Although the health professionals have differing opinions on feeding babies and young children, the true facts are often all too few. As a result, many mothers remain confused…
Abstract
Although the health professionals have differing opinions on feeding babies and young children, the true facts are often all too few. As a result, many mothers remain confused about nutrition and not surprisingly their lack of understanding can lead to under nutrition in their offspring.
A recent report by the Child Health and Nutrition Working Party of the British Dietetic Association discussed the effects of changing the diets of pre‐school children along the…
Abstract
A recent report by the Child Health and Nutrition Working Party of the British Dietetic Association discussed the effects of changing the diets of pre‐school children along the lines currently suggested for adults. Neither the NACNE nor the COMA Reports made specific recommendations for children under five: COMA specifically excluded them and NACNE stressed the potential dangers of modifying children's diets to reduce fat and increase fibre intake. Concern has been expressed amongst dietitians that widespread media coverage of the need for dietary change, in the absence of specific recommendations for children, could result in the extension of the general guidelines to young children.
Alexander Crizzle, Maryam Madani Larijani, Anita Myers, Cassondra McCrory, Pierre Thiffault and Philip Bigelow
The purpose of this paper is to solicit perspectives from stakeholders concerning health, environmental and operational challenges among Commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers in…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to solicit perspectives from stakeholders concerning health, environmental and operational challenges among Commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers in Canada (truck and bus drivers).
Design/methodology/approach
Two focus groups and one interview were conducted with key industry, government and advocacy groups representing or working with CMV drivers. Perspectives pertaining to working conditions, health issues, driver recruitment and retention, and other key issues in the CMV sector were obtained.
Findings
The findings show that undesirable working conditions are primary issues that impact recruitment and retention, as well as health and wellness (H&W), and productivity of drivers in both the truck and bus sectors. Compared to our US counterparts, finding parking areas and rest stops were seen as a major issue for Canadian truckers (particularly in the north). Unfortunately, there is limited or out-dated information on drivers and companies in Canada. Stakeholders stated the need for more information from both carriers/companies and from drivers themselves (particularly long-haul drivers).
Research limitations/implications
This study identifies gaps and key priority research areas pertaining to the H&W of the CMV sector in Canada that require further investigation.
Originality/value
CMV drivers are considered a vulnerable sector of the population. While drivers themselves have reported on undesirable work conditions leading to poor health, prior studies have not assessed the awareness or perspective of stakeholders involved in the CMV sector. This is the first study to capture stakeholder perspectives of the working conditions and health outcomes of CMV drivers.
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Anita Garvey, Reem Talhouk and Benjamin Ajibade
Drawing upon the authors’ experiences as minoritised academic scholars within leadership roles of a Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic (BAME) Network in the United Kingdom (UK…
Abstract
Purpose
Drawing upon the authors’ experiences as minoritised academic scholars within leadership roles of a Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic (BAME) Network in the United Kingdom (UK) academe, the authors explored the research question “In what ways do racially minoritised academics use coping techniques and strategies to counter racism and inequality in the higher education environment”.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors used a collective autoethnography approach accompanied by storytelling, underpinned by a qualitative interpretative process, supported by inductive, data-driven theorising. The authors’ approach is supplemented by the usage of content analysis (Schrieier, 2012) to analyse the data and generate findings.
Findings
The research findings specifically highlight (1) collectivism, solidarity and belonging, (2) knowledge expansion and critical consciousness, (3) disarming approaches and emotional labour, (4) resistance through setting boundaries and (5) intersectionality and BAME men allyship, as specific approaches for taking forward anti-racism.
Research limitations/implications
Autoethnographic research has encountered challenges around verification, transparency and veracity of data, and issues have been debated due to its subjective nature (see Jones, 2010; Keeler, 2019; Méndez, 2013). Additional complications arise regarding neutrality and objectivity associated with the researchers' identities and experiences being represented in autoethnographic accounts. The authors acknowledge that the accounts provided are subjective, and have influenced the research process and product.
