Sample records for facilities urban empowerment

  1. The Role of Gender Empowerment on Reproductive Health Outcomes in Urban Nigeria

    PubMed Central

    Speizer, Ilene S.; Fotso, Jean-Christophe; Akiode, Akinsewa; Saad, Abdulmumin; Calhoun, Lisa; Irani, Laili

    2014-01-01

    Objectives To date, limited evidence is available for urban populations in sub-Saharan Africa, specifically research into the association between urban women’s empowerment and reproductive health outcomes. The objective of this study is to investigate whether women’s empowerment in urban Nigerian settings is associated with family planning use and maternal health behaviors. Moreover, we examine whether different effects of empowerment exist by region of residence. Methods This study uses baseline household survey data from the Measurement, Learning & Evaluation Project (MLE) for the Nigerian Urban Reproductive Health Initiative (NURHI) being implemented in six major cities. We examine four dimensions of empowerment: economic freedom, attitudes towards domestic violence, partner prohibitions and decision-making. We determine if the empowerment dimensions have different effects on reproductive health outcomes by region of residence using multivariate analyses. Results Results indicate that more empowered women are more likely to use modern contraception, deliver in a health facility and have a skilled attendant at birth. These trends vary by empowerment dimension and by city/region in Nigeria. Conclusions We conclude by discussing the implications of these findings on future programs seeking to improve reproductive health outcomes in urban Nigeria and beyond. PMID:23576403

  2. Empowerment Starts Here: Seven Principles to Empowering Urban Youth

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dye, Angela

    2011-01-01

    "Empowerment Starts Here" covers an experimental approach to social change within urban communities by way of seven distinct principles for student empowerment. Turning classroom methods into a school model, Preparatory School for Global Leadership was the first to experience student empowerment at a school-wide level. This book provides insight…

  3. Urban caregiver empowerment: Caregiver nativity, child asthma symptoms and emergency department use

    PubMed Central

    Coutinho, Maria Teresa; Kopel, Sheryl J.; Williams, Brittney; Dansereau, Katie; Koinis-Mitchell, Daphne

    2016-01-01

    Introduction This study examines the associations between caregiver empowerment, child asthma symptoms, and emergency department use in a sample of school aged urban children with asthma. We examined differences in caregiver empowerment, and in the associations among caregiver empowerment, proportion of days with child asthma symptoms, and emergency department use as a function of caregiver nativity. Methods Participants for this study were part of a larger longitudinal study and included Latino, African American and non-Latino White urban caregivers and their children with asthma (ages 7–9; N=130). Caregiver empowerment was assessed within family, asthma services, and community domains. Results Children whose caregivers reported greater empowerment within the family (knowledge and ability to care for their family) presented with fewer asthma symptoms. Children whose caregivers reported greater empowerment within asthma services (ability to collaborate with asthma providers and healthcare system), presented with more asthma symptoms. Foreign-born caregivers endorsed greater empowerment within the family, while US-born caregivers reported greater empowerment within asthma services. For foreign-born caregivers, higher levels of empowerment in the family were associated with fewer child asthma symptoms. For US-born caregivers, higher levels of empowerment in asthma services were associated with more child asthma symptoms. Discussion Results suggest that caregivers who feel more confident and better able to manage problems within their family may better manage their child's asthma more effectively navigate the asthma healthcare system and manage their child's asthma. PMID:27632543

  4. Urban caregiver empowerment: Caregiver nativity, child-asthma symptoms, and emergency-department use.

    PubMed

    Coutinho, Maria Teresa; Kopel, Sheryl J; Williams, Brittney; Dansereau, Katie; Koinis-Mitchell, Daphne

    2016-09-01

    In this study, we examined the associations between caregiver empowerment, child-asthma symptoms, and emergency-department (ED) use in a sample of school-age urban children with asthma. We examined differences in caregiver empowerment, and in the associations among caregiver empowerment, proportion of days with child-asthma symptoms, and ED use as a function of caregiver nativity. Participants for this study were part of a larger longitudinal study and included Latino, African American and non-Latino White urban caregivers and their children with asthma (ages 7-9; N = 130). Caregiver empowerment was assessed within family, asthma services, and community domains. Children whose caregivers reported greater empowerment within the family (i.e., possessing sufficient knowledge and ability to care for their families) presented with fewer asthma symptoms. Children whose caregivers reported greater empowerment within asthma services (i.e., the ability to collaborate with asthma providers and the health-care system), presented with more asthma symptoms. Foreign-born caregivers endorsed greater empowerment within the family, whereas U.S.-born caregivers reported greater empowerment within asthma services. For foreign-born caregivers, higher levels of empowerment in the family were associated with fewer child-asthma symptoms. For U.S.-born caregivers, higher levels of empowerment in asthma services were associated with more child-asthma symptoms. Results suggest that caregivers who feel more confident and better able to manage problems within their families may better manage their children's asthma symptoms. Foreign-born caregivers may benefit from increased support to more effectively navigate the asthma health-care system and manage their children's asthma. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

  5. Leadership that promotes teacher empowerment among urban middle school science teachers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Howard-Skipper, Joni

    In this study, the focus was on determining leadership strategies that promote teacher empowerment among urban middle school science teachers. The purpose of the paper was to determine if leadership strategies are related to teacher empowerment. The emphasis was on various forms of leadership and the empowerment of teachers in context in restructuring the democratic structure. An effective leadership in science education entails empowering others, especially science teachers. In this regard, no published studies had examined this perspective on empowering teachers and school leadership. Therefore, this study determined if a relationship exists between leadership strategy actions and teacher empowerment. The significance of the study is to determine a relationship between leadership strategies and teacher empowerment as a positive approach toward developing successful schools. Empowerment is essential for implementing serious improvements. Empowering others in schools must form a major component of an effective principal's agenda. It is becoming clearer in research literature that complex changes in education sometimes require active initiation. For this study, a quantitative methodology was used. Primary data enabled the research questions to be answered. The reliability and validity of the research were ensured. The results of this study showed that 40% of the administrators establish program policies with teachers, and 53% of teachers make decisions about new programs in schools. Furthermore, the findings, their implications, and recommendations are discussed.

  6. Relationship between organizational empowerment and job satisfaction perceived by nursing assistants at long-term care facilities.

    PubMed

    Kuo, Huai-Ting; Yin, Teresa Jeo-Chen; Li, I-Chuan

    2008-11-01

    The purpose of this study was to understand the relationships between organizational empowerment and job satisfaction among nursing assistants at long-term care facilities in Taiwan. Nursing assistants are the major manpower at long-term care facilities. The responsibilities of nursing assistants are complex and numerous and affect their job satisfaction. We assumed that a well-organized and pleasant work environment is an important characteristic of organizational empowerment and ought to enhance the nursing assistants' job satisfaction. However, little information exists that can be used by long-term care facilities managers when they strive to increase the nursing assistants' job satisfaction by modifying the regulations or interventions from an organizational perspective. We used a cross-sectional design with a descriptive correlation approach to understand the relationship between organizational empowerment and job satisfaction among nursing assistants at long-term care facilities in Taiwan. A total of 28 long-term care facilities and 114 nursing assistants participated in the study. The results indicated that, where there was a moderate level of organizational empowerment, a higher level of job satisfaction was found. Organizational empowerment was significantly associated with total job satisfaction (r = 0.366, p < 0.01). The variables of nationality (Vietnamese), resources, opportunity and informal power were significant predictors of job satisfaction (R(2) = 0.318, F = 12.24, p < 0.001). Organizational empowerment is significantly associated with job satisfaction among nursing assistants in this study. Nursing assistants need to receive more assistance and resources from their co-workers to enhance their job satisfaction. The manager should initiate regular meetings and activities for staff who work in long-term care facilities that will allow sharing, communication and support among the staff in terms of ideas, information and feelings.

  7. Eight Voices of Empowerment: Student Perspectives in a Restructured Urban Middle School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Horn, Brian R.

    2017-01-01

    This article explores student empowerment in a restructured urban Title I middle school. The study includes data from eight participants in an action research project that involved a critical inquiry unit in an eighth-grade language arts class that asked students, "How are you empowered and disempowered by school?" Findings reveal that…

  8. Examining Empowerment, Family-School Partnerships, and Advocacy among Rural and Urban Latino Families of Children with Disabilities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Burke, Meghan M.

    2017-01-01

    Latino students and their families are the fastest growing minority group in the country, yet it is unclear whether rural (vs. urban) Latino families of students with disabilities have different needs. In this pilot study, 65 Latino family members of students with disabilities (15 rural; 50 urban) responded to a questionnaire about empowerment,…

  9. Conceptualizations of patient empowerment among individuals seeking treatment for diabetes mellitus in an urban, public-sector clinic.

    PubMed

    Ramsay Wan, Claire; Vo, Linda; Barnes, Catherine S

    2012-06-01

    The patient empowerment paradigm has been promoted as a critical component of diabetes care. The present study explores how patients in an urban, public-sector clinic perceive patient empowerment as it applies to their treatment, interactions with clinicians, and self-care behaviors. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 29 individuals and analyzed through an inductive approach. Patient empowerment was described as taking responsibility for self-care behaviors. Participants reported they that must be internally driven to maintain their self-care regiment, and placed moral value on their performance. Some participants asked questions during healthcare encounters, but fewer reported setting the agenda or making meaningful decisions regarding their care. Gaps in individuals' perception of empowerment were identified, along with barriers such as frustration, fatigue, financial concerns, transportation, and scheduling difficulties. Increasing patient empowerment in socially disadvantaged settings will require careful communication to elicit questions, present all available treatment choices, and encourage individuals to take responsibility without placing blame on them for instances of poor glycemic control. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. The rural nurse work environment and structural empowerment.

    PubMed

    Krebs, Julianne P; Madigan, Elizabeth A; Tullai-McGuinness, Susan

    2008-02-01

    Rural health care organizations struggle to attract and retain nurses, yet much of the research has focused on characteristics of the nurse work environment or empowerment in urban hospitals. The purpose of this study was to examine the nurse work environment in rural areas across settings by describing the relationship between structural empowerment and characteristics of the nurse work environment. Nurses ( N = 97) working in home care agencies and hospitals were surveyed. Significant differences were found between the groups, with home care nurses having significantly higher empowerment scores than medical/surgical nurses. A strong correlation was found between characteristics of the nurse work environment and empowerment. Policy makers are using evidence to guide development of policies, but much of the research has been conducted in urban hospital settings. This study begins to provide evidence that differences exist between urban and rural areas and between practice settings.

  11. The influence of care provider access to structural empowerment on individualized care in long-term-care facilities.

    PubMed

    Caspar, Sienna; O'Rourke, Norm

    2008-07-01

    Implementing management initiatives that enable formal caregivers to provide quality, individualized care to older adults in long-term-care (LTC) facilities is increasingly important given that the number of LTC residents is projected to triple by 2031. The objective of this study was to explore the relationship between care provider access to structural empowerment and the provision of individualized care in LTC. We computed structural equation models separately for registered nurses and licensed practical nurses (n = 242) and care aides (n = 326) to examine the relationship between access to empowerment structures (i.e., informal power, formal power, information, support, resources, opportunity) and the provision of individualized care. We subsequently undertook invariance analyses to determine if the association between empowerment structures and reported provision of individualized care differed between caregiver groups. Access to structural empowerment had a statistically significant, positive association with provision of individualized care for both groups. For registered nurses/licensed practical nurses and care aides, empowerment explained 50% and 45% of observed variance in individualized care, respectively. These notable percentages did not differ significantly between caregiver groups. Of the empowerment structures, support, especially in the form of access to educational opportunities and recognition for a job well done, seems to be particularly significant to care providers. Findings from this study suggest that provision of individualized care in LTC may be enhanced when formal caregivers have appreciable access to empowerment structures.

  12. (Dis)empowerment: The Implementation of Corrective Mathematics in Philadelphia Empowerment Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Connor, Hannah

    2011-01-01

    The need to improve math education around the country has been well documented, especially in urban school systems like Philadelphia. In Spring 2010, only 56.6% of students in Philadelphia Public schools scored proficient or advanced on the Pennsylvania State Standardized Assessment (PSSA). In Philadelphia Empowerment Schools, the 107 lowest…

  13. Elders Health Empowerment Scale

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Introduction: Empowerment refers to patient skills that allow them to become primary decision-makers in control of daily self-management of health problems. As important the concept as it is, particularly for elders with chronic diseases, few available instruments have been validated for use with Spanish speaking people. Objective: Translate and adapt the Health Empowerment Scale (HES) for a Spanish-speaking older adults sample and perform its psychometric validation. Methods: The HES was adapted based on the Diabetes Empowerment Scale-Short Form. Where "diabetes" was mentioned in the original tool, it was replaced with "health" terms to cover all kinds of conditions that could affect health empowerment. Statistical and Psychometric Analyses were conducted on 648 urban-dwelling seniors. Results: The HES had an acceptable internal consistency with a Cronbach's α of 0.89. The convergent validity was supported by significant Pearson's Coefficient correlations between the HES total and item scores and the General Self Efficacy Scale (r= 0.77), Swedish Rheumatic Disease Empowerment Scale (r= 0.69) and Making Decisions Empowerment Scale (r= 0.70). Construct validity was evaluated using item analysis, half-split test and corrected item to total correlation coefficients; with good internal consistency (α> 0.8). The content validity was supported by Scale and Item Content Validity Index of 0.98 and 1.0, respectively. Conclusions: HES had acceptable face validity and reliability coefficients; which added to its ease administration and users' unbiased comprehension, could set it as a suitable tool in evaluating elder's outpatient empowerment-based medical education programs. PMID:25767307

  14. Youth Empowerment in Oppressive Systems: Opportunities for School Consultants

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pearrow, Melissa M.; Pollack, Stanley

    2009-01-01

    Empowerment of youth, particularly in urban settings, is critical to addressing issues of social injustice. Programs that support the development of empowerment, or action taken by an individual to facilitate his or her own ability to act in the face of oppression, have demonstrated great promise in dimensions such as creating stronger group…

  15. Integrated Urban Flood Analysis considering Optimal Operation of Flood Control Facilities in Urban Drainage Networks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Moon, Y. I.; Kim, M. S.; Choi, J. H.; Yuk, G. M.

    2017-12-01

    eavy rainfall has become a recent major cause of urban area flooding due to the climate change and urbanization. To prevent property damage along with casualties, a system which can alert and forecast urban flooding must be developed. Optimal performance of reducing flood damage can be expected of urban drainage facilities when operated in smaller rainfall events over extreme ones. Thus, the purpose of this study is to execute: A) flood forecasting system using runoff analysis based on short term rainfall; and B) flood warning system which operates based on the data from pump stations and rainwater storage in urban basins. In result of the analysis, it is shown that urban drainage facilities using short term rainfall forecasting data by radar will be more effective to reduce urban flood damage than using only the inflow data of the facility. Keywords: Heavy Rainfall, Urban Flood, Short-term Rainfall Forecasting, Optimal operating of urban drainage facilities. AcknowledgmentsThis research was supported by a grant (17AWMP-B066744-05) from Advanced Water Management Research Program (AWMP) funded by Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport of Korean government.

  16. Urban School Facilities: An A-Z Primer. IssueTrak: A CEFPI Brief on Educational Facility Issues

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    DeJong, William S.

    2004-01-01

    This "IssueTrak" addresses the condition of urban school facilities as a matter of great urgency. Facility planners, are committed to working with urban school districts to develop and implement a systematic approach for modernizing aging urban school facilities. The next generation of school children is far too important and valuable to be forced…

  17. Factors Associated with the Empowerment of Japanese Families Raising a Child with Developmental Disorders

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wakimizu, Rie; Fujioka, Hiroshi; Yoneyama, Akira; Iejima, Atsushi; Miyamoto, Shinya

    2011-01-01

    We identified factors associated with the empowerment of Japanese families using the Family Empowerment Scale (FES) to contribute to the improvement of empowerment in Japanese families raising a child with developmental disorders (DDs). The study was conducted in 350 caregivers who raised children aged 4-18 years with DDs in urban and suburban…

  18. Measurement of workplace empowerment across caregivers.

    PubMed

    Caspar, Sienna; O'Rourke, Norm

    2011-01-01

    Culture change models (CCM) developed to improve the provision of individualized care in long-term care (LTC) facilities often include initiatives that are thought to empower care staff. Therefore, the ability to measure empowerment accurately across all levels of care staff is necessary. The objective of this study was to examine the structure of responses by registered nurses (RNs), licensed practical nurses (LPNs), and care aides to 3 instruments measuring workplace empowerment: the Conditions of Work Effectiveness Questionnaire, Job Activities Scale, and Organizational Relationships Scale. Despite considerable differences in education and job function, both caregiver groups appear to interpret and respond to 38 of 40 empowerment items in a similar manner. Therefore, our findings support the inclusion of all care staff when using these instruments to measure work place empowerment in LTC settings. Copyright © 2011 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. 24 CFR 598.1 - Applicability and scope.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... URBAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY FACILITIES URBAN EMPOWERMENT ZONES: ROUND TWO AND THREE DESIGNATIONS General... the second and third rounds of designations of urban Empowerment Zones, authorized under Subchapter U... contains provisions relating to area requirements, the nomination process for urban Empowerment Zones, and...

  20. 24 CFR 598.1 - Applicability and scope.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... URBAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY FACILITIES URBAN EMPOWERMENT ZONES: ROUND TWO AND THREE DESIGNATIONS General... the second and third rounds of designations of urban Empowerment Zones, authorized under Subchapter U... contains provisions relating to area requirements, the nomination process for urban Empowerment Zones, and...

  1. 24 CFR 598.425 - Validation of designation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... URBAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY FACILITIES URBAN EMPOWERMENT ZONES: ROUND TWO AND THREE DESIGNATIONS Post... of any Empowerment Zone. (b) HUD may approve an Empowerment Zone's request for boundary modification...

  2. 24 CFR 597.1 - Applicability and scope.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... URBAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY FACILITIES URBAN EMPOWERMENT ZONES AND ENTERPRISE COMMUNITIES: ROUND ONE... procedures applicable to urban Empowerment Zones and Enterprise Communities, authorized under subchapter U of... Empowerment Zones, Enterprise Communities and Rural Development Investment Areas. (b) This part contains...

  3. 24 CFR 597.1 - Applicability and scope.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... URBAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY FACILITIES URBAN EMPOWERMENT ZONES AND ENTERPRISE COMMUNITIES: ROUND ONE... procedures applicable to urban Empowerment Zones and Enterprise Communities, authorized under subchapter U of... Empowerment Zones, Enterprise Communities and Rural Development Investment Areas. (b) This part contains...

  4. 24 CFR 597.1 - Applicability and scope.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... URBAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY FACILITIES URBAN EMPOWERMENT ZONES AND ENTERPRISE COMMUNITIES: ROUND ONE... procedures applicable to urban Empowerment Zones and Enterprise Communities, authorized under subchapter U of... Empowerment Zones, Enterprise Communities and Rural Development Investment Areas. (b) This part contains...

  5. 24 CFR 597.1 - Applicability and scope.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... URBAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY FACILITIES URBAN EMPOWERMENT ZONES AND ENTERPRISE COMMUNITIES: ROUND ONE... procedures applicable to urban Empowerment Zones and Enterprise Communities, authorized under subchapter U of... Empowerment Zones, Enterprise Communities and Rural Development Investment Areas. (b) This part contains...

  6. 24 CFR 597.1 - Applicability and scope.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... URBAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY FACILITIES URBAN EMPOWERMENT ZONES AND ENTERPRISE COMMUNITIES: ROUND ONE... procedures applicable to urban Empowerment Zones and Enterprise Communities, authorized under subchapter U of... Empowerment Zones, Enterprise Communities and Rural Development Investment Areas. (b) This part contains...

  7. 24 CFR 597.403 - Revocation of designation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... URBAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY FACILITIES URBAN EMPOWERMENT ZONES AND ENTERPRISE COMMUNITIES: ROUND ONE... Secretary may revoke the designation of an urban area as an Empowerment Zone or Enterprise Community if the... the designation of an urban area as an Empowerment Zone or Enterprise Community, the Secretary will...

  8. 24 CFR 597.403 - Revocation of designation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... URBAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY FACILITIES URBAN EMPOWERMENT ZONES AND ENTERPRISE COMMUNITIES: ROUND ONE... Secretary may revoke the designation of an urban area as an Empowerment Zone or Enterprise Community if the... the designation of an urban area as an Empowerment Zone or Enterprise Community, the Secretary will...

  9. 24 CFR 597.403 - Revocation of designation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... URBAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY FACILITIES URBAN EMPOWERMENT ZONES AND ENTERPRISE COMMUNITIES: ROUND ONE... Secretary may revoke the designation of an urban area as an Empowerment Zone or Enterprise Community if the... the designation of an urban area as an Empowerment Zone or Enterprise Community, the Secretary will...

  10. 24 CFR 597.403 - Revocation of designation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... URBAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY FACILITIES URBAN EMPOWERMENT ZONES AND ENTERPRISE COMMUNITIES: ROUND ONE... Secretary may revoke the designation of an urban area as an Empowerment Zone or Enterprise Community if the... the designation of an urban area as an Empowerment Zone or Enterprise Community, the Secretary will...

  11. Urban Watershed Research Facility at Edison Environmental Center

    EPA Science Inventory

    The Urban Watershed Research Facility (UWRF) is an isolated, 20-acre open space within EPA’s 200 acre Edison facility established to develop and evaluate the performance of stormwater management practices under controlled conditions. The facility includes greenhouses that allow ...

  12. A comparative analysis of vaccine administration in urban and non-urban skilled nursing facilities.

    PubMed

    Pu, Yuan; Dolar, Veronika; Gucwa, Azad L

    2016-07-29

    The U.S. population is aging at an unprecedented rate, resulting in an increased demand for skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) and long-term care. Residents of these facilities are at a high risk for pneumococcal disease or severe influenza-related illnesses and death. For these reasons, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services use influenza and pneumococcal vaccination rates as a quality measure in the assessment of SNFs, as complications related to these infections increase morbidity and mortality rates. Disparities have been reported amongst vaccination with increased rates in urban areas as compared to their non-urban counterparts. Statistical analyses were performed to compare influenza and pneumococcal vaccination in urban and non-urban SNFs to determine variables that may influence vaccination status. Of the 15,639 nursing homes included in the study, 10,107 were in urban areas, while 5532 were considered non-urban. We found the percent of eligible and willing residents with up-to-date influenza and pneumococcal vaccinations increased with overall five-star ratings of SNFs. Somewhat paradoxically, although urban SNFs had higher mean overall five-star ratings, they showed lower rates of influenza and pneumococcal vaccination compared to non-urban SNFs. Ordinary least squares regression analysis comparing overall ratings, type of ownership, and geographic location by region yielded statistically significant results in which the overall rating, ownership-type and certificate-type favored urban SNFs (p < 0.001). This is the first systematic and comparative analysis to use the Nursing Home Compare database to assess vaccine administration of urban and non-urban SNFs. The findings of this study may be used to encourage the development of programs to improve vaccination rates and the quality of care in these facilities.

  13. Empowerment in practice - insights from CITI-SENSE project in Ljubljana

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Robinson, Johanna; Kocman, David; Smolnikar, Miha; Mohorčič, Miha; Horvat, Milena

    2014-05-01

    We present specifics of the citizen empowerment and crowd sourced citizen science conducted in Ljubljana, Slovenia, as one of the case study cities within the ongoing EU-project CITI-SENSE. CITI-SENSE addresses urban air quality and rests on three pillars: technological platforms for distributed monitoring; novel information and communication technologies; and citizen participation. In the project, empowerment initiatives are conducted, enabling citizens to participate in various aspects of urban air quality, both outdoor and indoor at schools affecting everyday life of societal groups. Each participating country runs its own citizen empowerment campaign adapting to local circumstances. In addition to Ljubljana, local campaigns have been initiated in Barcelona, Belgrade, Edinburgh, Haifa, Ljubljana, Oslo, Ostrava, Vienna and in Vitoria. Poor air quality has been recognized as an important factor affecting the quality of life, especially in urban environments. In Ljubljana specifically, the main air pollution sources are traffic-related emissions, individual house heating devices including increased use of coal and biomass in recent years, and to a limit extent industrial point sources and waste disposal sites. Air quality can be occasionally very poor due to specific climatic conditions owing partially to its location in a basin and on the marshes, resulting in a very complex circulation of air masses, temperature inversions and formation of urban heat island. By recognizing this, we established the main stakeholders in the city who are responsible for monitoring the quality of air in Ljubljana. Based on full stakeholder analysis we consider co-operation with local governmental- and non-governmental institutions with already established means of communications with citizens, as a tool for empowerment. Since we spend over 90% of our time indoors, the indoor air quality is of great importance. It is why the CITI-SENSE project empowerment initiatives also cover this

  14. 24 CFR 597.2 - Objective and purpose.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... URBAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY FACILITIES URBAN EMPOWERMENT ZONES AND ENTERPRISE COMMUNITIES: ROUND ONE... establishment of Empowerment Zones and Enterprise Communities in urban areas, to stimulate the creation of new...

  15. 24 CFR 597.2 - Objective and purpose.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... URBAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY FACILITIES URBAN EMPOWERMENT ZONES AND ENTERPRISE COMMUNITIES: ROUND ONE... establishment of Empowerment Zones and Enterprise Communities in urban areas, to stimulate the creation of new...

  16. 24 CFR 597.500 - Indian Reservations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... URBAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY FACILITIES URBAN EMPOWERMENT ZONES AND ENTERPRISE COMMUNITIES: ROUND ONE DESIGNATIONS Special Rules § 597.500 Indian Reservations. No urban Empowerment Zone or Enterprise Community may...

  17. 24 CFR 597.2 - Objective and purpose.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... URBAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY FACILITIES URBAN EMPOWERMENT ZONES AND ENTERPRISE COMMUNITIES: ROUND ONE... establishment of Empowerment Zones and Enterprise Communities in urban areas, to stimulate the creation of new...

  18. 24 CFR 598.105 - Data used for eligibility determinations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY FACILITIES URBAN EMPOWERMENT ZONES: ROUND TWO AND THREE... boundaries. The boundary of an urban area nominated for designation as an Empowerment Zone must coincide with...

  19. 24 CFR 598.2 - Objective and purpose.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... URBAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY FACILITIES URBAN EMPOWERMENT ZONES: ROUND TWO AND THREE DESIGNATIONS General... Empowerment Zones in urban areas, to stimulate the creation of new jobs—empowering low-income persons and...

  20. 24 CFR 598.105 - Data used for eligibility determinations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY FACILITIES URBAN EMPOWERMENT ZONES: ROUND TWO AND THREE... boundaries. The boundary of an urban area nominated for designation as an Empowerment Zone must coincide with...

  1. 24 CFR 597.4 - Secretarial review and designation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY FACILITIES URBAN EMPOWERMENT ZONES AND ENTERPRISE COMMUNITIES... § 597.200(c). (b) Period of designation. The designation of an urban area as an Empowerment Zone or...

  2. 24 CFR 597.4 - Secretarial review and designation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY FACILITIES URBAN EMPOWERMENT ZONES AND ENTERPRISE COMMUNITIES... § 597.200(c). (b) Period of designation. The designation of an urban area as an Empowerment Zone or...

  3. 24 CFR 597.4 - Secretarial review and designation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY FACILITIES URBAN EMPOWERMENT ZONES AND ENTERPRISE COMMUNITIES... § 597.200(c). (b) Period of designation. The designation of an urban area as an Empowerment Zone or...

  4. 24 CFR 597.4 - Secretarial review and designation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY FACILITIES URBAN EMPOWERMENT ZONES AND ENTERPRISE COMMUNITIES... § 597.200(c). (b) Period of designation. The designation of an urban area as an Empowerment Zone or...

  5. 24 CFR 598.4 - Period of designation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... URBAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY FACILITIES URBAN EMPOWERMENT ZONES: ROUND TWO AND THREE DESIGNATIONS General Provisions § 598.4 Period of designation. The designation of an urban area as an Empowerment Zone will remain...

  6. Satisfaction with local exercise facility: a rural-urban comparison in China.

    PubMed

    Zheng, Jiakun; An, Ruopeng

    2015-01-01

    Rural-urban inequalities in China have been widening over the past few decades. Compared to their urban counterparts, rural residents may encounter various barriers to equal opportunities to effectively engage in physical activity. This study examines the rural-urban disparity in physical activity, proximity and satisfaction with local exercise facilities. An in-person survey was conducted in 29 counties of 10 Chinese provinces in 2012. Five thousand questionnaires were administered by trained staff with a completion rate of 82.1%. The complete sample includes 1661 rural and 2446 urban residents. Eight dichotomous outcome measures were used, pertaining to leisure-time physical activity engagement; proximity to the nearest exercise facility from home; satisfaction level with the quantity, variety, fee levels, opening hours, and daily management and services of nearby exercise facilities; and satisfaction level with the local public sports service system. Nearest-neighbor matching was performed to match rural residents with urban residents by observed individual sociodemographics, including gender, age, education level and residential province. Pearson's χ2 test was used to assess the difference in sociodemographics and outcome measures between rural and urban residents before and after matching. Before nearest-neighbor matching, the frequency distributions of age and education level are significantly different between rural and urban residents (both p<0.0001). After matching, the differences in the frequency distributions between rural and urban residents become statistically non-significant for all observed sociodemographics: gender (p=0.170), age (p=0.934), education level (p=0.244) and residential province (p=1.000). Compared to their matched urban counterparts, rural residents are 8.1% (p<0.0001) more likely to be physically inactive in their leisure time and 5.8% (p=0.005) less likely to live within 30-minute walking distance to the nearest exercise facility

  7. 24 CFR 597.300 - HUD action and review of nominations for designation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ..., DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY FACILITIES URBAN EMPOWERMENT ZONES AND ENTERPRISE... the submission of nominations for designation as Empowerment Zones or Enterprise Communities... designation as Empowerment Zones or Enterprise Communities which HUD determines have met the criteria required...

  8. 24 CFR 598.620 - Evaluation, monitoring, and enforcement.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY FACILITIES URBAN EMPOWERMENT ZONES: ROUND TWO AND THREE DESIGNATIONS Empowerment Zone Grants § 598.620 Evaluation, monitoring, and enforcement. (a) Progress...

  9. 24 CFR 598.620 - Evaluation, monitoring, and enforcement.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY FACILITIES URBAN EMPOWERMENT ZONES: ROUND TWO AND THREE DESIGNATIONS Empowerment Zone Grants § 598.620 Evaluation, monitoring, and enforcement. (a) Progress...

  10. Relationship between empowerment and wealth: trends and predictors in Kenya between 2003 and 2008-2009.

    PubMed

    Voronca, Delia; Walker, Rebekah J; Egede, Leonard E

    2018-06-01

    This study aimed to examine the association between women's empowerment and wealth over time in Kenya. Kenya Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) for 2003 and 2008-2009 were used. Eligible women and men were either married or living with a partner. Two scales were used for empowerment: female participation in decision-making, and attitudes toward domestic violence against female partners. Hierarchical linear models were used based on theoretical blocks of covariates. In a sample of 9847 women and 3207 men, results showed empowerment increased over time. After adjustment, female partners' reporting greater empowerment on either scale remained significantly associated with increased wealth, (urban: β = 0.04, p value < 0.05; β = - 0.06, p value < 0.01) and (rural: β = 0.04, p value < 0.01, β = - 0.07, p value < 0.01). Based on male partners' responses, female partners' participation in decision-making was associated with increased wealth in rural regions (β = 0.04, p value < 0.01), and agreement with domestic violence towards a female partner was significantly associated with a decrease in wealth in urban regions (β = - 0.08, p value < 0.01). Women's empowerment has increased over time in Kenya and is associated with increased family wealth. The association varies by gender of respondent and rural/urban residence.

  11. 24 CFR 597.101 - Data utilized for eligibility determinations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY FACILITIES URBAN EMPOWERMENT ZONES AND ENTERPRISE COMMUNITIES... for designation as an Empowerment Zone or Enterprise Community must coincide with the boundaries of...

  12. 24 CFR 597.101 - Data utilized for eligibility determinations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY FACILITIES URBAN EMPOWERMENT ZONES AND ENTERPRISE COMMUNITIES... for designation as an Empowerment Zone or Enterprise Community must coincide with the boundaries of...

  13. 24 CFR 597.101 - Data utilized for eligibility determinations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY FACILITIES URBAN EMPOWERMENT ZONES AND ENTERPRISE COMMUNITIES... for designation as an Empowerment Zone or Enterprise Community must coincide with the boundaries of...

  14. 24 CFR 597.101 - Data utilized for eligibility determinations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY FACILITIES URBAN EMPOWERMENT ZONES AND ENTERPRISE COMMUNITIES... for designation as an Empowerment Zone or Enterprise Community must coincide with the boundaries of...

  15. 24 CFR 597.101 - Data utilized for eligibility determinations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY FACILITIES URBAN EMPOWERMENT ZONES AND ENTERPRISE COMMUNITIES... for designation as an Empowerment Zone or Enterprise Community must coincide with the boundaries of...

  16. 24 CFR 597.300 - HUD action and review of nominations for designation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... DEVELOPMENT, DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY FACILITIES URBAN EMPOWERMENT ZONES AND... procedures for the submission of nominations for designation as Empowerment Zones or Enterprise Communities... designation as Empowerment Zones or Enterprise Communities which HUD determines have met the criteria required...

  17. 24 CFR 597.300 - HUD action and review of nominations for designation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... DEVELOPMENT, DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY FACILITIES URBAN EMPOWERMENT ZONES AND... procedures for the submission of nominations for designation as Empowerment Zones or Enterprise Communities... designation as Empowerment Zones or Enterprise Communities which HUD determines have met the criteria required...

  18. 24 CFR 597.402 - Validation of designation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... URBAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY FACILITIES URBAN EMPOWERMENT ZONES AND ENTERPRISE COMMUNITIES: ROUND ONE... eligibility for and the validity of the designation of any Empowerment Zone or Enterprise Community. Determinations of whether any designated Empowerment Zone or Enterprise Community remains in good standing shall...

  19. 24 CFR 598.300 - Procedure for submitting a nomination.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY FACILITIES URBAN EMPOWERMENT ZONES: ROUND TWO AND THREE... designation as Empowerment Zones, including submission deadlines and addresses, in a document announcing the... nominations for designation as Empowerment Zones that HUD determines have met the criteria required by this...

  20. 24 CFR 598.300 - Procedure for submitting a nomination.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY FACILITIES URBAN EMPOWERMENT ZONES: ROUND TWO AND THREE... designation as Empowerment Zones, including submission deadlines and addresses, in a document announcing the... nominations for designation as Empowerment Zones that HUD determines have met the criteria required by this...

  1. 24 CFR 597.2 - Objective and purpose.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY FACILITIES URBAN EMPOWERMENT ZONES AND ENTERPRISE COMMUNITIES: ROUND ONE DESIGNATIONS... establishment of Empowerment Zones and Enterprise Communities in urban areas, to stimulate the creation of new...

  2. 24 CFR 598.610 - Resident benefit standards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... URBAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY FACILITIES URBAN EMPOWERMENT ZONES: ROUND TWO AND THREE DESIGNATIONS Empowerment Zone Grants § 598.610 Resident benefit standards. The project or activity described in an...

  3. 24 CFR 598.200 - Who nominates an area for designation?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY FACILITIES URBAN EMPOWERMENT ZONES: ROUND TWO AND THREE DESIGNATIONS Nomination Procedure § 598.200 Who nominates an area for designation? Applicants for empowerment...

  4. 24 CFR 598.610 - Resident benefit standards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... URBAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY FACILITIES URBAN EMPOWERMENT ZONES: ROUND TWO AND THREE DESIGNATIONS Empowerment Zone Grants § 598.610 Resident benefit standards. The project or activity described in an...

  5. 24 CFR 597.2 - Objective and purpose.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY FACILITIES URBAN EMPOWERMENT ZONES AND ENTERPRISE COMMUNITIES: ROUND ONE DESIGNATIONS... establishment of Empowerment Zones and Enterprise Communities in urban areas, to stimulate the creation of new...

  6. 24 CFR 598.200 - Who nominates an area for designation?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY FACILITIES URBAN EMPOWERMENT ZONES: ROUND TWO AND THREE DESIGNATIONS Nomination Procedure § 598.200 Who nominates an area for designation? Applicants for empowerment...

  7. Psychological Empowerment Model in Iranian Pregnant Women

    PubMed Central

    Taghipour, Ali; Sadat Borghei, Narjes; Latifnejad Roudsari, Robab; Keramat, Afsaneh; Jabbari Nooghabi, Hadi

    2016-01-01

    ABSTRACT Background: Women’s empowerment programs during pregnancy focus primarily on increasing women’s health goals and psychological empowerment has been considered important in most issues related to pregnant mothers’ mental health. Using path analysis, this study aims to examine the direct and indirect components of psychological empowerment of pregnant mothers. Methods: This model-testing study was conducted in Gorgan, northwest of Iran during three months in spring of 2015. Through random cluster sampling, a total number of 160 pregnant women were selected from 10 urban medical centers and clinics as primary centers. We used Spritzer’s Psychological empowerment scale. Suitable sampling based on Nunally and Bernstein was followed in the model. The relationships between the dependent variables were then examined by means of path analysis using Amos 18. Results: The psychological empowerment of pregnant mothers (PEPW) model is impacted by individual factors, such as marriage age and employment, including some subjectively rated factors such as marital satisfaction and experience of violence. The PEPW model was deemed appropriate as optimum conditions indicators of goodness of fit; low index of χ2/df shows little difference between the conceptual model and observed data, while RMSEA value indicated the goodness of fit. Other indicators such as CMIN=0.957, CMIN/DF=0.957, P-CLOSE=0.418, χ2=0.957 and probability level=0.328 the fact that the model is ideal. The mothers’ employment had the highest coefficient in the PEPW path model .731 (0.443, 0.965) bootstrap confidence intervals by 95%, and with a p-value of less than 0.05. Conclusions: The mothers’ employment is the most important factor in psychological empowerment, but it cannot be addressed quickly. Programming to increase marital satisfaction followed by a decrease in family violence and prevention of early marriage are necessary for promotion of psychological empowerment during pregnancy. PMID

  8. 24 CFR 597.401 - Periodic performance reviews.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY FACILITIES URBAN EMPOWERMENT ZONES AND ENTERPRISE COMMUNITIES... regularly evaluate the progress of the strategic plan in each designated Empowerment Zone and Enterprise... will also commission evaluations of the Empowerment Zone program as a whole by an impartial third party...

  9. 24 CFR 597.401 - Periodic performance reviews.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY FACILITIES URBAN EMPOWERMENT ZONES AND ENTERPRISE COMMUNITIES... regularly evaluate the progress of the strategic plan in each designated Empowerment Zone and Enterprise... will also commission evaluations of the Empowerment Zone program as a whole by an impartial third party...

  10. 24 CFR 597.401 - Periodic performance reviews.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY FACILITIES URBAN EMPOWERMENT ZONES AND ENTERPRISE COMMUNITIES... regularly evaluate the progress of the strategic plan in each designated Empowerment Zone and Enterprise... will also commission evaluations of the Empowerment Zone program as a whole by an impartial third party...

  11. 24 CFR 597.401 - Periodic performance reviews.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY FACILITIES URBAN EMPOWERMENT ZONES AND ENTERPRISE COMMUNITIES... regularly evaluate the progress of the strategic plan in each designated Empowerment Zone and Enterprise... will also commission evaluations of the Empowerment Zone program as a whole by an impartial third party...

  12. 24 CFR 598.420 - Periodic progress determinations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY FACILITIES URBAN EMPOWERMENT ZONES: ROUND TWO AND THREE... evaluate the progress of implementation of the strategic plan in each designated Empowerment Zone on the basis of available information. HUD also may commission evaluations of the Empowerment Zone program as a...

  13. 24 CFR 598.605 - Implementation plan.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... URBAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY FACILITIES URBAN EMPOWERMENT ZONES: ROUND TWO AND THREE DESIGNATIONS Empowerment Zone Grants § 598.605 Implementation plan. (a) Implementation plan content. An EZ must submit an... requirements that the state and local governments, as Empowerment Zone designees, have agreed to meet as...

  14. 24 CFR 598.500 - Indian reservations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... URBAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY FACILITIES URBAN EMPOWERMENT ZONES: ROUND TWO AND THREE DESIGNATIONS Special... Empowerment Zone by State and local governments. An area completely within an Indian reservation may be...

  15. 24 CFR 598.2 - Objective and purpose.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY FACILITIES URBAN EMPOWERMENT ZONES: ROUND TWO AND THREE DESIGNATIONS General Provisions... Empowerment Zones in urban areas, to stimulate the creation of new jobs—empowering low-income persons and...

  16. Psychological Empowerment Among Urban Youth: Measurement Model and Associations with Youth Outcomes.

    PubMed

    Eisman, Andria B; Zimmerman, Marc A; Kruger, Daniel; Reischl, Thomas M; Miller, Alison L; Franzen, Susan P; Morrel-Samuels, Susan

    2016-12-01

    Empowerment-based strategies have become widely used method to address health inequities and promote social change. Few researchers, however, have tested theoretical models of empowerment, including multidimensional, higher-order models. We test empirically a multidimensional, higher-order model of psychological empowerment (PE), guided by Zimmerman's conceptual framework including three components of PE: intrapersonal, interactional, and behavioral. We also investigate if PE is associated with positive and negative outcomes among youth. The sample included 367 middle school youth aged 11-16 (M = 12.71; SD = 0.91); 60% female, 32% (n = 117) white youth, 46% (n = 170) African-American youth, and 22% (n = 80) identifying as mixed race, Asian-American, Latino, Native American, or other ethnic/racial group; schools reported 61-75% free/reduced lunch students. Our results indicated that each of the latent factors for the three PE components demonstrate a good fit with the data. Our results also indicated that these components loaded on to a higher-order PE factor (X 2  = 32.68; df: 22; p = .07; RMSEA: 0.04; 95% CI: .00, .06; CFI: 0.99). We found that the second-order PE factor was negatively associated with aggressive behavior and positively associated with prosocial engagement. Our results suggest that empowerment-focused programs would benefit from incorporating components addressing how youth think about themselves in relation to their social contexts (intrapersonal), understanding social and material resources needed to achieve specific goals (interactional), and actions taken to influence outcomes (behavioral). Our results also suggest that integrating the three components and promoting PE may help increase likelihood of positive behaviors (e.g., prosocial involvement); we did not find an association between PE and aggressive behavior. Implications and future directions for empowerment research are discussed. © Society for Community Research and

  17. Psychological Empowerment Among Urban Youth: Measurement Model and Associations with Youth Outcomes

    PubMed Central

    Eisman, Andria B.; Zimmerman, Marc A.; Kruger, Daniel; Reischl, Thomas M.; Miller, Alison L.; Franzen, Susan P.; Morrel-Samuels, Susan

    2016-01-01

    Empowerment-based strategies have become widely used method to address health inequities and promote social change. Few researchers, however, have tested theoretical models of empowerment, including multidimensional, higher-order models. We test empirically a multidimensional, higher-order model of psychological empowerment (PE), guided by Zimmerman’s (1995) conceptual framework including three components of PE: intrapersonal, interactional and behavioral. We also investigate if PE is associated with positive and negative outcomes among youth. The sample included 367 middle school youth aged 11–16 (M = 12.71; SD = 0.91); 60% female, 32% (n =117) white youth, 46% (n = 170) African-American youth, and 22% (n = 80) identifying as mixed race, Asian-American, Latino, Native American or other ethnic/racial group; schools reported 61–75% free/reduced lunch students. Our results indicated that each of the latent factors for the three PE components demonstrate a good fit with the data. Our results also indicated that these components loaded on to a higher-order PE factor (X2=32.68, df: 22, p=0.07; RMSEA: 0.04, 95% CI: 0.00, 0.06; CFI: 0.99). We found that the second order PE factor was negatively associated with aggressive behavior and positively associated with prosocial engagement. Our results suggest that empowerment-focused programs would benefit from incorporating components addressing how youth think about themselves in relation to their social contexts (intrapersonal), understanding social and material resources needed to achieve specific goals (interactional) and actions taken to influence outcomes (behavioral). Our results also suggest that integrating the three components and promoting PE may help increase likelihood of positive behaviors (e.g., prosocial involvement); we did not find an association between PE and aggressive behavior. Implications and future directions for empowerment research are discussed. PMID:27709632

  18. Exploring empowerment in settings: mapping distributions of network power.

    PubMed

    Neal, Jennifer Watling

    2014-06-01

    This paper brings together two trends in the empowerment literature-understanding empowerment in settings and understanding empowerment as relational-by examining what makes settings empowering from a social network perspective. Specifically, extending Neal and Neal's (Am J Community Psychol 48(3/4):157-167, 2011) conception of network power, an empowering setting is defined as one in which (1) actors have existing relationships that allow for the exchange of resources and (2) the distribution of network power among actors in the setting is roughly equal. The paper includes a description of how researchers can examine distributions of network power in settings. Next, this process is illustrated in both an abstract example and using empirical data on early adolescents' peer relationships in urban classrooms. Finally, implications for theory, methods, and intervention related to understanding empowering settings are explored.

  19. 24 CFR 598.4 - Period of designation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY FACILITIES URBAN EMPOWERMENT ZONES: ROUND TWO AND THREE DESIGNATIONS General Provisions § 598.4 Period of designation. The designation of an urban area as an Empowerment Zone will remain in...

  20. Elders Health Empowerment Scale: Spanish adaptation and psychometric analysis.

    PubMed

    Serrani Azcurra, Daniel Jorge Luis

    2014-01-01

    Empowerment refers to patient skills that allow them to become primary decision-makers in control of daily self-management of health problems. As important the concept as it is, particularly for elders with chronic diseases, few available instruments have been validated for use with Spanish speaking people. Translate and adapt the Health Empowerment Scale (HES) for a Spanish-speaking older adults sample and perform its psychometric validation. The HES was adapted based on the Diabetes Empowerment Scale-Short Form. Where "diabetes" was mentioned in the original tool, it was replaced with "health" terms to cover all kinds of conditions that could affect health empowerment. Statistical and Psychometric Analyses were conducted on 648 urban-dwelling seniors. The HES had an acceptable internal consistency with a Cronbach's α of 0.89. The convergent validity was supported by significant Pearson's Coefficient correlations between the HES total and item scores and the General Self Efficacy Scale (r= 0.77), Swedish Rheumatic Disease Empowerment Scale (r= 0.69) and Making Decisions Empowerment Scale (r= 0.70). Construct validity was evaluated using item analysis, half-split test and corrected item to total correlation coefficients; with good internal consistency (α> 0.8). The content validity was supported by Scale and Item Content Validity Index of 0.98 and 1.0, respectively. HES had acceptable face validity and reliability coefficients; which added to its ease administration and users' unbiased comprehension, could set it as a suitable tool in evaluating elder's outpatient empowerment-based medical education programs.

  1. Patient empowerment: a systematic review of questionnaires measuring empowerment in cancer patients.

    PubMed

    Eskildsen, Nanna Bjerg; Joergensen, Clara Ruebner; Thomsen, Thora Grothe; Ross, Lone; Dietz, Susanne Malchau; Groenvold, Mogens; Johnsen, Anna Thit

    2017-02-01

    There is an increased attention to and demand for patient empowerment in cancer treatment and follow-up programs. Patient empowerment has been defined as feeling in control of or having mastery in relation to cancer and cancer care. This calls for properly developed questionnaires assessing empowerment from the user perspective. The aim of this review was to identify questionnaires and subscales measuring empowerment and manifestations of empowerment among cancer patients. We conducted a systematic search of the PubMed, PsycINFO and CINAHL databases. Empowerment and multiple search terms associated with empowerment were included. We included peer-reviewed articles published in English, which described questionnaires measuring empowerment or manifestations of empowerment in a cancer setting. In addition, the questionnaire had to be a patient-reported outcome measure for adult cancer patients. Database searches identified 831 records. Title and abstract screening resulted in 482 records being excluded. The remaining 349 full text articles were retrieved and assessed for eligibility. This led to the inclusion of 33 individual instruments measuring empowerment and manifestations of empowerment. Of these, only four were specifically developed to measure empowerment, and two were originally developed for the cancer setting, whereas the remaining two were developed elsewhere, but adapted to the cancer setting. The other 29 questionnaires were not intended to measure the concept of empowerment, but focused on patient-centered care, patient competence, self-efficacy, etc. However, they were included because part of the instrument (at least five items) was considered to measure empowerment or manifestations of empowerment. Our study provides an overview of the available questionnaires, which can be used by researchers and practitioners who wish to measure the concept of empowerment among cancer patients. Very few questionnaires were explicitly developed to explore

  2. Perceptions of social support, empowerment and youth risk behaviors.

    PubMed

    Reininger, Belinda M; Pérez, Adriana; Aguirre Flores, Maria I; Chen, Zhongxue; Rahbar, Mohammad H

    2012-02-01

    This study examined the association of perceived social support and community empowerment among urban middle-school students living in Matamoros, Mexico and the risk behaviors of fighting, alcohol and tobacco use, and sexual activity. Middle school students (n = 1,181) from 32 public and private Mexican schools were surveyed. Weighted multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted. Among girls, lack of parent/teacher interactions regarding school increased odds for fighting, alcohol and tobacco use. Among boys, lack of empowerment increased odds of alcohol and tobacco use and lack of parent/teacher interactions regarding school increased odds for sexual activity. Community empowerment and perceived social support are uniquely associated with risk behaviors for girls and boys. Additionally, perceived social support from individuals most immediate to the youth are associated with protection against risk for some behaviors, while perceived social support from individuals more removed from youth have mixed association with risk behaviors.

