Health Impact of Interpersonal Violence 2: Medical and Mental Health Outcomes

In this study, the authors examined the relationships between self-rated health and subjective and objective socioeconomic status (as measured by income and education) in relation to middle-aged mortality differences in men and women across 20 counties in Hungary through a cross-sectional, ecological study. The authors interviewed 12,643 people in a Hungarostudy 2002 survey, profiling the Hungarian population according to gender, age, and county. They found that mean self-rated health and self-rated disability at the county level were significantly associated with middle-aged mortality differences among counties, with male mortality more closely associated with self-rated health. The authors also noted that self-rated health and socioeconomic status of the opposite gender were significantly associated with middle-aged mortality, but the strength of the association differed by gender. Finally, male middle-aged mortality was more strongly connected to female subjective and objective social status than female mortality was connected with male social status.     

Self-rated health, subjective social status, and middle-aged mortality in a changing society

In this study, the authors examined the relationships between self-rated health and subjective and objective socioeconomic status (as measured by income and education) in relation to middle-aged mortality differences in men and women across 20 counties in Hungary through a cross-sectional, ecological study. The authors interviewed 12,643 people in a Hungarostudy 2002 survey, profiling the Hungarian population according to gender, age, and county. They found that mean self-rated health and self-rated disability at the county level were significantly associated with middle-aged mortality differences among counties, with male mortality more closely associated with self-rated health. The authors also noted that self-rated health and socioeconomic status of the opposite gender were significantly associated with middle-aged mortality, but the strength of the association differed by gender. Finally, male middle-aged mortality was more strongly connected to female subjective and objective social status than female mortality was connected with male social status.     

Subjective health status as a determinant of mortality among African-American elders.

This study examines the efficacy of self-rated health as a determinant of 6-year survival among the 1209 African-American respondents in the Longitudinal Study on Aging (LSOA). The association between self-rated health and mortality risk has been established previously; however, this relationship has not been directly tested in a nonwhite sample. Findings indicate that self-rated health is a predictor of mortality that is independent of several control variables (income, sex, age, education, and marital status) and two objective health status indicators (bed days and doctor visits). However, it is not independent of limitations with activities of daily living. When all three objective health measures were included in a single model, self-rated health was not an independent predictor of mortality. However, when the full model was specified on sex-specific subsamples, the analysis found that self-rated health was an independent predictor of mortality for women, but not for men.     

Social isolation and mortality in ischemic heart disease. A 10-year follow-up study of 150 middle-aged men

The effects of psychosocial and clinical factors on mortality in ischemic heart disease (IHD) were examined in a 10-year follow-up of 150 middle-aged men. Three groups of men were included: men with clinically manifest IHD, men with risk factors and healthy men. Psychosocial factors were assessed by means of standardized questionnaires. They comprised educational level, social class, marital status and a comprehensive assessment of the daily rounds of life of these men. Furthermore, a subjective rating of the own general health status was obtained. The clinical investigation included a standard physical examination, fasting serum lipids, glucose and urate, a frontal and sagittal chest X-ray and a 24-hour ambulatory ECG monitoring. During follow-up 37 men died, 20 of them from IHD. Non-survivors were discriminated from survivors by the following factors: older age, lower education, lower social class, higher systolic blood pressure, increased ventricular irritability and cardiac enlargement. Furthermore, a relative social isolation as indicated by a low social activity level and a poor self-rated general health status was characteristic of non-survivors. In multivariate analyses three factors emerged as the equally strong predictors of mortality, both from all causes and from IHD: social isolation, a poor self-rated health status and ventricular irritability. The psychosocial mortality predictors were independent of and of similar strength as the clinical predictors.     

Family, school and health in children and adolescents: findings from the 2006 HBSC study in Greece

The association between family, school and subjective health was examined in a large representative sample of Greek children and adolescents (N = 3034). We hypothesized that (a) family and school factors are associated with health, even after controlling for gender and economic status; (b) family and school factors are directly related to satisfaction with life and health complaints, but indirectly to self-rated health. According to the findings, family and school factors were related to subjective health, even though this relation was weakening with age. Family and school factors were associated with self-rated health through health complaints and life satisfaction.     

Subjective Health Complaints and Self-Rated Health: Are Expectancies More Important Than Socioeconomic Status and Workload?

Background

The associations between socioeconomic status (SES), physical and psychosocial workload and health are well documented. According to The Cognitive Activation Theory of Stress (CATS), learned response outcome expectancies (coping, helplessness, and hopelessness) are also important contributors to health. This is in part as independent factors for health, but coping may also function as a buffer against the impact different demands have on health.

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relative effect of SES (as measured by level of education), physical workload, and response outcome expectancies on subjective health complaints (SHC) and self-rated health, and if response outcome expectancies mediate the effects of education and physical workload on SHC and self-rated health.

