scholarly journals Hispanic Older Adult Health & Longevity in the United States: Current Patterns & Concerns for the Future

Daedalus ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 144 (2) ◽  
pp. 20-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert A. Hummer ◽  
Mark D. Hayward
Keyword(s):  
Legal Status ◽  
Insurance Coverage ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Risk Groups ◽  
The United States ◽  
Vulnerable Groups ◽  
Adult Health ◽  
Hispanic Population ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
The Future

The Hispanic population aged sixty-five and over – the most socioeconomically disadvantaged subset of America's elderly – is projected to quintuple between 2012 and 2050. While current longevity patterns for Hispanics relative to whites are favorable, old-age functioning and disability patterns for Hispanics are unfavorable and have serious implications for caregivers; families; and local, state, and federal governments. Troubling signs for the future Hispanic population (which are shared to varying degrees with other vulnerable groups) include the unresolved legal status of unauthorized immigrants, continued low levels of insurance coverage even after health care reform, some unfavorable trends in health behaviors, and continued disadvantages in educational attainment and income relative to whites. We urge policy-makers to deal with these potentially problematic health and well-being issues. Not doing so could have detrimental consequences for the future of the Hispanic population as well as other at-risk groups and, by extension, the U.S. elderly population as a whole.

Consular Protection and Solidarity across Borders

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra Délano Alonso
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Legal Status ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Migrant Populations ◽  
Policy Goals ◽  
Large Populations ◽  
Mexican Government ◽  
Working Together

This chapter demonstrates how Latin American governments with large populations of migrants with precarious legal status in the United States are working together to promote policies focusing on their well-being and integration. It identifies the context in which these processes of policy diffusion and collaboration have taken place as well as their limitations. Notwithstanding the differences in capacities and motivations based on the domestic political and economic contexts, there is a convergence of practices and policies of diaspora engagement among Latin American countries driven by the common challenges faced by their migrant populations in the United States and by the Latino population more generally. These policies, framed as an issue of rights protection and the promotion of migrants’ well-being, are presented as a form of regional solidarity and unity, and are also mobilized by the Mexican government as a political instrument serving its foreign policy goals.

Quality of Life of Family Caregivers of Patients With Cancer in Korçe, Albania

2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 118-125 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathon Judkins ◽  
Irena Laska ◽  
Judith Paice ◽  
Priya Kumthekar
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Risk Groups ◽  
The United States ◽  
Primary Objective ◽  
Care Clinic ◽  
Demographic Groups ◽  
Spiritual Well Being ◽  
The Impact

Purpose: The primary objective of this study was to quantify cancer family caregiver (FCG) quality of life (QOL) in a Southern Albanian population and to determine whether differences exist between 4 domains of QOL (physical, psychological, social, and spiritual). This study also sought to compare QOL in our cohort to QOL in historical studies that used the same survey instrument, and to examine correlations between demographic characteristics and QOL to identify any high-risk groups. Methods: A sample of 40 FCGs was recruited at the Mary Potter Palliative Care Clinic in Korçe, Albania. Each participant completed the City of Hope Quality of Life (Family Version), a validated 37-question instrument that measures caregiver well-being in 4 domains: physical, psychological, social, and spiritual well-being. Results: There were no significant differences between the composite scores of the 4 QOL domains in our study. However, there were differences when comparing self-reported QOL between domains (“Rate your overall physical/psychological/social/spiritual well-being”). The QOL measured in our study was significantly lower than in 3 studies from the United States that used the same questionnaire. There were no significant correlations between demographic groups and QOL. Conclusions: This study examines the impact that the paucity of palliative services has on the QOL of Albanian cancer FCGs. Although there were no domains of QOL or demographic groups identified in our study that were faring significantly worse than others, the poor overall QOL provides further evidence to support the continued development of palliative services for both patients and family members in Albania.

scholarly journals Inequality in Context: Neighborhood Environments and the Association Among Education and Health

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael H Esposito
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptomatology ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Health Study ◽  
Adult Health ◽  
College Degree ◽  
Multilevel Regression ◽  
Tightly Coupled ◽  
Neighborhood Environments ◽  
Using Data

