Hearing aid use and adherence: A systematic review of the literature concerning the socioeconomic and psychological influences on hearing aid use and barriers to use

The current hearing health situation in the United States does not provide adequate support to individuals with hearing loss. More research is needed to give more support to these individuals. By conducting a systematic review of relevant literature from 1990 to present, I identified many factors that influence an individual's use of hearing aids. There are two research questions in this study: 1. Does the provision of screening and access to hearing aids decrease the negative effects of hearing loss? 2. Why is it difficult for people with hearing loss to adapt to and use hearing aids? The population of interest was adults (>18 years old) with hearing loss. Factors that influenced use of hearing aids for this population included age, gender, socioeconomic status, education, perceived severity of hearing loss, cost of hearing aids, screening, perceived benefit, stigmatization, perceived control, cognitive capability, personality, and social support. Research suggests that more efficient screening of at-risk individuals and the provision of better access to these individuals would prevent many of the negative effects of hearing loss.^

Correlates of post-diagnosis weight management among female breast cancer survivors: An Internet survey

Objective. Weight gain after cancer treatment is associated with breast cancer recurrence. In order to prolong cancer-free survivorship, interventions to manage post-diagnosis weight are sometimes conducted. However, little is known about what factors are associated with weight management behaviors among cancer survivors. In this study, we examined associations of demographic, clinical, and psychosocial variables with weight management behaviors in female breast cancer survivors. We also examined whether knowledge about post-diagnosis weight gain and its risk is associated with weight management behaviors. ^ Methods. 251 female breast cancer survivors completed an internet survey. They reported current performance of three weight management behaviors (general weight management, physical activity, and healthy diet). We also measured attitude, elf-efficacy, knowledge and social support regarding these behaviors along with demographic and clinical characteristics. ^ Results. Multiple regression models for the weight management behaviors explained 17% of the variance in general weight management, 45% in physical activity and 34% in healthy dieting. The models had 9–14 predictor variables which differed in each model. The variables associated with all three behaviors were social support and self-efficacy. Self-efficacy showed the strongest contribution in all models. The knowledge about weight gain and its risks was not associated with any weight management behaviors. However, women who obtained the knowledge during cancer treatment were more likely to engage in physical activity and healthy dieting. ^ Conclusions. The findings suggest that an intervention designed to increase their self-efficacy to manage weight, to be physically active, to eat healthy will effectively promote survivors to engage in these behaviors. Knowledge may motivate women to manage post-diagnosis weight about risk if information is provided during cancer treatment.^

Exploring the Benefits of a Parent Partner Mentoring Program in Child Welfare

Parent partner mentoring programs are an innovative strategy for child welfare agencies to engage families in case planning and service delivery. These programs recruit and train parents who have been involved in the system and have successfully resolved identified child abuse or neglect issues to work with families with current open cases in the child welfare system. Parent partner mentors can provide social and emotional support, advocacy, and practical advice for navigating this challenging system. Insofar as parent partners share similar experiences, and cultural and socioeconomic characteristics of families, they may be more successful in engaging families and building trusting supportive relationships. The current study presents qualitative data from interviews and case studies of families who were matched with a parent partner in a large county in a Midwestern state. Interviews with families, parent partner mentors, child welfare agency staff, and community partners and providers suggest that parent partner programs may be just as beneficial for parent partner mentors as they are for families being mentored. These programs can build professional skills, help improve self-esteem, provide an avenue for social support, and may potentially prevent recidivism. Parent Partner programs also provide a mechanism for amplifying family voice at all levels of the agency.

Association of coping styles & adolescent substance use

Adolescent substance use is a serious public health concern with long-lasting consequences. Although specific coping behaviors have been associated with adolescent substance use, less is known about the role of multidimensional coping styles that account for both positive and negative coping behaviors. This study examined the association of coping styles and substance use (alcohol, marijuana, and other illicit drugs) of 1,019 ethnically diverse high school students. Coping styles were categorized by high or low negative coping behaviors (e.g. distraction, social withdrawal, self-criticism, blame others, wishful thinking, resignation, and negative emotional regulation) and high or low positive coping behaviors (e.g. cognitive restructuring, problem-solving, social support, and positive emotional regulation). My hypothesis that high positive coping, regardless of the use of negative coping behaviors, would be protective against substance use was rejected. Logistic regression analyses controlling for age, gender, race, and parent education indicated that adolescents who relied primarily on adaptive coping were 45-67% less likely to report lifetime or past year substance use than any other coping style. However, mixed copers (i.e. high in both positive and negative coping behaviors) were 2 to 3 times as likely to report substance use than their adaptive coping counterparts.^

