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Daffu-O'Reilly A, Bharj K, Horne M, O'Connor D, Conner M, Astin F. Exploring the Religious Practice of Langar as a Route to Health Promotion in the Sikh Community in Northern England: A Qualitative Study. JOURNAL OF RELIGION AND HEALTH 2024:10.1007/s10943-024-02077-6. [PMID: 38972918 DOI: 10.1007/s10943-024-02077-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/15/2024] [Indexed: 07/09/2024]
Abstract
Cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes are prevalent among UK South Asians. Langar is a Sikh religious food practice that could be important in dietary health promotion. This study explored perceptions of langar, its role in health, readiness and strategies for change and whether Gurdwaras (Sikh place of worship) are able to support change. Using an exploratory qualitative design, we conducted eight focus groups and one single interview with 28 Gurdwara attendees (12 males, 16 females), analysing transcripts using thematic analysis. Four themes were developed that described the meaning of langar, the understanding of health among Sikhs, the evolution of langar and implications for health and changing langar to protect health. It can be concluded that any change to langar needs to be gradual, respectful and widely supported. This research has scope to continue in light of the potential impact on health for the Sikh community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amrit Daffu-O'Reilly
- School of Healthcare, University of Leeds, Baines Wing, Leeds, LS2 9JT, England.
| | - Kuldip Bharj
- School of Healthcare, University of Leeds, Baines Wing, Leeds, LS2 9JT, England
| | - Maria Horne
- School of Healthcare, University of Leeds, Baines Wing, Leeds, LS2 9JT, England
| | - Daryl O'Connor
- School of Psychology, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, England
| | - Mark Conner
- School of Psychology, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, England
| | - Felicity Astin
- School of Health, Wellbeing and Social Care, The Open University, Milton Keynes, PO Box 197, Buckinghamshire, MK7 6AA, England
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Niu L, Miraj M, Chuntian L, Ur Rehman R, Shereen S. Global coronavirus vaccination campaign: The role of religious workers in vaccine distribution, public mobilization and the eradication of nationalism. Work 2024; 77:3-21. [PMID: 37638467 DOI: 10.3233/wor-230092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/29/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Throughout history, the world has faced numerous health challenges and outbreaks, but through the dedication of medical professionals, solutions have been found. Despite this, the emergence of the coronavirus (COVID-19) has presented a new and dangerous threat. Nevertheless, with unwavering commitment, health experts have triumphantly discovered a remedy. OBJECTIVES The study aimed to examine how religious workers worldwide could contribute positively to ensuring the fair distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, addressing vaccine hesitancy, encouraging people to get vaccinated, and preventing vaccine nationalism. METHOD Our study employed a refined qualitative content analysis methodology to categorize factual information and pave the way for subsequent policymakers. We meticulously curetted the most trustworthy secondary data sources and utilized them to analyze the study. RESULTS The content analysis reveals that religious workers played an active role in the global coronavirus vaccination drive by working towards better vaccine distribution, encouraging people to get vaccinated and countering hesitation and nationalism. CONCLUSION In light of the discoveries, it would be prudent for policymakers to engage religious workers in advancing the cause of public health, regardless of whether the health matters are localized, national, or global in scale. This strategy has the potential to be both alluring and convincing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Long Niu
- Department of Sociology, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Institute for Empirical Social Science Research (IESSR), Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Muhammad Miraj
- School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Institute for Empirical Social Science Research (IESSR), Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Lu Chuntian
- School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Institute for Empirical Social Science Research (IESSR), Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | | | - Saima Shereen
- Government Degree College (GDC) Takht-E-Nasrati, Karak, Pakistan
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van Biljon HM, van Niekerk L, Plastow NA, Swanepoel L. Out-of-home life spaces valued by urban older adults with limited income. Afr J Disabil 2023; 12:1177. [PMID: 37293267 PMCID: PMC10244872 DOI: 10.4102/ajod.v12i0.1177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Access to, and occupational performance in, out-of-home-life-spaces is linked to health, wellbeing and quality of life for older adults. There is little evidence of how this relates to older adults with limited resources in an African urban context. Objectives To describe the out-of-home-life-spaces accessed and valued by older adults with limited resources, living in an urban South African setting. Method An exploratory concurrent mixed methods study saw 84 rehabilitation clinicians conduct 393 face-to-face interviews with older adults. Clinicians produced reflective field notes and participated in focus groups. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics with SPSS Version X. Qualitative data were analysed through inductive content analysis. Results Older adults walked, used mini-bus taxis or private vehicles to get to places of worship, medical facilities, shops, family and friends and special interest gatherings on a weekly or monthly frequency. Lack of funds was the main barrier. Older adults aspired to travel, go on holiday and to visit out-of-town family homes. Conclusion Exploring the daily lived experience of older, urban South Africans with limited resources brought to light the value they attribute to participation in activities that contribute to the wellbeing of their families and communities. Such activities are found in a variety of life spaces. Contribution Results could inform policy makers and service providers in their planning of community mobility, transportation services and health care, for older adults with limited resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hester M van Biljon
