Thriving Older African American Women: Aging After Jim Crow

ABSTRACT

This paper is based on the findings of small group discussions with self-defined successful African American women age 60+ in Charlotte, North Carolina. These women, who lived through the Jim Crow era and thrived in spite of the obstacles, continue to seek meaning in their lives through the roles they play in their families, churches, and communities. They feel strongly that there is a core of key values that continue to hold meaning and struggle to impart these values to those whose lives they touch. The key values identified include education, religion, work, and giving back to the community, and illustrate the integration of both traditional and nontraditional definitions of success. Mentoring is proposed as an important concept for understanding the lives of African American women in later life.     

医疗保险对老年人身体机能健康和心理健康的影响及其机制研究

随着我国人口老龄化不断加剧,切实保障好老年人健康格外紧迫。基于此,文章采用中国健康与养老追踪调查数据从身体机能健康和心理健康两个维度实证考察了医疗保险对老年人健康的影响及其作用机制。研究发现,医疗保险能够显著提高老年人身体机能健康和心理健康。机制研究表明,医疗保险能够显著提高老年人医疗服务利用、降低老年人慢性病发生率进而影响到老年人健康。因此,进一步扩大老年人医疗保险覆盖面、提高医疗保障水平、促进医疗服务公平性和可及性,是我国人口老龄化不断加剧状况下保障老年人健康的重要途径。     

高校教工慢性病及其危险因素现状调查

2012年1月—2013年1月,对几所高校1 268名教工慢性病的发病情况及危险因素进了行分析.结果表明,随着年龄增长,女性患高血压、高脂血症及肥胖、超重的比例均呈增高趋势;而55岁以下的男性,肥胖和超重人数随年龄增长而增多,大于55岁者则渐趋下降.糖尿病和高血压患者无性别差异,其他慢性病的患病率均为男性高于女性.高脂血症和高血压随体重指数(BMI)的增高而有上升之势,而体重指数与糖尿病的患病率无明显相关性.肥胖、超重或消瘦的教职工,其糖尿病患病率均高于标准体重指数的人群.     

Can the minimum living standard guarantee scheme enable the poor to escape the poverty trap in rural China?

The rural Minimum Living Standard Guarantee (Dibao) Scheme is the most important social assistance programme in rural China. However, how the rural Dibao programme affects household expenditures and whether it can enable the poor to escape the poverty trap are questions that remain largely unexplored. This study used data from the 2012 Rural Household Survey in China to investigate the impact of the rural Dibao programme on household expenditures. We found that the programme significantly improved the well‐being of low‐income households. Particularly, the programme significantly increased household expenditures on housing, education and health; furthermore, the impact was greater for households with educated household heads. However, the programme did not significantly affect household expenditures on food, transportation or farming inputs. The results imply that participation in the rural Dibao programme induces household investment in human capital, which could help to break the inter‐generational transmission of poverty and raise long‐run welfare.     

Evidence-Based Programs for Older Adults: A Disconnect Between U.S. National Strategy and Local Senior Center Implementation

While U.S. national policies have been developed to support evidence-based (EB) lifestyle programs for older adults, there has been limited research to determine the extent to which these programs actually reach local communities. This study sought to identify factors that impact the implementation of EB physical activity, nutrition, and chronic disease management programs at regional (Area Agencies on Aging [AAAs]) and community levels (senior Centers [SCs]). Interviews were conducted with directors of four AAAs and 12 SCs to understand their perspectives on EB program implementation. Narratives revealed differences between AAAs and SCs regarding knowledge about EB programs and reasons to promote and adopt these programs. The only agreement occurred when discussing concerns about funding and program inflexibility. Substantial gaps exist between how EB lifestyle programs are promoted and implemented at the regional and community levels.     

The Conversational Model and Child and Family Counselling: Treating Chronic Complex Trauma in a Systemic Framework

Child and Family Counselling Teams in NSW Community Health Services are expected to provide therapeutic services to children who have experienced complex trauma. However, parental trauma is often overlooked or referred elsewhere. A systemic perspective informed by attachment theory and trauma theory provides the basis for addressing parental trauma in Child and Family Counselling Teams, thereby improving parenting. The Conversational Model is an evidence‐based intervention for chronic complex trauma. The foundations of the Conversational Model and its brief component, Short Term Intensive Psychodynamic Psychotherapy, are outlined and a case study is given to illustrate the usefulness of the intervention in Child and Family Counselling. Highlighted is the importance of addressing systemic trauma through parenting to improve attachment quality, family relationships, and children's function.     

吉林省四平地区老年人健康影响因素及对策探析

为了解吉林省四平地区老年人的健康状况及其影响因素,制定有效的防治对策,采用现场体检及问卷调查的方式,对该地区1 059位60岁及以上老年人的健康现状进行调查。老年人健康状况不容乐观,慢性病患病率较高。其中慢性病患病率位于前五位的依次为心脏病、高血压、糖尿病、骨关节病、脑血管病。老年人健康影响因素包括吸烟、饮酒、饮食、睡眠、锻炼身体等。提出注重健康影响因素、提高老年人健康水平的具体对策。     

Disablism in the lives of people living with a chronic illness in England and Portugal

This article is based on research about the daily lives of people living with chronic illnesses in England and Portugal. Through the first-person narratives of participants, I argue that the lives of people living with debilitating chronic illnesses are affected by disablism, discrimination and exclusion. These aspects affect them in several important realms of life such as lack of or poor social support, difficulties in obtaining reasonable adjustments or the inability to obtain any kind of state support at all. These aspects are also widespread and compound and greatly influence their lives, beyond or in addition to the physical experience of the illness itself. I conclude that it is fundamental to change these structural and policy aspects and that people should have access to what I have termed a paradigm of sustained well-being, despite the illness.