Use of empowerment evaluation to determine a sustainability plan for a community-based preconception care program

Women With IMPACT (WWI) is a community-based preconception care educational intervention. WWI is being implemented by the Impacting Maternal and Prenatal Care Together (IMPACT) Collaborative and targets zip codes in Harris County, Texas at high risk for infant mortality, low birthweight, and preterm birth. WWI started March 2012 and continues through August 2013. Three workshop series are planned. This study was conducted with participants and facilitators from the first workshop series. This study aimed to 1) evaluate the WWI program using empowerment evaluation, 2) engage all WWI stakeholders in an empowerment evaluation so the method could be adopted as a participatory evaluation process for future IMPACT activities, and 3) develop recommendations for sustainability of the WWI intervention, based on empowerment evaluation findings and results from the pre/post program evaluation completed by WWI participants. Study participants included WWI participants and facilitators and IMPACT Collaborative Steering Committee members. WWI participants were female, 18-35 year-old, non-pregnant residents of zip codes at high risk of adverse birth outcomes. All other study participants were 18 years or older. A two-phased empowerment evaluation (EE) was utilized in this study. Sessions 1-4 were conducted independently of one another – 3 with participants at different sites and one with the facilitators. The fifth session included WWI participant and facilitator representatives, and IMPACT Steering Committee members. Session 5 built upon the work of the other sessions. Observation notes were recorded during each session. Thematic content analysis was conducted on all EE tables and observation notes. Mission statements drafted by each group focused on improvement of physical and mental health through behavior change and empowerment of all participants. The top 5 overall program components were: physical activity, nutrition, self-worth, in-class communication, and stress. Goals for program improvement were set by EE participants for each of these components. Through thematic content analysis of the tables and observation notes, social support emerged as an important theme of the program among all participant groups. Change to a healthy lifestyle emerged as an important theme in terms of program improvement. Two-phased EE provided an opportunity for all program stakeholders to provide feedback regarding important program components and provide suggestions for program improvement. EE, thematic content analysis, pre/post evaluation results, and inherent program knowledge were triangulated to make recommendations to sustain the program once the initial funding ends. ^

Risk and protective factors associated with depression among racial and ethnic mothers of adolescents

The central paradigm linking disadvantaged social status and mental health has been the social stress model (Horwitz, 1999), the assumption being that individuals residing in lower social status groups are subjected to greater levels of stress not experienced by individuals from higher status groups. A further assumption is that such individuals have fewer resources to cope with stress, in turn leading to higher levels of psychological disorder, including depression (Pearlin, 1989). Despite these key assumptions, there is a dearth of literature comparing the social patterning of stress exposure (Hatch & Dohrenwend, 2007; Meyer, Schwartz, & Frost, 2008; Kessler, Mickelson, & Williams, 1999; Turner & Avison, 2003; Turner & Lloyd, 1999; Turner, Wheaton, & Lloyd, 1995), and the distribution and contribution of protective factors, posited to play a role in the low rates of depression found among African- and Latino-Americans (Alegria et al., 2007; Breslau, Aguilar-Gaxiola, Kendler, Su, Williams, & Kessler, 2006; Breslau, Borges, Hagar, Tancredi, Gilman, 2009; Gavin, Walton, Chae, Alegria, Jackson, & Takeuchi, 2010; Williams, & Neighbors, 2006). Thus, this study sought to describe both the distribution and contribution of risk and protective factors in relation to depression among a sample of African-, European-, and Latina-American mothers of adolescents, including testing a hypothesized mechanism through which social support, an important protective factor specific to women and depression, operates. ^ Despite the finding that the levels of depression were not statistically different across all three groups of women, surprising results were found in describing the distribution of both risk and protective factors, in that results reported among all women who were mothers when analyzed masked differences within each ethnic group when SES was assessed, a point made explicit by Williams (2002) regarding racial and ethnic variations in women's health. In the final analysis, while perceived social support was found to partially mediate the effect of social isolation on depression, among African-Americans, the direct effect of social isolation and depression was lower among this group of women, as was the indirect effect of social isolation and perceived social support when compared to European- and Latina-American mothers. Or, put differently, higher levels of social isolation were not found to be as associated with more depression or lower social support among African-American mothers when compared to their European- and Latina-American counterparts. ^ Women in American society occupy a number of roles, i.e., that of being female, married or single, mother, homemaker or employee. In addition, to these roles, ethnicity and SES also come into play, such that the intersection of all these roles and the social contexts that they occupy are equally important and must be taken into consideration when making predictions drawn from the social stress model. Based on these findings, it appears that the assumptions of the social stress model need to be revisited to include the variety of roles that intersect among individuals from differing social groups. More specifically, among women who are mothers and occupy a myriad of other roles, i.e., that of being female, married or single, African- or Latina-American, mother, homemaker or employee, the intersection of all the roles and the social contexts that women occupy are equally important and must be taken into consideration when looking at both the types and distribution of stressors across women. Predictions based on simple, mutually exclusive categories of social groups may lead to erroneous assumptions and misleading results.^