- Department of Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Lana van Niekerk
- Department of Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Nicola A Plastow
- Department of Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Lizette Swanepoel
- Department of Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
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Winata F, McLafferty SL. Therapeutic landscapes, networks, and health and wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic: A mixed-methods study among female domestic workers. Soc Sci Med 2023; 322:115803. [PMID: 36931104 PMCID: PMC9946732 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2023.115803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Revised: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has had profound impacts on access to and use of therapeutic landscapes and networks, especially for people who are vulnerable due to economic, social, and work-related disadvantage. For one such vulnerable population, Indonesian female domestic workers (FDWs) in Hong Kong, this study employed a mixed methods approach to examine the associations between perceptions of therapeutic landscapes (TLs), therapeutic networks (TNs), subjective wellbeing, and self-rated health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data from an online survey were analyzed via structural equation modeling (SEM) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to investigate the direct and indirect associations between TLs, TNs, and health and wellbeing. The findings demonstrate little or no association among FDWs' perceptions of TLs and TNs and FDWs' self-rated health and subjective wellbeing, except for a negative total association between TL and subjective wellbeing. Using insights gleaned from thematic analysis of in-depth interviews with FDWs, we suggest that these unexpected findings are mainly due to restricted access to public places, reduced social gatherings, and the fact that employers rarely granted days off during the lockdown. Although processes at the employer and municipal scales limited FDWs' access to therapeutic places, increased use of digital communications and spaces provided an important source of social and emotional support during the pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fikriyah Winata
- Department of Geosciences, Mississippi State University, 108 Hilbun Hall, 355 Lee Boulevard, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA.
| | - Sara L McLafferty
- Department Geography and Geographic Information Science, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Natural History Building, 1301 W. Green St. Urbana, Illinois, 61801, USA.
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Davis H, Elmer S, Graves K, Learmonth C. Codesign and community outreach to create COVID-19 safe communities: A Karen community case study. Front Public Health 2023; 11:1081767. [PMID: 37033045 PMCID: PMC10079966 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1081767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023] Open
Abstract
During the COVID-19 pandemic, government directives for health and community services focused on building capacity for COVID-19 safe behaviors. During 2020-2021, there was mounting pressure to increase vaccination numbers to boost population-wide immunity, thereby enabling the lessening of pandemic response restrictions. The Australian population, in general, faced communication hurdles in understanding COVID-19, government directives and policies, and health initiatives. This was particularly challenging given the rapid changes in disease behaviors and community response requirements. This community case study documents local experience in delivering information about COVID-19 safety and vaccination to a former refugee community (the Karen community) in regional Victoria. Community outreach and codesign approaches established closer engagement between the Karen community and Bendigo Community Health Services (BCHS). This case study is explored through semi-structured interviews conducted face-to-face and via videoconferencing with key Karen community leaders, Karen community members, vaccination clinic volunteers, and BCHS staff and bicultural workers. A hybrid approach that employed community outreach and codesign approaches in tandem built trust and closer ties between the Karen community and BCHS, leading to increased understanding and compliance with COVID-19 safe messages and vaccination uptake. Community-led innovations included codesign of COVID-19 fact sheets and videos in the Karen language, involvement of "local champions," assisting Karen businesses with COVID-19 safe plans, and creation of a COVID-19 information hotline. The latter was facilitated by BCHS bicultural staff. These innovations supported the delivery of vaccination clinics at the local Karen Temple. Embedding multi-level, tailored, and responsive public health approaches is particularly important in complex settings where there are disproportionately high levels of community disadvantage, as occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hilary Davis
- The Centre for Social Impact, Faculty of Business and Law, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- *Correspondence: Hilary Davis,
| | - Shandell Elmer
- The Centre for Global Health and Equity, School of Health Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Kaye Graves
- Bendigo Community Health Services, Bendigo, VIC, Australia
| | - Caitlin Learmonth
- The Centre for Social Impact, Faculty of Business and Law, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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Delivering a childhood obesity prevention intervention using Islamic religious settings in the UK: What is most important to the stakeholders? Prev Med Rep 2021; 22:101387. [PMID: 34012766 PMCID: PMC8113716 DOI: 10.1016/j.pmedr.2021.101387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Revised: 02/28/2021] [Accepted: 04/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Obesity prevention interventions could be delivered through Islamic religious settings. Co-production with target communities is essential to ensure cultural sensitivity and relevance. Integrating Islamic narrative on healthy behaviours could enhance uptake and adherence. Interventions should be adequately resourced, considering the cost of staff, space and materials. Collaborating with external organisations can support scalability.
