RESUMO
Teenage pregnancy rates in Uganda are among the highest in sub-Saharan Africa. Child marriage is often the result of unmarried teenage pregnancy and is recognised by Uganda's government as a form of sexual violence and an outcome of inequality. However, unmarried motherhood incurs stigma and shame within traditionally living rural communities. Using co-produced Open Space and ethnographic methods, we examined the psychosocial impact of unmarried motherhood on girls and their communities, and explored problem-solving with key local stakeholders. Findings indicate that girls experience extreme stress, social exclusion and rejection by their families, and experience bereavement from school expulsion and the loss of their career aspirations. Depressive symptoms and suicidal behaviour are reportedly not uncommon among this population group. Community and family efforts to promote marriage for these mothers to avoid social stigma increased the mothers' feelings of depression, whereas mothers who became independent appeared to fare better psychologically. Community members and local stakeholders demonstrated a willingness to act locally to reduce the negative impacts of unmarried motherhood but lacked knowledge and support resources. Our findings indicate that mental health promotion for teenage mothers is likely to be better served through empowerment strategies rather than marriage and, in a context of poor mental health service access, there is a substantial role for community mobilisation and the promotion of self-help strategies to support teenage mothers. This study raises important points regarding different community understandings of depression and indicates collaboration between professionals and communities for a values-based approach.
Assuntos
Mães Adolescentes , Suicídio , Gravidez , Feminino , Criança , Adolescente , Humanos , Pessoa Solteira , Uganda , População Rural , Depressão , Educação em SaúdeRESUMO
Gallbladder cancer (GBC) is a rare pathology in Western countries. However, it constitutes a relevant health problem in Asia and Latin America, with a high mortality in middle-aged Chilean women. The limited therapeutic options for GBC require the identification of targetable proteins with prognostic value for improving clinical management support. We evaluated the expression of targetable proteins, including three epithelial tumor markers, four proteins associated with multidrug and apoptosis resistance, and eleven immunological markers in 241 primary gallbladder adenocarcinomas. We investigated correlations between tumor marker expression, the primary tumor staging, and GBC patients' survival using automated immunohistochemistry, a semi-automatic method for image analysis, univariate and multivariate statistical analyses, and machine learning algorithms. Our data show a significant association between the expression of MRP2 (p = 0.0028), CXCR4 (p = 0.0423), and PD-L1 (p = 0.0264), and a better prognosis for patients with late-stage primary tumors. The expression of the MRP2/CXCR4/PD-L1 cluster of markers discriminates among short-, medium-, and long-term patient survival, with an ROC of significant prognostic value (AUC = 0.85, p = 0.0012). Moreover, a high MRP2/CXCR4/PD-L1 co-expression is associated with increased survival time (30 vs. 6 months, p = 0.0025) in GBC patients, regardless of tumor stage. Hence, our results suggest that the MRP2/CXCR4/PD-L1 cluster could potentially be a prognostic marker for GBC.
RESUMO
This study aimed to describe the perspectives of surgical patients towards postoperative pain management during their hospital stay. Thirty strategically chosen postoperative inpatients from different surgical wards in a university hospital in Sweden participated. A qualitative, descriptive approach using individual interviews was chosen. These were tape-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed according to a qualitative content analysis. The patients' descriptions of postoperative pain management indicated that pain was a symptom that was always in focus, either because it was constantly present or because pain could appear abruptly during different activities and movements. Although the focus was on pain and an awareness that it should be relieved or avoided, the solutions were often routine, short-term, and involved the regular intake of drugs, plus additional medication if needed for an acute pain episode. From the patients' descriptions of their experience with postoperative pain management, we distinguished three categories: "patients' pain knowledge", "patients' pain management approaches", and "patients' views of health-care professionals". The findings from this study highlight important aspects of nursing care that should receive greater attention in postoperative pain management. The patients' narratives could be a valuable asset in the quality improvement of postoperative pain management as these narratives highlight episodes difficult to elicit in other ways.