Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “Health Physics”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 145 records · Page 8Linked to original sources
PubMed2006

Physical health outcomes of childhood exposure to intimate partner violence: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Children exposed to intimate partner violence (IPV) are at increased risk for adverse mental and behavioral health sequelae, as has been documented by both systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Studies addressing the physical health impact of childhood IPV exposure, however, have not been summarized in a manner that might facilitate additional hypothesis-driven research and accelerate the development of targeted interventions. METHODS: To identify a comprehensive set of articles examining the association between childhood IPV exposure and physical health, we searched online bibliographic databases including Medline, CINAHL, PsychInfo, and Sociological Abstracts using the keywords "domestic" or "intimate partner violence" and "infant," "child," or "pediatric." From >2000 articles retrieved in the initial search, we used online abstract and bibliographic information to identify 94 articles potentially meeting the inclusion criteria of studies that (1) examined a postnatal physical health outcome related to IPV exposure and (2) had a contemporaneous control group. Thorough review of these 94 published studies yielded 22 that met these inclusion criteria. The data then were abstracted independently by 2 of the authors, and differences were settled with the assistance of a third author. RESULTS: Childhood exposure to IPV increases the likelihood of risk-taking behaviors during adolescence and adulthood and is likely associated with underimmunization. Minimal data and study limitations preclude establishing a clear connection between IPV exposure and general health and use of health services, breastfeeding, or weight gain. CONCLUSIONS: The impact on physical health from exposure to IPV during childhood is still uncertain. Future studies should be grounded in a theoretical model that specifies how IPV exposure can affect child health, should adjust for confounders adequately, should include a community-based sample, and should be of larger scale.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

PRISM (Program of Resources, Information and Support for Mothers): a community-randomised trial to reduce depression and improve women's physical health six months after birth [ISRCTN03464021].

BACKGROUND: In the year after birth one in six women has a depressive illness, 94% experience at least one major health problem (e.g. back pain, perineal pain, mastitis, urinary or faecal incontinence), 26% experience sexual problems and almost 20% have relationship problems with partners. Women with depression report less practical and emotional support from partners, less social support, more negative life events, and poorer physical health and see factors contributing to depression as lack of support, isolation, exhaustion and physical health problems. Fewer than one in three seek help in primary care despite frequent health care contacts. METHODS: Primary care and community-based strategies embedded in existing services were implemented in a cluster-randomised trial involving 16 rural and metropolitan communities, pair-matched, within the State of Victoria, Australia. Intervention areas were also provided with a community development officer for two years. The primary aim was to reduce the relative risk of depression by 20% in mothers six months after birth and to improve their physical health. Primary outcomes were obtained by postal questionnaires. The analysis was by intention-to-treat, unmatched, adjusting for the correlated nature of the data. RESULTS: 6,248 of 10,144 women (61.6%) in the intervention arm and 5057/ 8,411 (60.1%) in the comparison arm responded at six months, and there was no imbalance in major covariates between the two arms. Women's mental health scores were not significantly different in the intervention arm and the comparison arm (MCS mean score 45.98 and 46.30, mean EPDS score 6.91 and 6.82, EPDS > or = 13 ('probable depression') 15.7% vs. 14.9%, Odds ratio(adj) 1.06 (95% CI 0.91-1.24). Women's physical health scores were not significantly different in intervention and comparison arms (PCS mean scores 52.86 and 52.88). CONCLUSION: The combined community and primary care interventions were not effective in reducing depression, or in improving the physical health of mothers six months after birth.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Doctors do not adequately look after their own physical health.

Studies of doctors' health have emphasised psychological health, and limited data have been collected on their physical health status. Doctors often fail to follow current preventive health guidelines for their physical health. About half of doctors do not have an established relationship with an independent general practitioner. This would enhance their health and provide a means of ready access to the healthcare system should a problem arise.

Attitude to Health↗
PubMed2005

Developing a service to monitor and improve physical health in people with serious mental illness.

Developing effective models of identifying and managing physical health problems amongst mentally ill populations has become a more pressing issue in recent years as the prescription of Second Generation Antipsychotics (SGAs) has burgeoned. Some of the side effects commonly associated with SGAs such as weight gain and metabolic disorders have potentially devastating effects on health and well-being, increasing cardiovascular risk and the incidence of diabetes. The Well-Being Support Programme (WSP), a nurse-led service, was designed to provide a care delivery system whereby physical problems could be identified and appropriate treatment and monitoring initiated by prompt referral to suitable specialist services or general practitioners, forging strong links between primary and secondary care and ensuring that mentally ill patients with physical health problems were receiving holistic care packages. Other problems such as unhealthy lifestyles and obesity were managed by the Nurse Advisor running the programme. Interventions such as weight counselling and groups, and structured exercise programmes were beneficial in terms of encouraging healthier lifestyles, managing obesity and improving self-esteem. This paper describes the manner in which the service was set up and implemented, demonstrating an effective model for identifying and managing physical health problems in the mentally ill.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Chronic fatigue syndrome in psychiatric patients: lifetime and premorbid personal history of physical health.

