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PubMed1982

Personnel dosimetry intercomparison studies at the Health Physics Research Reactor: a summary (1974-80).

Six personnel dosimetry intercomparison studies using the Health Physics Research Reactor at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory were conducted between 1974 and 1980. These studies allowed participants to test their neutron and gamma-ray dosimeters under a variety of mixed-field spectral conditions and to compare their results with those of others making measurements under identical conditions. Fifty-eight participant organizations, about half of which participated in more than one study, made approx. 2000 measurements of the neutron and gamma-dose-equivalent. Dose equivalents in the 0.1-12 mSv (i.e. 10-1200 mrem) range were determined for five different shielded reactor spectra using three basic types of dosimeters (thermoluminescent albedo, nuclear emulsion film and track etch) for neutron measurements and two basic types (film and thermoluminescent dosimeters) for the gamma-measurements. The data from the six studies are summarized, analyzed and explained. Intercomparison of the participants' results and consideration of reference dosimetry allows several conclusions to be made relative to the status of and trends in personnel neutron and gamma-ray dosimetry.

Film Dosimetry↗
PubMed1994

Mental and physical health and ageing in mental handicap: a review.

With some exceptions, the mental and physical health problems of elderly mentally handicapped people are similar to those of the elderly population as a whole. Psychiatric disorder is more common due to a higher frequency of behaviour disorders. Increased longevity has been accompanied by a progressive increase in deaths from age-related conditions and in individuals with Down's syndrome exposed a predisposition to premature senility and dementia. Service issues include general health care, preventive measures, provision for those with psychiatric and age-related problems, and staff training.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Physical health and preventive health behaviors among Thai women in Brisbane, Australia.

In this article we describe the health status of Thai migrant women in Australia. Women's physical health, their use of health services, and adherence to preventive health behaviors are presented. The results are based on data from a descriptive study of 139 women living in Brisbane who completed a structured questionnaire. This information was supplemented with data from in-depth interviews with 17 of the women to gain additional information and insight into immigration, language, social support, and the use of health services. Although the majority of women reported being in good health and only a small percentage suffered from chronic diseases, inherent problems can influence their future health status. These include women's low participation in preventive health programs, unhealthy life style and behavior, perceptions of health services, availability of social support during illness, and issues related to care from general practitioners. Women's understanding of health education and information was influenced by their language skills. Language difficulties and the perceived high costs of medical care in Australia were contrasted with the lower cost and perceived efficiency and efficacy of Thai medical practitioners, and as a result some women delayed medical attention until home visits to Thailand.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Factors distinguishing suicide attempters from suicide ideators in a community sample: social issues and physical health problems.

BACKGROUND: Few studies have focused on factors that uniquely distinguish suicide attempters from suicide ideators. This study assesses prevalence of suicide attempts among suicide ideators within a community sample; explores demographics, employment status, mental and physical health conditions, personality, life stresses and social environment as factors that may distinguish these groups; examines effects of age and gender upon suicide attempts and associated factors; and investigates the increase in suicide attempts when multiple factors related to this behaviour are present. METHOD: Data were drawn from the PATH Through Life Project, a community survey of 7485 people in Canberra, Australia. A subsample of 522 suicide ideators were used for this study. RESULTS: Logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with suicide attempts. Physical medical conditions (OR 1.95) and negative interactions with friends (OR 1.20) were associated with an increased likelihood of suicide attempts among suicide ideators. Age and gender interaction effects for suicide attempts were found involving physical medical condition and mastery among men (OR 3.78 and 0.83 respectively) and not being employed for those aged 40-44 years (OR 8.94). A cumulative effect was found when multiple factors associated with suicide attempts were present, and the probability of an attempt was significantly elevated. CONCLUSIONS: Factors distinguishing those who attempt suicide from suicide ideators involve being unemployed, physical ill health and relationship difficulties. Contrary to expectation, this study found that ideators and attempters experience comparable levels of depression and anxiety.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Body image, figure rating, and body mass index of girls enrolled in health, physical education, or athletics classes.

The aim was to examine associations among body-image, figure rating, and Body Mass Index of seventh grade girls who chose health, physical education, or athletics classes. Measurements were taken prior to and following the course. Class choice was significantly related to body-image satisfaction but not to figure rating or Body Mass Index. Research is needed to examine inaccurate self-perception of fatness in underweight girls, whether there is a higher risk for eating disorders for students in athletics and physical education classes, whether the curriculum is effective with students in physical education and athletics, and why girls who chose the health class began with higher body-image satisfaction than those in physical education or athletics, even though their Body Mass Index and figure-rating size did not differ.