Ten per cent of the childhood population in the UK are of South Asian (SA) origin. Within this population, over 40% are living with overweight or obesity. The majority of SA children are Muslim and attend Islamic religious settings (IRS) daily after school. Because of their reach and influence, IRS may be an appropriate channel for obesity prevention initiatives. We conducted 20 in-depth interviews with parents of children attending IRS, 20 with Islamic leaders, and 3 focus group discussions with 26 managers and workers of IRS in Bradford and Birmingham. Topic guides were developed, interviews and focus group discussions were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analysed thematically. Muslim parents, Islamic leaders and IRS staff were supportive of the delivery of obesity prevention interventions for children using IRS. Participants identified important components of an intervention including: Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) as a role model for healthy lifestyle; healthy diet, physical activity, and organisational behaviour change within IRS. Participants suggested that Islamic narrative on healthy diet and physical fitness could increase delivery uptake. Staff showed willingness to conduct physical activity sessions for boys and girls. Barriers for the intervention delivery were poor funding systems and time constraints for staff. All participant groups thought that it would be possible to deliver a childhood obesity prevention intervention. Interventions should be co-designed, culturally and religiously sensitive and combine the scientific guidelines on healthy living with Islamic narrative on importance of healthy diet consumption and physical activity.
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Taheri S, Ghasemi Sichani M, Shabani A. Evaluating the literature of therapeutic landscapes with an emphasis on the search for the dimensions of health: A systematic review. Soc Sci Med 2021; 275:113820. [PMID: 33721742 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2021.113820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Revised: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Health geography emphasizes landscape capacity as a perspective for examining health dimensions. Much of this emphasis is on the concept of therapeutic landscapes. In the last two decades, changes in the therapeutic landscapes concerning health, as well as why and how the development of the emphasis on the dimensions of the health in the landscape in proportion to the temporal-spatial course of literature in this field can be considered. The framework of the present study is based on a systematic review of therapeutic landscapes in the geography of health in the last two decades. This systematic literature review followed the PRISMA guidelines. Searching for "Therapeutic Landscapes" term at Science Direct and PubMed, screening, 56 eligible articles were selected in the journal Social Science and Medicine, and Health and Place. The results of the systematic review, aiming to search for the health dimensions of the therapeutic landscape, and recognize main gaps, identified three main issues: scale and range of users of therapeutic landscapes, the position importance of experiences in therapeutic landscapes, therapeutic landscapes as the holistic paradigm. The results of the research show that in recent years, attention to multiple dimensions of health, especially non-physical relationships of therapeutic landscapes and multiple dimensions of health, has been considered more and more by researchers. Personal-social perceptions and experiences are also continually evolving, so the concept of therapeutic landscapes and its relationship to health is considered living and dynamic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shima Taheri
- Department of Architecture, Isfahan (Khorasgan) Branch, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran; Young Researchers and Elite Club, Isfahan (Khorasgan) Branch, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran.
| | - Maryam Ghasemi Sichani
- Department of Architecture, Isfahan (Khorasgan) Branch, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran; Community Health Research Center, Isfahan (Khorasgan) Branch, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran.
| | - Amirhosein Shabani
- Department of Urban planning, Najafabad Branch, Islamic Azad University, Najafabad, Iran; Advancement in Architecture and Urban planning Research Center, Najafabad Branch, Islamic Azad University, Najafabad, Iran.
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Ali P. Places of worship can be health promotion spaces for faith-based black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) communities. Evid Based Nurs 2021; 24:26. [PMID: 31848182 DOI: 10.1136/ebnurs-2019-103140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/08/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Parveen Ali
- Health Sciences School, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, UK
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