The association between socio-economic status and chest pain, focusing on self-rated health in a primary health care area of Sweden

STUDY OBJECTIVE: The study objective was to determine, first, the association between men's and women's chest pain and their socio-economic status (occupation, smoking) and, secondly, the association between their socio-economic status and self-rated health, in a primary health care area. DESIGN AND SETTING: A population-based cross-sectional survey was made in a primary health care area of Sweden. Primarily based on occupation according to Swedish standards, 4,238 men and women were divided into two socio-economic groups; blue-collar and white-collar workers. METHODS: Odds ratios with 95% CI were calculated by multivariate logistic regression, controlling for the variable age as confounding factor. Student's t-test was used to compare self-rated health, and the chi 2-test to determine any difference in smoking habits between the two groups. MAIN RESULTS: Both male and female blue-collar workers showed significantly more chest pain when excited than white-collar workers. In six of eight health indices, they also reported significantly worse self-rated health than the white-collar workers. CONCLUSIONS: These findings show that there are socio-economic inequalities in self-reported chest pain. Furthermore, socio-economic status has a major influence on self-rated health, acting across the working life of both sexes.     

Messung der gesundheitsbezogenen Lebensqualität mit dem SF-8

The SF-8, a relatively new instrument for measuring health-related quality of life, was used in the German National Telephone Health Survey 2003. The SF-8 provides results which are comparable to those of the SF-36, the instrument most commonly used internationally. The German National Telephone Health Survey provides nationally representative data for the residential population in Germany aged 18 and older. In addition to the measurement of health-related quality of life, comprehensive information on chronic illnesses and complaints, health care needs, utilisation of health care, risk factors, risk behaviour and social status is also collected, making differentiated analyses possible. According to the data collected, men rate their quality of life in all dimensions higher than women. With increasing age, quality of life for both men and women decreases in the physical dimensions, while increasing in the mental health dimensions. Apart from chronic disease and pain having a negative impact on health-related quality of life, social differences are also observable, in that worse health-related quality of life is reported by respondents with lower socioeconomic status.     

舒适护理对胃癌患者生命质量的影响研究

目的探讨舒适护理对胃癌患者生命质量的影响及护理措施。方法对2009年1月至2010年1月间在我院接受诊治的胃癌患者60例给予舒适护理,评估护理效果。结果护理后患者在躯体角色、机体疼痛、一般健康状况、生命力、社会功能、情感角色、心理健康方面明显优于护理前,两者比较差异有统计学意义（P〈0．05）。舒适护理后患者总满意度为96．67％,护理前为73．33％,两组比较差异有统计学意义（P〈0．05）。结论舒适护理能明显更提高胃癌患者生命质量,值得应用。     

Chronic Pain: The Extra Burden on Canadian Women

HEALTH ISSUE: Chronic pain is a major health problem associated with significant costs to both afflicted individuals and society as a whole. These costs seem to be disproportionately borne by women, who generally have higher prevalence rates for chronic pain than do men. KEY FINDINGS: Data obtained from 125,574 respondents to the Canadian Community Health Survey (2000-2001) indicated that 18% of Canadian women suffered from chronic pain, compared to 14% of men. This gender discrepancy, however, seemed to be linked primarily to differences in age, income, and education between adult men and women in this large sample. Age, income, depression and functional interference with activities were strongly associated with chronic pain in general. No gender differences were found in the intensity of pain experienced. Ethnicity was not strongly associated with chronic pain prevalence, although Asians were the group with the highest chronic pain prevalence in the over-65 age group and Aboriginal Canadians had the highest prevalence in the under-65 age group. DATA GAPS AND RECOMMENDATIONS: Current gaps in our knowledge include the types of chronic pain women experience, their impact on domestic responsibilities and parenting and health care utilization patterns of women with chronic pain. Data sources such as provincial databases of billing claims may be useful in the future to enrich our knowledge of health care utilization and analgesic medication use. Enhanced surveillance, assessment, and early identification of pain disorders are recommended to improve outcomes. Considering current demographic patterns toward an older population, there is also some urgency to the development of patient education and self-management programs.     