Originality/value
Research on the experiences of minoritised academics leading staff equality networks constitutes a research gap. This article offers an original analysis through outlining the authors’ lived experiences in leadership positions of a BAME Network and hope to other minoritised employees undertaking anti-racist work.
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Purpose – This chapter explores mothering scripts among women of color and the intersection of race/ethnicity, social class, and family background in their…
Abstract
Purpose – This chapter explores mothering scripts among women of color and the intersection of race/ethnicity, social class, and family background in their narratives.Design/methodology/approach – Drawing from in-depth, semi-structured interviews of 24 African American and Latina mothers, this study analyzes the extent to which their narratives reflect more “intensive” or “extensive” mothering scripts.Findings – African American mothers typically drew from “extensive mothering” narratives, whereas Latina mothers’ scripts were more varied.Research implications – The findings point to the importance of and complexities in an intersectionality perspective: Latinas’ mothering scripts generally varied more across social class categories than those of African American mothers. However, African American mothers’ discussions of stress were mediated by their social class background.Social implications – The chapter concludes with the implications of this research for scholarship on families, and for social policies surrounding caregiving and employment.Originality/value – While rich theoretical and empirical works explore women of color and their family lives, few to none ask mothers themselves to talk about their actual and ideal experiences of motherhood. This chapter fills this gap by exploring the mothering scripts of women of color from diverse class backgrounds
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Anita Mehay, Rosie Meek and Jane Ogden
Prisons offer a public health opportunity to access a group with multiple and complex needs and return them to the community with improved health. However, prisons are not…
Abstract
Purpose
Prisons offer a public health opportunity to access a group with multiple and complex needs and return them to the community with improved health. However, prisons are not conducive to optimal health and there are few frameworks to guide efforts. This study aims to generate insights into health literacy across a young adult prison population, specifically examining the level of limitations, barriers and characteristics associated with these limitations.
Design/methodology/approach
The study took place in a single prison in England for young adult men aged 18–21 years old. A mixed-methods design was adopted with 104 young men completing a quantitative survey and qualitative semi-structured interviews with 37 young men.
Findings
72% (n = 75) of young men scored as limited in their health literacy. Barriers included structural restrictions, limited access to formal support and social and natural disruptions. No demographic characteristics or smoking intentions/behaviours predicted limited health literacy, but characteristics of the prison were predictive. Physical problems (sleep, nausea, tiredness and headaches), mental health and well-being (anxiety, depression and affect) and somatisation problems were also predictive of limitations.
Practical implications
Prison healthcare services and commissioners should undertake regular health literacy needs assessments to support developments in reducing barriers to healthcare and increasing health improvement efforts. Action also requires greater political will and investment to consider broader action on the wider determinants of (prison) health.
Originality/value
The study provides a framework to understand and guide prison health efforts and highlights attention needed at the level of governments, prison leaders and their health systems.
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Anita Jensen and Wenche Torrissen
Evidence shows that participating in arts activities can increase wellbeing. The purpose of this paper is to explore connections between aesthetic engagement and the wellbeing of…
Abstract
Purpose
Evidence shows that participating in arts activities can increase wellbeing. The purpose of this paper is to explore connections between aesthetic engagement and the wellbeing of participants on a ten weeks Arts on Prescription programme (AoP).
Design/methodology/approach
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven participants (with mild to moderate depression, stress or anxiety). A thematic analysis was used to identify themes in the data.
Findings
The findings illustrate that the participants in the AoP programme showed increased levels of motivation, and it opened up new worlds for connection with sensory experiences such as: relief, joy and peace of mind. The themes identified were: engagement and pleasure, deep emotional experiences and expanding worlds.
Originality/value
Aesthetic engagement through an AoP programme has the potential to stimulate the senses, motivate personal involvement and connect individuals with parts of themselves that has been neglected through illness. The participants experienced new possibilities through aesthetic engagement; offering connections to sensory, cognitive and emotional tools that can boost wellbeing. In this way, facilitated programmes such as AoP can contribute positively to public health. However, further studies are necessary in order to explore and establish the complex connections between aesthetic engagement and wellbeing.
