the impact of a residential housing programme for people living with HIV/AIDS: a realist evaluation protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Housing instability and homelessness are significant barriers to medical treatment for people living with HIV/AIDS. For these individuals, lack of stable housing and stigma is associated with insufficient access to care, poor adherence to medication and higher cost burdens to the healthcare system. This protocol reports on the efforts to evaluate Sanctum V.1.0, a hospice and transitional care home for adults with HIV/AIDS in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. The current project was developed out of a need to identify how Sanctum V.1.0 produces varying programme outcomes to assist in endeavours to replicate the programme in other geographic locations. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: A realist evaluation will be conducted to explore how and why Sanctum V.1.0 is successful or unsuccessful, in which circumstances and for whom. Rather than explore the degree to which a programme is effective, realist evaluations seek to uncover mechanisms that explain processual links between programme inputs and outcomes. The completed first phase of the project involved the development of an initial realist programme theory. Phases 2 and 3 will consist of methods to test, refine and validate the initial theory using various data sources. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethics approval was obtained from the institutional review board at the University of Saskatchewan on 2 July 2020. Results will be disseminated according to stakeholders' desires.

Canadian Support for IVF Access and Use.

OBJECTIVE: Apply Weiner's attribution-affect-action (AAA) model to the context of societal support for access to assisted reproductive technology (ART). METHODS: Five hundred and fifty-four Canadians were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 vignette conditions describing reproductively challenged women differentiated by the root cause of their need for ART. Following this, participants completed an online questionnaire measuring the components of the AAA model. RESULTS: The overall expected relationships among the AAA framework variables were found. Participants were least willing to support access to ART for women perceived as relatively more responsible for their fertility issues and who elicited lower levels of sympathy, whereas participants were most willing to support access for women viewed as less responsible and who elicited more sympathy. Additionally, participants were most supportive of general access to ART and least supportive when asked to offer personal funds to assist the women with access. CONCLUSION: These findings have potential implications for Canadian health care policy decisions on funding fertility treatments through the universal health care system. Further research on this issue, as well as the development and testing of interventions aimed at addressing beliefs around equitable and inclusive access to ART, are warranted.

'Removed from humanity': a qualitative analysis of attitudes toward abortion providers in anti-abortion individuals in Canada.

OBJECTIVE: The present study explores the content of abortion provider stigma. BACKGROUND: Abortion stigma extends beyond women who have abortions to abortion providers. Previous analyses of anti-abortion bills and rhetoric have revealed stereotypes of abortion providers as dangerous and less trustworthy than other health professionals. METHODS: We present a thematic analysis of one-on-one interviews about attitudes toward abortion providers with Canadian individuals (N = 21) holding an anti-abortion stance. RESULTS: We found participants held two kinds of beliefs about abortion providers: (1) providers are agentic and intentional actors and (2) providers are non-agentic victims of a larger system. While the former subtype of provider was viewed with hostility and disgust, the latter was viewed with pity, with participants suggesting that restriction of abortion would be beneficial for provider well-being. CONCLUSION: We document a new component of abortion provider stigma: the belief that abortion providers are harmed by abortion and that they are to be pitied for this. This 'abortion harms providers' attitude parallels recent anti-abortion arguments that abortion harms women. These stigmatising attitudes both construct the provider as untrustworthy and unable to properly care for women.

Nutritional Assessment and Status of Hospitalized Infants.

OBJECTIVES: Malnutrition during infancy has long-term adverse consequences for both physical and psychological development. Early detection of malnutrition among hospitalized infants is essential to provide optimal nutrition support. The primary aim of the present study was to investigate the nutritional status of hospitalized infants using 2 methods: the Subjective Global Nutritional Assessment (SGNA) and anthropometric measurement. We also investigated diagnostic category associated with nutritional status, the mean anthropometric z scores, and explored the association between malnutrition and nutrition focused variables. METHODS: Nutritional status of 110 hospitalized infants ages 31 days to 12 months was investigated using the SGNA and anthropometric measurements converted to z scores. RESULTS: Utilizing the SGNA, 78 (70.9%) infants were classified as having normal nutritional status, 30 (27.3%) were moderately malnourished, and 2 (1.8%) were severely malnourished. The proportion of infants with acute malnutrition (weight-for-length z score <-2) was 16.4%, and chronic malnutrition (length-for-age z score <-2) was 3.6%. The mean anthropometric z scores of infants were significantly lower in infants identified as moderately and severely malnourished using the SGNA. Decrease in serial weight (odds ratio [OR] 44.4; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.3-451.5), having prolonged gastrointestinal symptoms (OR 18.8; 95% CI: 1.5-234.7), and reduced nutrition-related functional capacity (OR 27.6; 95% CI 2.5-301.7) were associated with malnutrition after adjusting for sex, age, and length of hospital stay. CONCLUSIONS: Regardless of the method applied, cases of malnutrition amongst hospitalized infants were identified. The SGNA is a comprehensive approach to identifying malnutrition in hospitalized infants.