The association among a college degree and health is know to vary, in strength, across subsections of the United States population. Recent literature suggests that educational gradients in health are particularly dependent on contextual environments; higher-level social features, such as state of residence, have indeed been shown to modify how advanced educational credentials matters to well-being. To add resolution to this emerging insight, this study examines how \neighborhood environments, an especially salient level of geographic organization, impact educational gradients in the US. Using data from the Chicago Community Adult Health Study (n = 3,105) and Bayesian multilevel regression models, I examine how educational disparities in self-rated health and depressive symptomatology, between college and non-college degree holders, grow/shrink in response to a neighborhood-provided resource and with exposure to a neighborhood-level health challenge. Findings suggest that how tightly coupled a college degree is with well-being is strongly contingent upon one's immediate external risks, but less so on one's access to neighborhood social resources.

STEM and Soft Occupational Competencies: Analyzing the Value of Strategic Regional Human Capital

2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 356-371
Author(s):  
Fran Stewart ◽  
Minkyu Yeom ◽  
Alice Stewart
Keyword(s):  
Human Capital ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Regional Economies ◽  
Soft Skill ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
The Public ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
Capital Development ◽  
Economic Well Being

This research examines the distribution of STEM—science, technology, engineering, and mathematics—and soft-skill competencies in occupations within regional economies in the United States. This research explores the public policy question: Do occupational competencies offer a better measure of regional human capital than the commonly used metric of educational attainment? Policy makers at all levels of government have increasingly emphasized STEM education as vital to economic well-being. This research finds support for the importance of STEM occupational competencies to regional median wage and productivity, but findings also indicate the important contributions of “soft skills” to regional economic well-being. This suggests new avenues for region-focused training and human capital development aligned to occupational skill demands that reward workers and benefit regions.

COPING WITH COVID-19: RESILIENCE AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING IN THE MIDST OF A PANDEMIC

2020 ◽  
Vol 39 (7) ◽  
pp. 561-570
Author(s):  
Edward D. Sturman
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Perceived Control ◽  
Satisfaction With Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Small Towns ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Upstate New York ◽  
Two Samples ◽  
Novel Coronavirus

Introduction: As the novel coronavirus rapidly spreads around the world it will become increasingly important to understand its psychological impacts on the larger population. Few studies have been conducted in this regard, which is unsurprising considering the sudden emergence of the disease. Methods: The present study looked at mood (anxiety and depression), stress, resilience, grit, perceived control, happiness, and satisfaction with life in two samples hailing from small towns in upstate New York. These outcomes were assessed at two time points: pre-coronavirus (November/December 2019) and peak-coronavirus (mid-April 2020). Results: Contrary to expectations, the results indicated no significant differences on any of the variables between the pre-coronavirus sample and the peak-coronavirus sample. Discussion: The results suggested that people, at least in this region of the United States and more broadly in smaller towns, may be psychologically coping with the pandemic to a better degree than might be expected. This finding may be useful to policy makers and health care workers.

scholarly journals On Adapting Nuclear Deterrence to Reduce Nuclear Risk

Daedalus ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 149 (2) ◽  
pp. 69-83
Author(s):  
Brad Roberts
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Cold War ◽  
Nuclear Weapons ◽  
The United States ◽  
Comprehensive Approach ◽  
Nuclear Deterrence ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
The Future ◽  
The Cold War

Since the end of the Cold War, changes to the practice of nuclear deterrence by the United States have been pursued as part of a comprehensive approach aimed at reducing nuclear risks. These changes have included steps to reduce reliance on nuclear weapons in U.S. defense and deterrence strategies. Looking to the future, the United States can do more, but only if the conditions are right. Policy-makers must avoid steps that have superficial appeal but would actually result in a net increase in nuclear risk. These include steps that make U.S. nuclear deterrence unreliable for the problems for which it remains relevant.

