Management practices associated with stress in cattle on western Canadian cow-calf operations: A mixed methods study.

Handling, weaning, and euthanasia are some of the most stressful practices performed on cow-calf operations. Although strategies to minimize stress exist, their use on western Canadian cow-calf operations is unknown. The objectives were to describe current stress-associated practices on western Canadian cow-calf operations, describe producer and operation demographics associated with the use of nonabrupt weaning methods, and explore producer perceptions toward these practices. A questionnaire focusing on stressful management practices was delivered to 109 cow-calf producers in western Canada. Fifteen respondents were purposively selected for individual interviews. The majority of producers reported calves less than 1 wk of age were handled by manual restraint (87%) and those older than 1 wk of age were handled using a cattle squeeze or table. Most producers performed abrupt weaning (70%). Interviewees often mentioned that cost and logistics were major factors in deciding on a weaning strategy. Pasture availability and facilities were viewed as constraints toward the adoption of a nonabrupt weaning method. Animal stress was considered, as producers expressed concern that nonabrupt weaning methods may cause increased stress because of the additional handling required. Producers conveyed that animal age was a major factor that impacted weaning stress and that improved animal performance might motivate them to adopt a nonabrupt weaning strategy. Producers also expressed reluctance to change previously successful traditional approaches. Of respondents, 13% did not euthanize cattle on farm and 8% did not confirm death. Producers interviewed reported that the decision to euthanize cattle on farm was difficult and that veterinary advice was often considered. Factors that influenced their decision to euthanize included the animal's likelihood of recovery and degree of pain and distress. Finally, producers explained that they considered whether the animal was salvageable and able to be transported. Identification of common methods of handling provides focus for future research to determine optimal handling strategies. Identified barriers to nonabrupt weaning may be addressed through research, extension, or policy to encourage the adoption of weaning methods that could improve animal welfare. Confirmation of death after euthanasia was identified as an area that needs to be addressed by producer education to minimize animal stress during on-farm euthanasia.

Management practices associated with pain in cattle on western Canadian cow-calf operations: A mixed methods study.

The implementation of on-farm pain mitigation strategies is dependent on feasibility and importance to producers. Currently, there is a lack of information regarding adoption of management practices associated with pain in cattle within the Canadian beef industry. The objective of this mixed methods study was to describe pain-associated practices implemented on farm and producer perceptions toward pain mitigation strategies. A questionnaire about calving management and calf processing was delivered to 109 cow-calf producers in western Canada. In addition, 15 respondents were purposively selected based on questionnaire responses to participate in individual semistructured, on-farm interviews. The prevalence of pain mitigation strategies used for dystocia and cesarean section by respondents were 46 and 100%, respectively. The majority of operations reported castrating and dehorning calves before 3 mo of age (95 and 89%, respectively). The majority of operations did not use pain mitigation strategies for castration and dehorning (90 and 85%, respectively). Branding was practiced by 57% of respondents, 4% of which used pain mitigation. Thematic content analysis revealed that producers' perception of pain were influenced by what they referred to as "common sense," relatability to cattle, visual evidence of pain, and age of the animal. Factors that influenced participant rationale for the implementation of pain mitigation practices included access to information and resources, age of the animal, benefit to the operation, cost and logistics, market demands, and personal conscience. Overall, management practices were generally in compliance with published Canadian guidelines. Results of this study may provide direction for future policy making, research, and extension efforts to encourage the adoption of pain mitigation strategies.

Rurality and health: perspectives of mid-life women.

INTRODUCTION: Health researchers have paid scant attention to the role of place in health except as settings where interventions take place, and even less attention has been given to the influence of rural context on health. Explanations of the impact of environment on health status have traditionally been limited to a narrow picture of rural life. Much of the relevant research in health focuses on farming as central to rural living and as such, suggests that rural living is not conducive to optimum health. Using the term 'rural health' in a limited sense (only to mean the health of farmers) is also implicit in rural health research that emphasizes occupational health rather than general health. In this paper we explore the influence of living in a rural area as described by mid-life rural women from different parts of the province of Alberta in Canada. Our analysis focuses on ways in which these rural women understand, talk about, and experience health. Their insights add to our understanding of rural environments not just as a setting for research but also as a social construct (i.e. a range of social relationships and social processes associated with rural environments) that informs the results of research. METHODS: This qualitative research used approaches from ethnography and grounded theory. 'Statistics Canada' criteria were used to define 'rural' as an area with a population of less than 10,000; therefore, small towns were included. Four female rural community interviewers from three geographic regions in the province were hired and trained for the purposes of the study. Participants were recruited through convenience and snowball sampling. Data collection using an interview guide continued until theoretical saturation was reached. All interviews were transcribed verbatim and imported into a software program for summary analysis and to aid in interpretation. Thematic analysis was conducted using memoing and coding as well as immersion and crystallization in conjunction with revisiting relevant literature. RESULTS: Twenty-four women ranging in age from 40 to 65 years were interviewed. The majority was married and the minority had children still living at home. Women held a holistic view of health. They described rural living as very important to their health. Through analysis and interpretation, four important aspects of rurality were revealed: the meaning and symbols of rurality; change and the understanding of rurality; getting away and getting around; and, diversity in rurality. Heterogeneity or difference in rural places was evident in the women's discussions, including their descriptions of what it was like to inhabit a rural place. CONCLUSIONS: The finding of differences in rurality reinforces the work of others and has important implications for researchers and program planners. To ignore this may perpetuate generalizations about rurality that are too simple to be useful and that have the potential to obscure important features of place. The data also challenge assumptions about the detrimental relationship between rurality and health. Myths of rural living should be set aside, and researchers and policy makers would be wise to listen to inhabitants to develop contextually relevant research and policy.