  3. 24 CFR 598.605 - Implementation plan.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY FACILITIES URBAN EMPOWERMENT ZONES: ROUND TWO AND THREE DESIGNATIONS Empowerment Zone... requirements that the state and local governments, as Empowerment Zone designees, have agreed to meet as...

  4. The urban-rural disparity in nursing home quality indicators: the case of facility-acquired contractures.

    PubMed

    Bowblis, John R; Meng, Hongdao; Hyer, Kathryn

    2013-02-01

    To identify and quantify the sources of the urban-rural disparity in facility-acquired contracture rates in nursing homes. Survey inspection data of U.S. nursing homes from 1999 to 2008 and standardized national rural definition file from the Rural-Urban Commuting Area Codes. We estimated regressions of facility-level contracture rate as a function of urban-rural categories (urban, micropolitan, small rural town, and isolated small rural town) and other related facility characteristics to identify size of the urban-rural disparity. We used Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition techniques to determine the extent to which the disparity is attributable to the differences in facility and aggregate resident characteristics. Rural nursing homes have higher contracture rates than urban nursing homes. About half of the urban-rural disparity is explained by differences in observable characteristics among urban and rural nursing homes. Differences in staffing levels explain less than 5 percent of the disparity, case-mix explains 6-8 percent, and structure and operational characteristics account for 10-22 percent of the disparity. While a lower level and quality of staffing are a concern for rural nursing homes, facility structure and funding sources explain a larger proportion of the urban-rural disparity in the quality of care. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

  5. The Urban-Rural Disparity in Nursing Home Quality Indicators: The Case of Facility-Acquired Contractures

    PubMed Central

    Bowblis, John R; Meng, Hongdao; Hyer, Kathryn

    2013-01-01

    Objective To identify and quantify the sources of the urban-rural disparity in facility-acquired contracture rates in nursing homes. Data Sources Survey inspection data of U.S. nursing homes from 1999 to 2008 and standardized national rural definition file from the Rural-Urban Commuting Area Codes. Study Design We estimated regressions of facility-level contracture rate as a function of urban-rural categories (urban, micropolitan, small rural town, and isolated small rural town) and other related facility characteristics to identify size of the urban-rural disparity. We used Blinder–Oaxaca decomposition techniques to determine the extent to which the disparity is attributable to the differences in facility and aggregate resident characteristics. Principal Findings Rural nursing homes have higher contracture rates than urban nursing homes. About half of the urban-rural disparity is explained by differences in observable characteristics among urban and rural nursing homes. Differences in staffing levels explain less than 5 percent of the disparity, case-mix explains 6–8 percent, and structure and operational characteristics account for 10–22 percent of the disparity. Conclusion While a lower level and quality of staffing are a concern for rural nursing homes, facility structure and funding sources explain a larger proportion of the urban-rural disparity in the quality of care. PMID:22670847

  6. Travel by public transit to mammography facilities in 6 US urban areas.

    PubMed

    Graham, S; Lewis, B; Flanagan, B; Watson, M; Peipins, L

    2015-12-01

    We examined lack of private vehicle access and 30 minutes or longer public transportation travel time to mammography facilities for women 40 years of age or older in the urban areas of Boston, Philadelphia, San Antonio, San Diego, Denver, and Seattle to identify transit marginalized populations - women for whom these travel characteristics may jointly present a barrier to clinic access. This ecological study used sex and race/ethnicity data from the 2010 US Census and household vehicle availability data from the American Community Survey 2008-2012, all at Census tract level. Using the public transportation option on Google Trip Planner we obtained the travel time from the centroid of each census tract to all local mammography facilities to determine the nearest mammography facility in each urban area. Median travel times by public transportation to the nearest facility for women with no household access to a private vehicle were obtained by ranking travel time by population group across all U.S. census tracts in each urban area and across the entire study area. The overall median travel times for each urban area for women without household access to a private vehicle ranged from a low of 15 minutes in Boston and Philadelphia to 27 minutes in San Diego. The numbers and percentages of transit marginalized women were then calculated for all urban areas by population group. While black women were less likely to have private vehicle access, and both Hispanic and black women were more likely to be transit marginalized, this outcome varied by urban area. White women constituted the largest number of transit marginalized. Our results indicate that mammography facilities are favorably located for the large majority of women, although there are still substantial numbers for whom travel may likely present a barrier to mammography facility access.

  7. Travel by public transit to mammography facilities in 6 US urban areas

    PubMed Central

    Graham, S; Lewis, B; Flanagan, B; Watson, M; Peipins, L

    2017-01-01

    We examined lack of private vehicle access and 30 minutes or longer public transportation travel time to mammography facilities for women 40 years of age or older in the urban areas of Boston, Philadelphia, San Antonio, San Diego, Denver, and Seattle to identify transit marginalized populations - women for whom these travel characteristics may jointly present a barrier to clinic access. This ecological study used sex and race/ethnicity data from the 2010 US Census and household vehicle availability data from the American Community Survey 2008–2012, all at Census tract level. Using the public transportation option on Google Trip Planner we obtained the travel time from the centroid of each census tract to all local mammography facilities to determine the nearest mammography facility in each urban area. Median travel times by public transportation to the nearest facility for women with no household access to a private vehicle were obtained by ranking travel time by population group across all U.S. census tracts in each urban area and across the entire study area. The overall median travel times for each urban area for women without household access to a private vehicle ranged from a low of 15 minutes in Boston and Philadelphia to 27 minutes in San Diego. The numbers and percentages of transit marginalized women were then calculated for all urban areas by population group. While black women were less likely to have private vehicle access, and both Hispanic and black women were more likely to be transit marginalized, this outcome varied by urban area. White women constituted the largest number of transit marginalized. Our results indicate that mammography facilities are favorably located for the large majority of women, although there are still substantial numbers for whom travel may likely present a barrier to mammography facility access. PMID:29285434

  8. 24 CFR 598.600 - Applicability.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY FACILITIES URBAN EMPOWERMENT ZONES: ROUND TWO AND THREE DESIGNATIONS Empowerment Zone Grants § 598.600 Applicability. This subpart applies to a project or activity proposed by an Empowerment...

  9. 24 CFR 598.600 - Applicability.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY FACILITIES URBAN EMPOWERMENT ZONES: ROUND TWO AND THREE DESIGNATIONS Empowerment Zone Grants § 598.600 Applicability. This subpart applies to a project or activity proposed by an Empowerment...

  10. Perceptions of Social Support, Empowerment and Youth Risk Behaviors

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Reininger, Belinda M.; Perez, Adriana; Flores, Maria I. Aguirre; Chen, Zhongxue; Rahbar, Mohammad H.

    2012-01-01

    This study examined the association of perceived social support and community empowerment among urban middle-school students living in Matamoros, Mexico and the risk behaviors of fighting, alcohol and tobacco use, and sexual activity. Middle school students (n = 1,181) from 32 public and private Mexican schools were surveyed. Weighted multiple…

  11. Design and Construction of an Urban Runoff Research Facility

    PubMed Central

    Wherley, Benjamin G.; White, Richard H.; McInnes, Kevin J.; Fontanier, Charles H.; Thomas, James C.; Aitkenhead-Peterson, Jacqueline A.; Kelly, Steven T.

    2014-01-01

    As the urban population increases, so does the area of irrigated urban landscape. Summer water use in urban areas can be 2-3x winter base line water use due to increased demand for landscape irrigation. Improper irrigation practices and large rainfall events can result in runoff from urban landscapes which has potential to carry nutrients and sediments into local streams and lakes where they may contribute to eutrophication. A 1,000 m2 facility was constructed which consists of 24 individual 33.6 m2 field plots, each equipped for measuring total runoff volumes with time and collection of runoff subsamples at selected intervals for quantification of chemical constituents in the runoff water from simulated urban landscapes. Runoff volumes from the first and second trials had coefficient of variability (CV) values of 38.2 and 28.7%, respectively. CV values for runoff pH, EC, and Na concentration for both trials were all under 10%. Concentrations of DOC, TDN, DON, PO4-P, K+, Mg2+, and Ca2+ had CV values less than 50% in both trials. Overall, the results of testing performed after sod installation at the facility indicated good uniformity between plots for runoff volumes and chemical constituents. The large plot size is sufficient to include much of the natural variability and therefore provides better simulation of urban landscape ecosystems. PMID:25146420

  12. 24 CFR 598.1 - Applicability and scope.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... URBAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY FACILITIES URBAN EMPOWERMENT ZONES: ROUND TWO AND THREE DESIGNATIONS General... the second and third rounds of designations of urban Empowerment Zones, authorized under Subchapter U... requirement of, Round II in this part is also a reference to, or requirement of, Round III. (b) This part...

  13. 24 CFR 598.1 - Applicability and scope.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... URBAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY FACILITIES URBAN EMPOWERMENT ZONES: ROUND TWO AND THREE DESIGNATIONS General... the second and third rounds of designations of urban Empowerment Zones, authorized under Subchapter U... requirement of, Round II in this part is also a reference to, or requirement of, Round III. (b) This part...

  14. 24 CFR 598.1 - Applicability and scope.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... URBAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY FACILITIES URBAN EMPOWERMENT ZONES: ROUND TWO AND THREE DESIGNATIONS General... the second and third rounds of designations of urban Empowerment Zones, authorized under Subchapter U... requirement of, Round II in this part is also a reference to, or requirement of, Round III. (b) This part...

  15. "It's some kind of women's empowerment": the ambiguity of the female condom as a marker of female empowerment.

    PubMed

    Kaler, A

    2001-03-01

    The female condom is the latest in a series of sexual and reproductive technologies to be imported into the third world, following the contraceptive pill, the Depo-Provera injection, the latex male condom, and others. It is an example of "traveling technology", which accrues different meanings and connotations in the different settings into which it is introduced in its journey through the circuits of international technological diffusion, from the headquarters of international NGOs and bilateral aid programs, through the bureaucracies of national ministries of health to the communities in urban and rural settings where the condoms are distributed. The female condom almost always carries connotations of women's empowerment, and the possibility of greater sexual autonomy for women. This association is a result of the female condom being the first new "post-Cairo" technology, the diffusion of which was spurred by the consensus reached at the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo, at which the need to promote women's empowerment was moved to the center of international family planning and population movements. However, I demonstrate that "empowerment" is an ambiguous term, interpreted in different ways in different contexts. I illustrate this through interviews conducted in 1998 and 1999 with stakeholders in the female condom in Cape Town, Nairobi, and in rural western Kenya. These stakeholders range from directors of US-based development programs to heads of national AIDS-prevention efforts to community-based distributors and primary health care nurses at the village level. I argue that three different notions of empowerment are being articulated with respect to the female condom--two which correspond to Maxine Molyneux's typology of strategic and practical gender interests, and a third in which women's empowerment is conceived of as something which diminished the power of men. I argue further that the disjunctures between these three

  16. Structural empowerment and anticipated turnover among behavioural health nurses.

    PubMed

    Smith, Thomas; Capitulo, Kathleen Leask; Quinn Griffin, Mary T; Fitzpatrick, Joyce J

    2012-07-01

    The aim of this pilot study was to examine the relationship between structural empowerment and anticipated turnover among behavioural health nurses. There have been several studies relating structural empowerment to a range of organizational characteristics and personal attributes of nurses themselves. There are also previous studies linking the key variables in the present study, but no previous research of behavioural health nurses was available. A quantitative design was used for this cross-sectional pilot study. All registered nurses (RN) working on inpatient units in the study facility were invited to participate (n = 97). An anonymous survey was sent to all potential participants. The response rate was 53% (n = 50). The majority of participants perceived themselves as moderately empowered. There was a significant negative correlation between empowerment and anticipated turnover. The results of this pilot study among behavioural health nurses are similar to the results among nurses working in other clinical areas. Nurse managers should be cognizant of the factors that enhance nurses' perceptions of empowerment, particularly related to issues of retention and anticipated turnover among behavioural health nurses. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  17. Impact of critical social empowerment on psychological empowerment and job satisfaction in nursing and midwifery settings.

    PubMed

    Casey, Marie; Saunders, Jean; O'Hara, Teresa

    2010-01-01

    To test an expanded model of empowerment which specifies the relationships between structural, psychological, critical social empowerment and job satisfaction. There is evidence that structural empowerment predicts psychological empowerment and these two dimensions of empowerment are independent predictors of job satisfaction. This study explored a third dimension of empowerment-- critical social empowerment--and its impact on psychological empowerment and job satisfaction. A predictive, non-experimental design in a sample of 306 nurses and midwives in Ireland using the Conditions of Work Effectiveness Questionnaire, the Psychological Empowerment Questionnaire, a researcher developed tool to measure critical social empowerment and a job satisfaction questionnaire. While both structural and critical social empowerment were significant independent predictors of psychological empowerment and job satisfaction, critical social empowerment was the stronger predictor. The findings support the inclusion of the critical social dimension of empowerment in the understanding of empowerment. Managers at all levels must attend to critical social empowerment as well as structural empowerment in order to increase job satisfaction, retention and engagement of highly qualified committed nurses and midwives.

  18. Predictors of person-centered maternity care: the role of socioeconomic status, empowerment, and facility type.

    PubMed

    Afulani, Patience A; Sayi, Takudzwa S; Montagu, Dominic

    2018-05-11

    Low use of maternal health services, as well as poor quality care, contribute to the high maternal mortality in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). In particular, poor person-centered maternity care (PCMC), which captures user experience, contributes both directly to pregnancy outcomes and indirectly through decreased demand for services. While many studies have examined disparities in use of maternal health services, few have examined disparities in quality of care, and none to our knowledge has empirically examined disparities in PCMC in SSA. The aim of this study is to examine factors associated with PCMC, particularly the role of household wealth, personal empowerment, and type of facility. Data are from a survey conducted in western Kenya in 2016, with women aged 15 to 49 years who delivered in the 9 weeks preceding the survey (N = 877). PCMC is operationalized as a summative score based on responses to 30 items in the PCMC scale capturing dignity and respect, communication and autonomy, and supportive care. We find that net of other factors; wealthier, employed, literate, and married women report higher PCMC than poorer, unemployed, illiterate, and unmarried women respectively. Also, women who have experienced domestic violence report lower PCMC than those who have never experienced domestic violence. In addition, women who delivered in health centers and private facilities reported higher PCMC than those who delivered in public hospitals. The effect of employment and facility type is conditional on wealth, and is strongest for the poorest women. Poor women who are unemployed and poor women who deliver in higher-level facilities receive the lowest quality PCMC. The findings imply the most disadvantaged women receive the lowest quality PCMC, especially when they seek care in higher-level facilities. Interventions to reduce disparities in PCMC are essential to improve maternal outcomes among disadvantaged groups.

  19. 24 CFR 598.610 - Resident benefit standards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... URBAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY FACILITIES URBAN EMPOWERMENT ZONES: ROUND TWO AND THREE DESIGNATIONS Empowerment Zone Grants § 598.610 Resident benefit standards. The project or activity described in an... employer may rely on a certification by the employee that provides to the employer the address of the...

  20. 24 CFR 598.610 - Resident benefit standards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... URBAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY FACILITIES URBAN EMPOWERMENT ZONES: ROUND TWO AND THREE DESIGNATIONS Empowerment Zone Grants § 598.610 Resident benefit standards. The project or activity described in an... employer may rely on a certification by the employee that provides to the employer the address of the...

  1. 24 CFR 597.400 - Reporting.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... COMMUNITY FACILITIES URBAN EMPOWERMENT ZONES AND ENTERPRISE COMMUNITIES: ROUND ONE DESIGNATIONS Post-Designation Requirements § 597.400 Reporting. HUD will require periodic reports for the Empowerment Zones and... these reports, such other information relating to designated Empowerment Zones and Enterprise...

  2. 24 CFR 597.400 - Reporting.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... COMMUNITY FACILITIES URBAN EMPOWERMENT ZONES AND ENTERPRISE COMMUNITIES: ROUND ONE DESIGNATIONS Post-Designation Requirements § 597.400 Reporting. HUD will require periodic reports for the Empowerment Zones and... these reports, such other information relating to designated Empowerment Zones and Enterprise...

  3. 24 CFR 597.400 - Reporting.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... COMMUNITY FACILITIES URBAN EMPOWERMENT ZONES AND ENTERPRISE COMMUNITIES: ROUND ONE DESIGNATIONS Post-Designation Requirements § 597.400 Reporting. HUD will require periodic reports for the Empowerment Zones and... these reports, such other information relating to designated Empowerment Zones and Enterprise...

  4. The effect of a psychological empowerment program based on psychodrama on empowerment perception and burnout levels in oncology nurses: Psychological empowerment in oncology nurses.

    PubMed

    Özbaş, Azize Atli; Tel, Havva

    2016-08-01

    Oncology nursing is stressful by its nature, and nurses in the field experience a high amount of stress and burnout. In order to cope with occupational stress, nurses need to employ flexible adjustment mechanisms that allow them the power to process their experiences. Failure of efficient stress management causes burnout, and burnout is closely related to powerlessness. It is therefore believed that the occurrence of burnout can be reduced by means of psychological empowerment of nurses. Our study was conducted to determine the effect of a "psychodrama-based psychological empowerment program" on (1) the perception of empowerment and (2) the levels of burnout in oncology nurses. The sample was made up of 82 oncology nurses (38 nurses in the study group and 44 in the control/comparison group). Study data were collected using the Psychological Empowerment Scale, the Nurse Work Empowerment Scale, and Maslach's Burnout Inventory. The study group attended a "psychodrama-based psychological empowerment program" (2 hours, 1 day a week, for 10 weeks). For data assessment, we employed an independent t test and one-way analysis of variance. The psychological empowerment and workplace empowerment scores of nurses in the study group increased and their burnout scores decreased following attendance in the psychodrama-based psychological empowerment program. We found that the psychodrama-based psychological empowerment program increased psychological empowerment and enhanced perception of workplace empowerment while decreasing levels of burnout in oncology nurses. The program is recommended and should allow oncology nurses to benefit from their personal experiences and thus increase self-empowerment, to enhance their perception of empowerment, and to prevent burnout.

  5. Applied Empowerment.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Holpp, Lawrence

    1994-01-01

    Discusses empowerment--the idea of pushing decision-making authority down the management hierarchy to the workers. Looks at myths surrounding the concept and suggests steps that bring people closer to full empowerment by gradually introducing them to new tasks. (JOW)

  6. Rural-urban differences in end-of-life nursing home care: facility and environmental factors.

    PubMed

    Temkin-Greener, Helena; Zheng, Nan Tracy; Mukamel, Dana B

    2012-06-01

    This study examines urban-rural differences in end-of-life (EOL) quality of care provided to nursing home (NH) residents. We constructed 3 risk-adjusted EOL quality measures (QMs) for long-term decedent residents: in-hospital death, hospice referral before death, and presence of severe pain. We used CY2005-2007 100% Minimum Data Set, Medicare beneficiary file, and inpatient and hospice claims. Logistic regression models were estimated to predict the probability of each outcome conditional on decedents' risk factors. For each facility, QMs were calculated as the difference between the actual and the expected risk-adjusted outcome rates. We fit multivariate linear regression models, with fixed state effects, for each QM to assess the association with urban-rural location. We found urban-rural differences for in-hospital death and hospice QMs, but not for pain. Compared with NHs located in urban areas, facilities in smaller towns and in isolated rural areas have significantly (p < .001) worse EOL quality for in-hospital death and hospice use. Whereas the differences in these QMs are statistically significant between facilities located in large versus small towns, they are not statistically significant between facilities located in small towns and isolated rural areas. This study provides empirical evidence for urban-rural differences in EOL quality of care using a national sample of NHs. Identifying differences is a necessary first step toward improving care for dying NH residents and for bridging the urban-rural gap.

  7. Evaluating physical therapists' perception of empowerment using Kanter's theory of structural power in organizations.

    PubMed

    Miller, P A; Goddard, P; Spence Laschinger, H K

    2001-12-01

    Little is known about physical therapists' perceptions of empowerment. In this study, Kanter's theory of structural power in organizations was used to examine physical therapists' perceptions of empowerment in a large Canadian urban teaching hospital. Kanter's theory, which has been studied extensively in the nursing profession, proposes that power in organizations is derived from access to information, support, resources, opportunity, and proportions. A convenience sample of physical therapists who had been working in the hospital longer than 3 months was used to determine the scores for the physical therapists' ratings of empowerment using the Conditions of Work Effectiveness Questionnaire. Physical therapists' scores were similar to reported staff nurses' scores for access to support, information, resources, and opportunity (mean=2.89, 2.91, 2.62, 3.25, respectively). Physical therapists' scores were higher than the majority of reported staff nurses' and nurse managers' scores for access to sources of informal and formal power structures (mean=2.81 and 3.29, respectively). There was a relationship between the empowerment score and the physical therapists' global rating of empowerment. Unlike studies of nurses, there were no relationships when demographic attributes and empowerment scores were examined. Evidence for the validity of Kanter's theory of empowerment was found. Kanter's theory can provide physical therapists and their managers with a useful framework for examining critical organizational factors (access to information, support, opportunity, and resources) that contribute to employees' perceptions of empowerment. A baseline measure for comparing future empowerment scores of this sample is available. Further work to examine the application of Kanter's theory to other samples of physical therapists appears to be warranted.

  8. Distribution of physical activity facilities in Scotland by small area measures of deprivation and urbanicity

    PubMed Central

    2010-01-01

    Background The aim of this study was to examine the distribution of physical activity facilities by area-level deprivation in Scotland, adjusting for differences in urbanicity, and exploring differences between and within the four largest Scottish cities. Methods We obtained a list of all recreational physical activity facilities in Scotland. These were mapped and assigned to datazones. Poisson and negative binomial regression models were used to investigate associations between the number of physical activity facilities relative to population size and quintile of area-level deprivation. Results The results showed that prior to adjustment for urbanicity, the density of all facilities lessened with increasing deprivation from quintiles 2 to 5. After adjustment for urbanicity and local authority, the effect of deprivation remained significant but the pattern altered, with datazones in quintile 3 having the highest estimated mean density of facilities. Within-city associations were identified between the number of physical activity facilities and area-level deprivation in Aberdeen and Dundee, but not in Edinburgh or Glasgow. Conclusions In conclusion, area-level deprivation appears to have a significant association with the density of physical activity facilities and although overall no clear pattern was observed, affluent areas had fewer publicly owned facilities than more deprived areas but a greater number of privately owned facilities. PMID:20955548

  9. Community empowerment strategy by sustainable built environment planning in Urban Kampong

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bawole, P.; Sutanto, HB

    2018-03-01

    Almost all big cities in developing countries have low-income people who live in Urban Kampong. The poor people live mostly near the city center and occupy vacant areas within the city. It is obvious that the low-income people in urban area have to deal with minimal infrastructure facilities in their settlements. They have to live with bad access to the main road, bad environmental quality, and lack of playgrounds for the children, etc. Many positive aspects that can be found in low-income settlement, if they are observed carefully without having negative prejudice before. Those positive aspects are the creative process of the inhabitant for struggling. Since relationship among the inhabitant is quite close, public spaces are necessary for them, because they use them as a place of communication. Besides, the creativity in building their house mostly with used materials make their housing types unique. As a development approach, the way the poor people develop their housing areas can be formulated as strategic approaches for empowering the inhabitants as well as improving the built environment in which the low-income people live. This paper will explain a research in low-income settlements developed in Yogyakarta city.

  10. Agency-based empowerment training enhances sales capacity of female energy entrepreneurs in Kenya.

    PubMed

    Shankar, Anita V; Onyura, MaryAlice; Alderman, Jessica

    2015-01-01

    Globally, women's involvement in clean cooking value chains has been minimal. This is partly because of the multiple challenges faced by women that impede their capacity to effectively engage in the energy sector. To better discern gender-specific differences in involvement in the energy sector, the authors conducted a randomized trial in Kenya to compare sales performance of newly trained male and female improved cookstove entrepreneurs and to test the effects of an agency-based empowerment training on business activity. A total of 257 entrepreneurs completed either a 4-day entrepreneurial training (control) or a 4-day empowerment training (intervention) and were followed for nearly 8 months documenting business activity and sales. The empowerment training led to more than doubling of sales for both genders. In addition, participants in the intervention group were significantly more likely to demonstrate business commitment over time and nearly three times more likely to be higher sellers (relative risk = 2.7, 95% CI [1.4, 5.4]), controlling for gender and rural/urban locale. Women outsold men by a margin of nearly 3 to 1 and were more likely to continue to pursue leads despite limited sales. Nonactive participants (those selling 1 improved cookstove or less) were a larger percentage of the control group (72%) than the intervention group (50%), and more men were nonactive participants (65% of men) compared with women (56% of women).These data show that women can serve as active improved cookstove entrepreneurs in both urban and rural settings and that targeted agency-based empowerment training can significantly increase women's capacity to engage effectively within the improved cookstove value chain.

  11. The Implicit Curriculum in an Urban University Setting: Pathways to Students' Empowerment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Peterson, N. Andrew; Farmer, Antoinette Y.; Zippay, Allison

    2014-01-01

    Professional schools are developing conceptual frameworks that can be used to assess and improve implicit curricula. Students' professional empowerment, defined to include perceived professional competence and identity, may be considered a vital outcome of these efforts. Our study evaluated measures and tested a path model that included…

  12. Empowerment Amongst Teachers Holding Leadership Positions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Avidov-Ungar, Orit; Friedman, Izhak; Olshtain, Elite

    2014-01-01

    This study used semi-structured in-depth interviews to explore empowerment patterns among teachers who hold leadership positions in school. Our qualitative analysis presents a hierarchical ladder with three types of empowerment amongst these teachers, ranging from limited empowerment through rewarding empowerment to change-enhancing empowerment.…

  13. Study on financial risk towards individual investor as strategy to improve urban community empowerment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Leon, F. M.; Aprilia, A.

    2018-01-01

    Investor will be always influenced by its risk tolerance when investing, each investor has own risk tolerance that differ to another, although this still being questioned until now. This research aimed to know the influence of demography factor in distinguish and classify Financial Risk Tolerance (FRT) and Financial Risk Taking Behavior (FRB) to individual investor. Methodology in this research is data that used as primary data which distributed by offline and online. The sample in this research is 642 respondents in Jakarta. Logistic regression is analyze method that used in this research. The research found that there is influence of gender, marital, status, education and income level to Financial Risk Tolerance (FRT) and Financial Risk Taking Behavior (FRB). For FRT significantly 0.000 for gender and marital status; 0.010 for education and 0.001 for income level. Whereas for FRB significantly 0.000 for gender; 0.003 for marital status and 0.010 for education level. The research contribution is crucial for financial advisor to notice the characteristic investor based on demography factor such as gender, marital, status, education level and income level. Therefore, this research able to give optional decision for appropriate investment to clients as ones of strategy to improve urban community empowerment.

  14. Mind the Civic Empowerment Gap: Economically Elite Students and Critical Civic Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Swalwell, Katy

    2015-01-01

    Calls to close the civic empowerment gap have traditionally focused on improving and expanding civic education for students in high-poverty urban schools. While important, this recommendation implies that closing the gap is in and of itself a sufficient end and that the civic education of affluent youth is unproblematic. This paper calls for (1)…

  15. Empowerment as a leadership theory.

    PubMed

    Rajotte, C A

    1996-01-01

    Leadership of today is quite different from that of Caesar, Plato, the ancient Greeks, or the ancient Egyptians. Today's leaders utilize power-sharing, trust, team-building, and empowerment. Methods to achieve empowerment include educating, leading, structuring, providing, mentoring, and actualizing. Empowerment requires change in leadership methods to be effective. One must be able to identify change and work with others for change. Through the leadership style of empowerment, vision provides a shared set of values with a customer focus. Successful organizations which practice empowerment delegate and expect people to initiate, create and to feel ownership. Nurses need to be involved in their organizations and utilize empowerment leadership to be successful leaders of the future. With empowered employees, the organization, the customer, and the employee are all winners.

  16. A method for studying the development pattern of urban commercial service facilities based on customer reviews from social media

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Y. D.; Jiang, B. T.; Ye, X. Y.

    2016-06-01

    Urbanization is one of the most important human social activities in the 21st century (Chaolin et al., 2012). With an increasing number of people visiting cities, the provision of adequate urban service facilities, including public and commercial service facilities, in locations where people live has become an important guarantee of the success of urbanization. Exploring the commercial service facilities in a specific area of a city can help us understand the progress and trends of urban renewal in the area, provide a quantitative basis for evaluating the rationality of planning implementation, and facilitate an analysis of the effects of different factors on the regional development of a city (Schor et al. 2003). In this paper, we proposed a data processing and analysis method for studying the distribution and development pattern of urban commercial facilities based on customer reviews. In addition, based on road network constraints, we explored the patterns contained in customer reviews data, including patterns for the spatial distribution and spatial-temporal evolution of facilities as well as the number of facilities and degree of satisfaction.

  17. Towards a comprehensive theory of nurse/patient empowerment: applying Kanter's empowerment theory to patient care.

    PubMed

    Spence Laschinger, Heather K; Gilbert, Stephanie; Smith, Lesley M; Leslie, Kate

    2010-01-01

    The purpose of this theoretical paper is to propose an integrated model of nurse/patient empowerment that could be used as a guide for creating high-quality nursing practice work environments that ensure positive outcomes for both nurses and their patients. There are few integrated theoretical approaches to nurse and patient empowerment in the literature, although nurse empowerment is assumed to positively affect patient outcomes. The constructs described in Kanter's (1993) work empowerment theory are conceptually consistent with the nursing care process and can be logically extended to nurses' interactions with their patients and the outcomes of nursing care. We propose a model of nurse/patient empowerment derived from Kanter's theory that suggests that empowering working conditions increase feelings of psychological empowerment in nurses, resulting in greater use of patient empowerment strategies by nurses, and, ultimately, greater patient empowerment and better health outcomes. Empirical testing of the model is recommended prior to use of the model in clinical practice. We argue that empowered nurses are more likely to empower their patients, which results in better patient and system outcomes. Strategies for managers to empower nurses and for nurses to empower patients are suggested.

  18. Technology Empowerment: Security Challenges.

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Warren, Drake Edward; Backus, George A.; Jones, Wendell

    “Technology empowerment” means that innovation is increasingly accessible to ordinary people of limited means. As powerful technologies become more affordable and accessible, and as people are increasingly connected around the world, ordinary people are empowered to participate in the process of innovation and share the fruits of collaborative innovation. This annotated briefing describes technology empowerment and focuses on how empowerment may create challenges to U.S. national security. U.S. defense research as a share of global innovation has dwindled in recent years. With technology empowerment, the role of U.S. defense research is likely to shrink even further while technology empowerment willmore » continue to increase the speed of innovation. To avoid falling too far behind potential technology threats to U.S. national security, U.S. national security institutions will need to adopt many of the tools of technology empowerment.« less

  19. Caregivers' job satisfaction and empowerment before and after an intervention focused on caregiver empowerment.

    PubMed

    Engström, Maria; Wadensten, Barbro; Häggström, Elisabeth

    2010-01-01

    To evaluate a training programme aimed at strengthening caregivers' self-esteem and empowering them, and also to study correlations between psychological empowerment and job satisfaction. Structural and psychological empowerment have received increased attention in nursing management, yet few intervention studies on this topic, based on theoretical assumptions, have been conducted in elderly care. Data on self-assessed psychological empowerment and job satisfaction were collected in an intervention (n = 14) and a comparison group (n = 32), before and after the intervention. When compared over time in the respective groups, there were significant improvements in the intervention group regarding the factor criticism (job satisfaction scale). There were no statistically significant differences in the comparison group. Total empowerment and all factors of empowerment correlated positively with total job satisfaction. Six out of eight factors of job satisfaction correlated positively with total empowerment. Caregivers' perception of criticism can improve through an intervention aimed at strengthening their self-esteem and empowering them. Implications for nursing management Intervention focused on psychological empowerment and especially caregivers' communication skills seems to be beneficial for caregivers. Recommendations are to increase the programme's length and scope and to include all staff at the unit. However, these recommendations need to be studied further.

  20. Teaching for Empowerment.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Freysinger, Valeria; Bedini, Leandra A.

    1994-01-01

    Explores ideas to help college educators empower students through their teaching. The article discusses assumptions of power and privilege that underlie empowerment, providing examples of how educators can disempower. Biological, psychological, and sociocultural processes of empowerment as related to race, gender, and disability are examined. (SM)

  1. Women's empowerment: Finding strength in self-compassion.

    PubMed

    Stevenson, Olivia; Allen, Ashley Batts

    2017-03-01

    Empowerment is often a desired outcome for health programs; however, it is rarely evaluated. One way to increase empowerment may be through self-compassion. The authors of the current study aimed to determine whether self-compassion and empowerment were positively related. Two hundred and five women (ages 18 to 48 years) were recruited from a pool of undergraduate students at a university in the southeastern United States in the summer/fall of 2012. Participants completed the study using Qualtrics, an online survey system. Participants wrote about a fight in a romantic relationship and were randomly assigned to write about the fight either self-compassionately or generally. Empowerment and perceptions of the fight were assessed as dependent measures. Hierarchical regression analyses investigated the relation of self-compassion, manipulated self-compassion, and their interaction with empowerment. A significant positive relationship was found between self-compassion and empowerment. However, manipulated self-compassion was not significantly related to empowerment. These findings suggested that self-compassion and empowerment were strongly related, but using a short-term self-compassion intervention may not be strong enough to influence empowerment. Empowerment-based practitioners may find empowerment increases more easily in women who are self-compassionate. If self-compassion is incorporated into empowerment settings, a long-term intervention may be necessary.

  2. Studies in Empowerment.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Van Galen, Jane, Ed.; And Others

    1992-01-01

    This theme issue of the serial "Educational Foundations" contains five articles devoted to the topic of "Studies in Empowerment." In "The Disempowering of Empowerment: Out of the Revolution and into the Classroom," Margaret D. LeCompte and Kathleen Bennett deMarrais focused on placing the term in proper historical…

  3. Relationship between staff nurse involvement in organizational structures and perception of empowerment.

    PubMed

    McDonald, Susan F; Tullai-McGuinness, Susan; Madigan, Elizabeth A; Shively, Marty

    2010-01-01

    Work structures that empower nurses contribute to a healthy work environment yet there are few studies that have looked at the relationship between nurse participation in formal work structures and their perception of empowerment. Nurses involved in power-sharing activities demonstrate a greater commitment to the organization and have improved job satisfaction. To measure the perception of structural empowerment by nurses and examine the relationship between staff registered nurse participation in organizational structures and perceived structural empowerment. A descriptive correlational survey design was used to measure staff nurses' perception of structural empowerment, using the Conditions of Work Effectiveness Questionnaire-II (CWEQ-II). A purposive sample of staff registered nurses (N = 122) at a large Veterans Affairs urban teaching hospital was recruited to complete an online survey. The response rate was 33%. Nurses perceived a moderate amount of structural empowerment and a greater sense of empowerment in the areas of opportunity, support, and collaboration on the CWEQ-II. The total mean score for the CWEQ-II (M = 18.50, SD = 3.63) indicated a moderate amount of perceived structural empowerment. Of the 4 CWEQ-II subscales, opportunity (M = 3.78, SD = 0.87) was moderately high. Resources (M = 3.04, SD = 0.72) and support (M = 2.92, SD = 0.94) were rated as moderate, and participants rated information moderately low (M = 2.75, SD = 0.88). On 2 scales that measured sources of organizational power, informal power was moderately high (M = 3.37, SD = 0.79) compared with formal power (M = 2.64, SD = 0.81), which scored moderately low. In comparing nurses who participated in councils with those who did not, there were no significant differences in their total or subscale scores on the CWEQ-II. Of those who did participate in councils (n = 48, 39.3%), the number of council meetings nurses attended correlated significantly with support (r = 0.37, P = .009). The

  4. Transformational leadership, empowerment, and job satisfaction: the mediating role of employee empowerment.

    PubMed

    Choi, Sang Long; Goh, Chin Fei; Adam, Muhammad Badrull Hisyam; Tan, Owee Kowang

    2016-12-01

    Recent studies have revealed that nursing staff turnover remains a major problem in emerging economies. In particular, nursing staff turnover in Malaysia remains high due to a lack of job satisfaction. Despite a shortage of healthcare staff, the Malaysian government plans to create 181 000 new healthcare jobs by 2020 through the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP). This study investigated the causal relationships among perceived transformational leadership, empowerment, and job satisfaction among nurses and medical assistants in two selected large private and public hospitals in Malaysia. This study also explored the mediating effect of empowerment between transformational leadership and job satisfaction. This study used a survey to collect data from 200 nursing staff, i.e., nurses and medical assistants, employed by a large private hospital and a public hospital in Malaysia. Respondents were asked to answer 5-point Likert scale questions regarding transformational leadership, employee empowerment, and job satisfaction. Partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to analyze the measurement models and to estimate parameters in a path model. Statistical analysis was performed to examine whether empowerment mediated the relationship between transformational leadership and job satisfaction. This analysis showed that empowerment mediated the effect of transformational leadership on the job satisfaction in nursing staff. Employee empowerment not only is indispensable for enhancing job satisfaction but also mediates the relationship between transformational leadership and job satisfaction among nursing staff. The results of this research contribute to the literature on job satisfaction in healthcare industries by enhancing the understanding of the influences of empowerment and transformational leadership on job satisfaction among nursing staff. This study offers important policy insight for healthcare managers who seek to increase job

  5. Empowerment: The Emperor's New Clothes.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Argyris, Chris

    1998-01-01

    Discusses why there has been little growth in empowerment over the past 30 years. Suggests that executives often work against empowerment both consciously and unconsciously and that they often do not seem to want what they say they need. Makes some recommendations that may help executives think more sensibly about empowerment. (JOW)

  6. 24 CFR 598.430 - Revocation of designation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... URBAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY FACILITIES URBAN EMPOWERMENT ZONES: ROUND TWO AND THREE DESIGNATIONS Post... benefits may be awarded to the next highest ranked Round II applicant. (f) Publication. The final notice of...

  7. 24 CFR 598.430 - Revocation of designation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... URBAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY FACILITIES URBAN EMPOWERMENT ZONES: ROUND TWO AND THREE DESIGNATIONS Post... benefits may be awarded to the next highest ranked Round II applicant. (f) Publication. The final notice of...

  8. 24 CFR 598.430 - Revocation of designation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... URBAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY FACILITIES URBAN EMPOWERMENT ZONES: ROUND TWO AND THREE DESIGNATIONS Post... benefits may be awarded to the next highest ranked Round II applicant. (f) Publication. The final notice of...

  9. 75 FR 5847 - Section 5309 Bus and Bus Facilities Livability Initiative and Urban Circulator Program Grants

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-02-04

    ... Livability Initiative and Urban Circulator Program Grants AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration (FTA), DOT. ACTION: Notice to Extend Application Deadline for the Bus and Bus Facilities and Urban Circulator..., Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), Public Law 109-59, August 10, 2005. The Urban...

  10. Functional independence of residents in urban and rural long-term care facilities in Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Lin, Kwan-Hwa; Wu, Shiao-Chi; Hsiung, Chia-Ling; Hu, Ming-Hsia; Hsieh, Ching-Lin; Lin, Jau-Hong; Kuo, Mei-Ying

    2004-02-04

    To compare the score of functional independence measure (FIM) between urban and rural residents living in long-term care facilities (LTCF) in Taiwan. A total of 437 subjects in 112 licensed LTCF in Taiwan were randomly selected by stratification strategy. Physical therapists interviewed the subjects in nursing homes (NH) and intermediate care facilities (ICF) to obtain the basic data, and the FIM score. (1) There was no significant difference in basic demographic data between urban and rural LTC subjects. (2) Most of the subjects in urban and rural LTCF were males, less than 80 years old, single/widowed, having multiple diseases, using more than one assistive devices, and having social welfare financial support. (3) Motor abilities (eating, grooming, and transfer) and cognition (comprehension, social interaction and problem solving) in rural LTCF subjects were significantly (p < 0.05) higher than those in urban areas as revealed by the FIM assessment. (4) The median of FIM total score of rural LTCF subjects was 90.5, which was significantly (p < 0.05) higher than that of urban LTCF subjects (median = 76). Some of the functional performance of subjects in rural long-term care institutions is better than those in urban areas. Our results may provide guidelines for the manpower and equipment supply estimation.

  11. The Empowerment Model: A Critical Reflection of Empowerment in Chinese Culture

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yip, Kam-shing

    2004-01-01

    The empowerment model has long dominated social work practice in Western countries. Many social workers in Hong Kong use this model regardless of the social or cultural context. In this article the author shares local social work practice experiences in Hong Kong and suggests that the empowerment model may need adaptation in Chinese communities.…

  12. New spatial clustering-based models for optimal urban facility location considering geographical obstacles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Javadi, Maryam; Shahrabi, Jamal

    2014-03-01

    The problems of facility location and the allocation of demand points to facilities are crucial research issues in spatial data analysis and urban planning. It is very important for an organization or governments to best locate its resources and facilities and efficiently manage resources to ensure that all demand points are covered and all the needs are met. Most of the recent studies, which focused on solving facility location problems by performing spatial clustering, have used the Euclidean distance between two points as the dissimilarity function. Natural obstacles, such as mountains and rivers, can have drastic impacts on the distance that needs to be traveled between two geographical locations. While calculating the distance between various supply chain entities (including facilities and demand points), it is necessary to take such obstacles into account to obtain better and more realistic results regarding location-allocation. In this article, new models were presented for location of urban facilities while considering geographical obstacles at the same time. In these models, three new distance functions were proposed. The first function was based on the analysis of shortest path in linear network, which was called SPD function. The other two functions, namely PD and P2D, were based on the algorithms that deal with robot geometry and route-based robot navigation in the presence of obstacles. The models were implemented in ArcGIS Desktop 9.2 software using the visual basic programming language. These models were evaluated using synthetic and real data sets. The overall performance was evaluated based on the sum of distance from demand points to their corresponding facilities. Because of the distance between the demand points and facilities becoming more realistic in the proposed functions, results indicated desired quality of the proposed models in terms of quality of allocating points to centers and logistic cost. Obtained results show promising

  13. Education, empowerment and community based structural reinforcement: An HIV prevention response to mass incarceration and removal✩

    PubMed Central

    Draine, Jeffrey; McTighe, Laura; Bourgois, Philippe

    2011-01-01

    In the context of US urban jails, incarceration is often seen as an opportune intervention point for prevention interventions in public health. For the detained individual, it is an opportunity to reflect on individual choices and the potential for changes in one's life course. For population focused public health professionals, jail detention facilities represent a concentration of health risks, and an opportunity to have an impact on a significant portion of those at risk for HIV and other health concerns. This paper presents an innovative education and empowerment model that bridges across jail walls, beginning on the inside, and continuing on the outside of jail where individuals continue to be challenged and supported toward positive health and social choices. The intervention also seeks to foment community activism in the communities to which jail detainees return, thus aiming to have a structural impact. This paper examines both the intervention model and the challenges of examining the effectiveness claims for the intervention at multiple levels. PMID:21794919

  14. Empowerment Evaluation: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fetterman, David; Wandersman, Abraham

    2007-01-01

    Empowerment evaluation continues to crystallize central issues for evaluators and the field of evaluation. A highly attended American Evaluation Association conference panel, titled "Empowerment Evaluation and Traditional Evaluation: 10 Years Later," provided an opportunity to reflect on the evolution of empowerment evaluation. Several…

  15. The neighborhood recreational environment and physical activity among urban youth: an examination of public and private recreational facilities.

    PubMed

    Ries, Amy V; Yan, Alice F; Voorhees, Carolyn C

    2011-08-01

    Recreational facility availability has been shown to associate positively with youth physical activity levels. Nonetheless, little is known about additional facility characteristics affecting their use for physical activity as well as differences between private and public facilities. This study examines (1) perceptions and use of public and private recreational facilities and (2) environmental and individual-level correlates of both facility use and physical activity among urban adolescents. Physical activity was assessed using accelerometry, objective measures of facility availability were obtained using Geographical Information Systems data, and facility use and perceptions were measured with a survey (N = 327). Adolescents were more likely to use public than private facilities despite perceiving that private facilities were of higher quality. Adolescents' use of both public and private facilities was associated with perceived (but not objective) availability, perceived quality, and use by friends and family. Public, but not private, facility use was associated with physical activity. This study reveals the importance of public facilities to the physical activity of urban youth.

  16. Empowerment: the emperor's new clothes.

    PubMed

    Argyris, C

    1998-01-01

    Everyone talks about empowerment, but it's not working. CEOs subtly undermine empowerment. Employees are often unprepared or unwilling to assume the new responsibilities it entails. Even change professionals stifle it. When empowerment is used as the ultimate criteria of success in organizations, it covers up many of the deeper problems that they must overcome. To understand this apparent contradiction, the author explores two kinds of commitment: external and internal. External commitment--or contractual compliance--is what employees display when they have little control over their destinies and are accustomed to working under the command-and-control model. Internal commitment occurs when employees are committed to a particular project, person, or program for their own individual reasons or motivations. Internal commitment is very closely allied with empowerment. The problem with change programs designed to encourage empowerment is that they actually end up creating more external than internal commitment. One reason is that these programs are rife with inner contradictions and send out mixed messages like "do your own thing--the way we tell you." The result is that employees feel little responsibility for the change program, and people throughout the organization feel less empowered. What can be done? Companies would do well to recognize potential inconsistencies in their change programs; to understand that empowerment has its limits; to establish working conditions that encourage employees' internal commitment; and to realize that morale and even empowerment are penultimate criteria in organizations. The ultimate goal is performance.

  17. 24 CFR 598.515 - Alaska and Hawaii.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... 24 Housing and Urban Development 3 2014-04-01 2013-04-01 true Alaska and Hawaii. 598.515 Section 598.515 Housing and Urban Development Regulations Relating to Housing and Urban Development (Continued... DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY FACILITIES URBAN EMPOWERMENT ZONES: ROUND TWO AND THREE DESIGNATIONS Special Rules § 598...

  18. 24 CFR 598.515 - Alaska and Hawaii.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 24 Housing and Urban Development 3 2011-04-01 2010-04-01 true Alaska and Hawaii. 598.515 Section 598.515 Housing and Urban Development Regulations Relating to Housing and Urban Development (Continued... DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY FACILITIES URBAN EMPOWERMENT ZONES: ROUND TWO AND THREE DESIGNATIONS Special Rules § 598...

  19. 24 CFR 598.515 - Alaska and Hawaii.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... 24 Housing and Urban Development 3 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Alaska and Hawaii. 598.515 Section 598.515 Housing and Urban Development Regulations Relating to Housing and Urban Development (Continued... DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY FACILITIES URBAN EMPOWERMENT ZONES: ROUND TWO AND THREE DESIGNATIONS Special Rules § 598...

  20. 24 CFR 598.515 - Alaska and Hawaii.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... 24 Housing and Urban Development 3 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Alaska and Hawaii. 598.515 Section 598.515 Housing and Urban Development Regulations Relating to Housing and Urban Development (Continued... DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY FACILITIES URBAN EMPOWERMENT ZONES: ROUND TWO AND THREE DESIGNATIONS Special Rules § 598...

