Exploring Healthcare Providers' and Women's Perspectives of Labor Companionship during Childbirth: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Study

A labor companion of choice during childbirth is crucial for improving women's birth experience and confidence to give birth. Labor companions provide various benefits, including enhanced communication, emotional support, non-pharmacological pain relief, and better healthcare. However, little is known about the supportive actions of labor companions with respect to women's needs during labor and birth, as well as healthcare providers' perceptions of labor companions. Therefore, this study was conducted to explore the perceptions of healthcare providers and women regarding labor companions. The study utilized an interpretative phenomenology research design. Data collection involved conducting semi-structured interviews with 14 participants. The sample consisted of mothers, physicians, and nurses, ensuring a diverse range of perspectives. An interpretative phenomenological analysis was conducted for data analysis. Five themes were identified: (a) impact of companionship, (b) benefits for healthcare providers, (c) companion roles, (d) loneliness and alienation of mothers, and (e) challenges of implementation. The findings indicated that the presence of a companion reduces the need for unnecessary medical interventions and eases the workload of healthcare providers. Without a companion, mothers often feel lonely and disconnected during the birthing process. The presence of companions is often hindered by space limitations in delivery rooms, the absence of clear policies, and lack of childbirth education programs for companions. Clear policies, education programs, and adequate space are essential for implementing and promoting labor companionship during childbirth.

Experiences of family members when accompanying patients in intensive care units: A qualitative study

BACKGROUND

Family members of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) patients encounter numerous challenges while providing companionship to their hospitalized loved ones.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

This study aims to explore the experiences of family members with loved ones hospitalized in ICUs.

DESIGN

Qualitative research was conducted using a content analysis approach.

PARTICIPANTS

Ten family members of ICU patients were recruited using purposive sampling.

METHODS

Data were collected through semi-structured, in-depth interviews and analysed following Graneheim and Lundman's suggested steps.

FINDINGS

Analysis of interviews with ten family members of ICU patients revealed a theme of "challenging companionship on an obscure path," encompassing four categories (1-4) and nine subcategories (a, b and c). These included (1) the interplay between the patient and the family: a. family affected by the patient's condition; b. patient affected by the family's condition; (2) mixed emotions of apprehension and anticipation regarding ICU admission: a. fear of ICU hospitalization; b. hope for ICU hospitalization; (3) unaddressed needs and concerns: a. pressure from the ICU's visiting limitations; b. lack of a resting room to settle; c. vague information about the patient's condition; (4) two-way care suffering for families a. direct suffering associated with companionship; b. indirect suffering while observing the patients' suffering.

CONCLUSIONS

Families of ICU patients encounter various challenges, revealing the complex interplay of emotions, needs and challenges within the ICU. This highlights the intricate dynamics in this critical health care environment.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

A holistic and empathetic approach in clinical practice is crucial in ICU care, particularly during the challenging journey patients and their families undergo in this critical setting. Health care systems and providers should adapt ICU rules to address evolving needs, alleviate concerns and enhance the overall family experience during their loved one's hospitalization in the ICU.

Physical and behavioural health of dogs belonging to homeless people

Homeless persons with dogs are often the subject of stigma, with the public criticising them for not having a proper lifestyle to care for a pet. There is solid documentation of how dogs enhance a homeless person's life, but there are few publications that address the welfare of the dog. This descriptive study assesses the physical and behavioural health of dogs belonging to homeless persons through a One Welfare lens by observing animal/human well-being, environment, and "a life worth living". A survey was carried out along with a visual assessment of the condition of the dog for 100 human-dog dyads in the Western United States. Results showed that dogs of homeless persons were well cared for and physically healthy (which was consistent with other studies), and had few behavioural problems, but did display evidence of separation distress while the owner was away. Results from this study can provide information that may lead to policy and practice changes, including, for example, changes to policies and practices prohibiting dogs from being kept with their owner while staying at a homeless shelter. Typically, shelters report that they do not have the resources to care for a person with a dog.

[We're winning at companionship!]

Training in a new specialty can be a real mountain to climb, and a mountain guide is a necessity. Here, the mountain is rhythmology, and the mountain guide is Patricia (a rhythmology nurse with 20 years' experience at the Antoine-Béclère and Percy hospitals). As a newcomer to this specialty, I have benefited and continue to benefit from the support of my experienced peers - and I can assure you, it's necessary! Presentation of the added value of companionship in nursing practice and, more specifically, between cardiology-rhythmology nurses.

