Association between perceived chewing ability and oral health-related quality of life in partially dentate patients

Background  

One of the most immediate and important functional consequences of many oral disorders is a reduction in chewing ability. The ability to chew is not only an important dimension of oral health, but is increasingly recognized as being associated with general health status. Whether perceived chewing ability and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) are correlated to a similar degree in patient populations has been less investigated. The aim of this study was to examine whether perceived chewing ability was related to OHRQoL in partially dentate patients.     

Improved diabetes control in the elderly delays global cognitive decline

Objectives  

To examine whether improved diabetes control is related to better cognitive outcomes.     

Changes in health and primary health care use of Moroccan and Turkish migrants between 2001 and 2005: a longitudinal study

Background  

Social environment and health status are related, and changes affecting social relations may also affect the general health state of a group. During the past few years, several events have affected the relationships between Muslim immigrants and the non-immigrant population in many countries. This study investigates whether the health status of the Moroccan and Turkish immigrants in the Netherlands has changed in four years, whether changes in health status have had any influence on primary health care use, and which socio-demographic factors might explain this relationship.     

The relationship between social capital and self-rated health in a Japanese population: a multilevel analysis

Objective  

The aim of this study was to use a multilevel analysis to examine whether cognitive and structural dimensions of regional social capital were associated with individual health outcomes after adjusting for compositional factors.     

Cognitive function in relation with bone mass and nutrition: cross-sectional association in postmenopausal women

Background  

It has been suggested that bone loss and cognitive decline are co-occurring conditions, possibly due to their relationship with estrogen. Cognitive decline has been associated with various nutritional deficiencies as well. The purpose of this study was to determine if cognitive function is related to bone mineral density of various skeletal sites as well as to various dietary components.     

Physical activity as a possible mechanism behind the relationship between green space and health: A multilevel analysis

Background  

The aim of this study was to investigate whether physical activity (in general, and more specifically, walking and cycling during leisure time and for commuting purposes, sports and gardening) is an underlying mechanism in the relationship between the amount of green space in people's direct living environment and self-perceived health. To study this, we first investigated whether the amount of green space in the living environment is related to the level of physical activity. When an association between green space and physical activity was found, we analysed whether this could explain the relationship between green space and health.     

Disability status and quality of life in multiple sclerosis: non-linearity of the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS)

Background  

Progression in disability as measured by increase in the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) is commonly used as outcome variable in clinical trials concerning multiple sclerosis (MS). In this study, we addressed the question, whether there is a linear relationship between disability status and health related quality of life (HRQOL) in MS.     

Self-reported work ability of Norwegian women in relation to physical and mental health,and to the work environment

Objectives  

To examine the self-reported level of work ability among female employees and the relationship between work ability and demographic characteristics, physical health, mental health, and various psychosocial and organizational work environment factors.     

Social deprivation and exposure to health promotion. A study of the distribution of health promotion resources to schools in England

Background  

Area deprivation is a known determinant of health. It is also known that area deprivation is associated with lower impact health promotion. It is less well known, however, whether deprived areas are less responsive to health promotion, or whether they are less exposed. Using data from a national, school-based campaign to promote vaccination against the human papilloma virus (HPV), the relationship between area deprivation and exposure was examined.     

Socioeconomic position,resilience, and health behaviour among elderly people

Objectives  

Healthy psychological functioning, the ability to respond rapidly to environmental changes, has been associated with better health outcomes. Less work has examined the association with health behaviour. This study explores whether resilience (a specific expression of healthy psychological functioning) is positively associated with health behaviour in an elderly population aged ≥65 years and whether this association differs in different socioeconomic groups.     

Social capital as a determinant of self-rated health and psychological well-being

Objective  

To examine whether specific dimensions of social capital are related to self-rated health and psychological well-being.     

Oral health related quality of life in pregnant and post partum women in two social network domains; predominantly home-based and work-based networks

Background  

Individuals connected to supportive social networks have better general and oral health quality of life. The objective of this study was to assess whether there were differences in oral health related quality of life (OHRQoL) between women connected to either predominantly home-based and work-based social networks.     

Persistent work-life conflict and health satisfaction - A representative longitudinal study in Switzerland

Background  

The objectives of the present study were (1) to track work-life conflict in Switzerland during the years 2002 to 2008 and (2) to analyse the relationship between work-life conflict and health satisfaction, examining whether long-term work-life conflict leads to poor health satisfaction.     

