Rural barriers to early lung cancer detection: Exploring access to lung cancer screening programs in New Hampshire and Vermont

BackgroundRural populations face many health disadvantages compared to urban areas. There is a critical need to better understand the current lung cancer screening landscape in these communities to identify targeted areas to improve the impact of this proven tool.MethodsData from the County Health Rankings of New Hampshire and Vermont was reviewed for population density, distribution of adult smokers, and level of education compared to the distribution of Lung Cancer Screening Facilities throughout these two states.ResultsScreening programs in southern counties of Vermont with lower levels of education have decreased access. In New Hampshire, there are no programs within 30 miles of the areas with the largest distribution of smokers, and decreased access in some areas with the lowest levels of education.ConclusionsImproving equitable access to high-quality screening services in rural regions and the creation of targeted interventions to address decreased access in areas of high tobacco use and low education is vital to decreasing the incidence of latestage presentations of lung cancer within these populations.     

湖北农村女性打麻将和看手机行为与抑郁状况的相关性

  目的   分析湖北农村女性打麻将和看手机行为与抑郁状况的关系, 为改善农村女性身心健康提供建议。   方法   采用分层整群抽样方法调查湖北7个县/市8个行政村1 367例成年妇女, 抑郁状况的测量采用流调中心抑郁自评量表(Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale-10, CESD-10), 并进行百分数转化。分值越高, 抑郁程度越低, 心理健康状况越好。   结果   15~44岁的妇女的CESD-10得分(77.63±13.95)高于45-64岁(73.17±17.01)和≥65岁(69.25±18.16)的得分(P < 0.001)。多元线性回归结果显示, 每天看手机时间与农村妇女抑郁状况之间的相关有统计学意义(均有P < 0.05), 尤其对45-64岁女性抑郁状况的影响具有显著统计学意义(均有P < 0.05), 看手机时间越长, 抑郁程度越高; 打麻将对各年龄段妇女抑郁状况影响均没有统计学意义(均有P > 0.05)。   结论   看手机行为与湖北农村女性抑郁状况之间存在相关性, 减少农村女性特别是中年妇女的手机使用是今后健康教育与妇联工作中值得重视的。     

农村青少年不同时期家庭逆境与精神病理症状的关联

目的探讨家庭逆境致精神病理症状结局的累积性与关键期效应,为预防与干预逆境伤害提供依据。方法2017年12月,采用方便抽样的方法选取安徽省阜阳地区2所农村学校的710名青少年。采用《童年期不良经历问卷》评估家庭逆境,《MacArthur健康与行为问卷》评价内化症状和外化症状。采用多元线性回归分析家庭逆境发生时间与数量和精神病理症状的关联。结果持续家庭逆境组与内化症状、外化症状增加均有相关性[β值(95%CI)分别为0.35(0.15~0.54),0.16(0.01~0.32)]。家庭逆境数量为2和≥3与内化症状[β值(95%CI)分别为0.20(0.04~0.36),0.42(0.24~0.60)]、外化症状[β值(95%CI)分别为0.14(0.01~0.26),0.23(0.09~0.37)]增加有关。在仅童年期家庭逆境中,家庭逆境数量为2和≥3的内化症状[β值(95%CI)分别为0.23(0.06~0.41),0.34(0.11~0.58)]、外化症状[β值(95%CI)分别为0.17(0.02~0.31),0.21(0.02~0.39)]的风险增高。在持续家庭逆境组中,逆境数量≥3与内化症状、外化症状相关[(β值(95%CI)分别为0.56(0.31~0.82),0.24(0.02~0.45)]。仅青春期家庭逆境与精神病理症状无关。结论家庭逆境的多次发生可增加精神病理症状风险,童年期可能是家庭逆境致精神病理症状的关键期。     