Identifying Preferred Appearance and Functional Requirements of Aged Care Robots Among Older Chinese Immigrants: Cross-Sectional Study

Background

Older Chinese immigrants constitute the largest older Asian ethnic population in New Zealand. Aging in a foreign land can be complex, presenting increasing challenges for gerontology scholars, practitioners, and policy makers. Older Chinese immigrants are more susceptible to experiencing loneliness and social isolation compared to native older people, primarily due to language, transportation, and cultural barriers. These factors subsequently impact their physical and mental health. With advancements in robotic technology, aged care robots are being applied to support older people with their daily living needs. However, studies on using robots with older immigrants living in the community are sparse. Their preferences for the appearance and function of aged care robots are unclear, which impacts the acceptance and usability of robots, highlighting the need for a user-centered design approach.

Objective

This study aims to explore older Chinese immigrants' needs and preferences toward the appearance and function of aged care robots and to examine their relationships with the demographic characteristics of participants.

Methods

A cross-sectional design was used in this study, which was undertaken between March and May 2020. A total of 103 participants completed a web-based survey.

Results

The average age of participants was 68.7 (SD 5.5) years. The results suggest that 41.7% (n=43) of the 103 participants preferred a humanlike adult appearance, while 32% (n=33) suggested an animallike appearance. These participants reported higher scores in both rigorousness and friendliness compared to others who preferred different robot appearances. Participants expressed a greater preference for the functions of housework assistance (n=86, 83.5%), language translation (n=79, 76.7%), health monitoring (n=78, 75.7%), facial expressions (n=77, 74.8%), news reading (n=66, 64.1%), and security monitoring (n=65, 63.1%). These preferences were found to be significantly associated with marital status, financial status, and duration of immigration.

Conclusions

To support immigrant populations to age well in a foreign country and address the growing shortage of health and social professionals, it is important to develop reliable robotic technology services that are tailored based on the needs and preferences of individuals. We collected and compared the perspectives of immigrant and nonimmigrant participants on using robots to support aging in place. The results on users' needs and preferences inform robotic technology services, indicating a need to prioritize older Chinese immigrants' preference toward aged care robots that perform housework assistance, language translation, and health and safety monitoring, and robots with humanlike features.

Digitally Enabled Peer Support Intervention to Address Loneliness and Mental Health: Prospective Cohort Analysis

BACKGROUND

Social isolation and loneliness affect 61% of US adults and are associated with significant increases in excessive mental and physical morbidity and mortality. Annual health care spending is US $1643 higher for socially isolated individuals than for those not socially isolated.

OBJECTIVE

We prospectively evaluated the effects of participation with a digitally enabled peer support intervention on loneliness, depression, anxiety, and health-related quality of life among adults with loneliness.

METHODS

Adults aged 18 years and older living in Colorado were recruited to participate in a peer support program via social media campaigns. The intervention included peer support, group coaching, the ability to become a peer helper, and referral to other behavioral health resources. Participants were asked to complete surveys at baseline, 30, 60, and 90 days, which included questions from the validated University of California, Los Angeles Loneliness Scale, Patient Health Questionnaire 2-Item Scale, General Anxiety Disorder 7-Item Scale, and a 2-item measure assessing unhealthy days due to physical condition and mental condition. A growth curve modeling procedure using multilevel regression analyses was conducted to test for linear changes in the outcome variables from baseline to the end of the intervention.

RESULTS

In total, 815 ethnically and socially diverse participants completed registration (mean age 38, SD 12.7; range 18-70 years; female: n=310, 38%; White: n=438, 53.7%; Hispanic: n=133, 16.3%; Black: n=51, 6.3%; n=263, 56.1% had a high social vulnerability score). Participants most commonly joined the following peer communities: loneliness (n=220, 27%), building self-esteem (n=187, 23%), coping with depression (n=179, 22%), and anxiety (n=114, 14%). Program engagement was high, with 90% (n=733) engaged with the platform at 60 days and 86% (n=701) at 90 days. There was a statistically (P<.001 for all outcomes) and clinically significant improvement in all clinical outcomes of interest: a 14.6% (mean 6.47) decrease in loneliness at 90 days; a 50.1% (mean 1.89) decline in depression symptoms at 90 days; a 29% (mean 1.42) reduction in anxiety symptoms at 90 days; and a 13% (mean 21.35) improvement in health-related quality of life at 90 days. Based on changes in health-related quality of life, we estimated a reduction in annual medical costs of US $615 per participant. The program was successful in referring participants to behavioral health educational resources, with 27% (n=217) of participants accessing a resource about how to best support those experiencing psychological distress and 15% (n=45) of women accessing a program about the risks of excessive alcohol use.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest that a digitally enabled peer support program can be effective in addressing loneliness, depression, anxiety, and health-related quality of life among a diverse population of adults with loneliness. Moreover, it holds promise as a tool for identifying and referring members to relevant behavioral health resources.