Gender equity in health care: the case of Swedish diabetes care

To explore the issue of gender equity in diabetes care in Sweden and to develop strategies for monitoring gender equity in health care, population-based studies and statistics published since 1990 were reviewed that contained gender-specific data on health care utilization, glycemic control, patient satisfaction, health-related quality of life, and mortality from diabetes. The review shows that diabetic women in Sweden report more frequent outpatient contacts, less patient satisfaction, and a lower health-related quality of life than diabetic men. No gender differences were found in the level of glycemic control. Young and middle-aged men with diabetes have a high excess all-cause mortality as compared with nondiabetic men. A trend toward stronger social gradient in mortality among women than men with diabetes was observed in a large nationwide study.     

The Fifth Vital Sign

Pain has recently become the focus of attention as a major health problem in the US. The implementation of a pain management strategy in a rural not-for-profit federal hospital is described in this article. The strategy heightened awareness and changed the practice behaviors of clinicians in recognizing, assessing, treating and following patients with pain. Quality improvement initiatives monitored the performance of the healthcare staff regarding use of the assessment and documentation tools. Reduction of pain was surveyed in both transitional care patients and outpatients. Outpatients were also interviewed for satisfaction with their pain management plan. The efforts are ongoing as healthcare professionals continue to focus on reducing pain and suffering in their patients. Additional work is directed toward meeting both the objectives in the strategic plan and standards set by the health systems organization accrediting body described for pain management.     

Life after divorce: a study of newly divorced middle-aged men in Sweden

Thirty-two divorced men aged 30 to 44 years answered a questionnaire within seven months after the dissolution of their marriages. They were asked for life circumstances (housing and working conditions, economic situation) and perceived health and a personal interview was also performed with most of the men. Primary health care records during the year of divorce were analysed according to number of visits and reasons for encounter. A majority of the men perceived working conditions as satisfying while about half of the men had moved to less satisfying housing conditions. They recorded a high number of psychological symptoms (insomnia, fatigue, anxiety) but this was not recognizable in the primary health care records. Ten men had had more than one divorce and in this sub-group there were several alcohol abusers. The importance of primary health care in the early recognition of the complex situation of divorced men is stressed.     

Orofacial pain: patient satisfaction and delay of urgent care

OBJECTIVE: Accomplishing the Healthy People 2010 goal of eliminating disparities in oral disease will require a better understanding of the patterns of health care associated with orofacial pain. This study examined factors associated with pain-related acute oral health care. METHODS: The authors used data on 698 participants in the Florida Dental Care Study, a study of oral health among dentate adults aged 45 years and older at baseline. RESULTS: Fifteen percent of the respondents reported having had at least one dental visit as the result of orofacial pain. The majority of the respondents reportedly delayed contacting a dentist for at least one day; however, there was no difference between respondents reporting pain as the initiating symptom and those with other problems. Once respondents decided that dental services were needed, those with a painful symptom were nearly twice as likely as those without pain to want to be seen immediately. Rural adults were more likely than urban adults to report having received urgent dental care for a painful symptom. When orofacial pain occurred, those who identified as non-Hispanic African American were more likely than those who identified as non-Hispanic white to delay care rather than to seek treatment immediately, and women were more likely then men. Having a pain-related oral problem was associated with significantly less satisfaction with the services provided; non-Hispanic African American respondents were less likely than non-Hispanic white respondents to report being very satisfied, and rural residents were less likely than urban residents. Furthermore, men were more likely than women to suffer with orofacial pain without receiving either scheduled dental care or an urgent visit. CONCLUSIONS: Barriers to care are complex and likely to be interactive, but must be understood before the goals of Healthy People 2010 can be accomplished.     

GENDER EQUITY IN HEALTH CARE: THE CASE OF SWEDISH DIABETES CARE

To explore the issue of gender equity in diabetes care in Sweden and to develop strategies for monitoring gender equity in health care, population-based studies and statistics published since 1990 were reviewed that contained gender-specific data on health care utilization, glycemic control, patient satisfaction, health-related quality of life, and mortality from diabetes. The review shows that diabetic women in Sweden report more frequent outpatient contacts, less patient satisfaction, and a lower health-related quality of life than diabetic men. No gender differences were found in the level of glycemic control. Young and middle-aged men with diabetes have a high excess all-cause mortality as compared with nondiabetic men. A trend toward stronger social gradient in mortality among women than men with diabetes was observed in a large nationwide study. The reasons for the observed gender differences are uncertain but may constitute a combination of medical, psychological, and social factors. Monitoring the impact of gender should become an integrated part of quality management in diabetes care. As long as the relationship between use and outcomes of care is not fully understood, analyses of gender equity should address both health care utilization and outcomes of care.     