药材部位、产地及采收期对中药挥发油成分的差异性分析

中药挥发油质量的稳定性是其发挥临床疗效及确保安全性的重要前提。由于中药挥发油的质量受到入药部位、药材产地、药材采收期、提取工艺、炮制工艺等诸多因素的影响,从而导致挥发油的出油率或所含化学成分出现差异,影响中药挥发油质量的均一性,进而影响挥发油的疗效。因此,如何把控挥发油的质量是中药挥发油发挥作用的关键。分析了药材不同入药部位、不同产地和不同采收期对中药挥发油质量的影响,并对《中国药典》2015年版含有挥发油成分的196味中药按药用部位进行分类,讨论了不同入药部位、产地和采收期对中药挥发油成分的差异性,以期为中药挥发油的开发及中药挥发油质量标准的建立提供参考。     

Exploring sexual awareness and Decision-making among adolescent girls and boys in rural Nicaragua: A socio-ecological approach

ObjectiveTo explore how individual, relational, and social contexts influence adolescents' sexual awareness and decision-making in rural Nicaragua.MethodsEighteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with adolescent boys and girls aged 15 to 19 years. Thematic analysis identified patterns of meaning applying a socio-ecological approach. A thematic map illustrates how the themes are organized according to the socio-ecological model and suggests their interactions.ResultsSix main themes emerged as (1) Adolescence - a period of life changes, (2) Fears as a pathway to awareness and decision-making, (3) Awareness about protective measures, (4) Relational influences on adolescents’ sexual health, (5) Service provision and institutional influences on awareness and decision-making and (6) Sociocultural determinants on adolescent sexual health. Informants of both genders expressed concern in several issues of their sexuality. They identified fear of pregnancy, STIs, and their impact on future goals, family communication, and school-based sexual education as protective factors for their sexual decision-making. Adolescents of both genders are challenging social and cultural norms by developing sexual agency.ConclusionThese findings imply that personal and societal factors in rural Nicaragua produce a multi-dimensional effect on adolescent sexual self-efficacy. Our study is relevant for a wider discussion about sexual awareness to promote positive development and health outcomes particularly among adolescents’ girls and boys living in rural settings.     

Outcomes and influences of rural-focused integrated clerkship programs in general surgery

BackgroundA shortage of general surgeons is predicted in the future, with particular impact on rural surgery. This is an exploratory analysis on a rural-focused longitudinal integrated clerkship to determine if such clerkships can be used to increase interest and recruitment in rural general surgery.MethodsAn institutional database was reviewed to identify students who became general surgeons after completing a rural-focused longitudinal integrated clerkship. Telephone interviews were conducted on a portion of these surgeons.ResultsFifty-seven students (3.6%) completing the rural-focused longitudinal integrated clerkship became general surgeons. Of those participating in phone interviews, most (90%) decided to become surgeons during their experience while all stated that preclinical years did not influence their specialty decision.ConclusionsA substantial portion of these surgeons went on to practice in rural communities. Pre-existing rural and primary care-focused education could help to address the future projected shortage of rural general surgeons.     

A qualitative assessment of diabetes care access and disease management in Central America

BackgroundDiabetes is a growing concern in low-and middle-income countries. Medical missions play a role in increasing access to care and medicines, but often ignore non-communicable disease prevention and advanced management. Increased knowledge of local community needs and resources can lead to the development and implementation of pharmacist-supported interventions to improve diabetes management in rural areas.ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to 1) understand the availability of monitoring for diabetes locally; and 2) describe knowledge and health beliefs regarding diabetes management for those with diabetes, and prevention among those at high risk of developing diabetes.MethodsThis qualitative evaluation used semi-structured interviews with key informants in a community in rural Honduras. Participants included those with diabetes, those at-risk for developing diabetes, and community leaders. Data was analyzed using thematic content analysis through an iterative process of coding and theme development.ResultsA total of 35 interviews were conducted with five resulting themes: 1) participants identified multiple barriers to diabetes management including access to monitoring, access to certain medications, and access to advanced levels of care; 2) participants acknowledge the relationship between lifestyle choices and diabetes control, but struggled with adherence to a healthy lifestyle; 3) participants identify that they have limited knowledge of diabetes pathophysiology, diabetes management, and strategies to prevent diabetes; 4) participants felt that opportunities existed within the community to support diabetes education and prevention, and 5) providers should integrate culture, societal norms, and religion in diabetes management.ConclusionThis research identifies challenges and resulting opportunities for managing diabetes in rural Honduras. Health care providers including pharmacy personnel should consider strategies to engage communities around self-care and diabetes education. Further, strategies are needed to enhance access to resources and essential medicines for diabetes management. These themes can guide clinicians in supporting communities to enhance diabetes care.     