How general practitioners perceive and assess self-care in patients with multiple chronic conditions: a qualitative study

Background

It is not known how general practitioners (GPs) perceive the concept of self-care and how they assess self-care ability in patients with multiple chronic conditions. As a part of the strategy to improve the care of people living with chronic conditions, disease management programs in Denmark require GPs and other health care workers to assess and support patients’ self-care ability. The aim of the present study was to explore GPs’ perceptions and assessment of self-care ability in patients with multiple chronic conditions who have difficulty following a given treatment.

Methods

A qualitative study conducted through in-depth, semi-structured interviews with a purposive sample of 12 GPs in rural areas of Denmark with economically disadvantaged populations. The interviews involved 36 complex patient cases selected by the GPs themselves. Our analysis followed the principles of systematic text condensation.

Results

Most GPs in our study had a health-related perception of self-care, but some had a broader perception encompassing the situational context of the patient’s life. The GPs’ assessments of patients’ self-care ability were based on information from the ongoing and often long-term relationships with the patients. GPs identified four major factors that influenced patients’ self-care ability, which accumulated and fluctuated over time: multimorbidity, cognitive resources, material resources, and the patients’ social contexts.

Conclusions

The GPs in this study had dual perceptions of self-care, related to both the chronic health conditions and to the broader situational contexts of their patients’ lives. GPs’ assessments of self-care ability depended largely on their experiences from the doctor-patient relationship, and they emphasized that the factors affecting self-care ability were highly dynamic over the patient’s lifetime. However, these findings might be resisted by the Danish disease management programs, which tend to have a static and more narrow, health-related view of patient self-care. The Danish programs require GPs to assess self-care ability upfront at the beginning of treatment and do not consider whether a relationship with the patient is established. If GPs’ perceptions and assessments of self-care ability are not included in chronic disease management models, there is a risk that they vill be insufficiently implemented in general practice.

     

Physical frailty in older adults is associated with metabolic and atherosclerotic risk factors and cognitive impairment independent of muscle mass

Objective  

Metabolic and atherosclerotic diseases are known risk factors for disability in old age, and can result in sarcopenia as well as cognitive impairment, which are both components of frailty syndrome. As muscle loss increases with ageing, it is unclear whether muscle loss per se, or the diseases themselves, are the underlying cause of physical frailty in those suffering from these diseases. We tested the hypothesis that metabolic and atherosclerotic diseases and cognitive impairment are associated with physical frailty independent of muscle loss in old age, and further examined their impact on the relationship between physical frailty and mortality.     

Consequences of sickness presence and sickness absence on health and work ability: A Swedish prospective cohort study

Objective  

To determine whether self-reported sickness presence (SP) and self-reported sickness absence (SA) are specific risk factors for future health problems or reduced work ability in the active workforce.     

Relationship between Person-Organization fit and objective and subjective health status (Person-Organization fit and health)

Objectve  

Person-Environment fit (P-E fit) paradigm, seems to be especially useful in explaining phenomena related to work attitudes and occupational health. The study explores the relationship between a specific facet of P-E fit as Person-Organization fit (P-O fit) and health.     

Age at disability onset and self-reported health status

Background  

The critical importance of improving the well-being of people with disabilities is highlighted in many national health plans. Self-reported health status is reduced both with age and among people with disabilities. Because both factors are related to health status and the influence of the age at disability onset on health status is unclear, we examined the relationship between disability onset and health status.     

A predictive model of Health Related Quality of life of parents of chronically ill children: the importance of care-dependency of their child and their support system

Background  

We assessed preferences for current health using the visual analogue scale (VAS), standard gamble (SG), time trade-off (TTO), and willingness to pay (WTP) in patients with cerebral aneurysms, a population vulnerable to cognitive deficits related to aneurysm bleeding or treatment.     

Somatic health among heroin addicts before and during opioid maintenance treatment: a retrospective cohort study

Background  

The long-term impact of opioid maintenance treatment (OMT) on morbidity and health care utilization among heroin addicts has been insufficiently studied. The objective of this study was to investigate whether health care utilization due to somatic disease decreased during OMT, and if so, whether the reduction included all kinds of diseases and whether a reduction was related to abstinence from drug use.