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Ethnicity & Health Jul 2020Domestic violence and abuse has been recognised as an international public health problem. However, the pervasiveness of the problem is unknown due in part to...
Domestic violence and abuse has been recognised as an international public health problem. However, the pervasiveness of the problem is unknown due in part to underreporting, especially among women from ethnic minority populations. In relation to this group, this review seeks to explore: (1) the barriers to disclosure; (2) the facilitators of help-seeking; and (3) self-perceived impacts of domestic violence. We systematically identified published qualitative studies conducted among women from ethnic minority populations in the UK. Data analysis was completed using thematic analysis approach. 562 papers were identified and eight papers from four studies conducted among women from ethnic minority populations in the UK met the inclusion criteria and were reviewed. Barriers to disclosure include: Immigration status, community influences, problems with language and interpretation, and unsupportive attitudes of staff within mainstream services. Facilitators of help-seeking were: escalation of abuse and safety of children. Self-perceived impact of abuse includes: shame, denial, loss of identity and lack of choice. There is an on-going need for staff from domestic violence services to be aware of the complexities within which women from ethnic minority populations experience domestic violence and abuse.
Topics: Black People; Disclosure; Domestic Violence; Emigrants and Immigrants; Ethnicity; Female; Humans; Minority Groups; Patient Acceptance of Health Care; Qualitative Research; Social Environment; United Kingdom
PubMed: 29514473
DOI: 10.1080/13557858.2018.1447652 -
Obesity Reviews : An Official Journal... Feb 2017The success of childhood weight management programmes relies on family engagement. While attendance offers many benefits including the support to make positive lifestyle... (Review)
Review
Barriers and facilitators to initial and continued attendance at community-based lifestyle programmes among families of overweight and obese children: a systematic review.
The success of childhood weight management programmes relies on family engagement. While attendance offers many benefits including the support to make positive lifestyle changes, the majority of families referred to treatment decline. Moreover, for those who do attend, benefits are often compromised by high programme attrition. This systematic review investigated factors influencing attendance at community-based lifestyle programmes among families of overweight or obese children. A narrative synthesis approach was used to allow for the inclusion of quantitative, qualitative and mixed-method study designs. Thirteen studies met the inclusion criteria. Results suggest that parents provided the impetus for programme initiation, and this was driven largely by a concern for their child's psychological health and wellbeing. More often than not, children went along without any real reason or interest in attending. Over the course of the programme, however, children's positive social experiences such as having fun and making friends fostered the desire to continue. The stigma surrounding excess weight and the denial of the issue amongst some parents presented barriers to enrolment and warrant further study. This study provides practical recommendations to guide future policy makers, programme delivery teams and researchers in developing strategies to boost recruitment and minimise attrition.
Topics: Adolescent; Child; Humans; Life Style; Overweight; Patient Compliance; Patient Dropouts; Pediatric Obesity
PubMed: 27862851
DOI: 10.1111/obr.12478 -
BMC Geriatrics May 2016There has been a substantial number of systematic reviews of stress, coping and interventions for people with dementia and their caregivers. This paper provides a... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND
There has been a substantial number of systematic reviews of stress, coping and interventions for people with dementia and their caregivers. This paper provides a meta-review of this literature 1988-2014.
METHOD
A meta-review was carried out of systematic reviews of stress, coping and interventions for people with dementia and their caregivers, using SCOPUS, Google Scholar and CINAHL Plus databases and manual searches.