Forest communities: New frameworks for assessing sustainability

1999 ◽  
Vol 75 (5) ◽  
pp. 747-754 ◽  
Author(s):  
Solange Nadeau ◽  
Bruce Shindler ◽  
Christina Kakoyannis
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Community Capacity ◽  
Forest Community ◽  
Forest Communities ◽  
Community Stability ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Community Resiliency ◽  
The Relationship

In both Canada and the United States, there has been a growing interest in the sustainability of forests and forest communities. Policy makers and scientists have attempted to understand how forest management practices can enhance or harm the future of such communities. Although many studies have historically used economic indicators as measures of community stability, more recently researchers have demonstrated that the relationship between communities and forests goes far beyond simple economic dependency. Thus, recent frameworks for assessing forest communities have also addressed the need for broader social and institutional components. In this article, we briefly review three of these recent concepts — community capacity, community well-being and community resiliency — and examine what each of these terms has to contribute to the assessment of forest communities. Key words: forest community, community stability, community capacity, community well-being, community resilience

Health Insurance Stability and Health Status

2008 ◽  
Vol 29 (11) ◽  
pp. 1471-1491 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert B. Nielsen ◽  
Steven Garasky
Keyword(s):  
Health Insurance ◽  
Multivariate Analyses ◽  
Private Insurance ◽  
Insurance Coverage ◽  
Health Insurance Coverage ◽  
Adult Health ◽  
Program Participation ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Personal Insurance

Being uninsured affects one's ability to access medical services and maintain health. Using longitudinal data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation, the authors investigated how individual and family insurance coverage affects adult health. They found that health insurance coverage often varies across family members and changes frequently. Employing multivariate analyses that control for personal insurance status, predisposing characteristics, and enabling resources, the authors show that adults who are members of families that include other uninsured members are more likely to report poor health than adults in full-coverage families. Policy makers should consider refocusing public and private insurance coverage goals to include full-family coverage.

scholarly journals The future of internal medicine in the United States and Poland

2014 ◽  
Vol 124 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-54
Author(s):  
Candace M. Wilson ◽  
Olusegun Taylor ◽  
Andrzej Prystupa ◽  
Wojciech Załuska
Keyword(s):  
Internal Medicine ◽  
United States ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Cost Savings ◽  
The United States ◽  
The Body ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
The Future ◽  
Holistic Manner

Abstract Internal medicine physicians are critical to the health of the population. Internal medicine doctors also bring cost savings in health care because they treat many systems in the body and treat the patients in a holistic manner. However, the popularity of the specialty of internal medicine is declining. This is due to the decreased compensation that internal medicine doctors obtain when compared to their colleagues who specialize in other fields. The decline in number of physicians specializing in internal medicine causes a decrease in the health of the population. Governments and policy makers must look for ways to reverse the trend of doctors not specializing in internal medicine

scholarly journals Occupational Stress and Mental Health Among Healthcare Workers Serving Socially Vulnerable Populations During the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Nelly Salgado de Snyder ◽  
Alice P. Villatoro ◽  
Marisol D. McDaniel ◽  
Ana Sofia Ocegueda ◽  
Deliana Garcia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Vulnerable Populations ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Safety Net ◽  
The United States ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Community Safety ◽  
Vulnerable Groups ◽  
Work Place

The purpose of this study was to analyze occupational and personal stressors, mental health indicators, perceived discrimination and help-seeking behaviors among healthcare workers and providers (HCWPs) serving socially vulnerable groups such as immigrants, refugees, farmworkers, homeless individuals, people living in poverty, and other disadvantaged populations in the United States (U.S.) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a cross-sectional descriptive approach, we gathered information between July and September 2020, from a sample of 407 affiliates of two national organizations of clinic-based HCWPs who worked at federally funded and community safety-net clinics. Informed consent was obtained from all participants who completed a self-administered online survey available in English and Spanish. Our results indicated that the HCWPs serving vulnerable groups in the midst of the pandemic experienced high levels of occupational and personal stressors as well as anxiety and depressive symptomology. Major occupational stressors were excessive workload, long working-hours, and institutional barriers to refer and follow-up on their clients' access to needed social services. High-rated personal stressors included sleep disorders, lack of and child-care, partner's loosing job, and other family related situations. Our findings suggest that HCWPs working with vulnerable populations need specialized interventions that bolster their mental health and well-being as the pandemic continues to unfold. We recommend implementing initiatives that encourage HCWPs' to be actively involved in clinic decisions regarding employee safety and protection as well as in management decisions to improve work place infrastructure and capacity to respond to the social needs of their clients. Lessons learned from the pandemic are useful tools in designing protocols for addressing the mental-health needs of HCWPs in health-care organizations that attend to socially underprivileged populations.

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