Attitude↗
PubMed2004

Posttraumatic mental and physical health correlates of forgiveness and religious coping in military veterans.

This study assessed mental and physical health correlates of dispositional forgiveness and religious coping responses in 213 help-seeking veterans diagnosed with PTSD. Controlling for age, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, combat exposure, and hostility, the results indicated that difficulty forgiving oneself and negative religious coping were related to depression, anxiety, and PTSD symptom severity. Difficulty forgiving others was associated with depression and PTSD symptom severity, but not anxiety. Positive religious coping was associated with PTSD symptom severity in this sample. Further investigations that delineate the relevance of forgiveness and religious coping in PTSD may enhance current clinical assessment and treatment approaches.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Current physical health problems and their predictors among a community sample of crack-cocaine smokers in Ohio.

The harmful effects of nonmedical cocaine use are well documented, but the overall health of people involved with crack is less well understood. This cross-sectional study describes the nature and extent of current health problems in a community sample of 430 crack smokers in Dayton, Ohio. Two-thirds of the sample reported one or more current physical health problems. The estimated annualized incidence of acute health problems was 152.6 conditions/100 persons/year. The estimated prevalence of chronic problems ranged from a low of 30.2 conditions/1000 persons for diabetes to a high of 223.2 conditions/1000 persons for anemias. Cardiovascular problems were common. Even though the results cannot prove a cause and effect relationship between crack use and health problems, they do suggest that crack users experienced higher than usual rates of problems, when compared with data from the National Health Interview Survey. The results of a cumulative logistic regression analysis suggest that men were significantly less likely, and older users more likely, to have health problems. Neither duration of crack use nor frequency of use of any drug predicted health problems. Incorporating assessments of physical problems as well as a mechanism for their treatment into the regimen of drug abuse treatment programs should be considered.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

The mental and physical health outcomes of green exercise.

Both physical activity and exposure to nature are known separately to have positive effects on physical and mental health. We have investigated whether there is a synergistic benefit in adopting physical activities whilst being directly exposed to nature ('green exercise'). Five groups of 20 subjects were exposed to a sequence of 30 scenes projected on a wall whilst exercising on a treadmill. Four categories of scenes were tested: rural pleasant, rural unpleasant, urban pleasant and urban unpleasant. The control was running without exposure to images. Blood pressure and two psychological measures (self-esteem and mood) were measured before and after the intervention. There was a clear effect of both exercise and different scenes on blood pressure, self-esteem and mood. Exercise alone significantly reduced blood pressure, increased self-esteem, and had a positive significant effect on 4 of 6 mood measures. Both rural and urban pleasant scenes produced a significantly greater positive effect on self-esteem than the exercise-only control. This shows the synergistic effect of green exercise in both rural and urban environments. By contrast, both rural and urban unpleasant scenes reduced the positive effects of exercise on self-esteem. The rural unpleasant scenes had the most dramatic effect, depressing the beneficial effects of exercise on three different measures of mood. It appears that threats to the countryside depicted in rural unpleasant scenes have a greater negative effect on mood than already urban unpleasant scenes. We conclude that green exercise has important public and environmental health consequences.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Sexual assault history and physical health in randomly selected Los Angeles women.

Associations of sexual assault history with multiple measures of physical health were examined among randomly selected women living in Los Angeles (N = 1,610). Sexually assaulted women were more likely than nonassaulted women to report poor health perceptions, functional limitation, several chronic diseases, medically explained somatic symptoms, and medically unexplained somatic symptoms. Sexual assault was associated with increased risk of symptoms in a variety of organ systems rather than solely reproductive or sexual symptoms.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

[Chewing ability in relation to physical health status].

The purpose of the present study is to explore relationship of chewing ability to physical health status in the elderly. Subjects were 722 community elderly adults aged 65 years and over (participation rate 88.6%). They were divided into 2 groups according to chewing ability as rated by a questionnaire: good and bad. Results obtained were as follows; 1. Those who had good ability of chewing accounted for 86% of the subjects. The chewing ability was determined by dental status. Those with more natural teeth were better able to chew. 2. Multiple regression analyses controlled by age and sex showed that good chewing ability had significantly positive effect on weight, body mass and length of time for standing on one leg with eyes open.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Emotional symptoms and physical health in bereaved parents.

