Member Checking With Older Women: A Framework for Negotiating Meaning

Understanding of the risk of HIV infection among the elderly in Ga-Rankuwa, South Africa

The literature pertaining to the elderly shows that HIV infection among this population is on the increase, suggesting that the elderly population engages in activities risky for HIV infection. Reports on such behaviour include frequent sexual relations with much younger people and having multiple partners. A study was carried out in Ga-Rankuwa, a black township in Gauteng Province, South Africa to explore and describe the understanding of these elderly people regarding their risks of HIV infection and AIDS. Using a qualitative, exploratory design, three focus-group interviews were conducted with 32 women aged over 50 years. Findings revealed that older persons have knowledge about transmission of HIV infection and AIDS. However, a few had misconceptions as to how HIV infection is transmitted, as they believed that poor nutrition and sharing facilities play a role. Knowledge of mechanisms of protecting themselves against infection, such as use of a condom during coitus and wearing gloves when caring for infected family members, was also evident. The elderly indicated that they would prefer an older person, who they could identify with, to educate them more about HIV infection and AIDS. Although majority of participants had knowledge of how HIV is transmitted, and issues that put them at risk of transmission, a few the older persons had misconceptions about how HIV is transmitted due to lack of knowledge, as they believed that poor nutrition and sharing facilities can transmit infection. The lack of knowledge underscores the importance of addressing sexual risk with older people. It was very clear that more needs to be done in terms of education campaigns to dispel the myths of HIV infection and to empower the elderly.

Families of choice and noncollegiate sororities and fraternities among lesbian and bisexual African-American women in a southern community: implications for sexual and reproductive health research

Background Self-identified lesbian and bisexual African-American women living in the southern United States are a relatively hidden subpopulation within the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. Existing research suggests that African-American lesbian and bisexual women are at high risk for sexually transmissible infections (STIs), but the sexual and reproductive health needs of this population are just beginning to be understood.

METHODS

We conducted four focus groups and five individual interviews with 24 lesbian and bisexual African-American women living in the Jackson, Mississippi, metropolitan area, recruited through the local STI clinic and through word of mouth. We aimed to characterise the role of two types of social organisations (lesbian families and noncollegiate lesbian sororities and fraternities) among the local LGBT community, and their influence on the sexual health of their members.

RESULTS

Both types of social organisations serve positive functions for their members. Lesbian families provide support and stability; this appears beneficial for younger individuals, who may lack support from biological families. Lesbian sororities and fraternities are visible due to their emphasis on community service, and offer a strong sense of solidarity and belonging. In both organisation types, discussions about sex were common, although members acknowledged a lack of information regarding safer sex among lesbian and bisexual women.

CONCLUSIONS

Existing social organisations within the LGBT community, such as lesbian families and lesbian sororities and fraternities, should be incorporated into community-based popular opinion leader or lay heath advisor interventions in an effort to meet the sexual and reproductive health needs of marginalised populations.

Unanticipated death of a partner: the loss experience of bereaved girlfriends of fallen Israeli soldiers

This qualitative study examined the loss experience of 15 Israeli bereaved girlfriends of fallen soldiers. The girlfriends of fallen Israeli soldiers are socially unacknowledged as being bereaved. This disenfranchised experience of grief is conveyed through social exclusion components and personal experiences of grief that were conceptualized into four themes: (a) learning about the loss; (b) loneliness and lack of social support; (c) intensifying initial experiences while creating alternative social networks; and (d) missed opportunities. The results provide new insight into the concept of disenfranchised grief suggesting it is a multidimensional experience that includes personal, interpersonal, and social dimensions, each of which falls along a continuum ranging from a sense of acceptance to a sense of exclusion. Results also suggest that there are various depths to the experience of disenfranchised grief, which changes over time. Thus, disenfranchised grief is an ongoing and temporal personal, interpersonal, and social experience. Practical implications are discussed.

Recognizability: a strategy for assessing external validity and for facilitating knowledge transfer in qualitative research

In this article, we argue in favor of quality assessment for qualitative studies and propose using a strategy we have labeled recognizability to assess external validity and facilitate knowledge transfer. To test our idea, we gathered data about recognizability in relation to a specific study on facial disfigurement. Four categories were identified: full recognition; partial recognition; recognition in others; and no recognition. In this article, we show how we used these categories both to evaluate the quality of our study and to assess its external validity. We also discuss the implications of recognizability for knowledge transfer.

"Being-in-the-world-of-care": the lived experiences of older people receiving community aged care packages in Queensland

The lived experiences of older people living in Queensland who were receiving a Community Aged Care Package (CACP) were explored using Heidegger's interpretive hermeneutical phenomenological approach. A number of key themes were identified including the importance these older people placed on personal autonomy and the central significance of relationships. The comprehensive understanding developed revealed that the meanings of care experiences can significantly alter the older person's lived experiences and personal identity. This understanding can enhance the development of care practices that are more likely to support the older person's active participation in care and their own life choices.

Brain Injury from a First Nations' Perspective: Teachings from Elders and Traditional Healers

Background. There is a lack of knowledge about how cultural ideas affect First Nations peoples' perception of rehabilitation needs and the ability to access services.

Purpose. The study explored the perceptions of treating and healing brain injury from First Nations elders and traditional healers in the communities served by Wassay-Gezhig-Na-Nahn-Dah-We-Igamig (Kenora Area Health Access Centre).

Methods. A participatory action approach was used, leading to a focus group with elders and traditional healers. Findings, established through a framework analysis method, were member checked prior to dissemination.

Findings. Four themes arose from the data: pervasiveness of spirituality, “fixing” illness or injury versus living with wellness, working together in treating brain injury, and financial support needed for traditional healing.

Implications. Funding is required for traditional healing services to provide culturally safe and responsive occupational therapy services to First Nations individuals with brain injury.

Living with a diagnosis of non-small cell lung cancer: patients' lived experiences

The aim of this study was to explore patients' experience of living with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Patients diagnosed with NSCLC know that their treatment is not with curative intent and can expect distressing symptoms. In this phenomenological study, six adults with a diagnosis of NSCLC were interviewed. Data was analysed guided by van Manen's six-step process. Four main themes were interpreted: 'Maintaining my life'; 'The enemy within'; 'Staying on the train', and 'I'm still me'. The study findings contribute to nurses' understanding of patients living with this distressing diagnosis, where treatment is palliative. Understanding these patients' experiences can help nurses to interact in a different way, and to maximize opportunities to care holistically for this group of patients and best meet their needs.