bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Homeless children: the lives of a group of Brazilian street children
Authors: Ribeiro Moneda Oliveira , Trench Ciampone Maria Helena 
Published: March 2003

Homeless children: the lives of a group of Brazilian street children Aim. To evaluate the life trajectories of a group of school‐age street children frequenting two São Paulo city public shelters. Background. A large proportion of the Brazilian child population suffers extreme disadvantage, although the Brazilian government gave the issue ‘absolute priority’ in 1990. Maternal and Under 5 mortality rates remain unacceptably high. In the metropolitan region of São Paulo an estimated 200 000 minors do not live with their mothers. Brazilian street children live lives of extreme personal and social risk. Study method. The data were collected through individual, semi‐structured interviews, with 14 school age (7–12 years) participants frequenting two city public refuges, with their legal guardians’ consent. Data analysis was based on Social Representation Theory and used content analysis. Findings. The children’s most meaningful experiences were grouped into the thematic categories of family, the street, friends, drugs, the police, the shelters and the future. Synthesis of these categories showed the lives of these children to be permeated by violence, resulting in experiences restricting their full development. Conclusion. The solution to their problems depends on pressure being put on the State by the civilian community in order to establish social and health policies that conform to the Child and Adolescent Statute (ECA). We consider that assisting street children involves attitudes that go beyond professional performance and demands acts of citizenship. Recommendations. The development of an ethical‐political attitude by professionals to the problems of homeless street children is essential, and educational curricula should be appropriately constituted. Political projects to develop health and welfare policies and education should be directed to these children and their relatives, and include participation by health professionals to provide the necessary preventive and curative services.
Evaluating psychosocial nursing interventions for cardiac clients and their caregivers: a case study of the community rehabilitation network in Hong Kong
Authors: Holroyd Eleanor , Twinn Sheila , Shiu Anne 
Published: March 2003

Evaluating psychosocial nursing interventions for cardiac clients and their caregivers: a case study of the community rehabilitation network in Hong Kong Aim of the study. The purpose of this exploratory study was to describe the type and nature of psychosocial nursing interventions provided for cardiac clients in Hong Kong’s Community Rehabilitation Centres (CRNs). Design/methods. Using a two‐phase case study design data were collected from nurses, cardiac clients and their caregivers. The initial phase focused on identifying the types of psychosocial interventions provided. These data were obtained by observing nursing activities and the keeping of daily journals by the nurses. The second phase acquired data from structured telephone interviews, that reviewed clients’ perceptions of the psychosocial interventions provided by the nurses and face‐to‐face interviews with clients and their caregivers. Findings. These findings revealed that the nurses’ interpersonal skills of information giving, social support and counselling were highly valued by cardiac clients and their caregivers. Both clients and caregivers outlined a concern about the lack of individual care and this was reflected in the focus of the CRN on group processes. Conclusion. Recommendations for psychosocial cardiac care are made for public health nurses and nurses working in community settings.
A synthesis technique for grounded theory data analysis
Authors: Eaves Yvonne D. 
Published: March 2003

A synthesis technique for grounded theory data analysis Aims. The purposes of this paper are to examine the issues surrounding current changes in grounded theory (GT) research methods and to explicate an innovative synthesis technique to GT data analysis. Background. In recent years there has been a steady rise in the number of published research reports that use the GT method. However, this growing body of GT literature has been criticized for its lack of adherence to the method as explicated by its originators, Glaser and Strauss. Methods. Recent and past literature that explicates, describes, and discusses GT methods is reviewed. A synthesis technique for grounded theory data analysis was developed to analyse qualitative data collected for a grounded theory study on caregiving. This synthesis technique was derived from the works of four grounded theorists (Kathy Charmaz, Mark Chesler, Juliet Corbin and Anselm Strauss). Results. The lack of clarity and the inconsistencies surrounding GT analysis, as reported in the literature, resulted in the development of a synthesis technique based on the works of the aforementioned‐grounded theorists. The product was a synthesis approach that included analytical steps from each of these authors. Conclusions. This synthesis approach increased understanding and enhanced clarity of GT data analysis techniques. This paper illustrates how integration of works by noted qualitative scholars is an appropriate and effective means to advance the discourse on data analysis for GT research studies.
Timing of quality of life (QoL) assessments as a source of error in oncological trials
Authors: Hakamies‐Blomqvist L. , Luoma M.‐L. , Sjöström J. , Pluzanska A. , Sjödin M. , Mouridsen H. , Østenstad B. , Mjaaland I. , Ottosson S. , Bergh J. , Malmström P.‐O. , Blomqvist C. 
Published: March 2003