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Alyson Kettles, Cindy Peternelj‐Taylor, Phil Woods, Anita Hufft, Tom Van Erven, Hans Martin, Uwe Donisch‐Siedel, Alison Kuppen, Colin Holmes, Roger Almvik, Trond Hatling and David Robinson
Over the last decade there has been considerable growth in the role that psychiatric nurses play in providing care for the mentally disordered offender (MDO). Yet there has been…
Abstract
Over the last decade there has been considerable growth in the role that psychiatric nurses play in providing care for the mentally disordered offender (MDO). Yet there has been little written about this specialty from a global perspective. Examination of the literature illustrates a large body of research and development programmes reporting the development of services to the MDO, for example, self‐harm and clinical risk assessment. Such service development is growing at a rapid pace, yet training and education to meet the needs of this patient group is something that is added onto post registration courses. Furthermore, the lack of vision and career pathways into forensic care is stifling a growing profession, which is subject to continual permanent change and investigation. Leaders and professional associations have contributed little to this unique nursing group which plays a major role in the multidisciplinary care of a very demanding set of patient needs.
Jeffrey T. Macher and David C. Mowery
We examine the evolution of vertical specialization in three industries: chemicals, computers, and semiconductors. Vertical specialization is the restructuring of industry-wide…
Abstract
We examine the evolution of vertical specialization in three industries: chemicals, computers, and semiconductors. Vertical specialization is the restructuring of industry-wide value chains, such that different stages are controlled by different firms, rather than being vertically integrated within the boundaries of individual firms. In some cases, vertical specialization may span international boundaries and is associated with complex international production networks. After decades of vertical specialization, firms in the chemical industry are re-integrating stages of the value chain. By contrast, the semiconductor and computer industries have experienced significant vertical specialization during the past ten years. We examine how and why these contrasting trends in vertical specialization have co-evolved with industry maturation and decline, and underscore the importance and role of both industry factors and business strategies necessary for industries to become more specialized. We also consider the effects of vertical specialization on the sources of innovation and the geographic redistribution of production and other activities. We conclude that the evolution of vertical specialization in these three industries has both reflected and influenced the strategies of leading firms, while also displays industry-specific characteristics that are rooted in different technological and market characteristics.
Raul Szekely, Syrgena Mazreku, Anita Bignell, Camilla Fadel, Hannah Iannelli, Marta Ortega Vega, Owen P. O'Sullivan, Claire Tiley and Chris Attoe
Many health-care professionals leave clinical practice temporarily or permanently. Interventions designed to facilitate the return of health-care professionals fail to consider…
Abstract
Purpose
Many health-care professionals leave clinical practice temporarily or permanently. Interventions designed to facilitate the return of health-care professionals fail to consider returners’ psychosocial needs despite their importance for patient care. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of a psychoeducational intervention in improving personal skills and well-being among UK-based health-care professionals returning to clinical practice.
Design/methodology/approach
In total, 20 health-care professionals took part in the one-day intervention and completed measures of demographics, self-efficacy, positive attitudes towards work and perceived job resources before and after the intervention. A baseline comparison group of 18 health-care professionals was also recruited.
Findings
Significant associations were detected between return-to-work stage and study group. Following the intervention, participants reported improvements in self-efficacy and, generally, perceived more job resources, whereas positive attitudes towards work decreased. While none of these changes were significant, the intervention was deemed acceptable by participants. This study provides modest but promising evidence for the role of psychoeducation as a tool in supporting the psychosocial needs of returning health-care professionals.
Research limitations/implications
Additional research is needed to clarify the reliability of intervention effects, its effectiveness compared to alternative interventions, and the impact across different subgroups of returning health-care professionals.
Practical implications
Return-to-practice interventions should address the psychosocial needs of health-care professionals in terms of their personal skills and well-being. Psychoeducation can increase self-efficacy and perceptions of job resources among returning health-care professionals.
Originality/value
This study sheds light on a relatively understudied, but fundamental area – the psychosocial challenges of health-care professionals returning to clinical practice – and further justifies the need for tailored interventions.