Impacts of the Affordable Care Act dependent coverage provision on health-related outcomes of young adults

The first major insurance expansion of the Affordable Care Act – a provision requiring insurers to allow dependents to remain on parents’ health insurance until turning 26 – took effect in September 2010. We estimate this mandate's impacts on numerous outcomes related to health care access, preventive care utilization, risky behaviors, and self-assessed health. We estimate difference-in-differences models with 23–25 year olds as the treatment group and 27–29 year olds as the control group. For the full sample, the dependent coverage provision increased the probabilities of having health insurance, a primary care doctor, and excellent self-assessed health, while reducing body mass index. However, the mandate also increased risky drinking and did not lead to any significant increases in preventive care utilization. Subsample analyses reveal particularly large gains for men and college graduates.     

Impact of chronic pain on health care seeking, self care, and medication. Results from a population-based Swedish study

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To explore individual and social factors that could predict health care utilisation and medication among people with chronic pain in an unselected population. DESIGN: A mailed survey with questions about pain and mental symptoms, disability, self care action, visits to health care providers, and medication. SETTING: General populations in two Swedish primary health care (PHC) districts. Medical care was given in a state health system. PARTICIPANTS: A random sample (from the population register) of 15% of the population aged 25-74 (n = 1806). MAIN RESULTS: Among people reporting chronic pain 45.7% (compared with 29.8 of non-chronic pain persons, p < 0.05) consulted a physician and 7.2% (compared with 1.2%, p < 0.05) a physiotherapist during three months. Primary health care was the most frequent care provider. High pain intensity, aging, depression, ethnicity, and socioeconomic level had the greatest impact on physician consultations. Alternative care, used by 5.9%, was associated with high pain intensity and self care. Use of self care was influenced by high pain intensity, regular physical activity, and ethnicity. Alternative care and self care did not imply lower use of conventional health care. Women reporting chronic pain consumed more analgesics and sedatives than corresponding men. Besides female gender, high pain intensity, insomnia, physician consultation, social network, and self care action helped to explain medication with analgesics. Use of herbal remedies and ointments correlated to self care action, visit to an alternative therapist, high pain intensity, and socioeconomic level. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of chronic pain has an impressive impact on primary health care and medication. Various therapeutic actions are common and are partly overlapping. The use of health care among people with chronic pain depends above all on pain perception and intensity of pain but is also affected by ethnicity, age, socioeconomic level, and depressive symptoms. Among people with chronic pain use of analgesics is common in contrast with other types of pain relief (acupuncture, physiotherapy) suitable for treating chronic pain symptoms.     

The epidemiology of chronic pain in a Swedish rural area

In order to establish basic epidemiological data on chronic pain (duration > 3 months) in a rural population, a survey of pain symptoms was conducted by means of a postal questionnaire. The questionnaire was sent to a random sample (from the population register) of 15% of the population aged 25–74 (n=1806) in two Swedish primary health care districts. The response rate was 90%. In a follow-up study individuals selected among the responders (neck-shoulder pain, widespread pain and controls without pain; n=213) were examined and interviewed. They were requestioned about pain symptoms 24 months after the initial survey.Without sex differences 55% of the population had perceived persistent pain for 3 months and 49% for 6 months. Women experienced more multiple localizations of pain and had pain in neck, shoulder, arm and thigh to a greater extent than men. Prevalence of pain increased by age up to 50–59 years for both genders and then slowly decreased. The neck-shoulder area was the most common site of pain (women 32.9%, men 27.5%). Blue-collar workers and employers (including farmers) reported chronic pain to a greater extent than other groups. In 13% of the population, manifest pain problems were associated with reduced functional capacity.Examination of selected pain groups indicated a hight proportion of unspecific musculoskeletal symptoms. Diagnosis with definite definitions, explaining the pains, were found in 40% of the individuals. Individuals with widespread pain had a higher pain intensity, more somatic symptoms, were more depressive and had the lowest scores for quality of life. The high prevalence of unevenly distributed chronic pain symptoms in a rural general population must influence the work of primary health care. Results may also generate ideas of preventive activities.     