"Not Brain-washed, but Heart-washed": A Qualitative Analysis of Benevolent Sexism in the Anti-Choice Stance.

PURPOSE: In recent years, anti-choice dialog has shifted from a focus on the fetus to a focus on the woman. This new movement constructs itself as positive and pro-woman, while perpetuating harmful stereotypes about women and the effects of abortion. Research has shown a relationship between benevolent sexism (beliefs that women are morally pure creatures in need of protection and nurturing) and restrictive attitudes towards abortion, although no research has qualitatively explored this relationship. METHOD: The present study seeks to explore this by interpreting the content of one-on-one interviews with Canadian individuals holding an anti-choice stance through the theoretical framework of benevolent sexism. RESULTS: Thematic analysis of the interviews revealed three main themes: (1) protective paternalism, (2) complementary gender differentiation, and (3) the categorization of women. CONCLUSION: These themes connect strongly with benevolent sexism, providing evidence that abortion is still a stigmatized procedure. This stigma has shifted from viewing women who have abortions in an overtly negative way to viewing them as pitiable and poor decision makers.

A needs assessment on addressing environmental health issues within reproductive health service provision: Considerations for continuing education and support.

BACKGROUND: This needs assessment was initially undertaken to explore the beliefs and knowledge of nurses and physicians about the impact of environmental toxicants on maternal and infant health, as well as to describe current practice and needs related to addressing environmental health issues (EHI). METHODS: One hundred and thirty-five nurses (n = 99) and physicians (n = 36) working in Saskatchewan completed an online survey. Survey questions were designed to determine how physicians and nurses think about and incorporate environmental health issues into their practice and means of increasing their capacity to do so. RESULTS: Although participants considered it important to address EHIs with patients, in actual practice they do so with only moderate frequency. Participants reported low levels of knowledge about EHIs' impact on health, and low levels of confidence discussing them with patients. Participants requested additional information on EHIs, especially in the form of online resources. CONCLUSION: The results suggests that while nurses and physicians consider EHIs important to address with patients, more education, support, and resources would increase their capacity to do so effectively. Based on the findings, considerations and recommendations for continuing education in this area have been provided.

Advancing a new evidence-based professional in health care: job task analysis for health and wellness coaches.

BACKGROUND: The pressing need to manage burgeoning chronic disease has led to the emergence of job roles such as health and wellness coaches (HWCs). As use of this title has increased dramatically, so has the need to ensure consistency, quality and safety for health and wellness coaching (HWC) provided in both practice and research. Clear and uniform role definitions and competencies are required to ensure appropriate scope of practice, to allow best practices to emerge, and to support the implementation of well-designed, large scale studies to accumulate a rigorous evidence base. Since the nascent field is replete with heterogeneity in terms of role delineations and competencies, a collaborative volunteer non-profit organization, the National Consortium for Credentialing Health and Wellness Coaches (NCCHWC), has been built over the past six years to support professionalization of the field. METHODS: In 2014, a professionally led Job Task Analysis (JTA) was conducted with 15 carefully selected subject matter experts (SMEs) with diverse education and professional backgrounds who were practicing HWC in a wide variety of settings. After establishing a thorough list of specific tasks employed during HWC, the expert panel discussed the knowledge and skills necessary to competently perform the tasks. Subsequently, a large validation survey assessed the relative importance and frequency of each identified job task in conducting HWC. RESULTS: The JTA identified 21 job tasks as essential to HWC. In the subsequent validation survey, 4026 practicing health and wellness coaches were invited to rate each of the 21 job tasks in terms of their importance and frequency. A response rate of 25.6 % provided a diverse sample (n = 1031) in terms of background, and represented a wide variety of training programs from academia, industry, the private sector and associations. Per best practices, the subset of practicing HWCs (n = 885) provided importance and frequency ratings to be used to calculate task and domain weights that can serve as a foundation for a NCCHWC national certification examination. CONCLUSIONS: This JTA provides a significant step forward in the building of a clear and consistent definition of HWC that will allow for uniform practice standards and enable more stringent methodology to evaluate this promising approach within evidence-based medicine.