Timing of quality of life (QoL) assessments as a source of error in oncological trials Aim of the study. To produce an empirical estimate of the nature and magnitude of the error produced by incorrect timing quality of life (QoL) measurements in patients receiving chemotherapy. Design. In a multicentre trial, 283 patients were randomized to receive either docetaxel (T) or sequential methotrexate and 5‐fluorouracil (MF). The QoL was assessed at baseline and before each treatment using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ‐C30). The study design was retrospective. Data were analysed using t‐tests. Results. Erroneous timing affected the QoL findings in both treatment arms. At baseline, there were statistically significant differences in the MF group on the nausea/vomiting scale, with ill‐timed assessment showing more symptoms, and in the T group on the physical functioning scale with ill‐timed assessments indicating better QoL. The mean scores of correct vs. incorrect timings over the first 14 cycles showed statistically significant differences on several scales. In the MF group, ill‐timed assessments indicated significantly worse physical functioning and global QoL, and significantly more of the following symptoms: fatigue, nausea/vomiting, insomnia, appetite loss, and constipation. In the T group, ill‐timed assessment showed better physical functioning, less dyspnoea and more insomnia than correctly timed assessments. The reasons for erroneous timing were not always detectable retrospectively. However, in some cases the MF group, being in standard treatment, seemed to have followed a clinical routine not involving the active participation of the study nurse responsible, whereas patients in the experimental T group were more consistently taken care of by the study nurses. Conclusions. Incorrect timing of QoL assessments in oncological trials jeopardises both the reliability of the QoL findings within treatment and the validity of QoL outcome comparisons between treatments. This issue should be emphasized in the planning of both the study design and clinical routines.
The relationship of a mother’s working model of feeding to her feeding behaviour
Authors: Pridham Karen F. , Schroeder Michele , Brown Roger , Clark Roseanne 
Published: March 2003

The relationship of a mother’s working model of feeding to her feeding behaviour Aims of the study. This study aimed to examine the difference the attunement of a mother’s working model of feeding to her infant makes for her positive feeding affect and behaviour, accounting for infant and mother conditions. Background/rationale. The concept of a mother’s working model of feeding is derived from attachment theory. Caregiving, including feeding, is a component of this theory. The conditions that may influence the attunement of a mother’s working model of feeding to her infant include infant birth maturity status (premature, full‐term), age at assessment, and robustness, indexed by weight‐for‐age z score (WAZ). Mother conditions include symptoms of depression and feeding practice (breast feeding or exclusive bottle feeding). Design/methods. Participants in this longitudinal study were 99 mothers and their infants (47 full‐term, 52 premature, very low birth weight). After written informed consent was given, home assessments were made when infants were approximately 1, 4, 8 and 12 months old (adjusted age for premature infants). Working model attunement was assessed with a video‐assisted interview. A mother’s positive affect and behaviour, including sensitivity and responsiveness, were rated from videotaped feeding interaction. Results/findings. Repeated measures analysis with a general linear mixed model showed a significant positive relationship with positive affect and behaviour for both working model attunement and the WAZ score and a significant negative relationship for symptoms of depression. Neither birth maturity status, infant age, nor feeding practice had a significant effect on mother’s positive affect and behaviour during feeding. Conclusions. Nurses’ efforts to enhance the attunement of a mother’s working model of feeding may help mothers feed with greater positive affect and behaviour. Further study of how the attunement of a mother’s feeding expectations and intentions are related to her symptoms of depression and with what she makes of the infant’s growth and well‐being is needed. The theoretical model needs testing with infants from the entire premature population.
Healing through self‐reflection
Authors: Thorpe Karran , Barsky Jeannette 
Published: March 2003