RESULTS
The meta-review identified 45 systematic reviews, of which 15 were meta-analyses. Thirty one reviews addressed the effects of interventions and 14 addressed the results of correlational studies of factors associated with stress and coping. Of the 31 systematic reviews dealing with intervention studies, 22 focused on caregivers, 6 focused on people with dementia and 3 addressed both groups. Overall, benefits in terms of psychological measures of mental health and depression were generally found for the use of problem focused coping strategies and acceptance and social-emotional support coping strategies. Poor outcomes were associated with wishful thinking, denial, and avoidance coping strategies. The interventions addressed in the systematic reviews were extremely varied and encompassed Psychosocial, Psychoeducational, Technical, Therapy, Support Groups and Multicomponent interventions. Specific outcome measures used in the primary sources covered by the systematic reviews were also extremely varied but could be grouped into three dimensions, viz., a broad dimension of "Psychological Well-Being v. Psychological Morbidity" and two narrower dimensions of "Knowledge and Coping" and of "Institutionalisation Delay".
CONCLUSIONS
This meta-review supports the conclusion that being a caregiver for people with dementia is associated with psychological stress and physical ill-health. Benefits in terms of mental health and depression were generally found for caregiver coping strategies involving problem focus, acceptance and social-emotional support. Negative outcomes for caregivers were associated with wishful thinking, denial and avoidance coping strategies. Psychosocial and Psychoeducational interventions were beneficial for caregivers and for people with dementia. Support groups, Multicomponent interventions and Joint Engagements by both caregivers and people with dementia were generally found to be beneficial. It was notable that virtually all reviews addressed very general coping strategies for stress broadly considered, rather than in terms of specific remedies for specific sources of stress. Investigation of specific stressors and remedies would seem to be a useful area for future research.
Topics: Adaptation, Psychological; Caregivers; Dementia; Depression; Emotions; Humans; Mental Health; Social Support; Stress, Psychological
PubMed: 27193287
DOI: 10.1186/s12877-016-0280-8 -
BMC Public Health Apr 2014South Asian children with asthma are less likely to receive prescriptions and more likely to suffer uncontrolled symptoms and acute asthma admissions compared with White... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
South Asian children with asthma are less likely to receive prescriptions and more likely to suffer uncontrolled symptoms and acute asthma admissions compared with White British children. Understanding barriers are therefore vital in addressing health inequalities. We undertook a systematic review identifying explanatory factors for barriers and facilitators to asthma management in South Asian children. South Asians were defined as individuals of Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi descent.
METHODS
Data Sources - Medline, HMIC, EMBASE, ASSIA, Web of Science, BNI, CINAHL, PsycINFO, OpenSIGLE, CRD, Scopus, NHS Evidence, Cochrane Library, Campbell Collaboration, RCPCH, ATS, ERS, Asthma UK, Google Scholar & Asthma Guidelines (BTS, GINA, ATS, Monash, NAEPP, Singapore & New Zealand) to August 2013.Inclusion Criteria - Qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods research with primary focus on identifying explanations for barriers and/or facilitators to asthma management in South Asian children aged 0-18 years with diagnosed/suspected asthma and/or carers and/or healthcare professionals.Data Extraction - Three authors independently reviewed, selected & extracted eligible articles with disagreements resolved by research team discussion.
RESULTS
15 studies encompassing 25,755 children, 18,483 parents/carers and 239 healthcare professionals were included. Barriers and explanatory factors identified were:1. Lack of asthma knowledge in families and healthcare professionals.2. Under-use of preventer medications.3. Non-acceptance/denial of asthma.4. Over-reliance on Emergency Department management.5. Communication problems.6. Non-adherence to medication.7. Use of complementary therapies.Little facilitators regarding asthma management were identified.
CONCLUSIONS
Several key issues were identified as likely to be ethnic-specific to South Asian families, rather than a reflection of minority status: impact of parental and professional knowledge and beliefs, health service utilisation pattern explanations and the impact of prejudice and stigmatisation. Other explanations such as language barriers are not strictly ethnic specific but instead reflect a minority position.Further research is required to identify why barriers exist, the mechanisms by which they impact on asthma management and how they can be overcome. Furthermore, understanding the difference between barriers and explanations that are ethnic-specific and those that are related to being a minority will enable the application of generic system-wide interventions where ethnicity is not the issue and ethnically-tailored interventions where needed.