Methods

A survey was carried out among 1,746 Norwegian municipal employees (mean age 44.2, 81 % females). Structural Equation Models with SHC and self-rated health as outcomes were conducted. Education, physical workload, and response outcome expectancies, were the independent 28 variables in the model.

Results

Helplessness/hopelessness had a stronger direct effect on self-rated health and SHC than education and physical workload, for both men and women. Helplessness/hopelessness fully mediated the effect of physical workload on SHC for men (0.121), and mediated 30 % of a total effect of 0.247 for women. For women, education had a small but significant indirect effect through helplessness/hopelessness on self-rated health (0.040) and SHC (?0.040), but no direct effects were found. For men, there was no effect of education on SHC, and only a direct effect on self-rated health (0.134).

Conclusions

The results indicated that helplessness/hopelessness is more important for SHC and health than well-established measures on SES such as years of education and perceived physical workload in this sample. Helplessness/hopelessness seems to function as a mechanism between physical workload and health.     

Depression,perceived control,and life satisfaction in university students from Central-Eastern and Western Europe

The poor health and psychological well-being of people in the former socialist states of Central-Eastern Europe are of serious concern and may be related to low perceived control. We compared depressive symptoms, life satisfaction, and self-rated health in 3,571 male and female university students from 5 Western European countries and 4,793 students from 5 Central-Eastern European countries. Depression scores (short Beck Depression Inventory; Beck & Beck, 1972) were higher in Central-Eastern than Western European samples. The prevalence of low life satisfaction was also greater in Central-Eastern Europeans, but ratings of self-rated health did not differ. Ratings of perceived control were diminished, but sense of mastery and internal health locus of control were higher in Central-Eastern Europe. Depression and low life satisfaction were associated with low perceived control and mastery and with strong beliefs in the influence of chance over health. However, taking these factors into account did not explain the East—West difference in depressive symptoms and low life satisfaction.     

人格特征、应付方式与大学生自测健康状况的相关研究

目的:探讨大学生人格特征,应付方式与自测健康状况的关系。方法:应用艾森克个性问卷(EPQ),应付方式问卷,自测健康评定量表对567名某高校大学生进行调查。结果:性格的内外向维度,积极的应付方式与自测健康呈正相关,而神经质维度,精神质维度及消极的应付方式与自测健康呈负相关。多元回归分析结果表明,人格的内外向和神经质维度,解决问题,求助,自责是影响大学生自测健康状况的主要因素。结论:大学生健康状况与人格、应付方式有明显相关。     

精神疾病患者家属病耻感现况及影响因素

目的:对精神疾病患者家属的感知病耻感状况进行描述,并分析病耻感的影响因素。方法:采取随机抽样方法抽取157名住院精神疾病患者的家属,对其进行病耻感以及影响因素的问卷调查,分析了病耻感在年龄、性别、婚姻状况、职业、受教育程度等的分布差异,并从社会和人口学、精神卫生和心理健康知识、社会支持、应对方式等角度分析病耻感的影响因素。结果:78.3%的精神疾病患者家属存在感知病耻感,不同年龄、性别、婚姻状况、受教育程度等的家属,其病耻感程度不同(t=31.319,-3.105,32.300,23.868;P0.01)。多元逐步回归分析发现,消极应对、年龄、性别、患者住院次数、客观支持、患者病程、积极应对为病耻感的显著影响因素(P0.01)。结论:精神疾病患者家属的感知病耻感不容忽视,消极应对方式越强、客观支持与积极应对方式越少的患者家属,病耻感越强。本研究所得结果为改善精神疾病患者家属的心理健康状况提供了部分参考依据。     

Age Differences in Genetic and Environmental Variations in Stress-Coping During Adulthood: A Study of Female Twins

The way people cope with stressors of day to day living has an important influence on health. The aim of the present study was to explore whether genetic and environmental variations in stress-coping differ over time during adulthood. The brief COPE was mailed to a large sample of the UK female twins (N = 4,736) having a wide range of age (20–87 years). Factor analyses of the items of the brief COPE yielded three coping scales: ‘Problem-Solving’, ‘Support Seeking’, and ‘Avoidance’. Monozygotic and dizygotic twin correlations tended to become lower with age for all three scales, suggesting that unique environmental factors may become more important with age during adulthood. Model-fitting results showed that relative influences of unique environmental factors increased from 60 % at age 20 years to 74% at age 87 years for ‘Problem-Solving’ and 56 % at age 20 years to 76% at age 87 years for ‘Avoidance’. During the same age period, genetic factors decreased from 40 to 26 % for ‘Problem-Solving’ and from 44 to 24 % for ‘Avoidance’. For ‘Seeking Support’, the magnitude of genetic and unique environmental factors was not significantly different across the adulthood. For all three scales, shared environmental effects were negligible. Overall, our findings implicate that the effects of environment that stem from idiosyncratic experience of stressful life events accumulate and become increasingly important in adulthood.     

