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Houghton F, Houghton S. Therapeutic micro-environments in the Edgelands: A thematic analysis of Richard Mabey's The Unofficial Countryside. Soc Sci Med 2014; 133:280-6. [PMID: 25467881 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2014.11.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
The concept of therapeutic landscapes, as introduced by Gesler, has had a significant impact on what has become a reformed geography (or geographies) of health. Research in this field has developed the number and type of sites that have been characterised as therapeutic landscapes. A wide range of environments have now been explored through the analytical lens of the 'therapeutic landscape'. This research further expands current descriptions of such environments by exploring Edgelands as therapeutic micro landscapes. Edgelands refer to the neglected and routinely ignored interfacial zone between urban and rural that are a routine characteristic of the urban fringe resulting from dynamic cycles of urban development and decay. Using a hybrid method of thematic analysis incorporating both inductive and deductive approaches, this research explores Richard Mabey's seminal work on this topic, The Unofficial Countryside. Previous examinations of the features of therapeutic environments are therefore scrutinised to explore both scale and the possibility of further extending the kind of environments that may be described as therapeutic to include Edgelands. This approach is informed, in part, by principles of mindfulness, a historically Eastern, but increasingly Western approach to exploring oneself and the environment. This research identifies that these overlooked and neglected landscapes are in fact vibrant, resilient and enthralling environments teeming with life, renewal and re-birth. Examination reveals that there are three crucial outcomes of this research. The first relates to the issue of scale. Mabey's book provides evidence of the importance of micro environments in providing a therapeutic environmental focus. Secondly, this research explores the potential of mindfulness as an approach in Geography. Lastly, this research also identifies Edgelands as therapeutic sites and calls for an increased understanding and appreciation of their potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank Houghton
- College of Health Science & Public Health, Eastern Washington University, Spokane, WA, USA.
| | - Sharon Houghton
- Department of Psychology, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland
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Kinser PA, Bourguignon C, Taylor AG, Steeves R. "A feeling of connectedness": perspectives on a gentle yoga intervention for women with major depression. Issues Ment Health Nurs 2013; 34:402-11. [PMID: 23805925 PMCID: PMC3703865 DOI: 10.3109/01612840.2012.762959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is one of the most common and debilitating health conditions in women in the United States and worldwide. Many women with MDD seek out complementary therapies for their depressive symptoms, either as an adjunct or alternative to the usual care. The purpose of this study is to understand the experiences of women who participated in a yoga intervention for their depression. The findings from this interpretive phenomenological study are derived from interviews with and daily logs by 12 women with MDD who took part in an 8-week gentle yoga intervention as part of a larger parent randomized, controlled trial. Results show that the women's experience of depression involved stress, ruminations, and isolation. In addition, their experiences of yoga were that it served as a self-care technique for the stress and ruminative aspects of depression and that it served as a relational technique, facilitating connectedness and shared experiences in a safe environment. Future long-term research is warranted to evaluate these concepts as potential mechanisms for the effects of yoga for depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Anne Kinser
- Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Nursing, Richmond, Virginia 23298, USA.
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Meurk C, Broom A, Adams J, Sibbritt D. Rurality, mobility, identity: women's use of complementary and alternative medicine in rural Australia. Health Place 2013; 20:75-80. [PMID: 23385030 DOI: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2012.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2012] [Revised: 12/17/2012] [Accepted: 12/22/2012] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
This article explores why women in rural and remote areas of Australia use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) at higher rates than their counterparts in urban areas. Drawing on qualitative interviews with 60 women 60-65 years of age, currently living in rural Australia, we explore the possibility that CAM use in rural areas may be embedded in processes of spatialised identity-building and the health-creating practices of mobile, ex-urban, individuals who drive this process. We problematise previous explanations which suggest CAM use in rural areas is principally derived from a lack of biomedical service provision and enhanced community ties showing instead how and why identity and mobility are useful additional variables for understanding CAM use in rural areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla Meurk
- University of Queensland, St Lucia Qld 4072, Australia.