  1. Urban-rural inequality regarding drug prescriptions in primary care facilities - a pre-post comparison of the National Essential Medicines Scheme of China.

    PubMed

    Yao, Qiang; Liu, Chaojie; Ferrier, J Adamm; Liu, Zhiyong; Sun, Ju

    2015-07-30

    To assess the impact of the National Essential Medicines Scheme (NEMS) with respect to urban-rural inequalities regarding drug prescriptions in primary care facilities. A stratified two-stage random sampling strategy was used to sample 23,040 prescriptions from 192 primary care facilities from 2009 to 2010. Difference-in-Difference (DID) analyses were performed to test the association between NEMS and urban-rural gaps in prescription patterns. Between-Group Variance and Theil Index were calculated to measure urban-rural absolute and relative disparities in drug prescriptions. The use of the Essential Medicines List (EML) achieved a compliance rate of up to 90% in both urban and rural facilities. An overall reduction of average prescription cost improved economic access to drugs for patients in both areas. However, we observed an increased urban-rural disparity in average expenditure per prescription. The rate of antibiotics and glucocorticoids prescription remained high, despite a reduced disparity between urban and rural facilities. The average incidence of antibiotic prescription increased slightly in urban facilities (62 to 63%) and reduced in rural facilities (67% to 66%). The urban-rural disparity in the use of parenteral administration (injections and infusions) increased, albeit at a high level in both areas (44%-52%). NEMS interventions are effective in reducing the overall average prescription costs. Despite the increased use of the EML, indicator performances with respect to rational drug prescribing and use remain poor and exceed the WHO/INRUD recommended cutoff values and worldwide benchmarks. There is an increased gap between urban and rural areas in the use of parenteral administration and expenditure per prescription.

  2. Empowerment to reduce health disparities.

    PubMed

    Wallerstein, Nina

    2002-01-01

    This article articulates the theoretical construct of empowerment and its importance for health-enhancing strategies to reduce health disparities. Powerlessness is explored as a risk factor in the context of social determinants, such as poverty, discrimination, workplace hazards, and income inequities. Empowerment is presented and compared with social capital and community capacity as strategies to strengthen social protective factors. A case study of a youth empowerment and policy project in New Mexico illustrates the usefulness of empowerment strategies in both targeting social determinants, such as public policies which are detrimental to youth, and improving community capacities of youth to be advocates for social change. Challenges for future practice and research are articulated.

  3. Empowerment and occupation: A new perspective.

    PubMed

    Hammell, Karen R Whalley

    2016-12-01

    The idea of empowerment permeates the occupational therapy literature yet has received little critical reflection from occupational therapy's theorists. This paper aims to explore the concept of empowerment and highlight a recent definition that resonates with occupational therapists' core values. Empowerment is generally understood to be a process of bestowing power and giving ability to someone deficient in both. However, a new definition provides a framework for understanding how empowerment might enhance people's capabilities. The World Bank's depiction of empowerment fits well with occupational therapists' beliefs in the importance of the ability and opportunity to "do," providing a framework for action. This framework focuses on people's capabilities: their freedom-or opportunity-to choose what they wish to do and to be and their ability to act on these wishes. Moreover, the World Bank's assertion that empowered people have freedom of both choice and action suggests empowerment is a relevant concept for occupational therapists.

  4. Irish nurses' and midwives' understanding and experiences of empowerment.

    PubMed

    Corbally, Melissa Ann; Scott, P Anne; Matthews, Anne; Gabhann, Liam Mac; Murphy, Catriona

    2007-03-01

    This study explored conceptualizations of empowerment among Irish nurses and midwives. Current literature on the meaning of empowerment lacks consensus. As a result there is a likelihood that empowerment will be conceptualized differently between managers and subordinates. In order to get a sense of how Irish practitioners viewed empowerment, 10 focus groups were held in locations throughout Ireland (n = 93). A national distribution of participants was obtained. Twenty-one different responses emerged representing what nurses and midwives understood by the term empowerment. In relation to experiences of empowerment, six themes were found to impact on empowerment experiences. Three themes emerged as central to empowerment. One theme (education for practice) was identified as an antecedent to empowerment. Empowerment is a complex concept and its meaning is contextually determined. Managers play a key role in impacting on the empowerment perceptions of Irish nurses and midwives.

  5. Youth Empowerment and High School Gay-Straight Alliances

    PubMed Central

    Muraco, Anna; Subramaniam, Aarti; Laub, Carolyn

    2010-01-01

    In the field of positive youth development programs, “empowerment” is used interchangeably with youth activism, leadership, civic participation and self-efficacy. However, few studies have captured what empowerment means to young people in diverse contexts. This article explores how youth define and experience empowerment in youth-led organizations characterized by social justice goals: high school Gay-Straight Alliances (GSAs). Through focus group interviews, fifteen youth leaders of GSAs from different regions of California explain what they think empowerment means and how they became empowered through their involvement with the GSA. Youth describe three inter-related dimensions of empowerment: personal empowerment, relational empowerment, and strategic empowerment through having and using knowledge. When these three dimensions are experienced in combination, GSA leaders have the potential for individual and collective empowerment as agents of social change at school. By understanding these youth's perspectives on the meanings of empowerment, this article clarifies the conceptual arena for future studies of socially marginalized youth and of positive youth development. PMID:19636734

  6. Community empowerment needs in the struggle for environmental justice

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Smith, D.

    1995-12-01

    The paper addresses the specific empowerment needs of communities and workers fighting for environmental justice. Thousands of people of color and poor communities throughout the United States are victimized by policies and practices of environmental racism which resulted in the disproportionate burden of exposure to environmental contamination where they live, work and play. Powerful interests who own and operate polluting industries and waste disposal facilities prey on poor, low income and non-white communities because they view them as areas of least resistance and {open_quotes}sacrifice zones.{close_quotes} Leaders and members of organizations from communities threatened or already devastated by contamination are wagingmore » determined, courageous and heroic struggles against giant corporate polluters. In many instances, the leaders and members of these grassroots environmental groups are literally sick and dying from contamination as they seek to organize for clean, safe and healthy communities. A key issue for communities and workers fighting for environmental justice is realizing true empowerment. Communities and workers must develop empowerment and capacity building skills in the areas of community and labor organizing; media relations and public education; legal advocacy; legislative and regulatory tracking; lobbying; health monitoring and health services; research; scientific technical needs (eg. air, water and soil testing); fundraising and economic sustainable development; institutional and organizational development; voter education and electoral politics; and youth and adult leadership training. When these empowerment skills are combined with a clear vision of justice for the future, communities will be able to fight cooporations armed with high-powered lawyers, lobbyists, public relations firms and bought-off politicians.« less

  7. Mediating and/or moderating roles of psychological empowerment.

    PubMed

    Meng, Lina; Jin, Yi; Guo, Jiajia

    2016-05-01

    The purpose of this study was to explore the mediating and/or moderating effects of psychological empowerment in the relationship between structural empowerment and burnout among nurses in China. Burnout is prevalent among nurses. Previous studies have found that empowering organizational structures contribute to reduce nurses' burnout. However, little is known about the mediating or moderating role of psychological empowerment in the relationship between structural empowerment and burnout among nurses in China. A cross-sectional design was conducted. A total of 244 nurses participated in this study. The data were collected in March 2013. Multiple regressions were used to test the hypothesized models. Psychological empowerment was found to be a significant mediator of the relationship between structural empowerment and burnout (standardized β=-0.553, Sobel test: z=7.79, p<0.001). The moderating effect of psychological empowerment in that relationship was not verified. Both structural and psychological empowerment negatively correlated with burnout. The psychological empowerment had a mediating effect on burnout. It is important for nurse managers to develop strategies to ensure that empowering structures are in place and to facilitate nurses' perception of psychological empowerment. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Reflections on Multiculturalism, Social Justice, and Empowerment Groups for Academic Success: A Critical Discourse for Contemporary Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bemak, Fred

    2005-01-01

    Writing the article entitled "Empowerment Groups for Academic Success: An Innovative Approach to Prevent High School Failure for At-Risk, Urban African American Girls," Fred Bemak anticipated that there would be mixed reactions, given the unique and non traditional approach to working with a difficult and typically underserved population. The…

  9. Improving pedestrian facilities in congested urban areas: a case study of Chennai city

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Subramanyam, B.; Prasanna Kumar, R.

    2017-07-01

    Traffic congestion and lack of public pedestrian space are some problems faced by most urban metropolises. Conventionally walking has been a mode of transportation in Indian cities. The percentage of pedestrians may vary from 16 to 57 depending upon the city. Encounters between vehicular traffic and pedestrian traffic are at its rise currently. Rapid industrialization and urbanization in India has resulted in neglecting of pedestrian facilities. Consequently pedestrian are at greater risk for their safety more especially in the commercial zones of large cities. A change in perspective spotlight will create a sense of awareness that the pedestrian traffic is also vital as the vehicular traffic. Soothing the traffic would moderately cut the driving expediency but the pedestrians will get a much safer and peaceful route to their terminuses. Safety and comfort are the two pans of a balance while considering the pedestrian traffic. Considering these aspects, this study deals a study in improving pedestrian facilities by analysing the existing skeleton of the selected locations. The adequacy of facility is checked based on IRC latest guidelines and counteractive measures are postulated.

  10. The contemporary construction of nurse empowerment.

    PubMed

    Rao, Aditi

    2012-12-01

    (a) To describe how nursing's construction of the concept of empowerment has selectively shaped the manner in which this concept has been applied to nursing professional practice and (b) to explicate clearly the breadth of the concept by highlighting the complex interactions that shape nurse empowerment. This integrative literature review analyzes academic literature published between 1960 and 2010 in the fields of nursing, management, and women's studies utilizing an evolutionary concept analysis method to explore the concept of nurse empowerment. While the literature suggests that empowerment is an emergent product of interactions among individual, organizational, and sociocultural factors, nursing has adopted a construction of empowerment that focuses primarily on organizational antecedents. This construction has enabled nursing to operationalize the concept in order to address a number of pressing challenges. Yet, this construction only limitedly addresses the individual and sociocultural factors that impact nurses' empowerment. In order to promote professional practice through the mobilization of power, scholarship must further investigate the complex interactions producing empowerment. For nurses to practice as professionals, they must be empowered to take action and respond to challenges using professional skill and knowledge. Unless nurses feel empowered to act, they will rely too heavily on rigid bureaucratic structures rather than their own professional power to guide practice. © 2012 Sigma Theta Tau International.

  11. Evaluation as Empowerment and the Evaluator as Enabler.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Whitmore, Elizabeth

    One rationale for implementing a particular evaluation approach is the empowerment of stakeholders. Evaluation as empowerment and possible links between empowerment and increased utilization of evaluation results are explored. Evaluation as empowerment assumes that individuals need to be personally productive and responsible in coping with their…

  12. Healthcare Utilisation and Empowerment Among Women in Liberia

    PubMed Central

    Sipsma, Heather; Callands, Tamora A; Bradley, Elizabeth; Harris, Benjamin; Johnson, Billy; Hansen, Nathan B

    2014-01-01

    Background Many efforts have been undertaken to improve access to healthcare services in low-income settings; nevertheless, underutilisation persists. Women’s lack of empowerment may be a central reason for underutilisation, but empirical literature establishing this relationship is sparse. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study using data from the 2007 Liberia Demographic and Health Survey. Our sample included all non-pregnant women who were currently married or living with a partner (N=3925 unweighted). We used multivariate logistic regression to assess the associations between constructs derived from the Theory of Gender and Power (TGP) and healthcare utilisation. Results Two-thirds of women (65.6%) had been to a healthcare facility for herself or her children in the past 12 months. Constructs from the three major theoretical structures were associated with healthcare utilisation. Women with no education, compared with women with some education, were less likely to have been to a healthcare facility (OR=0.76; 95% CI 0.62 to 0.93) as were women who had experienced sexual abuse (OR=0.65; 95% CI 0.45 to 0.95) and women who were married (OR=0.69, 95% CI 0.54 to 0.88). Women in higher wealth quintiles, compared with women in the next lower wealth quintile, and women with more decision-making power had greater odds of having been to a healthcare facility (OR=1.22; 95% CI 1.10 to 1.36 and OR=1.10; 95% CI 1.01 to 1.20; respectively). Conclusions Strong associations exist between healthcare utilisation and empowerment among women in Liberia, and gender imbalances are prevalent. This fundamental issue likely needs to be addressed before large-scale improvement in health service utilisation can be expected. PMID:23929617

  13. Nurses' participation in personal knowledge transfer: the role of leader-member exchange (LMX) and structural empowerment.

    PubMed

    Davies, Alicia; Wong, Carol A; Laschinger, Heather

    2011-07-01

    The purpose of this study was to test Kanter's theory by examining relationships among structural empowerment, leader-member exchange (LMX) quality and nurses' participation in personal knowledge transfer activities. Despite the current emphasis on evidence-based practice in health care, research suggests that implementation of research findings in everyday clinical practice is unsystematic at best with mixed outcomes. This study was a secondary analysis of data collected using a non-experimental, predictive mailed survey design. A random sample of 400 registered nurses who worked in urban tertiary care hospitals in Ontario yielded a final sample of 234 for a 58.5% response rate. Hierarchical multiple linear regression analysis revealed that the combination of LMX and structural empowerment accounted for 9.1% of the variance in personal knowledge transfer but only total empowerment was a significant independent predictor of knowledge transfer (β=0.291, t=4.012, P<0.001). Consistent with Kanter's Theory, higher levels of empowerment and leader-member exchange quality resulted in increased participation in personal knowledge transfer in practice. The results reinforce the pivotal role of nurse managers in supporting empowering work environments that are conducive to transfer of knowledge in practice to provide evidence-based care. © 2011 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  14. Student Empowerment: Definition, Implications, and Strategies for Implementation.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Duhon-Haynes, Gwendolyn M.

    This review of the literature defines the concept of student empowerment, discusses the implications of student empowerment in educational settings, and outlines strategies for facilitating increased empowerment. A definition of "empowerment" as "bringing into a state of belief one's ability to act effectively," is offered and the critical…

  15. The Impact of MSW Education on Social Worker Empowerment and Commitment to Client Empowerment through Social Justice Advocacy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Van Voorhis, Rebecca Morrison; Hostetter, Carol

    2006-01-01

    This study examined changes among graduate students (N=52) in perception of social worker empowerment and commitment to client empowerment through social justice advocacy. Pre-post data showed that most entering MSW students possessed important beliefs about empowerment for themselves as social workers and for members of oppressed population…

  16. Assessing the potential of rural and urban private facilities in implementing child health interventions in Mukono district, central Uganda-a cross sectional study.

    PubMed

    Rutebemberwa, Elizeus; Buregyeya, Esther; Lal, Sham; Clarke, Sîan E; Hansen, Kristian S; Magnussen, Pascal; LaRussa, Philip; Mbonye, Anthony K

    2016-07-15

    Private facilities are the first place of care seeking for many sick children. Involving these facilities in child health interventions may provide opportunities to improve child welfare. The objective of this study was to assess the potential of rural and urban private facilities in diagnostic capabilities, operations and human resource in the management of malaria, pneumonia and diarrhoea. A survey was conducted in pharmacies, private clinics and drug shops in Mukono district in October 2014. An assessment was done on availability of diagnostic equipment for malaria, record keeping, essential drugs for the treatment of malaria, pneumonia and diarrhoea; the sex, level of education, professional and in-service training of the persons found attending to patients in these facilities. A comparison was made between urban and rural facilities. Univariate and bivariate analysis was done. A total of 241 private facilities were assessed with only 47 (19.5 %) being in rural areas. Compared to urban areas, rural private facilities were more likely to be drug shops (OR 2.80; 95 % CI 1.23-7.11), less likely to be registered (OR 0.31; 95 % CI 0.16-0.60), not have trained clinicians, less likely to have people with tertiary education (OR 0.34; 95 % CI 0.17-0.66) and less likely to have zinc tablets (OR 0.38; 95 % CI 0.19-0.78). In both urban and rural areas, there was low usage of stock cards and patient registers. About half of the facilities in both rural and urban areas attended to at least one sick child in the week prior to the interview. There were big gaps between rural and urban private facilities with rural ones having less trained personnel and less zinc tablets' availability. In both rural and urban areas, record keeping was low. Child health interventions need to build capacity of private facilities with special focus on rural areas where child mortality is higher and capacity of facilities lower.

  17. Reflections on Empowerment Evaluation: Learning from Experience.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fetterman, David M.

    1999-01-01

    Reflects on empowerment evaluation, the use of evaluation to foster improvement and self-determination. Empowerment evaluation uses quantitative and qualitative methods, and usually focuses on program evaluation. Discusses the growth in empowerment evaluation as a result of interest in participatory evaluation. (SLD)

  18. Using Constitutional Law Classes to Address the "Civic Empowerment Gap" among Inner-City Public High School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Addington, Lynn A.

    2016-01-01

    Civic knowledge and participation are low among all students, but this pattern is even more pronounced for those who are poor, belong to a racial or ethnic minority group, or reside in a disadvantaged community. One remedy for this resulting "civic empowerment gap" is a call for teaching more effective civics classes in urban public…

  19. The comparison of fossil carbon fraction and greenhouse gas emissions through an analysis of exhaust gases from urban solid waste incineration facilities.

    PubMed

    Kim, Seungjin; Kang, Seongmin; Lee, Jeongwoo; Lee, Seehyung; Kim, Ki-Hyun; Jeon, Eui-Chan

    2016-10-01

    In this study, in order to understand accurate calculation of greenhouse gas emissions of urban solid waste incineration facilities, which are major waste incineration facilities, and problems likely to occur at this time, emissions were calculated by classifying calculation methods into 3 types. For the comparison of calculation methods, the waste characteristics ratio, dry substance content by waste characteristics, carbon content in dry substance, and (12)C content were analyzed; and in particular, CO2 concentration in incineration gases and (12)C content were analyzed together. In this study, 3 types of calculation methods were made through the assay value, and by using each calculation method, emissions of urban solid waste incineration facilities were calculated then compared. As a result of comparison, with Calculation Method A, which used the default value as presented in the IPCC guidelines, greenhouse gas emissions were calculated for the urban solid waste incineration facilities A and B at 244.43 ton CO2/day and 322.09 ton CO2/day, respectively. Hence, it showed a lot of difference from Calculation Methods B and C, which used the assay value of this study. It is determined that this was because the default value as presented in IPCC, as the world average value, could not reflect the characteristics of urban solid waste incineration facilities. Calculation Method B indicated 163.31 ton CO2/day and 230.34 ton CO2/day respectively for the urban solid waste incineration facilities A and B; also, Calculation Method C indicated 151.79 ton CO2/day and 218.99 ton CO2/day, respectively. This study intends to compare greenhouse gas emissions calculated using (12)C content default value provided by the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) with greenhouse gas emissions calculated using (12)C content and waste assay value that can reflect the characteristics of the target urban solid waste incineration facilities. Also, the concentration and (12)C content

  20. Social conditions and urban health inequities: realities, challenges and opportunities to transform the urban landscape through research and action.

    PubMed

    de Snyder, V Nelly Salgado; Friel, Sharon; Fotso, Jean Christophe; Khadr, Zeinab; Meresman, Sergio; Monge, Patricia; Patil-Deshmukh, Anita

    2011-12-01

    The process of urbanization entails social improvements with the consequential better quality-of-life for urban residents. However, in many low-income and some middle-income countries, urbanization conveys inequality and exclusion, creating cities and dwellings characterized by poverty, overcrowded conditions, poor housing, severe pollution, and absence of basic services such as water and sanitation. Slums in large cities often have an absence of schools, transportation, health centers, recreational facilities, and other such amenities. Additionally, the persistence of certain conditions, such as poverty, ethnic heterogeneity, and high population turnover, contributes to a lowered ability of individuals and communities to control crime, vandalism, and violence. The social vulnerability in health is not a "natural" or predefined condition but occurs because of the unequal social context that surrounds the daily life of the disadvantaged, and often, socially excluded groups. Social exclusion of individuals and groups is a major threat to development, whether to the community social cohesion and economic prosperity or to the individual self-realization through lack of recognition and acceptance, powerlessness, economic vulnerability, ill health, diminished life experiences, and limited life prospects. In contrast, social inclusion is seen to be vital to the material, psychosocial, and political aspects of empowerment that underpin social well-being and equitable health. Successful experiences of cooperation and networking between slum-based organizations, grassroots groups, local and international NGOs, and city government are important mechanisms that can be replicated in urban settings of different low- and middle-income countries. With increasing urbanization, it is imperative to design health programs for the urban poor that take full advantage of the social resources and resourcefulness of their own communities.

  1. Modeling time-lagged reciprocal psychological empowerment-performance relationships.

    PubMed

    Maynard, M Travis; Luciano, Margaret M; D'Innocenzo, Lauren; Mathieu, John E; Dean, Matthew D

    2014-11-01

    Employee psychological empowerment is widely accepted as a means for organizations to compete in increasingly dynamic environments. Previous empirical research and meta-analyses have demonstrated that employee psychological empowerment is positively related to several attitudinal and behavioral outcomes including job performance. While this research positions psychological empowerment as an antecedent influencing such outcomes, a close examination of the literature reveals that this relationship is primarily based on cross-sectional research. Notably, evidence supporting the presumed benefits of empowerment has failed to account for potential reciprocal relationships and endogeneity effects. Accordingly, using a multiwave, time-lagged design, we model reciprocal relationships between psychological empowerment and job performance using a sample of 441 nurses from 5 hospitals. Incorporating temporal effects in a staggered research design and using structural equation modeling techniques, our findings provide support for the conventional positive correlation between empowerment and subsequent performance. Moreover, accounting for the temporal stability of variables over time, we found support for empowerment levels as positive influences on subsequent changes in performance. Finally, we also found support for the reciprocal relationship, as performance levels were shown to relate positively to changes in empowerment over time. Theoretical and practical implications of the reciprocal psychological empowerment-performance relationships are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved).

  2. Empowerment in nursing: paternalism or maternalism?

    PubMed

    Christensen, Martin; Hewitt-Taylor, Jaqui

    The aim of this article is to explore whether patient empowerment flourishes in the wake of current health reforms or if there is a power struggle between nursing and medicine as to what is in the patients' best interest. Shifting the balance of power from healthcare professionals to patients has become a key element of healthcare policy in England. The RCN's definition of nursing places patient empowerment as a central remit of nurses. However, achieving genuine patient empowerment is not easy and requires individuals and organizations to alter their beliefs, values and behaviours. To empower patients nurses must be in a position to share power and this may require a realignment of the traditional power base within health care. Although empowerment is often viewed on a one-to-one level between professionals and patients, for true patient empowerment to occur, issues of power and control must also be addressed at a national and political level.

  3. Systematic review of empowerment measures in health promotion.

    PubMed

    Cyril, Sheila; Smith, Ben J; Renzaho, Andre M N

    2016-12-01

    Empowerment, a multi-level construct comprising individual, community and organizational domains, is a fundamental value and goal in health promotion. While a range of scales have been developed for the measurement of empowerment, the qualities of these have not been rigorously assessed. The aim of this study was to evaluate the measurement properties of quantitative empowerment scales and their applicability in health promotion programs. A systematic review following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines was done to evaluate empowerment scales across three dimensions: item development, reliability and validity. This was followed by assessment of measurement properties using a ratings scale with criteria addressing an a priori explicit theoretical framework, assessment of content validity, internal consistency and factor analysis to test structural validity. Of the 20 studies included in this review, only 8 (40%) used literature reviews, expert panels and empirical studies to develop scale items and 9 (45%) of studies fulfilled ≥5 criteria on the ratings scale. Two studies (10%) measured community empowerment and one study measured organizational empowerment, the rest (85%) measured individual empowerment. This review highlights important gaps in the measurement of community and organizational domains of empowerment using quantitative scales. A priority for future empowerment research is to investigate and explore approaches such as mixed methods to enable adequate measurement of empowerment across all three domains. This would help health promotion practitioners to effectively measure empowerment as a driver of change and an outcome in health promotion programs. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  4. Frontline staff motivation levels and health care quality in rural and urban primary health facilities: a baseline study in the Greater Accra and Western regions of Ghana.

    PubMed

    Alhassan, Robert Kaba; Nketiah-Amponsah, Edward

    2016-12-01

    The population of Ghana is increasingly becoming urbanized with about 70 % of the estimated 26.9 million people living in urban and peri-urban areas. Nonetheless, eight out of the ten regions in Ghana remain predominantly rural where only 32.1 % of the national health sector workforce works. Doctor-patient ratio in a predominantly rural region is about 1:18,257 compared to 1:4,099 in an urban region. These rural-urban inequities significantly account for the inability of Ghana to attain the health related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) before the end of 2015. To ascertain whether or not rural-urban differences exist in health worker motivation levels and quality of health care in health facilities accredited by the National Health Insurance Authority in Ghana. This is a baseline quantitative study conducted in 2012 among 324 health workers in 64 accredited clinics located in 9 rural and 7 urban districts in Ghana. Ordered logistic regression was performed to determine the relationship between facility geographic location (rural/urban) and staff motivation levels, and quality health care standards. Quality health care and patient safety standards were averagely low in the sampled health facilities. Even though health workers in rural facilities were more de-motivated by poor availability of resources and drugs than their counterparts in urban facilities (p < 0.05), quality of health care and patient safety standards were relatively better in rural facilities. For Ghana to attain the newly formulated sustainable development goals on health, there is the need for health authorities to address the existing rural-urban imbalances in health worker motivation and quality health care standards in primary healthcare facilities. Future studies should compare staff motivation levels and quality standards in accredited and non-accredited health facilities since the current study was limited to health facilities accredited by the National Health Insurance Authority.

  5. First birth and the trajectory of women's empowerment in Egypt.

    PubMed

    Samari, Goleen

    2017-11-08

    Women's empowerment is often used to explain changes in reproductive behavior, but no consideration is given to how reproductive events can shape women's empowerment over time. Fertility may cause changes in women's empowerment, or they may be mutually influencing. Research on women's empowerment and fertility relies on cross-sectional data from South Asia, which limits the understanding of the direction of association between women's empowerment and fertility in other global contexts. This study uses two waves of a panel survey from a prominent Middle Eastern country, Egypt, to examine the trajectory of women's empowerment and the relationship between first and subsequent births and empowerment over time. Using longitudinal data from the 2006 and 2012 Egyptian Labor Market Panel Survey, a nationally representative sample of households in Egypt, for 4660 married women 15 to 49 years old, multilevel negative binomial, ordinary least squares, and logistic regression models estimate women's empowerment and consider whether a first and subsequent births are associated with empowerment later in life. Women's empowerment is operationalized through four measures of agency: individual household decision-making, joint household decision-making, mobility, and financial autonomy. A first birth and subsequent births are significantly positively associated with all measures of empowerment except financial autonomy in 2012. Women who have not had a birth make 30% fewer individual household decisions and 14% fewer joint household decisions in 2012 compared to women with a first birth. There is also a positive relationship with mobility, as women with a first birth have more freedom of movement compared to women with no births. Earlier empowerment is also an important predictor of empowerment later in life. Incorporating the influence of life events like first and subsequent births helps account for the possibility that empowerment is dynamic and that life course experiences shape

  6. Teaching Science for Empowerment in an Urban Classroom: A Case Study of a Hmong Teacher

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Upadhyay, Bhaskar

    2009-01-01

    This is a case study of Lee, a Hmong teacher, who reflects on her own schooling experiences in order to develop a culturally sensitive pedagogy based on empowerment and funds of knowledge. The findings indicate that Lee teaches science effectively using culturally sensitive pedagogy--utilizing Hmong students' and parents' funds of knowledge in…

  7. A bicycle safety index for evaluating urban street facilities.

    PubMed

    Asadi-Shekari, Zohreh; Moeinaddini, Mehdi; Zaly Shah, Muhammad

    2015-01-01

    The objectives of this research are to conceptualize the Bicycle Safety Index (BSI) that considers all parts of the street and to propose a universal guideline with microscale details. A point system method comparing existing safety facilities to a defined standard is proposed to estimate the BSI. Two streets in Singapore and Malaysia are chosen to examine this model. The majority of previous measurements to evaluate street conditions for cyclists usually cannot cover all parts of streets, including segments and intersections. Previous models also did not consider all safety indicators and cycling facilities at a microlevel in particular. This study introduces a new concept of a practical BSI to complete previous studies using its practical, easy-to-follow, point system-based outputs. This practical model can be used in different urban settings to estimate the level of safety for cycling and suggest some improvements based on the standards.

  8. Empowerment in healthcare policy making: three domains of substantive controversy.

    PubMed

    Chiapperino, Luca; Tengland, Per-Anders

    2015-12-01

    This paper distinguishes between the uses of empowerment across different contexts in healthcare policy and health promotion, providing a model for the ethical and political scrutiny of those uses. We argue that the controversies currently engendered by empowerment are better understood by means of a historical distinction between two concepts of empowerment, namely, what we call the radical empowerment approach and the new wave of empowerment. Building on this distinction, we present a research agenda for ethicists and policy makers, highlighting three domains of controversy raised by the new wave of empowerment, namely: (1) the relationship between empowerment and paternalistic interferences on the part of professionals; (2) the evaluative commitment of empowerment strategies to the achievement of health-related goals; and (3) the problems arising from the emphasis on responsibility for health in recent uses of empowerment. Finally, we encourage the explicit theorisation of these moral controversies as a necessary step for the development and implementation of ethically legitimate empowerment processes.

  9. A Feminist Response to Empowerment.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bowen, Nancy H.; And Others

    1991-01-01

    Responds to previous article by McWhirter on empowerment in counseling. Suggests that further refinement of the group and community involvement aspects of McWhirter's definition of empowerment is needed. Notes that lack of inclusion of clients who belong to more privileged groups is unaddressed by McWhirter's article. (NB)

  10. Women's empowerment and reproductive experiences over the lifecourse.

    PubMed

    Lee-Rife, Susan M

    2010-08-01

    This paper examines the complex interplay between reproductive experiences and women's empowerment using rich life history data from a survey in India. Previous research has examined the influence of a rather limited range of reproductive events, focusing on how many children or sons a woman has borne, and has only superficially incorporated the insights of lifecourse theory. Furthermore, it has often conceptualized empowerment as a static characteristic rather than a time-varying one, and has often failed to examine the influence of empowerment resources or previous empowerment levels. I focus on the cumulative influence of less-studied reproductive events-including unwanted or mistimed pregnancy, stillbirths, miscarriages, and abortions-on several dimensions of women's empowerment, including mobility, financial decision-making, experiences of violence, and threats of abandonment or homelessness using data collected from 2435 women in Madhya Pradesh, India during a 2002 household-based probability sample survey. Logistic regression revealed that, notably, few reproductive events have an impact on women's current empowerment, but rather, the extent of empowerment immediately after marriage emerges as a strong determinant of their current empowerment. However, women who have had abortions have higher odds of experiencing domestic violence, and experiencing mistimed pregnancies lowers the odds of violence. Incorporating the potential influence of prior life events and conditions, accounting for the possibility that experiences may accumulate to shape women's current empowerment portrays women's lives more completely and helps to identify key points of intervention. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Advancing Community–Based Research with Urban American Indian Populations: Multidisciplinary Perspectives

    PubMed Central

    Hartmann, William E.; Wendt, Dennis C.; Saftner, Melissa A.; Marcus, John; Momper, Sandra L.

    2014-01-01

    The U.S. has witnessed significant growth among urban AI populations in recent decades, and concerns have been raised that these populations face equal or greater degrees of disadvantage than their reservation counterparts. Surprisingly little urban AI research or community work has been documented in the literature, and even less has been written about the influences of urban settings on community-based work with these populations. Given the deep commitments of community psychology to empowering disadvantaged groups and understanding the impact of contextual factors on the lives of individuals and groups, community psychologists are well suited to fill these gaps in the literature. Toward informing such efforts, this work offers multidisciplinary insights from distinct idiographic accounts of community-based behavioral health research with urban AI populations. Accounts are offered by three researchers and one urban AI community organization staff member, and particular attention is given to issues of community heterogeneity, geography, membership, and collaboration. Each first-person account provides “lessons learned” from the urban context in which the research occurred. Together, these accounts suggest several important areas of consideration in research with urban AIs, some of which also seem relevant to reservation-based work. Finally, the potential role of research as a tool of empowerment for urban AI populations is emphasized, suggesting future research attend to the intersections of identity, sense of community, and empowerment in urban AI populations. PMID:24659391

  12. Workplace empowerment and nurses' job satisfaction: a systematic literature review.

    PubMed

    Cicolini, Giancarlo; Comparcini, Dania; Simonetti, Valentina

    2014-10-01

    This systematic review aimed to synthesize and analyse the studies that examined the relationship between nurse empowerment and job satisfaction in the nursing work environment. Job dissatisfaction in the nursing work environment is the primary cause of nursing turnover. Job satisfaction has been linked to a high level of empowerment in nurses. We reviewed 596 articles, written in English, that examined the relationship between structural empowerment, psychological empowerment and nurses' job satisfaction. Twelve articles were included in the final analysis. A significant positive relation was found between empowerment and nurses' job satisfaction. Structural empowerment and psychological empowerment affect job satisfaction differently. A satisfying work environment for nurses is related to structural and psychological empowerment in the workplace. Structural empowerment is an antecedent of psychological empowerment and this relationship culminates in positive retention outcomes such as job satisfaction. This review could be useful for guiding leaders' strategies to develop and maintain an empowering work environment that enhances job satisfaction. This could lead to nurse retention and positive organisational and patient outcomes. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  13. Women’s Empowerment across Generations in Bangladesh

    PubMed Central

    Schuler, Sidney Ruth; Rottach, Elisabeth

    2010-01-01

    This study uses qualitative data to examine young women’s relationships with their mothers and mothers-in-law to understand how these relationships foster empowerment in the younger generation or fail to do so. The data consist of ethnographic interviews with 20 triads of women—young married women, their mothers and their mothers-in-law. Findings show that the influence of empowerment across generations was greater in the sphere of economic empowerment and education than in relation to marriage and childbearing. The study illustrates how patriarchal institutions resistant to change can limit the effects of women’s empowerment on the next generation. PMID:20847904

  14. The impact of nurse empowerment on job satisfaction.

    PubMed

    Ning, Sun; Zhong, He; Libo, Wang; Qiujie, Li

    2009-12-01

    This paper is a report of a study conducted to test Kanter's organizational empowerment theoretical model specifying the relationships among demographics, structural empowerment, and job satisfaction. Empowerment has become an increasingly important factor in determining nurses' job satisfaction in current restructured work environments in China. A correlational, cross-sectional design was used to test Kanter's organizational empowerment model with a sample of 650 full-time nurses employed in six Chinese hospitals in 2007, with a response rate of 92% (n = 598). The instruments used were the Demographic Data Questionnaire, Conditions of Work Effectiveness Questionnaire-II, and Job Satisfaction Scale. The three lowest scoring items for Conditions of Work Effectiveness Questionnaire-II were resources, opportunity and informal power. The job satisfaction items revealing most dissatisfaction were workload and compensation, professional promotion, amount of work responsibility, work environments, and organizational policies. A statistically significant positive correlation was found between empowerment and job satisfaction (r = 0.547, P < 0.01). The demographic factors influencing empowerment were work objectives and age. The influencing factors for job satisfaction were work objectives and education level. The results provide support for Kanter's organizational empowerment theory in the Chinese nurse population. Nurses who view their work environments as empowering are more likely to provide high quality care. Enhancing empowerment in a supportive environment would allow nurses to experience satisfaction with their jobs.

  15. 'Troubling' moments in health promotion: unpacking the ethics of empowerment.

    PubMed

    Spencer, Grace

    2015-12-01

    Concepts of empowerment feature strongly in global health discourses. Empowerment is frequently advocated as a positive approach to addressing individual and community-level health needs. Despite its popularity, relatively little has been said about the unintended consequences of empowerment, which may give rise to some troubling ethical issues or, indeed, result in outcomes that may not be considered health promoting. Drawing on current uses of empowerment within health promotion, along with insights from an ethnographic study on young people's health, this paper raises some critical questions about the ethics of empowerment. By doing so, the paper troubles the idea that empowerment is a 'good thing' without some careful attention to the varying ways in which the ethics of empowerment may unfold in practice. Findings revealed young people's different perspectives on health and priorities for health promotion. The present analysis highlights how these alternative framings prompt a number of ethical tensions for understanding and operationalising empowerment. In conclusion, the findings underscore the importance of promoting ethical reflexivity in health promotion and, crucially, attending to the unintended and potentially ethically problematic consequences of empowerment. So what? This paper raises some critical questions about the ethics of empowerment and calls for a more thorough engagement with the unintended consequences of empowerment within health promotion.

  16. Organizational change and work-related empowerment.

    PubMed

    Kuokkanen, Liisa; Suominen, Tarja; Rankinen, Sirkku; Kukkurainen, Marja-Leena; Savikko, Nina; Doran, Diane

    2007-07-01

    This study describes the views of multidisciplinary teams on work-related empowerment in a transitional organization. The data were collected between September 2003 and January 2004 (n=115) and one year later (n=112) using a self-administered questionnaire consisting of verbal and behavioural items, empowerment outcomes, and factors promoting and impeding empowerment. The target population consisted of all members working in multidisciplinary teams at the Rheumatism Foundation Hospital in Finland. The response rate was 58% at both data collections. The data were analysed statistically using SPSS software. The multidisciplinary teams rated their work empowerment quite highly. The number of empowerment promoting factors was lowest for the category of future orientedness, consisting of continuity of work, opportunities for advancement, and access to information. The number of impeding factors was also highest for the same category of future orientedness, consisting here of organizational bureaucracy and hierarchy, authoritarian leadership, poor access to information, and short working periods. It is important not to underestimate the impacts of organizational changes: they have a direct effect on the work environment and may contribute to higher rates of dissatisfaction, burnout and absenteeism among health care workers.

  17. Revealed access to haemodialysis facilities in northeastern Iran: Factors that matter in rural and urban areas.

    PubMed

    Kiani, Behzad; Bagheri, Nasser; Tara, Ahmad; Hoseini, Benyamin; Tabesh, Hamed; Tara, Mahmood

    2017-11-07

    Poor access to haemodialysis facilities is associated with high mortality and morbidity rates. This study investigated factors affecting revealed access to the haemodialysis facilities considering patients living in rural and urban areas without any haemodialysis facility (Group A) and those living urban areas with haemodialysis facilities (Group B). This study is based on selfreported Actual Access Time (AAT) to referred haemodialysis facilities and other information regarding travel to haemodialysis facilities from patients. All significant variables on univariate analysis were entered into a univariate general linear model in order to identify factors associated with AAT. Both spatial (driving time and distance) and non-spatial factors (sex, income level, caregivers, transportation mode, education level, ethnicity and personal vehicle ownership) influenced the revealed access identified in Group A. The non-spatial factors for Group B patients were the same as for Group A, but no spatial factor was identified in Group B. It was found that accessibility is strongly underestimated when driving time is chosen as accessibility measure to haemodialysis facilities. Analysis of revealed access determinants provides policymakers with an appropriate decision base for making appropriate decisions and finding solutions to decrease the access time for patients under haemodialysis therapy. Driving time alone is not a good proxy for measuring access to haemodialysis facilities as there are many other potential obstacles, such as women's special travel problems, poor other transportation possibilities, ethnicity disparities, low education levels, low caregiver status and low-income.

  18. The Mediating Influence of Organizational Characteristics in the Relationship between Organizational Type and Relational Power: An Extension of Psychological Empowerment Research

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wilke, Lindsay A.; Speer, Paul W.

    2011-01-01

    Processes of psychological empowerment for members of community-based organizations may be strongly influenced by organizational factors. Using survey data from a random sample of urban residents (n = 974), the present study examines how individual perceptions of empowering features of organizations (group-based belief system, role opportunity,…

  19. Youth Empowerment and High School Gay-Straight Alliances

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Russell, Stephen T.; Muraco, Anna; Subramaniam, Aarti; Laub, Carolyn

    2009-01-01

    In the field of positive youth development programs, "empowerment" is used interchangeably with youth activism, leadership, civic participation and self-efficacy. However, few studies have captured what empowerment means to young people in diverse contexts. This article explores how youth define and experience empowerment in youth-led…

  20. Promoting the health of Aboriginal Australians through empowerment: eliciting the components of the family well-being empowerment and leadership programme.

    PubMed

    Laliberté, Arlene; Haswell, Melissa; Tsey, Komla

    2012-12-01

    Most policies addressing Aboriginal health in Australia promote initiatives that are based on empowerment principles. Articulated programme components are necessary to support personal and group empowerment and to assist individuals in gaining the sense of control and purposefulness needed to exert their political and personal power in the face of the severe stress and powerlessness faced by the Australian Aboriginal people. This paper aims to provide a detailed description of the mechanisms underpinning a 'bottom-up' empowerment initiative, the Family well-being empowerment and leadership programme (FWB), and to analyze how the programme supports empowerment. The five stages of FWB were described and the validity of this model was assessed through the combination of participatory observation, documentation analysis, literature review, semi-structured interviews and iterative feedback with different analytical perspectives. Our study results articulated four distinct programme components: the setting plus inter-relational, educational and experiential actions. FWB is an example of the promotion of both outcome and process pathways towards empowerment. Potential applications of the programme are discussed.

  1. Empowerment in Social Work Practice with Older Women.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Browne, Colette V.

    1995-01-01

    Discusses and contrasts varying definitions of empowerment from social work and feminist literature. Describes what is problematic in the definitions of empowerment practice with older women and suggests reasons for broadening the definition and concept of empowerment so that social welfare professionals can meet the needs of this growing…

  2. Measuring Youth Empowerment: Validation of a Sociopolitical Control Scale for Youth in an Urban Community Context

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Peterson, N. Andrew; Peterson, Christina Hamme; Agre, Lynn; Christens, Brian D.; Morton, Cory Michael

    2011-01-01

    Sociopolitical control (SPC) is generally considered to be a vital element of the intrapersonal component of psychological empowerment, despite contradictory findings concerning the dimensionality of the construct when applied to a youth population. This study tested the Sociopolitical Control Scale for Youth (SPCS-Y), which was designed to…

  3. Disentangling the relationships between staff nurses' workplace empowerment and job satisfaction.

    PubMed

    Dahinten, V S; Lee, S E; MacPhee, M

    2016-11-01

    The primary aim of this study was to examine the relationships between structural empowerment, psychological empowerment and job satisfaction among staff nurses, after controlling for their leaders' use of empowering behaviours. Nurses' job satisfaction is a critical factor in health-care organisations because of its association with nurse turnover and quality of patient care. Nurses continue to report high levels of job dissatisfaction. Cross-sectional data for 1007 Canadian staff nurses were analysed using hierarchical multiple regression. Structural empowerment was the strongest independent predictor of job satisfaction, followed by leader empowering behaviours and psychological empowerment. After accounting for the effects of structural empowerment and leader empowering behaviours, the four dimensions of psychological empowerment showed only small independent effects on job satisfaction. Psychological empowerment did not mediate the effects of structural empowerment on job satisfaction. Nurses' job satisfaction is most influenced by their access to organisational empowerment structures. Leader empowering behaviours, structural empowerment, and psychological empowerment, operating together, enhance nurses' job satisfaction. Nurse leaders should use a variety of empowerment strategies that are important to nurses' job satisfaction and potentially to the quality of patient care and nurse turnover. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  4. The meaning of empowerment within Italian nursing care settings.

    PubMed

    Rega, Maria Luisa; Diano, Pasquale; Damiani, Gianfranco; De Vito, Corrado; Galletti, Caterina; Talucci, Carlo

    2017-11-01

    To examine the current state of empowerment of nurses in Italy. Empowerment is a broad concept that is also relevant to the field of nursing practice. Its comprehension and use are important because empowerment allows nurses to take control of their own practice. A clear understanding of empowerment is necessary for nurses to take advantage of this important tool. Focus groups were conducted. A literature review was performed, and two focus groups were selected between January and February 2014. Sixteen nurses participated in the research. Empowerment is seen as being strongly connected to autonomy and is not associated with power, as the word itself suggests. Italian nurses define empowerment as the creation of conditions that help to establish the possibility for people to develop and express their value and potential. Empowerment is defined as a condition in which the individual nurse takes control of his/her own practice and thereby provides awareness and confidence to a group. Italian nurses need to feel appreciated and supported by their own organisations. If warranted, empowerment would allow them to contribute to enhance care, which is the core of the nursing profession. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  5. Combat Leadership Styles: Empowerment versus Authoritarianism

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1990-12-01

    Combat Leadership Styles : Empowerment versus Authoritarianism FARIS R. KIRKLAND Recent research in Israel and the United States suggests that...Combat Leadership Styles : Empowerment versus Authoritarianism 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) 5d

  6. Empowerment theory: clarifying the nature of higher-order multidimensional constructs.

    PubMed

    Peterson, N Andrew

    2014-03-01

    Development of empowerment theory has focused on defining the construct at different levels of analysis, presenting new frameworks or dimensions, and explaining relationships between empowerment-related processes and outcomes. Less studied, and less conceptually developed, is the nature of empowerment as a higher-order multidimensional construct. One critical issue is whether empowerment is conceptualized as a superordinate construct (i.e., empowerment is manifested by its dimensions), an aggregate construct (i.e., empowerment is formed by its dimensions), or rather as a set of distinct constructs. To date, researchers have presented superordinate models without careful consideration of the relationships between dimensions and the higher-order construct of empowerment. Empirical studies can yield very different results, however, depending on the conceptualization of a construct. This paper represents the first attempt to address this issue systematically in empowerment theory. It is argued that superordinate models of empowerment are misspecified and research that tests alternative models at different levels of analysis is needed to advance theory, research, and practice in this area. Recommendations for future work are discussed.

  7. A multilevel study of leadership, empowerment, and performance in teams.

    PubMed

    Chen, Gilad; Kirkman, Bradley L; Kanfer, Ruth; Allen, Don; Rosen, Benson

    2007-03-01

    A multilevel model of leadership, empowerment, and performance was tested using a sample of 62 teams, 445 individual members, 62 team leaders, and 31 external managers from 31 stores of a Fortune 500 company. Leader-member exchange and leadership climate related differently to individual and team empowerment and interacted to influence individual empowerment. Also, several relationships were supported in more but not in less interdependent teams. Specifically, leader-member exchange related to individual performance partially through individual empowerment; leadership climate related to team performance partially through team empowerment; team empowerment moderated the relationship between individual empowerment and performance; and individual performance was positively related to team performance. Contributions to team leadership theory, research, and practices are discussed. (c) 2007 APA, all rights reserved.

  8. Curriculum Guidelines for a Distance Education Course in Urban Agriculture Based on an Eclectic Model.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gaum, Wilma G.; van Rooyen, Hugo G.

    1997-01-01

    Describes research to develop curriculum guidelines for a distance education course in urban agriculture. The course, designed to train the teacher, is based on an eclectic curriculum design model. The course is aimed at the socioeconomic empowerment of urban farmers and is based on sustainable ecological-agricultural principles, an…

  9. Factors of empowerment for women in recovery from substance use.

    PubMed

    Hunter, Bronwyn A; Jason, Leonard A; Keys, Christopher B

    2013-03-01

    Empowerment is an interdisciplinary construct heavily grounded in the theories of community psychology. Although empowerment has a strong theoretical foundation, few context-specific quantitative measures have been designed to evaluate empowerment for specific populations. The present study explored the factor structure of a modified empowerment scale with a cross-sectional sample of 296 women in recovery from substance use who lived in recovery homes located throughout the United States. Results from an exploratory factor analysis identified three factors of psychological empowerment which were closely related to previous conceptualizations of psychological empowerment: self-perception, resource knowledge and participation. Further analyses demonstrated a hierarchical relationship among the three factors, with resource knowledge predicting participation when controlling for self-perception. Finally, a correlational analysis demonstrated the initial construct validity of each factor, as each factor of empowerment was significantly and positively related to self-esteem. Implications for the application of psychological empowerment theory and research are discussed.

  10. Factors of Empowerment for Women in Recovery from Substance Use

    PubMed Central

    Hunter, Bronwyn A.; Jason, Leonard A.; Keys, Christopher B.