How is companionship related to romantic partners' affect, relationship satisfaction, and health behavior? Using a longitudinal dyadic score model to understand daily and couple-level effects of a dyadic predictor

Companionship is related to better affect and relationship satisfaction, but few studies have examined both partners' perspectives over time and the link between companionship and health. In three intensive longitudinal studies (Study 1: 57 community couples; Study 2: 99 smoker-nonsmoker couples; Study 3: 83 dual-smoker couples), both partners reported daily companionship, affect, relationship satisfaction, and a health behavior (smoking in Studies 2 and 3). We proposed a dyadic score model that focuses on the couple level for companionship as a dyadic predictor with considerable shared variance. On days with higher companionship, couples reported better affect and relationship satisfaction. When partners differed in companionship, they also differed in affect and relationship satisfaction. For smoking, a different picture emerged: Whereas smokers with nonsmoking partners smoked less on average with higher companionship, smokers with smoking partners smoked more on days with higher companionship. Findings show companionship as a consequential relationship construct deserving further study. Using the dyadic score model acknowledged both partners' perspectives on companionship. It demonstrated higher precision for detecting effects of partner averages in a dyadic predictor compared with traditional approaches, tests for effects of partner differences in a dyadic predictor and in outcome while maintaining the focus on the dyad.

Social Support for Physical Activity Over 9 Years in Adults Aged 60-65 Years at Baseline

Physical activity is a leading determinant of health and well-being in older adults; however, participation is low. Social support can significantly influence physical activity uptake and maintenance; however, most research is cross-sectional and does not differentiate among types of support. The current study assessed four types of social support for physical activity reported over 9 years by adults aged 60-65 at baseline (n = 1,984). Data were collected using a mail survey at four time points. Data were analyzed using linear mixed models. The most common type of support was emotional, with 25% of participants reporting this often/very often. Total support for activity declined by 16% across the 9 years (p < .001). Companionship had the greatest decline among types (17%-18%, p < .001). More work is needed to understand the factors contributing to the decline in support and how to enable access to support for physical activity in older adults.

Frequency of Physical Activity Done with a Companion: Changes Over Seven Years in Adults Aged 60+ Living in an Australian Capital City

Objectives:This study examined how often adults 60+ years were physically active with a partner, close family, friends, and neighbors, over 7 years. Methods: Data from 2062 adults living in an Australian capital city were collected using a mail survey at four time points and analyzed using multinomial logistic regression. Results: A partner was the most frequent companion at all time points. From baseline to 7 years, the greatest decline was activity with family 1-4x/month (.79 [.64-.98]) and ≥5x/month (.54 [.36-.80]). There were also decreases in activity 1-4x/month with a partner (OR = .75, [.62-.92]), friends (.55 [.44-.68]), and neighbors (.79 [.64-.98]). Physical activity with friends or neighbors ≥5x/month did not decline. Discussion: Findings extend understanding of physical activity and activity companions among older adults. More research is needed to understand factors contributing to changes in activity done with companions.

The Relationship between Parent-Offspring Communication and the School Adaptation of Leftover Children in Overseas Countries: The Mediating Role of Companionship and the Moderating Role of a Sense of Safety

BACKGROUND

In the diasporic eastern coastal region of China, leftover children are a unique group of children; their social adaptation challenges are more prominent due to transnational separation from parents. This study explores the relationship between parent-offspring communication and school adaptation among leftover children.

METHODS

We administered questionnaires to 957 children from six schools in June and December of 2022. All students in the sample were randomly selected from within the classrooms. In total, 561 (47.95% female, mean age = 12.84, SD = 0.95) of them were leftover children. Self-report questionnaires on communication with their parents, school adaptation, companionship, and feelings of safety were used in this investigation We subsequently used SPSS software and the PROCESS plugin to analyze the relationships between variables.