Topics: Adolescent; Asthma; Bangladesh; Child; Child Welfare; Child, Preschool; Communication Barriers; Female; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Healthcare Disparities; Humans; India; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Male; Pakistan; Patient Education as Topic
PubMed: 24767303
DOI: 10.1186/1471-2458-14-403 -
BMC Medical Research Methodology Feb 2013Research suggests that there are a number of factors which can be associated with delay in a patient seeking professional help following chest pain, including... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Research suggests that there are a number of factors which can be associated with delay in a patient seeking professional help following chest pain, including demographic and social factors. These factors may have an adverse impact on the efficacy of interventions which to date have had limited success in improving patient action times. Theory-based methods of review are becoming increasingly recognised as important additions to conventional systematic review methods. They can be useful to gain additional insights into the characteristics of effective interventions by uncovering complex underlying mechanisms.
METHODS
This paper describes the further analysis of research papers identified in a conventional systematic review of published evidence. The aim of this work was to investigate the theoretical frameworks underpinning studies exploring the issue of why people having a heart attack delay seeking professional medical help. The study used standard review methods to identify papers meeting the inclusion criterion, and carried out a synthesis of data relating to theoretical underpinnings.
RESULTS
Thirty six papers from the 53 in the original systematic review referred to a particular theoretical perspective, or contained data which related to theoretical assumptions. The most frequently mentioned theory was the self-regulatory model of illness behaviour. Papers reported the potential significance of aspects of this model including different coping mechanisms, strategies of denial and varying models of treatment seeking. Studies also drew attention to the potential role of belief systems, applied elements of attachment theory, and referred to models of maintaining integrity, ways of knowing, and the influence of gender.
CONCLUSIONS
The review highlights the need to examine an individual's subjective experience of and response to health threats, and confirms the gap between knowledge and changed behaviour. Interventions face key challenges if they are to influence patient perceptions regarding seriousness of symptoms; varying processes of coping; and obstacles created by patient perceptions of their role and responsibilities. A theoretical approach to review of these papers provides additional insight into the assumptions underpinning interventions, and illuminates factors which may impact on their efficacy. The method thus offers a useful supplement to conventional systematic review methods.
Topics: Chest Pain; Delayed Diagnosis; Evidence-Based Medicine; Humans; Models, Theoretical; Patient Acceptance of Health Care
PubMed: 23388093
DOI: 10.1186/1471-2288-13-15 -
BMJ Clinical Evidence Apr 2011Anorexia nervosa is characterised by a low body mass index (BMI), fear of gaining weight, denial of current low weight and its impact on health, and amenorrhoea.... (Review)
Review
INTRODUCTION
Anorexia nervosa is characterised by a low body mass index (BMI), fear of gaining weight, denial of current low weight and its impact on health, and amenorrhoea. Estimated prevalence is highest in teenage girls, and up to 0.7% of this age group may be affected. While most people with anorexia nervosa recover completely or partially, about 5% die of the condition, and 20% develop a chronic eating disorder. Young women with anorexia nervosa are at increased risk of bone fractures later in life.
METHODS AND OUTCOMES
We conducted a systematic review, and aimed to answer the following clinical questions: What are the effects of treatments in anorexia nervosa? What are the effects of interventions to prevent or treat complications of anorexia nervosa? We searched: Medline, Embase, The Cochrane Library, and other important databases up to April 2010 (Clinical Evidence reviews are updated periodically; please check our website for the most up-to-date version of this review). We included harms alerts from relevant organisations such as the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
RESULTS
We found 40 systematic reviews, RCTs, or observational studies that met our inclusion criteria. We performed a GRADE evaluation of the quality of evidence for interventions.
CONCLUSIONS
In this systematic review we present information relating to the effectiveness and safety of the following interventions: atypical antipsychotic drugs, benzodiazepines, cyproheptadine, inpatient/outpatient treatment setting, oestrogen treatment (HRT or oral contraceptives), older-generation antipsychotic drugs, psychotherapy, refeeding, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), and tricyclic antidepressants.