OBJECTIVE: This preliminary report compares a group of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) patients and controls on several variables of potential significance in the etiology of CFS. METHOD: The lifetime prevalence of reported physical disorders was compared among 46 CFS psychiatric patients, 92 relatively physically healthy psychiatric patients (C-I), and 46 psychiatric patients selected without regard to physical health (C-II). All patients were matched on age, sex, and psychiatric diagnosis and were drawn from the same psychiatric practice. The same groups were compared on a 7-point scale of lifetime physical health by three raters independently evaluating physical health narratives of the CFS patients up to the time of onset of CFS and that of the controls up to the corresponding age. RESULTS: The CFS patients had a significantly higher reported lifetime prevalence of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), infectious mononucleosis-like syndromes (IM), infectious mononucleosis-like syndromes two or more times (IM x 2), and herpes (other than genital or perioral herpes) than one or both control groups. The CFS group also had a higher incidence of allergic rhinitis or asthma, IBS, IM, and IM x 2 than the combined controls. On the independent ratings, the CFS patients had significantly more impaired physical health up to the time of onset of the CFS than C-I at a comparable age. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that a general health factor may be involved in the pathogenesis of some cases of CFS.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Improving physical health care in a mental health trust.

It is a challenge both to general medicine and psychiatry to develop systems that are better equipped to meet the physical health needs of mental health patients and reduce mortality rates (Hansen et al, 1997). Central and North West London Mental Health NHS Trust is establishing a department of physical health care staffed by nurses with general nursing backgrounds to tackle this problem. This nurse-led department is designed to train nurses and doctors in key aspects of physical health assessment and treatment interventions.

Community Mental Health Services↗
PubMed2005

Do guidelines for severe mental illness promote physical health and well-being?

The effective management of individuals with severe mental illnesses (SMIs) requires an holistic approach that offers reliable symptom control, but also addresses other clinical, emotional and social needs. The physical health of individuals with an SMI is often poor, with many being overweight or obese, having hypertension, diabetes or dyslipidaemia, and at significant risk of developing cardiovascular disease or other comorbidities. We have recently reviewed current UK and US guidelines for the management of individuals with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, and found very different approaches to the holistic care of people with SMIs, especially in relation to the management of physical health and cardiovascular risk. UK guidelines acknowledge the high risk of physical morbidity and mortality in individuals with an SMI, but fail to address in detail the specifics of physical health monitoring and lifestyle management. US guidelines are more descriptive in terms of the type and extent of monitoring recommended, but there are inconsistencies between the guidelines produced by different organizations, and studies in the field suggest that none of them is being adequately implemented. Clear and consistent recommendations on how and when to monitor weight, cardiovascular function, and metabolic parameters and, importantly, what to do with the results, would support clinicians wishing to integrate physical and mental healthcare. Publication of specific recommendations on evidence-based physical health interventions that can work for people with SMIs would also help primary care and mental health services improve general well-being in their patients with severe mental illnesses.

Bipolar Disorder↗
PubMed2006

Does marital status and marital status change predict physical health in older adults?

BACKGROUND: Evidence for the effects of marital status and marital status change on physical health is equivocal. METHOD: Structural equation models examined whether marital status predicted physical health. Six groups were examined simultaneously: married (M); widowed (W); divorced (D); never married (NM); newly widowed (NW); and newly divorced (ND). There were four annual measures (T1-T4). Both NW and ND were married at T1, but had lost their partners by T2. Four physical health variables were examined: Problems, Limitations, Service use, and Self-rated health (SRH). Age and gender were included. RESULTS: Previous health predicted future for all measures and for all groups. However, the specific strengths and time-courses varied between marital status groups and between health measures. The most marked patterns were associated with marital status change. Service use was influenced most strongly by NW, whilst Limitations was influenced by ND. Problems distinguished NW and ND from stable marital status groups but also from each other. SRH was influenced by W and not by recent marital status change. The effects of age and gender were modest and restricted to specific health variables and specific marital statuses. CONCLUSIONS: The results demonstrate that marital status and marital status change, in particular, influence health longitudinally. The impact of a change to divorced or to widowed status is not the same. No two health variables responded in the same way, suggesting that marital status has a differential effect on health.