Behavioral decision making and the levels of change: An application of the transtheoretical model to prenatal smoking in low -income women

Despite continued research and public health efforts to reduce smoking during pregnancy, prenatal cessation rates in the United States have decreased and the incidence of low birth weight has increased from 1985 to 1991. Lower socioeconomic status women who are at increased risk for poor pregnancy outcomes may be resistant to current intervention efforts during pregnancy. The purpose of this dissertation was to investigate the determinants of continued smoking and quitting among low-income pregnant women.^ Using data from cross-sectional surveys of 323 low-income pregnant smokers, the first study developed and tested measures of the pros and cons of smoking during pregnancy. The original decisional balance measure for smoking was compared with a new measure that added items thought to be more salient to the target population. Confirmatory factor analysis using structural equation modeling showed neither the original nor new measure fit the data adequately. Using behavioral science theory, content from interviews with the population, and statistical evidence, two 7-item scales representing the pros and cons were developed from a portion (n = 215) of the sample and successfully cross-validated on the remainder of the sample (n = 108). Logistic regression found only pros were significantly associated with continued smoking. In a discriminant function analysis, stage of change was significantly associated with pros and cons of smoking.^ The second study examined the structural relationships between psychosocial constructs representing some of the levels of and the pros and cons of smoking. The cross-sectional design mandates that statements made regarding prediction do not prove causation or directionality from the data or methods analysis. Structural equation modeling found the following: more stressors and family criticism were significantly more predictive of negative affect than social support; a bi-directional relationship was found between negative affect and current nicotine addiction; and negative affect, addiction, stressors, and family criticism were significant predictors of pros of smoking.^ The findings imply reversing the trend of decreasing smoking cessation during pregnancy may require supplementing current interventions for this population of pregnant smokers with programs addressing nicotine addiction, negative affect, and other psychosocial factors such as family functioning and stressors. ^

Geografías de la protesta armada : Nueva izquierda y latinoamericanismo en el cono sur. El ejemplo de la Junta de Coordinación Revolucionaria

El artículo recorre la trayectoria de militantes argentinos, bolivianos, chilenos y uruguayos que desarrollaron una red regional de organizaciones armadas de izquierda. Los intercambios entre estas organizaciones que demoraran más de diez años, comenzaron con las redes de apoyo a la incursión del Che Guevara a Bolivia en 1966 y finalizaron en los tardíos setentas cuando el golpe de estado en Argentina canceló el último refugio en la región. Para entender la evolución que culminó en el desarrollo de una estrategia continental se examina la confluencia del ERP Argentino, el ELN Boliviano, el uruguayo MLN-Tupamaros y el chileno MIR a través de eventos críticos que definieron la experiencia de esta red de militantes: el impacto de la guerrilla boliviana del Che, los intercambios políticos y culturales desarrollados entre militantes de estas organizaciones en el Chile de Allende, y la creación de una organización regional llamada la Junta de Coordinación Revolucionaria. Este articulo usa una perspectiva transnacional para examinar un tema que hasta ahora ha sido examinado mayoritariamente desde una perspectiva nacional o comparativa. El artículo busca mostrar cómo la región fue un espacio central de experimentación en la constitución de identidades políticas. Asimismo, defiende que solo un enfoque transnacional puede ayudar a dar una más completa explicación acerca de la emergencia de estos movimientos políticos radicales durante el período