Simple Nutrition Screening Tool for Pediatric Inpatients.

BACKGROUND: Pediatric nutrition risk screening tools are not routinely implemented throughout many hospitals, despite prevalence studies demonstrating malnutrition is common in hospitalized children. Existing tools lack the simplicity of those used to assess nutrition risk in the adult population. This study reports the accuracy of a new, quick, and simple pediatric nutrition screening tool (PNST) designed to be used for pediatric inpatients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The pediatric Subjective Global Nutrition Assessment (SGNA) and anthropometric measures were used to develop and assess the validity of 4 simple nutrition screening questions comprising the PNST. Participants were pediatric inpatients in 2 tertiary pediatric hospitals and 1 regional hospital. RESULTS: Two affirmative answers to the PNST questions were found to maximize the specificity and sensitivity to the pediatric SGNA and body mass index (BMI) z scores for malnutrition in 295 patients. The PNST identified 37.6% of patients as being at nutrition risk, whereas the pediatric SGNA identified 34.2%. The sensitivity and specificity of the PNST compared with the pediatric SGNA were 77.8% and 82.1%, respectively. The sensitivity of the PNST at detecting patients with a BMI z score of less than -2 was 89.3%, and the specificity was 66.2%. Both the PNST and pediatric SGNA were relatively poor at detecting patients who were stunted or overweight, with the sensitivity and specificity being less than 69%. CONCLUSION: The PNST provides a sensitive, valid, and simpler alternative to existing pediatric nutrition screening tools such as Screening Tool for the Assessment of Malnutrition in Pediatrics (STAMP), Screening Tool Risk on Nutritional status and Growth (STRONGkids), and Paediatric Yorkhill Malnutrition Score (PYMS) to ensure the early detection of hospitalized children at nutrition risk.

Is Any Press Good Press? The Impact of Media Portrayals of Infertility on Young Adults' Perceptions of Infertility.

OBJECTIVE: Infertility is an issue of current concern across North America. The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada advocates for public education regarding infertility issues. Public education is supposed to be a fundamental objective of news media. However, it is uncertain whether the media are acting as good partners to the medical profession in this objective of educating the public, and young women in particular. Recent findings suggest that print news tends to present infertility using high-alarm framing strategies; however, the impact of this framing on news consumers is unknown. The purpose of this study was to understand the effects of high- versus low-alarm frames on consumers of infertility-related news. METHODS: In this experiment, 131 undergraduate students were randomly assigned to read infertility-focused news articles judged to employ either high- or low-alarm framing strategies in presenting infertility. Participants subsequently completed various psychological, emotional, and knowledge measures to gauge the impact of the news exposure. RESULTS: The participants exposed to the high-alarm framing showed higher levels of perceived personal susceptibility to infertility, marginally higher levels of worry about infertility, and significantly lower levels of infertility-related knowledge than those exposed to the low-alarm framing. CONCLUSION: The manner in which the news media report on infertility has repercussions on how individuals think and feel about infertility. The findings of this study can inform health care providers about how the media are shaping perceptions of infertility, and can assist professional bodies interested in undertaking public education initiatives.

Objectif : L'infertilité suscite bien des préoccupations de nos jours en Amérique du Nord. La Société des obstétriciens et gynécologues du Canada préconise la mise en œuvre d'efforts visant la sensibilisation du public à l'égard des questions entourant l'infertilité. Bien que la sensibilisation du public constitue, en principe, l'un des objectifs fondamentaux des médias d'information, la question de savoir si ces derniers collaborent de façon efficace avec la profession médicale à cet égard (et plus particulièrement en ce qui concerne la sensibilisation des jeunes femmes) demeure trouble. De récentes études semblent indiquer que la presse écrite tend à utiliser des stratégies grandement alarmistes en ce qui concerne la communication des nouvelles traitant de l'infertilité; cependant, les effets de ces stratégies sur le public demeurent inconnus. Cette étude avait pour objectif de comparer et de comprendre les effets des stratégies de communication grandement alarmistes et peu alarmistes sur le public visé par les nouvelles traitant de l'infertilité. Méthodes : Dans le cadre de cette expérience, 131 étudiants de premier cycle ont été affectés au hasard à un groupe devant lire des articles de journaux qui, à notre avis, utilisaient des stratégies de communication grandement alarmistes pour aborder le sujet de l'infertilité ou à un groupe devant lire des articles de journaux qui, à notre avis, utilisaient des stratégies peu alarmistes pour aborder ce sujet. Les participants ont par la suite rempli un questionnaire mesurant divers paramètres psychologiques, affectifs et liés aux connaissances, et ce, pour nous permettre d'évaluer les effets de l'exposition à chacun de ces types de nouvelles. Résultats : Les participants qui ont été exposés à des stratégies de communication grandement alarmistes ont présenté des taux accrus de sensibilité personnelle perçue à l'infertilité, des taux légèrement accrus d'inquiétude envers l'infertilité et des niveaux considérablement moindres de connaissances à l'égard de l'infertilité, par comparaison avec les participants ayant été exposés à des stratégies de communication peu alarmistes. Conclusion : La façon dont les médias d'information traitent de la question de l'infertilité exerce une influence sur la façon dont les gens perçoivent les renseignements qui leur sont fournis à ce sujet. Les résultats de cette étude pourraient renseigner les fournisseurs de soins de santé quant à la façon dont les médias influencent les perceptions en ce qui concerne l'infertilité et pourraient s'avérer utiles pour les organismes professionnels qui souhaitent mettre en œuvre des initiatives d'éducation publique.