The purpose of this study was to compare the emotional symptoms and physical health of parents whose children had died suddenly in an accident, parents whose children had died following a chronic disease, and nonbereaved parents. Data for this retrospective survey were collected by mailed questionnaires: the Hopkins Symptom Checklist (HSCL), Bereavement Health Assessment Scale, Review of Life Experiences Scale, and a personal-situation questionnaire. Subjects were 30 bereaved parents who had experienced the death of a child following a chronic disease; 31 bereaved parents whose children died in an accident; and 81 nonbereaved parents. Findings indicated significant differences between the bereaved groups and the control group on the total scale score of the HSCL and on the subscales measuring Depression, Anxiety, Somatization, Obsession-Compulsion, and Interpersonal Sensitivity. However, there were no differences on these variables between the two bereaved groups. Bereaved parents with higher concurrent life stresses and parents from a lower socioeconomic background were at higher risk for emotional symptomatology. There were no significant differences among the three groups on the number of physician/nurse visits, number of hospital admissions, number of new or recurrent illnesses, or drug usage. Bereaved parents, however, more frequently reported appetite and sleep problems.

Accidents↗
PubMed2026

The effects of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy in the psychological and physical health of cancer patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: No prior systematic review has specifically evaluated the efficacy of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) in improving both psychological and physical outcomes among cancer populations. This study aims to assess MBCT's effects on cancer patients' mental and physical health. METHOD: Following PRISMA guidelines and with PROSPERO registration (CRD42023453581), we systematically searched PubMed, Cochrane CENTRAL, Embase, and Web of Science for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were searched up to June 2026. Eligible trials enrolled adults (≥ 18 years) with any cancer type/stage, compared MBCT delivered per standard manual against non-MBCT controls, and reported at least one validated measure of distress, depression, or anxiety; secondary outcomes included fatigue, quality of life, and mindfulness skills. Two reviewers independently selected studies, extracted data, and assessed risk of bias using the Cochrane tool; random-effects meta-analyses were performed in Stata 16. RESULTS: 11 RCTs comprising 1122 participants (mean age 54.8 years; 91% female) were included. MBCT produced large, significant reductions in psychological distress (SMD = -0.81, 95% CI-1.27 to-0.40), depression (SMD = -0.95, 95% CI -1.40 to-0.49), and anxiety (SMD = -0.86, 95% CI -1.22 to-0.51). It also markedly decreased fatigue (SMD = -0.83, 95% CI-1.10 to-0.56), improved quality of life (SMD = 0.56, 95% CI 0.22-0.88), and enhanced mindfulness skills (SMD = 0.76, 95% CI 0.59-0.92). CONCLUSIONS: This meta-analysis is the first to exclusively synthesize RCT evidence of standardized MBCT in cancer care, demonstrating significant dual benefits for emotional and physical well-being while providing strong support for integrating MBCT into comprehensive oncology rehabilitation.

Humans↗
PubMed2000

Physical health problems after childbirth and maternal depression at six to seven months postpartum.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between maternal physical and emotional health problems six to nine months after childbirth. DESIGN: Statewide postal survey, incorporating the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, distributed to women six to seven months after childbirth, with telephone interview follow up of a sub-sample of participants at seven to nine months postpartum. PARTICIPANTS: The postal survey was distributed to all women who gave birth in a two-week period in Victoria, Australia in September 1993, except those who had a stillbirth or known neonatal death. Follow up interviews were conducted with respondents to the postal survey who provided contact details and expressed interest in participating in further research selected to recruit three groups of equivalent size according to scores on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale: a low scoring group (< 9); a borderline group (9-12); and a group with scores indicating probable depression (> or = 13). RESULTS: The response rate to the postal survey was 62.5% (n = 1,336). Respondents were representative of the total sample in terms of mode of delivery, parity and infant birthweight; young women, single women and women of non-English speaking background were under-represented. The participation rate in telephone follow up interviews was: 89.1% (n = 204), comprising 66 women with an Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale score of < 9; 72 women scoring 9-12; and 66 scoring > or =13. The point prevalence of depression at six to seven months postpartum was 16.9% (225/1,331, 95% CI 14.9-18.9%). Physical and related health problems associated with significantly increased odds of depression at six to seven months were: tiredness (OR 3.42 [2.2-5.3]); urinary incontinence (OR 2.23 [1.5-3.4]); back pain (OR 2.20 [1.6-3.0]); sexual problems (OR 2.16 [1.6-3.0]); more coughs, colds and minor illnesses than usual (OR 2.78 [1.9-4.1]); bowel problems (OR 1.93 [1.3-2.9]) and relationship difficulties (OR 3.88 [2.8-5.4]). At follow up, three physical health factors were associated with statistically significant linear trends with poorer levels of emotional wellbeing. These were: tiredness (chi2 for linear trend = 12.38, P < 0.001); urinary incontinence (chi2 for linear trend = 5.63, P = 0.02); and more minor illnesses than usual (chi2 for linear trend = 7.94, P = 0.005). CONCLUSION: The study confirms a link between maternal emotional wellbeing and physical health and recovery in the postnatal period and has important implications for clinical practice. Strategies for encouraging greater disclosure of physical and emotional health problems, assessment of the physical health of recent mothers presenting with depression, and emotional health of recent mothers presenting with other morbidity should be high priorities for all health professionals in contact with mothers in the year following childbirth.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Could the perception of fitness account for many of the mental and physical health benefits of exercise?