RESULTS

A significant and positive relationship was found between parent-offspring communication and school adaptation in leftover children. Companionship mediated this effect. Additionally, the impact of parent-offspring communication on companionship was moderated by a sense of safety.

CONCLUSIONS

The study concluded that parent-offspring communication, school adaptation, companionship, and a sense of safety were all positively correlated. In addition, companionship partially mediated the relationship between parent-offspring communication and school adaptation. Moreover, a sense of safety played a moderating role. These conclusions can provide empirical support for improving the school adaptation of leftover children.

Transport, Mobility and the Wellbeing of Older Adults: An Exploration of Private Chauffeuring and Companionship Services in Malaysia

As physical abilities and health decline with age, older adults tend to lose their driving abilities, which affects their mobility. As mobility is important to older adults' wellbeing, there is a need to explore alternative modes of transportation to increase their ability to actively participate in society. Hence, this paper aims to understand the characteristics of private chauffeuring and companionship services for older adults, and to assess their possible effects on older adults' wellbeing. We gathered the views of transport operators, government agencies, and city councils that offer private chauffeuring and companionship services for older adults. We frame the model of private chauffeuring and companionship services as alternative mobility for older adults and outline a conceptual framework for its possible effects on their wellbeing. The underlying mobility characteristics were availability, accessibility, safety, and affordability-all of which influence wellbeing. The study found that the private chauffeuring and companionship model for older adults includes an additional model of government-to-consumer services in addition to the existing peer-to-peer and business-to-consumer services. While the services are available, the services provided are not standardized, with different operators offering different services and prices, and limiting certain geographical areas. Transport operators perceived that the services they offer promote older adults' physical and mental health, improve their social participation in the community, and empower them in making their travel decisions. The findings of the paper provide insights for policy makers for future planning of alternative transportation for older adults to enhance their mobility.

Social Support in a Novel Situation Aimed for Stunning and Euthanasia of Pigs May Be Increased by Familiar Pigs-A Behavioural Study with Weaners

The common method of stunning pigs using high concentration carbon dioxide prior to slaughter poses an animal welfare issue, as the gas is aversive. Proof of concept for using nitrogen gas encapsulated in high-expansion foam as an alternative non-aversive method for stunning pigs has recently been presented. However, the individually tested pigs showed distress-related responses to foam exposure, regardless of whether it was nitrogen- or air-filled. This study examined the effect of companionship from a familiar or unfamiliar pig on behaviours in 72 nine-weeks old pigs during exposure to air-filled foam. Escape attempts were observed by 75% of solitary pigs, 42% of pigs with unfamiliar conspecifics, and 33% of pigs with familiar conspecifics. Familiar pig pairs clearly preferred social contact during foam exposure, whereas this was not as clear in unfamiliar pig pairs, and their motivation for social contact could have multiple explanations. The results from this study highlight the importance of contact with conspecifics when studying animal welfare and suggest that familiarity between pigs is important for social support, thus emphasizing the importance of maintaining social groups to reduce distress in pigs at slaughter.

Birth attendants' attitudes and practice of companionship during facility-based childbirth and associated factors in the West Shoa Zone, central Ethiopia: A mixed method design

Objectives

The World Health Organization strongly recommends companion of choice for all women during health facility delivery. However, in the developing countries, it is low and not well studied in Ethiopia. Thus, the study aimed to assess the birth attendants' attitude and practice of companionship during health facility-based childbirth and associated factors in the West Shoa Zone, Ethiopia.

Methods

A cross-sectional study design with a concurrent mixed method approach was employed from 17 August to 23 September 2021. A simple random sampling was used to collect data from 422 birth attendants using a pretested structured self-administered questionnaire. The data was entered into Epi-data 3.1 and exported to the Statistical Package for Social Sciences for analysis. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regressions were done. The qualitative data was analyzed manually using thematic analysis, and the result was triangulated with the quantitative data.

