Socio-Demographic Characteristics, Body Weight Status and Energy Intake among Users and Non-Users of Dietary Supplements among Government Employees in Putrajaya, Malaysia.

The use of dietary supplements is prevalent among many groups worldwide. However, few studies have examined their use among government employees. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to determine the association among sociodemographic characteristics, body weight status, and energy intake with dietary supplement use among government employees in Putrajaya, Malaysia. Simple random sampling was used to select a sample of 460 government employees from six ministries in Putrajaya, Malaysia. The data used in this study were collected through anthropometric measurements (height, weight, % body fat, waist and hip circumferences), a self-administered questionnaire (sociodemographic characteristics and dietary supplements use), and an interviewer-administered questionnaire (24-hour dietary recall; fruit and vegetable intake). The results indicated that the prevalence of dietary supplement use was 55.4%, with vitamin C (38.4%) being the most popular type of dietary supplement. Health issues (80.8%) were the most common reason for usage, internet (59.2%) was the main source of information, and pharmacies (71.8%) were the most indicated places to purchase dietary supplements. A multivariate analysis showed that participants who were female, married, had better monthly income, lived within a smaller household size, had a normal body mass index, classified as having unhealthily high body fat percentage, did not skip breakfast, and consumed at least five servings of fruits and vegetables per day were significantly more likely to use dietary supplements. In conclusion, health-conscious groups were more prone to consume dietary supplements, and due to the high prevalence of dietary supplement use, dissemination of accurate scientific information regarding dietary supplements is highly recommended among government employees.

The health effects of work-family conflict in men and women Japanese civil servants: a longitudinal study.

High level of work-family conflict (WFC) is an important risk factor for stress-related health outcomes. However, many studies are cross-sectional studies. In this study, we aimed to clarify how changes in WFC levels over a period 5 yr can affect workers' mental and physical health, and to clarify whether there are gender differences of them. This study examined 1,808 civil servants (1,258 men and 550 women) aged 20-65 yr working in a local government in the west coast of Japan from 2003 to 2008. Logistic regression analyses were used to examine whether the change in WFC contributes to workers' health problems and whether there are gender differences. This study revealed association sustained high WFC and deterioration of WFC conflict with poor mental health and poor job satisfaction for both men and women. In men high WFC conflict and deterioration was associated with poor mental health (OR=2.74). On the other hand, women had strong relationship between WFC changes and poor physical health (OR=2.64). WFC was an important factor as a social determinant of health of Japanese civil servants, and the change in WFC affects subsequent health problems with different trends in men and women.

On Voluntariness in Wellness: Considering Organizational Health Contingent Incentives.

Some would argue that if taking an examination to receive an incentive is not mandatory, it's voluntary no matter the size of the monetary reward. Others have concerns with how often employers use the word "required" when communicating how employees can earn an incentive. This in spite of clear rules that indicate "health contingent" incentive designs (those based on health measures rather than on completing activities) are an either/or proposition. That is, you can either earn (this amount) by (achieving a clinical standard) or by (participating in or attaining an alternative standard). This editorial examines the merits and demerits of organizational health contingent use of incentives. It is posited that employers can best satisfy a voluntariness standard in their use of financial incentives in wellness programs when the use of incentives are well integrated into a measurably robust, organizational culture that visibly values health; and when all employees are well versed in the meaning of, and opportunities for, reasonable alternatives for earning an incentive. Concerns about the administrative burden behind this idea and other potential unintended consequences of including measures of a culture of health to meet a voluntariness standard are also presented.

The gap between entitlement and access to healthcare: An analysis of "candidacy" in the help-seeking trajectories of asylum seekers in Montreal.

In 2012 the Canadian government made significant cuts to its historically strong federal refugee health coverage plan. While this policy had negligible effects on the level of coverage provided to asylum seekers in Quebec, there is evidence that this group nonetheless experienced reduced healthcare access during the period of polarized national debate that ensued. This study engaged the "candidacy" model of healthcare access to illuminate factors contributing to the observed gap between entitlement and access. Twenty-five semi-structured interviews were conducted with asylum seekers in Montreal to elicit narrative accounts of difficulties encountered in the pursuit of healthcare. Thematic content analysis in conjunction with a holistic examination of help-seeking trajectories revealed several important barriers to obtaining care, including widespread confusion and misinformation about refugee health coverage, cumbersome administrative procedures specific to asylum seekers, and long wait times. Feelings of marginalization and insecurity associated with precarious migratory status appeared to amplify the effects of these barriers to care such that even a minor access difficulty could have dramatic effects on future help-seeking and access outcomes. Demonstrating awareness of public discourses interrogating their deservingness of health coverage, participants often interpreted access difficulties as evidence of health professionals' unwillingness to serve them. Such interpretations conspired with fears associated with the asylum claim process to suppress self-advocacy, further help-seeking, and at times even information-seeking. This finding is particularly significant in that it suggests a mechanism through which hostile public representations of forced migrants-increasingly prevalent in Western host countries-can themselves endanger the physical, psychological, and social health of highly disadvantaged populations, even in the presence of strong entitlement policies. We close with reflections on how theoretical models of healthcare access might be adjusted to better accommodate the unique experiences of precarious status migrants.