Living with huntington’s disease: illness perceptions,coping mechanisms,and spouses’ quality of life

Chronic illness not only affects the life of those suffering from Huntington’s disease but also threatens the quality of life (QOL) of their spouses. In this study, we focus on Huntington’s disease (HD). The impact of HDonthe QOL of spouses has been hardly studied from a behavioral medicine or health psychology perspective. We hypothesize that spouses’ illness perceptions and coping mechanisms will contribute significantly to the prediction of their QOL. Illness perceptions, coping mechanisms, and the QOL of 90 spouses ofpatients with HD were assessed by meansof the Illness Perception Questionnaire, the COPE, and the Medical Outcome Study 36-item Short Form Health Survey, respectively. After controlling for demographic and illness-related variables, coping mechanisms explained a significant amount of variance of spouses’ role functioning. Given our results, more empirical and longitudinal research is justified on coping mechanisms and illness perceptions of spouses living with Huntington’s disease.     

Subjective health and illness,coping and life satisfaction in an 80-year-old swedish population-implications for mortality

Background: Multi morbidity and illness will become more common due to increased life expectancy. Purpose: This study describes various combinations of diseases and symptoms and explores implications for mortality in a sample of 80-year-olds followed up to 95 years of age. Furthermore, reported subjective health, coping, and life satisfaction is explored. Method: 212 persons, born in 1908, were classified into four groups based on their number of diseases and reported symptoms according to a health examination at the age of 80. These groups were compared regarding standardized measurements of subjective health, depression, coping, life satisfaction, and mortality. Results: The mortality risks, the hazard ratios, were of the same magnitude, 1.8–2.2, whether the persons experienced several symptoms, had several diseases, or a combination of several symptoms and several diseases when compared to the healthy group of respondents. Conclusion: The experience of subjective signs of illness carries the same mortality risks as diseases. The study was granted by the Swedish Research Council.     

实习护生自测健康状况与应对方式的相关

目的:探讨某军队医院实习护生自测健康状况与应对方式现状及相关性,为提升护生健康、提高临床教学质量提供参考依据。方法:采取方便抽样,选用一般情况调查表、自测健康评定量表(SRHMS V1.0)、简易应对方式问卷对某军队3级甲等医院242名实习护生实施问卷调查。结果:(1)242名实习护生自测健康总分与3个子量表得分均高于国内常模(t=9.38,P0.01);心理症状与负向情绪、社会支持、身体症状与器官功能3个维度的实际值/理论值均70%,其中得分最低的是心理症状与负向情绪维度;(2)实习护生积极应对方式高于常模(t=8.72,P0.01),消极应对方式低于常模(t=-14.02,P0.01);(3)积极应对方式与自测健康的总分和3个子量表得分呈显著正相关(r=0.322,0.213,0.284,0.288;P0.01),消极应对方式与自测健康的总分和3个子量表得分呈显著负相关(r=-0.311,-0.162,-0.299,-0.292;P0.01)。结论:与常模比较,实习护生自测健康水平较好,但心理症状与负向情绪、社会支持、身体症状与器官功能3个维度的健康状况有待进一步提高。实习护生采取积极应对方式较多,消极应对方式较少,采取积极应对方式越多,健康状况越好。     

Individual and community risk factors and sexually transmitted diseases among arrested youths: a two level analysis

High rates of infection for chlamydia and gonorrhea have been noted among youths involved in the juvenile justice system. Although both individual and community-level factors have been found to be associated with sexually transmitted disease (STD) risk, their relative importance has not been tested in this population. A two-level logistic regression analysis was completed to assess the influence of individual-level and community-level predictors on STD test results among arrested youths processed at a centralized intake facility. Results from weighted two level logistic regression analyses (n = 1,368) indicated individual-level factors of gender (being female), age, race (being African American), and criminal history predicted the youths’ positive STD status. For the community-level predictors, concentrated disadvantage significantly and positively predicted the youths’ STD status. Implications of these findings for future research and public health policy are discussed.     

美沙酮维持治疗者心理健康状况的影响因素与心理干预研究

目的 分析不同性别、工作状况、婚姻状况对美沙酮维持治疗者心理健康状况的影响,开展心理干预研究.方法 选用背景变量调查表、社会支持评定量表、简易应对方式问卷、感情与社会孤独量表、自尊量表、焦虑自评量表进行问卷调查.结果 男、女美沙酮维持治疗者在主观支持(t=4.426,P=0.037)上有显著性差异；有无工作的美沙酮维持...     