上海市成年人健康期望寿命测算研究

目的 评价上海市居民健康状况,测算健康期望寿命,分析影响居民健康相关因素,为卫生决策提供有力的信息和依据。方法 采用多阶段分层随机抽样方法随机抽取上海市≥18岁户籍居民作为调查对象,采用WHO在世界健康调查中使用的自评健康调查问卷,进行居民自评健康状况调查。应用CHOHT模型校正自评健康调查数据,获得人群自报伤残测度,结合上海市居民出生、死亡和人口资料编制人口寿命表计算期望寿命,采用Sullivan法测算居民健康期望寿命。结果 2017年上海市≥18岁成年人自评伤残测度为0.25,女性（0.28）高于男性（0.23）;≥18岁成年人期望寿命为65.76岁,女性（68.22岁）高于男性（63.39岁）;≥18岁成年人健康期望寿命为47.99岁,男性（49.05岁）高于女性（47.14岁）;健康期望寿命在期望寿命中的比例随年龄增加逐渐降低,18岁组居民健康期望寿命占期望寿命比例为72.97%,至85岁组仅为39.00%。结论 上海市成年人男性健康水平高于女性,随着年龄增加健康期望寿命损失占期望寿命的比例越来越高。应重视提高女性、老龄等人群的生存质量,提升对影响居民寿命质量的慢性病等重大疾病防控,加强重点人群的长期照护及健康支持体系,提升居民健康水平和生活质量。     

Health among men in rural Bengal: Exploring meanings through a culture-centered approach

Researchers in health communication usually adopt a linear approach to the study of health. Under this linear model, the emphasis is on the transmission of beliefs, information, and knowledge from key points at the core (the traditional senders) to the peripheral receivers of messages. A growing body of scholarship foregrounds the importance of understanding health communication from a culture-centered perspective that privileges the dialogue with community members. Drawing on a culture-centered approach, the authors examine the meanings of health among men in rural Bengal. Their dialogue with these men suggests that communication in the realm of health exists in the context of responsibility as care providers, work life, structural barriers, and solutions through participatory processes. The findings elucidate the connection between structure and the communication practices of marginalization. The authors' discursive engagement with the participants points toward spaces of entry for theorizing health communication and developing culture-centered praxis.     

Social factors associated with Major Depressive Disorder in homosexually active, gay men attending general practices in urban Australia

Objectives : Social factors associated with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) were identified among gay men attending high HIV caseload general practices in Sydney and Adelaide.
Methods : Men who visited four participating practices were invited to self-complete a survey. A self-screening tool (PHQ-9), based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, version four (DSM-IV), was used to measure depressive disorders.
Results : The rate of MDD (PHQ-9 score 10 or above) among the 195 HIV-positive gay men was significantly higher than that among the 314 non-HIV-positive gay men (31.8% vs 20.1%, p=0.002). Current MDD was independently associated with younger age, lower income, recent major adverse life events, adopting denial and isolation as coping strategies, less social support, less gay community involvement and recent sexual problems. HIV-status, however, was not independently associated with MDD.
Conclusion : Socio-economic hardship, interpersonal isolation and personal withdrawal were significantly and independently associated with major depression in this population of gay men.
Implications : The study provides further evidence of health inequity affecting gay men in Australia. Structural health promotion approaches focused on homophobia and discrimination, as well as community-engaged primary health care responses are called for to mitigate this inequity.     

Male users' and primary care services health professionals' conceptions of gender and possible impacts on men's health, São Paulo, Brazil

This paper studied the relation between the exercise of masculinities and health care of men in primary health care services. It focuses on representations and meanings of primary health care service users and professional of what it is to be a man. Male service users and professionals were interviewed in two primary health care facilities. Diverse models of masculinity were found, defining various forms of reasoning upon men's health care. This study indicates that issues such as work, sexuality, body structure, relationship with women, and transformations in gender relations are important for men, and should be considered in health care services.     