    2014-01-01

    Empowerment is an interdisciplinary construct heavily grounded in the theories of community psychology. Although empowerment has a strong theoretical foundation, few context-specific quantitative measures have been designed to evaluate empowerment for specific populations. The present study explored the factor structure of a modified empowerment scale with a cross-sectional sample of 296 women in recovery from substance use who lived in recovery homes located throughout the United States. Results from an exploratory factor analysis identified three factors of psychological empowerment which were closely related to previous conceptualizations of psychological empowerment: self perception, resource knowledge and participation. Further analyses demonstrated a hierarchical relationship among the three factors, with resource knowledge predicting participation when controlling for self-perception. Finally, a correlational analysis demonstrated the initial construct validity of each factor, as each factor of empowerment was significantly and positively related to self-esteem. Implications for the application of psychological empowerment theory and research are discussed. PMID:22392193

  11. Social Aspects of Urban Forestry: Urban Greening and Social Benefits: a Study of Empowerment Outcomes

    Treesearch

    Lynne M. Westphal

    2003-01-01

    This paper provides a framework in which to consider social benefits of urban and community forestry projects. The framework clarifies who gets the benefits - An individual? An organization? A community? Further, the benefits can be derived from passive and/or active experience of the urban forest. Examples of social benefits in each category are reviewed. The paper...

  12. School nurses' perceptions of empowerment and autonomy.

    PubMed

    DeSisto, Marie C; DeSisto, Thomas Patrick

    2004-08-01

    The purpose of this study was to explore Kanter's Theory of Structural Power in Organizations, using school nurses and to answer the research question of whether there is a relationship between empowerment and autonomy in school nurses. This study found a positive relationship between the nurses' perceptions of empowerment and autonomy. The school nurses surveyed perceived themselves to have a high degree of autonomy and a moderate degree of empowerment, and they reported that their access to informal power structures was higher than their access to formal power structures in their school systems. School nurses can benefit by understanding factors that can increase their empowerment in the workplace. They need to understand the organizational structure of their workplace to increase their effectiveness and job satisfaction.

  13. Empowerment and occupational engagement among people with psychiatric disabilities.

    PubMed

    Hultqvist, Jenny; Eklund, Mona; Leufstadius, Christel

    2015-01-01

    Empowerment is essential in the rehabilitation process for people with psychiatric disabilities and knowledge about factors that may play a key role within this process would be valuable for further development of the day centre services. The present study investigates day centre attendees' perceptions of empowerment. The aim was to investigate which factors show the strongest relationships to empowerment when considering occupational engagement, client satisfaction with day centres, and health-related and socio-demographic factors as correlates. 123 Swedish day centre attendees participated in a cross-sectional study by completing questionnaires regarding empowerment and the targeted correlates. Data were analysed with non-parametric statistics. Empowerment was shown to be significantly correlated with occupational engagement and client satisfaction and also with self-rated health and symptoms rated by a research assistant. The strongest indicator for belonging to the group with the highest ratings on empowerment was self-rated health, followed by occupational engagement and symptom severity. Occupational engagement added to the beneficial influence of self-rated health on empowerment. Enabling occupational engagement in meaningful activities and providing occupations that can generate client satisfaction is an important focus for day centres in order to assist the attendees' rehabilitation process so that it promotes empowerment.

  14. Women's empowerment and fertility: a review of the literature.

    PubMed

    Upadhyay, Ushma D; Gipson, Jessica D; Withers, Mellissa; Lewis, Shayna; Ciaraldi, Erica J; Fraser, Ashley; Huchko, Megan J; Prata, Ndola

    2014-08-01

    Women's empowerment has become a focal point for development efforts worldwide and there is a need for an updated, critical assessment of the existing evidence on women's empowerment and fertility. We conducted a literature review on studies examining the relationships between women's empowerment and several fertility-related topics. Among the 60 studies identified for this review, the majority were conducted in South Asia (n = 35) and used household decision-making as a measure of empowerment (n = 37). Overall, the vast majority of studies found some positive associations between women's empowerment and lower fertility, longer birth intervals, and lower rates of unintended pregnancy, but there was some variation in results. In many studies, results differed based on the measure of empowerment used, sociopolitical or gender environment, or sub-population studied. This article is one of the first evaluations of the literature assessing the relationships between women's empowerment and fertility. We identify several key issues that merit further investigation. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Clinical leadership, structural empowerment and psychological empowerment of registered nurses working in an emergency department.

    PubMed

    Connolly, Megan; Jacobs, Stephen; Scott, Karyn

    2018-04-19

    To examine clinical leadership of registered nurses in an emergency department, based on evidence that it is important for nurses to feel psychologically and structurally empowered in order to act as clinical leaders. Every registered nurse has the ability to act as a clinical leader. Clinical leadership is the registered nurse's behaviours that provide direction and support to patients and the team in the delivery of patient care. This study explores the connection between the need for structural and psychological empowerment and clinical leadership behaviours. A mixed method, non-experimental survey design was used to examine the psychological empowerment, structural empowerment and clinical leadership of registered nurses working in an emergency department. Emergency department nurses believe they show clinical leadership behaviours most of the time, even though their sense of being psychologically empowered is only moderate. While registered nurses believe they perform clinical leadership behaviours, it is also clear that improvements in structural and psychological empowerment would improve their ability to act as clinical leaders. The results show that for nurses to be able to provide clinical leadership to their patients and colleagues, management must create empowering environments. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  16. [Empowerment and health promotion programming].

    PubMed

    Laverack, G

    2008-12-01

    Health promotion often presents a tension between "bottom up" and "top down" programming. "Bottom-up" is associated with community empowerment and begins on issues of concern to particular groups or individuals and regards an increase in overall control as an important element of the health outcome. "Top-down" is associated with disease prevention efforts and begins by seeking to involve beneficiaries on issues defined by health agencies. It regards improvements in health behaviours or bio-medical indicators as the important outcome and community empowerment is viewed simply as a means to the end of health behaviour change. The tension between these two approaches is not unresolvable, and this article presents a framework, the "parallel-track", intended to assist health promotion practitioners to systematically accommodate community empowerment goals within "top-down" health programming.

  17. A comparison of financial performance, organizational characteristics and management strategy among rural and urban nursing facilities.

    PubMed

    Smith, H L; Piland, N F; Fisher, N

    1992-01-01

    Despite efforts to deinstitutionalize long-term care, it is estimated that 43 percent of the elderly will use a nursing facility at some point. Whether sufficient nursing facility services will be available to rural elderly is debatable due to cutbacks in governmental expenditures and recent financial losses among nursing facilities. This paper explores the challenges confronting rural nursing facilities in maintaining their viability and strategies that might be considered to improve their longevity. A comparative analysis of 18 urban and 34 rural nursing facilities in New Mexico is used in identifying promising strategic adaptations available to rural facilities. Among other considerations, rural facilities should strive to enhance revenue streams, implement strict cost control measures, emphasize broader promotional tactics, and diversify services commensurate with the constraints of the communities and populations served.

  18. Enhancing nurses' empowerment: the role of supervisors' empowering management practices.

    PubMed

    Montani, Francesco; Courcy, François; Giorgi, Gabriele; Boilard, Amélie

    2015-09-01

    This study tests a theoretical model where: (a) nurses' dispositional resistance to change is indirectly negatively related to behavioural empowerment through the mediating role of psychological empowerment; and (b) supervisors' empowering management practices buffer both the negative relationship between dispositional resistance to change and psychological empowerment and the indirect negative relationship between resistance to change and behavioural empowerment via psychological empowerment. Promoting a high level of empowerment among nursing personnel is important to ensure their effectiveness in the context of organizational change. It is thus essential to advance our current understanding of the factors that hamper nurses' psychological and behavioural expressions of empowerment and to clarify supervisor practices that can overcome such barriers. A cross-sectional research design. We collected survey data during 2012 from a sample of 197 nurses from a Canadian hospital undergoing a major organizational change. Results from moderated mediation analyses provided evidence for an indirect negative relationship between dispositional resistance to change and behavioural empowerment through psychological empowerment, and for a moderating (buffering) effect of supervisors' empowering management practices on this mediated relationship. These findings provided support for our hypotheses. Supervisors' empowering management practices represent an important contextual buffer against the negative effects of dispositional resistance to change on nurses' empowerment. Organizations should develop empowering management skills among nurses' supervisors to counteract the detrimental effects of dispositional resistance to change and to sustain an empowered nursing workforce. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  19. Empowerment: a conceptual discussion.

    PubMed

    Tengland, Per-Anders

    2008-06-01

    The concept of 'empowerment' is used frequently in a number of professional areas, from psychotherapy to social work. But even if the same term is used, it is not always clear if the concept denotes the same goals or the same practice in these various fields. The purpose of this paper is to clarify the discussion and to find a plausible and useful definition of the concept that is suitable for work in various professions. Several suggestions are discussed in the paper, for example control over life or health, autonomy, ability, self-efficacy, self-esteem, and freedom, and it is concluded that there are two plausible complementary uses, one as a goal and one as a process or approach. Empowerment as a goal is to have control over the determinants of one's quality of life, and empowerment as a process is to create a professional relation where the client or community takes control over the change process, determining both the goals of this process and the means to use.

  20. Empowerment in critical care - a concept analysis.

    PubMed

    Wåhlin, Ingrid

    2017-03-01

    The purpose of this paper was to analyse how the concept of empowerment is defined in the scientific literature in relation to critical care. As empowerment is a mutual process affecting all individuals involved, the perspectives of not only patients and next of kin but also staff were sought. A literature review and a concept analysis based on Walker and Avant's analysis procedure were used to identify the basic elements of empowerment in critical care. Twenty-two articles with a focus on critical care were discovered and included in the investigation. A mutual and supportive relationship, knowledge, skills, power within oneself and self-determination were found to be the common attributes of empowerment in critical care. The results could be adapted and used for all parties involved in critical care - whether patients, next of kin or staff - as these defining attributes are assumed to be universal to all three groups, even if the more specific content of each attribute varies between groups and individuals. Even if empowerment is only sparsely used in relation to critical care, it appears to be a very useful concept in this context. The benefits of improving empowerment are extensive: decreased levels of distress and strain, increased sense of coherence and control over situation, and personal and/or professional development and growth, together with increased comfort and inner satisfaction. © 2016 The Authors. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Nordic College.

  1. Women’s empowerment and fertility: A review of the literature

    PubMed Central

    Upadhyay, Ushma D.; Gipson, Jessica D.; Withers, Mellissa; Lewis, Shayna; Ciaraldi, Erica J.; Fraser, Ashley; Huchko, Megan J.; Prata, Ndola

    2014-01-01

    Women’s empowerment has become a focal point for development efforts worldwide and there is a need for an updated, critical assessment of the existing evidence on women’s empowerment and fertility. We conducted a literature review on studies examining the relationships between women’s empowerment and several fertility-related topics. Among the 60 studies identified for this review, the majority were conducted in South Asia (n = 35) and used household decision-making as a measure of empowerment (n = 37). Overall, the vast majority of studies found some positive associations between women’s empowerment and lower fertility, longer birth intervals, and lower rates of unintended pregnancy, but there was some variation in results. In many studies, results differed based on the measure of empowerment used, sociopolitical or gender environment, or sub-population studied. This article is one of the first evaluations of the literature assessing the relationships between women’s empowerment and fertility. We identify several key issues that merit further investigation. PMID:24955875

  2. Pragati: an empowerment programme for female sex workers in Bangalore, India.

    PubMed

    Euser, Sjoerd M; Souverein, Dennis; Rama Narayana Gowda, Pushpalatha; Shekhar Gowda, Chandra; Grootendorst, Diana; Ramaiah, Rajendra; Barot, Snehal; Kumar, Sunil; Jenniskens, Françoise; Kumar, Shiv; Den Boer, Jeroen W

    2012-11-27

    To describe the effects of a broad empowerment programme among female sex workers (FSWs) in Bangalore, India, which seeks to develop the capacities of these women to address the issues that threaten their lives and livelihoods. This study is based on a comprehensive, on-going HIV-prevention and empowering programme, known as Pragati, which reaches out to approximately 10,000-12,000 FSWs in Bangalore each year. The programme has been designed in collaboration with the sex worker community and provides a personalised set of services, which include STI prevention and treatment services, crisis-response facilities, de-addiction services, and microfinance support all of which have been tailored to adequately fulfil each woman's needs. During the period examined by this study, the programme reached out to 20,330 individual FSWs [median (IQR) age 28 (24-35) years]. The programme's personal records of the participating FSWs were used for this descriptive study. Between 2005 and 2010, the number of participating FSWs increased from 2,307 to 13,392. These women intensified their contact with the programme over time: the number of programme contacts increased from 10,351 in 2005 to 167,709 in 2010. Furthermore, data on the effects of crisis-response facilities, de-addiction and microfinance services, condom distribution schemes, and STI diagnosis and treatment showed an accumulating involvement of the participating FSWs in these programme services. This programme, which focuses on social and economic empowerment among FSWs, is successful in reaching and involving the target population.

  3. Empowerment: reformulation of a non-Rogerian concept.

    PubMed

    Crawford Shearer, Nelma B; Reed, Pamela G

    2004-07-01

    The authors present a reformulation of empowerment based upon historical and current perspectives of empowerment and a synthesis of existing literature and Rogerian thought. Reformulation of non-Rogerian concepts familiar to nurses is proposed as a strategy to accelerate the mainstreaming of Rogerian thought into nursing practice and research. The reformulation of empowerment as a participatory process of well-being inherent among human beings may provide nurses with new insights for practice. This paper may also serve as a model for reformulating other non-Rogerian concepts and theories for wider dissemination across the discipline.

  4. Power and empowerment in nursing: three theoretical approaches.

    PubMed

    Kuokkanen, L; Leino-Kilpi, H

    2000-01-01

    Definitions and uses of the concept of empowerment are wide-ranging: the term has been used to describe the essence of human existence and development, but also aspects of organizational effectiveness and quality. The empowerment ideology is rooted in social action where empowerment was associated with community interests and with attempts to increase the power and influence of oppressed groups (such as workers, women and ethnic minorities). Later, there was also growing recognition of the importance of the individual's characteristics and actions. Based on a review of the literature, this paper explores the uses of the empowerment concept as a framework for nurses' professional growth and development. Given the complexity of the concept, it is vital to understand the underlying philosophy before moving on to define its substance. The articles reviewed were classified into three groups on the basis of their theoretical orientation: critical social theory, organization theory and social psychological theory. Empowerment seems likely to provide for an umbrella concept of professional development in nursing.

  5. Empowerment and Experiential Education: A State of Knowledge Paper

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shellman, Amy

    2014-01-01

    Experiential settings hold great potential for empowering participants. Beginning with an overview of how empowerment has been defined and conceptualized in the literature, this article examines the construct of empowerment in experiential education settings as a process and an outcome. A summary of how empowerment has been applied and measured in…

  6. Empowerment in School Nursing Practice: A Grounded Theory Approach

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Broussard, Lisa

    2007-01-01

    Professional empowerment is vital to nurses' productivity and job satisfaction. A grounded theory study was conducted to describe the basic social process experienced by school nurses in relation to professional empowerment. Interviews with 10 school nurses led to the development of a situation-specific theory of school nurse empowerment,…

  7. Empowerment of Cancer Survivors Through Information Technology: An Integrative Review.

    PubMed

    Groen, Wim G; Kuijpers, Wilma; Oldenburg, Hester Sa; Wouters, Michel Wjm; Aaronson, Neil K; van Harten, Wim H

    2015-11-27

    Patient empowerment may be an effective approach to strengthen the role of cancer survivors and to reduce the burden on health care. However, it is not well conceptualized, notably in oncology. Furthermore, it is unclear to what extent information technology (IT) services can contribute to empowerment of cancer survivors. We aim to define the conceptual components of patient empowerment of chronic disease patients, especially cancer survivors, and to explore the contribution of existing and new IT services to promote empowerment. Electronic databases were searched to identify theoretical and empirical articles regarding empowerment. We extracted and synthesized conceptual components of patient empowerment (ie, attributes, antecedents, and consequences) according to the integrated review methodology. We identified recent IT services for cancer survivors by examining systematic reviews and a proposed inventory of new services, and we related their features and effects to the identified components of empowerment. Based on 26 articles, we identified five main attributes of patient empowerment: (1) being autonomous and respected, (2) having knowledge, (3) having psychosocial and behavioral skills, (4) perceiving support from community, family, and friends, and (5) perceiving oneself to be useful. The latter two were specific for the cancer setting. Systematic reviews of IT services and our additional inventory helped us identify five main categories: (1) educational services, including electronic survivorship care plan services, (2) patient-to-patient services, (3) electronic patient-reported outcome (ePRO) services, (4) multicomponent services, and (5) portal services. Potential impact on empowerment included knowledge enhancement and, to a lesser extent, enhancing autonomy and skills. Newly developed services offer promising and exciting opportunities to empower cancer survivors, for instance, by providing tailored advice for supportive or follow-up care based on

  8. Conceptualizing pathways linking women's empowerment and prematurity in developing countries.

    PubMed

    Afulani, Patience A; Altman, Molly; Musana, Joseph; Sudhinaraset, May

    2017-11-08

    Globally, prematurity is the leading cause of death in children under the age of 5. Many efforts have focused on clinical approaches to improve the survival of premature babies. There is a need, however, to explore psychosocial, sociocultural, economic, and other factors as potential mechanisms to reduce the burden of prematurity. Women's empowerment may be a catalyst for moving the needle in this direction. The goal of this paper is to examine links between women's empowerment and prematurity in developing settings. We propose a conceptual model that shows pathways by which women's empowerment can affect prematurity and review and summarize the literature supporting the relationships we posit. We also suggest future directions for research on women's empowerment and prematurity. The key words we used for empowerment in the search were "empowerment," "women's status," "autonomy," and "decision-making," and for prematurity we used "preterm," "premature," and "prematurity." We did not use date, language, and regional restrictions. The search was done in PubMed, Population Information Online (POPLINE), and Web of Science. We selected intervening factors-factors that could potentially mediate the relationship between empowerment and prematurity-based on reviews of the risk factors and interventions to address prematurity and the determinants of those factors. There is limited evidence supporting a direct link between women's empowerment and prematurity. However, there is evidence linking several dimensions of empowerment to factors known to be associated with prematurity and outcomes for premature babies. Our review of the literature shows that women's empowerment may reduce prematurity by (1) preventing early marriage and promoting family planning, which will delay age at first pregnancy and increase interpregnancy intervals; (2) improving women's nutritional status; (3) reducing domestic violence and other stressors to improve psychological health; and (4) improving

  9. Group Empowerment in Nursing Education.

    PubMed

    Friend, Mary Louanne

    2015-12-01

    Nursing education is experiencing rapid changes, as nurses are expected to transform and lead health care delivery within the United States. The ability to produce exceptional graduates requires faculty who are empowered to achieve goals. The Sieloff-King Assessment of Group Empowerment Within Organizations (SKAGEO) was adapted and administered online to a stratified sample of administrators and faculty in American Association of Colleges of Nursing-member schools. Participants' scores were within high ranges in both empowerment capacity and capability; however, administrator group scores were higher. Data analyses indicated that administrator leadership competencies were associated with group empowerment. This study suggests that empowered faculty and administrator groups anticipate changing health care trends and effect student outcomes and competencies by their interventions. Also, it can be inferred that as a result of administrators' competencies, participants teach in empowered work environments where they can model ideal behaviors. Copyright 2015, SLACK Incorporated.

  10. Patient empowerment in theory and practice: polysemy or cacophony?

    PubMed

    Aujoulat, Isabelle; d'Hoore, William; Deccache, Alain

    2007-04-01

    This paper examines how the term "empowerment" has been used in relation to the care and education of patients with chronic conditions over the past decade. Fifty-five articles were analysed, using a qualitative method of thematic analysis. Empowerment is more often defined according to some of its anticipated outcomes rather than to its very nature. However, because they do not respect the principle of self-determination, most anticipated outcomes and most evaluation criteria are not specific to empowerment. Concerning the process of empowerment, our analysis shows that (i) the educational objectives of an empowerment-based approach are not disease-specific, but concern the reinforcement or development of general psychosocial skills instead; (ii) empowering methods of education are necessarily patient-centred and based on experiential learning; and (iii) the provider-patient relationship needs to be continuous and self-involving on both sides. Our analysis did not allow for the unfolding of a well-articulated theory on patient empowerment but revealed a number of guiding principles and values. The goals and outcomes of patient empowerment should neither be predefined by the health-care professionals, nor restricted to some disease and treatment-related outcomes, but should be discussed and negotiated with every patient, according to his/her own particular situation and life priorities.

  11. Crazy about Empowerment?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kizilos, Peter

    1990-01-01

    Discusses empowerment, the process of coming to feel and behave as though one has power over significant aspect of one's life or work, as it relates to employee productivity, motivation, and behavior. (JOW)

  12. The gap in human resources to deliver the guaranteed package of prevention and health promotion services at urban and rural primary care facilities in Mexico.

    PubMed

    Alcalde-Rabanal, Jacqueline Elizabeth; Nigenda, Gustavo; Bärnighausen, Till; Velasco-Mondragón, Héctor Eduardo; Darney, Blair Grant

    2017-08-03

    The purpose of this study was to estimate the gap between the available and the ideal supply of human resources (physicians, nurses, and health promoters) to deliver the guaranteed package of prevention and health promotion services at urban and rural primary care facilities in Mexico. We conducted a cross-sectional observational study using a convenience sample. We selected 20 primary health facilities in urban and rural areas in 10 states of Mexico. We calculated the available and the ideal supply of human resources in these facilities using estimates of time available, used, and required to deliver health prevention and promotion services. We performed descriptive statistics and bivariate hypothesis testing using Wilcoxon and Friedman tests. Finally, we conducted a sensitivity analysis to test whether the non-normal distribution of our time variables biased estimation of available and ideal supply of human resources. The comparison between available and ideal supply for urban and rural primary health care facilities reveals a low supply of physicians. On average, primary health care facilities are lacking five physicians when they were estimated with time used and nine if they were estimated with time required (P < 0.05). No difference was observed between available and ideal supply of nurses in either urban or rural primary health care facilities. There is a shortage of health promoters in urban primary health facilities (P < 0.05). The available supply of physicians and health promoters is lower than the ideal supply to deliver the guaranteed package of prevention and health promotion services. Policies must address the level and distribution of human resources in primary health facilities.

  13. Patient empowerment and hand hygiene, 1997-2012.

    PubMed

    McGuckin, M; Govednik, J

    2013-07-01

    Multi-modal hand hygiene programmes that include patient empowerment are promoted as a necessary component of hand hygiene compliance. However, the question still remains, do we have enough information to determine if, and under what conditions, patients will be able to play an immediate role in healthcare workers' hand hygiene behaviour? To review the current literature on patient willingness to be empowered, barriers to empowerment, and hand hygiene programmes that include patient empowerment and hand hygiene improvement. A Medline (Ovid) search of all English-language papers for 1997-2007 and 2008-2012 was conducted using the following keywords alone and in various combinations: 'patient participation', 'involvement', 'empowerment', 'education', 'decision-making', 'professional-patient relations', 'behavioural change', 'culture of safety', 'social marketing', 'consumer awareness', 'leadership', 'institutional climate', 'hand hygiene' and 'patient reminders'. The 1997-2007 review was conducted as part of the World Health Organization's Guidelines on Hand Hygiene in Health Care, and updated with the 2008-2012 review. Several studies show that, in principle, patients are willing to be empowered. However, there is variation in the actual number of patients that practice empowerment for hand hygiene, ranging from 5% to 80%. The actual performance of patient empowerment can be increased when a patient is given explicit permission by a healthcare worker. There is ongoing support from patients that they are willing to be empowered. There is a need to develop programmes that empower both healthcare workers and patients so that they become more comfortable in their roles. Copyright © 2013 The Healthcare Infection Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Youth empowerment through urban agriculture: Red Hook Community Farm

    Treesearch

    Ian Marvy

    2009-01-01

    One of 18 articles inspired by the Meristem 2007 Forum, "Restorative Commons for Community Health." The articles include interviews, case studies, thought pieces, and interdisciplinary theoretical works that explore the relationship between human health and the urban...

  15. Work-related empowerment of nurse managers: a systematic review.

    PubMed

    Trus, Marija; Razbadauskas, Arturas; Doran, Diane; Suominen, Tarja

    2012-09-01

    The present study discusses how nurse managers' work-related empowerment has been investigated, in order to determine the level and relationships of empowerment among them. A systematic review was carried out, and a literature search was conducted with certain electronic databases for the period 1990-2009, using the main key words in various combinations. Only nine empirical studies in English were selected for review, in accordance with the requirements for the methodological quality and inclusion criteria. The most common type of study design was a descriptive survey (n = 5), and included various questionnaires, scales, and interviews. Nurse managers' structural, psychological, and work empowerment was found to be high or moderately high. The empowerment of nurse managers correlated positively with job satisfaction, perceived organizational support, role satisfaction, and managerial self-efficacy, and correlated negatively with emotional exhaustion and own health outcomes. Different theoretical approaches ensure a clear understanding of empowerment, but difficulties arise when the findings are synthesized across studies and settings because of the different theoretical frameworks used to conceptualize empowerment. © 2012 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

  16. 24 CFR 598.3 - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... 24 Housing and Urban Development 3 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Definitions. 598.3 Section 598.3... COMMUNITY FACILITIES URBAN EMPOWERMENT ZONES: ROUND TWO AND THREE DESIGNATIONS General Provisions § 598.3 Definitions. In addition to the definitions of “HUD” and “Secretary” found in 24 CFR 5.100, the following...

  17. 24 CFR 598.3 - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 24 Housing and Urban Development 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Definitions. 598.3 Section 598.3... COMMUNITY FACILITIES URBAN EMPOWERMENT ZONES: ROUND TWO AND THREE DESIGNATIONS General Provisions § 598.3 Definitions. In addition to the definitions of “HUD” and “Secretary” found in 24 CFR 5.100, the following...

  18. 24 CFR 598.3 - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... 24 Housing and Urban Development 3 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Definitions. 598.3 Section 598.3... COMMUNITY FACILITIES URBAN EMPOWERMENT ZONES: ROUND TWO AND THREE DESIGNATIONS General Provisions § 598.3 Definitions. In addition to the definitions of “HUD” and “Secretary” found in 24 CFR 5.100, the following...

  19. 24 CFR 598.3 - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... 24 Housing and Urban Development 3 2014-04-01 2013-04-01 true Definitions. 598.3 Section 598.3... COMMUNITY FACILITIES URBAN EMPOWERMENT ZONES: ROUND TWO AND THREE DESIGNATIONS General Provisions § 598.3 Definitions. In addition to the definitions of “HUD” and “Secretary” found in 24 CFR 5.100, the following...

  20. 24 CFR 598.3 - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 24 Housing and Urban Development 3 2011-04-01 2010-04-01 true Definitions. 598.3 Section 598.3... COMMUNITY FACILITIES URBAN EMPOWERMENT ZONES: ROUND TWO AND THREE DESIGNATIONS General Provisions § 598.3 Definitions. In addition to the definitions of “HUD” and “Secretary” found in 24 CFR 5.100, the following...

  1. Empowerment Evaluation: A Form of Self-Evaluation.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fetterman, David M.

    Empowerment evaluation is an innovative approach that uses evaluation concepts and techniques to foster improvement and self-determination. Empowerment evaluation employs qualitative and quantitative methodologies. Although it can be applied to individuals and organizations, the usual focus is on programs. The value orientation of empowerment…

  2. Intra-facility linkage of HIV-positive mothers and HIV-exposed babies into HIV chronic care: rural and urban experience in a resource limited setting.

    PubMed

    Mugasha, Christine; Kigozi, Joanita; Kiragga, Agnes; Muganzi, Alex; Sewankambo, Nelson; Coutinho, Alex; Nakanjako, Damalie

    2014-01-01

    Linkage of HIV-infected pregnant women to HIV care remains critical for improvement of maternal and child outcomes through prevention of maternal-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) and subsequent chronic HIV care. This study determined proportions and factors associated with intra-facility linkage to HIV care and Early Infant Diagnosis care (EID) to inform strategic scale up of PMTCT programs. A cross-sectional review of records was done at 2 urban and 3 rural public health care facilities supported by the Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI). HIV-infected pregnant mothers, identified through routine antenatal care (ANC) and HIV-exposed babies were evaluated for enrollment in HIV clinics by 6 weeks post-delivery. Overall, 1,025 HIV-infected pregnant mothers were identified during ANC between January and June, 2012; 267/1,025 (26%) in rural and 743/1,025 (74%) in urban facilities. Of these 375/1,025 (37%) were linked to HIV clinics [67/267(25%) rural and 308/758(41%) urban]. Of 636 HIV-exposed babies, 193 (30%) were linked to EID. Linkage of mother-baby pairs to HIV chronic care and EID was 16% (101/636); 8/179 (4.5%)] in rural and 93/457(20.3%) in urban health facilities. Within rural facilities, ANC registration <28 weeks-of-gestation was associated with mothers' linkage to HIV chronic care [AoR, 2.0 95% CI, 1.1-3.7, p = 0.019] and mothers' multi-parity was associated with baby's linkage to EID; AoR 4.4 (1.3-15.1), p = 0.023. Stigma, long distance to health facilities and vertical PMTCT services affected linkage in rural facilities, while peer mothers, infant feeding services, long patient queues and limited privacy hindered linkage to HIV care in urban settings. Post-natal linkage of HIV-infected mothers to chronic HIV care and HIV-exposed babies to EID programs was low. Barriers to linkage to HIV care vary in urban and rural settings. We recommend targeted interventions to rapidly improve linkage to antiretroviral therapy for elimination of MTCT.

  3. Youth empowerment solutions for violence prevention.

    PubMed

    Reischl, Thomas M; Zimmerman, Marc A; Morrel-Samuels, Susan; Franzen, Susan P; Faulk, Monique; Eisman, Andria B; Roberts, Everett

    2011-12-01

    The limited success of youth violence prevention interventions suggests that effective prevention needs to address causes at multiple levels of analysis and empower youth in developing and implementing prevention programs. In this article, we review published studies of youth violence prevention efforts that engage youth in developing or implementing violence prevention activities. The reviewed studies suggest the promise of youth empowerment strategies and the need for systematic outcome studies of empowerment programs. After reviewing empowerment theory applied to youth violence prevention programs, we present a case study of the Youth Empowerment Solutions (YES) for Peaceful Communities program. YES engages middle-school youth in an after-school and summer program that includes a culturally tailored character development curriculum and empowers the youth to plan and implement community improvement projects with assistance from adult neighborhood advocates. The case study focuses on outcome evaluation results and presents evidence of the YES program effects on community-level outcomes (eg, property improvements, violent crime incidents) and on individual-level outcomes (eg, conflict avoidance, victimization). The literature review and the case study suggest the promise of engaging and empowering youth to plan and implement youth violence prevention programs.

  4. CNA empowerment: effects on job performance and work attitudes.

    PubMed

    Cready, Cynthia M; Yeatts, Dale E; Gosdin, Melissa M; Potts, Helen F

    2008-03-01

    In this analysis, the effects of empowerment were examined among a sample of certified nursing assistants (CNAs) representing a wide range of empowerment levels. On the basis of survey responses from 298 CNAs and 136 nurses in five nursing homes where CNA-empowered work teams had been implemented and five nursing homes with more traditional management approaches, the results indicated that CNA empowerment had a variety of effects. CNAs with high empowerment and the nurses who worked with them tended to report better CNA performance and work-related attitudes. Both were also less likely to be thinking about leaving their jobs. With the help of lessons learned from new culture change initiatives, and with commitment, effort, and attention, nursing homes and other health care providers can reap the benefits associated with employee empowerment strategies, such as CNA-empowered work teams.

  5. The RN-BSN student: developing a model of empowerment.

    PubMed

    Worrell, J D; McGinn, A; Black, E; Holloway, N; Ney, P

    1996-03-01

    Nursing practice is being redefined. Today's graduating nurse is practicing in a tomorrow full of unknowns. The relevancy of traditional nursing education is being questioned in today's health care climate of crisis. In an attempt to prepare the graduating RN-BSN student to cope with these changes, nurse educators developed a process of empowerment. The framework for this effort was derived from the curriculum revolution, adult learning theory and empowerment research. The faculty defined empowerment as both an interpersonal process and an outcome. A graphic model has been created consisting of the four elements of empowerment: collegiality, communication, autonomy and accountability. Learning experiences are selected based upon these four elements. Teaching strategies are identified. Positive changes in student behavior have been reported anecdotally. The faculty are beginning the next phase: designing a research project to investigate behavior changes related to this empowerment model.

  6. Empowerment evaluation of a Swedish gender equity plan

    PubMed Central

    Gavriilidis, Georgios; Gavriilidou, Nivetha Natarajan; Pettersson, Erika; Renhammar, Eva; Balkfors, Anna; Östergren, Per-Olof

    2014-01-01

    Background Empowerment is essential for gender equity and health. The city of Malmö, Sweden, has formulated a development plan for gender equity integration (GEIDP). A ‘Policy Empowerment Index’ (PEI) was previously developed to assess the empowerment potential of policies. Objectives To pilot-evaluate the GEIDP’s potential for empowerment and to test the PEI for future policy evaluations. Design The GEIDP was analyzed and scored according to electronically retrieved evidence on constituent opinion, participation, capacity development, evaluation–adaptation, and impact. Results The plan’s PEI score was 64% (CI: 48–78) and was classified as ‘enabling’, ranging between ‘enabling’ and ‘supportive’. The plan’s strengths were: 1) constituent knowledge and concern; 2) peripheral implementation; 3) protection of vulnerable groups; and 4) evaluation/adaptation procedures. It scored average on: 1) policy agenda setting; 2) planning; 3) provisions for education; 4) network formation; 5) resource mobilization. The weakest point was regarding promotion of employment and entrepreneurship. Conclusions The PEI evaluation highlighted the plan’s potential of constituency empowerment and proposed how it could be augmented. PMID:24993349

  7. Empowerment of Cancer Survivors Through Information Technology: An Integrative Review

    PubMed Central

    Groen, Wim G; Kuijpers, Wilma; Oldenburg, Hester SA; Wouters, Michel WJM; Aaronson, Neil K

    2015-01-01

    Background Patient empowerment may be an effective approach to strengthen the role of cancer survivors and to reduce the burden on health care. However, it is not well conceptualized, notably in oncology. Furthermore, it is unclear to what extent information technology (IT) services can contribute to empowerment of cancer survivors. Objective We aim to define the conceptual components of patient empowerment of chronic disease patients, especially cancer survivors, and to explore the contribution of existing and new IT services to promote empowerment. Methods Electronic databases were searched to identify theoretical and empirical articles regarding empowerment. We extracted and synthesized conceptual components of patient empowerment (ie, attributes, antecedents, and consequences) according to the integrated review methodology. We identified recent IT services for cancer survivors by examining systematic reviews and a proposed inventory of new services, and we related their features and effects to the identified components of empowerment. Results Based on 26 articles, we identified five main attributes of patient empowerment: (1) being autonomous and respected, (2) having knowledge, (3) having psychosocial and behavioral skills, (4) perceiving support from community, family, and friends, and (5) perceiving oneself to be useful. The latter two were specific for the cancer setting. Systematic reviews of IT services and our additional inventory helped us identify five main categories: (1) educational services, including electronic survivorship care plan services, (2) patient-to-patient services, (3) electronic patient-reported outcome (ePRO) services, (4) multicomponent services, and (5) portal services. Potential impact on empowerment included knowledge enhancement and, to a lesser extent, enhancing autonomy and skills. Newly developed services offer promising and exciting opportunities to empower cancer survivors, for instance, by providing tailored advice for

  8. Power and empowerment in nursing: a fourth theoretical approach.

    PubMed

    Bradbury-Jones, Caroline; Sambrook, Sally; Irvine, Fiona

    2008-04-01

    This paper is a discussion of the use of poststructuralism as a means of exploring power and empowerment in nursing. Power and empowerment are well-researched areas of nursing practice, but the issue of how to empower nurses and patients continues to cause debate. Power and empowerment are complex issues and other researchers have provided some clarity by proposing three theoretical approaches: critical social theory, organizational theory and social psychological theory. We support their work and propose an additional poststructural approach as a means of analyzing power and empowerment in nursing. The concept of power in nursing may be critiqued by drawing on the work of Michel Foucault and paying particular attention to two areas: disciplinary power and knowledge/power relationships. Foucault's contention was that behaviour is standardized through disciplinary power and that power and knowledge are intertwined. Nurses who seek an understanding of empowerment must first grasp such workings as hierarchical observation, normalizing judgement, the examination, and power/knowledge relationships, and that cognizance of such issues can promote nursing practice that is empowering. They need to adopt a more critical stance to understanding power and empowerment in nursing, and one way of fostering such criticism is to view nursing practice through a poststructural lens. A poststructural approach merits a place alongside other approaches to understanding power and empowerment in nursing.

  9. Empowerment Pedagogy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Loizou, Eleni; Charalambous, Nasia

    2017-01-01

    This study aims to unfold the framework of empowerment pedagogy by describing an approach of listening to the children, supporting their rights, and enhancing participation through the lens of a learning community. The authors draw from the literature that acknowledges children as active agents and supports them in participating in their daily…

  10. Empowerment in the Treatment of Diabetes and Obesity.

    PubMed

    Łuczyński, Włodzimierz; Głowińska-Olszewska, Barbara; Bossowski, Artur

    2016-01-01

    As the available therapies for diabetes and obesity are not effective enough, diabetologists and educators search for new methods to collaborate with patients in order to support their health behaviors. The aim of this review is to discuss perspectives for the development of new empowerment-type therapies in the treatment of diabetes/obesity. Empowerment is a process whereby patients gain the necessary knowledge to influence their own behavior to improve the quality of their lives. It is carried out in five stages: (1) identify the problem, (2) explain the feelings and meanings, (3) build a plan, (4) act, and (5) experience and assess the execution. Although many years have passed since the advent and popularization of the concept of empowerment, the area remains controversial, mainly with regard to the methodology of therapy. Some previous studies have confirmed the positive effect of empowerment on body weight, metabolic control, and quality of life of patients with type 2 diabetes; however, few studies have been conducted in patients with type 1 diabetes. There is still a need to confirm the effectiveness of empowerment in accordance with Evidence Based Medicine by performing long-term observational studies in a large group of patients. In future, empowerment may become part of the standard of care for patients with diabetes and/or obesity.

  11. Empowerment in the Treatment of Diabetes and Obesity

    PubMed Central

    2016-01-01

    As the available therapies for diabetes and obesity are not effective enough, diabetologists and educators search for new methods to collaborate with patients in order to support their health behaviors. The aim of this review is to discuss perspectives for the development of new empowerment-type therapies in the treatment of diabetes/obesity. Empowerment is a process whereby patients gain the necessary knowledge to influence their own behavior to improve the quality of their lives. It is carried out in five stages: (1) identify the problem, (2) explain the feelings and meanings, (3) build a plan, (4) act, and (5) experience and assess the execution. Although many years have passed since the advent and popularization of the concept of empowerment, the area remains controversial, mainly with regard to the methodology of therapy. Some previous studies have confirmed the positive effect of empowerment on body weight, metabolic control, and quality of life of patients with type 2 diabetes; however, few studies have been conducted in patients with type 1 diabetes. There is still a need to confirm the effectiveness of empowerment in accordance with Evidence Based Medicine by performing long-term observational studies in a large group of patients. In future, empowerment may become part of the standard of care for patients with diabetes and/or obesity. PMID:28090541

  12. Women's empowerment in Iran: a review based on the related legislations.

    PubMed

    Janghorban, Roksana; Taghipour, Ali; Latifnejad Roudsari, Robab; Abbasi, Mahmoud

    2014-04-20

    Women's empowerment can be defined as a change in the circumstances of a woman's life, which enables her to raise her capacity to manage more enriched and rewarding life. Improvement in women's empowerment is a salient issue to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. National laws are influential factors in promoting women's empowerment. Lack of awareness of legal and constitutional provisions and failure to recognize it, is a factor that hinders the process of empowerment. This paper provides a review based on Iranian legislations which have considered various aspects of women's empowerment. Although this work has specifically dealt with women's needs, it encompasses a right-based approach to women's empowerment suggested by the United Nations Fund for Population Activities. However, there is still a great need for further inquiries in the area of legislations concerning women's empowerment around the world in general and Iran in particular.

  13. Empowerment for healthy nutrition in German communities: a study framework.

    PubMed

    Brandstetter, Susanne; Curbach, Janina; Lindacher, Verena; Rueter, Jana; Warrelmann, Berit; Loss, Julika

    2017-06-01

    Empowerment is seen as a key strategy for sustainable health promotion efforts. However, there is only limited research on how to link the empowerment approach to the promotion of healthy eating, which is a major current public health issue. The article presents the development of a study framework for implementing and evaluating an empowerment intervention for healthy nutrition. This framework was created for a community intervention study meaning to involve elderly citizens in Bavaria, Germany. The study protocol was developed in an iterative process basing on (i) literature reviews on the topics empowerment in relation to healthy nutrition and mixed-methods evaluation, (ii) workshops with empowerment and public health experts and (iii) consultations with local community representatives. Through these measures we identified good practice criteria as well as specific challenges of integrating empowerment and healthy nutrition, e.g. engaging people in healthy nutrition, reconciling participants' nutrition preferences with public health nutrition priorities and evaluating bottom-up activities in the community. Consequences for the study design were deducted from the literature and the consultations, e.g. practical recommendations as to how power could be gradually assigned to group members. A qualitative mixed-method evaluation design was chosen to capture emergent empowerment processes. The study framework presented here is the first on empowerment and nutrition to provide explicit guidance on how empowerment may be applied to healthy nutrition and implemented and evaluated in the community context. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  14. An empowerment intervention for Indigenous communities: an outcome assessment.

    PubMed

    Kinchin, Irina; Jacups, Susan; Tsey, Komla; Lines, Katrina

    2015-08-21

    Empowerment programs have been shown to contribute to increased empowerment of individuals and build capacity within the community or workplace. To-date, the impact of empowerment programs has yet to be quantified in the published literature in this field. This study assessed the Indigenous-developed Family Wellbeing (FWB) program as an empowerment intervention for a child safety workforce in remote Indigenous communities by measuring effect sizes. The study also assessed the value of measurement tools for future impact evaluations. A three-day FWB workshop designed to promote empowerment and workplace engagement among child protection staff was held across five remote north Queensland Indigenous communities. The FWB assessment tool comprised a set of validated surveys including the Growth and Empowerment Measure (GEM), Australian Unity Wellbeing Index, Kessler psychological distress scale (K10) and Workforce engagement survey. The assessment was conducted pre-intervention and three months post-intervention. The analysis of pre-and post-surveys revealed that the GEM appeared to be the most tangible measure for detecting positive changes in communication, conflict resolution, decision making and life skill development. The GEM indicated a 17 % positive change compared to 9 % for the Australian Unity Wellbeing Index, 5 % for the workforce engagement survey and less than 1 % for K10. This study extended qualitative research and identified the best measurement tool for detecting the outcomes of empowerment programs. The GEM was found the most sensitive and the most tangible measure that captures improvements in communication, conflict resolution, decision making and life skill development. The GEM and Australian Unity Wellbeing Index could be recommended as routine measures for empowerment programs assessment among similar remote area workforce.

  15. Women’s empowerment revisited: a case study from Bangladesh

    PubMed Central

    Islam, Farzana; Rottach, Elisabeth

    2010-01-01

    This article explores the changing dimensions of women's empowerment over time in three Bangladesh villages where one of the authors has been conducting research since 1991. The article discusses theoretical issues related to the measurement of women's empowerment, and describes findings from a recent study in the villages exploring the current salience of indicators developed for a 1992 survey. In the article we discuss the types of social, economic, and political change that affect the measurement of women’s empowerment; propose and explain a new set of indicators for the rural Bangladesh setting; and discuss implications for measuring women's empowerment in other settings. PMID:20856695

  16. School Empowerment Surges Ahead in 2007-2008

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Snell, Lisa

    2008-01-01

    School empowerment and weighted student formula programs continue to grow across the United States. This article explores the key components of school empowerment programs and describes several existing programs from Baltimore to San Francisco. The article examines some of the anecdotal outcomes for these types of public school choice programs.…

  17. Case Study of an Institutionalized Urban Comprehensive School Physical Activity Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Doolittle, Sarah A.; Rukavina, Paul B.

    2014-01-01

    This single case study (Yin, 2009) compares an established urban physical education/ sport/physical activity program with two models: Comprehensive School Physical Activity Program/CSPAP (AAHPERD, 2013; CDC, 2013); and Lawson's propositions (2005) for sport, exercise and physical education for empowerment and community development to determine…

  18. Pragati: an empowerment programme for female sex workers in Bangalore, India

    PubMed Central

    Euser, Sjoerd M.; Souverein, Dennis; Rama Narayana Gowda, Pushpalatha; Shekhar Gowda, Chandra; Grootendorst, Diana; Ramaiah, Rajendra; Barot, Snehal; Kumar, Sunil; Jenniskens, Françoise; Kumar, Shiv; Den Boer, Jeroen W.

    2012-01-01

    Objectives To describe the effects of a broad empowerment programme among female sex workers (FSWs) in Bangalore, India, which seeks to develop the capacities of these women to address the issues that threaten their lives and livelihoods. Design This study is based on a comprehensive, on-going HIV-prevention and empowering programme, known as Pragati, which reaches out to approximately 10,000–12,000 FSWs in Bangalore each year. The programme has been designed in collaboration with the sex worker community and provides a personalised set of services, which include STI prevention and treatment services, crisis-response facilities, de-addiction services, and microfinance support all of which have been tailored to adequately fulfil each woman's needs. During the period examined by this study, the programme reached out to 20,330 individual FSWs [median (IQR) age 28 (24–35) years]. The programme's personal records of the participating FSWs were used for this descriptive study. Results Between 2005 and 2010, the number of participating FSWs increased from 2,307 to 13,392. These women intensified their contact with the programme over time: the number of programme contacts increased from 10,351 in 2005 to 167,709 in 2010. Furthermore, data on the effects of crisis-response facilities, de-addiction and microfinance services, condom distribution schemes, and STI diagnosis and treatment showed an accumulating involvement of the participating FSWs in these programme services. Conclusion This programme, which focuses on social and economic empowerment among FSWs, is successful in reaching and involving the target population. PMID:23195516

  19. Equity, sustainability and governance in urban settings.

    PubMed

    Rice, Marilyn; Hancock, Trevor

    2016-03-01

    In this commentary the urban setting is explored from the perspective of ecological sustainability and social equity. Urban-related issues are highlighted related to social inequality, deficits in urban infrastructures, behavior-related illnesses and risks, global ecological changes, and urban sprawl. Approaches to addressing these issues are described from the perspective of urban governance, urban planning and design, social determinants of health, health promotion, and personal and community empowerment. Examples of successful strategies are provided from Latin America, including using participatory instruments (assessments, evaluation, participatory budgeting, etc.), establishing intersectoral committees, increasing participation of civil society organizations, and developing virtual forums and networks to channel participatory and collaborative processes. A way forward is proposed, using the urban setting to show the imperative of creating intersectoral policies and programs that produce environments that are both healthy and sustainable. It will be important to include new forms of social participation and use social media to facilitate citizen decision-making and active participation of all sectors of society, especially excluded groups. © The Author(s) 2015.

  20. Empowerment through Sex Education? Rethinking Paradoxical Policies

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Naezer, Marijke; Rommes, Els; Jansen, Willy

    2017-01-01

    Youth empowerment is the main goal of sex education according to Dutch Government and NGO policies. Academics from different disciplines have argued, however, that the ideal of empowerment through education is problematic, because of the unequal power relations implicated in educational practices. Building on one-and-a-half years of online and…

  1. Young people and health: towards a new conceptual framework for understanding empowerment.

    PubMed

    Spencer, Grace

    2014-01-01

    In recent times, empowerment has become the focus of much work with young people amidst increasing concerns about their health. Empowerment is often offered as a 'solution' to such concerns, with the uncritical assumption being made that empowerment unproblematically results in positive health outcomes. While much of the health promotion literature advocates 'empowerment', it often does so without offering a clear conceptualisation of the word itself or indeed addressing the thorny theoretical tensions surrounding the concept's root word of power. In light of this omission, this article offers a more theoretically informed conceptualisation of empowerment and considers the relationship to young people's health. This article outlines a more dynamic and generative conceptualisation of empowerment than hitherto articulated in the literature, informed by Lukes' multidimensional perspective of power. Drawing on findings from an ethnographic study on empowerment and young people's health, this article develops six conceptually distinct forms of empowerment (impositional, dispositional, concessional, oppositional, normative and transformative). Data were collected from 55 young men and women aged 15-16 years through group discussions, individual interviews and observational work in a school and surrounding community settings in England. Crucially, these six new forms of empowerment capture and synthesise individual, structural and ideological elements of power that differentially, and sometimes inconsistently, shape the possibilities for young people's empowerment. Of significance is the way in which these different forms of empowerment intersect to (re)produce relations of power and may offer different possibilities for health promotion.