Results

About, 208 (51.2%) of birth attendants had favorable attitude, and only 79 (19.5%) of them reported that they practice companion presence during childbirth. Reported job satisfaction (adjusted odds ratio = 5.29, 95% confidence interval: 3.08, 9.1), presence of a screen (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 3.4, 95% confidence interval: 1.94, 5.99), and wideness of the delivery room (adjusted odds ratio = 4.74, 95% confidence interval: 2.48, 9.04) were factors associated with the attitude of birth attendants. The number of deliveries per month (adjusted odds ratio = 3.34, 95% confidence interval: 1.37, 8.13), having had training (adjusted odds ratio = 3.286, 95% confidence interval: 1.52, 7.08), and presence of a screen (adjusted odds ratio = 2.88, 95% confidence interval: 1.42, 5.85) were statistically associated with practice of companion presence during childbirth. The main themes that emerged as the key barriers to the practice of companion presence during childbirth include structural factors, societal norms and culture, lack of interest, birth attendant-related barriers, unsupportive administration protocol, and companions' awareness.

Conclusion

The magnitude of favorable attitudes and reported practice of birth attendants regarding companion presence during childbirth is low. Structural related factors were the main barriers. Training of birth attendants and structural interventions are needed to ensure that delivery rooms are designed in ways that facilitate the presence of companions during childbirth.

Development of Peer Relationships From Adolescence into Emerging Adulthood: Comparing Males and Females With and Without Type 1 Diabetes

OBJECTIVE

Friendships and romantic relationships are important sources of support that contribute to well-being for youth across adolescence and emerging adulthood and may be especially important for those with a chronic illness. We examined gender differences in trajectories of peer relationships among those with type 1 diabetes (T1D) and how they differ from those without.

METHODS

Individuals with T1D (N = 132) and controls (N = 131) completed questionnaires across 11 years (M age = 12 years at baseline). Trajectories of friend support, conflict, and companionship were estimated from ages 11 to 23. Romantic support and conflict trajectories were estimated from ages 17 to 23.

RESULTS

Females experienced more friend support than males, especially in comparison to males with T1D. Control females experienced highest levels of romantic support and lowest levels of romantic conflict. In comparison to control males, males with T1D experienced less friend support in early adolescence and less companionship in late adolescence and emerging adulthood. In comparison to control females, females with T1D experienced less friend support in late adolescence and more romantic conflict in emerging adulthood.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings that males with T1D report less friend support and companionship compared to control males, and females with T1D report less friend support and more romantic conflict than control females are of concern as these results suggest those with T1D may be missing out on important aspects of peer relationships. Understanding the broader social network of peer relationships may be useful to clinicians as they assist individuals in garnering support in general and for their diabetes.

Investigating Turf Burn-Related Videos on TikTok: Cross-sectional Study

BACKGROUND

Due to the increased use of artificial turf, turf burn has become a common sports injury. Turf burn is caused by exposed skin sliding on artificial turf. Health complications, such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus outbreaks, sepsis, and pneumonia, have been linked to untreated turf burns, and many athletes have been turning to social media for advice and companionship regarding their sports injuries.

OBJECTIVE

The goal of this study is to categorize and quantitatively assess the percentage of turf burn-related posts on TikTok based on creator type, content, athletes' experiences, and treatment and prevention methods. With these data, we not only investigate if there is room for health care professionals to assist in the distribution of evidence-based health education to athletes to counteract misinformation but also investigate if there is a potential audience of athletes on TikTok who have the potential to develop problematic responses to injuries.

METHODS

By using the Discover page on TikTok, we searched for the term turf burn on October 17, 2021. In total, 100 videos were analyzed. Videos were categorized and analyzed based on creator type, content, experiences of the athletes, and treatment and prevention methods. The number of likes and comments was recorded.

RESULTS

Most videos (98/100, 98%) were created by athletes. A small number of videos (2/100, 2%) were created by health care professionals. In terms of content, most videos (67/100, 67%) displayed turf burns. A small amount of videos (15/100, 15%) showed the incidents when turf burns were acquired, while around one-quarter of the videos (23/100, 23%) demonstrated the treatment and prevention of turf burns. Of the 23 treatment and prevention videos, a minority (4/23, 17%) showed the preferred treatment of turf burns, while most videos (19/23, 83%) showed nonpreferred treatments. The smallest amount of videos (2/100, 2%) were about turf burn education. Most of the videos created by athletes (56/98, 57%) depicted the negative experiences that patients had with turf burns. Some videos (37/98, 38%) depicted neutral experiences, while the smallest amount of videos (5/98, 5%) depicted positive experiences.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study suggests that there is a potential audience of athletes on TikTok who could develop problematic responses to sports injuries, such as turf burns, as most of the people who post videos are athletes, and many of the posts demonstrate negative experiences associated with turf burns. TikTok is a growing social media platform that should be studied to determine if it can be used to create a social support group for injured athletes to prevent the progression of negative emotional responses into problematic responses. Physicians should also have a role in establishing their social media presence on TikTok and offering evidence-based advice to athletes while disproving misinformation on TikTok.

