Vulnerability, health and health care

The concept of vulnerability is an important one for nurses because of its implications for health. The experience of vulnerability creates stress and anxiety which affects physiological, psychological and social functioning. Although everyone is vulnerable at different times in his or her life, some individuals are more likely to develop health problems than others. Vulnerability is affected by personal factors as well as factors within the environment. Trends in society indicate that increasing numbers of vulnerable people will create additional demands on an already over-burdened health care system. Vulnerability is an area that requires much further research and application.     

Prenatal health promotion content and health behaviors

To improve the effectiveness of prenatal care, there is a need to understand the association between health promotion content and health behaviors during pregnancy. The purpose of this study was to determine the association between prenatal health promotion content and health behaviors during pregnancy among low-income African American and Mexican American women. Twenty-two recommended health promotion topics and their related health behaviors were measured. Structured interviews on health promotion topics and health behaviors were conducted with 159 pregnant women receiving prenatal care at a low-risk urban clinic. Wide variation was found in the number of health promotion topics discussed. Bivariate and regression analyses examined the association between content topics and behaviors. Healthier behaviors were associated with women's reports of discussing more health promotion topics, using fewer substances prepregnancy, and having a more positive attitude toward pregnancy. Data suggest that increasing prenatal health promotion content during routine visits might improve the effectiveness of prenatal care.     

Hospitalized mental health patients and oral health

The purpose of this review of the literature is to present a contemporary perspective related to the nursing care of hospitalized mental health patients who have risk of developing oral health issues. Mental illness is a major health concern worldwide. Compounding this health issue, mental health patients/clients demonstrate avoidant behaviours related to oral health, and the symptoms of mental illness can be a compounding factor. Oral health and oral inflammatory disease are the result of lifestyle and behaviour and mental disorders affect both lifestyle and behaviour. The search used the search terms oral health AND nursing AND mental illness AND Published Date 2005 to 2010. For those who experience mental illness oral health assessment is not routinely practised by clinicians. The importance of special attention to dental problems for people with mental disorders has also been stressed by researchers since the lifespan of people with serious mental disorders is shortened compared to the general population. Oral health care is an important part of treatment. Routine oral care for hospitalized patients is imperative, and this is usually the responsibility of nurses without sufficient knowledge in oral care or comprehensive protocols to follow.     

社区护理服务与居民的健康素养

健康素养是与社区护理服务密切相关的一个较新的概念,在社区护理服务领域有广泛的应用前景.健康素养的水平对社区居民健康促进有重要影响.对社区护理服务模式有重要意义.社区护理人员应参与到健康素养研究中来,以健康素养为切入点,搞好社区护理服务,促进个人、家庭、社区的全面健康.