National training and education standards for health and wellness coaching: the path to national certification.

The purpose of this article is twofold: (1) to announce the findings of the job task analysis as well as national training and education standards for health and wellness coaching (HWC) that have been developed by the large-scale, collaborative efforts of the National Consortium for Credentialing Health and Wellness Coaches (NCCHWC) and (2) to invite commentary from the public. The rapid proliferation of individuals and organizations using the terms of health and/or wellness coaches and the propagation of private industry and academic coach training and education programs endeavoring to prepare these coaches has created an urgent and pressing need for national standards for use of the term health and wellness coach, as well as minimal requirements for training, education, and certification. Professionalizing the field with national standards brings a clear and consistent definition of health and wellness coaching and accepted practice standards that are uniform across the field. In addition, clear standards allow for uniform curricular criteria to ensure a minimal benchmark for education, training, and skills and knowledge evaluation of professional health and wellness coaches.

El propósito de este artículo es doble: (1) anunciar los hallazgos del análisis del trabajo realizado así como de los estándares nacionales de formación y educación para el asesoramiento de la salud y del bienestar que se han desarrollado a gran escala, las iniciativas de colaboración del Consorcio nacional para las credenciales de los asesores de salud y bienestar (National Consortium for Credentialing Health and Wellness Coaches, NCCHWC) y (2) invitar al público a hacer comentarios. La rápida proliferación de personas y organizaciones que utilizan los términos de asesores de salud y/o bienestar, y la propagación de la industria privada y la formación académica del asesoramiento y los programas de educación encaminados a preparar a estos asesores han creado una necesidad urgente y acuciante de establecer estándares nacionales para el empleo del término de asesor de salud y bienestar, así como unos requisitos mínimos de formación, educación y certificación. La profesionalización de esta esfera con estándares nacionales trae consigo una definición clara y coherente del asesoramiento de salud y bienestar, y unos estándares de práctica aceptados que son uniformes en todo el ámbito. Además, los estándares claros permiten uniformizar los criterios curriculares para asegurar un marco de referencia mínimos para la educación, formación y la evaluación de competencias y conocimientos de los asesores profesionales de salud y bienestar.

How effective is health coaching in reducing health services expenditures?

BACKGROUND: Health coaching interventions aim to identify high-risk enrollees and encourage them to play a more proactive role in improving their health, improve their ability to navigate the health care system, and reduce costs. OBJECTIVES: Evaluate the effect of health coaching on inpatient, emergency room, outpatient, and prescription drug expenditures. RESEARCH DESIGN: Quasiexperimental pre-post design. Health coaching participants were identified over the 2-year time period 2009-2010. Propensity scores facilitated matching eligible participants and nonparticipating controls on a one-to-one basis using nearest kernel techniques. Difference in differences logistic and generalized linear models addressed the impact of health coaching on the probability of incurring costs and levels of inpatient, emergency room, outpatient, and prescription drug expenditures, respectively. MEASURES: Administrative claims data were used to analyze health services expenditures preparticipation and post health coaching participation time periods. RESULTS: Of the 6940 health coaching participants, 1161 participated for at least 4 weeks and had a minimum of 6 months of claims data preparticipation and postparticipation. Although the probability of incurring costs and expenditure levels for emergency room services were not affected, the probability of incurring inpatient expenditures and levels of outpatient and total costs for health coaching participants fell significantly from preparticipation to postparticipation relative to controls. Estimated outpatient and total cost savings were $286 and $412 per person per month, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Health coaching led to significant reductions in outpatient and total expenditures for high-risk plan enrollees. Future studies analyzing both health outcomes and claims data are needed to assess the cost-effectiveness of health coaching in specific populations.