Healing through self‐reflection Background. Today, women have an enlightened view towards their life cycles, which is evidence of their healing potential. Women need to share their insights about their healing potential gained through self‐reflective processes. Their voices must be heard so that we can benefit from their collective wisdom. The process of healing through self‐reflection has begun as a group of nurses share their insights. Documenting the perspectives of these nurses provides the opportunity for other women to learn from and apply this knowledge to their lives. Method. Through purposive sampling, eight registered nurses, all women, were selected to participate in in‐depth, personal, semi‐structured interviews. The purposes in this paper are to describe a three‐stage (i.e. awareness, critical analysis, and new perspective) reflective‐thinking model and discuss the application of this model to women’s expressed inner knowledge and wisdom across personal and professional life cycles. Results. Three themes, signifying their ability to heal themselves, were labelled: Spirituality, Be‐ing Versus Do‐ing, and Eustress Versus Distress. Conclusions. Essentially, self‐reflection results from both personal and professional stimuli and signifies the need for change so that healing can begin. Recommendations are offered for nurse educators and researchers.
HIV, stigma and health: integration of theoretical concepts and the lived experiences of individuals
Authors: Taylor Bridget 
Published: March 2003

HIV, stigma and health: integration of theoretical concepts and the lived experiences of individuals Aim. To explore individual concepts of health and the role of stigma in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and HIV disease. The balance of power and knowledge are examined from both macro and micro perspectives, including both concepts of health and health and illness behaviour. Method. A literature review which supports the integration of theoretical concepts and research findings demonstrating the lived experiences of individuals. Conclusion. Stigma is a social construct which has significant impact on the life experiences of individuals both infected with and affected by HIV. The stigma experienced is unique to each individual and changes dynamically throughout the course of the HIV illness trajectory. Each of the four identified phases poses unique stigmatic qualities.
Sociological perspectives on self‐help groups: reflections on conceptualization and social processes
Authors: Adamsen Lis , Rasmussen Julie Midtgaard 
Published: March 2003

Sociological perspectives on self‐help groups: reflections on conceptualization and social processes Aim. The paper discusses two themes: first, professional involvement in self‐help groups and secondly, sociological evidence on self‐help groups in postmodern society. Background. Self‐help groups are a growing phenomenon across national borders and social/political systems. They affect the individual participants’ activity level, strengthening of their self‐perception and sense of belonging. Methods. The methodological approach chosen is cross‐sectional analysis of empirical findings, which is used for concept evaluation. Selected sociological theory is brought into the discussion of the role and significance of self‐help groups. Findings. New empirical sociological evidence shows that health care professionals – nurses, psychologists, social workers – have become an integrated part and thus essential actors in self‐help groups within as well as outside the framework of the formal health care system. Involvement in self‐help groups is a relatively new area of nursing practice and nursing research and serves an important function in that it sheds light on a rather unique form of social practice that is partly organized and managed by the participants themselves. By implementing modern sociological theory, which does in fact discuss social processes and relations as well as network formation, it is possible to investigate group processes unique to self‐help groups and whether self‐help groups potentially suppress or liberate at the individual as well as at the institutional level. Conclusions. The pronounced professional involvement leads us to question if it would not be time to re‐conceptualize the self‐help phenomenon, which on the one hand presupposes professional interaction and on the other hand introduces consultative services in connection with group processes. This indicates that it is necessary to introduce new aspects and themes for discussion in the health care debate and the work that goes beyond the predominantly individual orientated treatment and care function.
A model for the delivery of culturally competent community care
Authors: Kim‐Godwin Yeoun Soo , Clarke Pamela N. , Barton Leslie 
Published: March 2003

A model for the delivery of culturally competent community care Aim. To describe the proposed Culturally Competent Community Care (CCCC) model, and the process of development and testing of the model. Background. Community health nurses are challenged to provide culturally competent care in all types of communities. However, existing models have not provided community nurses with specific guidelines, and none attempt to explain the effects of culturally competent care on populations in community settings. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a model that is comprehensive in its description of the dimensions of culturally competent care in community‐based settings and that also requires a focus on ethnic populations. The model is essential for reducing racial and ethnic health disparities. Methods. Based on literature review and concept analysis, three constructs of the Culturally Competent Community Care Model were developed. Two of the constructs, the health care system and health outcomes, were developed based on a literature review. The main construct of the model, cultural competence, was developed after a concept analysis, following the development and testing of the Cultural Competence Scale (CCS). Interviews with eight community health nurses and a survey by five community nurse experts were conducted in order to refine and confirm the dimensions of cultural competence and its impact on health outcomes. Conclusions. The proposed dimensions of culturally competent care are caring, cultural sensitivity, cultural knowledge, and cultural skills. This model focuses on the relationship between cultural competence and health outcomes for culturally diverse populations. The framework provides specific guidelines for community nurses in developing and assessing cultural competence and meeting the health needs of diverse communities.
Knowledge levels and attitudes of staff nurses in Israel towards complementary and alternative medicine
Authors: DeKeyser Freda G. , Cohen Bella Bar , Wagner Nurit 
Published: March 2003