Topics: Anorexia Nervosa; Antipsychotic Agents; Benzodiazepines; Body Mass Index; Feeding and Eating Disorders; Humans; Thinness
PubMed: 21481284
DOI: No ID Found -
Health and Quality of Life Outcomes Jan 2011Breast cancer is one of the oncological diseases in which health-related quality of life (HRQL) has been most studied. This is mainly due to its high incidence and... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Breast cancer is one of the oncological diseases in which health-related quality of life (HRQL) has been most studied. This is mainly due to its high incidence and survival. This paper seeks to: review published research into HRQL among women with breast cancer in Spain; analyse the characteristics of these studies; and describe the instruments used and main results reported.
METHODS
The databases consulted were MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Dialnet, IBECS, CUIDEN, ISOC and LILACS. The inclusion criteria required studies to: 1) include Spanish patients, and a breakdown of results where other types of tumours and/or women from other countries were also included; and, 2) furnish original data and measure HRQL using a purpose-designed questionnaire. The methodological quality of studies was assessed.
RESULTS
Spain ranked midway in the European Union in terms of the number of studies conducted on the HRQL of breast cancer patients. Of the total of 133 papers published from 1993 to 2009, 25 met the inclusion criteria. Among them, only 12 were considered as having good or excellent quality. A total of 2236 women participated in the studies analysed. In descending order of frequency, the questionnaires used were the EORTC, FACT-B, QL-CA-Afex, SF-12, FLIC, RSCL and CCV. Five papers focused on validation or adaptation of questionnaires. Most papers examined HRQL in terms of type of treatment. Few differences were detected by type of chemotherapy, with the single exception of worse results among younger women treated with radiotherapy. In the short term, better results were reported for all HRQL components by women undergoing conservative rather than radical surgery. Presence of lymphedema was associated with worse HRQL. Three studies assessed differences in HRQL by patients' psychological traits. Psychosocial disorder and level of depression and anxiety, regardless of treatment or disease stage, worsened HRQL. In addition, there was a positive effect among patients who reported having a "fighting spirit" and using "denial" as a defence mechanism. One study found that breast cancer patients scored worse than did healthy women on almost all SF-12 scales.
CONCLUSION
Research into health-related quality of life of breast-cancer patients is a little developed field in Spain.
Topics: Attitude to Health; Breast Neoplasms; Female; Health Services Research; Health Status Indicators; Humans; Psychometrics; Quality of Life; Spain; Surveys and Questionnaires; Validation Studies as Topic
PubMed: 21235770
DOI: 10.1186/1477-7525-9-3 -
Journal of Advanced Nursing May 2010This paper is a report of a systematic review of randomized controlled trials of interventions to change maladaptive illness beliefs in people with coronary heart... (Review)
Review
AIM
This paper is a report of a systematic review of randomized controlled trials of interventions to change maladaptive illness beliefs in people with coronary heart disease, and was conducted to determine whether such interventions were effective in changing maladaptive beliefs, and to assess any consequent change in coping and outcome.
BACKGROUND
An increasing body of evidence suggests that faulty beliefs can lead to maladaptive behaviours and, in turn, to poor outcomes. However, the effectiveness of interventions to change such faulty illness beliefs in people with coronary heart disease is unknown.
DATA SOURCES
Multiple data bases were searched using a systematic search strategy. In addition, reference lists of included papers were checked and key authors in the field contacted.
REVIEW METHODS
The systematic review included randomized controlled trials with adults of any age with a diagnosis of coronary heart disease and an intervention aimed at changing cardiac beliefs. The primary outcome measured was change in beliefs about coronary heart disease.