  2. Empowerment in school nursing practice: a grounded theory approach.

    PubMed

    Broussard, Lisa

    2007-12-01

    Professional empowerment is vital to nurses' productivity and job satisfaction. A grounded theory study was conducted to describe the basic social process experienced by school nurses in relation to professional empowerment. Interviews with 10 school nurses led to the development of a situation-specific theory of school nurse empowerment, Making a Difference: The Role of the School Nurse in the Health of Children in Schools. This theory was derived from four theoretical constructs: (a) enlisting support, (b) getting through the day, (c) maintaining control over practice, and (d) adjusting to challenges. Interviews revealed that knowing at the end of each school day that they made a difference in the health of children resulted in feelings of empowerment. Participants cited various areas in which their sense of empowerment was limited, including salaries and workload. Despite these issues, they believed they had a positive impact on the health of children, leading to job satisfaction and feelings of value.

  3. Empowerment in Social Work Practice. A Sourcebook.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gutierrez, Lorraine M., Ed.; Parsons, Ruth J., Ed.; Cox, Enid Opal, Ed.

    Empowerment as a philosophy, approach, or method of practice provides a way to rethink social work practice and to achieve needed social change, personally and politically, in ways that meet human needs. Part One, "An Introduction to Empowerment Practice," written by the editors, describes the elements and process of the model in the first…

  4. Relationship between organizational climate and empowerment of nurses in Hong Kong.

    PubMed

    Mok, Esther; Au-Yeung, Betty

    2002-05-01

    The authors explore the relationship between organizational climate and empowerment among the nursing staff of a regional hospital in Hong Kong. The main purpose of the study was to apply the modified Spreitzer measure of empowerment in a hospital and to examine the relationship of organizational climate to perceptions of empowerment. From 658 questionnaires sent out, 331 nurses participated in the study with a response rate of 50.3%. Survey measures administered included the modified Litwin and Stringer Organizational Climate Questionnaire (LSOCQ) and the modified Spreitzer empowerment instrument. The relationships between organizational climate and empowerment were examined in a series of bivariate correlational analyses. The final section of the questionnaire asked the respondents to list three elements in the organizational climate that they perceived would further increase their feelings of empowerment. Exploratory factor analysis of the modified LSOCQ resulted in six factors: leadership, working harmony, challenge, recognition, teamwork and decision making. There was a positive correlation between organizational climate and psychological empowerment. Using multiple regression analysis, all the six derived climate factors significantly accounted for 44% of the variance. Among the six predicting factors, leadership and teamwork showed the most positive relationship with psychological empowerment. Responses from the open questions on perception of organizational climate that further enhance nurses' feelings of empowerment were categorized into eight areas. They include leadership, communication, working relationship, recognition, structure, training, teamwork and stress management. The study echoes previous studies in finding that organizational climate and, in particular, supportive leadership and teamwork are related to empowerment. The findings also suggest that the nurses in the study did not put much emphasis on the importance of participative decision

  5. Australian health promotion practitioners' perceptions on evaluation of empowerment and participation.

    PubMed

    Brandstetter, Susanne; McCool, Megan; Wise, Marilyn; Loss, Julika

    2014-03-01

    Although participation and empowerment are hallmarks of the WHO vision of health promotion, it is acknowledged that they are difficult to evaluate. Devising adequate study designs, indicators and methods for the assessment of participation and empowerment should consider the experiences, concerns and constraints of health promotion practitioners. The aim of this study was to investigate health promotion practitioners' perspectives on general and methodological aspects of evaluation of empowerment and participation. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 17 experienced practitioners in community-based health promotion in New South Wales, Australia. The interviews covered benefits of and barriers to the evaluation of participation and empowerment, key indicators and methodological aspects. Interview transcripts were examined using thematic content analysis. The idea of evaluating empowerment and participation is supported by health promotion practitioners. Including indicators of empowerment and participation in the evaluation could also emphasise-to practitioners and citizens alike-the value of involving and enabling community members. The interviews highlighted the importance of a receptive environment for evaluation of empowerment and participation to take root. The resistance of health authorities towards empowerment indicators was seen as a challenge for funding evaluations. Community members should be included in the evaluation process, although interviewees found it difficult to do so in a representative way and empowering approach. Qualitative methods might capture best whether empowerment and participation have occurred in a programme. The positive experiences that the interviewees made with innovative qualitative methods encourage further investment in developing new research designs.

  6. Structural empowerment and burnout among Portuguese nursing staff: An explicative model.

    PubMed

    Orgambídez-Ramos, Alejandro; Borrego-Alés, Yolanda; Vázquez-Aguado, Octavio; March-Amegual, Jaume

    2017-11-01

    Kanter's structural empowerment model was used to assess the influence of access to opportunities, resources, information and support on core burnout through global empowerment in a nursing sample in Portugal. The empowerment experience increases the levels of nursing professionals' satisfaction and performance preventing the emergence of burnout. However, the relationship between structural empowerment and burnout has been scarcely studied in Portugal. We conducted a cross-sectional correlational study assessing a final sample of 297 participants (62.13% response rate, 63.64% women). Model fit and mediation test were examined using structural equation modelling (path analysis). Access to opportunities and access to support had direct impact, through global empowerment, on core burnout, whereas access to resources had both direct and indirect impact on core burnout. The results validated the structural empowerment model and its application in nursing staff in Portugal. Professional training plans, the development of formal and informal support networks, and the availability of resources increase the levels of empowerment and decrease the likelihood of experiencing burnout in nursing professionals. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  7. Increasing urban community empowerment through changing of poverty rate index on the productive zakat impact

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zaenal, M. H.; Astuti, A. D.; Sadariyah, A. S.

    2018-01-01

    We show how changes in poverty measures can be applied into growth of islamic philanthropy distribution via zakat, and we use the methodology to zakat community development (ZCD) program in Bantul during the 2016. The purpose of the present paper is to prove zakat is able to be a solution part for the community empowerment. The result is the number of productive zakat program beneficiaries whose income is below the poverty line (poor category) before the program are 244 people (H = 0.171) and after the program change to 168 (H = 0.118), which means the program has succeeded in reducing the number of poor people by 76 people (5.34 percent). The poverty gap (P1) of beneficiaries of productive zakat program in Bantul also decrease. The gap between poverty line and average income of beneficiaries is Rp 63,763 before the program, while the gap after the program is Rp 56,992. The income gap (I) is also decline from 0.197 to 0.169. Poverty severity of beneficiaries of productive zakat program in Bantul seen by Sen Index (P2) decrease from 0.093 to 0.062, while using Foster-Greer-Thorbecke Index (P3), the poverty severity decrease from 0.010 to 0.004. The analysis revealed the zakat community empowerment was significant economically in suppressing the poverty rate, and possible for reducing inequality and ending poverty in Indonesia.

  8. Enhancing the Empowerment of Youth in Foster Care: Supportive Services

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kaplan, Sandra J.; Skolnik, Louise; Turnbull, Ayme

    2009-01-01

    This paper reviews the research on youth empowerment in seven child welfare programmatic areas. A lack of studies specifically focused on the empowerment of youth in foster care was found. Conceptual perspectives and existing data, however, suggest that the empowerment of youth in and transitioning out of care is essential and should be overtly…

  9. Action Research in Urban Schools: Empowerment, Transformation, and Challenges

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Razfar, Aria

    2011-01-01

    This article examines the experiences of a cohort of seven urban educators who conducted action research over a two-year period. Of the seven participants, six were teacher-researchers ("TRs") and one was a bilingual coordinator. The author provides an analysis of focus group discussions conducted after the completion of the action research…

  10. An endogenous empowerment strategy: a case-study of Nigerian women.

    PubMed

    Garba, P K

    1999-02-01

    In Nigeria women's empowerment is essential to improving their standard of living and protecting their right to participate fully in development. More effective strategies are needed for women to participate in decision making. There are both static and dynamic aspects of the concept of empowerment. The former may lead to exogenous power strategies, while the latter may lead to endogenous empowerment facilitated by the dynamic concept that regards empowerment as a bottom-up process that develops the capacity of individuals. This process can be accomplished in six stages that encompass awareness, skills and capacity assessment, capacity-building and skills development, participation and greater control in decision-making, action for change, and evaluation. Nigeria needs an endogenous empowerment strategy for women's effective participation within organizations that is based on the tenet that women can only protect their interests through effective participation in their organizations and that highlights awareness-building, skills-acquisition and capacity-building, and changing discriminatory norms. External agents can not empower women but can foster conditions conducive to self-empowerment.

  11. Impact of the Urban Reproductive Health Initiative on family planning uptake at facilities in Kenya, Nigeria, and Senegal.

    PubMed

    Winston, Jennifer; Calhoun, Lisa M; Corroon, Meghan; Guilkey, David; Speizer, Ilene

    2018-01-05

    The 2012 London Summit on Family Planning set ambitious goals to enable 120 million more women and adolescent girls to use modern contraceptives by 2020. The Urban Reproductive Health Initiative (URHI) was a Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation funded program designed to help contribute to these goals in urban areas in India, Kenya, Nigeria, and Senegal. URHI implemented a range of country-specific demand and supply side interventions, with supply interventions generally focused on improved service quality, provider training, outreach to patients, and commodity stock management. This study uses data collected by the Measurement, Learning & Evaluation (MLE) Project to examine the effectiveness of these supply-side interventions by considering URHI's influence on the number of family planning clients at health facilities over a four-year period in Kenya, Nigeria, and Senegal. The analysis used facility audits and provider surveys. Principal-components analysis was used to create country-specific program exposure variables for health facilities. Fixed-effects regression was used to determine whether family planning uptake increased at facilities with higher exposure. Outcomes of interest were the number of new family planning acceptors and the total number of family planning clients per reproductive health care provider in the last year. Higher program component scores were associated with an increase in new family planning acceptors per provider in Kenya (β = 18, 95% CI = 7-29), Nigeria (β = 14, 95% CI = 8-20), and Senegal (β = 7, 95% CI = 3-12). Higher scores were also associated with more family planning clients per provider in Kenya (β = 31, 95% CI = 7-56) and Nigeria (β = 26, 95% CI = 15-38), but not in Senegal. Supply-side interventions have increased the number of new family planning acceptors at facilities in urban Nigeria, Kenya, and Senegal and the overall number of clients in urban Nigeria and Kenya. While tailoring

  12. Intra-Facility Linkage of HIV-Positive Mothers and HIV-Exposed Babies into HIV Chronic Care: Rural and Urban Experience in a Resource Limited Setting

    PubMed Central

    Mugasha, Christine; Kigozi, Joanita; Kiragga, Agnes; Muganzi, Alex; Sewankambo, Nelson; Coutinho, Alex; Nakanjako, Damalie

    2014-01-01

    Introduction Linkage of HIV-infected pregnant women to HIV care remains critical for improvement of maternal and child outcomes through prevention of maternal-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) and subsequent chronic HIV care. This study determined proportions and factors associated with intra-facility linkage to HIV care and Early Infant Diagnosis care (EID) to inform strategic scale up of PMTCT programs. Methods A cross-sectional review of records was done at 2 urban and 3 rural public health care facilities supported by the Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI). HIV-infected pregnant mothers, identified through routine antenatal care (ANC) and HIV-exposed babies were evaluated for enrollment in HIV clinics by 6 weeks post-delivery. Results Overall, 1,025 HIV-infected pregnant mothers were identified during ANC between January and June, 2012; 267/1,025 (26%) in rural and 743/1,025 (74%) in urban facilities. Of these 375/1,025 (37%) were linked to HIV clinics [67/267(25%) rural and 308/758(41%) urban]. Of 636 HIV-exposed babies, 193 (30%) were linked to EID. Linkage of mother-baby pairs to HIV chronic care and EID was 16% (101/636); 8/179 (4.5%)] in rural and 93/457(20.3%) in urban health facilities. Within rural facilities, ANC registration <28 weeks-of-gestation was associated with mothers' linkage to HIV chronic care [AoR, 2.0 95% CI, 1.1–3.7, p = 0.019] and mothers' multi-parity was associated with baby's linkage to EID; AoR 4.4 (1.3–15.1), p = 0.023. Stigma, long distance to health facilities and vertical PMTCT services affected linkage in rural facilities, while peer mothers, infant feeding services, long patient queues and limited privacy hindered linkage to HIV care in urban settings. Conclusion Post-natal linkage of HIV-infected mothers to chronic HIV care and HIV-exposed babies to EID programs was low. Barriers to linkage to HIV care vary in urban and rural settings. We recommend targeted interventions to rapidly improve linkage to

  13. Elucidating empowerment in El Proyecto Bienestar (the Well-Being Project).

    PubMed

    Postma, Julie

    2008-05-01

    This paper describes differences in how socioculturally diverse participants in one community-based participatory research project negotiated 'empowerment', and the implications of those differences for nurses involved in farmworker health and safety efforts. Internationally, empowerment and community participation are increasingly being used as strategies to reduce health disparities. Theories of empowerment vary in the academic literature and their connotations vary across cultures. Study participants were part of El Proyecto Bienestar, a community-based participatory research (CBPR) project whose aim was to identify and respond to occupational and environmental health threats in one Mexican-American farmworker community in the United States of America. Participant observation was used to audiorecord 18 participants in the third year (2006) of this 4-year project discussing future project activities. Discourse analysis was used to analyse the transcripts. While participants agreed that 'empowerment' was central to the project, they had different perspectives on what the term meant and the role that the project should play in empowering the farmworker community. Empowerment discourses positioned the project in three ways: (1) as an instrument used to strengthen farmworkers' collective political voice, (2) as an instrument used to represent multiple community interests and (3) as an instrument used to advocate on behalf of farmworkers. Individuals used multiple discourses signifying the complexity in participants' roles and obligations. Balancing power and developing knowledge collaboratively requires understanding multiple approaches to empowerment. Community empowerment as an outcome should not come at the expense of individual empowerment as part of the CBPR process.

  14. Sex workers as peer health advocates: community empowerment and transformative learning through a Canadian pilot program.

    PubMed

    Benoit, Cecilia; Belle-Isle, Lynne; Smith, Michaela; Phillips, Rachel; Shumka, Leah; Atchison, Chris; Jansson, Mikael; Loppie, Charlotte; Flagg, Jackson

    2017-08-30

    Social marginalization and criminalization create health and safety risks for sex workers and reduce their access to health promotion and prevention services compared to the general population. Community empowerment-based interventions that prioritize the engagement of sex workers show promising results. Peer-to-peer interventions, wherein sex workers act as educators of their colleagues, managers, clients and romantic partners, foster community mobilization and critical consciousness among sex workers and equip them to exercise agency in their work and personal lives. A pilot peer health education program was developed and implemented, with and for sex workers in one urban centre in Canada. To explore how the training program contributed to community empowerment and transformative learning among participants, the authors conducted qualitative interviews, asked participants to keep personal journals and to fill out feedback forms after each session. Thematic analysis was conducted on these three data sources, with emerging themes identified, organized and presented in the findings. Five themes emerged from the analysis. Our findings show that the pilot program led to reduced internalized stigma and increased self-esteem in participants. Participants' critical consciousness increased concerning issues of diversity in cultural background, sexual orientation, work experiences and gender identity. Participants gained knowledge about how sex work stigma is enacted and perpetuated. They also became increasingly comfortable challenging negative judgments from others, including frontline service providers. Participants were encouraged to actively shape the training program, which fostered positive relationships and solidarity among them, as well as with colleagues in their social network and with the local sex worker organization housing the program. Resources were also mobilized within the sex worker community through skills building and knowledge acquisition. The peer

  15. Qualitative exploration of empowerment from the perspective of young people with psychosis.

    PubMed

    Grealish, Annmarie; Tai, Sara; Hunter, Andrew; Morrison, Anthony P

    2013-01-01

    Evidence suggests that empowerment is central to improving the effectiveness and quality of mental health care. Empowerment includes increased involvement, choice and access to health information for service users. Within the process of empowerment, individuals may better understand their health needs and accordingly improve their prognoses. Despite the widespread use of the term 'empowerment' within mental health, there have been no studies examining how young people with psychosis understand and conceptualize the term empowerment or which factors are conductive to them developing a sense of empowerment. This study aims to qualitatively conceptualize empowerment from the perspective of young people aged 14-18 years experiencing psychosis. Individual interviews were conducted with nine young people with a diagnosis of a psychotic disorder regarding their understanding and experience of empowerment. The interviews were audiotaped, transcribed verbatim and analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Results indicated that young people who have experienced psychosis conceptualized empowerment as being listened to, being understood, taking control and making decisions for themselves. Young people place high importance on experiencing personal empowerment in relation to being users of mental health services and regard being empowered as the most important factor for determining their own recovery. Results also revealed that young people view mental health workers as very variable in their ability and willingness to address and help facilitate empowerment. They also identified daily routine, structure and avoidance of inactivity as additional means of increasing empowerment. The implications for research and practice are discussed. The way practitioners interact with young people impacts upon their experience of empowerment. Young people with psychosis equate being listened to with being empowered. Young people with psychosis, especially when hospitalized

  16. Factors in Patient Empowerment: A Survey of an Online Patient Research Network.

    PubMed

    Chiauzzi, Emil; DasMahapatra, Pronabesh; Cochin, Elisenda; Bunce, Mikele; Khoury, Raya; Dave, Purav

    2016-12-01

    Providers and healthcare organizations have begun recognizing the importance of patient empowerment as a driver of patient-centered care. Unfortunately, most studies have investigated empowerment with single diseases. Identifying factors of empowerment across conditions and populations would enable a greater understanding of this construct. The purpose of this study was to understand empowerment in relation to health information-seeking, interactions with providers and peers, and healthcare access in chronic disease patients. This study also sought to identify key empowerment factors and their association with patient characteristics. Participants were recruited through PatientsLikeMe, an online research platform where patients share their personal and medical history data. Patients completed an online survey that assessed self-reported health behavior (e.g. knowledge-seeking, experiences with healthcare providers, and peer interactions) and healthcare access. An exploratory factor analysis identified key empowerment domains. Domain level sum scores and sum of all domains (total score) were compared across patient characteristics and diseases. Overall, 3988 participants were included in the study, with the majority actively involved in their healthcare, but many cited difficulties with matching their treatment goals with those of their physician (34 %) and spending sufficient time with the physician (36 %). Factor analysis identified two domains-Positive Patient-Provider Interaction, and Knowledge and Personal Control-that explained >60 % of the overall variance in the observed variables. Mean total empowerment scores for patients with a primary complaint of Parkinson's disease (61.8) and multiple sclerosis (60.3) were significantly greater than fibromyalgia (55.3) and chronic fatigue syndrome (54.8). Patients who were older, male, more educated, and insured also reported significantly greater levels of empowerment. The two domains of empowerment identified in

  17. Is perceived patient involvement in mental health care associated with satisfaction and empowerment?

    PubMed

    Tambuyzer, Else; Van Audenhove, Chantal

    2015-08-01

    Patients increasingly assume active roles in their mental health care. While there is a growing interest in patient involvement and patient-reported outcomes, there is insufficient research on the outcomes of patient involvement. The research questions in this study are as follows: 'To what extent is perceived patient involvement associated with satisfaction and empowerment?'; 'What is the nature of the relationship between satisfaction and empowerment?'; and 'To what extent are background variables associated with satisfaction and empowerment?'. We assumed that a higher degree of patient involvement is associated with higher satisfaction and empowerment scores and that satisfaction and empowerment are positively associated. Data were gathered using surveys of 111 patients of 36 multidisciplinary care networks for persons with serious and persistent mental illness. Demographic characteristics, patient involvement and satisfaction were measured using a new questionnaire. Empowerment was assessed using the Dutch Empowerment Scale. Descriptive, univariate (Pearson's r and independent-samples t-tests), multivariate (hierarchical forced entry regression) and mixed-model analyses were conducted. The hypotheses of positive associations between patient involvement, satisfaction and empowerment are confirmed. The demographics are not significantly related to satisfaction or empowerment, except for gender. Men reported higher empowerment scores than did women. Making patient involvement a reality is more than just an ethical imperative. It provides an opportunity to enhance patient-reported outcomes such as satisfaction and empowerment. Future research should focus on the nature of the association between satisfaction and empowerment. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  18. Evaluating Patient Empowerment in Association With eHealth Technology: Scoping Review

    PubMed Central

    2017-01-01

    Background The prioritization of sustainable patient-centered care in contemporary health care has resulted in an increased focus on patient empowerment, which in turn is considered to facilitate patient independence, self-management, and self-efficacy. However, a definitional consensus of empowerment remains elusive, impeding efforts to translate the conceptual ideals of empowerment into a measurable entity associated with changes in health care behavior or outcomes. The rapid integration of technology in health care serves to add another layer of complexity in the measurability and operationalization of empowerment and helps to create a specific context in which this conceptual entity should be further examined. Objective The primary objective of this scoping review was to explore the concept of patient empowerment within the electronic health (eHealth) context. A further focus on the association or measurement of this concept in conjunction with tethered patient portal use was also employed. Methods In this scoping review, a six-step framework was used to guide the search and paper selection process. The review was initiated with two broad research questions, which are as follows: (1) What is the relationship between empowerment and the use of eHealth technologies from a patient perspective? (2) How is patient empowerment (and/or engagement or activation) influenced by accessing personal health information through a tethered patient portal? Multiple databases were employed in a comprehensive search strategy, and papers were primarily evaluated and selected for inclusion by 2 review authors, and a third author was consulted to resolve any issues in reaching consensus. Results From an initial count of 1387 publications, this review returned nine systematic or literature review papers and 19 empirical studies that pertained to patient empowerment (and/or engagement and activation) in relation to the use of tethered patient portals providing access to electronic

  19. Empowerment in the service industry: an empirical study in Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Lin, Carol Yeh-Yun

    2002-09-01

    Employee empowerment is an essential managerial means that can be used to obtain competitive advantages from human resources in the new millennium. A comprehensive understanding of the essence of empowerment is crucial to facilitate its effective implementation. In this article, the author proposes a 4-dimensional empowerment model in an organizational setting and a matrix that incorporates the 4 dimensions and the 7S (R. H. Waterman, T. J. Peters, & J. R. Phillips, 1980) organizational factors. In addition, this study represents an empirical examination of the effects of personal and company characteristics on empowerment. The implications of the research results are discussed.

  20. Toxic releases and risk disparity: a spatiotemporal model of industrial ecology and social empowerment.

    PubMed

    Aoyagi, Hannah; Ogunseitan, Oladele A

    2015-06-02

    Information-based regulations (IBRs) are founded on the theoretical premise that public participation in accomplishing policy goals is empowered by open access to information. Since its inception in 1988, the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) has provided the framework and regulatory impetus for the compilation and distribution of data on toxic releases associated with industrial development, following the tenets of IBR. As TRI emissions are reputed to disproportionately affect low-income communities, we investigated how demographic characteristics are related to change in TRI emissions and toxicity risks between 1989 and 2002, and we sought to identify factors that predict these changes. We used local indicators of spatial association (LISA) maps and spatial regression techniques to study risk disparity in the Los Angeles urban area. We also surveyed 203 individuals in eight communities in the same region to measure the levels of awareness of TRI, attitudes towards air pollution, and general environmental risk. We discovered, through spatial lag models, that changes in gross and toxic emissions are related to community ethnic composition, poverty level, home ownership, and base 1989 emissions (R-square=0.034-0.083). We generated a structural equation model to explain the determinants of social empowerment to act on the basis of environmental information. Hierarchical confirmatory factor analysis (HCFA) supports the theoretical model that individual empowerment is predicted by risk perception, worry, and awareness (Chi-square=63.315, p=0.022, df=42). This study provides strong evidence that spatiotemporal changes in regional-scale environmental risks are influenced by individual-scale empowerment mediated by IBRs.

  1. Toxic Releases and Risk Disparity: A Spatiotemporal Model of Industrial Ecology and Social Empowerment

    PubMed Central

    Aoyagi, Hannah; Ogunseitan, Oladele A.

    2015-01-01

    Information-based regulations (IBRs) are founded on the theoretical premise that public participation in accomplishing policy goals is empowered by open access to information. Since its inception in 1988, the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) has provided the framework and regulatory impetus for the compilation and distribution of data on toxic releases associated with industrial development, following the tenets of IBR. As TRI emissions are reputed to disproportionately affect low-income communities, we investigated how demographic characteristics are related to change in TRI emissions and toxicity risks between 1989 and 2002, and we sought to identify factors that predict these changes. We used local indicators of spatial association (LISA) maps and spatial regression techniques to study risk disparity in the Los Angeles urban area. We also surveyed 203 individuals in eight communities in the same region to measure the levels of awareness of TRI, attitudes towards air pollution, and general environmental risk. We discovered, through spatial lag models, that changes in gross and toxic emissions are related to community ethnic composition, poverty level, home ownership, and base 1989 emissions (R-square = 0.034–0.083). We generated a structural equation model to explain the determinants of social empowerment to act on the basis of environmental information. Hierarchical confirmatory factor analysis (HCFA) supports the theoretical model that individual empowerment is predicted by risk perception, worry, and awareness (Chi-square = 63.315, p = 0.022, df = 42). This study provides strong evidence that spatiotemporal changes in regional-scale environmental risks are influenced by individual-scale empowerment mediated by IBRs. PMID:26042368

  2. Relationship Between Psychological Empowerment and Productivity of Medical Librarians.

    PubMed

    Zare, Maliheh; Zarmehr, Fateme; Ashrafi-Rizi, Hasan

    2015-06-01

    Psychological empowerment is really important and has remarkable effect on different organizational variables such as job satisfaction, organizational commitment, productivity, etc. So the aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between psychological empowerment and productivity of Librarians in Isfahan Medical University. This was correlational research. Data were collected through two questionnaires. Psychological empowerment questionnaire and the manpower productivity questionnaire of Gold. Smith Hersey which their content validity was confirmed by experts and their reliability was obtained by using Cronbach's Alpha coefficient, 0.89 and 0.9 respectively. Due to limited statistical population, did not used sampling and review was taken via census. So 76 number of librarians were evaluated. Information were reported on both descriptive and inferential statistics (correlation coefficient tests Pearson, Spearman, T-test, ANOVA), and analyzed by using the SPSS19 software. In our study, the trust between partners and efficacy with productivity had the highest correlation. Also there was a direct relationship between psychological empowerment and the productivity of labor (r =0.204). In other words, with rising of mean score of psychological empowerment, the mean score of efficiency increase too. The results showed that if development programs of librarian's psychological empowerment increase in order to their productivity, librarians carry out their duties with better sense. Also with using the capabilities of librarians, the development of creativity with happen and organizational productivity will increase.

  3. The Empowerment of Low-Income Parents Engaged in a Childhood Obesity Intervention

    PubMed Central

    Jurkowski, Janine M.; Lawson, Hal A.; Green Mills, Lisa L.; Wilner, Paul G.; Davison, Kirsten K.

    2017-01-01

    Parents influence children’s obesity risk factors but are infrequently targeted for interventions. This study targeting low-income parents integrated a community-based participatory research approach with the Family Ecological Model and Empowerment Theory to develop a childhood obesity intervention. This article (1) examines pre- to postintervention changes in parents’ empowerment; (2) determines the effects of intervention dose on empowerment, and (3) determines whether changes in parent empowerment mediate previous changes identified in food-, physical activity–, and screen-related parenting. The pre-post quasi-experimental design evaluation demonstrated positive changes in parent empowerment and empowerment predicted improvement in parenting practices. The integrated model applied in this study provides a means to enhance intervention relevance and guide translation to other childhood obesity and health disparities studies. PMID:24569157

  4. Measurement of community empowerment in three community programs in Rapla (Estonia).

    PubMed

    Kasmel, Anu; Andersen, Pernille Tanggaard

    2011-03-01

    Community empowerment approaches have been proven to be powerful tools for solving local health problems. However, the methods for measuring empowerment in the community remain unclear and open to dispute. This study aims to describe how a context-specific community empowerment measurement tool was developed and changes made to three health promotion programs in Rapla, Estonia. An empowerment expansion model was compiled and applied to three existing programs: Safe Community, Drug/HIV Prevention and Elderly Quality of Life. The consensus workshop method was used to create the measurement tool and collect data on the Organizational Domains of Community Empowerment (ODCE). The study demonstrated considerable increases in the ODCE among the community workgroup, which was initiated by community members and the municipality's decision-makers. The increase was within the workgroup, which had strong political and financial support on a national level but was not the community's priority. The program was initiated and implemented by the local community members, and continuous development still occurred, though at a reduced pace. The use of the empowerment expansion model has proven to be an applicable, relevant, simple and inexpensive tool for the evaluation of community empowerment.

  5. Measurement of Community Empowerment in Three Community Programs in Rapla (Estonia)

    PubMed Central

    Kasmel, Anu; Andersen, Pernille Tanggaard

    2011-01-01

    Community empowerment approaches have been proven to be powerful tools for solving local health problems. However, the methods for measuring empowerment in the community remain unclear and open to dispute. This study aims to describe how a context-specific community empowerment measurement tool was developed and changes made to three health promotion programs in Rapla, Estonia. An empowerment expansion model was compiled and applied to three existing programs: Safe Community, Drug/HIV Prevention and Elderly Quality of Life. The consensus workshop method was used to create the measurement tool and collect data on the Organizational Domains of Community Empowerment (ODCE). The study demonstrated considerable increases in the ODCE among the community workgroup, which was initiated by community members and the municipality’s decision-makers. The increase was within the workgroup, which had strong political and financial support on a national level but was not the community’s priority. The program was initiated and implemented by the local community members, and continuous development still occurred, though at a reduced pace. The use of the empowerment expansion model has proven to be an applicable, relevant, simple and inexpensive tool for the evaluation of community empowerment. PMID:21556179

  6. A model for empowerment of nursing in Iran

    PubMed Central

    Adib Hajbaghery, Mohsen; Salsali, Mahvash

    2005-01-01

    Background While the Iranian nursing profession tries to reach to its full capacity for participating in the maintenance of public health, its desire to develop is strongly influenced by cultural, economic, and religious factors. The concept of empowerment is frequently used in nursing and the health services, particularly in relation to the quality of care, since the mission of nursing is to provide safe and quality nursing care thereby enabling patients to achieve their maximum level of wellness. When considering the importance of nursing services in any health system, the 54th World Health Assembly recommended that programs be designed to strengthen and promote the nursing profession. Since empowerment is crucial to the role of nurses, a qualitative study was conducted and aimed at designing a model for empowering nurses in Iran. Methods A grounded theory approach was used for analyzing the participants' experiences, their perceptions and the strategies affecting empowerment. Data collection was done through Semi-structured interviews and participant observation. Forty-four participants were interviewed and 12 sessions of observation were carried out. Results Three main categories emerged from the data collected; these are "personal empowerment", "collective empowerment", and "the culture and structure of the organization." From the participants' perspective, empowerment is a dynamic process that results from mutual interaction between personal and collective traits of nurses as well as the culture and the structure of the organization. Impediments, such as power dynamics within the health care system hinder nurses from demonstrating that they possess the essential ingredients of empowerment. Conclusion A model was designed for empowering the nursing profession in Iran. Implementing this model will not only define nursing roles, identify territories in the national healthcare system, but it will restructure nursing systems, sub-systems, and services. Currently

  7. Nursing Student Perceptions of Structural Empowerment.

    PubMed

    Moore, Shelley C; Ward, Karen S

    To meet role expectations for nurses, nurses must feel empowered. Faculty contributions to the learning environment for nursing students are critical. A descriptive analysis of student perceptions of empowerment within the learning environment was conducted using a form of Kanter's Conditions of Work Effectiveness Questionnaire; 203 participants from schools in 17 different states completed surveys. Subjects demonstrated moderate degrees of structural empowerment in their learning environment. This positive finding can be further investigated and used to fully prepare future nurses.

  8. Women’s Empowerment in Iran: A Review Based on the Related Legislations

    PubMed Central

    Janghorban, Roksana; Taghipour, Ali; Roudsari, Robab Latifnejad; Abbasi, Mahmoud

    2014-01-01

    Women’s empowerment can be defined as a change in the circumstances of a woman’s life, which enables her to raise her capacity to manage more enriched and rewarding life. Improvement in women’s empowerment is a salient issue to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. National laws are influential factors in promoting women’s empowerment. Lack of awareness of legal and constitutional provisions and failure to recognize it, is a factor that hinders the process of empowerment. This paper provides a review based on Iranian legislations which have considered various aspects of women’s empowerment. Although this work has specifically dealt with women’s needs, it encompasses a right–based approach to women’s empowerment suggested by the United Nations Fund for Population Activities. However, there is still a great need for further inquiries in the area of legislations concerning women’s empowerment around the world in general and Iran in particular. PMID:24999125

  9. Empowering organizations: approaches to tobacco control through youth empowerment programs.

    PubMed

    LeRoy, Lisa; Benet, Dana Jones; Mason, Theresa; Austin, W David; Mills, Sherry

    2004-10-01

    Whereas most evaluations of youth empowerment focus on individual outcomes (i.e., were individual youths empowered?), this article focuses on the program as the unit of analysis and seeks to explain how organizational structures, program design features, and processes lead to organizational empowerment (OE). OE is defined as organizational efforts that generate psychological empowerment among members and organizational effectiveness needed for goal achievement. Case studies of five American Legacy Foundation-funded tobacco control youth empowerment programs were conducted during the first 2 years of implementation. Using an OE framework, the authors assessed program design features of the youth empowerment programs that contributed to or detracted from processes leading to OE. Comparing and contrasting the programs led to the identification of models and strategies that contribute to OE. Ecological influences of the state contexts (i.e., political climate, history of tobacco control, and public health infrastructure) were also examined.

  10. Empowerment and job satisfaction in associate degree nurse educators.

    PubMed

    Baker, Sandra L; Fitzpatrick, Joyce J; Griffin, Mary Quinn

    2011-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine empowerment, job satisfaction levels, and relationships among 139 associate degree nursing educators.The Conditions of Work Effectiveness II, Psychological Empowerment Scale, and Job Diagnostic Survey were used. Findings indicated that the majority of educators were satisfied with their jobs as nursing faculty and felt empowered in their workplaces. Psychological empowerment demonstrated the strongest positive correlation with job satisfaction. There were no significant differences in empowerment or job satisfaction based on educators' tenure status, educational level, evidence of scholarship, or academic rank. Based on the findings of this study, the authors recommend that deans use resources to provide faculty opportunities to expand their departmental influence and spend more time with students, as well as place faculty in positions that highlight their relevance to the college and nursing program.

  11. Religion, faith and the empowerment process: stories of Iranian people with diabetes.

    PubMed

    Abdoli, Samereh; Ashktorab, Tahereh; Ahmadi, Fazlollah; Parvizy, Soroor; Dunning, Trisha

    2011-06-01

    Empowerment concerning people with diabetes is well researched. However, few researchers specifically focus on the barriers to and facilitators of empowerment in Iranian people with diabetes. Understanding the factors could help health professionals facilitate self-empowerment more effectively. This study aims to determine the barriers to and facilitators of empowerment in Iranian people with diabetes. A qualitative exploratory study was conducted using in-depth interviews to collect the data from 11 women and men in 2007. Themes were identified using constant comparative analysis method. Common barriers to empowerment were similar to other chronic diseases: prolonged stress, negative view about diabetes, ineffective health-care systems, poverty and illiteracy. Diabetes education, fear of diabetes' complications, self-efficacy and hope for a better future emerged as being crucial to empowerment. Facilitators specific to Iranians were: the power of religion and faith, the concept of the doctor as holy man, accepting diabetes as God's will, caring for the body because it was God's gift and support from families especially daughters. Empowerment was strongly influenced by cultural and religious beliefs in Iran and the power of faith emerged as an important facilitator of diabetes empowerment. The findings will help health professionals understand how Iranian people with diabetes view life and the factors that facilitate empowerment. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

  12. Development and validation of a new tool to measure Iranian pregnant women's empowerment.

    PubMed

    Borghei, N S; Taghipour, A; Roudsari, R Latifnejad; Keramat, A

    2016-03-15

    Empowering pregnant women improves their health and reduces maternal mortality, but there is a lack of suitable tools to measure women's empowerment in some cultures. This study aimed to design and validate a questionnaire for measuring the dimensions of empowerment among Iranian pregnant women. After a literature review, and face and content validity testing, a 38-item questionnaire was developed and tested on a sample of 161 pregnant women. Factor analysis grouped the items into 3 subscales: educational empowerment (e.g. prenatal training), autonomy (e.g. financial independency and mental ability) and sociopolitical empowerment (e.g. involvement in social and political activities). Criterion validity testing showed a strong positive correlation of the total scale and subscales scores with the Kameda and the Spritzer empowerment scales. Cronbach alpha was 0.92 for total empowerment. A total of 32 items remained in the Self-Structured Pregnancy Empowerment Questionnaire, which is a valid new tool to measure the dimensions of pregnant women's empowerment.

  13. [The application in public health nursing of the employee empowerment model and relevant considerations].

    PubMed

    Chang, Li-Chun; Yen, Wan-Chuan; Lu, Su-Ying

    2006-04-01

    Empowerment, rooted in the black civil rights and other civic movements of the 1960s, has greatly impacted thought and theories on health promotion activities, management strategies, and educational reform. Public health nurses are vital facilitators to the introduction and implementation of the empowerment concept in the health care field. Employee empowerment, based on the concept of empowerment, comprises the two domains of ability and power, which may be assessed through psychological and organizational empowerment. This article illustrates the employee empowerment model, the combination of cognitive empowerment model, and its application in public health nursing. The empowering process includes confirming feelings of powerlessness during the dialogue phase; empowerment education and organizational dialogue during the development phase; and collective action for goal-setting during the action phase. This paper also notes issues that should be considered related to model implementation, including new technology of old paradigm, the risk for more disempowered status, and an appropriate methodology for research paradigms. The employee empowerment model presented in this paper may be used as a guide to design empowerment education curricula for public health nurses.

  14. Evaluating Patient Empowerment in Association With eHealth Technology: Scoping Review.

    PubMed

    Risling, Tracie; Martinez, Juan; Young, Jeremy; Thorp-Froslie, Nancy

    2017-09-29

    The prioritization of sustainable patient-centered care in contemporary health care has resulted in an increased focus on patient empowerment, which in turn is considered to facilitate patient independence, self-management, and self-efficacy. However, a definitional consensus of empowerment remains elusive, impeding efforts to translate the conceptual ideals of empowerment into a measurable entity associated with changes in health care behavior or outcomes. The rapid integration of technology in health care serves to add another layer of complexity in the measurability and operationalization of empowerment and helps to create a specific context in which this conceptual entity should be further examined. The primary objective of this scoping review was to explore the concept of patient empowerment within the electronic health (eHealth) context. A further focus on the association or measurement of this concept in conjunction with tethered patient portal use was also employed. In this scoping review, a six-step framework was used to guide the search and paper selection process. The review was initiated with two broad research questions, which are as follows: (1) What is the relationship between empowerment and the use of eHealth technologies from a patient perspective? (2) How is patient empowerment (and/or engagement or activation) influenced by accessing personal health information through a tethered patient portal? Multiple databases were employed in a comprehensive search strategy, and papers were primarily evaluated and selected for inclusion by 2 review authors, and a third author was consulted to resolve any issues in reaching consensus. From an initial count of 1387 publications, this review returned nine systematic or literature review papers and 19 empirical studies that pertained to patient empowerment (and/or engagement and activation) in relation to the use of tethered patient portals providing access to electronic health records (EHRs). Of the 19

  15. Factors affecting Korean nursing student empowerment in clinical practice.

    PubMed

    Ahn, Yang-Heui; Choi, Jihea

    2015-12-01

    Understanding the phenomenon of nursing student empowerment in clinical practice is important. Investigating the cognition of empowerment and identifying predictors are necessary to enhance nursing student empowerment in clinical practice. To identify empowerment predictors for Korean nursing students in clinical practice based on studies by Bradbury-Jones et al. and Spreitzer. A cross-sectional design was used for this study. This study was performed in three nursing colleges in Korea, all of which had similar baccalaureate nursing curricula. Three hundred seven junior or senior nursing students completed a survey designed to measure factors that were hypothesized to influence nursing student empowerment in clinical practice. Data were collected from November to December 2011. Study variables included self-esteem, clinical decision making, being valued as a learner, satisfaction regarding practice with a team member, perception on professor/instructor/clinical preceptor attitude, and total number of clinical practice fields. Data were analyzed using stepwise multiple regression analyses. All of the hypothesized study variables were significantly correlated to nursing student empowerment. Stepwise multiple regression analysis revealed that clinical decision making in nursing (t=7.59, p<0.001), being valued as a learner (t=6.24, p<0.001), self-esteem (t=3.62, p<0.001), and total number of clinical practice fields (t=2.06, p=0.040). The explanatory power of these predictors was 35% (F=40.71, p<0.001). Enhancing nursing student empowerment in clinical practice will be possible by using educational strategies to improve nursing student clinical decision making. Simultaneously, attitudes of nurse educators are also important to ensure that nursing students are treated as valued learners and to increase student self-esteem in clinical practice. Finally, diverse clinical practice field environments should be considered to enhance experience. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd

  16. Relationship Between Psychological Empowerment and Productivity of Medical Librarians

    PubMed Central

    Zare, Maliheh; Zarmehr, Fateme; Ashrafi-rizi, Hasan

    2015-01-01

    Introduction: Psychological empowerment is really important and has remarkable effect on different organizational variables such as job satisfaction, organizational commitment, productivity, etc. So the aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between psychological empowerment and productivity of Librarians in Isfahan Medical University. Methods: This was correlational research. Data were collected through two questionnaires. Psychological empowerment questionnaire and the manpower productivity questionnaire of Gold. Smith Hersey which their content validity was confirmed by experts and their reliability was obtained by using Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient, 0.89 and 0.9 respectively. Due to limited statistical population, did not used sampling and review was taken via census. So 76 number of librarians were evaluated. Information were reported on both descriptive and inferential statistics (correlation coefficient tests Pearson, Spearman, T-test, ANOVA), and analyzed by using the SPSS19 software. Findings: In our study, the trust between partners and efficacy with productivity had the highest correlation. Also there was a direct relationship between psychological empowerment and the productivity of labor (r =0.204). In other words, with rising of mean score of psychological empowerment, the mean score of efficiency increase too. Conclusions: The results showed that if development programs of librarian’s psychological empowerment increase in order to their productivity, librarians carry out their duties with better sense. Also with using the capabilities of librarians, the development of creativity with happen and organizational productivity will increase. PMID:26236079

  17. Aetiologies of diarrhoea in adults from urban and rural treatment facilities in Bangladesh.

    PubMed

    Ferdous, F; Ahmed, S; Farzana, F D; Das, J; Malek, M A; Das, S K; Salam, M A; Faruque, A S G

    2015-05-01

    The objective of our analysis was to describe the aetiology, clinical features, and socio-demographic background of adults with diarrhoea attending different urban and rural diarrhoeal disease hospitals in Bangladesh. Between January 2010 and December 2011, a total of 5054 adult diarrhoeal patients aged ⩾20 years were enrolled into the Diarrhoeal Disease Surveillance Systems at four different hospitals (two rural and two urban) of Bangladesh. Middle-aged [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 0·28, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0·23-0·35, P < 0·001] and elderly (aOR 0·15, 95% CI 0·11-0·20, P < 0·001) patients were more likely to present to rural diarrhoeal disease facilities than urban ones. Vibrio cholerae was the most commonly isolated pathogen (16%) of the four pathogens tested followed by rotavirus (5%), enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) (4%), and Shigella (4%). Of these pathogens, V. cholerae (19% vs. 11%, P < 0·001), ETEC (9% vs. 4%, P < 0·001), and rotavirus (5% vs. 3%, P = 0·013) were more commonly detected from patients presenting to urban hospitals than rural hospitals, but Shigella was more frequently isolated from patients presenting to rural hospitals than urban hospitals (7% vs. 2%, P < 0·001). The isolation rate of Shigella was higher in the elderly than in younger adults (8% vs. 3%, P < 0·001). Some or severe dehydration was higher in urban adults than rural adults (P < 0·001). Our findings indicate that despite economic and other progress made, conditions facilitating transmission of V. cholerae and Shigella prevail in adults with diarrhoea in Bangladesh and further efforts are needed to control these infections.

  18. Teen Empowerment: Youth, Police, and Neighbors in Partnership

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fusoni, Mary

    2005-01-01

    The Center for Teen Empowerment (TE) is a Boston-based nonprofit organization that trains and supports youth, and adults who work with youth, to develop more inclusive, healthier, and more productive communities, schools, and institutions. Programming is based on an approach to youth organizing known as the Teen Empowerment Model, which is…

  19. Urban community empowerment: context on supply chain collaboration in the SMEs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Masnita, Y.; Triyowati, H.; Rasyawal, M.

    2018-01-01

    The purpose of this research is to analyze the effect of EB application to operational performance through buyer-supplier collaboration, as well as the influence of buyer-supplier collaboration on operational performance. The context of small industries that ultimately by empowering the community will increase business competitiveness. Community empowerment is a process of creating a community and control over its environment. One concept that is considered as a new paradigm today is e-business (EB), which continues to grow. Data analysis method used is Structural Equation Model (SEM) by the use of PLS program. Based on the analysis from various industries such small garment manufacture, furniture and food, showed that all companies have a supply chain patterns are almost the same. Each company has associated premises supplier, manufacturing and enterprise users of the product. One way to empower the environment is to improve business competitiveness. The development of information and communication technology has been developing very fast and it has brought a significant impact for many aspects of life, including in the business world. EB existence of a significant impact on business practices, at least in terms of the improvement of direct marketing, and organizational transformation.

  20. Delegation versus empowerment: what, how, and is there a difference?

    PubMed

    McConnell, C R

    1995-09-01

    Delegation--or empowerment--represents the essence of the supervisory task: getting things done through people. The terms are no different from each other; empowerment is simply delegation done properly. The process still fails for the same old reasons, and failure still causes the same kinds of problems. Delegation or empowerment involves authority; it is authority that is delegated, not responsibility, as commonly claimed. Under either name it is an imperfect process requiring subjective judgments and chronic risk. Although either label is acceptable--the few differences between delegation and empowerment are semantic only--the significant constant that must be present is a sense of task ownership on the part of the empowered employee.

  1. Mutuality, empowerment and the health-wealth model: the Scottish context.

    PubMed

    Howieson, Brian

    2013-06-01

    This paper will offer an alternative paradigm to healthcare delivery by introducing the concept of mutuality and empowerment into the existing health-wealth model. The backdrop is provided by Better Health, Better Care (Scottish Government 2007), Section 1 of which is entitled 'Towards a Mutual NHS'. In detail, the paper will: revisit what is meant by mutuality; advance the meaning of the 'public interest'; explore empowerment and community empowerment and its relationship to health; and introduce a model, which tries to link these concepts and terms together. It is hoped that this analysis will help researchers and practitioners alike further appreciate the important concept of mutuality and empowerment into the existing health-wealth model.

  2. Research on Influencing Factors of Salespeople's Empowerment Readiness in Green Energy Enterprise

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dong, Yuan; Liu, Xiaohui

    As market competition in green energy enterprises continues to intensify, marketing activities are enlarging and customer demand is increasingly growing and diversifying. More and more green energy enterprises have empowered their own salespeople. And managers in green energy enterprises are more concerned with the issues which employees suit to be empowered and which factors will influence employee empowerment readiness. This paper proposes the definition of salespeople's empowerment readiness, analyzes influencing factors of salespeople's empowerment readiness, discusses the effect mechanism of influencing factors of salespeople's empowerment readiness, finally, and puts forward some suggestions to enhance salespeople's empowerment readiness from the perspective of human resource management practice.

  3. Social capital, outpatient care utilization and choice between different levels of health facilities in rural and urban areas of Bhutan.