Project development for older adults : Orientation's contribution

This paper systematizes the work developed during the first year of the initiation scholarship for the research project entitled 'Orientation within the new Active Aging Model: educational, work-related, personal and social choices (1)'. This project articulates the Active Aging Model and the Theoretical Operative Model in Orientation, in order to learn how new projects are developed by older adults who used to be part of the formal system of labor and by those who were out of it, and to design programmatic proposals for educational, work-related, personal and social Orientation choices for such population. The sample is made up by seventy people between 64 and 74 years of age, residing in La Plata. The first conclusions evidence the importance that older adults place on project development at this stage of their life cycle, giving special importance to educational, personal and social projects; as well as on the identification of economic factors, health state, family needs for care and social support, among other things, as conditioning the fulfillment of such projects. The differences found in terms of the labor system they used to belong to can be especially observed in the type of project developed.

Elaboración de proyectos en adultos mayoresz : Aportes de la orientación

El presente trabajo sistematiza la labor desarrollada durante el primer año de la beca de iniciación del proyecto de investigación 'La Orientación en el nuevo modelo de envejecimiento activo: elecciones educativas, laborales, personales, sociales (1)'. Dicho proyecto articula el Modelo de Envejecimiento Activo y el Modelo Teórico Operativo en Orientación, con el propósito de conocer cómo elaboran los nuevos proyectos los adultos mayores que pertenecieron al sistema formal de trabajo y aquellos que permanecieron fuera de él, y diseñar propuestas programáticas de Orientación y elección educativa, laboral, personal y social destinadas a esta población. La muestra está conformada por sesenta personas de entre 64 y 74 años de edad, residentes en la Ciudad de La Plata. Las primeras conclusiones dan cuenta de la importancia que atribuyen los adultos mayores a la elaboración de proyectos en esta etapa del ciclo vital, prevaleciendo los proyectos educativos, personales y sociales; así como la identificación de factores económicos, condiciones de salud, demanda de cuidados de otros familiares y apoyo social, entre otros, como condicionantes para la concreción de dichos proyectos. Las diferencias encontradas con respecto al sistema de trabajo al que han pertenecido se observan principalmente en el tipo de proyecto elaborado

Geografías de la protesta armada : Nueva izquierda y latinoamericanismo en el cono sur. El ejemplo de la Junta de Coordinación Revolucionaria

El artículo recorre la trayectoria de militantes argentinos, bolivianos, chilenos y uruguayos que desarrollaron una red regional de organizaciones armadas de izquierda. Los intercambios entre estas organizaciones que demoraran más de diez años, comenzaron con las redes de apoyo a la incursión del Che Guevara a Bolivia en 1966 y finalizaron en los tardíos setentas cuando el golpe de estado en Argentina canceló el último refugio en la región. Para entender la evolución que culminó en el desarrollo de una estrategia continental se examina la confluencia del ERP Argentino, el ELN Boliviano, el uruguayo MLN-Tupamaros y el chileno MIR a través de eventos críticos que definieron la experiencia de esta red de militantes: el impacto de la guerrilla boliviana del Che, los intercambios políticos y culturales desarrollados entre militantes de estas organizaciones en el Chile de Allende, y la creación de una organización regional llamada la Junta de Coordinación Revolucionaria. Este articulo usa una perspectiva transnacional para examinar un tema que hasta ahora ha sido examinado mayoritariamente desde una perspectiva nacional o comparativa. El artículo busca mostrar cómo la región fue un espacio central de experimentación en la constitución de identidades políticas. Asimismo, defiende que solo un enfoque transnacional puede ayudar a dar una más completa explicación acerca de la emergencia de estos movimientos políticos radicales durante el período