The Kata Kolok Pointing System: Morphemization and Syntactic Integration

Signed utterances are densely packed with pointing signs, reaching a frequency of one in six signs in spontaneous conversations (de Vos, 2012; Johnston, 2013a; Morford & MacFarlane, 2003). These pointing signs attain a wide range of functions and are formally highly diversified. Based on corpus analysis of spontaneous pointing signs in Kata Kolok, a rural signing variety of Bali, this paper argues that the full meaning potentials of pointing signs come about through the integration of a varied set of linguistic and extralinguistic cues. Taking this hybrid nature of pointing phenomena into account, it is argued that pointing signs may become an intrinsic aspect of sign language grammars through two mechanisms: morphemization and syntactic integration. Although not entailed in this research, this approach could implicate that some highly systematized pointing systems of speaking communities may to a degree be grammatical as well.     

Crisis and continuity: Rural health care students respond to the COVID-19 outbreak

The COVID-19 outbreak in Winter (2020) has caused widespread disruption for health sciences students undergoing clinical placements—vital periods of experiential learning that cannot be substituted with distance alternatives. For students placed in rural areas, already coping with isolation, precarious supply chains and shortages of essential personnel, the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak may have far-reaching implications for psychosocial wellness, self-efficacy and clinical judgment. Four nursing and eight medical students (n = 12) supplied photographs and commentary documenting the experience of withdrawing suddenly from clinical sites in rural Alberta. Collaborative, thematic analysis revealed continuities between pre- and post-outbreak life, both for the students and their rural hosts. Social determinants of health such as seclusion, environmental hazards, and health-seeking behaviors carried over and compounded the effects of the outbreak on the placement communities and clinical sites. Other continuities included the reliance on technology for clinical and social connectivity, and capitalizing on natural settings to cope with isolation and confinement. Prolonged liminality, lack of closure, and the loss of team identity were the greatest stressors brought on by the suspension of clinical activities. However, the participants felt well equipped to deal with these circumstances through the resilience, adaptability, and community ethos acquired during their placements.     

Medical treatment decision-making in rural cancer patients: A qualitative systematic review and meta-synthesis

ObjectiveRural cancer patients have unique care needs which may impact upon treatment decision-making. Our aim was to conduct a qualitative systematic review and meta-synthesis to understand their perspectives and experiences of making treatment decisions.MethodsA systematic search of MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL and RURAL was conducted for qualitative studies in rural cancer patients regarding treatment decision-making. Articles were screened for relevance, and data from the included articles were extracted and analysed using meta-thematic synthesis.ResultsTwelve studies were included, with 4 themes and 9 subthemes identified. Many studies reported patients were not given a choice regarding their treatment. Choice, if given, was influenced by personal factors such as finances, proximity to social supports, convenience, and their personal values. Patients were also influenced by the opinions of others and cultural norms. Finally, it was reported that patients made choices in the context of seeking the best possible medical care and the patient-clinician relationship.ConclusionsIn the rural context, there are universal and unique factors that influence the treatment decisions of cancer patients.Practical implicationsOur findings are an important consideration for clinicians when engaging in shared decision-making, as well as for policymakers, to understand and accommodate the unique rural perspective.