    PubMed

    Herberholz, Chantal; Phuntsho, Sonam

    2018-06-18

    This study examines the factors that explain outpatient care utilization and the choice between different levels of health facilities in Bhutan, focusing on individual social capital, given Bhutan's geography of remote and sparsely populated areas. The more isolated the living, the more important individual social capital may become. Standard factors proposed by the Andersen model of healthcare utilization serve as control variables. Data for 2526 households from the 2012 Bhutan Living Standards Survey, which contains a social capital module covering structural, cognitive and output dimensions of social capital, are used. The results from the logistic regression analysis show that individual social capital is positively related with the probability of seeking treatment when ill or injured. Informal social contacts and perceived help and support are most important in rural areas, whereas specific trust matters in urban areas. The explanatory power of the model using a subset of the data for urban areas only, however, is very low as most predisposing and enabling factors are insignificant, which is not surprising though in view of better access to health facilities in urban areas and the fact that healthcare is provided free of charge in Bhutan. Multinomial regression results further show that structural and output dimensions of social capital influence the likelihood of seeking care at secondary or tertiary care facilities relative to primary care facilities. Moreover, economic status and place of residence are significantly associated with healthcare utilization and choice of health facility. The findings with respect to social capital suggest that strategizing and organizing social capital may help improve healthcare utilization in Bhutan. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Effects of an empowerment-based education program for public health nurses in Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Chang, Li-Chun; Liu, Chieh-Hsing; Yen, Edwin Han-Wen

    2008-10-01

    The aim of this study was to examine the effects of an empowerment-based education program (EBEP) on employee empowerment, job satisfaction, job productivity and innovative behaviours for public health nurses (PHN) in Taiwan. Empowerment is an important consideration among nurses trying to function in ever-changing health care and education settings. Several studies focused on the trend of public health nursing revealed that PHN have experienced a severe feeling of powerlessness. Developing empowerment strategies through organisations may be a means of helping employees recognise powerlessness in difficult situations and take appropriate action. Quasi-experimental design. PHN in two health bureaus in Taiwan were assigned into an empowerment group (n = 29) and a control group (n = 32). Twenty-four hours of the EBEP lasted four weeks included four empowerment classes and four group workshops following each curriculum for PHN to apply principles of empowerment in their work environment. Data were collected at baseline and four weeks after the intervention. Analysis of covariance (ancova) was used to examine the intervention effect. The experimental group reported significantly higher psychological empowerment [F (1,47) = 5.09, MSE = 3.25, p = 0.001, eta(2) = 0.18] and competence [F (1,47) = 3.96, MSE = 28.78, p = 0.05, eta(2) = 0.22] and impact [F (1,47) = 4.98, MSE = 44.79, p = 0.002, eta(2) = 0.20] subscales, job productivity [F (1,47) = 4.88, MSE = 5.18, p = 0.002, eta(2) = 0.19] and innovative behaviours [F (1,47) = 5.09, MSE = 3.25, p = 0.001, eta(2) = 0.24] than the control group after the EBEP. The EBEP had significant effect on psychological empowerment and subscales of competence and impact, innovative behaviour and job productivity but no effect on organisational empowerment and job satisfaction for PHN. Our findings suggest public health administration could design empowerment-based education to improve employee empowerment and job productivity for PHN

  5. Home health care nurses' perceptions of empowerment.

    PubMed

    Williamson, Kathleen M

    2007-01-01

    This exploratory study involved the triangulation of qualitative (interview and observation) and quantitative methods (Psychological Empowerment Instrument). This study examined the individual home care nurses' perception of empowerment and how it influences decisions in the home clinical setting. Fifteen nurses were self-selected to participate. All completed an interview, and were observed and given Likert Instrument to complete. A framework analysis was performed to identify mutually exclusive and exhaustive emergent themes and patterns within the data. Home care nurses described that enpowerment is in the interaction between nurse and patient, and nurse and health care provider. Empowered is defined as being independent, confident, trusting, and comfortable with providing quality care. Home health care nurses believe that having the ability to practice collaboratively and build professional relationships was essential. Nurses in this study perceived empowerment as having meaning, choice, and competence in their job.

  6. Organizational Commitment of Teachers in Urban Schools: Examining the Effects of Team Structures

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dee, Jay R.; Henkin, Alan B.; Singleton, Carole A.

    2006-01-01

    This study examines the effects of four team-based structures on the organizational commitment of elementary teachers in an urban school district. The study model focuses on organizational commitment and includes three intervening, endogenous variables: teacher empowerment, school communication, and work autonomy. Team teaching had both direct and…

  7. Influence of Psychological Empowerment on Organizational Commitment among Medical Employees in a Hospital Setting.

    PubMed

    Kebriaei, A; Rakhshaninejad, M; Mohseni, M

    2014-12-01

    People within organizations are a key factor for efficiency. Thus employee empowerment has become a popular management strategy. The study aimed to investigate the relationship between psychological empowerment and organizational commitment among medical staff of a hospital in Zahedan city. This cross sectional study was carried out in 2013. A random sample of 172 medical employees in Khatam-ol-Anbia hospital at Zahedan city was selected and responded to items of the questionnaires using a 7-point Likert scale ranging from 1 to 7. For measuring psychological empowerment and organizational commitment, Mishra & Spreitzer's scale and Meyer and Allen's questionnaire were used. A higher score means a higher degree of psychological empowerment or organizational commitment. Analysis was carried out using SPSS. The level of organizational commitment and psychological empowerment significantly were higher than average. There was a significant positive relationship between employees' empowerment and their commitment to organization. Psychological empowerment was a significant predictor of organizational commitment (β = .524). Out of the five dimensions of empowerment three dimensions are significant predictors of commitment and explain 37.1% of the variance in commitment. Due to The positive influence of psychological empowerment on organizational commitment, programs for in-service education should focus on facilitating psychological empowerment to improve and increase organizational commitment. Also, since impact of employees psychological empowerment on organizational commitment partially supported, there are other variables that influence the organizational commitment.

  8. Minorities, Education, Empowerment.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hernandez, Ramona, Ed.; Torres-Saillant, Silvio, Ed.

    1992-01-01

    This special issue explores the relationship between education and empowerment and considers whether it still is valid to assume that school provides the key for people in the lower social strata in America to achieve material well being. Taken together, the essays, poetry, and studies of this issue explore the experience of social marginality in…

  9. [Structural empowerment and work-family fit in nurses].

    PubMed

    Orłowska, Agnieszka; Łaguna, Mariola

    2016-12-22

    The goal of the study was to investigate the relationship between structural empowerment and work-family fit in Polish nurses. Structural empowerment is a strategy for managing by providing the employees with opportunities, information, support and resources essential for the effective performance of work duties. Work-family fit takes 2 forms of relationships between these 2 spheres: conflict (functioning in one role is more difficult because of participation in the other role) and facilitation (fulfilling the duties associated with one role enriches filling up the other role). A total of 159 nurses employed in hospitals took part in the study. The Polish versions of the Conditions of Work Effectiveness Questionnaire and the Work-Family Fit Questionnaire were used. Hierarchical linear regression analysis was applied for data analysis. The results show statistically signifficant relationships between structural empowerment and work-family fit in nurses. In the hospital environment, characterized by a high degree of empowerment, nurses experience a lower level of work-family conflict and a higher level of facilitation in both directions. Hospital management strategy based on structural empowerment of nurses favors reconciliation of professional and family roles. Therefore, it is important for hospitals to create appropriate working conditions that allow nurses to effectively deal with demands arising from work and family spheres. Med Pr 2016;67(6):787-800. This work is available in Open Access model and licensed under a CC BY-NC 3.0 PL license.

  10. The relation between leadership style and empowerment on job satisfaction of nurses.

    PubMed

    Morrison, R S; Jones, L; Fuller, B

    1997-05-01

    The authors explore the relation between leadership style and empowerment and its effect on job satisfaction among the nursing staff of a regional medical center. Several empirical studies on transformational leadership-found that transformational leadership behaviors were positively related to work team success and leadership effectiveness. Transformational leadership processes have also been suggested to enhance followers' work-oriented values and shape the self-efficacies of followers. Employee empowerment may be influenced by the perception that the organization cares about its employees' well-being and that their work is valued. Empowering nurses may increase job satisfaction and improve patient care. Leadership style and empowerment influence job satisfaction among workers. All nursing department staff were invited to complete a self-report questionnaire with no identifying information. Leadership style was measured using Bass's Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire, empowerment was measured with items from Spreitzer's Psychological Empowerment instrument, and job satisfaction was measured by Warr, Cook, and Wall's job satisfaction questionnaire. Both transformational and transactional leadership were positively related to job satisfaction, as was empowerment. Differences in the contributions of empowerment and leadership style in predicting job satisfaction for licensed and unlicensed workers was evident. Designing interventions that allow for the relative influence of leadership style as well as empowerment on varying classifications of nursing personnel may be a more effective strategy and have a greater effect on staff attitudes and behaviors.

  11. The Effect of the Removal of User Fees for Delivery at Public Health Facilities on Institutional Delivery in Urban Kenya.

    PubMed

    Calhoun, Lisa M; Speizer, Ilene S; Guilkey, David; Bukusi, Elizabeth

    2018-03-01

    Objectives In 2013, Kenya removed delivery fees at public health facilities in an effort to promote equity in access to health services and address high maternal mortality. This study determines the effect of the policy to remove user fees on institutional delivery in a population-based sample of women from urban Kenya. Methods Longitudinal data were collected from a representative sample of 8500 women from five cities in Kenya in 2010 with a follow-up interview in 2014 (response rate 58.9%). Respondents were asked about their most recent birth since 2008 at baseline and 2012 at endline, including the delivery location. Multinomial logistic regression is used, controlling for the temporal time trend and background characteristics, to determine if births which occurred after the national policy change were more likely to occur at a public facility than at home or a private facility. Results Multivariate findings show that women were significantly more likely to deliver at a public facility as compared to a private facility after the policy. Among the poor, the results show that poor women were significantly more likely to deliver in a public facility compared to home or a private facility after policy change. Conclusions for Practice These findings show Kenya's progress towards achieving universal access to delivery services and meeting its national development targets. The removal of delivery fees in the public sector is leading to increased use of facilities for delivery among the urban poor; this is an important first step in reducing maternal death.

  12. Relationship between nurse psychological empowerment and job satisfaction: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

    PubMed

    Li, Huanhuan; Shi, Ying; Li, Yuan; Xing, Zhuangjie; Wang, Shouqi; Ying, Jie; Zhang, Meiling; Sun, Jiao

    2018-06-01

    This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to synthesize and analyse studies that explored the relationship between the psychological empowerment and job satisfaction of nurses. Nurse turnover is an important cause of staff shortage. Job satisfaction is a major predictor of nurse turnover and is connected to the psychological empowerment of nurses. This systematic review and meta-analysis is based on the Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines. A total of 1,572 articles on psychological empowerment and job satisfaction were retrieved from PubMed, PsycINFO, EMBASE and Web of Science. The articles were written in English and published before or by April 2017. Studies on the relationship between psychological empowerment and job satisfaction were summarized. The majority of the included studies revealed that psychological empowerment and job satisfaction are significantly correlated. Only two studies showed that the two factors are not significantly correlated. The result of this meta-analysis is consistent with the results of most studies. One study reported that psychological empowerment partially mediates the structural empowerment and job satisfaction of school health nurses. Two studies, however, did not find that the mediating role of psychological empowerment between structural empowerment and job satisfaction. The results of this review provided evidence for the importance of psychological empowerment for the job satisfaction of among nurses. Exploring the correlation between psychological empowerment and job satisfaction can provide guidelines and recommendation for the development of strategies to promote nurse retention and alleviate nursing shortage. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  13. Student Empowerment. The Influence of High Computer Access on Student Empowerment (An Exploratory Study of the Nashville ACOT Site). ACOT Report #1.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fisher, Charles W.

    This study identifies classroom conditions that affect student empowerment and examines the relationship between student empowerment and high computer access (HCA). The study involved observation in two fourth grade classrooms--one week in an ACOT classroom (with high computer access), and one week in a non-ACOT classroom (without high computer…

  14. Women's empowerment in agriculture and child nutritional status in rural Nepal.

    PubMed

    Cunningham, Kenda; Ploubidis, George B; Menon, Purnima; Ruel, Marie; Kadiyala, Suneetha; Uauy, Ricardo; Ferguson, Elaine

    2015-12-01

    To examine the association between women's empowerment in agriculture and nutritional status among children under 2 years of age in rural Nepal. Cross-sectional survey of 4080 households conducted in 2012. Data collected included: child and maternal anthropometric measurements; child age and sex; maternal age, education, occupation and empowerment in agriculture; and household size, number of children, religion, caste and agro-ecological zone. Associations between the Women's Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI)'s Five Domains of Empowerment (5DE) sub-index and its ten component indicators and child length-for-age Z-scores (LAZ) and weight-for-length Z-scores (WLZ) were estimated, using ordinary least-squares regression models, with and without adjustments for key child, maternal and household level covariates. Two hundred and forty rural communities across sixteen districts of Nepal. Children under 24 months of age and their mothers (n 1787). The overall WEAI 5DE was positively associated with LAZ (β=0·20, P=0·04). Three component indicators were also positively associated with LAZ: satisfaction with leisure time (β=0·27, P<0·01), access to and decisions regarding credit (β=0·20, P=0·02) and autonomy in production (β=0·10, P=0·04). No indicator of women's empowerment in agriculture was associated with WLZ. Women's empowerment in agriculture, as measured by the WEAI 5DE and three of its ten component indicators, was significantly associated with LAZ, highlighting the potential role of women's empowerment in improving child nutrition in Nepal. Additional studies are needed to determine whether interventions to improve women's empowerment will improve child nutrition.

  15. Women's empowerment and ideal family size: an examination of DHS empowerment measures in Sub-Saharan Africa.

    PubMed

    Upadhyay, Ushma D; Karasek, Deborah

    2012-06-01

    The Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) program collects data on women's empowerment, but little is known about how these measures perform in Sub-Saharan African countries. It is important to understand whether women's empowerment is associated with their ideal number of children and ability to limit fertility to that ideal number in the Sub-Saharan African context. The analysis used couples data from DHS surveys in four Sub-Saharan African countries: Guinea, Mali, Namibia and Zambia. Women's empowerment was measured by participation in household decision making, attitudes toward wife beating and attitudes toward refusing sex with one's husband. Multivariable linear regression was used to model women's ideal number of children, and multivariable logistic regression was used to model women's odds of having more children than their ideal. In Guinea and Zambia, negative attitudes toward wife beating were associated with having a smaller ideal number of children (beta coefficients, -0.5 and -0.3, respectively). Greater household decision making was associated with a smaller ideal number of children only in Guinea (beta coefficient, -0.3). Additionally, household decision making and positive attitudes toward women's right to refuse sex were associated with elevated odds of having more children than desired in Namibia and Zambia, respectively (odds ratios, 2.3 and 1.4); negative attitudes toward wife beating were associated with reduced odds of the outcome in Mali (0.4). Women's empowerment--as assessed using currently available measures--is not consistently associated with a desire for smaller families or the ability to achieve desired fertility in these Sub-Saharan African countries. Further research is needed to determine what measures are most applicable for these contexts.

  16. Empowerment of patients in online discussions about medicine use.

    PubMed

    van Berkel, Jasper J; Lambooij, Mattijs S; Hegger, Ingrid

    2015-04-08

    Patient empowerment is crucial in the successful self-management of people with chronic diseases. In this study, we investigated whether discussions about medicine use taking place on online message boards contribute to patient empowerment and could subsequently result in the more effective use of medicines. We discuss the extent to which patient empowerment processes occur in discussions on online message boards, focusing on patients with three disorders with different characteristics: diabetes, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and Attention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Because information is an important factor in both patient empowerment and self-management, we also evaluate the quality of the information being exchanged. We used a deductive thematic analysis method based on pre-existing categories. We gathered and analysed 5532 posts related to the conditions ADHD, ALS and diabetes from seven message boards (three for ADHD, three for diabetes, and one for ALS). We coded the posts for empowerment processes and the quality of the information exchanged. We identified patient empowerment processes in posts related to all three disorders. There is some variation in the frequency of these processes, but they show a similar order in the results: patients used the online message boards to exchange information, share personal experiences and for empathy or support. The type of information shared in these processes could contribute to the patient's self-efficacy when it comes to medicine use. The exchanged information was either correct or largely harmless. We also observed a tendency whereby participants correct previously posted incorrect information, and refer people to a healthcare professional following a request for medical advice, e.g. concerning the choice of medicines or dosage. Our findings show that patient empowerment processes occur in posts related to all three disorders. The type of information shared in these processes can contribute to the

  17. A Qualitative Investigation on Patient Empowerment in Prostate Cancer

    PubMed Central

    Renzi, Chiara; Fioretti, Chiara; Oliveri, Serena; Mazzocco, Ketti; Zerini, Dario; Alessandro, Ombretta; Rojas, Damaris P.; Jereczek-Fossa, Barbara A.; Pravettoni, Gabriella

    2017-01-01

    Purpose: Men with prostate cancer often describe low levels of empowerment. eHealth interventions may represent useful tools to deliver care and education and to meet patients' needs within an empowerment framework. In order to design a platform for cancer patients' empowerment within the H2020 iManageCancer project, the perspective of the target population for the platform was assessed. The present study aims to assess the qualitative experience of prostate cancer patients during treatment in order to provide insights for clinical practice with a particular focus on the design of a web platform to promote cancer patients' empowerment. Methods: Ten patients undergoing radiation therapy treatment took part in a semi-structured interview to explore different aspects of patient empowerment. Four main thematic areas were addressed: patient-healthcare providers' communication, decision-making, needs, and resources. A qualitative approach using thematic analysis was followed. Results: Half of the patients reported little to no possibility to share information and questions with healthcare providers. With regards to decision-making, the role of healthcare providers was perceived as directive/informative, but half of the patients perceived to assume an active role in at least one interaction. Difficulties and needs included the choice of the specialist or of the structure after diagnosis, clinicians' support in self-management, surgical consequences, and side effects, preparation for radiation therapy. Resources included family and social support both from a practical and from an emotional perspective, coping style, and work schedule management. Conclusions: These results suggest that relations with healthcare providers should be supported, especially immediately after diagnosis and after surgery. Support to self-management after surgery and at the beginning of radiation therapy treatment also constitutes a priority. The adoption of a personalized approach from the

  18. Concepts and measures of patient empowerment: a comprehensive review.

    PubMed

    Cerezo, Paloma Garcimartín; Juvé-Udina, Maria-Eulália; Delgado-Hito, Pilar

    2016-01-01

    Analyze the definitions and dimensions of empowerment. Identify the strengths and weaknesses of empowerment measures based on the conceptual model. This was a comprehensive literature review of publications on the MEDLINE and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) databases. Twenty-nine articles were selected. Seventeen definitions and seven dimensions of empowerment, and 10 empowerment measures were selected. Empowerment can be seen as an enabling process involving a shift in the balance of power, or as an outcome of this process. The dimensions reflect outcome indicators, such as participation in decision-making and control, and process indicators, such as knowledge acquisition and coping skills. Six of the tools analyzed by this study could be said to provide a robust measure of patient empowerment. we propose a definition of empowerment that helps to deepen understanding of the term and, therefore, its operationalization. Analizar definiciones y dimensiones de empoderamiento. Identificar fortalezas y debilidades de los instrumentos de medida de empoderamiento respecto al modelo conceptual. Revisión integrativa de la literatura en las bases de datos MEDLINE y Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL). Fueram seleccionados 29 artículos . Se identificaron 17 definiciones, 7 propuestas de dimensiones y 10 instrumentos de medida. Empoderamiento puede ser un proceso de capacitación o habilitación en el que se transfiere el poder de un individuo a otro, o bien un resultado producto de ese proceso. Las dimensiones reflejan indicadores de resultados como son la participación en la toma de decisiones y tomar el control, e indicadores relativos al proceso como son la adquisición de conocimientos y las habilidades de afrontamiento. De los instrumentos analizados seis son los instrumentos que presentan mayor robustez. Se propone una definición de empoderamiento que puede ayudar a mejorar la comprensión del t

  19. Guatemalan women achieve ideal family size: Empowerment through education and decision-making.

    PubMed

    Poelker, Katelyn E; Gibbons, Judith L

    2018-02-01

    Women's empowerment in family planning strengthens families and communities. Using 2014/2015 Demographic and Health Surveys data from 7,168 Guatemalan women, ages 35 and above with at least one living child, we examined indicators of empowerment in four domains - economic, educational, social, and contraceptive - and their relation to the number of living children compared to the ideal number of children. We reveal our analysis showing that economic, educational, and social empowerment predicted achieving the preferred number of children. Education and control over their own income are two critical empowerment factors for Guatemalan women.

  20. Empowerment and performance of managers and subordinates in elderly care: A longitudinal and multilevel study.

    PubMed

    Hagerman, Heidi; Högberg, Hans; Skytt, Bernice; Wadensten, Barbro; Engström, Maria

    2017-11-01

    To investigate relationships between first-line managers' ratings of structural and psychological empowerment, and the subordinates' ratings of structural empowerment, as well as their ratings of the managers' leadership-management performance. Work situations in elderly care are complex. To date, few studies have used a longitudinal, correlational and multilevel design to study the working life of subordinates and managers. In five Swedish municipalities, questionnaires were answered twice during 2010-12 by 56 first-line managers and 769 subordinates working in nursing homes or home-help services. First-line managers' empowerment at Time 1 partially predicted subordinate's structural empowerment and ratings of their managers' leadership-management performance at Time 2. Changes over time partially revealed that the more access managers had to structural empowerment, i.e. increase over time, the higher the ratings were for structural empowerment and managerial leadership-management performance among subordinates. Findings strengthen research and theoretical suggestions linking first-line managers' structural empowerment to their subordinates' structural empowerment and ratings of their manager's leadership-management performance. Managers with high access to structural empowerment are more likely to provide subordinates access to structural empowerment. © 2017 The Authors. Journal of Nursing Management Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  1. The impact of psychological empowerment and organisational commitment on Chinese nurses' job satisfaction.

    PubMed

    Ouyang, Yan-Qiong; Zhou, Wen-Bin; Qu, Hui

    2015-01-01

    Research findings have shown that job satisfaction of Chinese nurses is at a low level. Limited studies have focused on the impact of psychological empowerment and organisational commitment on job satisfaction of Chinese nurses. The aim of this study is to describe job satisfaction, psychological empowerment and organisational commitment of Chinese nurses and to explore the impact of psychological empowerment and organisational commitment on the nurses' job satisfaction. A total of 726 nurses were recruited in a convenience sample from 10 tertiary hospitals. Data were collected using four questionnaires including Job Satisfaction Survey, Psychological Empowerment Scale, Organisational Commitment Scale and Demographic Questionnaire. Descriptive analysis, correlation and stepwise multiple regression were used for data analysis. Nurses' job satisfaction, psychological empowerment and organisational commitment were identified at moderate levels. Nurses' job satisfaction and psychological empowerment were significantly different in terms of age and length of service; nurse job satisfaction varied with respect to marital status. Findings further indicated that nurse job satisfaction was positively correlated with psychological empowerment and organisational commitment. Psychological empowerment, organisational commitment and marital status were significant predicting factors of nurse job satisfaction. This study provides evidence to help nursing managers and health policy-makers to develop intervention programs aimed at enhancing nurse job satisfaction and retaining nurses.

  2. The impact of psychological empowerment and organizational commitment on Chines nurses' job satisfaction.

    PubMed

    Zhou, Wen-Bin; Ouyang, Yan-Qiong; Qu, Hui

    2014-11-10

    Abstract Background: Research findings have shown that job satisfaction of Chinese nurses is at a low level. Limited studies have focused on the impact of psychological empowerment and organizational commitment on job satisfaction of Chinese nurses. Aims: The aim of this study is to describe job satisfaction, psychological empowerment and organizational commitment of Chinese nurses and to explore the impact of psychological empowerment and organizational commitment on the nurses' job satisfaction. Methods: A total of 726 nurses were recruited in a convenience sample from 10 tertiary hospitals. Data were collected using four questionnaires including Job Satisfaction Survey, Psychological Empowerment Scale, Organizational Commitment Scale and Demographic Questionnaire. Descriptive analysis, correlation and stepwise multiple regression were used for data analysis. Results: Nurses' job satisfaction, psychological empowerment, and organizational commitment were identified at moderate levels. Nurses' job satisfaction and psychological empowerment were significantly different in terms of age and length of service; nurse job satisfaction varied with respect to marital status. Findings further indicated that nurse job satisfaction was positively correlated with psychological empowerment and organizational commitment. Psychological empowerment, organizational commitment, and marital status were significant predicting factors of nurse job satisfaction. Conclusions: This study provides evidence to help nursing managers and health policy-makers to develop intervention programs aimed at enhancing nurse job satisfaction and retaining nurses.

  3. Empowerment of family caregivers of adults and elderly persons: A concept analysis.

    PubMed

    Sakanashi, Sayori; Fujita, Kimie

    2017-10-01

    This concept analysis defined and described the components of empowerment of family caregivers who care for adults and the elderly. Rodgers evolutionary method of concept analysis was used. Data sources included Pub Med, CINAHL, Scopus, and Igaku Chuo Zasshi. Thirty articles published between 1995 and 2015 focusing on the empowerment of family caregivers providing care to adults and the elderly were selected. The analysis reveals 6 attributes, 5 antecedents, and 5 consequences. In addition, the results reveal structured aspects of family caregivers, care receivers, and other people surrounding them, and their relationships. Empowerment of adults' and elders' family caregivers may be defined as "positive control of one's mind and body, cultivating a positive attitude, proactively attempting to understand one's role as a caregiver to improve caregiving capabilities, focusing on others as well as oneself, supporting the independence of the care receiver, and creating constructive relationships with other people surrounding them." The components of empowerment clarified in this research can be used for the measurement of and interventions aimed at improving empowerment among family caregivers. Furthermore, clarifying the definition of empowerment among family caregivers enables researchers to better distinguish empowerment from similar concepts in the future. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

  4. Empowerment in nurse leader groups in middle management: a quantitative comparative investigation.

    PubMed

    Spencer, Caroline; McLaren, Susan

    2017-01-01

    The aim was to investigate structural empowerment in nurse leaders in middle management positions. Objectives were to determine levels of empowerment of nurse leaders and to compare levels of empowerment between nurse leader groups. Access to formal and informal power, opportunity, resources, information and support are determinants of structural empowerment. Empowerment of nurse leaders in middle management positions is vital given their roles in enabling nursing teams to deliver high-quality care, benefitting both patient and workforce outcomes. Quantitative component of a mixed methods study using survey principles. The Conditions of Work Effectiveness Questionnaire II was distributed to the total population (n = 517) of nurse leaders in an NHS Foundation Trust in England. Nurse leader groups comprised unit leaders (sisters, matrons) and senior staff nurses. Quantitative data entered on spss v 17/18, were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Overall, the unit response rate was 44·1% (n = 228). Levels of total and global empowerment were moderate and moderate to high respectively. Groups did not differ significantly on these parameters or on five elements of total empowerment, but significantly higher scores were found for unit leaders' access to information. Significantly higher scores were found for senior staff nurses on selected aspects of informal power and access to resources, but scores were significantly lower than unit leaders for components of support. A moderately empowered population of nurse leaders differed in relation to access to information, aspects of support, resources and informal power, reflecting differences in roles, spheres of responsibility, hierarchical position and the constraints on empowerment imposed on unit leaders by financial and resource pressures. Empowerment of nurse leaders in middle management is vital in enabling nursing teams to deliver high-quality care. Roles, spheres of responsibility, hierarchical

  5. Presidential Address: Empowerment Evaluation.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fetterman, David

    1994-01-01

    Empowerment evaluation is the use of evaluation concepts and techniques to foster self-determination, focusing on helping people help themselves. This collaborative evaluation approach requires both qualitative and quantitative methodologies. It is a multifaceted approach that can be applied to evaluation in any area. (SLD)

  6. Antecedents and consequences of psychological and team empowerment in organizations: a meta-analytic review.

    PubMed

    Seibert, Scott E; Wang, Gang; Courtright, Stephen H

    2011-09-01

    This paper provides meta-analytic support for an integrated model specifying the antecedents and consequences of psychological and team empowerment. Results indicate that contextual antecedent constructs representing perceived high-performance managerial practices, socio-political support, leadership, and work characteristics are each strongly related to psychological empowerment. Positive self-evaluation traits are related to psychological empowerment and are as strongly related as the contextual factors. Psychological empowerment is in turn positively associated with a broad range of employee outcomes, including job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and task and contextual performance, and is negatively associated with employee strain and turnover intentions. Team empowerment is positively related to team performance. Further, the magnitude of parallel antecedent and outcome relationships at the individual and team levels is statistically indistinguishable, demonstrating the generalizability of empowerment theory across these 2 levels of analysis. A series of analyses also demonstrates the validity of psychological empowerment as a unitary second-order construct. Implications and future directions for empowerment research and theory are discussed. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved

  7. Positive resources for combating job burnout among Chinese telephone operators: Resilience and psychological empowerment.

    PubMed

    Tian, Xiaohong; Liu, Chunqin; Zou, Guiyuan; Li, Guopeng; Kong, Linghua; Li, Ping

    2015-08-30

    Job burnout is a major concern within the service industry. However, there is a lack of research exploring positive resources for combating burnout among telephone operators. The purpose of this study was to examine the associations between resilience, psychological empowerment, and job burnout, and the mediating role of psychological empowerment. A cross-sectional survey of 575 telephone operators was conducted in 2 call centers in Shandong Province, China. Self-report questionnaires were used to assess job burnout symptoms, resilience, and psychological empowerment. Hierarchical linear regression was performed to analyze the degree to which resilience and psychological empowerment are associated with job burnout, and the mediating role of psychological empowerment. The results showed that resilience and psychological empowerment had significant "net effects" on job burnout, which may represent positive resources for combating job burnout. Psychological empowerment may partially mediate the relationship between resilience and job burnout. Thus, interventions focused on resilience and psychological empowerment may be useful options for managers concerned about burnout. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Effects of organizational change on work-related empowerment, employee satisfaction, and motivation.

    PubMed

    Kuokkanen, Liisa; Suominen, Tarja; Härkönen, Eeva; Kukkurainen, Marja-Leena; Doran, Diane

    2009-01-01

    This article reports the results of a longitudinal quantitative study on nurses' views on factors promoting and impeding empowerment and examines the relationship between work-related empowerment and background variables in one hospital. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire and analyzed statistically. Nurses gave lowest assessments of promoting factors on the second measurement occasion, a time when the organization was going through major changes. Both job satisfaction and motivation showed a positive relationship with factors promoting empowerment. Organizational changes have a direct effect on the work environment in terms of empowerment and job satisfaction. To cope successfully with changes, special attention must be paid to personnel management. It seems that factors promoting and impeding empowerment can be used to measure effects of organizational changes as well.

  9. Women's Empowerment and Education: Linking Knowledge to Transformative Action

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stromquist, Nelly P.

    2015-01-01

    Women's empowerment is a concept that has acquired substantial recognition in the past decade. However, it is better known among international development organisations, NGOs, and grassroots groups than in academic circles. This article examines the concept of women's empowerment as a foundational element in a theory of social change in which the…

  10. Recovery orientation of treatment, consumer empowerment, and satisfaction with services: a mediational model.

    PubMed

    Barrett, Blake; Young, M Scott; Teague, Gregory B; Winarski, James T; Moore, Kathleen A; Ochshorn, Ezra

    2010-01-01

    This study explores the relationship between the recovery orientation of treatment and subjective experiences of consumer empowerment and satisfaction with services for individuals with severe and persistent mental illness. Instruments measuring perceptions of empowerment, recovery orientation of treatment, and satisfaction with services were administered to 45 participants enrolled in two demographically similar mental health treatment programs in Tampa, Florida - a community mental health center and an Assertive Community Treatment team. Analyses were conducted according to traditional mediation models. Empowerment was expected to mediate the relationship between the recovery orientation of treatment and consumer satisfaction with services. A recovery-based treatment orientation significantly predicted both consumer empowerment and satisfaction with services. Empowerment mediated the relationship between treatment orientation and consumer satisfaction. These preliminary findings highlight the impact of the recovery orientation of treatment on empowerment and satisfaction with services among individuals with severe and persistent mental illness.

  11. Empowerment of Women through Education in Twenty First Century

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Moradi Sheykhjan, Tohid; Rajeswari, K.; Jabari, Kamran

    2014-01-01

    This article explores theoretical and practical issues related to the impact of women's education in their empowerment. The development of women's education is discussed in this study. As women's education has become one of the key development objectives in the recent decades, the concept of empowerment has been tied to the range of activities…

  12. Total Quality Management (TQM): Training Module on "Empowerment/Teamwork."

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Leigh, David

    This module for a 1-semester Total Quality Management (TQM) course for high school or community college students covers the topics of empowerment and teamwork. It includes the following components: (1) a narrative summary of the topics; (2) a discussion of employee empowerment; (3) a discussion of teamwork and self-directed teams; (4) a discussion…

  13. From Learning to Empowerment: A Study of Smallholder Farmers in South West Uganda

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Carr, Alexis M.; Tenywa, Moses; Balasubramanian, K.

    2015-01-01

    The relationship between education and empowerment has been widely debated in development literature. In recent times, social capital and community-centric learning have been increasingly recognized as important variables in the empowerment process. This paper outlines the development of a "Three-dimensional Empowerment Framework", and…

  14. [Empowerment, stress vulnerability and burnout among Portuguese nursing staff].

    PubMed

    Orgambídez-Ramos, Alejandro; Borrego-Alés, Yolanda; Ruiz-Frutos, Carlos

    2018-01-01

    The work environment in Portuguese hospitals, characterized by economic cutbacks, can lead to higher levels of burnout experienced by nursing staff. Furthermore, vulnerability to stress can negatively affect the perception of burnout in the workplace. However, structural empowerment is an organizational process that can prevent and decrease burnout among nurses. Consequently, the aim of the study was to examine to what extent structural empowerment and vulnerability to stress can play a predictive role in core burnout in a sample of Portuguese nurses. A convenience sample of 297 nursing staff members from Portuguese hospitals was used in this study. Core burnout was negatively and significantly related to all the dimensions of structural empowerment, and it was positively and significantly related to vulnerability to stress. Regression models showed that core burnout was significantly predicted by access to funds, access to opportunities and vulnerability to stress. Organizational administrations must make every effort in designing interventions focused on structural empowerment, as well as interventions focused on individual interventions that enhance skills for coping with stress.

  15. Women's Empowerment: The Role of Credit and Small Enterprise Development.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mason, Gwen

    1995-01-01

    The Grassroots Gender Empowerment Movement in Sierra Leone is a gender-focused program of small enterprise development and revolving loans that has brought a degree of economic independence, community development, gender awareness, improved living conditions, and empowerment to the women involved. (JOW)

  16. Structural empowerment, job stress and burnout of nurses in China.

    PubMed

    Guo, Jiajia; Chen, Juan; Fu, Jie; Ge, Xinling; Chen, Min; Liu, Yanhui

    2016-08-01

    To investigate the status of structural empowerment, job stress and burnout in China, and to explore the relationships among them. The questionnaires of CWEQ-II, job stressors and MBI were used to investigate 1002 nurses working at tertiary-level hospitals. The average score of CWEQ-II was 2.23±0.59. The score of EE of MBI was 29.75±13.94, PA was 27.40±11.21, both of them showed a high level of exhaustion, DP was 8.07±5.82 and showed a middle level of exhaustion. The findings showed that workload and time pressure were the most frequently encountered job stress among staff nurses, the score was 3.23±0.95; There was a significantly correlation among structural empowerment, job stressors and the level of burnout(p<0.05). Hierarchical regression analysis showed that structural empowerment had significant influence on the every factors of job stressors (p<0.05) and burnout, job stressors had significant influence on the every factors of burnout (p<0.05). Structural equation modeling analyses revealed a good fit to the data based on various fit indices (χ(2)/df=2.29, GFI=0.945, CFI=0.965, IFI=0.966, RMSEA=0.061). Staff nurses felt that structural empowerment in their workplace resulted in lower levels of job stress which in turn strongly influenced Burnout. These results provide initial support for an expanded model of structural empowerment, and offer a broader understanding of the empowerment process. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Teachers' Personal and Team Empowerment and their Relations to Organizational Outcomes: Contradictory or Compatible Constructs?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Somech, Anit

    2005-01-01

    To date most models of empowerment have focused on teachers' personal empowerment, which is defined as intrinsic task motivation reflecting an employee's orientation to his or her work role. Interestingly, little scholarly attention has been turned to the interaction of empowerment and work-team membership, that is, to empowerment acquired from…

  18. Teacher-Principal Relationships: Exploring Linkages between Empowerment and Interpersonal Trust

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Moye, Melinda J.; Henkin, Alan B.; Egley, Robert J.

    2005-01-01

    Purpose: To investigate relationships between teacher empowerment and interpersonal level trust in the principal. Design/methodology/approach: Trust is a fundamental element in well-functioning organizations. Studies of empowerment, a motivational construct, have suggested that empowering employees is a key factor in managerial and organizational…

  19. Integrating patient empowerment as an essential characteristic of the discipline of general practice/family medicine.

    PubMed

    Mola, Ernesto; De Bonis, Judith A; Giancane, Raffaele

    2008-01-01

    Efforts to improve the quality of healthcare for patients with chronic conditions have resulted in growing evidence supporting the inclusion of patient empowerment as a key ingredient of care. In 2002, WONCA Europe issued the European Definition of General Practice/Family Medicine, which is currently considered the point of reference for European health institutions and general medical practice. Patient empowerment does not appear among the 11 characteristics of the discipline. The aim of this study is to show that many characteristics of general practice are already oriented towards patient empowerment. Therefore, promoting patient empowerment and self-management should be included as a characteristic of the discipline. The following investigation was conducted: analysing the concept and approach to empowerment as applied to healthcare in the literature; examining whether aspects of empowerment are already part of general medical practice; and identifying reasons why the European definition of general practice/family medicine should contain empowerment as a characteristic of the discipline. General practice/family medicine is the most suitable setting for promoting patient empowerment, because many of its characteristics are already oriented towards encouraging it and because its widespread presence can ensure the generalization of empowerment promotion and self-management education to the totality of patients and communities. "Promoting patient empowerment and self-management" should be considered one of the essential characteristics of general practice/family medicine and should be included in its definition.

  20. WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT, HOUSEHOLD STATUS AND CONTRACEPTION USE IN GHANA.

    PubMed

    Blackstone, Sarah R

    2017-07-01

    Gender inequality is often cited as a barrier to improving women's sexual and reproductive health outcomes, including contraceptive use, in low- and middle-income countries such as those in sub-Saharan Africa. To date there is limited, recent, evidence available regarding women's empowerment, household status and contraceptive use in Ghana. The objective of this study was to investigate whether women's empowerment and status in the household were associated with contraceptive use and unmet need for contraception using the 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey. The study sample consisted of 1828 women aged 15-49. Women's empowerment was measured based on two composite indexes created by the DHS: attitudes towards intimate partner violence and decision-making. Women's status in the home was measured using indicators of work status, relationship to household head, control over monetary earnings and land ownership. Decision-making was found to be positively associated with contraceptive use and not having unmet need for contraception. Women who justified wife beating in one or more instances were less likely to use contraception, and more likely to have unmet need for contraception. Current or past employment and higher levels of male partner education were associated with contraceptive use. This study indicates that women's empowerment and household status are influential for contraceptive indicators. Future interventions aimed at improving contraceptive uptake and use should promote women's empowerment, i.e. decision-making, self-worth and education.

  1. Education for women's empowerment or schooling for women's subordination?

    PubMed

    Longwe, S H

    1998-07-01

    This article distinguishes between "schooling for subordination," the notion that promotes conventional schooling for women within existing school systems as a possible basis for them to improve their position in society and "education for empowerment," a more radical perspective that links women's advancement with the transformation of the patriarchal social order. The article opens by defining gender training as provision of skills and methods for improved gender-orientation of development programs. The conservative interpretation of gender training holds that it seeks to increase women's access to resources. The radical definition holds that inequality in access to resources is a mere symptom of a deeper problem caused by structural gender inequality and calls for conscientization of this problem. The two definitions of women's empowerment that follow this distinction are 1) a watered-down view of empowerment as self-reliance reflecting the conservative definition and 2) a more robust and pure view of empowerment as enabling women to identify and end the discriminatory practices that block their access to resources. It follows that education may be mere schooling for subordination in systems where patriarchal gatekeepers limit chances for women and where women who do succeed become "honorary males" and "queen bees" intent on repelling the advancement of other women. Education for empowerment can be found in gender training, which holds objectives that are opposite to those found in formal schooling and may be more readily adopted by women with less exposure to formal, patriarchal schools.

  2. Evolution of Structural Empowerment: Moving From Shared to Professional Governance.

    PubMed

    Clavelle, Joanne T; Porter O'Grady, Tim; Weston, Marla J; Verran, Joyce A

    2016-06-01

    The aim of this study is to describe the maturation of the concept of shared governance to professional governance as a framework for structural empowerment. An analysis of the literature and concept clarification of structural empowerment and shared governance demonstrate that the concept and attributes of shared governance have evolved toward professional governance. A comprehensive, deductive literature review and concept clarification of structural empowerment, shared governance, and related constructs was completed. The concept and practice of shared governance has matured to a concept of professional governance with the attributes of accountability, professional obligation, collateral relationships, and effective decision-making.

  3. Consumer and case manager perspectives of service empowerment: relationship to mental health recovery.

    PubMed

    Crane-Ross, Dushka; Lutz, Wilma J; Roth, Dee

    2006-04-01

    This study examines the relationship between service empowerment and recovery. Service empowerment is defined as the extent to which consumers participate in service decisions and the level of reciprocity and respect within the relationship with their case managers. Assessments were made from two perspectives: consumers and their case managers. Structural equation models were developed to examine the direct and indirect effects of service empowerment on four recovery outcomes: Quality of Life, Level of Functioning, Consumer-Reported Symptomatology, and Case Manager-Reported Symptomatology. Consumers' perceptions of service empowerment were the most powerful predictor of recovery outcomes across the four models. Consumers' and case managers' perceptions were related but the magnitude of the relationship was small, indicating that considerable differences exist between their perceptions of service empowerment.

  4. Nurse aide decision making in nursing homes: factors affecting empowerment.

    PubMed

    Chaudhuri, Tanni; Yeatts, Dale E; Cready, Cynthia M

    2013-09-01

    To evaluate factors affecting structural empowerment among nurse aides in nursing homes. Structural empowerment can be defined as the actual rather than perceived ability to make autonomous decisions within an organisation. Given the paucity of research on the subject, this study helps to close the gap by identifying factors that affect nurse aide empowerment, that is, decision-making among nurse aides. The data for the study come from self-administered questionnaires distributed to direct-care workers (nurse aides) in 11 nursing homes in a southern state in the USA. Ordinary least square regression models were estimated to analyse the effects of demographic predictors, personal factors (competency, emotional exhaustion and positive attitude) and structural characteristics (coworker and supervisor support, information availability and shared governance) on nurse aide decision-making. Findings suggest race among demographic predictors, emotional exhaustion among personal characteristics, and supervisor support, and shared governance among structural factors, significantly affect nurse aide decision-making. It is important to explore race as one of the central determinants of structural empowerment among nurse aides. In addition, the nature and type of emotional exhaustion that propels decision-making needs to be further examined. The study shows the importance of shared governance and supervisor support for fostering nurse aide empowerment. © 2013 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  5. Women's Education and Empowerment. Report of the International Seminar (Hamburg, Germany, January 27-February 2, 1993).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, Hamburg (Germany). Inst. for Education.

    These proceedings contain the following papers: "The International Seminar on Women's Empowerment" (Anonuevo, Bochynek); "The Theoretical and Practical Bases for Empowerment" (Stromquist); "Some Reflections on the Empowerment of Women" (Lazo); "Women's Literacy and Empowerment: The Nellore Experience"…

  6. A Three-Dimensional Model of Women’s Empowerment: Implications in the Field of Microfinance and Future Directions

    PubMed Central

    Huis, Marloes A.; Hansen, Nina; Otten, Sabine; Lensink, Robert

    2017-01-01

    Women’s empowerment is an important goal in achieving sustainable development worldwide. Offering access to microfinance services to women is one way to increase women’s empowerment. However, empirical evidence provides mixed results with respect to its effectiveness. We reviewed previous research on the impact of microfinance services on different aspects of women’s empowerment. We propose a Three-Dimensional Model of Women’s Empowerment to integrate previous findings and to gain a deeper understanding of women’s empowerment in the field of microfinance services. This model proposes that women’s empowerment can take place on three distinct dimensions: (1) the micro-level, referring to an individuals’ personal beliefs as well as actions, where personal empowerment can be observed (2) the meso-level, referring to beliefs as well as actions in relation to relevant others, where relational empowerment can be observed and (3) the macro-level, referring to outcomes in the broader, societal context where societal empowerment can be observed. Importantly, we propose that time and culture are important factors that influence women’s empowerment. We suggest that the time lag between an intervention and its evaluation may influence when empowerment effects on the different dimensions occur and that the type of intervention influences the sequence in which the three dimensions can be observed. We suggest that cultures may differ with respect to which components of empowerment are considered indicators of empowerment and how women’s position in society may influence the development of women’s empowerment. We propose that a Three-Dimensional Model of Women’s Empowerment should guide future programs in designing, implementing, and evaluating their interventions. As such our analysis offers two main practical implications. First, based on the model we suggest that future research should differentiate between the three dimensions of women’s empowerment to

  7. Single Session Email Consultation for Parents: An Evaluation of Its Effect on Empowerment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nieuwboer, Christa C.; Fukkink, Ruben G.; Hermanns, Jo M. A.

    2015-01-01

    This study evaluated the effect of single session email consultation (SSEC) on empowerment of parents. Practitioners in a control group (n = 19) received no training and practitioners in an experimental group (n = 21) were trained to use empowerment-oriented techniques in online consultation. Parental empowerment was measured (n = 96) through a…

  8. Empowerment in the field of health promotion: recognizing challenges in working toward equity.

    PubMed

    Berry, Nicole S; Murphy, Jill; Coser, Larissa

    2014-12-01

    Over the last 25 years, the language of empowerment has been woven into the guiding missions and descriptions of institutions, funding and projects globally. Although theoretical understandings of empowerment within the domain of health promotion remain contentious, we have little idea of how a shift toward an empowerment agenda has affected the daily work of those in the field of health promotion. A systematic examination of the implementation of the empowerment agenda is important as it can help us understand how redistributive agendas are received within the multiple institutional contexts in which health promotion work is carried out. The goal of this study, therefore, was to try to understand the empowerment agenda within the context of everyday health promotion. We conducted semi-structured interviews with health promoters from a variety of geographical regions, institutional backgrounds, and job capacities. Essentially we found that empowerment remains conceptually dear to health promoters' understanding of their work, yet at the same time, mainstreaming empowerment is at odds with central trends and initiatives that govern this work. We argue that many of the stumbling blocks that have hindered this specific agenda are actually central stumbling blocks for the wider field of health promotion. We examine some of the barriers to implementing transformational change. Overcoming the primary limitations uncovered in this exploration of empowerment is actually crucial to progressive work in health promotion in general, particularly work that would seek to lessen inequities. © The Author(s) 2014.

  9. Psychological Empowerment and Child Welfare Worker Outcomes: A Path Analysis

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lee, Joohee; Weaver, Cynthia; Hrostowski, Susan

    2011-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate how work environment and psychological empowerment related to worker outcomes in public child welfare. These relationships were examined by testing a conceptual model in which psychological empowerment mediated the relationships between work environment variables (quality of supervision and role…

  10. From Broken Windows to Busy Streets: A Community Empowerment Perspective

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Aiyer, Sophie M.; Zimmerman, Marc A.; Morrel-Samuels, Susan; Reischl, Thomas M.

    2015-01-01

    In the present article, we introduce a community empowerment perspective to understanding neighborhoods. A preponderance of literature exists on neighborhood risk factors for crime. Yet less is known about positive factors that make neighborhoods safe and desirable. We propose community empowerment as a conceptual foundation for understanding…

  11. Youth empowerment in context: exploring tensions in school-based yPAR.

    PubMed

    Kohfeldt, Danielle; Chhun, Lina; Grace, Sarah; Langhout, Regina Day

    2011-03-01

    In much of the youth empowerment literature, researchers focus on the relationship between youth and adults involved in empowerment programs while neglecting the broader social framework in which these relationships and the program itself functions. Utilizing an ecological model, the current research examines the tensions that surfaced in attempts to create an empowering setting in an after-school PAR program with fifth-graders. Challenging assumptions about youth, structural challenges, and conflicting theories of change are highlighted. Results examine the role of sociocultural context as PAR researchers attempt to create a setting in which students gain skills to become change agents within their school. The study suggests that youth empowerment is a context dependent process that requires attention to a multiplicity of factors that influence possibilities for empowerment via second order change.