Voluntary sterilization in Guatemala: a comparison of men and women

Report of a study comparing 500 men and 419 women who had undergone voluntary sterilization in Guatemala City, in terms of their sociodemographic characteristics, attitudes and motivations regarding the operation, reactions to the quality of attention received in the clinic, postoperative complaints, and the effect of the operation on health and sex life. In both groups over 90% reported no regret about the operation. Changes in health status or sex life after the operation emerged as very important correlates of satisfaction among both men and women. Acceptors tended to be married or live in consensual union, be Catholic but not very religious, have an average of 4 children, have used contraceptives prior to the operation (especially the pill), have a favorable attitude toward the attention received from clinic personnel, and report no change or a change for the better in their general health and sex life. However, the following differences did emerge between men and women: men were better educated and held more prestigious jobs; most men reported their wives to be in favor of their vasectomy, where 33% of the women said that their husbands had been indifferent; men were more likely to experience pain or discomfort in the 1st few days after the operation but less likely to lose time from work or lost fewer days (4.0 versus 5.5); among women, pain or discomfort with the operation was related to satisfaction--those experiencing pain were more likely to regret having had the operation; men, by contrast, were more likely than women to experience pain or discomfort, but this was not related to satisfaction with the operation a year or more afterwards. Recommendations include studying the effect of increased educational/promotional efforts among men with lower levels of education and more careful screening to detect individuals who may already be experiencing some type of sexual problem or have unrealistic expectations. Reasons for the higher rate of female sterilizations in Guatemala (15:1 or 5.7 tubal ligations to 1 vasectomy) include perceptions of less negative psychological consequences, attitudes of health practitioners, and use of the procedure on an outpatient basis. In general Guatemala has a low rate of family planning acceptance compared to surrounding countries.     

Quality of life in relation to overweight and body fat distribution.

OBJECTIVES: This study quantified the impairment of quality of life attributable to body fatness by using the standardized SF-36 Health Survey. METHODS: Tertiles of waist circumference and body mass index (BMI) in 1885 men and 2156 women aged 20 to 59 years in the Netherlands in 1995 were compared. RESULTS: The odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals of subjects with the largest waist circumferences, compared with those in the lowest tertile, were 1.8 (1.3, 2.4) in men and 2.2 (1.7, 2.9) in women with difficulties in bending, kneeling, or stooping; 2.2 (1.4, 3.7) in men and 1.7 (1.2, 2.6) in women with difficulties in walking 500 m; and 1.3 (1.0, 1.9) in men and 1.5 (1.1, 1.9) in women with difficulties in lifting or carrying groceries. Anthropometric measures were less strongly associated with social functioning, role limitations due to physical or emotional problems, mental health, vitality, pain, or health change in 1 year. The relationship between quality of life measures and BMI were similar to those between quality of life measures and waist circumference. CONCLUSIONS: Large waist circumferences and high BMIs are more likely to be associated with impaired quality of life and disability affecting basic activities of daily living.     

Can life expectancies be used to determine if health promotion works?

PURPOSE. The goal of this study was to develop a method to measure the impact and cost-effectiveness of health promotion. DESIGN. Age- and sex-specific changes in life expectancy in Canada between 1970 to 1972 and 1985 to 1987, after the introduction of national health insurance (1970) and health promotion (1975), are used to assess the impact due to biological hardiness, improvements in the health care field, and the effects of health promotion. SUBJECTS. The subjects were the total male and female population of Canada between the years 1970 to 1972 and 1985 to 1987. MEASURES. Life expectancy by years of age by sex was the measurement used. RESULTS. A method is presented that allows the calculation of the differential effects of health promotion, health care, and biological hardiness on changes in life expectancy based on sequential subtraction of life expectancies for one-year age cohorts over a 15-year period. Results were obtained for each year of age for men and women, showing gender and age differences in the relative impact of the three factors. In this illustrative example using Canadian data, health promotion was found to have less impact on longevity than health care or biological hardiness. However, of the three, health promotion was the most cost-effective. CONCLUSION. This method can be used to quantify changes in life span due to health promotion, health care, and biological hardiness for men and women at each year of age and to relate this to health expenditures for the whole population. The method is limited in that it cannot determine the relative impact of other factors that can affect life expectancy such as environmental changes or social trends.