China
Africa
Explore chapters and articles related to this topic
Introduction
Published in Rachel Kim, Economics and Management in the Biopharmaceutical Industry in the USA, 2018
Another pharmaceutical industry contribution is the improvement of mental health and the increased social awareness of its significance in society. Whether mental health issues are minor or significant, they keep people from functioning at normal levels and from experiencing a high quality of life. In the United States, mental health care services have been structured by the National Treatment Guidelines; however, achieving quality of care remains a challenge due to various issues in local communities (Young, Klap, Sherbourne, & Wells, 2001). Despite the challenges, mental health care has come a long way from the laissez-faire accusation of “making healthy people sick” (Moynihan, Heath, & Henry, 2002) or from the radical approach of “electroconvulsive therapy” (Shorter, 2008). While medicines for mental health patients have been controversial, mental health patients need the appropriate medicines and/or therapies to alleviate their pain, be functioning members of society, and interact with family and other caretakers. Unfortunately, achieving quality care in the United States, specifically regarding mental health care, has not been easy (McGlynn et al., 2003). Recently, mental health care issues in the United States have worsened. One reason for this is the high use and abuse of prescription painkillers. The details of this new health-care epidemic will be discussed in Chapter 10.
Qatar
Published in Braithwaite Jeffrey, Mannion Russell, Matsuyama Yukihiro, Paul G. Shekelle, Whittaker Stuart, Al-Adawi Samir, Healthcare Systems:, 2018
Yousuf Al Maslamani, Noora Alkaabi, Nagah Abdelaziz Selim
As a high-socioeconomic-status country currently undergoing rapid development and urbanization, Qatar is experiencing a shift in cultural norms that may influence the values of traditional family, family ties, and welfare. In much of the Arab world, including Qatar, the family is traditionally the main source of support and care for its older and disabled members, helping them with day-to-day activities and giving them financial assistance and emotional support (Abyad, 2001). However, changes brought about by industrialization, including the increased participation of women in the workforce, have led to the decline of the traditional extended family. Without this support network, family caregivers are more likely to face physical, psychological, cultural, and financial challenges, all of which negatively influence the quality of life of both carers and those they care for (Al-Shammari et al., 2000).
Sustainable Development and Organizational Sustainability
Published in Dalia Štreimikienė, Asta Mikalauskiene, Remigijus Ciegis, Sustainable Development, Leadership, and Innovations, 2019
Dalia Štreimikienė, Asta Mikalauskiene, Remigijus Ciegis
Thus, fundamentally sustainable development provides a better quality of life for our generation as well as those in the future (Elliott 2005). Quality of life includes such important aspects as the environmental conditions, state of personal and public health, security, material welfare, psychological well-being, emotional condition, social ties, etc. Moreover, the improvement of the environmental condition is not an end in itself, as environmental imbalance sooner or later disturbs economic development and deteriorates people’s quality of life. Therefore, the main objective of sustainable development is to meet the people’s basic physical, material, social, and spiritual needs and to allow them to freely choose, develop, and use their potential (Ciegis 2004). It is possible to achieve it if there is an effective environmental protection and healthcare system, accessible education and information; also, if people have conditions to work and earn money, participate in public activities, etc. Of course, in order to meet the present and future basic needs of citizens and to ensure a high quality of life, it is necessary to strengthen the economy (Ciegis, Ramanauskiene, and Martinkus 2009). However, economic growth and social welfare alone are not enough to make people happy. Society requires opportunities for freedom, choice, self-realization, and spiritual growth. Sustainable development is often equated with such environmental activities as waste sorting, recycling, biodiversity protection, etc. Nevertheless, the concept of sustainable development is much broader and essential aspects of human social development and improvement should not be forgotten.
State of science: refitting the human to nature
Published in Ergonomics, 2023
Miles Richardson, Andrew Thatcher
As noted earlier, the focus of HFE work on People and Technology is focussed on successful technology, which ultimately wins the battle for attention, increases consumption and depletes the natural world. HFE can be seen to be facilitating the safe and efficient rise of the technological ape and its use and control of nature. However, technology will continue to develop and must be integrated into developing a closer relationship with nature. For example, now ever-present smartphone technology has been used to prompt people to engage with nature for positive effect. McEwan et al. (2019) developed a smartphone app that tracked user’s movements and prompted them to notice and record the good things in nature when near green spaces in Sheffield using around 1000 ‘geofences’ in the city. This approach targeted moments outside since the vast majority of time is now spent indoors and directed attention towards nature as less connected people tend to turn their attention to the built environment (Bingjing, Chen, and Shuhua 2022). Indeed, the study found that people who spent less time outdoors and had lower baseline nature connectedness scores improved more on nature connectedness measures. Overall, the study found statistically significant and sustained improvements in mental wellbeing one-month after being prompted to notice nature. This improvement in wellbeing was partly explained by significant increases in nature connectedness. For those living with a mental health difficulty, clinically significant improvements in quality of life were also found.
A research on the effects of successful aging on the acceptance and use of technology of the elderly
Published in Assistive Technology, 2022
Quality of life reflects a broad structure vis-à-vis life satisfaction and subjective well-being (Motel-Klingebiehl, 2004). Subjective well-being and life satisfaction are the factors of quality of life (George, 2000). Although the quality of life is relevant to the personal perception of life satisfaction (Bowling & Gabriel, 2004), it involves objective and subjective self-assessment of physical health, physiological functionality, psychological health, social expectations and the biological environment (WHOQOL, 1998). Perception of the individual on the life status, the system of values relevant to the environment, expectations, anxiety, emotions, and goals in terms of culture determine the life perspective of the individual (Harper & Power, 1998). This perspective is a crucial determinant of the individual’s behavior in the aging process. Successful aging involves well-being, life satisfaction, quality of life. On the other hand, social and physical environments and developing technology are the other determinants in the aging process.
Age, gender, and racial/ethnic differences in the association of triclocarban with adulthood obesity using NHANES 2013–2016
Published in Archives of Environmental & Occupational Health, 2020
Uloma Igara Uche, Christopher C. King
Obesity among US adults has been and continues to be a critical public health concern.1 It has been associated with chronic diseases, reduced quality of life, and negative mental health outcomes with increasing prevalence.2–6 It is also considered one of the leading causes of death in the US. The prevalence rate of adulthood obesity increased from 30.5% to 42.4% between 1999 and 2018, with differences seen in age, sex, and race/ethnicity categories. According to the Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), adults aged 20–39 years, 40–59 years, and 60 and over had prevalence rates of 40%, 44.8%, and 42.8%, respectively, in 2018. In the same year, non-Hispanic black adults had the highest prevalence compared to other races. Likewise, women had a higher prevalence of obesity compared to men.7