  12. [Empowerment of women in difficult life situations: the BIG project].

    PubMed

    Rütten, A; Röger, U; Abu-Omar, K; Frahsa, A

    2008-12-01

    BIG is a project for the promotion of physical activity among women in difficult life situations. Following the main health promotion principles of the WHO, the women shall be enabled or empowered to take control of determinants of their health. A comprehensive participatory approach was applied and women were included in planning, implementing and evaluating the project. For measuring the effects of BIG on the empowerment of participating women, qualitative semi-structured interviews with 15 women participating in BIG were conducted. For data analysis, qualitative content analysis was used. Results showed the empowerment of the women on the individual level as they gained different competencies and perceived self-efficacy. These effects were supported through the empowerment process on the organizational and community levels where women gained control over their life situations and over policies influencing them. Therefore, the participatory approach of BIG is a key success factor for empowerment promotion of women in difficult life situations.

  13. Stress resiliency, psychological empowerment and conflict management styles among baccalaureate nursing students.

    PubMed

    Pines, Eula W; Rauschhuber, Maureen L; Norgan, Gary H; Cook, Jennifer D; Canchola, Leticia; Richardson, Cynthia; Jones, Mary Elaine

    2012-07-01

    This article is a report of a Neuman Systems Model-guided correlational study of the relations of stress resiliency, psychological empowerment, selected demographic characteristics (age, ethnicity, semester in school) and conflict management styles. Emerging evidence suggests that stress resiliency and psychological empowerment can strengthen student nurses in academic achievement and coping with stress. Little is known about conflict management styles of students and the relationship to empowerment, resiliency and the implications for managing workplace conflict. A correlational study was conducted in Spring 2010 with 166 baccalaureate students. Most participants were female, single, Hispanic and 25 years old. The data collection instruments included the Stress Resiliency Profile, the Psychological Empowerment Instrument, the Conflict Mode Instrument and a demographic inventory. Descriptive and inferential correlational statistics were used to analyse the data. Students scored in the high range for focusing on their deficiencies in conflict situations; they scored above the 60th percentile for avoiding and accommodating behaviours and were less likely to use competing or collaborating strategies to manage conflict. Empowerment scores were significantly correlated with stress resiliency scores. Students with high scores on empowerment had high scores on the skill recognition subscale of the Stress Resiliency Profile suggesting more resilience; high scores on empowerment were related to high necessitating subscale scores of the Stress Resiliency Profile suggesting a predisposition to stress. Neuman Systems Model may provide guidance for educators to strengthen student nurses' management of stressors in the workplace. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  14. Staff Nurses' Perceptions and Experiences about Structural Empowerment: A Qualitative Phenomenological Study.

    PubMed

    Van Bogaert, Peter; Peremans, Lieve; Diltour, Nadine; Van heusden, Danny; Dilles, Tinne; Van Rompaey, Bart; Havens, Donna Sullivan

    2016-01-01

    The aim of the study reported in this article was to investigate staff nurses' perceptions and experiences about structural empowerment and perceptions regarding the extent to which structural empowerment supports safe quality patient care. To address the complex needs of patients, staff nurse involvement in clinical and organizational decision-making processes within interdisciplinary care settings is crucial. A qualitative study was conducted using individual semi-structured interviews of 11 staff nurses assigned to medical or surgical units in a 600-bed university hospital in Belgium. During the study period, the hospital was going through an organizational transformation process to move from a classic hierarchical and departmental organizational structure to one that was flat and interdisciplinary. Staff nurses reported experiencing structural empowerment and they were willing to be involved in decision-making processes primarily about patient care within the context of their practice unit. However, participants were not always fully aware of the challenges and the effect of empowerment on their daily practice, the quality of care and patient safety. Ongoing hospital change initiatives supported staff nurses' involvement in decision-making processes for certain matters but for some decisions, a classic hierarchical and departmental process still remained. Nurses perceived relatively high work demands and at times viewed empowerment as presenting additional. Staff nurses recognized the opportunities structural empowerment provided within their daily practice. Nurse managers and unit climate were seen as crucial for success while lack of time and perceived work demands were viewed as barriers to empowerment.

  15. Patient empowerment: The need to consider it as a measurable patient-reported outcome for chronic conditions

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background Health policy in the UK and elsewhere is prioritising patient empowerment and patient evaluations of healthcare. Patient reported outcome measures now take centre-stage in implementing strategies to increase patient empowerment. This article argues for consideration of patient empowerment itself as a directly measurable patient reported outcome for chronic conditions, highlights some issues in adopting this approach, and outlines a research agenda to enable healthcare evaluation on the basis of patient empowerment. Discussion Patient empowerment is not a well-defined construct. A range of condition-specific and generic patient empowerment questionnaires have been developed; each captures a different construct e.g. personal control, self-efficacy/self-mastery, and each is informed by a different implicit or explicit theoretical framework. This makes it currently problematic to conduct comparative evaluations of healthcare services on the basis of patient empowerment. A case study (clinical genetics) is used to (1) illustrate that patient empowerment can be a valued healthcare outcome, even if patients do not obtain health status benefits, (2) provide a rationale for conducting work necessary to tighten up the patient empowerment construct (3) provide an exemplar to inform design of interventions to increase patient empowerment in chronic disease. Such initiatives could be evaluated on the basis of measurable changes in patient empowerment, if the construct were properly operationalised as a patient reported outcome measure. To facilitate this, research is needed to develop an appropriate and widely applicable generic theoretical framework of patient empowerment to inform (re)development of a generic measure. This research should include developing consensus between patients, clinicians and policymakers about the content and boundaries of the construct before operationalisation. This article also considers a number of issues for society and for healthcare

  16. Children's Empowerment in Play

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Canning, Natalie

    2007-01-01

    This article examines the level of empowerment and autonomy children can create in their play experiences. It examines the play discourses that children build and maintain and considers the importance of play contexts in supporting children's emotional and social development. These aspects of play are often unseen or misunderstood by the adult…

  17. Primary care access improvement: an empowerment-interaction model.

    PubMed

    Ledlow, G R; Bradshaw, D M; Shockley, C

    2000-05-01

    Improving community primary care access is a difficult and dynamic undertaking. Realizing a need to improve appointment availability, a systematic approach based on measurement, empowerment, and interaction was developed. The model fostered exchange of information and problem solving between interdependent staff sections within a managed care system. Measuring appointments demanded but not available proved to be a credible customer-focused approach to benchmark against set goals. Changing the organizational culture to become more sensitive to changing beneficiary needs was a paramount consideration. Dependent-group t tests were performed to compare the pretreatment and posttreatment effect. The empowerment-interaction model significantly improved the availability of routine and wellness-type appointments. The availability of urgent appointments improved but not significantly; a better prospective model needs to be developed. In aggregate, appointments demanded but not available (empowerment-interaction model) were more than 10% before the treatment and less than 3% with the treatment.

  18. Reconciling Paternalism and Empowerment in Clinical Practice: An Intersubjective Perspective

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bransford, Cassandra L.

    2011-01-01

    The focus of this article is on illustrating how the differences between the paternalistic and empowerment approaches embedded within social work have unnecessarily evolved into competing approaches to practice. Tracing the historical evolution of both paternalistic and empowerment approaches, the article posits that social work is more amenable…

  19. Culture and Consciousness in the Chicano Community: An Empowerment Perspective.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gutierrez, Lorraine

    Theories of empowerment propose how individuals can increase their personal, interpersonal, and political power in order to take action to improve their lives. Empowerment requires development of a new self-concept composed of three mutually reinforcing cognitive components: (1) group identification; (2) stratum consciousness; and (3) self- and…

  20. Toward a Model of Psychological Health Empowerment: Implications for Health Care in Multicultural Communities.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Menon, Sanjay T.

    2002-01-01

    The context for health empowerment includes individuals, health providers, and the regulatory environment. Psychological health empowerment consists of perceived control, perceived competence, and goal internalization. In multicultural communities, barriers to empowerment include locus of control, access to health care, and language and cultural…

  1. Join the Art Club: Exploring Social Empowerment in Art Therapy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Morris, Frances Johanna; Willis-Rauch, Mallori

    2014-01-01

    Social Empowerment Art Therapy (SEAT) aims to address the stigma of mental illness through the artistic empowerment of participants. The model was developed within an inpatient psychiatric setting from observations of a shared governance structure that empowered residents. Incorporating an open art studio approach and social action art therapy,…

  2. Empowering Organizations: Approaches to Tobacco Control through Youth Empowerment Programs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    LeRoy, Lisa; Benet, Dana Jones; Mason, Theresa; Austin, W. David; Mills, Sherry

    2004-01-01

    Whereas most evaluations of youth empowerment focus on individual outcomes (i.e., were individual youths empowered?), this article focuses on the program as the unit of analysis and seeks to explain how organizational structures, program design features, and processes lead to organizational empowerment (OE). OE is defined as organizational efforts…

  3. A systematic review on empowerment for healthy nutrition in health promotion.

    PubMed

    Brandstetter, Susanne; Rüter, Jana; Curbach, Janina; Loss, Julika

    2015-12-01

    The present review aimed to identify and synthesize studies that used an empowerment approach within the field of healthy nutrition. A systematic review was conducted. Studies were identified by database searching (PubMed, PsycINFO, Web of Science and Psyndex). Searching, selecting and reporting were done according to the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses) Statement. Health promotion including the subject of healthy nutrition. Individuals from non-clinical populations. A total of 1226 studies were screened for eligibility, eight studies were finally included. Three studies used the empowerment approach within a qualitative research paradigm and five studies within (quasi-) experimental intervention studies. Heterogeneity in settings, samples and evaluation methods was high. Most studies referred to the key message of empowerment, i.e. taking control over one's own life. However, the ways in which this key message was implemented in the interventions differed considerably. The number of studies included was very low. Furthermore, most studies had some limitations in terms of reporting how the empowerment approach was actually applied. The empowerment approach still seems to be unfamiliar within the field of healthy nutrition.

  4. WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT AND FAMILY PLANNING: A REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

    PubMed Central

    PRATA, NDOLA; FRASER, ASHLEY; HUCHKO, MEGAN J.; GIPSON, JESSICA D.; WITHERS, MELLISSA; LEWIS, SHAYNA; CIARALDI, ERICA J.; UPADHYAY, USHMA D.

    2017-01-01

    Summary This paper reviews the literature examining the relationship between women’s empowerment and contraceptive use, unmet need for contraception and related family planning topics in developing countries. Searches were conducted using PubMed, Popline and Web of Science search engines in May 2013 to examine literature published between January 1990 and December 2012. Among the 46 articles included in the review, the majority were conducted in South Asia (n = 24). Household decision-making (n = 21) and mobility (n = 17) were the most commonly examined domains of women’s empowerment. Findings show that the relationship between empowerment and family planning is complex, with mixed positive and null associations. Consistently positive associations between empowerment and family planning outcomes were found for most family planning outcomes but those investigations represented fewer than two-fifths of the analyses. Current use of contraception was the most commonly studied family planning outcome, examined in more than half the analyses, but reviewed articles showed inconsistent findings. This review provides the first critical synthesis of the literature and assesses existing evidence between women’s empowerment and family planning use. PMID:28069078

  5. Ethnographic Exploration of Empowerment to Improve Elderly Residents' Quality of Life.

    PubMed

    Tabatabaei, Seyed Zia; Ebrahimi, Fatemeh; Hamzah, Azimi Bin Hj; Rezaeian, Mohsen; Kamrani, Mahnaz Akbari

    2017-01-01

    Evidence underscores that empowerment is central to improve the elderly residents' quality of life. In truth, empowerment is a process through which individuals gain better control over their life. The aim of this study was to explore how perceived empowerment influence on the quality of life among elderly Malay residents. A focus ethnographic approach was employed in a Malaysian residential home between May 2011 and January 2012. Data were gathered from participant observations, field notes, in-depth interviews, and exploring related documents. The analysis of the data gathered in the current study resulted in the development of three themes - social life and its requirements, caregivers' skills empowerment, and listening and supporting. Findings of the study provide new insights that are useful in charting new guideline for care providers and policy makers to improve the elderly residents' quality of life.

  6. Impact of structural and psychological empowerment on job strain in nursing work settings: expanding Kanter's model.

    PubMed

    Laschinger, H K; Finegan, J; Shamian, J; Wilk, P

    2001-05-01

    In this study, we tested an expanded model of Kanter's structural empowerment, which specified the relationships among structural and psychological empowerment, job strain, and work satisfaction. Strategies proposed in Kanter's empowerment theory have the potential to reduce job strain and improve employee work satisfaction and performance in current restructured healthcare settings. The addition to the model of psychological empowerment as an outcome of structural empowerment provides an understanding of the intervening mechanisms between structural work conditions and important organizational outcomes. A predictive, nonexperimental design was used to test the model in a random sample of 404 Canadian staff nurses. The Conditions of Work Effectiveness Questionnaire, the Psychological Empowerment Questionnaire, the Job Content Questionnaire, and the Global Satisfaction Scale were used to measure the major study variables. Structural equation modelling analyses revealed a good fit of the hypothesized model to the data based on various fit indices (chi 2 = 1140, df = 545, chi 2/df ratio = 2.09, CFI = 0.986, RMSEA = 0.050). The amount of variance accounted for in the model was 58%. Staff nurses felt that structural empowerment in their workplace resulted in higher levels of psychological empowerment. These heightened feelings of psychological empowerment in turn strongly influenced job strain and work satisfaction. However, job strain did not have a direct effect on work satisfaction. These results provide initial support for an expanded model of organizational empowerment and offer a broader understanding of the empowerment process.

  7. The Communication, Awareness, Relationships and Empowerment (C.A.R.E.) Model: An Effective Tool for Engaging Urban Communities in Community-Based Participatory Research

    PubMed Central

    Ceasar, Joniqua; Peters-Lawrence, Marlene H.; Mitchell, Valerie; Powell-Wiley, Tiffany M.

    2017-01-01

    Little is known about recruitment methods for racial/ethnic minority populations from resource-limited areas for community-based health and needs assessments, particularly assessments that incorporate mobile health (mHealth) technology for characterizing physical activity and dietary intake. We examined whether the Communication, Awareness, Relationships and Empowerment (C.A.R.E.) model could reduce challenges recruiting and retaining participants from faith-based organizations in predominantly African American Washington, D.C. communities for a community-based assessment. Employing C.A.R.E. model elements, our diverse research team developed partnerships with churches, health organizations, academic institutions and governmental agencies. Through these partnerships, we cultivated a visible presence at community events, provided cardiovascular health education and remained accessible throughout the research process. Additionally, these relationships led to the creation of a community advisory board (CAB), which influenced the study’s design, implementation, and dissemination. Over thirteen months, 159 individuals were recruited for the study, 99 completed the initial assessment, and 81 used mHealth technology to self-monitor physical activity over 30 days. The culturally and historically sensitive C.A.R.E. model strategically engaged CAB members and study participants. It was essential for success in recruitment and retention of an at-risk, African American population and may be an effective model for researchers hoping to engage racial/ethnic minority populations living in urban communities. PMID:29160826

  8. The Communication, Awareness, Relationships and Empowerment (C.A.R.E.) Model: An Effective Tool for Engaging Urban Communities in Community-Based Participatory Research.

    PubMed

    Ceasar, Joniqua; Peters-Lawrence, Marlene H; Mitchell, Valerie; Powell-Wiley, Tiffany M

    2017-11-21

    Little is known about recruitment methods for racial/ethnic minority populations from resource-limited areas for community-based health and needs assessments, particularly assessments that incorporate mobile health (mHealth) technology for characterizing physical activity and dietary intake. We examined whether the Communication, Awareness, Relationships and Empowerment (C.A.R.E.) model could reduce challenges recruiting and retaining participants from faith-based organizations in predominantly African American Washington, D.C. communities for a community-based assessment. Employing C.A.R.E. model elements, our diverse research team developed partnerships with churches, health organizations, academic institutions and governmental agencies. Through these partnerships, we cultivated a visible presence at community events, provided cardiovascular health education and remained accessible throughout the research process. Additionally, these relationships led to the creation of a community advisory board (CAB), which influenced the study's design, implementation, and dissemination. Over thirteen months, 159 individuals were recruited for the study, 99 completed the initial assessment, and 81 used mHealth technology to self-monitor physical activity over 30 days. The culturally and historically sensitive C.A.R.E. model strategically engaged CAB members and study participants. It was essential for success in recruitment and retention of an at-risk, African American population and may be an effective model for researchers hoping to engage racial/ethnic minority populations living in urban communities.

  9. Empowerment evaluation: building communities of practice and a culture of learning.

    PubMed

    Fetterman, David M

    2002-02-01

    Empowerment evaluation is the use of evaluation concepts, techniques, and findings to foster improvement and self-determination. Program participants--including clients--conduct their own evaluations: an outside evaluator often serves as a coach or additional facilitator depending on internal program capabilities. Empowerment evaluation has three steps: 1) establishing a mission; 2) taking stock; and 3) planning for the future. These three steps build capacity. They also build a sense of community, often referred to as communities of practice. Empowerment evaluation also helps to create a culture of learning and evaluation within an organization or community.

  10. Empowerment of nursing students in the United Kingdom and Japan: a cross-cultural study.

    PubMed

    Bradbury-Jones, Caroline; Irvine, Fiona; Sambrook, Sally

    2007-08-01

    This paper is a report of a study to explore the phenomenon of empowerment cross-culturally by comparing the situations in which nursing students from the United Kingdom and Japan experienced empowerment and disempowerment in clinical practice. Empowerment has been the focus of many studies, but most focus on the experience of Registered Nurses and few have explored the phenomenon cross-culturally. This was a cross-cultural, comparative study using the critical incident technique. Anonymous written data were collected from nursing students in Japan and United Kingdom between November 2005 and January 2006. Japanese data were translated and back-translated. Analysis of the transcripts revealed three themes: Learning in Practice, Team Membership, Power. Nursing students in these countries are exposed to different educational and clinical environments, but their experiences of empowerment and disempowerment are similar. For both, learning in practice, team membership and power are associated with either empowerment or disempowerment; depending on the context. United Kingdom students are aware of the importance of acting as patient advocates, although they cannot always find the voice to perform this. Japanese students however, appear to be unaware of the concept of advocacy. Student nurse empowerment may transcend cultural differences, and learning in practice, team membership and power may be important for the empowerment of nursing students globally. Further cross-cultural exploration is required into the association between advocacy and empowerment.

  11. Perceived empowerment in people with a dual diagnosis of schizophrenia spectrum disorder and substance misuse.

    PubMed

    Berry, Katherine; Allott, Rory; Emsley, Richard; Ennion, Sarah; Barrowclough, Christine

    2014-03-01

    The aims of the present study were to validate a measure of empowerment in a British population of people with a dual diagnosis of schizophrenia and substance misuse and assess relationships between empowerment and other key outcomes. Patients participating in a large randomised control trial for Motivational Interviewing for Drug and Alcohol misuse in Schizophrenia or psychosis (MIDAS trial) completed measures of empowerment, symptoms, global functioning and substance use at baseline, 12- and 24-month follow-ups. A three factor model of empowerment: self-efficacy and control; power and anger; and activism provided the best fit of the data across all three time points. There was some evidence of associations between empowerment and both symptoms and global functioning, although these associations were not consistent across subscales. Changes in empowerment predicted changes in symptoms and functioning at follow-up. Empowerment is a broadly defined construct and its meaning may differ across different populations of people with severe and enduring mental health problems. Empowerment is a key component of recovery and should be assessed in treatments in addition to more traditional outcome measures of symptoms and functioning.

  12. The Relationship of Clinical Nurses' Perceptions of Structural and Psychological Empowerment and Engagement on Their Unit.

    PubMed

    DiNapoli, Jean Marie; O'Flaherty, Deirdre; Musil, Carol; Clavelle, Joanne T; Fitzpatrick, Joyce J

    2016-02-01

    The purpose of this study was to describe relationships between structural empowerment, psychological empowerment, and engagement among clinical nurses. Empowerment and engagement are key drivers of retention and quality in healthcare. Creating an empowering culture and an engaged staff supports initiatives that are essential for positive work environments. A survey of 280 nurses in a national conference was conducted using the Conditions of Work Effectiveness, Psychological Empowerment Instrument, and the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale. Pearson correlation coefficients and multiple regression analysis were used to determine relationships between demographic data and study variables. Overall, nurses had high perceptions of structural empowerment and psychological empowerment and were moderately engaged. Also, significant positive relationships were found between the key study variables. Results show positive correlations between empowerment and perceived engagement among clinical nurses.

  13. Staff Nurses’ Perceptions and Experiences about Structural Empowerment: A Qualitative Phenomenological Study

    PubMed Central

    Van Bogaert, Peter; Peremans, Lieve; Diltour, Nadine; Van heusden, Danny; Dilles, Tinne; Van Rompaey, Bart; Havens, Donna Sullivan

    2016-01-01

    The aim of the study reported in this article was to investigate staff nurses’ perceptions and experiences about structural empowerment and perceptions regarding the extent to which structural empowerment supports safe quality patient care. To address the complex needs of patients, staff nurse involvement in clinical and organizational decision-making processes within interdisciplinary care settings is crucial. A qualitative study was conducted using individual semi-structured interviews of 11 staff nurses assigned to medical or surgical units in a 600-bed university hospital in Belgium. During the study period, the hospital was going through an organizational transformation process to move from a classic hierarchical and departmental organizational structure to one that was flat and interdisciplinary. Staff nurses reported experiencing structural empowerment and they were willing to be involved in decision-making processes primarily about patient care within the context of their practice unit. However, participants were not always fully aware of the challenges and the effect of empowerment on their daily practice, the quality of care and patient safety. Ongoing hospital change initiatives supported staff nurses’ involvement in decision-making processes for certain matters but for some decisions, a classic hierarchical and departmental process still remained. Nurses perceived relatively high work demands and at times viewed empowerment as presenting additional. Staff nurses recognized the opportunities structural empowerment provided within their daily practice. Nurse managers and unit climate were seen as crucial for success while lack of time and perceived work demands were viewed as barriers to empowerment. PMID:27035457

  14. Exploring the factors contributing to empowerment of Turkish migrant women in the UK.

    PubMed

    Cakir, S Gulfem; Yerin Guneri, Oya

    2011-06-01

    This study examined the role of demographic factors (length of stay, education and language level), perceived discrimination, social support, four acculturation attitudes, and psychological distress in predicting empowerment among Turkish migrant women in the UK. The study sample comprised 248 Turkish migrant women (mean age: 34.38; SD: 7.6) living in London. Self-report questionnaires were used to assess empowerment, social support, acculturation attitude and psychological distress. The study hypothesized that perceived discrimination; acculturation attitudes of separation, assimilation and marginalization; and psychological distress would be negative predictors of empowerment and that social support and an integration acculturation attitude would be positive predictors of empowerment. To some extent, the study findings supported this hypothesis. Hierarchical regression analysis indicated psychological distress to be the most significant predictor of empowerment, with other significant predictors including level of education and social support. More specifically, lower levels of psychological distress and higher levels of education and social support appeared to predict greater empowerment. Based on these findings, it can be concluded that level of education and social support may function as protective factors and that psychological distress may function as a risk factor for empowerment in the migration context. The paper discusses the findings of this study in relation to the previous literature and notes their implications for future research and practice.

  15. Women, Poverty, and Trauma: An Empowerment Practice Approach.

    PubMed

    East, Jean Francis; Roll, Susan J

    2015-10-01

    This article describes an empowerment approach for working with diverse women who experience poverty, trauma, and multiple structural oppressions. The approach is the result of 20 years of experience developing, implementing, and evaluating this practice in a metropolitan community, and is grounded in women's empowerment theory and relational-cultural theory. The interventions combine social work's clinical interventions with community organizing strategies to promote personal and collective empowerment, supporting the "personal is political" tenet of feminist practice. The interventions, including nonclinical interviews, story circles, and leadership and advocacy education and training, can guide practitioners in providing services and programs that create a space for women to make changes in their personal lives and in their community. Program outcomes report successful changes for women in improving symptoms, increasing self-efficacy, and engaging in community advocacy. Women who participated also reported an increased sense of power, balancing commonality and difference among women, and a sense of hope for their future.

  16. Empowerment Schools. Research Brief

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Walker, Karen

    2007-01-01

    In education, the pendulum continues to swing from one side to the other, all in an effort to find the "right" way to educate all of its students. The concept of empowerment, what it means and who should be empowered to provide the "best" way to instruct students, has been one that has been explored from many different…

  17. Beyond "banking for the poor": credit mechanisms and women's empowerment.

    PubMed

    Albee, A

    1996-10-01

    This article describes some strengths and limitations of credit programs for women in developing countries. It is urged that development planners recognize the importance of the selection of the type of credit mechanism in the long term. Ethical issues should be decided upon before the credit mechanism is operable. Organizations should make clear what level of commitment there is to empower borrowers. Most organizations give loans to women and assume empowerment will take place without devising strategies to ensure empowerment. Credit mechanisms include credit for the poor and credit by the poor. A sound financial portfolio and 100% repayment are not the appropriate criteria for securing the empowerment of women. Empowerment of women is related to "building the capacity of borrowers to manage and control decision making." UNICEF's framework of gender equality and women's empowerment identifies levels of empowerment as "welfare, access, conscientisation, participation, and control." Development planners should be aware that provision of credit also has the potential to increase a poor family's debt. Delinquency may be hidden by overlapping loans that trap borrowers. Fewer installment payments increase the chances of a debt trap. Reducing the number of installments may reduce administrative costs and conform to production processes, but may also lead to a debt trap. There is now considerable emphasis on investing in low-income women entrepreneurs as a highly efficient means of achieving social and economic objectives. Credit programs aim to support the growth of small, self-sustaining businesses, to improve women's opportunities, and to provide alternatives to exploitation by local money-lenders. This article describes the following credit mechanisms: bank guarantee systems, government credit schemes, intermediary projects, direct lending projects, banks for the poor, credit unions, and village-based banks.

  18. The context of empowerment and self-care within the field of diabetes.

    PubMed

    Scambler, Sasha; Newton, Paul; Asimakopoulou, Koula

    2014-11-01

    There is a growing emphasis within the diabetes literature on the importance of empowerment as a way of encouraging people to take control of and responsibility for the successful management of their disease. Patients are actively encouraged to become active participants in their care, and there is an expectation that health-care professionals will facilitate this process. This article uses Bourdieu's concept of field, as a bounded social space in which actors conduct their lives day-to-day, to explore the context within which issues of empowerment are addressed and negotiated. The practice of empowerment within the biologically defined and biomedically 'policed' field of diabetes is explored using empirical data from a study of diabetes health-care professionals' understanding and practices around empowerment. It is concluded that rather than promoting active self-management and empowerment, the nature of the field of diabetes, and in particular its privileging of the biomedical, can mitigate against people with diabetes negotiating the field effectively and taking control of the disease and its management. © The Author(s) 2014.

  19. Empowerment: the right medicine for improving employee commitment and morale in the NHS?

    PubMed

    Cunningham, I; Hyman, J

    1996-01-01

    States that in recent years, empowerment of National Health Service (NHS) Trust employees has been given substantial political and managerial support. Examines the extent to which the commitment and morale of staff in two NHS Trust hospitals has altered following the introduction of a raft of techniques under the empowerment label. The researchers interviewed substantial numbers of staff with managerial responsibilities, personnel specialists and conducted written surveys seeking employee opinion. Reports the findings, which confirm that, under empowerment, the work of both managers and staff has become more intensive, but managers claim that their commitment has risen, while for non-managerial employees, severe problems of commitment to the Trust, declining morale and high stress were exposed. Identifies reasons for these difficulties which were: the salience of budgetary and operational priorities; lack of training; resistance to the implementation of empowerment; and recognition that little real authority was being devolved to employees. Concludes that the limited effects attributable to empowerment could be explained by its association with harder-edged manpower policies introduced to meet financial and competitive pressures. Under favourable contextual conditions, empowerment may exert more positive effects.

  20. Context matters: the impact of unit leadership and empowerment on nurses' organizational commitment.

    PubMed

    Laschinger, Heather K Spence; Finegan, Joan; Wilk, Piotr

    2009-05-01

    The aim of this study was to test a multilevel model linking unit-level leader-member exchange quality and structural empowerment to nurses' psychological empowerment and organizational commitment at the individual level of analysis. Few studies have examined the contextual effects of unit leadership on individual nurse outcomes. Workplace empowerment has been related to retention outcomes such as organizational commitment in several studies, but few have studied the impact of specific unit characteristics within which nurses work on these outcomes. We surveyed 3,156 nurses in 217 hospital units to test the multilevel model. A multilevel path analysis revealed significant individual and contextual effects on nurses' organizational commitment. Both unit-level leader-member exchange quality and structural empowerment had significant direct effects on individual-level psychological empowerment and organizational commitment. Psychological empowerment mediated the relationship between core self-evaluations and organizational commitment at the individual level of analysis. The contextual effects of positive supervisor relationships and their influence on empowering working conditions at the unit level and, subsequently, nurses' organizational commitment highlight the importance of leadership for creating conditions that result in a committed nursing workforce.

  1. Which empowerment, which Health Promotion? Conceptual convergences and divergences in preventive health practices.

    PubMed

    Ferreira, Marcos Santos; Castiel, Luis David

    2009-01-01

    Based on the multiple meanings, 'empowerment' can be identified with either conservative or critical Health Promotion approaches. From a conservative approach, the concept is viewed as an essentially individual phenomenon, centered on the provision of information and the external transfer of power in the name of the collective good. From this approach, the relationship between 'psychological' and 'community' empowerment is not considered. From a critical approach, the concept is viewed as a relational phenomenon that manifests itself in the dialectic conflict of interests between individuals, groups, and social classes. From this approach, 'psychological' and 'community' empowerment are seen as micro and macro levels of analysis, and social transformations are the result of simultaneous changes at these levels. The use of the notion of empowerment without critical reflection or political analysis of power relations in society disseminates vague, romantic, and homogeneous views of 'community'. Therefore, to assume the relational nature of empowerment means to accept its interdependence with the notion of participation, without which there can be no social transformation. Thus, one should be vigilant about multiple meanings that empowerment can given in Health Promotion discourse.

  2. The role of physician oversight on advanced practice nurses' professional autonomy and empowerment.

    PubMed

    Petersen, Polly A; Way, Sandra M

    2017-05-01

    Little is known about the effects of physician oversight on advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs). Examination of these relationships provides insight into the strength of independent practice. The purpose of this study was to examine whether APRNs' perceptions of autonomy and empowerment varied according to type of physician oversight, whether facilitative or restrictive. A cross-sectional survey design was used to examine whether APRNs' perceptions of autonomy and empowerment varied according to physician oversight, geographical location, and practice setting. Five hundred questionnaires were mailed in March 2013 with 274 returned. Participants were asked about autonomy, empowerment, demographics, physician oversight, geographical location, and practice setting. Among surveyed respondents, physician oversight was related to increased empowerment, regardless of whether the oversight was defined in facilitative or restrictive terms; both had similar positive effects on empowerment. If APRNs are to be part of the solution to the growing problem of healthcare access, it is important to study factors that contribute to their success. We speculate that increasing opportunities for collaboration and interaction with physicians, and possibly other healthcare professionals, could facilitate APRN empowerment, optimizing their contribution. ©2017 American Association of Nurse Practitioners.

  3. Nursing Clinical Instructor Experiences of Empowerment in Rwanda: Applying Kanter's and Spreitzer's Theories.

    PubMed

    Thuss, Mary; Babenko-Mould, Yolanda; Andrusyszyn, Mary-Anne; Laschinger, Heather K S

    2016-10-15

    The purpose of this study was to explore Rwandan nursing clinical instructors' (CIs) experiences of structural and psychological empowerment. CIs play a vital role in students' development by facilitating learning in health care practice environments. Quality nursing education hinges on the CI's ability to enact a professional role. A descriptive qualitative method was used to obtain an understanding of CIs empowerment experiences in practice settings. Kanter's Theory of Structural Power in Organizations and Spreitzer's Psychological Empowerment Theory were used as theoretical frameworks to interpret experiences. Interview data from 21 CIs were used to complete a secondary analysis. Most participants perceived the structural components of informal power, resources, and support while formal power and opportunity were limited, diminishing their sense of structural empowerment. Psychological empowerment for CIs stemmed from a sense of competence, meaning, impact and self-determination they had for their teaching roles and responsibilities in the practice setting.

  4. Women Empowerment and Its Relation with Health Seeking Behavior in Bangladesh

    PubMed Central

    Mainuddin, AKM; Ara Begum, Housne; Rawal, Lal B.; Islam, Anwar; Shariful Islam, SM

    2015-01-01

    Objective: Over the last few decades, Bangladesh has made significant progress towards achieving targets for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and women empowerment. This study is aimed at identifying the levels and patterns of women empowerment in relation to health seeking behavior in Bangladesh. Materials and methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study among 200 rural married women in Cox’s Bazar district in Bangladesh using multi stage sampling technique and face-to-face interview. Data was collected on socio-economic characteristics, proxy indicators for women empowerment in mobility and health seeking behavior related decision making. Bivariate and multivariate regression analyses were performed to identify associations between women empowerment in relation to health seeking behavior on mobility and decision making, controlling the effect of other independent variables. Results: The results showed that only 12% women were empowered to decide on their own about seeking healthcare and 8.5% in healthcare seeking for their children. In multivariate analysis women empowerment in health seeking behavior was higher among age group 25-34 years (OR 1.76, [CI = 0.82-3.21]), women’s education, husband’s education, age at marriage > 18 years (OR 6.38, [CI = 0.98-4.21]) and women’s working status (OR 16.44, [CI = 0.79-2.71]). Conclusion: Women empowerment enhances their decision-making authority regarding health seeking behavior. Acknowledging and adopting the implications of these findings are essential for an integrated health and development strategy for Bangladesh and achieving the MDGs. PMID:26175761

  5. Examining relational empowerment for elementary school students in a yPAR program.

    PubMed

    Langhout, Regina Day; Collins, Charles; Ellison, Erin Rose

    2014-06-01

    This paper joins relational empowerment, youth empowerment, and Bridging Multiple Worlds frameworks to examine forms of relational empowerment for children in two intermediary institutions-school and a youth participatory action research after-school program (yPAR ASP). Participants were twelve children, most of whom were Latina/o and from im/migrant families, enrolled in a yPAR ASP for 2 years. A mixed-method approach was utilized; we analyzed children's interviews, self-defined goals, and their social networks to examine their experiences of relational empowerment. We conclude that children experienced each of the five relational empowerment factors-collaborative competence, bridging social divisions, facilitating others' empowerment, mobilizing networks, and passing on a legacy-in the yPAR ASP setting, and some factors in school. These experiences, however, were more pronounced in the yPAR ASP setting. Additionally, social network analyses revealed that a small but meaningful percentage of actors bridged worlds, especially home and family, but by year 2, also school and the yPAR ASP. Finally, most helpers for school-based goals came from school, but a sizable number came from family, friends, and home worlds, and by year 2, also came from the yPAR ASP. Implications range from theoretical to methodological development, including the use of social network analysis as a tool to descriptively examine relational power in context.

  6. Empowerment, PTSD and revictimization among women who have experienced intimate partner violence.

    PubMed

    Dardis, Christina M; Dichter, Melissa E; Iverson, Katherine M

    2018-08-01

    Empowerment is associated with lower posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and intimate partner violence (IPV) revictimization, but the direction of these associations remains unknown. Two models were assessed: one in which empowerment is protective against future IPV revictimization and PTSD symptoms, and one in which PTSD symptoms lead to reductions in empowerment and increases in IPV revictimization. Drawn from a probability-based access survey panel of U.S. adults, the present sample included 101 women veterans who experienced past-year IPV. Baseline demographics were assessed (T0), with surveys conducted at Time 1 (T1; 18-month interim), and Time 2 (T2; 6-month interim). Cross-lagged panel models assessed the two models separately among women who reported only T1 psychological IPV victimization (58%) and women who reported T1 physical and/or sexual IPV victimization. Among psychological IPV victims, T1 empowerment was significantly associated with decreased T2 PTSD symptoms, whereas among women who reported physical and/or sexual IPV victimization, T1 empowerment was significantly associated with decreased T2 IPV revictimization. The model in which PTSD symptoms confer risk for lower empowerment was not supported; however, higher T1 PTSD symptoms were associated with increased IPV revictimization among women who reported psychological IPV only. Findings can inform interventions for IPV survivors. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Limited Service Availability, Readiness, and Use of Facility-Based Delivery Care in Haiti: A Study Linking Health Facility Data and Population Data

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Wenjuan; Winner, Michelle; Burgert-Brucker, Clara R

    2017-01-01

    Background: Understanding the barriers that women in Haiti face to giving birth at a health facility is important for improving coverage of facility delivery and reducing persistently high maternal mortality. We linked health facility survey data and population survey data to assess the role of the obstetric service environment in affecting women's use of facility delivery care. Methods: Data came from the 2012 Haiti Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) and the 2013 Haiti Service Provision Assessment (SPA) survey. DHS clusters and SPA facilities were linked with their geographic coordinate information. The final analysis sample from the DHS comprised 4,921 women who had a live birth in the 5 years preceding the survey. Service availability was measured with the number of facilities providing delivery services within a specified distance from the cluster (within 5 kilometers for urban areas and 10 kilometers for rural areas). We measured facility readiness to provide obstetric care using 37 indicators defined by the World Health Organization. Random-intercept logistic regressions were used to model the variation in individual use of facility-based delivery care and cluster-level service availability and readiness, adjusting for other factors. Results: Overall, 39% of women delivered their most recent birth at a health facility and 61% delivered at home, with disparities by residence (about 60% delivered at a health facility in urban areas vs. 24% in rural areas). About one-fifth (18%) of women in rural areas and one-tenth (12%) of women in nonmetropolitan urban areas lived in clusters where no facility offered delivery care within the specified distances, while nearly all women (99%) in the metropolitan area lived in clusters that had at least 2 such facilities. Urban clusters had better service readiness compared with rural clusters, with a wide range of variation in both areas. Regression models indicated that in both rural and nonmetropolitan urban areas

  8. An empowerment framework for nursing leadership development: supporting evidence.

    PubMed

    Macphee, Maura; Skelton-Green, Judith; Bouthillette, France; Suryaprakash, Nitya

    2012-01-01

    This article is a report on a descriptive study of nurse leaders' perspectives of the outcomes of a formal leadership programme. Effective nurse leaders are necessary to address complex issues associated with healthcare systems reforms. Little is known about the types of leadership development programmes that most effectively prepare nurse leaders for healthcare challenges. When nurse leaders use structural and psychological empowerment strategies, the results are safer work environments and better nurse outcomes. The leadership development programme associated with this study is based on a unifying theoretical empowerment framework to empower nurse leaders and enable them to empower others. Twenty seven front-line and mid-level nurse leaders with variable years of experience were interviewed for 1 year after participating in a formal leadership development programme. Data were gathered in 2008-2009 from four programme cohorts. Four researchers independently developed code categories and themes using qualitative content analysis. Evidence of leadership development programme empowerment included nurse leader reports of increased self-confidence with respect to carrying out their roles and responsibilities; positive changes in their leadership styles; and perceptions of staff recognition of positive stylistic changes. Regardless of years of experience, mid-level leaders had a broader appreciation of practice environment issues than front-line leaders. Time for reflection was valuable to all participants, and front-line leaders, in particular, appreciated the time to discuss nurse-specific issues with their colleagues. This study provides evidence that a theoretical empowerment framework and strategies can empower nurse leaders, potentially resulting in staff empowerment. © 2011 The Authors. Journal of Advanced Nursing © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  9. Newly graduated nurses' empowerment regarding professional competence and other work-related factors.

    PubMed

    Kuokkanen, Liisa; Leino-Kilpi, Helena; Numminen, Olivia; Isoaho, Hannu; Flinkman, Mervi; Meretoja, Riitta

    2016-01-01

    Although both nurse empowerment and competence are fundamental concepts of describing newly graduated nurses' professional development and job satisfaction, only few studies exist on the relationship between these concepts. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine how newly graduated nurses assess their empowerment and to clarify professional competence compared to other work-related factors. A descriptive, cross-sectional and correlational design was applied. The sample comprised newly graduated nurses (n = 318) in Finland. Empowerment was measured using the 19-item Qualities of an Empowered Nurse scale and the Nurse Competence Scale measured nurses' self-assessed generic competence. In addition to demographic data, the background data included employment sector (public/private), job satisfaction, intent to change/leave job, work schedule (shifts/business hours) and assessments of the quality of care in the workplace. The data were analysed statistically by using Spearman's correlation coefficient as well as the One-Way and Multivariate Analysis of Variance. Cronbach's alpha coefficient was used to estimate the internal consistency. Newly graduated nurses perceived their level of empowerment and competence fairly high. The association between nurse empowerment and professional competence was statistically significant. Other variables correlating positively to empowerment included employment sector, age, job satisfaction, intent to change job, work schedule, and satisfaction with the quality of care in the work unit. The study indicates competence had the strongest effect on newly graduated nurses' empowerment. New graduates need support and career opportunities. In the future, nurses' further education and nurse managers' resources for supporting and empowering nurses should respond to the newly graduated nurses' requisites for attractive and meaningful work.

  10. Locating the feminist scholar: relational empowerment and social activism.

    PubMed

    VanderPlaat, M

    1999-11-01

    Over the past decade, the rhetoric of "empowerment" has permeated the health promotion, education, and social welfare literature. Many scholars and professionals, particularly those active in the field of social intervention and community development, have found themselves struggling for location in the emancipatory process. This struggle often is characterized by a profound self-consciousness of privilege and the fear of being perceived as imposing and manipulative. This article explores the tensions inherent in the role of the scholar/activist using illustrations from the author's experience as principal investigator of the Atlantic Regional Evaluation of the Community Action Program for Children. In so doing, it discusses the importance of a relational approach to empowerment, one characterized by mutuality. A commitment to mutuality is seen as a key factor in enhancing the emancipatory capacities of empowerment-based research projects.

  11. Patient empowerment in long-term conditions: development and preliminary testing of a new measure

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background Patient empowerment is viewed by policy makers and health care practitioners as a mechanism to help patients with long-term conditions better manage their health and achieve better outcomes. However, assessing the role of empowerment is dependent on effective measures of empowerment. Although many measures of empowerment exist, no measure has been developed specifically for patients with long-term conditions in the primary care setting. This study presents preliminary data on the development and validation of such a measure. Methods We conducted two empirical studies. Study one was an interview study to understand empowerment from the perspective of patients living with long-term conditions. Qualitative analysis identified dimensions of empowerment, and the qualitative data were used to generate items relating to these dimensions. Study two was a cross-sectional postal study involving patients with different types of long-term conditions recruited from general practices. The survey was conducted to test and validate our new measure of empowerment. Factor analysis and regression were performed to test scale structure, internal consistency and construct validity. Results Sixteen predominately elderly patients with different types of long-term conditions described empowerment in terms of 5 dimensions (identity, knowledge and understanding, personal control, personal decision-making, and enabling other patients). One hundred and ninety seven survey responses were received from mainly older white females, with relatively low levels of formal education, with the majority retired from paid work. Almost half of the sample reported cardiovascular, joint or diabetes long-term conditions. Factor analysis identified a three factor solution (positive attitude and sense of control, knowledge and confidence in decision making and enabling others), although the structure lacked clarity. A total empowerment score across all items showed acceptable levels of internal

  12. A framework linking community empowerment and health equity: it is a matter of CHOICE.

    PubMed

    Rifkin, Susan B

    2003-09-01

    This paper presents a framework to explore the relationship between health equity and community empowerment. It traces the progression of the concept of participation to the present term of empowerment and the links among empowerment, equity, and health outcomes. It argues that the relationship can best be described by using the acronym CHOICE (Capacity-building, Human rights, Organizational sustainability, Institutional accountability, Contribution, and Enabling environment). Based on the concept of development as freedom put forward by Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen, the paper describes how each factor illustrates the relationship between equity and empowerment in positive health outcomes, giving appropriate examples. In conclusion, it is suggested that these factors might form the basis of a tool to assess the relationship between equity and empowerment and its impact on health outcomes.

  13. Teacher Empowerment: School Administrators' Roles

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Balyer, Aydin; Özcan, Kenan; Yildiz, Ali

    2017-01-01

    Purpose: Teacher empowerment involves investing teachers with the right to participate in the determination of school goals and policies as informed by their professional judgment. By empowering teachers, teachers can discover their potential and limitations for themselves as well as developing competence in their professional development. This…

  14. Experiential Education and Empowerment Evaluation: Mars Rover Educational Program Case Example.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fetterman, David; Bowman, Cassie

    2002-01-01

    Empowerment evaluation helps people improve their programs using self-evaluation. Empowerment evaluation has three steps: establishing a mission; taking stock of the most significant activities; and planning for the future by establishing goals, strategies, and criteria for evidence. A NASA experiential program for small, distributed groups of…

  15. Healthy Cities: facilitating the active participation and empowerment of local people.

    PubMed

    Dooris, Mark; Heritage, Zoe

    2013-10-01

    Community participation and empowerment are key values underpinning the European WHO Healthy Cities initiative, now in its fifth phase. This paper provides a brief overview of the history, policy context, and theory relating to community participation and empowerment. Drawing on Phase IV evaluation data, it presents the findings in relation to the four quadrants of Davidson's Wheel of Participation--information, consultation, participation in decision making, and empowerment. The large majority of European Healthy Cities have mechanisms in place to provide information for and to consult with local people. Most also demonstrate a commitment to enabling community participation in decision-making and to empowering citizens. Within this context, the evaluation highlighted a diversity of approaches and revealed varied perspectives on how participation and empowerment can be integrated within city leadership and governance processes. The paper concludes by suggesting that there is a need to strengthen future evaluative research to better understand how and why the Healthy Cities approach makes a difference.

  16. Perceived overqualification and its outcomes: the moderating role of empowerment.

    PubMed

    Erdogan, Berrin; Bauer, Talya N

    2009-03-01

    Research shows that perceived overqualification is related to lower job attitudes and greater withdrawal behaviors but to higher supervisor ratings of performance. Drawing upon relative deprivation theory, the authors proposed and tested empowerment as a moderator of the relationship between perceived overqualification and job satisfaction, intentions to remain, voluntary turnover, and objective sales performance to examine if negative outcomes could be lessened while stimulating even higher performance. Hierarchical linear modeling results from a sample of 244 sales associates working in 25 stores of a Turkish retail chain show that empowerment ameliorated the negative effects of perceived overqualification on job satisfaction, intentions to remain, and voluntary turnover. Empowerment did not affect the positive relationship between perceived overqualification and objective sales performance. (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved.

  17. Workplace empowerment and organizational commitment among nurses working at the Main University Hospital, Alexandria, Egypt.

    PubMed

    Ibrahem, Samaa Z; Elhoseeny, Taghareed; Mahmoud, Rasha A

    2013-08-01

    High-quality patient care depends on a nursing workforce that is empowered to provide care according to professional nursing standards. Numerous studies have established positive relationships between empowerment and important nursing outcomes such as work effectiveness, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment. A cross-sectional study design was used to assess the relationships between structural and psychological empowerment and their effects on hospital nurses' organizational commitment at the Main University Hospital in Alexandria governorate. The total number of nurses who participated in the study was 150 nurses, and four interview questionnaires were used to measure the study variables. The mean score percentage was higher for overall psychological empowerment (68.75%) than for overall structural empowerment (46.25%). There was a significant direct intermediate correlation between nurses' perceptions of overall structural and psychological work empowerment and their overall organizational commitment. There was no significant relationship between structural and psychological empowerment, organizational commitment and sociodemographic characteristics of nurses except for the overall organizational commitment with age (r=0.260), overall structural empowerment in the working department (P=0.031), and overall organizational commitment with nursing experience (significance=0.025). Overall psychological empowerment achieved a higher mean score percentage compared with overall structural empowerment. Changing workplace structures is within the mandate of nurses' managers in their roles as advocates for and facilitators of high-quality care. The most significant opportunity for improvement is in the area of formal power, including flexibility, adaptability, creativity associated with discretionary decision-making, visibility, and centrality to organizational purpose and goals.