Development of healthy public policy: feminist analysis of conflict, collaboration and social change.

In the past two decades, the need for economic restructuring has served as a rationale for dismantling social programs in Canada. As it has been enacted, such social restructuring has disproportionately affected marginalized people, particularly women. In this article we explore the schism between the principles that underlie the development of healthy public policy and those that are driving current social policy development. Through this analysis we discuss the implications of policy development that is based upon principles of inequity, and we suggest that implementation of healthy public policy requires transformational change in the underlying principles of the social system. A policy shift based upon principles of equity and social justice has been espoused throughout the health promotion literature. We suggest that such a shift will be facilitated by strengthening collaborative relations among points of conflict within society and among policy makers and women's organizations.

Whealth study: women's reports of childhood abuse.

Most samples of adult women will contain a significant proportion who have been or are currently in abusive relationships. While past research has linked childhood abuse of girls to adult health concerns, little is known about the process through which women retrospectively reconcile these experiences. This article reports on data collected in an ongoing project on midlife women's health. Twenty-seven of 50 urban, middle-class participants in this phase of the project reported childhood abuse experiences. In the analysis, several aspects of these experiences were identified: definitions of abuse; recontextualizing abuse; responsibility for abuse; abuse avoidance; and experiences of multiple abuse. The women's discourse reflected a number of ideologies that provide a context in which women negotiate their understandings of these childhood experiences. This article provides insight into our understanding of abuse. It addresses the fundamental issue of promoting a worldview that precludes child abuse while leaving adult survivors with options for "moving on."

Health promotion and preventive measures: interpreting messages at midlife.

In this article, the authors provide important insight into the cultural messages that midlife women receive about preventive health care. Data were collected from 24 rural women as part of an ongoing project on midlife women's health. Kleinman's model of the popular and professional health care sectors was used to examine the data. There is clear evidence of clashes between the orientations and expectations of these sectors. Women's experiences reveal some consistent themes that contextualize their preventive health pursuits: time constraints, claims for expert knowledge, salience of family history, and the inclusion of nonallopathic resources as part of the professional realm. At the macrolevel, messages regarding women's responsibility for their health are ubiquitous. At the microlevel, women must negotiate among competing messages and resources and a health care system that often confounds their efforts. These contradictions must be addressed before there are long-term effects on the health of midlife women.

Immigrant women's health.

The immigration process entails many changes in the lives of those who emigrate including establishing oneself in a new country. There is continuing interest in what happens to the health of those who undergo this process. This qualitative study investigated the perceived health and health-related experiences of a sample of mid-life immigrant women and explored relationships between determinants of health and their experiences connected to immigration. Forty-two women participated in the study. While respondents were relatively well educated, their current socioeconomic status was relatively low. While women defined their health in a holistic manner. personal health focused on their physical health and their ability to function. This functionality was closely related to women's roles as resources for their families' well-being. Several health-related themes were identified that related to their change in homelands as adults: immigration and health, adapting to immigration and rebuilding their lives. Women are unlikely to talk about non-physical aspects of health unless asked about the general context of their lives. The family-centredness of immigrant women's well-being is a mediating factor in all aspects of their health; it is the health of the family unit that is the final point of adjudication for women. Spirituality and religious practices were identified as important resources for health. In addition, the process of immigration needs to be recognized as a determinant of health in and of itself. An understanding of these conceptualizations and health beliefs is an important component of the knowledge to be brought to formulating health promotion strategies and health services delivery that are relevant to and appropriate for this population of mid-life women.

Commentary: ethical issues in the use of computerized databases for epidemiologic and other health research.