Social Comparison on Social Media Increases Career Frustration: A Focus on the Mitigating Effect of Companionship

Social media has become a platform for the daily exchange of information. Although some studies have explored the role and influence of social media on career development, few have examined how daily social media use impacts individuals’ perceptions and emotions regarding their careers. The present study examined this issue using two surveys. We predicted that social comparison would mediate the link between social media usage and its psychological impact. Moreover, we hypothesized that the impact would be mitigated by social interactions (companionship). Study 1 (a self-reported survey that included 309 Japanese employees) demonstrated that viewing other users’ positive posts about their careers could lead to career frustration through social comparison. Concurrently, this study revealed that daily casual interaction with others reduced career frustration. Study 2 was based on an analysis of 1,254 responses obtained from a 7-day experience sampling method survey. It revealed that viewing other people’s career-related posts was associated with upward, downward, and non-directional social comparison. In turn, upward social comparison evoked career frustration at both between- and within-person levels, while downward comparison decreased career frustration at a between-person level. Similar to Study 1, the results of Study 2 indicated that career frustration was mitigated by casual communication with others. Both studies provide evidence that (1) daily social media use affects one’s perception and feelings about their career through social comparison, and (2) career frustration evoked through virtual interactions with others is mitigated by casual interactions in a face-to-face setting.

Companionship and Sexual Issues in the Aging Population

Loneliness and social isolation are significant public health crises in older adults. The issues about companionship have many psychosocial and cultural dimensions, which is further compounded by the current COVID-19 pandemic. In modern-day India, there is a significant increase in the number of older adults left to live alone because of sociocultural changes in our society. Companionship in late life is known to promote the quality of life and decrease the mental health morbidity. There is an increasing role of pets as companions to the elderly. Novel technologies such as artificial intelligence in the form of robots are being explored to support the elderly. Sexuality is another complex issue related to older adults that is often ignored. The sexuality and sexual functioning in older adults largely depend on physiological, psychological, and sociocultural factors. The principles of ageism have influenced sexuality in older adults. Sociocultural issues and the aging-related pathophysiological changes can contribute to an increased risk for legal issues related to sexuality in this population. There is a need for more systematic research into the multifaceted concept of companionship and sexuality in the older adult population. This review article addresses these two distinct subjects separately.

The Role and Impact of Radio Listening Practices in Older Adults' Everyday Lives

Previous research has indicated older adults value listening to music as a leisure activity. Yet, recent research into listening practices broadly has often focused on younger adults and the use of newer, digital listening technologies. Nonetheless, the radio, which is familiar to older people who grew up with it at the forefront of family life, is important to consider with regard to listening practices and the potential associated well-being benefits. This research investigated older adults' everyday radio listening practices, in order to begin to understand how the radio fits into their daily lives and how it might influence their sense of well-being. Twenty-five Australian residents (aged 66-87; 56% female, 44% male) participated in semi-structured, one-to-one interviews. The results of a qualitative thematic analysis revealed themes concerning listening preferences, listening routines, access, and motivations/outcomes. While personal preferences (concerning content, stations, and presenters) were diverse, individuals clearly communicated these as well as their established listening routines and habits. Listener motivations varied: some people focused on the enjoyment that listening to the radio creates while some noted benefits to their well-being, such as relaxation, modifying their mood, and feelings of comfort and community. Radio listening practices can be defined in terms of differing engagement styles, as characterized using continua ranging from passive to active, or focused, listening as well as generalized or specific listening. Based on participants' experiences, a proposed engagement space model links how people engage with the radio to the possible outcomes mentioned. Importantly, benefits to well-being can result from varied engagement styles. The findings presented provide an in-depth understanding of how the radio fits into older adults' everyday life, with implications for considering how the radio might be used as a widely accessed, low-cost tool for maintaining and enhancing quality of later life.