Controlling for General and Disease-Specific Effects in Child and Family Adjustment to Chronic Childhoos Ilness

Investigated the differential associations of asthma and diabeteson children's self–competence, family functioning, andmaternal coping. Interactions of gender with the presence ofchronic childhood illness were also assessed. Seventy–twochildren with diabetes and 40 children with asthma participatedas subjects. Mothers completed measures of family functioning,coping, and disease severity while children completed Harter's(1985) Self–Perception Profile for Children. Results indicatedthat gender and type of chronic illness were independently associatedwith children's self–competence and family functioningbut not maternal coping. However, differences attributable tospecific illnesses dissipated once general family factors andgeneral chronic childhood illness variables were controlledstatistically. Differences based on child gender remained robust.Results are discussed within the context of categorical andnoncategorical approaches to the study of chronic childhoodillness.     

医学生应对方式与人格特征的相关分析

目的探讨医学生应对方式的特点及与其人格特征的关系。方法采用应对方式评定问卷和艾森克人格问卷(EPQ)对石河子大学医学院学生采取分层整群抽样的方法进行测试、分析。结果应对方式测试结果,女生求助因子得分高于男生,男生合理化因子得分高于女生。EPQ问卷评定,男生的P因子得分高于女生,女生的L因子得分高于男生。应对方式因子分与EPQ各维度存在不同程度的相关。结论建议高校管理者应了解学生的这些心理特点,有针对性地进行心理健康教育。     

军医大学研究生应对方式特征及其与自测健康状况的相关分析

目的 了解军医大学研究生的应对方式特征及其与自测健康状况的关系。方法 采用随机整群抽样法,选择广州市某军医大学在读硕士研究生189名,应用简易应对方式问卷和自刹健康评定量表进行调查。结果 军医大学研究生采取积极应对方式的比例（34.86％）明显高于采取消极应对方式的比例（10．56％）．最常采取的应对方式是“通过工作学习或一些其他活动解脱（51．4％）”、“尽量看到事物好的一面（46．4％）”和“不把问题看得太严重（40．9％）”;最不常采用的应对方式为“依靠别人解决问题（0．6％）”、“幻想奇迹发生（2．8％）”等;积极应对方式得分与自测健康的生理、心理、社会子量表得分和总分呈显著正相关。消极应对方式得分与自测健康的生理、心理于量表得分和总分呈显著负相关。结论 不同应对方式对自测健康的影响作用不同,积极应时方式有助于军医大学研究生的身心健康,消极应对则有负面影响。     

Psychological Resources as Mediators of the Association Between Social Class and Health: Comparative Findings from Japan and the USA

Background

Recently, researchers have proposed that psychological resources might be key concept in explaining the association between social class and health. However, empirical examinations of the extent to which psychological resources to social class in health are still few.

Purpose

This study investigated mediating effects of selected psychological resources (sense of control, self-esteem, optimism, and neuroticism) on the association of social class [education and subjective social status (SSS)] with current health status (self-rated health and the number of chronic conditions).

Method

This sample consisted of 1,805 Americans (818 males and 987 females) from the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) survey, 2004–2006 and 1,027 Japanese (505 males and 522 females) from the Midlife in Japan (MIDJA) survey in Tokyo, Japan, 2008–2010. Information on social class, psychological resources, and health status was obtained using telephone interviews or written questionnaires.

Results

A mediation analysis was conducted separately for males and females in Japan and the USA. Neuroticism significantly mediated the association of education and SSS with self-rated health and chronic conditions among males and females in both countries, with one exception (not for chronic conditions among Japanese females). Sense of control significantly mediated the association of education and SSS with self-rated health among males and females in both countries. As hypothesized, self-esteem significantly mediated almost all of the associations of education and SSS with self-rated health and chronic conditions among men and women in the USA, but very few such associations in Japan. Optimism significantly mediated most associations of social class and health status in both countries, but only among females.

Conclusions

Overall, the findings underscore important culture- and gender specificity in the ways in which psychosocial resources mediate the links between social class and health.     

Meaning in life and physical health: systematic review and meta-analysis

This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to clarify the associations between meaning in life and physical health using random-effects models. Conceptualisation of meaning (order in world vs. purpose in life), type of health indicators, participants’ health status, and age issues were investigated as moderators. Systematic searches of six databases resulted in inclusion of k?=?66 studies (total N?=?73,546). Findings indicated that meaning in life and physical health formed weak-to-moderate associations (the overall estimate of the average effect?=?0.258). Conceptualisation of meaning, participants’ health status, and their age did not moderate these associations. Operationalisation of health moderated the relationship between meaning in life and health. The strongest associations were found for subjective indicators of physical health. Significant albeit weak associations between meaning in life and objective indices of health were found. Furthermore, stronger effects were observed when the measures of meaning combined items referring to meaning in life and meaning-related sense of harmony, peace, and well-being, compared to measures focusing solely on meaning in life. Overall, the results point to the potential role of meaning in life in explaining physical health.