Computerization of databases has increased apprehension about loss of privacy. The intent of this paper is to facilitate health research that gives proper respect to ethical principles, thereby increasing public comfort and reducing demands for restrictive legislation concerning access to databases. We review how computerization has increased the saliency of concerns and discuss examples of the application of ethical analysis in published database research. Extreme positions notwithstanding, there is general agreement among researchers that research curiosity and the convenience of database research cannot justify the suspension of moral concerns about privacy and confidentiality. Public and professional concerns may affect policy development; therefore, the methods of ensuring privacy and protecting confidentiality must be routinely described in research proposals and published reports along with the benefits of the research. An important issue requiring further attention is that the moral responsibility to respect privacy increases with the sensitivity of information.

Building a feminist theoretical framework for screening of wife-battering: key issues to be addressed.

The purpose of this paper is to identify key questions which must be addressed in developing a woman-centred, that is feminist, theoretical framework for screening for wife battering in health settings. The health sector has not had a positive history in addressing women's health holistically or in terms of the social context of women's lives. This is notable in relation to the issue of wife battering, where attention is recent but growing and responses have been varied. On the other hand, violence against women is one of the greatest threats to their health and, therefore, it can be argued that the health sector has a major role to play in ending this violence. With the recent efforts within the health sector, a great deal has been accomplished; we have some consensus on what is an appropriate protocol for and the roles of health care providers. We are also making progress in developing training programs. Several things are still lacking an understanding of the systemic barriers to promotion of and participation in screening; sufficient program evaluations; sufficient attention to issues of diversity among women; and, a theoretical framework for practice which links these together.

Attitudes, beliefs, and practices of nursing students concerning HIV/AIDS: implications for prevention in women.

Nursing students are a group of predominantly young women who may be sexually active but who are well educated and presumably health conscious. It might be expected, therefore, that they are not a population at risk for sexually acquired HIV infection. Recent studies indicate that heterosexual women constitute the fastest growing population of persons with AIDS in the United States and Canada (Health and Welfare Canada, 1993b; Wofsky, 1992) and that women and adolescents will constitute the next surge of the AIDS epidemic (Novello, 1993). First-year nursing students in a major Canadian city were surveyed regarding HIV-related knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors. The women were highly knowledgeable about HIV transmission but 15% to 25% reported high risk sexual behavior. The results reinforce that knowledge is not enough to prevent HIV infection among young women and that interventions must be based on an understanding of the social context of women's lives.

Promotion of breast cancer screening in communities: a research agenda.

This paper used the National Cancer Institute of Canada (NCIC) cancer control framework to review research on participation in breast cancer screening programs and identify areas for further study. Cancer Lit, MEDLINE, CINAHL, Sociofile, Health and the Public Affairs Information Service databases were searched for literature published from 1990 to 1995. Information was also obtained from provincial breast cancer screening programs and Health Canada. Interventions designed to promote participation in screening programs have not been effective. Involvement of the target community, however, increased success and sustainability. Barriers to initial participation within screening programs include alternative sources of screening and the lack of funds to screen all eligible women. Studies show that participation decreases with successive screening rounds. The priorities for study are development of: a theoretical framework for recruitment strategies, a method to capture all Canadian screening results including those performed through provincial health insurance plans and a mechanism to deliver screening to all eligible Canadian women.

Teaching second-year medical students about wife battering.

PIP: This paper discusses the necessity to revise the health professional curricula. The reason for this is to change the longstanding practices and attitudes that have failed to promote women's health. However, the change is insufficient as long as there is a body of untrained and biased leadership in practice, which is evident among some health personnel who routinely underestimate the extent of wife abuse in their clients. Moreover, in a study of hospital emergency departments, 28% believed that less than 1% of emergency room patients were victims of violence and only 13% estimated 10% or more. In addition, a survey of family therapists found that 60% did not believe that family violence was a significant problem among their clients. Another study found that 40% did not recognize clear evidence of violence in the vignettes provided. In view of these findings, it is concluded that even if we succeed in educating medical students, their role models and supervisors may be less informed and may undo the work done by teachers with scorn and ridicule. Hence, a comprehensive approach to continuing and postgraduate medical education is needed to support the efforts of medical school teaching.^ieng

A framework for the development of community health agency partnerships.

The purpose of the study reported in this paper was to generate substantive theory regarding the development of effective partnerships among community agencies working with vulnerable populations. Ethnographic interviews were conducted and analyzed by applying the constant comparative method of qualitative analysis. This information was supplemented with data from the participants in two workshops, three manuscript reviewers, and relevant literature. Analysis of the data resulted in the emergence of a framework that outlines elements of partnerships. This framework furnishes the foundation for discussions of partnership configuration and partnership development. The results of this study provide basic guidelines for the formation of effective partnerships, and show that there is no single way to develop and structure such collaborative initiatives. Further studies are required in other substantive areas to advance the emergence of a formal theory of partnerships.