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Complementary and Alternative Medicine Consultations in Urban and Nonurban Areas: A National Survey of 1427 Australian Women. J Manipulative Physiol Ther 2013; 36:12-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jmpt.2012.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2012] [Revised: 11/01/2012] [Accepted: 11/02/2012] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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Torri MC. Perceptions and uses of plants for reproductive health among traditional midwives in Ecuador: moving towards intercultural pharmacological practices. Midwifery 2012; 29:809-17. [PMID: 22877763 DOI: 10.1016/j.midw.2012.06.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2012] [Revised: 06/15/2012] [Accepted: 06/29/2012] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Despite the fact that plants have played an important role in midwifery in many cultures, there are very few in-depth studies on the plants traditionally used by midwives. The aim of this study is to analyse the perceptions and the uses of medicinal plants for reproductive health among indigenous midwives in the city of Otavalo, Ecuador. The article also aims to analyse the perceptions of traditional midwives regarding allopathic drugs for reproductive health and their possible overlapping uses of medicinal plants and allopathic drugs. The data are drawn from an ethnographic study carried out in Ecuador. In total, 20 traditional midwives have been interviewed. Individual and in-depth interviews also took place with a sample of 35 women as well as with five nurses and two doctors working at San Luis Hospital in Otavalo. The study shows that cultural health management and the incorporation of the beliefs and practices relating to women's reproductive health can represent a starting point towards the search for more successful strategies in reproductive health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Costanza Torri
- Department of Social Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, ON, Canada M1C 1A4.
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Williams AM, Kitchen P, Eby J. Alternative health care consultations in Ontario, Canada: A geographic and socio-demographic analysis. Altern Ther Health Med 2011; 11:47. [PMID: 21696621 PMCID: PMC3141599 DOI: 10.1186/1472-6882-11-47] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2011] [Accepted: 06/22/2011] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND An important but understudied component of Canada's health system is alternative care. The objective of this paper is to examine the geographic and socio-demographic characteristics of alternative care consultation in Ontario, Canada's largest province. METHODS Data is drawn from the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS Cycle 3.1, 2005) for people aged 18 or over (n = 32,598) who had a consultation with an alternative health care provider. Four groups of consultations are examined: (1) all consultations (2) massage therapy (3) acupuncture, and (4) homeopath/naturopath. Descriptive statistics, mapping and logistic regression modeling are employed to analyze the data and to compare modalities of alternative health care use. RESULTS In 2005, more than 1.2 million adults aged 18 or over consulted an alternative health care provider, representing about 13% of the total population of Ontario. The analysis revealed a varied geographic pattern of consultations across the province. Consultations were fairly even across the urban to rural continuum and rural residents were just as likely to consult a provider as their urban counterparts. From a health perspective, people with a chronic condition, lower health status and self-perceived unmet health care needs were more likely to see an alternative health provider. Women with chronic conditions such as fibromyalgia, high blood pressure, chronic fatigue syndrome and chemical sensitivities were more likely to see an alternative provider if they felt their health care needs were not being met. CONCLUSIONS The analysis revealed that geography is not a factor in determining alternative health care consultations in Ontario. By contrast, there is a strong association between these consultations and socio-demographic characteristics particularly age, sex, education, health and self-perceived unmet health care needs. The results underscore the importance of women's health needs as related to alternative care use. The paper concludes that there is a need for more place-specific research that explores the reasons why people use specific types of alternative health care as tied to socio-economic status, health, place of residence, and knowledge of these treatments.