Aged↗
PubMed2002

Neighborhood structural disadvantage, collective efficacy, and self-rated physical health in an urban setting.

Our analyses examine the role neighborhood structural characteristics--including concentrated disadvantage, residential instability, and immigrant concentration--as well as collective efficacy in promoting physical health among neighborhood residents. Using data from the 1990 census, the 1994 Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods Community Survey, and the 1991-2000 Metropolitan Chicago Information Center-Metro Survey, we model the effects of individual and neighborhood level factors on self-rated physical health employing hierarchical ordered logit models. First, we find that neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage is not significantly related to self-rated physical health when individual level demographic and health background are controlled. Second, individuals residing in neighborhoods with higher levels of collective efficacy report better overall health. Finally, socioeconomic disadvantage and collective efficacy condition the positive effects of individual level education on physical health.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Self-reported physical health practices and health care utilization: findings from the National Health Interview Survey.

Cross-sectional physical health practice and health care utilization data from the 1977 National Health Interview Survey were analyzed. After adjusting for the effects of age, sex, race, income, education, and marital status, there were significant relationships between hours of sleep and both doctor visits and hospital days; increased physical activity was associated with fewer doctor visits. Prospective intervention studies are needed to determine whether changes in health practices will lead to decreased utilization.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

The utility of multidimensional assessments of physical health in patient care.

Practitioners rely on a variety of measures of a patient's physical condition, including physiologic and clinician assessments. Occasionally, patient self-report data are collected. What insight into the physical health and functioning of patients does each of these types of information yield? This study suggests that each type of information provides a somewhat different insight into a patient's physical condition and that a combination of physiologic, clinician, and patient self-assessments can provide a more thorough assessment of a patient's condition. Using data from a clinical study of patients with heart failure, the Studies of Left Ventricular Dysfunction (SOLVD), measures of these three types of physical health assessments are compared as predictors of hospitalization. Results indicate that the self-report measures performed as well as or better than the physiologic or clinician assessments as predictors of hospitalization. The self-report measures have the added advantage of being inexpensive, noninvasive, and easily obtained over time, allowing for assessments of change. These findings suggest that, while related, each type of measure captures a different aspect of patient physical health and functioning.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed2007

The effects of a Simplified Tai-Chi Exercise Program (STEP) on the physical health of older adults living in long-term care facilities: a single group design with multiple time points.

BACKGROUND: Studies support the positive effects that Tai Chi has on the physical health of older adults. However, many older adults residing in long-term care facilities feel too weak to practice traditional Tai Chi, and a more simplified style is preferred. OBJECTIVE: To test the effects of a newly-developed, Simplified Tai-Chi Exercise Program (STEP) on the physical health of older adults who resided in long-term care facilities. DESIGN: A single group design with multiple time points: three pre-tests, one month apart; four post-tests at one month, two months, three months, and six months after intervention started. SETTINGS: Two 300-400 bed veteran homes in Taiwan. PARTICIPANTS: The 51 male older adults were recruited through convenience sampling, and 41 of them completed six-month study. Inclusion criteria included: (1) aged 65 and over; (2) no previous training in Tai Chi; (3) cognitively alert and had a score of at least eight on the Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire; (4) able to walk without assistance; and (5) had a Barthel Index score of 61 or higher. Participants who had dementia, were wheel-chair bound, or had severe or acute cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, or pulmonary illnesses were excluded. METHODS: The STEP was implemented three times a week, 50 min per session for six months. The outcome measures included cardio-respiratory function, blood pressure, balance, hand-grip strength, lower body flexibility, and physical health actualization. RESULTS: A drop in systolic blood pressure (p=.017) and diastolic blood pressure (p<.001) was detected six months after intervention started. Increase in hand-grip strength from pre to post intervention was found (left hand: p<.001; right hand: p=.035). Participants also had better lower body flexibility after practicing STEP (p=.038). CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that the STEP be incorporated as a floor activity in long-term care facilities to promote physical health of older adults.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1999

The role of depression in the association between self-rated physical health and clinically defined illness.

