Category: Health identities

March 28, 2011                   GUEST POST by Kori Federici

Regarding the issue of parents communicating to their children about sex, researchers have found that:

• An already positive relationship with the offspring would result in an easier ability to discuss this taboo topic.
• Negative relationships between the parent and offspring may make the communication of sex more difficult.
• Parental knowledge of a child being in a romantic relationship made the communication easier as well.
• Sons are questioned less about sex than are daughters.

The study followed families and their children through the ages of 12-18.  The parents were asked questions about whether their child (or if they thought) was or had been in a romantic relationship before and if the parent had any concerns.

It is interesting to note that daughters were more often questioned. Does this suggest that daughters are trusted less than the sons? Or, are parents more worried about the health and well-being of daughters who might become pregnant?  The sons of the parents were said to feel more independent when it came to parents intervening in their relationships.  Also, mothers were more supportive than fathers, but the fathers were more restrictive than the mothers.

These factors often play a primary role in a parent’s decision on how and when to have the “talk” with their child.  Should females receive the sex talk earlier than males?  Should parents wait until their children start dating to discuss sex?  How involved should I be with my child’s sex life?  These are some questions to ask yourself if you are a parent struggling to decide what time is the best time to communicate with your child about sex.

For a full view of this article go to…..

Citation: Kan, M. L., McHale, S. M., & Crouter, A. C. (2008). Parental involvement in adolescent romantic relationships: Patterns and correlates. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 37(2), 168. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/204638246?accountid=13158

March 26, 2011                GUEST POST by Bethany Brodie

At the age of 16 ½, I could have told you what LOL meant, the most popular fashion trends, and the latest gossip around the halls, but when told “You tore your ACL and suffer from slight ligamentum laxity, so we’re going to use your patellar tendon to repair the damage”, I was far from in-the-know. Now, after 4 years of studying Biobehavioral Health and 2.5 years as a teaching assistant in Mammalian Anatomy, I clearly understand what my doctor was saying, but, I can testify to the fact that my questions lingered until it was much easier to forget about them than deal with my confusion before surgery.

As an inherent part of the medical field, technical jargon exists to identify and specifically classify different diseases and their associated terms, but unfortunately, most of us lack the necessary education to understand most or even some of their meanings. It is in the doctor’s office, though, that these two paths cross and often fail to be reconciled before moving forward with treatment.

Recent research by Castro et al. (2007), explains how type II diabetic patients encountered, on average, 4 unclarified medical terms per visit as presented to them by their doctors. After further investigation, researchers also found that patients reported understanding the words, but when asked to define them, less than 40% could actually reiterate the meanings of the most commonly used terms. Though doctors and nurses face daily time constraints, it is important for them to remember that the best possible health outcome for the patient is goal, and a necessary step in that process is patient understanding.

There are many steps that medical professionals can take to ensure comprehension without compromising their busy schedules. For example, they can use a medical term in a sentence that applies specifically to the patient’s condition, and then follow that sentence with a brief definition in Layman’s terms. Later, they can also have the patient teach- back what he or she learned during the visit, and ask a staff member to follow- up with a phone call to address any remaining concerns.

By adopting these practices, physicians and nurses are also demonstrating their care and concern while also empowering the patient to take control of his or her condition. Equipped with the knowledge and resources to act, patients are probably more likely to adhere to medical advice. In the end, they cooperate with their doctor, improve their health, and ultimately reduce the medical cost associated with miscommunication and lack of understanding. A positive outcome for all!

Al Gini wrote the book, ‘The importance of being lazy: In praise of play, leisure, and vacations’… I keep a copy of this in plain sight in my family room. I find that visitors are often drawn to pick it up. Why? I suppose because we don’t talk enough about the this side of life. One review of the book,  http://www.spiritualityandpractice.com/books/books.php?id=5960, considers differences among nations in the emphasis given to talking about leisure. I thought about this as I was reading the results of some recent research that addresses compassion fatigue among nurses.

Compassion fatigue is the experience of too much of the emotion–compassion–causing anger and helplessness. Compassion fatigue is a condition observed among some types of jobs and professions more often than others.  Nurses often experience this as a response to situations where they know that no matter what they do, the outcome for a patient is not going to be a good one. Not surprisingly, compassion fatigue relates to burnout and job dissatisfaction. But research has consistently shown that giving nurses a chance to talk about their experiences helps lessen the fatigue of feeling compassionate for those they care for… And, putting more emphasis on life outside of the workplace and nursing, learning to play and make mini-vacations out of an afternoon reduces the stress felt from caring for others…

March 13, 2011

Ahhh, the joys of spring break.  Yes, I have heard the, ‘must be nice… no one gives me a spring break’ and the ‘I remember when I was in college and got a break’ and the nearly audible hmphhs. All come from those who have not recently been in a college classroom as a teacher or student.

First, there is no clock, no ‘9 to 5’ or even ‘8 to 6’ timeframe associated with being part of higher education…not for students and not for professors. With email and texting and online course access, this reality has become even more starkly evident. I post content for my classes at any time of the day or night. Students email me their questions and update me on their status 24 – 7…

Now, if all that was involved in a college education was the time spent in a college classroom, plus the 3 hours to every one hour of in-class meeting for a student to earn an ‘A’ and a professor to prepare for that hour of class [this includes such things as planning and preparing the syllabus and course materials and exams, meeting with students online and face-to-face, grading their work]–that alone would be a lot.