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Wardle J, Lui CW, Adams J. Complementary and alternative medicine in rural communities: current research and future directions. J Rural Health 2010; 28:101-12. [PMID: 22236320 DOI: 10.1111/j.1748-0361.2010.00348.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
UNLABELLED CONTEXTS: The consumption of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in rural areas is a significant contemporary health care issue. An understanding of CAM use in rural health can provide a new perspective on health beliefs and practice as well as on some of the core service delivery issues facing rural health care generally. PURPOSE This article presents the first review and synthesis of research findings on CAM use and practice in rural communities. METHODS A comprehensive search of literature from 1998 to 2010 in CINAHL, MEDLINE, AMED, and CSA Illumina (social sciences) was conducted. The search was confined to peer-reviewed articles published in English reporting empirical research findings on the use or practice of CAM in rural settings. FINDINGS Research findings are grouped and examined according to 3 key themes: "prevalence of CAM use and practice,""user profile and trends of CAM consumption," and "potential drivers and barriers to CAM use and practice." CONCLUSIONS Evidence from recent research illustrates the substantial prevalence and complexity of CAM use in rural regions. A number of potential gaps in our understanding of CAM use and practice in rural settings are also identified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jon Wardle
- School of Population Health, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
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Wardle JL, Adams J, Lui CW. A qualitative study of naturopathy in rural practice: a focus upon naturopaths' experiences and perceptions of rural patients and demands for their services. BMC Health Serv Res 2010; 10:185. [PMID: 20584288 PMCID: PMC2908615 DOI: 10.1186/1472-6963-10-185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2010] [Accepted: 06/28/2010] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use--of which naturopathy constitutes a significant proportion--accounts for approximately half of all health consultations and half of out-of-pocket expenditure in Australia. Data also suggest CAM use is highest amongst rural Australians. Unfortunately little is known about the grass-roots reality of naturopathy or other CAM use in rural regions. METHODS Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 naturopaths practising in the Darling Downs region of South-East Queensland to assess their perceptions and experiences of rural patients and demand for their services. RESULTS Naturopaths described strong demand in rural areas for their services and perceived much of this demand as attributable to cultural traits in rural communities that served as pull factors for their naturopathic services. Such perceived traits included a cultural affinity for holistic approaches to health and disease and the preventive philosophy of naturopathy and an appreciation of the core tenet of naturopathic practice to develop closer therapeutic relationships. However, cost and a rural culture of self-reliance were seen as major barriers to naturopathic practice in rural areas. CONCLUSIONS Demand for naturopathic services in rural areas may have strong underlying cultural and social drivers. Given the apparent affinity for and increasingly large role played by CAM services, including naturopathic medicine, in rural areas it is imperative that naturopathic medicine and the CAM sector more broadly become a core focus of rural health research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jon L Wardle
- School of Population Health, University of Queensland, Public Health Building, Herston Rd, Herston, 4006, Australia
- The Network of Researchers in the Public Health of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NORPHCAM), School of Population Health, University of Queensland, Public Health Building, Herston Rd, Herston, 4006, Australia
| | - Jon Adams
- School of Population Health, University of Queensland, Public Health Building, Herston Rd, Herston, 4006, Australia
- The Network of Researchers in the Public Health of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NORPHCAM), School of Population Health, University of Queensland, Public Health Building, Herston Rd, Herston, 4006, Australia
| | - Chi-Wai Lui
- School of Population Health, University of Queensland, Public Health Building, Herston Rd, Herston, 4006, Australia
- The Network of Researchers in the Public Health of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NORPHCAM), School of Population Health, University of Queensland, Public Health Building, Herston Rd, Herston, 4006, Australia
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Curtis S, Hoyez A. Health, Well‐being and Immigrant Populations in France and Britain. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MIGRATION, HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE 2010. [DOI: 10.5042/ijmhsc.2010.0228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
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Hoyez AC. The 'world of yoga': the production and reproduction of therapeutic landscapes. Soc Sci Med 2007; 65:112-24. [PMID: 17428596 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2007.02.050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2005] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Yoga is becoming more and more fashionable all around the world. This activity, partly considered as therapeutic, reveals contemporary ways of producing global practices. Via a questionnaire completed by individuals at yoga centres in India and France, the paper analyses this phenomenon using the concept of therapeutic landscapes. Furthermore, it examines how these therapeutic landscapes are influenced by globalisation. Bringing together the concepts of therapeutic landscapes, globalisation and the practice of yoga, the paper analyses the production and reproduction of yogic therapeutic landscapes in the world's space. Constituted of natural physical elements and built structures, these therapeutic landscapes are also strongly linked to emotional qualities and intimate feelings evoked by the place and related to health and well-being. The paper also underlines that the emergence of internationally recognised therapeutic landscapes demands a cultural and social geographical approach that could help to examine the repercussions of local and global phenomena on therapeutic landscapes. Indeed, very often, yogis, all around the world, refer to ideal places where they rarely go. Consequently, they create an imagined therapeutic environment that the paper describes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne-Cécile Hoyez
- Department of Geography, Université de Rennes 2 Haute Bretagne, Campus Villejean, Place du Recteur Henri Le Moal, 35043 Rennes Cedex, France.
