Using latent class analysis to operationalize a wholistic assessment of Inuit health and well-being.

Many indigenous cultures conceptualize health wholistically, whereby physical, mental, spiritual and relational dimensions of health are interconnected. Yet, quantitative approaches to studying Indigenous health remain anchored in western perspectives, that separate the dimensions of health. This paper aims to operationalize a wholistic indicator of health based on the IQI model of Inuit health. Variables from the 2017 Nunavik Health Survey (N = 1196) were selected based on their representativeness of IQI model. Exploratory Latent Class Analysis (LCA) was used to identify wholistic health profiles. Once participants assigned to their health profile, sociodemographic characteristics were compared across profiles, and multinomial regression models were used to examine the relationship between community-level social determinants of health and the profiles. The LCA revealed three health profiles, labelled as "excellent", "good" and "fair" based on the distribution of answers to the indicators. Nunavimmiut in "excellent" and "good" health were more likely to: rate their health positively; be over 30 years old; be in a relationship; and have participated or volunteered in community events. Nunavimmiut in "fair" health tended to report lower levels of community cohesion, family relationships, and emotional support. Intergrating culturally relevant models of health can support improved health status assessments and identify opportunities for health promotion.

Wholistic humanized nursing care: A model for cultivating a humanistic caring mind in nursing students

@#<p style="text-align: justify;">The aim of this qualitative research was to identify the meaning of wholistic humanized nursing care, to identify the professional process of cultivating a humanistic mind, and to create the Cultivating Humanizing Nursing Care Model based on the experiences of nursing students and nurse instructors of Boromarajonani College of Nursing Saraburi. Data were collected from 3 focus group discussions, 50 nursing students, selected key informants from the 1st to 4th years, as well as 6 nursing instructors, using purposive sampling. In addition, in-depth interview from 4 instructors was conducted. The interviews data were transcribed and content analyzed. Nursing students perceived holistic humanized care as the high quality provided to patients and their families through unconditional love and compassion; competence, commitment along with empathy and sympathy, confidence and confidentiality. The nursing instructors perceived wholistic humanized care as a will to care directly for nursing students and patients, cultivate a humanistic caring mind in their students through the process of serving as role models to them, and equipping them with sufficient skills and knowledge, positive attitude toward nursing; and sustaining a close collaboration with them in preparing them to be future nurses and nursing instructors who possess a humanistic caring mind. The nursing students perceived wholistic humanized care as a way to show generosity in providing quality nursing acre to their patients, and a way to care for them through understanding their feelings, attitudes and thoughts, and providing to their needs with love and compassion. In conclusion, humanized care concepts proposed by theorists are an eye opener but to realize the true meaning of the concept the students need to have hand-on experiences which can only acquire from practicum and interaction with patients, and their nursing instructors. A Model for Cultivating a Humanistic Caring Mind in Nursing Students was therefore proposed in this study, and an experimental research to test this model has been recommended.</p>