ABSTRACT
Long-term care of the elderly and the disabled rests on a vast network of informal caregivers. This qualitative study examined the effects of caregiving on the health and wellbeing of a small, non-representative sample of urban women caregivers. These 11 informants participated in two interviews. Health was conceptualized in a holistic manner, consistent with the view of the World Health Organization and Health Canada. The caregiving experience, as described in this study, was life changing and consuming. Analysis revealed that the domain of caregiving could be captured by three dominant themes: loss and grieving; adapting and coping; and the short- and long-term impact. The consistency in the findings and policy recommendations of studies of informal caregiving begs the question: when will caregivers finally be heard?
Subject(s)
Adaptation, Psychological , Caregivers/psychology , Grief , Home Nursing/psychology , Social Support , Adult , Aged , Anecdotes as Topic , Canada , Female , Health Status , Home Nursing/economics , Home Nursing/methods , Humans , Interpersonal Relations , Middle Aged , Spirituality , Stress, Psychological , Surveys and Questionnaires , Time FactorsSubject(s)
Attitude of Health Personnel , Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice , Nursing Staff/education , Nursing Staff/psychology , Professional Autonomy , Societies, Nursing/standards , Clinical Competence , Humans , Licensure, Nursing , Nursing Methodology Research , Practice Guidelines as Topic , Saskatchewan , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
At first glance it would seem strange to suggest that efficiency, effectiveness and beneficence, all positive and desirable goals, could challenge nurses' achievement of quality health care. However, as shown below, attitudes and actions reflecting either the overly zealous pursuit of any of these or an attitude of complacency can compromise or threaten the quality of care.
Subject(s)
Efficiency, Organizational , Health Promotion/organization & administration , Models, Nursing , Nursing Care/organization & administration , Quality Assurance, Health Care/organization & administration , Canada/epidemiology , Decision Making, Organizational , Discriminant Analysis , Ethics, Nursing , Holistic Health , Humans , Hypertension/epidemiology , Hypertension/nursing , Life Style , Models, Statistical , Organizational Objectives , Outcome Assessment, Health Care , Risk FactorsABSTRACT
Healthy lifestyles and quality of life are key elements in the health of individuals and the community as a whole. This study examines the relationship of specific lifestyle behaviours to blood pressure in subjects being treated for hypertension. Data were collected over a two-year period and analysis was completed in June, 1989. Discriminant analysis identified that, of the lifestyles selected, predictors of uncontrolled hypertension were a high calcium intake, a high perceived level of stress, and a 'normal' body mass index. Profiles of lifestyle behaviours identified by discriminant analysis found to be important to various age and sex groupings of the subjects are illustrated.
Subject(s)
Hypertension/epidemiology , Life Style , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Blood Pressure , Body Mass Index , Calcium, Dietary , Female , Humans , Hypertension/etiology , Male , Middle Aged , Stress, Psychological/complications , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
The hypothesis of this study was that specific lifestyle patterns would be predictive of, or increase the risk for, uncontrolled hypertension in drug-treated hypertensive subjects. By means of a previously validated questionnaire, alcohol consumption, smoking, exercise, calcium intake, sodium intake, caffeine intake, body weight pattern and perceived stress level were evaluated in 364 subjects who attended a hypertension clinic in a large urban teaching hospital. The subjects were divided into controlled and uncontrolled categories on the basis of a clinic blood pressure reading. The number of prescribed drugs was not different between the two groups. Stratified analysis identified a high perceived stress level, a high calcium intake, and a lower body mass index as predictive of uncontrolled hypertension. Other variables showed no significant correlation. The conclusion of the study is that traditional risk factors for hypertension may assume less importance in drug-treated hypertensive patients than in untreated hypertensive patients.