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Andrews GJ. Encouraging additional research capacity as an intellectual enterprise: extending Ernst's engagement. Complement Ther Clin Pract 2005; 12:13-7. [PMID: 16401525 DOI: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2005.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2005] [Accepted: 08/12/2005] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
In volume 11, issue 3, Ernst wrote an opinion piece on the funding of centres of excellence. Whilst I agree with his argument, this response outlines a necessary, fundamental and complementary approach to building research capacity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gavin J Andrews
- Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto, 155 College Street, Toronto, Ont., Canada M5S 3H4.
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Brodie DA, Andrews GJ, Andrews JP, Thomas BG, Wong J, Rixon L. Working in London hospitals: Perceptions of place in nursing students’ employment considerations. Soc Sci Med 2005; 61:1867-81. [PMID: 15939515 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2005.03.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2004] [Accepted: 03/23/2005] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
During the past decade, a distinct body of research has started to investigate the dynamics between nursing and place. However, despite attention being paid to a wide-range of nursing subjects, few studies have engaged with the important topic of labour force recruitment. In this context, this study uses a combined questionnaire (n=650), interview (n=30) and focus group (n=7) survey of London-based students, and investigates the complex mix of experiences and perceptions that result in hospitals having varying degrees of popularity as potential workplaces. The findings suggest experiences and perceptions of institutions-often gained on clinical placements-to be important, particularly relating to feeling valued, the quality of patient care, clinical and educational opportunities and team cohesion. These are often combined with experiences and perceptions of locality, relating to factors such as cost of living, travel considerations and sense of personnel safety. The study demonstrates that place is relevant to employment decision-making on multiple scales from wards to regions. Furthermore, that perceptions of potential workplaces result from engagements with complex mixes of cultural, economic and physical features, many of which are the consequences of management. It is argued that in order to effectively unpack workplaces, geographical research of nursing labour may benefit from researching simultaneously both 'inside' institutions, focusing on their dominant cultures of production and sub-cultures, and 'outside', focusing on their local urban or rural contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Brodie
- Research Centre for Health Studies, Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College, Chalfont Campus, Gorelands Lane, Chalfont St Giles, Buckinghamshire, HP8 4AD, UK
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Abstract
This paper reflects on the practice and research of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in Canada. Although certain trends in use, as well as the regulation and integration of CAM, are mirrored in many other developed countries, some are highlighted as uniquely Canadian with distinct political and economic geographies. Similarly, although like in other countries the research of CAM is growing rapidly, Canadian scholars have been particularly productive in terms of providing unique disciplinary perspectives and the ways in which they have organized their research training and collaborations. CAM is clearly not a fully integrated and researched option in Canadian health care, yet Canada exhibits the foundations for an integrated CAM practice, supported by a growing, wide-ranging and well-articulated research evidence-base.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Andrews Gavin
- Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto, 50 St George Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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Parkman CA. Twelve years after Eisenberg: do we understand the rationale for CAM use? THE CASE MANAGER 2005; 16:24-5. [PMID: 15818339 DOI: 10.1016/j.casemgr.2005.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
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