Knowledge levels and attitudes of staff nurses in Israel towards complementary and alternative medicine Aims. The purpose of this study was to determine the knowledge level and attitudes of Israeli nurses towards complementary and alternative medicine and what factors are related to these variables. Background. Over recent years there has been increased interest among the lay public and health care professionals in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Previous studies have shown that several variables such as education, income, age, perceived health status and satisfaction with medical therapy are associated with use of CAM. Conflicting reports were found with respect to the relationship between health locus of control and the use of CAM. Israel is a small country comprised mostly of immigrants from vastly differing cultures with differing beliefs about health and health care. Nurses whose origins are similar to the general population are also caregivers who are used to integrating diverse therapies into the plan of care devised with the client. No study was found which investigated these issues among Israeli nurses. Design/methods. A systematic random sample of 369 staff nurses working at a major academic medical centre in Jerusalem, Israel were invited to participate in the study. Informed consent was obtained. Four self‐administered, pencil and paper, questionnaires were distributed to the study participants: a questionnaire designed by the authors to determine the level of knowledge and attitudes towards complementary and alternative medicine; a questionnaire which measured satisfaction with the patient–physician relationship; a questionnaire which measured health locus of control; and a demographic questionnaire. Participants received a packet containing the questionnaire and a note explaining the study. The anonymous questionnaires were collected by the ward secretaries and sent in bulk to the researchers. Results. Results demonstrated that nurses in this sample perceived that they had little knowledge of complementary and alternative medicine but were very interested in learning more. Few used complementary and alternative medicine in their nursing practice but levels of personal use were similar to that of the general population. Nurses who used complementary and alternative medicine were satisfied with their care. Conclusions. In general, nurses tended to be wary of the use of complementary and alternative medicine. Nurses were also not satisfied with their relationships with their physicians. Those of middle age were more likely to use complementary and alternative medicine but no other demographic characteristics were associated with knowledge or attitudes towards complementary and alternative medicine. Nurses had higher levels of internal health locus of control which was associated with more positive attitudes and knowledge levels of complementary and alternative medicine.
Support for teenage mothers: a qualitative study into the views of women about the support they received as teenage mothers
Authors: De Jonge Ank 
Published: March 2003

Support for teenage mothers: a qualitative study into the views of women about the support they received as teenage mothers Aim of the study. To gain insight into the support teenage mothers received during pregnancy, birth and their child’s pre‐school years and young women’s perceptions of the usefulness of a support group for teenage mothers. Background. Most qualitative studies have focused on teenage mothers around the time of the birth of their first child. For this study, women were recruited several years after the birth (median 8·5 years), so that they would have had time to reflect on the support they had received. Design. The qualitative method of semi‐structured interviews was chosen to obtain in‐depth information and to allow teenage mothers’ own views to be heard. Ten individual interviews and one paired interview were undertaken. Findings. Recruitment was difficult because taking part in research was not a priority for many of the women. The study confirmed the strong link between deprivation and teenage pregnancy found in other studies, and suggested that mental health problems in teenage mothers may be more difficult to detect. Teenage women need more information on mental health and on services available to them. The fear, expressed by some of the women in this study, of becoming different from other women in their social network should be considered by health workers when establishing intervention programmes. Conclusions. Professional bodies of health workers should lobby government to provide a minimum standard of living and sufficient child‐care to combat deprivation. Former teenage mothers should be involved in the recruitment, planning and implementation stages of research and interventions. Health professionals should be aware that mental health problems in teenage mothers may be particularly difficult to detect. Key community health workers or a support group may provide information on services, mental health and education facilities available that would benefit teenage mothers. A support group may also give emotional support.