Social representations of health councilors regarding the right to health and citizenship. / Representações sociais de conselheiros de saúde acerca do direito à saúde e da cidadania.

OBJECTIVE: To know the structure of the social representations of right to health and citizenship of health municipal councilors. METHOD: This is a qualitative study, based on the central nucleus theory of social representations, carried out in eight municipalities of the Integrated Region for the Development of the Surroundings of the Federal District, Brazil. The intentional sample consisted of municipal health councilors. Between June and December 2012, free recall questionnaires were used, of which 68 were answered with the inducing term health, and 64 with the inducing term citizenship. Data were analyzed using EVOC software and Bardin's content analysis. RESULTS: The representational field of the right to health is associated with the idea of universal law guaranteed by the Constitution and the Unified Health System (SUS), and of citizenship linked to rights and duties. CONCLUSIONS: The conceptions of right to health are understood as a condition for reaching citizenship, and citizenship as social protection.

Representações sociais de conselheiros de saúde acerca do direito à saúde e da cidadania / Representaciones sociales de concejales de salud sobre el derecho a la salud y a la ciudadanía / Social representations of health councilors regarding the right to health and citizenship

RESUMO Objetivo Conhecer a estrutura das representações sociais de direito à saúde e cidadania de conselheiros municipais de saúde. Método Estudo qualitativo, fundamentado nas Teorias das Representações Sociais e do Núcleo Central, realizado em oito municípios da Região Integrada de Desenvolvimento do Entorno do Distrito Federal, Brasil. A amostra intencional foi composta por conselheiros municipais de saúde. Entre junho e dezembro de 2012 aplicaram-se questionários de evocação livre, dos quais foram respondidos 68 com o termo indutor Direito à Saúde e 64 com o termo indutor Cidadania. Os dados foram analisados por meio do software EVOC e da análise de conteúdo de Bardin. Resultados O campo representacional de direito à saúde está associado à ideia de direito universal garantido pela Constituição e pelo SUS e de cidadania vinculado aos direitos e deveres. Conclusões As concepções de direito à saúde são entendidas enquanto condição para alcance da cidadania e cidadania como proteção social.

RESUMEN Objetivo Conocer la estructura de las representaciones sociales de la salud y el derecho a la ciudadanía de la salud de concejales. Estudio cualitativo basado en la teoría de las representaciones sociales y el núcleo central, realizado en los municipios de la región que rodea el Desarrollo Integrado del Distrito Federal, Brasil. Una muestra intencional fue compuesta por consejeros municipales de salud. Entre junio y diciembre de 2012 aplicaron cuestionarios de recuerdo libre, de los cuales fueron contestados 68 con el inductor del término derecho a la salud y 64 con el término ciudadanía inductor. Los datos fueron analizados utilizando el software EVOC y el análisis de contenido de Bardin. s El campo representacional derecho a la salud se asocia con la idea del derecho universal garantizado por la Constitución y el SUS y la ciudadanía vinculada a los derechos y deberes. El derecho de los conceptos de salud se entiende como condición para el logro de la ciudadanía y ciudadanía como protección social.

ABSTRACT Objective To know the structure of the social representations of right to health and citizenship of health municipal councilors. Method This is a qualitative study, based on the central nucleus theory of social representations, carried out in eight municipalities of the Integrated Region for the Development of the Surroundings of the Federal District, Brazil. The intentional sample consisted of municipal health councilors. Between June and December 2012, free recall questionnaires were used, of which 68 were answered with the inducing term health, and 64 with the inducing term citizenship. Data were analyzed using EVOC software and Bardin’s content analysis. Results The representational field of the right to health is associated with the idea of universal law guaranteed by the Constitution and the Unified Health System (SUS), and of citizenship linked to rights and duties. Conclusions The conceptions of right to health are understood as a condition for reaching citizenship, and citizenship as social protection.