Health literacy and mental well-being among university students in the United States.

Objective: Exploration of the relationship between mental health constructs and physical health constructs can help practitioners better understand the mental health of vulnerable populations, such as college students in the United States. The purpose of this exploratory study was to investigate the connection between mental well-being and health literacy of US college students. Participants: The sample included 410 undergraduate students (63% white; 71% female) attending universities across the United States. Methods: Participants completed the All Aspects of Health Literacy Scale and the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale. Univariate and bivariate statistics were observed for all study variables, and three linear regression models were run to see whether functional, communicative, and/or critical health literacy scores predicted mental well-being. Conclusions: Findings suggest that health literacy was associated with improved mental well-being among US college students, which has implications for health programming at US universities, such as the coordination of physical and mental healthcare.

Mental performance and mental health services in sport: a call for interprofessional competence and collaboration.

The provision of holistic care for athletes often involves interprofessional teams with specialists to support athletic performance and overall wellness. Yet, regarding psychological support, some have advocated for a single professional to attain both a certified mental performance consultant (CMPC) credential and any type of mental health license (e.g., Licensed Psychologist [LP], Licensed Social Worker [LSW], or Licensed Professional Counselor [LPC]) to address the mental performance and mental health needs of athletes. Unfortunately, this approach may hinder interprofessional collaboration and ignore distinctions between CMPCS and other types of mental health professionals. Alternatively, CMPCs and various types of mental health professionals may work together on interprofessional psychological support teams. The purpose of this paper is to clarify the distinct historical and theoretical foundations of mental performance consulting, clinical psychology, social work, and professional counseling in sport contexts to serve as a resource for enhancing interprofessional competence within such teams. The distinct training pathways of CMPCs, LPs, LSWs, and LPCs are outlined with attention to how each can serve a valuable role on an interprofessional support team for athletes. Applications of the World Health Organization's framework for interprofessional education and collaborative practice (IPECP) to psychological support teams in sport contexts is discussed.

Naloxone availability in independent community pharmacies in Georgia, 2019.

BACKGROUND: Increasing the availability of naloxone among people who use opioids, and friends and family of past and present people who use opioids is a vitally important mission to reduce the occurrence of opioid-related overdose deaths. The purpose of this study was to determine the availability of naloxone in independent community pharmacies in Georgia. Secondary objectives include determining pharmacists' knowledge regarding the standing order and ability to counsel regarding naloxone. METHODS: A cross-sectional study using a secret shopper approach with phone contact was conducted over a period of 10 months. The study was population based and was conducted at all independent pharmacies in the state of Georgia. All independent community pharmacies in the state of Georgia were contacted and asked the naloxone questions with a 96% response rate (n = 520). RESULTS: Five hundred fifty-eight independent community pharmacies were called, with a 96% response rate (n = 520 pharmacies). Two hundred-twenty pharmacies reported having naloxone in stock. Of the 335 pharmacists asked, 174 (51.9%) incorrectly said that a prescription was required. The mean (SD) cash price was $148.02 (27.40), with a range of $0 to $300. Of 237 pharmacists asked who had naloxone in stock or who stated they could get naloxone in stock, 212 stated that they could demonstrate how to use it, 8 stated they could not, and 17 said that they possibly could or were unsure how to use it. CONCLUSIONS: This study provided insight into the limited availability of naloxone at independent community pharmacies in Georgia after the standing order was issued. The majority of pharmacists at independent pharmacies in Georgia were not using the publicly available state naloxone standing order. Additionally, the low availability of naloxone and its high cost for uninsured individuals are significant structural barriers for reducing opioid-related mortality.

Physical health literacy of student-athletes.

Student-athletes are a vulnerable population who face many unique stressors and often engage in risky physical behaviours. Understanding that high levels of health literacy (HL) can lead to improved health knowledge and decreased negative health outcomes, the purpose of this study was to assess the HL of both student-athletes and their non-athlete peers attending NCAA Division I, II and III institutions. Specifically, guided by Nutbeam's (2000) framework of HL, we assessed functional, communicative and critical HL in 205 student-athletes and 205 non-athlete students using the All Aspects of Health Literacy Scale. Compared to non-athletes, student-athletes had lower functional HL (b = 0.20; p < .001; d = 0.21), lower communicative HL (b = 0.12; p < .01; d = 0.13) and higher critical HL (b = 0.11; p < .05; d = 0.11). These findings suggest that additional interventions may be needed to increase the self-sufficiency of student-athletes to care for personal physical health. As social work in sport is an emerging subspecialty of the profession, social workers may consider increased involvement in advocating for this group by working with individuals, coaches and teams to decrease stigma in requesting health services, attending to the complexity of interacting systems and stressors in student-athletes' lives in therapeutic interventions, and connecting them to empowering health education resources.

Health-Related Quality of Life and Health Literacy among Mexican American and Black American Youth in a Southern Border State.

Among adults, health literacy and health-related quality of life are highly correlated constructs that are associated with tangible health outcomes. While the connection between these concepts and health outcomes among youth is still unclear, studying these factors among at-risk adolescent populations can provide researchers, policy-creators, and educators a quantifiable summary of the challenge they face in their efforts to reduce health disparities. The purpose of this study was to better understand the health of minority youth living in a Southern state near the US-Mexico border. Specifically, we sought to describe their health literacy and health-related quality of life, and identify how those concepts may be interrelated. Results indicated that our sample of primarily Mexican American and Black American youth living along the US-Mexico border may be struggling more than other known high-risk groups in terms of health literacy and health-related quality of life. Practical implications for families, schools, and border communities are discussed.

Youth Perspectives of Healthcare in Central Mexico: An Application of Massey's Critical Health Literacy Framework.

Attention to health literacy is essential more now than ever given the recognition, attention, and resources being dedicated to addressing health disparities throughout the world. Unfortunately, health literacy research is scarce in many parts of the world, particularly among youth. Using focus group discussions with junior high school students (N = 98) in a rural town of Central Mexico, we sought to learn about their experiences utilizing healthcare services at a local health clinic. The themes that naturally emerged from focus group discussions aligned with Massey's framework on critical health literacy among US youth, and included problems navigating the health system, embarrassment speaking to doctors about sensitive issues, and minimal importance being placed on preventative care. This suggests that Massey's framework may be appropriate to use when seeking to understand and promote health literacy among youth in Mexico. Furthermore, the challenges faced by adolescent participants in this study suggest that additional research is needed to assess how youth in other areas of Mexico are faring in efforts to understand and access their new and evolving universal healthcare system.

Pregnant with a perforated levonorgestrel intrauterine system and visible threads at the cervical os.

We present a case in which a patient presented with a pregnancy of unknown location and normally rising human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) levels but with a levonorgestrel intrauterine device (LNG-IUD) present. The LNG-IUD had been placed 4.5 years ago. Although unintended, this pregnancy was desired. Strings were clearly visible and initial 2D ultrasound suggested intrauterine location of the LNG-IUD. The LNG-IUD could not be removed however. The patient was managed expectantly with close follow-up, serial beta-hCGs and serial ultrasounds until definitive diagnosis of the location of the pregnancy. The patient was diagnosed with an ectopic pregnancy and during laparoscopy the body of the IUD was noted in the posterior cul-de-sac. When patients present with multiple competing clinical problems it is important to look at the patient as a whole, taking into account their desires, in order to construct a cohesive management plan.