For students, most students take 15 credits. For one three credit class, they will be in the classroom about three hours a week…so 15 hours for 15 credits. Add to that 15 times 3 or 45 hours for students working toward ‘A’s and…you get to 60 hours rather quickly. Add to the original 15 hours, 2 times 15 — two ours of time outside class for each hour spent in class found to be the average time necessary to earn ‘B’s…and you get to 45 hours a week…

And I don’t know a single student who doesn’t work outside the ‘job’ of being a college student. So add the number of hours that a student works in a paid job each week. Add to that the time spent volunteering and/or being a member of organizations that are part of community… Most college students spend hours every week in this role as well. Penn State “is the home of the largest student- run philanthropic even in the world”–THON [http://giveto.psu.edu/s/1218/index.aspx?sid=1218&gid=1&pgid=439]. Student commitment of time to this event is a yearround activity…

For professors, most tenured professors at institutions such as Penn State teach 6 credits a semester. This is considered to be 1/3 or 33% of their work expectations… When evaluated each year, 33% of the evaluation is judged by the teaching activities. So, 6 times 3 = 18, plus the 6 hours of time in the classroom…24 hours. [I find that three hours per credit hour of instruction I provide does not adequately cover the workload. Class sizes have grown and being more accessible through technology takes time, too.] But at any rate, if we hold to the idea that 24 hours is sufficient —  on average across a semester to fulfill teaching responsibilities, that still suggests that 3 x 24 or 72 hours will be necessary to fulfill basic expectations. And, in truth, that is about what it takes… Often, more. We are evaluated for our research contributions as 50% of our work… There are no good explanations I can point to in order to explain what it means to do research…and be evaluated on it. I can say that knowledge as one of the greatest assets that the U.S. has comes from a systematic process that is judged by others, and that without it–well, where would we be?

So, yes, when spring break comes–I look at my desk…piled high from the semester’s activities to that point…and I make a commitment to try to see the surface before we begin classes again. I seldom make it. I didn’t make it this time either… But I feel ready to tackle it all anew… and that is why spring break is good for health…

February 19, 2011

What happens when fracking fluid used in the Marcellus shale drilling process leaks into water supplies used by cattle? The cattle get quarantined. Why? Well, because there is so much uncertainty related to the effects of the fracking fluid on the quality of the meat…that would eventually be available for us to eat. 

This is but one unanswered question related to our food supply and the ongoing Marcellus shale drilling activities. The article at this link,    http://www.marcellusprotest.org/node/51, raises questions about air pollution, as well… linking it to the death of plant life that would feed cattle…

At a recent meeting, I heard a question raised about the deer population. They, of course, drink from streams throughout the state. We cannot quarantine them…

February 16, 2011

It takes some time to build new habits. It takes some time to break old habits. It is kind of like being out on the middle of one of the world’s largest suspension bridges… Go left? Go right? The paths may look the same but if you go forward instead of backwards, you at least get to see something you may not have seen before…

And when you go forward to try a new approach to being healthy, it can be like that as well. Sometimes, the way someone presents it to you can make all the difference.

Which seems to be a better approach? “If you show signs of concussion, you’re out of the game.” Or “Perhaps we can practice some new ways of tackling and see if you have fewer headaches after tough games.”

“You’re going to look like a piece of leather if you don’t quit spending so much time in tanning beds…”  hmmm… Any other ideas about how to change that habit?  Or telling youth, “You’re going to die if you drink alcohol…”  And, “We’re going to test your blood for steroid use.” These kinds of direct statements–even when we might agree with the intent–don’t seem to give us any choice in the matter…and, well, most of want to have some say in things…  

So, it’s worth a little effort to think how to talk about a health habit in a way that seems to leave some room for choice in the matter…

February 15, 2011

Adventure… ‘In the heart of Pennsylvania’s Laurel Highlands… ‘ We slipped and slid our way down an icy snowy road…

I bit my tongue as our four-wheel drive tackled the road… I have been on enough adventures to avoid disclosing my fear. I just held my breath.

Lesley’s Mountain View Country Inn… We found it.

We pulled into the drive piled high with snowdrifts. We pulled around to the back side of the inn…

We found an entrance and a light…

 The inn “offers lodging and fine dining with a casual elegance and convenient access to”… area attractions…

Uhhh. Do you think they’re open? I asked my husband who planned the surprise getaway… ‘Sure…’ and out he popped to enter the door you see here… And he was right. How could I have doubted it?

As with questions posed in the past two posts, other questions–sometimes asked by doctors but also asked by our friends and family members and even our employers–include things like, “Why don’t you exercise everyday?” and “Do you smoke?” or “Do you drink?” Doctors may ask, “How many sexual partners have you had?” which is different than if our friend asked the same question or our parent asked…

The fact is that people usually try to be polite when asking questions…whether it is a question about the ends of the earth to which your romantic destination takes you…or… about health… At least, we think we are trying to be polite…