RESULTS
Thirteen trials met the inclusion criteria. Owing to the heterogeneity of these studies, quantitative synthesis was not practicable. Descriptive synthesis of the results suggested that cognitive behavioural and counselling/education interventions can be effective in changing beliefs. The effects of changing beliefs on behavioural, functional and psychological outcomes remain unclear.
CONCLUSION
While some interventions may be effective in changing beliefs in people with coronary heart disease, the effect of these changes on outcome is not clear. Further high quality research is required before firmer guidance can be given to clinicians on the most effective method to dispel cardiac misconceptions.
Topics: Adaptation, Psychological; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Attitude to Health; Coronary Disease; Denial, Psychological; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Outcome Assessment, Health Care; Psychotherapy; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Young Adult
PubMed: 20423355
DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2648.2010.05306.x -
BMJ Clinical Evidence Mar 2009Anorexia nervosa is characterised by a low body mass index (BMI), fear of gaining weight, denial of current low weight and its impact on health, and amenorrhoea.... (Review)
Review
INTRODUCTION
Anorexia nervosa is characterised by a low body mass index (BMI), fear of gaining weight, denial of current low weight and its impact on health, and amenorrhoea. Estimated prevalence is highest in teenage girls, and up to 0.7% of this age group may be affected. While most people with anorexia nervosa recover completely or partially, about 5% die of the condition, and 20% develop a chronic eating disorder. Young women with anorexia nervosa are at increased risk of bone fractures later in life.
METHODS AND OUTCOMES
We conducted a systematic review which aimed to answer the following clinical questions: What are the effects of treatments for anorexia nervosa? What are the effects of interventions to prevent or treat complications of anorexia nervosa? We searched: Medline, Embase, The Cochrane Library, and other important databases up to August 2007 (Clinical Evidence reviews are updated periodically, please check our website for the most up-to-date version of this review). We included harms alerts from relevant organisations such as the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
RESULTS
We found 40 systematic reviews, RCTs, or observational studies that met our inclusion criteria. We performed a GRADE evaluation of the quality of evidence for interventions.
CONCLUSIONS
In this systematic review we present information relating to the effectiveness and safety of the following interventions: anxiolytic drugs, cyproheptadine, inpatient/outpatient treatment setting, oestrogen treatment, psychotherapy, refeeding, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), and tricyclic antidepressants.
Topics: Anorexia Nervosa; Feeding and Eating Disorders; Humans; Prevalence; Psychotherapy
PubMed: 19445758
DOI: No ID Found -
Acta Medica Portuguesa 2008The theoretical model of coping mechanisms (CM), is based on a discussion between it's main determinant factors: individual and situational (related to the 2 approaches... (Review)
Review
The theoretical model of coping mechanisms (CM), is based on a discussion between it's main determinant factors: individual and situational (related to the 2 approaches of coping: dispositional and constitutional). Actually the most used classification of CM is based on the division of CM in two main dimensions: coping focused on emotions and coping focused on problem resolution. It is essential that classification methods of CM have in consideration the coexistence of stable dispositional elements with a situational variability. Some instruments to evaluate CM are introduced, based on different theories. Coping can influence health threw different mechanisms (neuroendocrine system, health threatening behaviours and adherence) and is included in two of the more important theoretical models applied to health (Moos & Schafer's and Leventhal's). Based on a systematic literature review we concluded that the most prevalent CM in pre transplantation period are acceptance, active coping, seeking support, and the less used are self-blame and avoidance. In post transplantation period the more prevalent CM continue to be active coping and seeking support associated to confrontation, selfconfidence, religion and coping focused in the problem. Evasive, emotive and fatalistic CM are associated to less control sensed by patients. Confrontation is associated to a better quality of life and avoidance to a reduction of quality of life and higher depression levels and denial to non-adherence increase. Control sensed by patients, CM related to the expression of emotions and denial change threw clinical evolution of transplanted patients.
Topics: Adaptation, Psychological; Humans; Models, Psychological; Organ Transplantation
PubMed: 18625093
DOI: No ID Found