Health Matters

Have you ever felt palpitations, achoking sensation in the chest, laboredbreathing, headaches, dizziness andnumbness, but a medical examinationcomes up with the all clear? You maythink you are sick but in fact you are ina state of sub-health. This is not a causefor alarm for it can be negatedeffectively through timely lifestyleadjustments. However it should not beignored. Statistics show that 80 percent     

African American Stepfather–Stepchild Relationships,Marital Quality,and Mental Health

ABSTRACT

This study examined associations between stepfather–stepchild relationship quality, stepfathers’ depressive symptoms, and two aspects of marriage: marital quality and positive marital interactions. Marital quality was assessed in terms of commitment, trust, passionate and friendship-based love, and happiness. Marital interactions were assessed in terms of intimacy, shared activities, and verbal communication. Using data collected from 149 recently married African American stepfathers, structural equation modeling revealed that when stepfathers reported more positive relationships with their stepchildren, they also reported more positive marital quality and a higher frequency of positive marital interactions (relationship-solidifying activities), and that, in turn, was associated with stepfathers experiencing fewer depressive symptoms.     

Trditional Health Exercises

IN its bid to initiate a nationwidefitness campaign, the Stateimplemented the "National 1-2-1Health Project" in the "Program ofNational Health " plan. This aims toencourage every Chinese citizen tograsp at least two physical exercisetechniques as a basic, effective health-building method. The "1-2-1" program was begun     

Health Maintenance Restaurant

Arestaurant named "Health Maintenance Restaurant" which serves dishes cooked with traditional Chinese medicine recently opened at Xiyuan Hotel in western Beijing. Entering the restaurant, you'll see the god of longevity on the     

Mushrooms and Health

NUMEROUS varieties of edible mushrooms are highly beneficial to health. Mushrooms enhance the mental and physical development of children and are highly beneficial to recovering cancer patients. People have developed an affinity for the taste of mushrooms and have in turn developed numerous recipes for cooking same. Pine mushrooms are commonly found in northeast China. with locals, especially women and children, heading to forests to collect same following periods of rain.     

Health and income poverty in Ireland, 2003�C2006

Recent advances in the measurement of bi-dimensional poverty are applied to a measure of poverty which incorporates income and health poverty. The correlation between income and poverty is examined using the Receiver Operating Characteristics curve. Following from this uni-dimensional and bi-dimensional poverty indices are calculated for Ireland for the years 2003–2006. Income poverty shows a fall over the period while health poverty falls and then rises. Bi-dimensional poverty generally moves in line with the individual indices depending upon the relative weight for each dimension. The results are generally not sensitive to the degree of poverty aversion or the substitutability between the different dimensions of poverty.     

Navigating Intersectional Approaches,Methods, and Interdisciplinarity to Health Equity in LGBTQ+ Communities

Abstract

The broad spectrum of health services and wellness surrounding lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) communities operates within multiple layers of social inequities. Research using intersectionality features numerous research methods purposed specifically for clarity toward increasing health equity. Generated in the scope of various research methods (e.g., quantitative, qualitative, mixed-methods), utilizing intersectionality illustrates potential to explore complex phenomena and outcomes within LGBTQ+?communities. As intersectionality thrives on interdisciplinarity, this article focuses on three overarching purposes: (a) accentuate health equity and social justice across an interdisciplinary scope for LGBTQ+?communities, (b) highlight formative principles grounded in intersectionality, and (c) supplement recommendations for research targeting health equity.     

Family Structure,Mother–Daughter Relationship Quality,Race and Ethnicity,and Adolescent Girls' Health Risks

Using a sample of 7,114 adolescent girls (4,269 White, 1,707 African American, and 1,138 Hispanic) and biological mothers from Wave 1 of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, we examined how family structure, girls' perceptions of mother–daughter relationship quality, and race and ethnicity related to girls' health risks. In general, results indicate heightened risk for both precocious events and depressive symptoms for girls in mother–stepfather, single-mother, and nonresident mother families compared to mother–father families. However, significant two- and three-way interactions suggest that adolescent girls' health risks vary considerably based on the combination of family structure, mother–daughter relationship quality, and race and ethnicity.     

Self-Employment,Work–Family Fit and Mental Health Among Female Workers

We used the 2002 National Study of the Changing Workforce to investigate the effects of work type on women’s lives. Specifically, we hypothesized that self-employed women have better work–family fit than organizationally employed women. We also hypothesized that as a result of better work–family fit, self-employed women would report better mental health than organizationally employed women. The analysis shows limited support for the hypotheses. Of the different dimensions of work–family fit, self-employment directly influenced only job to home facilitation. Work type had no direct influence on mental health. It appears that work type may indirectly influence work–family fit and mental health through higher job satisfaction and increased autonomy.