Project development for older adults : Orientation's contribution

This paper systematizes the work developed during the first year of the initiation scholarship for the research project entitled 'Orientation within the new Active Aging Model: educational, work-related, personal and social choices (1)'. This project articulates the Active Aging Model and the Theoretical Operative Model in Orientation, in order to learn how new projects are developed by older adults who used to be part of the formal system of labor and by those who were out of it, and to design programmatic proposals for educational, work-related, personal and social Orientation choices for such population. The sample is made up by seventy people between 64 and 74 years of age, residing in La Plata. The first conclusions evidence the importance that older adults place on project development at this stage of their life cycle, giving special importance to educational, personal and social projects; as well as on the identification of economic factors, health state, family needs for care and social support, among other things, as conditioning the fulfillment of such projects. The differences found in terms of the labor system they used to belong to can be especially observed in the type of project developed.

Elaboración de proyectos en adultos mayoresz : Aportes de la orientación

El presente trabajo sistematiza la labor desarrollada durante el primer año de la beca de iniciación del proyecto de investigación 'La Orientación en el nuevo modelo de envejecimiento activo: elecciones educativas, laborales, personales, sociales (1)'. Dicho proyecto articula el Modelo de Envejecimiento Activo y el Modelo Teórico Operativo en Orientación, con el propósito de conocer cómo elaboran los nuevos proyectos los adultos mayores que pertenecieron al sistema formal de trabajo y aquellos que permanecieron fuera de él, y diseñar propuestas programáticas de Orientación y elección educativa, laboral, personal y social destinadas a esta población. La muestra está conformada por sesenta personas de entre 64 y 74 años de edad, residentes en la Ciudad de La Plata. Las primeras conclusiones dan cuenta de la importancia que atribuyen los adultos mayores a la elaboración de proyectos en esta etapa del ciclo vital, prevaleciendo los proyectos educativos, personales y sociales; así como la identificación de factores económicos, condiciones de salud, demanda de cuidados de otros familiares y apoyo social, entre otros, como condicionantes para la concreción de dichos proyectos. Las diferencias encontradas con respecto al sistema de trabajo al que han pertenecido se observan principalmente en el tipo de proyecto elaborado

Project development for older adults : Orientation's contribution

This paper systematizes the work developed during the first year of the initiation scholarship for the research project entitled 'Orientation within the new Active Aging Model: educational, work-related, personal and social choices (1)'. This project articulates the Active Aging Model and the Theoretical Operative Model in Orientation, in order to learn how new projects are developed by older adults who used to be part of the formal system of labor and by those who were out of it, and to design programmatic proposals for educational, work-related, personal and social Orientation choices for such population. The sample is made up by seventy people between 64 and 74 years of age, residing in La Plata. The first conclusions evidence the importance that older adults place on project development at this stage of their life cycle, giving special importance to educational, personal and social projects; as well as on the identification of economic factors, health state, family needs for care and social support, among other things, as conditioning the fulfillment of such projects. The differences found in terms of the labor system they used to belong to can be especially observed in the type of project developed.

Elaboración de proyectos en adultos mayoresz : Aportes de la orientación

El presente trabajo sistematiza la labor desarrollada durante el primer año de la beca de iniciación del proyecto de investigación 'La Orientación en el nuevo modelo de envejecimiento activo: elecciones educativas, laborales, personales, sociales (1)'. Dicho proyecto articula el Modelo de Envejecimiento Activo y el Modelo Teórico Operativo en Orientación, con el propósito de conocer cómo elaboran los nuevos proyectos los adultos mayores que pertenecieron al sistema formal de trabajo y aquellos que permanecieron fuera de él, y diseñar propuestas programáticas de Orientación y elección educativa, laboral, personal y social destinadas a esta población. La muestra está conformada por sesenta personas de entre 64 y 74 años de edad, residentes en la Ciudad de La Plata. Las primeras conclusiones dan cuenta de la importancia que atribuyen los adultos mayores a la elaboración de proyectos en esta etapa del ciclo vital, prevaleciendo los proyectos educativos, personales y sociales; así como la identificación de factores económicos, condiciones de salud, demanda de cuidados de otros familiares y apoyo social, entre otros, como condicionantes para la concreción de dichos proyectos. Las diferencias encontradas con respecto al sistema de trabajo al que han pertenecido se observan principalmente en el tipo de proyecto elaborado