There is a great amount of professional confidence among researchers and clinicians alike that exercise improves both mental and physical health functioning. Interestingly, until recently, investigators had not seriously examined the possibility that some of the positive emotional results associated with exercise may occur because of psychological gains from the experience of trying to get fit or believing that one is fit rather than from an increase in aerobic physical fitness. Further, some research suggests that the perception of fitness is more closely associated with improvements in physical functioning than is aerobic physical fitness. Perhaps we have underestimated the role of our health beliefs as a useful intervention with or without resulting behavior change. Perhaps, for some health outcomes, it may be more healthful to think that you are fit than actually be fit.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1991

Gender differences in social support and physical health.

A large body of prospective data has accumulated linking social support to health, and most social scientists agree that low levels of support are associated with poor physical and mental health. Unfortunately, most of the research has been limited to White men. When women and people of color are included in the designs, the relationships between social support and physical health are more complicated. Prospective population-based studies provide evidence that low support is associated with increased risk of mortality in women. However, in several studies, results indicated that, for specific age groups, women with high social support have increased risk of mortality. Factors that may contribute to the observed gender differences in the social support-physical health relationship are discussed. Future research should include adequate numbers of women and more sophisticated measures of social support to move the field forward.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Evaluation and attributional analysis of an aromatherapy service for older adults with physical health problems and carers using the service.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate an aromatherapy service for older adults with physical health problems and their carers. The aromatherapy service was based in a carer support unit at a hospital in Birmingham. The research question was, 'What types of benefits do clients/carers report from aromatherapy?' DESIGN: Qualitative analysis of interview scripts and written descriptions. SETTING: The interviews were carried out either at the carer support unit, at a connected day centre or at the client/carer's home. PARTICIPANTS: The participants were six clients and four carers who were in contact with the carer support unit and had received aromatherapy from the aromatherapist in the past year. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The participants were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire to explore which part of a session they liked best, perceived benefits of aromatherapy and a smell attribution to certain essential oils. The aromatherapist was also asked to write descriptions of her perceived benefits for the clients and carers. The interviews were analysed qualitatively and compared to the aromatherapist's written descriptions. RESULTS: All clients and carers said they benefited from the aromatherapy and felt more relaxed after a session. The qualitative analysis revealed a 70% area of overlap and a 30% 'hidden' area of congruence. The smell analysis revealed individual differences in attribution depending on past experience and expectation of oil presented. CONCLUSION: The findings of this evaluation suggest the aromatherapy service offered was valuable to clients and carers and their perception of its benefits for them were largely congruent with those of the aromatherapist.

Aged↗
PubMed2003

The secret life of pronouns: flexibility in writing style and physical health.

Numerous disclosure studies have demonstrated that individuals randomly assigned to write about emotional topics evidence improved physical health compared with those who write about superficial topics. The writing samples from three previously published studies of 74 first-year students, 50 upper-division students, and 59 maximum-security prisoners were reanalyzed using Latent Semantic Analysis (LSA) to explore possible relationships of writing content and style to changes in frequency of physician visits following the disclosure intervention. LSA revealed that flexibility in the use of common words-particularly personal pronouns--when writing about traumatic memories was related to positive health outcomes. The findings point to the importance of the role of discussing the self and social relationships in writing and, at the same time, to the remarkable potential of techniques such as LSA.

Adolescent↗