We enrolled 543 elderly participants of a managed care organization in a cross-sectional study to test whether the association between self-rated physical health and clinically defined illness differs for persons who are not depressed compared with persons with minor or serious depression. Depression was measured with the Diagnostic Interview Schedule (DIS). Clinically defined illness was measured with the Chronic Disease Score (CDS), a pharmacy-based measure. Additional variables included age, sex, and self-reported pain and physical function. Self-rated physical health was associated with both minor and serious depression, independent of clinically defined illness; minor depression was no longer significant when self-reported pain and physical function were added to the model. A significant negative correlation between self-rated physical health and clinically defined illness was observed for minor and no depression, but no correlation was seen for serious depression. These results confirm the association between depression and self-rated physical health and emphasize that, for persons with serious depression, self-rated health provides a less accurate picture of clinically defined illness at both ends of the spectrum. Also, a diagnosis of minor depression should not forestall investigation of inconsistencies between patient report and clinical evidence.

Aged↗
PubMed2005

Interventions that increase or decrease the likelihood of a meaningful improvement in physical health in patients with sciatica.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The purpose of our study was to determine whether physical therapy interventions predicted meaningful short-term improvement in physical health for patients diagnosed with sciatica. SUBJECTS: We examined data from 1,804 patients (age: mean=52.1 years, SD=15.6 years; 65.7% female, 34.3% male) who had been diagnosed with sciatica and who had completed an episode of outpatient physical therapy. METHODS: Principal components factor analysis was used to define intervention categories from specific treatments applied during the plan of care. A nested-model logistic regression analysis identified intervention categories that predicted meaningful improvement in physical health. Meaningful improvement was defined as a change of 14 or more points on the Physical Component Scale-12 (PCS-12) summary score. RESULTS: Twenty-six percent (n=473) of patients had a meaningful improvement in physical health. Improvement was more likely in patients receiving joint mobility interventions (odds ratio [OR]=2.5, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.5-4.4) or general exercise (OR=1.5, 95% CI=1.2-2.0). Patients who received spasm reduction interventions were less likely to improve (OR=0.77, 95% CI=0.60-0.98). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Physical therapists should emphasize the use of joint mobility interventions and exercise when treating patients with sciatica, whereas interventions for spasm reduction should be avoided.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1999

How college students' physical health relates to coping.

The relationship between coping and physical health status was examined for 100 undergraduate students using the COPE scale and the Medical Index (formerly identified as the Cornell Medical Index). Using stepwise multiple regression, scores for COPE scales--alcohol or drug use, and focus on and venting of emotions accounted for significant amounts of variance (but only 10% and 5%, respectively) in the scores for physical health symptoms reported.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The relationship between self-esteem and physical health in a family practice population.

This study explored the relationship between self-esteem and physical health in a primary care setting. Sixty-eight adult patients (33 males and 35 females) at a Family Practice Center completed a questionnaire assessing self-esteem and physical health. Multiple regression analysis was used in exploring the effects of self-esteem, and the control variables age, gender, employment and marital status on health status, as assessed from the patient's chart, and on number of symptoms, as assessed through patient self-report. The regression on health status was significant overall (F = 4.12, p less than .001) with each of the predictors yielding significant coefficients. Those with high self-esteem, younger people, men, and employed people had significantly higher health status scores as assessed from the patient's chart. The regression on number of symptoms was marginally significant overall (F = 2.28, p less than .06) with self-esteem emerging as a significant predictor (p less than .05). Those with high self-esteem had significantly fewer symptoms as reported on the Hopkins Symptom Check List. These results support the existence of a positive relationship between self-esteem and physical health in a family practice patient population.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

The relationship between physical health and psychological well-being in elderly women: a developmental perspective.

Little is known about the physical health and psychological well-being of very old women, although they are one of the fastest growing segments of the population. The relationships among physical health, psychological well-being, and age were investigated using a developmental perspective and a multidimensional approach to the assessment of psychological well-being. Two hundred and forty-three elderly women completed multiple self-report measures of physical health status and psychological well-being. Multiple regression analyses indicated that older age was related to lower levels of purpose in life, personal growth, and positive relationships. Poor health, regardless of age, was associated with more depression and anxiety and lower levels of positive relationships and autonomy. Implications for the nursing care of elderly women are discussed.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed2005

Depressive symptoms of caregiving women in midlife: the role of physical health.

This research examined the relationships between providing assistance to aging family members, caregivers' age, caregivers' perceptions of their physical health, and caregivers' depressive symptoms. Several alternative hypotheses were examined. Longitudinal data from 1,898 women from the 1992 and 2000 waves of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) were used. Results indicate a reciprocal relationship between depression and physical health. These processes were examined using a path analysis. Although the evidence only supported one of the hypotheses, this study clearly demonstrated the importance of physical health for the psychological well-being of women in midlife.

Caregivers↗