Informed reproductive decision-making: the impact of providing fertility information on fertility knowledge and intentions to delay childbearing.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the impact of providing fertility information on personal levels of fertility knowledge and intentions to delay childbearing. METHODS: Participants (n=69 young childless women) were randomly assigned to either an experimental (fertility-related) or control (alcohol-related) informational intervention group. Subsequent to the exposure to information, participants completed a questionnaire measuring fertility knowledge and intentions for reproduction. We predicted that the provision of fertility-related information would result in greater fertility knowledge and less intention to delay childbearing among young childless women. RESULTS: The young women exposed to the brief fertility information intervention were significantly more likely to respond correctly to questions testing their fertility knowledge, and reported less intention to delay childbearing than the young women in the control group. CONCLUSION: This study provided evidence that providing fertility-related information contributes to greater reproductive knowledge and may affect childbearing intentions. Future research is warranted to examine the influence of fertility information on reproductive decision-making within a theoretical framework in order to ensure that subsequent information interventions maximize their effectiveness.

Objectif : Examiner les effets de l'offre de renseignements en matière de fertilité sur les niveaux personnels de connaissances au sujet de la fertilité et sur les intentions de différer la grossesse. Méthodes : Les participantes (n = 69 jeunes femmes sans enfants) ont été affectées au hasard à un groupe d'intervention informationnelle expérimental (traitant de fertilité) ou témoin (traitant d'alcool). À la suite de leur exposition aux renseignements, les participantes ont rempli un questionnaire mesurant les connaissances en matière de fertilité et les intentions en matière de procréation. Nous avions prédit que l'offre de renseignements traitant de fertilité entraînerait une amélioration des connaissances au sujet de la fertilité et une atténuation de l'intention de reporter la grossesse chez les jeunes femmes sans enfants. Résultats : Les jeunes femmes exposées à une brève intervention informationnelle traitant de fertilité ont été considérablement plus susceptibles de répondre correctement aux questions visant leurs connaissances au sujet de la fertilité; de plus, elles étaient moins susceptibles de signaler une intention de reporter la grossesse que les jeunes femmes du groupe témoin. Conclusion : Les données issues de cette étude indiquent que l'offre de renseignements traitant de fertilité contribue à l'amélioration des connaissances au sujet de la procréation et pourrait influencer les intentions en ce qui concerne la grossesse. La tenue d'autres recherches s'avère justifiée pour examiner l'influence des renseignements traitant de fertilité sur le processus décisionnel en matière de procréation dans un cadre théorique, de façon à ce que l'on puisse s'assurer que les interventions informationnelles subséquentes maximisent leur efficacité.

El retrato del síndrome de Down en los prospectos informativos del diagnóstico prenatal / No disponible

El estudio analiza la calidad de la información sobre el síndrome de Down que aparece en los folletos ofrecidos a las mujeres embarazadas que puedan someterse al diagnóstico prenatal en Canadá. Analizaron 17 folletos de los que se extrajeron 158 afirmaciones descriptivas. El 91% analizó los problemas médicos o clínicos y sólo el 9% hizo referencias a aspectos psicosociales. Casi la mitad ofrecieron un retrato negativo, y sólo el 2,4 % ofreció una imagen positiva del síndrome de Down. Concluyen afirmando que los folletos no ofrecen una imagen completa y equilibrada sobre el síndrome de Down, lo que limita la toma de una decisión bien informada (AU)

No disponible

Judgements regarding the acceptability of childbearing and parental fitness made towards women living with HIV.

This study examines the societal perceptions and judgements made towards HIV-positive pregnant women when compared with those targeting pregnant women with other medical conditions. One hundred and sixty participants (124 female) were randomly assigned to one of four experimental conditions defined by specific medical condition of the pregnant woman in the vignette (HIV/AIDS, obesity, lung cancer or diabetes). Participants were asked to respond to a variety of items gauging their reaction to the woman and her pregnancy subsequent to reading the scenario. As expected, participants were least approving of the pregnancy of the woman with HIV/AIDS, and they rated her as a less fit parent than the women with the other medical conditions. Subsequent analyses revealed that concern for the health of the child and attributions of responsibility/blame for the medical condition did not account for the differential reactions to the pregnant woman with HIV/AIDS. These findings corroborate the felt stigma and prejudicial attitudes reported by HIV-positive mothers.