Correlation Between Aspects of Perceived Patient Loneliness and Spinal Cord Stimulation Outcomes

OBJECTIVES

Loneliness as a whole has been characterized as a health-related risk factor and is associated with worse outcomes after cardiac procedures. Evidence suggests that chronic pain patients are particularly vulnerable to feeling lonely. We examined the relationship between different aspects of loneliness and one-year postoperative outcomes after spinal cord stimulation (SCS) for chronic pain.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We contacted 69 patients with thoracic SCS who had participated in our prospective outcomes database with one-year follow-up to complete the validated, abbreviated UCLA Loneliness Scale (UCLA-3). We examined responses on question 9 of the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), question 12 of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and UCLA-3 due to their relevance to different aspects of loneliness. We conducted regression analyses to determine the relationship between aspects of loneliness and pain outcomes.

RESULTS

We identified that loss of interest in people, companionship, and feeling excluded were associated with pain outcomes. Loss of interest in people was associated with improvement in pain (NRS worst p = 0.021, r = 0.32, NRS least p = 0.004, r = 0.4; NRS right now p = 0.016, r = 0.33). Companionship and feeling excluded were also associated with pain. We examined the interface between depression and total loneliness and found that while both were related to each other, depression was not associated with pain outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrates an association between loss of interest in people, companionship, and feeling excluded and worse postoperative pain outcomes after receiving SCS. It identifies aspects of loneliness as important factors to consider when predicting the outcomes of SCS therapy for chronic pain control.

Friends, Lovers or Nothing: Men and Women Differ in Their Perceptions of Sex Robots and Platonic Love Robots

Physical and emotional intimacy between humans and robots may become commonplace over the next decades, as technology improves at a rapid rate. This development provides new questions pertaining to how people perceive robots designed for different kinds of intimacy, both as companions and potentially as competitors. We performed a randomized experiment where participants read of either a robot that could only perform sexual acts, or only engage in non-sexual platonic love relationships. The results of the current study show that females have less positive views of robots, and especially of sex robots, compared to men. Contrary to the expectation rooted in evolutionary psychology, females expected to feel more jealousy if their partner got a sex robot, rather than a platonic love robot. The results further suggests that people project their own feelings about robots onto their partner, erroneously expecting their partner to react as they would to the thought of ones’ partner having a robot.

Current welfare state of pet guinea pigs in the UK

BACKGROUND

Little research has been carried out into how guinea pigs are cared for in the UK, and information regarding potential welfare issues is sparse. This study was designed to examine the five welfare needs, collecting data on the extent to which these are each met by a sample of UK guinea pig owners.

METHODS

A survey of 4590 owners was conducted.

RESULTS

Guinea pigs were housed in a variety of ways, but a hutch or cage, with no attached run, was the most common enclosure. The majority reportedly lived with a conspecific, although some lived on their own, or with a rabbit. Significant associations between aspects of housing and husbandry, and behaviour and health were found, for example, the frequency of positive behaviours displayed was higher in those guinea pigs housed with a conspecific and those in larger enclosures, while the number of reported health issues was lower in animals receiving green vegetables more often.

CONCLUSION

This study has identified common practices, and highlighted some potential welfare issues, which would benefit from further research. The authors suggest improved availability of targeted information may enable owners to improve issues identified here.

Mothers' experience of disrespect and abuse during maternity care in northern Ethiopia

BACKGROUND

The provision of respectful and satisfactory maternity care is essential for promoting timely care-seeking behaviour, and ultimately ensuring the health and well-being of mothers and their babies. Disrespectful and abusive care has been recognized as one of the barriers to seeking timely maternity health services. However, the issue has not been adequately researched in community settings in low- and middle-income countries using validated measurement tools.

OBJECTIVE

This study was conducted to assess the extent of, and factors associated with, disrespectful and abusive maternity care reported by women who utilized facility-based delivery services in northern Ethiopia.

METHODS

We conducted a community-based cross-sectional study in Tigray, northern Ethiopia. Women who gave birth in the preceding year and visited health institutions for these deliveries were selected using a multistage cluster sampling procedure. Data were collected using a pretested questionnaire. Six domains of disrespect and abuse (D and A) were included in the questionnaire. Socio-demographic and obstetric related factors associated with D and A were tested using a negative binomial regression model.

RESULTS

Of the 1125 women in the sample, 248 (22%; 95% CI: 19.8%, 24.4%) reported at least one incident of D and A during delivery at a public health facility in northern Ethiopia. Higher incidents of D and A were reported by women who were older than 19 years at the time of delivery (aIRR = 2.649 (95% CI: 1.455, 4.825) compared to younger women. Incidents of D and A were reported more by women residing in urban areas, by women educated to the ninth grade and above, by women who experienced longer labour duration, and also by women who were not permitted to have support persons attend labour and delivery.