Health Consultation in China

ONE Sunday morning, I noticed some people gathered at a clearing outside a school in which my family had an apartment. Feeling curious, I joined them to find that some young dentists, wearing their white coats, were offering free consultations for people. They were selling toothbrushes and dental floss at the same time. One of my teeth was bothering me. It always felt odd when I bit something cold. I consulted with a young dentist, who was wearing a pair of glasses. He asked me many questions like when had it begun to hurt, if I felt the pain, how long it had been since I had it filled the previous time. He asked me to open my mouth and checked the tooth carefully. "You should have your     

New Grandparents’ Mental Health: The Protective Role of Optimism,Self-Mastery,and Social Support

The current study examines the contribution of optimism, self-mastery, perceived social support, and background variables (age, physical health, economic status) to mental health following the transition to grandparenthood. The sample consisted of 257 first-time Israeli grandparents (grandmothers and grandfathers, maternal and paternal) who were asked to complete a series of self-report questionnaires. The results indicate the importance of internal and external resources, as well as of health and economic status, for mental health of new grandparents. The value of designing relevant preventive interventions by family social workers to assist grandparents in coping with their new role is discussed.     

Older Workers’ Access to Employer-Sponsored Retiree Health Insurance, 2000–2006

Using a multivariate framework, we analyze trends in employer provision of retiree health insurance (RHI), eligibility for new retirees, and retiree contributions. Data come for the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey—Insurance Component (MEPS-IC). While RHI provision to existing retirees decreased, eligibility for new retirees declined even more. Contribution requirements increased between 2000 and 2006 for retirees not yet eligible for Medicare (less than 65 years of age), but remained stable for those who were eligible (65 years of age or older). These results suggest growing financial instability for retirees.     

Health Protection Products Are Hot

FooDS and beverages that are made from natural ingredients and advertised as therapies are sweeping the consumer market. The health protection products I've seen can be divided into five categories. They include: 1. Beverages: tea, haw juice, mineral water; 2. Medicinal liquids: royal jelly, black-boned chicken essence, softshelled turtle essence; 3. Health protection foods: brown rice powder, rice vinegar, asparagus juice, egg-white candy;     

“We're the Normal Ones Here”: Community Involvement,Peer Support,and Transgender Mental Health

This article uses ethnographic methods to explore how peer support and community involvement influence the mental health and well-being of transgender (or, trans) people in the southeastern United States. The study builds on existing research that suggests that trans community involvement and peer support among trans people enhance mental health experiences and moderate the effects of stigma and discrimination on health outcomes. Through qualitative analysis of 158 hours of participant observation and 33 in-depth interviews with members of a trans community organization in the U.S. Southeast, this paper identifies three key processes through which peer support and community involvement enhance the mental health and well-being of trans people: (1) the normalization of trans identities and experiences; (2) the creation of a social support network; and (3) the empowerment of trans people.     

Do Family Meetings Improve Measurable Outcomes for Patients,Carers, or Health Systems? A Systematic Review

Abstract

Family meetings are a common intervention in acute and subacute inpatient care settings. The aim of this systematic review was to investigate the quantitative research exploring the impact of inpatient family meetings on patient, carer, or service outcomes. A search of electronic databases (Medline, Cinahl, Embase, PubMed, and Psychinfo) was conducted from the earliest available time until July 2012. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied, and quality assessment of included articles was conducted. Eight studies were included in the final selection. Results indicate that there is some low-to-moderate quality evidence that inpatient family meetings reduce psychological distress of family carers and assist in meeting their information and support needs. There is weak evidence that inpatient family meetings may help to reduce readmission rates and facilitate entry to continuing care programs.     

What Explains Divorced Women's Poorer Health? The Mediating Role of Health Insurance and Access to Health Care in a Rural Iowan Sample

Economic restructuring in rural areas in recent decades has been accompanied by rising marital instability. To examine the implications of the increase in divorce for the health of rural women, we examine how marital status predicts adequacy of health insurance coverage and health care access, and whether these factors help to account for the documented association between divorce and later illness. Analyzing longitudinal data from a cohort of over 400 married and recently divorced rural Iowan women, we decompose the total effect of divorce on physical illness a decade later using structural equation modeling. Divorced women are less likely to report adequate health insurance in the years following divorce, inhibiting their access to medical care and threatening their physical health. Full‐time employment acts as a buffer against insurance loss for divorced women. The growth of marital instability in rural areas has had significant ramifications for women's health; the decline of adequate health insurance coverage following divorce explains a component of the association between divorced status and poorer long‐term health outcomes.     

Low Birth Rate and Women's Health

CHINA has achieved remarkable results in birth control since adopting a basic state policy of family planning to control the birth rate and increase the population quality. According to the "1997 Statistic Bulletin for National Economy and Social Development," a document recently issued by the State Statistics Bureau, China maintained a low birth rate of 16.57 per thousand in 1997—a natural population growth of one percent. Women of child-bearing age now average about two births each, a decrease from six in 1970.