CONCLUSIONS

A fifth of the women reported D and A while receiving care during labour and delivery. Policies and practices aimed at ensuring universal coverage for institutional deliveries need to promote respectful maternity care for women in all facilities.

[Caregivers of people with neurodegenerative diseases: from help to delegation]

Being a caregiver is difficult, even more so when it comes to helping people with a neurodegenerative disease. These caregivers, either family members or close friends, are confronted with an unexpected delegation which can prove to be highly complex as the pitfalls can indeed be significant. Moreover, the support the caregivers can provide depends on the support they can get for themselves.

The current state of welfare, housing and husbandry of the English pet rabbit population

BACKGROUND

The welfare of pet rabbits is an area of growing interest in Europe and the UK. This study analyses questionnaire results from a diverse population of 1254 rabbit owners from three different geographical areas in England with the aim of providing an accurate representation of how pet rabbits are currently housed and cared for and key aspects of their health and welfare.

RESULTS

Rabbits were kept in a variety of different housing types, the most common being a traditional hutch/cage (59%). Although the majority had additional exercise areas, access was often unpredictable, or ill-timed, which may compromise welfare. Only 41.9% of owners kept their rabbit with conspecifics, limiting their ability to engage in social behaviour. Of those rabbits housed with a companion, although many were reported to be amicable and to engage in positive interactions, over a quarter were reported to fight at least occasionally (25.3%), whilst 22.7% guarded resources and 27.1% avoided one another. Whilst low levels of some of these behaviours may be a normal part of social interaction, the relatively high levels reported here suggest that not all cohabiting pairs of rabbits are compatible, which is potentially a significant welfare issue.Although the vast majority of owners fed hay for over 10% this was less than daily. Pelleted foods were very popular (71.4% at least daily) compared to commercial muesli mixes (32.6%). As in previous studies, dental problems were commonly reported (12.2% of rabbits); however, so were eye problems (12.9%), digestive problems (11.5%) and parasites (11.3%). A large proportion of rabbits (58%) were thought to be fearful of loud noises, and 61% were not reported as calm when handled by their owner, which may be a significant concern for this species.

CONCLUSION

This study has confirmed and expanded on previous findings: many pet rabbits were found to be in good health, had compatible companions and were provided with enriched living areas. However, it also found numerous welfare issues that affect large numbers of pet rabbits. We suggest further studies are required exploring the accuracy of owner reports (which possibly under-report many problems) and prioritising the issues raised here.

Exploring the role of social interactions and supports in overcoming accessibility barriers while undertaking health tours in India

This article explores the phenomenon of companionship as an adaptation strategy to counter the existing barriers to health care access in developing nations. Companionship is argued to be an outcome of "inter" and "intra" household collaboration to offer diverse supports in addition to altruism. The analysis of the household survey conducted in West Bengal, India, exhibited different patterns of health care tours and the associated dependencies. In addition to support in terms of mobility while traveling and companionship while waiting for the opportunity, support in terms of refuge is also found to be essential, especially for the poor while they undertake regional tours. Causal models focusing on aggregated general health tours and specific regional tours were estimated separately to comprehend the implicit social interactions and their effects on the patient as well as the companions. The research demonstrated that accessibility barriers affect not only the ill, but also those associated with them and at times adversely. Segregation of regional tours illustrated the gaps, which instigated such tours and also might aid in health infrastructure planning as a whole.

Companionship in the neighborhood context: older adults' living arrangements and perceptions of social cohesion

This study investigated the impact of neighborhood social cohesion on the perceived companionship of nearly 1,500 community-dwelling older adults from the Neighborhood, Organization, Aging and Health project (NOAH), a Chicago-based study of older adult well-being in the neighborhood context. We hypothesized that the relationship between neighborhood-level social cohesion and individual residents' reports of companionship would be more pronounced among those who lived alone than those who resided with others. Controlling for age, gender, education, race, marital status, length of neighborhood residence, and self-rated health, neighborhood social cohesion predicted companionship among those who lived alone; for a one-unit increase in neighborhood social cohesion, the odds of reporting companionship increased by half. In contrast, social cohesion did not predict the companionship of those who resided with others. The results suggest that older adults who live alone particularly profit from the benefits of socially cohesive neighborhood environments.