  18. Women's empowerment and child nutritional status in South Asia: a synthesis of the literature.

    PubMed

    Cunningham, Kenda; Ruel, Marie; Ferguson, Elaine; Uauy, Ricardo

    2015-01-01

    Women's disempowerment is hypothesised to contribute to high rates of undernutrition among South Asian children. However, evidence for this relationship has not been systematically reviewed. This review of empirical studies aims to: (1) synthesise the evidence linking women's empowerment and child nutritional status in South Asia and (2) suggest directions for future research. We systematically searched Global Health, Embase (classic and Ovid), MEDLINE, Campbell Collaboration, Popline, Eldis, Web of Science, EconLit and Scopus. We generated 1661 studies for abstract and title screening. We full-text screened 44 of these, plus 10 additional studies the authors were aware of. Only 12 studies fulfilled our inclusion criteria. We included English materials published between 1990 and 2012 that examined the relationship(s) of at least one women's empowerment domain and nutritional status among South Asian children. Data were extracted and synthesised within three domains of empowerment: control of resources and autonomy, workload and time, and social support. The results showed women's empowerment to be generally associated with child anthropometry, but the findings are mixed. Inter-study differences in population characteristics, settings or methods/conceptualisations of women's empowerment, and the specific domains studied, likely contributed to these inconsistencies. This review also highlights that different women's empowerment domains may relate differently to child nutritional status. Future research should aim to harmonise definitions of women's empowerment, which key domains it should include, and how it is measured. Rigorous evaluation work is also needed to establish which policies and programmes facilitate women's empowerment and in turn, foster child nutritional well-being. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  19. Economic empowerment and AIDS-related stigma in rural Kenya: a double-edged sword?

    PubMed

    Gnauck, Katherine; Ruiz, Jamie; Kellett, Nicole; Sussman, Andrew; Sullivan, Mary Ann; Montoya, Maria; Levin, Nick; Tomedi, Angelo; Mwanthi, Mutuku A

    2013-01-01

    Economic empowerment, HIV risk and AIDS-related stigma appear intricately intertwined for women in Kenya. Their interaction must be understood in order to implement effective economic interventions that also decrease HIV risk and stigma. We conducted a qualitative study amongst women in a rural Kamba-speaking community of southeastern Kenya to pursue whether engagement in an economic empowerment initiative (a basket weaving cooperative) influences women's perspectives and experiences with HIV risk and AIDS-related stigma. We conducted seven women's focus groups: participants in the local basket-weaving cooperative comprised four focus groups and non-participants comprised the remaining three groups. The HIV status of the women was not known. Three dominant themes emerged from the focus groups: empowerment, pervasive vulnerability and unanticipated social paradoxes. Contradictions found in these themes suggest that economic empowerment can become a double-edged sword. Economic empowerment enhanced perceived individual, domestic and social community status. However, this enhancement was not protective of domestic violence and perceived HIV risk. Social perceptions may have paradoxically contributed barriers to HIV testing and treatment putting women at greater HIV risk. In conclusion, economic empowerment initiatives for women in developing countries in the context of the HIV epidemic should be coupled with peer mediated support and HIV-risk education.

  20. The Women's Health Care Empowerment Model as a Catalyst for Change in Developing Countries.

    PubMed

    Mitroi, Lavinia R; Sahak, Medina; Sherzai, Ayesha Z; Sherzai, Dean

    2016-01-01

    Women's empowerment has been attempted through a number of different fields including the realms of politics, finance, and education, yet none of these domains are as promising as health care. Here we review preliminary work in this domain and introduce a model for women's empowerment through involvement in health care, titled the "women's health care empowerment model." Principles upon which our model is built include: acknowledging the appropriate definition of empowerment within the cultural context, creating a women's network for communication, integrating local culture and tradition into training women, and increasing the capability of women to care for their children and other women.

  1. Correlates of Resource Empowerment among Parents of Children with Overweight or Obesity

    PubMed Central

    Lim, Junghyun; Davison, Kirsten K.; Jurkowski, Janine M.; Horan, Christine M.; Orav, E. John; Kamdar, Neil; Fiechtner, Lauren G.

    2017-01-01

    Abstract Background: Few studies have examined correlates of resource empowerment among parents of children with overweight or obesity. Methods: We studied baseline data of 721 parent–child pairs participating in the Connect for Health randomized trial being conducted at six pediatric practices in Massachusetts. Parents completed the child weight management subscale (n = 5 items; 4-point response scale) of the Parent Resource Empowerment Scale; items were averaged to create a summary empowerment score. We used linear regression to examine the independent effects of child (age, sex, and race/ethnicity), parent/household characteristics (age, education, annual household income, BMI category, perceived stress, and their ratings of their healthcare quality), and neighborhood median household income, on parental resource empowerment. Results: Mean (SD) child age was 7.7 years (2.9) and mean (SD) BMI z-score was 1.9 (0.5); 34% of children were white, 32% black, 22% Hispanic, 5% Asian, and 6% multiracial/other. The mean parental empowerment score was 2.95 (SD = 0.56; range = 1–4). In adjusted models, parents of older children [β −0.03 (95% CI: −0.04, −0.01)], Hispanic children [−0.14 (−0.26, −0.03)], those with annual household income less than $20,000 [−0.16 (−0.29, −0.02)], those with BMI ≥30.0 kg/m2 [−0.17 (−0.28, −0.07)], and those who reported receiving lower quality of obesity-related care [−0.05 (−0.07, −0.03)] felt less empowered about resources to support their child's healthy body weight. Conclusions: Parental resource empowerment is influenced by parent and child characteristics as well as the quality of their obesity-related care. These findings could help inform equitable, family-centered approaches to improve parental resource empowerment. PMID:27875076

  2. Empowerment of women and its association with the health of the community.

    PubMed

    Varkey, Prathibha; Mbbs; Kureshi, Sarah; Lesnick, Timothy

    2010-01-01

    Empowerment and opportunities to experience power and control in one's life contribute to health and wellness. Although studies have assessed specific factors related to women's empowerment and their influence on health outcomes, there is a dearth of published literature assessing the relationship of the empowerment of women with the overall health of a community. By means of this article, we aim to assess the relationship of women's empowerment with health in 75 countries. We used the gender empowerment measure (GEM), a composite index measuring gender inequality in economic participation and decision making, political participation and decision making, and power over economic resources. All 75 countries with GEM values in the 2006 Human Development Report (HDR) were included in the study. Association between the GEM values and seven health indicators was evaluated using descriptive statistics, scatter plots, and simple and multiple linear regression models. We also controlled for gross domestic product (GDP) as a possible confounding factor and included this variable in the multiple regression models. When GDP was not considered, GEM had a statistically significant association with all health indicator variables except for proportion of 1-year-olds immunized against measles (correlation coefficient 0.063, p = 0.597). After adjusting for GDP, GEM was significantly associated with low birth weight, fertility rate, infant mortality, and age empowerment of women is associated with several key health indicators at a national level. Further research is necessary to determine the cause-effect relationship of these factors, confounding factors that may influence the relationship, and specific aspects of empowerment of women that effectively influence the health of the larger community.

  3. The effects of organizational commitment and structural empowerment on patient safety culture.

    PubMed

    Horwitz, Sujin K; Horwitz, Irwin B

    2017-03-20

    Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between patient safety culture and two attitudinal constructs: affective organizational commitment and structural empowerment. In doing so, the main and interaction effects of the two constructs on the perception of patient safety culture were assessed using a cohort of physicians. Design/methodology/approach Affective commitment was measured with the Organizational Commitment Questionnaire, whereas structural empowerment was assessed with the Conditions of Work Effectiveness Questionnaire-II. The abbreviated versions of these surveys were administered to a cohort of 71 post-doctoral medical residents. For the data analysis, hierarchical regression analyses were performed for the main and interaction effects of affective commitment and structural empowerment on the perception of patient safety culture. Findings A total of 63 surveys were analyzed. The results revealed that both affective commitment and structural empowerment were positively related to patient safety culture. A potential interaction effect of the two attitudinal constructs on patient safety culture was tested but no such effect was detected. Research limitations/implications This study suggests that there are potential benefits of promoting affective commitment and structural empowerment for patient safety culture in health care organizations. By identifying the positive associations between the two constructs and patient safety culture, this study provides additional empirical support for Kanter's theoretical tenet that structural and organizational support together helps to shape the perceptions of patient safety culture. Originality/value Despite the wide recognition of employee empowerment and commitment in organizational research, there has still been a paucity of empirical studies specifically assessing their effects on patient safety culture in health care organizations. To the authors' knowledge, this study is the first

  4. Measurement equivalence of the Empowerment Scale for White and Black persons with severe mental illness.

    PubMed

    Morris, Scott B; Huang, Jialin; Zhao, Lei; Sergent, Jessica D; Neuhengen, Jonas

    2014-12-01

    The current study examined the measurement equivalence on a measure of personal empowerment for Black and White consumers of mental health services. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to assess measurement equivalence of the 28-item Empowerment Scale (Rogers, Chamberlin, Ellison, & Crean, 1997), using data from 1,035 White and 301 Black persons with severe mental illness. Metric invariance of the Empowerment Scale was supported, in that the factor structure and loadings were equivalent across groups. Scalar invariance was violated on 3 items; however, the impact of these items on scale scores was quite small. Finally, subscales of empowerment tended to be more highly intercorrelated for Black than for White respondents. RESULTS generally support the use of Empowerment Scale for ethnic group comparisons. However, subtle differences in the psychometric properties of this measure suggest that Black and White individuals may conceptualize the construct of empowerment in different ways. Specifically, Black respondents had a lower threshold for endorsing some items on the self-esteem and powerlessness dimensions. Further, White respondents viewed the 3 dimensions of empowerment (self-esteem, powerlessness, and activism) as more distinct, whereas these 3 traits were more strongly interrelated for Blacks. (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

  5. WOMEN'S AGE AT FIRST MARRIAGE AND LONG-TERM ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT IN EGYPT.

    PubMed

    Yount, Kathryn M; Crandall, AliceAnn; Cheong, Yuk Fai

    2018-02-01

    Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5 calls on nations to promote gender equality and to empower women and girls. SDG5 also recognizes the value of women's economic empowerment, entailing equal rights to economic resources and full participation at all levels in economic decisions. Also according to SDG5, eliminating harmful practices-such as child marriage before age 18-is a prerequisite for women's economic empowerment. Using national data for 4,129 married women 15-43 years who took part in the Egypt Labor Market Panel Survey (ELMPS 1998-2012), we performed autoregressive, cross-lagged panel analyses to assess whether women's first marriage in adulthood (at 18 years or older, as reported in 2006), was positively associated with their long-term post-marital economic empowerment, measured as their engagement in market work and latent family economic agency in 2012. Women's first marriage in adulthood had positive unadjusted associations with their market work and family economic agency in 2012. These associations persisted after accounting for market work and family economic agency in 2006, pre-marital resources for empowerment, and cumulative fertility. Policies to discourage child marriage may show promise to enhance women's long-term post-marital economic empowerment.

  6. Empowerment of women for health promotion: a meta-analysis.

    PubMed

    Kar, S B; Pascual, C A; Chickering, K L

    1999-12-01

    The objective of this paper is to identify conditions, factors and methods, which empower women and mothers (WAM) for social action and health promotion movements. WAM are the primary caregivers in almost all cultures; they have demonstrated bold leadership under extreme adversity. Consequently, when empowered and involved, WAM can be effective partners in health promotion programs. The methodology includes a meta-analysis of 40 exemplary case studies from across the world, which meet predetermined criteria, to draw implications for social action and health promotion. Cases were selected from industrialized and less-industrialized nations and from four problem domains affecting quality of life and health: (1) human rights, (2) women's equal rights, (3) economic enhancement and (4) health promotion. Content analysis extracted data from all cases on six dimensions: (1) problem, (2) impetus/leadership, (3) macro-environment, (4) methods used, (5) partners/opponents and (6) impact. Analysis identified seven methods frequently used to EMPOWER (acronym): empowerment education and training, media use and advocacy, public education and participation, organizing associations and unions, work training and micro-enterprise, enabling services and support, and rights protection and promotion. Cochran's Q test confirmed significant differences in the frequencies of methods used. The seven EMPOWER methods were used in this order: enabling services, rights protection/promotion, public education, media use/advocacy, and organizing associations/unions, empowerment education, and work training and micro-enterprise. Media and public education were more frequently used by industrialized than non-industrialized societies (X2 tests). While frequencies of methods used varied in all other comparisons, these differences were not statistically significant, suggesting the importance of these methods across problem domains and levels of industrialization. The paper integrates key findings into

  7. Critical Review on Power in Organization: Empowerment in Human Resource Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jo, Sung Jun; Park, Sunyoung

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: This paper aims to analyze current practices, discuss empowerment from the theoretical perspectives on power in organizations and suggest an empowerment model based on the type of organizational culture and the role of human resource development (HRD). Design/methodology/approach: By reviewing the classic viewpoint of power, Lukes'…

  8. Transcultural adaptation and validation of the patient empowerment in long-term conditions questionnaire.

    PubMed

    Garcimartin, Paloma; Comin-Colet, Josep; Delgado-Hito, Pilar; Badosa-Marcé, Neus; Linas-Alonso, Anna

    2017-05-04

    Patient empowerment is a key element to improve the results in health, increase satisfaction amongst users and obtain higher treatment compliance. The main objective of this study is to validate the Spanish version of the questionnaire "Patient empowerment in long-term conditions" which evaluates the patients' level of empowerment of chronic diseases. The secondary objective is to identify factors which predict basal empowerment and changes (improvement or deterioration) in patients with Heart Failure (HF). An observational and prospective design of psychometric type to validate a questionnaire (aim 1) and a prospective study of cohorts (aim 2). The study will include 121 patients with confirmed diagnosis of HF. Three measurements (basal, at 15 days and at 3 months) will be carried out: quality of life, self-care and empowerment. Descriptive and inferential analyses will be used. For the first aim of the study (validation), the test-retest reproducibility will be assessed through intraclass correlation coefficient; internal consistency will be assessed through Cronbach's alpha coefficient; construct validity through Pearson's correlation coefficient; and sensibility to change through effect size coefficient. Set a valid questionnaire to measure the level of empowerment of patients with chronic diseases could be an effective tool to assess the results from the provision of the health care services. It will also allow us to identify at an early stage, those groups of patients with a low level of empowerment. Hence, they could become a risk group due to poor management of the disease, with a high rate of decompensation and a higher use rate of the health system resources.

  9. The social space of empowerment within epilepsy services: The map is not the terrain.

    PubMed

    Bennett, Louise; Bergin, Michael; Wells, John S G

    2016-03-01

    Empowerment is now seen as an integral component of holistic practice and service design in healthcare, particularly as it relates to the improvement of quality of life for people with epilepsy. However, the literature suggests that empowerment is a neglected and poorly understood concept by service users and providers alike within epilepsy services. Conceptual ambiguity is a further impediment to its understanding and implementation. Bearing this in mind, a clear definition of empowerment is needed in order to realistically recognize, encourage, and prioritize empowerment as a service design philosophy. Therefore, this paper undertakes a concept analysis of empowerment with reference to epilepsy services. Results indicate that empowerment demands a transformation of consciousness and a readiness to act on this transformation in order to allow people to gain personal power and autonomy over their own life, including the self-management of their condition. With this in mind, a critical reflection on the 'micro' and 'macro' levels of power that exist within epilepsy services is warranted with reference to theoretical principles. In this context although the map is not the terrain, we argue that an educational intervention guided by critical social theory principles has the potential to encourage an understanding of empowerment and 'holds the key' to future advances for its implementation within epilepsy services. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Effects of a breastfeeding empowerment programme on Korean breastfeeding mothers: a quasi-experimental study.

    PubMed

    Kang, Jung Sun; Choi, So Young; Ryu, Eun Jung

    2008-01-01

    This quasi-experimental study examined the effects of a new breastfeeding empowerment programme provided to post-partum mothers within 3 days of entering post-partum care centres on their breastfeeding empowerment, problems and practice rate. The study employed a non-equivalent control group non-synchronized design. Participants who conformed with the selection criteria were selected from two post-partum care centres affiliated with hospitals in a city in South Korea. Each of the two study groups included 30 participants. The breastfeeding empowerment programme comprised four 60-minute sessions, and was applied for 4 weeks to mothers in the experimental group. The breastfeeding empowerment scores were higher in the experimental group than in the control group (p=0.007), and there were fewer breastfeeding problems in the former group (p=0.012) and the breastfeeding rates were higher in the former group (p=0.017, 0.002 and 0.002 at 4, 8 and 12 weeks post-partum, respectively). These results indicate that the provision of breastfeeding empowerment programmes to help mothers to identify and solve problems by themselves can improve breastfeeding empowerment, problem and practice rates, and hence should be considered useful as a post-partum nursing intervention in clinical settings. The effectiveness of the various components of the breastfeeding empowerment programme developed in this study should be verified in field trials.

  11. Authentic leadership, performance, and job satisfaction: the mediating role of empowerment.

    PubMed

    Wong, Carol A; Laschinger, Heather K S

    2013-04-01

    To report a study conducted to test a model linking authentic leadership of managers with nurses' perceptions of structural empowerment, performance, and job satisfaction. Authentic leadership has been proposed as the root element of effective leadership needed to build healthier work environments because there is special attention to the development of empowering leader-follower relationships. Although the influence of leadership style and empowerment on job satisfaction is well documented, there are few studies examining the influence of authentic leadership on nurses' empowerment and work outcomes. A non-experimental, predictive survey. In 2008, a random sample of 600 Registered Nurses working in acute care hospitals across Ontario in Canada was surveyed. The final sample consisted of 280 (48% response rate) nurses. Variables were measured using the Authentic Leadership Questionnaire, Conditions of Work Effectiveness Questionnaire, Global Job Satisfaction Survey, and General Performance scale. The theoretical model was tested using structural equation modelling. The final model fit the data acceptably. Authentic leadership significantly and positively influenced staff nurses' structural empowerment, which in turn increased job satisfaction and self-rated performance. The results suggest that the more managers are seen as authentic, by emphasizing transparency, balanced processing, self-awareness and high ethical standards, the more nurses perceive they have access to workplace empowerment structures, are satisfied with their work, and report higher performance. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  12. Does economic empowerment protect women from intimate partner violence?

    PubMed

    Dalal, Koustuv

    2011-01-01

    The current study compared working and non-working groups of women in relation to intimate partner violence. The paper aims to explore the relationship between women's economic empowerment, their exposures to IPV and their help seeking behavior using a nationally representative sample in India. This was a cross sectional study of 124,385 ever married women of reproductive age from all 29 member states in India. Chi-square tests were used to examine differences in proportions of dependent variables (exposure to IPV) and independent variables. Multivariate logistic regressions were used to assess the independent contribution of the variables of economic empowerment in predicting exposure to IPV. Out of 124,385 women, 69432 (56%) were eligible for this study. Among those that were eligible 35% were working. In general, prevalence of IPV (ever) among women in India were: emotional violence 14%, less severe physical violence 31%, severe physical violence 10% and sexual violence 8%. For working women, the IPV prevalence was: emotional violence 18%, less severe physical violence 37%, severe physical violence 14% and sexual violence 10%; whilst for non-working women the rate was 12, 27, 8 and 8 percents, respectively. Working women seek more help from different sources. Economic empowerment is not the sole protective factor. Economic empowerment, together with higher education and modified cultural norms against women, may protect women from IPV. ‎

  13. The Effects of an Empowerment Intervention on Renal Transplant Recipients: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

    PubMed

    Hsiao, Chiu-Yueh; Lin, Li-Wei; Su, Yu-Wen; Yeh, Shu-Hui; Lee, Li-Na; Tsai, Fu-Mian

    2016-09-01

    Renal transplantation is a vital treatment for end-stage renal disease. To help improve quality of life after renal transplant surgery, interventions are needed to strengthen the coping skills and self-care behaviors of patients. However, most research studies on self-care after renal transplantation have addressed related factors. Few studies have examined the effects of interventions on renal transplant recipients. This study investigated the effects of an empowerment support group on the empowerment levels and self-care behaviors of renal transplant recipients. This study was a randomized controlled trial. Eligible participants were individuals who had undergone a renal transplant within the past 20 years, were 18 years old or older, were able to read and write in Chinese, and were willing to participate. We recruited 122 renal transplant recipients from two medical centers in southern Taiwan. The renal transplant outpatients were randomly assigned into empowerment support (n = 56) and comparison (n = 66) groups. The developed measures as well as the content, protocols, and the two groups were assessed for reliability and validity. The intervention involved one 2-hour meeting every 2 weeks for a total of six meetings. The topics included goal setting, problem solving, coping with daily stress, seeking social support, and staying motivated. The sessions consisted of introductions that highlighted the topic, group discussions, identifying areas of difficulty with self-care behaviors after renal transplant, and developing a set of goals and strategies to overcome these problems. The empowerment group reported significant increases both in terms of level of empowerment (F = 5.29, p = .023) based on age and time interaction (F = 9.86, p < .001) and in terms of self-care behaviors (F = 7.15, p = .009). Moreover, these increases were significantly larger than the increases recorded by the comparison group. In addition, these increases were particularly large in the

  14. Impact of a rural solar electrification project on the level and structure of women’s empowerment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Burney, Jennifer; Alaofè, Halimatou; Naylor, Rosamond; Taren, Douglas

    2017-09-01

    Although development organizations agree that reliable access to energy and energy services—one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals—is likely to have profound and perhaps disproportionate impacts on women, few studies have directly empirically estimated the impact of energy access on women’s empowerment. This is a result of both a relative dearth of energy access evaluations in general and a lack of clarity on how to quantify gender impacts of development projects. Here we present an evaluation of the impacts of the Solar Market Garden—a distributed photovoltaic irrigation project—on the level and structure of women’s empowerment in Benin, West Africa. We use a quasi-experimental design (matched-pair villages) to estimate changes in empowerment for project beneficiaries after one year of Solar Market Garden production relative to non-beneficiaries in both treatment and comparison villages (n = 771). To create an empowerment metric, we constructed a set of general questions based on existing theories of empowerment, and then used latent variable analysis to understand the underlying structure of empowerment locally. We repeated this analysis at follow-up to understand whether the structure of empowerment had changed over time, and then measured changes in both the levels and likelihood of empowerment over time. We show that the Solar Market Garden significantly positively impacted women’s empowerment, particularly through the domain of economic independence. In addition to providing rigorous evidence for the impact of a rural renewable energy project on women’s empowerment, our work lays out a methodology that can be used in the future to benchmark the gender impacts of energy projects.

  15. A Literature Review of Empowerment With a Suggested Empowerment Model for the BDF

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2003-12-01

    rights movement, feminism , and others. Potterfield (1999) indicates that through personal conversation with management and employee empowerment...corporate culture and the style of management. Potts and Sykes (1993, p.63) state: In the traditional corporate culture, policy manuals often...Connecticut, 1999. 19. Potts, T. and Sykes , A., Executive Talent, 1st ed., Irwin, Illinois, 1993. 20. Quinn, R.E. and Spreitzer, G.M., “The Road

  16. Relationship between transformational leadership style and organizational commitment: Mediating effect of psychological empowerment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Asif, Muhammad; Ayyub, Samia; Bashir, Muhammad Khawar

    2014-12-01

    This study explores the relationship between style of transformational leadership and organizational commitment of employees with mediating role of psychological empowerment in the textile sector Punjab Pakistan. Data was collected using tools from 250 employees. The transformational leadership questionnaire, MLQ-Multifactor leadership Questionnaire [1] was used to verify the perception of the employees towards transformational leadership style in two dimensions i.e. idealized influence and inspirational motivation. The organizational commitment questionnaire designed by [2] was used to verify the affective organizational commitment. Further, psychological empowerment questionnaire was developed by [3] which was used to examine the state of psychological empowerment of textile sector employees. Pearson Correlation revealed that there exists a positive significant relationship between idealized influence and affective organizational commitment, Inspirational motivation and affective organizational commitment, affective organizational commitment and psychological empowerment. The results from the study put forward that there is a significant relationship between style of transformational leadership and organizational commitment. The mediating variable which one is suitable in the model i.e. psychological empowerment and the model is good fit as the F value is significant.

  17. Empowerment evaluation: An approach that has literally altered the landscape of evaluation.

    PubMed

    Donaldson, Stewart I

    2017-08-01

    The quest for credible and actionable evidence to improve decision making, foster improvement, enhance self-determination, and promote social betterment is now a global phenomenon. Evaluation theorists and practitioners alike have responded to and overcome the challenges that limited the effectiveness and usefulness of traditional evaluation approaches primarily focused on seeking rigorous scientific knowledge about social programs and policies. No modern evaluation approach has received a more robust welcome from stakeholders across the globe than empowerment evaluation. Empowerment evaluation has been a leader in the development of stakeholder involvement approaches to evaluation, setting a high bar. In addition, empowerment evaluation's respect for community knowledge and commitment to the people's right to build their own evaluation capacity has influenced the evaluation mainstream, particularly concerning evaluation capacity building. Empowerment evaluation's most significant contributions to the field have been to improving evaluation use and knowledge utilization. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  18. Racial Differences in Volunteer Engagement by Older Adults: An Empowerment Perspective

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tang, Fengyan; Copeland, Valire Carr; Wexler, Sandra

    2012-01-01

    Volunteering is viewed as an empowerment process whereby older adults actively participate in the community and improve their well-being and health. Yet little is known about racial differences in volunteering, and even less in terms of perceived benefits from volunteering as a means of empowerment. The present study addresses this research gap by…

  19. The Journey to Teacher Empowerment.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Goyne, June; Padgett, Dara; Rowicki, Mark A.; Triplitt, Tom

    This paper describes ways that administrators can empower teachers and build strong, effective teams in a school. It opens by defining power and explains that traditional organizational hierarchical structures tend to motivate people to use power in self-protective ways. It claims that for empowerment to work, leaders must help people use their…

  20. Exploring the effect of sexual empowerment on sexual decision making in female adolescents.

    PubMed

    Hsu, Hsiu-Yueh; Lien, Yu-Fen; Lou, Jiunn-Horng; Chen, Sheng-Hwang; Wang, Ruey-Hsia

    2010-03-01

    Traditional health education may not provide adequate sexual information to female adolescents. Sexual health education for female adolescents broadens opportunities for nurses to help female adolescents adopt appropriate sexual attitudes and make appropriate decisions. The purpose of this study was to understand the effect of sexual empowerment on sexual decision making in female adolescents. Twenty-nine female students with steady boyfriends were invited to participate in a sexual empowerment course. Course activities specifically related to sexual empowerment were audio-tape-recorded. Dialogue content was analyzed, and content provided by each study participant was reconfirmed in face-to-face interviews to understand the entire empowerment process in terms of how such may affect responses and to assess the possibility of correctly reinterpreting findings during the member check process. This study also took into consideration degrees of reliability and rigorousness. The four themes found to underlie participant perceptions of their sexual empowerment to make sex-related decisions were as follows: (a) proactively seeking sexual knowledge, (b) reexamining relationships with boyfriends, (c) the right to say "no" and to engage in self-protection, and (d) the need to change sexual attitudes and behaviors. Using the peer group intervention in sexual empowerment may positively impact sexual health decision making in adolescent girls. Nursing professionals may consider peer group intervention as a sexual empowering method in healthcare.

  1. Measurement Equivalence of the Empowerment Scale for White and Black Persons with Severe Mental Illness

    PubMed Central

    Morris, Scott B.; Huang, Jialin; Zhao, Lei; Sergent, Jessica D.; Neuhengen, Jonas

    2014-01-01

    Objective The current study examined the measurement equivalence on a measure of personal empowerment for African American and White consumers of mental health services. Methods Confirmatory Factor Analysis was used to assess measurement equivalences of the 28-item Empowerment Scale (Rogers, Chamberlin, Ellison & Crean, 1997), using data from 1,035 White and 301 African American persons with severe mental illness. Results Metric invariance of the Empowerment Scale was supported, in that the factor structure and loadings were equivalent across groups. Scalar invariance was violated on three items; however, the impact of these items on scale scores was quite small. Finally, subscales of empowerment tended to be more highly inter-correlated for African American than for White respondents. Conclusions and Implications for Practice Results generally support the use of Empowerment Scale for ethnic group comparisons. However, subtle differences in the psychometric properties of this measure suggest that African Americans and White individuals may conceptualize the construct of empowerment in different ways. Specifically, African American respondents had a lower threshold for endorsing some items on the self-esteem and powerlessness dimensions. Further, White respondents viewed the three dimensions of empowerment (self-esteem, powerlessness and activism) as more distinct, whereas these three traits were more strongly interrelated for African Americans. PMID:24884300

  2. Moral distress and structural empowerment among a national sample of Israeli intensive care nurses.

    PubMed

    Ganz, Freda DeKeyser; Raanan, Ofra; Khalaila, Rabia; Bennaroch, Kochav; Scherman, Shiri; Bruttin, Madeleine; Sastiel, Ziva; Fink, Naomi Farkash; Benbenishty, Julie

    2013-02-01

    The aim of this study was to determine levels of structural empowerment, moral distress, and the association between them among intensive care nurses. Structural empowerment is the ability to access sources of power. Moral distress is the painful feelings experienced when a person knows the right thing to do but cannot do so due to external constraints. Several studies suggest a theoretical relationship between these concepts. Cross-sectional, descriptive correlational study. Members of the Evidence Based Nursing Practice Committee of the Israeli Society for Cardiology and Critical Care Nurses recruited a convenience sample of intensive care nurses from their respective institutions and units. Nurses were asked to complete three questionnaires (demographic and work characteristics, Moral Distress Scale, and the Conditions of Work Effectiveness Questionnaire-II). Data were collected between May-September 2009. Intensive Care nurses had moderate levels of structural empowerment, low levels of moral distress frequency, and moderately high moral distress intensity. A weak correlation was found between moral distress frequency and structural empowerment. No other structural empowerment component was associated with moral distress. Work characteristics as opposed to demographic characteristics were more associated with the study variables. This study weakly supports the association between structural empowerment and moral distress. It also provides further evidence to the theory of structural empowerment as characterized in the critical care environment. Further studies are indicated to determine what other factors might be associated with moral distress. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  3. A structural model of family empowerment for families of children with special needs.

    PubMed

    Han, Kuem Sun; Yang, Yunkyung; Hong, Yeong Seon

    2018-03-01

    To explain and predict family empowerment in families of children with special needs. Family empowerment of families of children with special needs can be explained using the Double ABCX model. Although constant stressors such as parenting stress and family demands can have negative effects on family empowerment, family resources and parenting efficacy can mediate the negative effect through effective coping strategies. A cross-sectional research design was employed. A survey was conducted with 240 parents of children with special needs. Upon exclusion of four responses deemed inadequate to the statistics process, 236 responses were selected for the analysis. Based on the items used in the previous research, we used the scale of family demands 38, the scale of parenting stress 24, the scale of parenting efficacy 37, the scale of pattern of organisation 30, the scale of communication process 16 and the scale of family empowerment 32. In families of children with special needs, parenting stress had a negative effect on parenting efficacy and family resources, namely, pattern of organisation and communication process. Family needs had a positive effect on parenting efficacy. Parenting stress and family demands influenced family empowerment through parenting efficacy and family resources (pattern of organisation and communication process), while parenting efficacy contributed to family empowerment. This study empirically analysed the usefulness of the Double ABCX model in predicting family empowerment. Family resource factors (organisation pattern and communication process) and perception or judgement factors (such as parenting efficacy) were found to mediate the negative impact of various stressors experienced by families of children with special needs. The study findings suggest that clinical practice and management should focus on providing efficient intervention methods to lower stress in families of children with special needs. Reinforcing factors contributing to

  4. Storytelling for Empowerment for Latino Teens: Increasing HIV Prevention Knowledge and Attitudes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nelson, Annabelle; Cordova, David; Walters, Andrew S.; Szecsy, Elsie

    2016-01-01

    Latino adolescents are disproportionately impacted by HIV, but researchers have documented few programs to prevent and reduce HIV risk. The Storytelling for Empowerment (SFE) "HIV StoryBook" was designed with an innovative ecodevelopment approach combining empowerment, family communication, and positive cultural identity. A mixed method…

  5. The relationship of women's status and empowerment with skilled birth attendant use in Senegal and Tanzania.

    PubMed

    Shimamoto, Kyoko; Gipson, Jessica D

    2015-07-24

    Maternal mortality remains unacceptably high in sub-Saharan Africa with 179,000 deaths occurring each year, accounting for 2-thirds of maternal deaths worldwide. Progress in reducing maternal deaths and increasing Skilled Birth Attendant (SBA) use at childbirth has stagnated in Africa. Although several studies demonstrate the important influences of women's status and empowerment on SBA use, this evidence is limited, particularly in Africa. Furthermore, few studies empirically test the operationalization of women's empowerment and incorporate multidimensional measures to represent the potentially disparate influence of women's status and empowerment on SBA use across settings. This study examined the relationship of women's status and empowerment with SBA use in two African countries--Senegal and Tanzania--using the 2010 Demographic and Health Surveys (weighted births n = 10,688 in SN; 6748 in TZ). Factor analysis was first conducted to identify the structure and multiple dimensions of empowerment. Then, a multivariate regression analysis was conducted to examine associations between these empowerment dimensions and SBA use. Overall, women's status and empowerment were positively related to SBA use. Some sociodemographic characteristics showed similar effects across countries (e.g., age, wealth, residence, marital relationship, parity); however, women's status and empowerment influence SBA use differently by setting. Namely, women's education directly and positively influenced SBA use in Tanzania, but not in Senegal. Further, each of the dimensions of empowerment influenced SBA use in disparate ways. In Tanzania women's higher household decision-making power and employment were related to SBA use, while in Senegal more progressive perceptions of gender norms and older age at first marriage were related to SBA use. This study provides evidence of the disparate influences of women's status and empowerment on SBA use across settings. Results indicate that efforts to

  6. Search for Trustful Leadership in Secondary Schools: Is Empowerment the Solution?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Freire, Carla; Fernandes, António

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to analyse how the access to structures of empowerment by teachers in primary and secondary education impacts on their trust of the headmaster of the school management board. Using the theoretical framework of empowerment and trust in the context of companies, one adapted the constructs of these scales to the reality…

  7. Adult 4-H Volunteer Empowerment in 4-H Youth Development Settings

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Olsen, Pamela

    2009-01-01

    The primary purpose of this study was to determine which factors related to adult 4-H volunteer empowerment in 4-H youth development settings. This study examined the relationship of adult 4-H volunteers' perceived leadership styles of Oregon 4-H Youth Development Educators (YDE) to the adult 4-H volunteer sense of empowerment. In addition,…

  8. The Shifting Landscape of Health Care: Toward a Model of Health Care Empowerment

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    In a rapidly changing world of health care information access and patients’ rights, there is limited conceptual infrastructure available to understand how people approach and engage in treatment of medical conditions. The construct of health care empowerment is defined as the process and state of being engaged, informed, collaborative, committed, and tolerant of uncertainty regarding health care. I present a model in which health care empowerment is influenced by an interplay of cultural, social, and environmental factors; personal resources; and intrapersonal factors. The model offers a framework to understand patient and provider roles in facilitating health care empowerment and presents opportunities for investigation into the role of health care empowerment in multiple outcomes across populations and settings, including inquiries into the sources and consequences of health disparities. PMID:21164096

  9. Empowerment: A Framework to Develop Advocacy in African American Grandmothers Providing Care for Their Grandchildren

    PubMed Central

    Carr, Gloria F.

    2011-01-01

    Purpose. Based on a review of the literature, this paper presents a unique and innovative model that offers an empowerment framework, which may be used to develop advocacy in African American (AA) grandmother caregivers. This proposed framework centers on education as a catalyst to the empowerment process in these grandmothers. Application of this model has potential to guide the practice of healthcare providers as they assist these caregivers in managing their own lives. Methodology. Various empowerment definitions and research were used to develop this empowerment framework. Discussion. This framework offers an empowerment education program for AA grandmothers providing care for their grandchildren on topics that they feel are necessary to appropriately care for themselves and their grandchildren. Outcomes of this empowerment education are to develop skills within these grandmothers so that they will be able to advocate for themselves, their grandchildren, and others within their communities. This education will ultimately produce skillful AA grandmothers who will develop abilities to empower themselves and other AA grandmothers who are in similar circumstances. PMID:21994894

  10. Indigenous Empowerment through Collective Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Enn, Rosa

    2012-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to draw attention to an indigenous community that lives in the periphery of Taiwan. The Dao on Orchid Island have had to face serious abuse of their human rights in terms of ecological exploitation and environmental injustice. The article highlights the empowerment of the indigenous group through collective…

  11. Effectiveness of patient empowerment over stress related to knee arthroplasty surgery.

    PubMed

    Garzón-Rey, Jorge Mario; Arza-Valdés, Adriana; Nuevo-Gayoso, Montserrat; Aguiló, Jordi

    This study aims to show evidence of the Empowerment Session's effectiveness through measurements of surgery related emotional stress before and after this session. The study was performed on 41 patients with knee arthroplasty surgery prescription by measuring the evolution of their emotional stress generated by surgery expectative, during the empowerment session. Two sets of measurements per patient were performed, before and after the empowerment session. Each set consisted of recording an electrocardiogram for 10min while the patients were seated and then applying two standard psychometric tests: State-Trait Anxiety Inventory test and Visual Analog Stress test. Differences in emotional stress were analyzed using psychometric tests and heart rate variability (HRV) analysis as stress biomarkers. Psychometric stress measurement shows a 17.8% reduction in stress according to the total stress scale value, and a 41.9% reduction in stress between test results before and after the session. Mean heart rate values increased by 7.4% with respect to the initial values, very low frequency power and total power also change in value suggesting more sympathetic and less parasympathetic activity. Both psychological and physiological measurements suggest the effectiveness of the empowerment session due to a significant increase in the wellness state of patients. Additionally, the correlation between psychometric tests and HRV indices demonstrates that both emotional stress indicators could be used as feedback on the empowerment sessions or as a reference to enhance surgical outcomes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  12. Health through people's empowerment: a rights-based approach to participation.

    PubMed

    De Vos, Pol; De Ceukelaire, Wim; Malaise, Geraldine; Pérez, Dennis; Lefèvre, Pierre; Van der Stuyft, Patrick

    2009-01-01

    Analysis of the academic discourse on participation, empowerment, and the right to health since the 1978 Alma-Ata International Conference on Primary Health Care and the subsequent Alma-Ata Declaration shows that each phase of the evolution of these concepts added important new aspects to the discussion. This article focuses on three crucial issues that relate to these additions: the importance of social class when analyzing the essentials of community participation, the pivotal role of power highlighted in the discussion on empowerment, and the role of the state, which refers to the concepts of claim holders and duty bearers included in a rights-based approach to health. The authors compare these literature findings with their own experiences over the past 20 years in the Philippines, Palestine, and Cuba, and they offer some lessons learned. The concept of "health through people's empowerment" is proposed to identify and describe the core aspects of participation and empowerment from a human rights perspective and to put forward common strategies. If marginalized groups and classes organize, they can influence power relations and pressure the state into action. Such popular pressure through organized communities and people's organizations can play an essential role in ensuring adequate government policies to address health inequities and in asserting the tright to health.

  13. The Correlation between Teacher Empowerment and Principal Leadership Behaviors in High Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kirgan, Benjamin G.

    2010-01-01

    This study will examine the correlation between teacher empowerment and transformational leadership in large high schools. A cross-correlational analysis will be conducted to test for significant relationships among the six dimensions of teacher empowerment (as described by Short & Rinehart, 1994), and the eight dimensions of transformational…

  14. Indigenous Education and Empowerment: International Perspectives

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Abu-Saad, Ismael, Ed.; Champagne, Duane, Ed.

    2005-01-01

    Indigenous people have often been confronted with education systems that ignore their cultural and historical perspectives. This insightful volume contributes to the understanding of indigenous empowerment through education, and creates a new foundation for implementing specialized indigenous/minority education worldwide, engaging the simultaneous…

  15. On power and empowerment.

    PubMed

    Pratto, Felicia

    2016-03-01

    This study presents a conceptual analysis of social power. The most common theories of power are social-relational, an approach instantiated in a range of contemporary experiments that give participants the chance to control other people's outcomes. The relational approach is also reflected in various analyses of international relations. In comparing and contrasting relational theories of power, I identify logical inconsistencies and shortcomings in their ability to address empowerment and reductions in inequality. In turn, I propose a new ecological conceptualization of empowerment as the state of being able to achieve one's goals and of power as stemming from a combination of the capacity of the party and the affordances of the environment. I explain how this new conceptualization can describe the main kinds of power social relations, avoid logical contradictions, and moreover, distinguish power from agency and from control. This new conceptualization of power as the possibility of meeting goals, coupled with recognizing survival as the fundamental goal of all living things, implies an absolute and not relative or relational standard for power, namely well-being. It also allows us to conceive of power in ways that help address the many social concerns that have motivated research on power. © 2015 The British Psychological Society.

  16. The construct validity and reliability of the Turkish version of Spreitzer's psychological empowerment scale

    PubMed Central

    2010-01-01

    Background Today, many organizations have adopted some kind of empowerment initiative for at least part of their workforce. Over the last two decades, two complementary perspectives on empowerment at work have emerged: structural and psychological empowerment. Psychological empowerment is a motivational construct manifested in four cognitions: meaning, competence, self-determination and impact. The aim of this article is to examine the construct validity and reliability of the Turkish translation of Spreitzer's psychological empowerment scale in a culturally diverse environment. Methods The scale contains four dimensions over 12 statements. Data were gathered from 260 nurses and 161 physicians. The dimensionality of the scale was evaluated by exploratory factor analyses. To investigate the multidimensional nature of the empowerment construct and the validity of the scale, first- and second-order confirmatory factor analysis was conducted. Furthermore, Cronbach alpha coefficients were assessed to investigate reliability. Results Exploratory factor analyses revealed that four factors in both solutions. The first- and second-order factor analysis indicated an acceptable fit between the data and the theoretical model for nurses and physicians. Cronbach alpha coefficients varied between 0.81-0.94 for both groups, which may be considered satisfactory. Conclusions The analyses indicated that the psychometric properties of the Turkish version of the scale can be considered satisfactory. PMID:20214770

  17. Perceptions of Empowerment Within and Across Partnerships in Community-Based Participatory Research: A Dyadic Interview Analysis.

    PubMed

    Paradiso de Sayu, Rebecca; Chanmugam, Amy

    2016-01-01

    Although the concept of empowerment is a key principle of community-based participatory research (CBPR), little is known about how academic and community partners perceive empowerment during a CBPR process. CBPR partners' perceptions of the process were explored using semi-structured interviews with both partners in 10 CBPR partnerships that had completed projects addressing social determinants of health. Dyadic interview analysis was employed to understand dynamics within and across partnerships. Five partnerships showed no differences in perceptions of empowerment. Four had minor discrepancies. Only one partnership varied considerably between partners, where the community partner perceived less empowerment regarding determining the study topic and overall control, influence, and respect throughout the process. This article discusses implications of findings for CBPR. Evaluating partners' perceived empowerment throughout a CBPR project might reveal areas to adjust, as not all projects with quantifiably successful outcomes involve processes that are successful in terms of empowerment. © The Author(s) 2015.

  18. Associations between family characteristics and parental empowerment in the family, family service situations and the family service system.

    PubMed

    Vuorenmaa, M; Perälä, M-L; Halme, N; Kaunonen, M; Åstedt-Kurki, P

    2016-01-01

    Parental empowerment signifies parents' sense of confidence in managing their children, interacting with services that their children use and improving child care services. High empowerment is associated with parents' resilience to demands and their confidence to make decisions and take actions that positively affect their families. Most families with children access various healthcare and education services. Professionals working in these services are therefore ideally placed to reinforce parental empowerment. However, little is known about the characteristics associated with parental empowerment within a generic sample of parents or in the context of basic child care services. The aim of this study was to assess how family characteristics are associated with maternal and paternal empowerment in the family, in service situations and in the service system. Parental empowerment was measured among 955 parents (mothers = 571; fathers = 384) of children aged 0-9 years using the Generic Family Empowerment Scale. Family characteristics were assessed through questions on children, parents and the life situation. Associations between empowerment and family characteristics were evaluated using one-way analysis of variance and t-test. Parental empowerment was predicted by multiple linear regression analysis. Parents' concerns related to their parenting, such as whether they possessed sufficient skills as a parent or losing their temper with children, as well as experiences of stress in everyday life, were negatively associated with all dimensions of maternal and paternal empowerment. Both determinants were more common and more significant in empowerment than child-related problems. Promoting parental self-confidence and providing appropriate emotional and concrete support for everyday functioning may reinforce parental empowerment, thereby enhancing families' well-being and coping, as well as improving their access to required services and timely support. Finally

  19. Teacher Teams, Teamwork, and Empowerment: Exploring Associations and the Nexus to Change

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Henkin, Alan B.; Park, Sungmin; Singleton, Carole A.

    2007-01-01

    Research on team-based schools suggests the importance of teacher empowerment as a factor in the school revitalization and reform equation and as a critical element in redefining schools as collaborative workplaces. In this study, the authors inquire into potential associations between teamwork skills and teacher team empowerment. Research…

  20. Change through Empowerment Processes: Women's Stories from South Asia and Latin America.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stacki, Sandra L.; Monkman, Karen

    2003-01-01

    Uses case studies of a Latin American woman and a South Asian woman to identify obstacles and facilitators that shaped their lives and paths to empowerment. Presents a model for understanding processes of empowerment and change, particularly change facilitating gender equity. Recognizes a dialectic process involving individual subjective…

  1. Health education and community empowerment: conceptualizing and measuring perceptions of individual, organizational, and community control.

    PubMed

    Israel, B A; Checkoway, B; Schulz, A; Zimmerman, M

    1994-01-01

    The prevailing emphasis in health education is on understanding and changing life-style choices and individual health behaviors related to health status. Although such approaches are appropriate for some health problems, they often ignore the association between increased morbidity and mortality and social, structural, and physical factors in the environment, such as inadequate housing, poor sanitation, unemployment, exposure to toxic chemicals, occupational stress, minority status, powerlessness or alienation, and the lack of supportive interpersonal relationships. A conceptual model of the stress process incorporates the relationships among these environmental factors, powerlessness (or conversely empowerment), social support, and health status. The concept of empowerment has been examined in diverse academic disciplines and professional fields. However, there is still a lack of clarity on the conceptualization of empowerment at different levels of practice, including its measurement, relationship to health, and application to health education. The purpose of this article is to address these issues as they relate to the concept of community empowerment. It provides a definition of community empowerment that includes individual, organizational, and community levels of analysis; describes how empowerment fits within a broader conceptual model of stress and its relationship to health status; and examines a series of scales that measure perceptions of individual, organizational, community, and multiple levels of control. The article concludes with broad guidelines for and barriers to a community empowerment approach for health education practice.

  2. Organizational trust and empowerment in restructured healthcare settings. Effects on staff nurse commitment.

    PubMed

    Laschinger, H K; Finegan, J; Shamian, J; Casier, S

    2000-09-01

    In today's dramatically restructured healthcare work environments, organizational trust is an increasingly important element in determining employee performance and commitment to the organization. The authors used Kanter's model of workplace empowerment to examine the effects of organizational trust and empowerment on two types of organizational commitment. A predictive, nonexperimental design was used to test Kanter's theory in a random sample of 412 Canadian staff nurses. Empowered nurses reported higher levels of organizational trust, which in turn resulted in higher levels of affective commitment. However, empowerment did not predict continuance commitment--that is, commitment to stay in the organization based on perceived lack of other job opportunities. Because past research has linked affective commitment to employee productivity, these results suggest that fostering environments that enhance perceptions of empowerment and organizational trust will have positive effects on organizational members and increase organizational effectiveness.

  3. School Choice and the Empowerment Imperative

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Scott, Janelle

    2013-01-01

    Drawing from historical, sociological, and policy literatures, as well as legislative activity, this article traces the intellectual and political evolution of educational equity, beginning with progressive models of redistribution and remedy to more recent neoliberal forms, which privilege parental empowerment through the expansion of school…

  4. Assessment of Patient Empowerment - A Systematic Review of Measures

    PubMed Central

    Barr, Paul J.; Scholl, Isabelle; Bravo, Paulina; Faber, Marjan J.; Elwyn, Glyn; McAllister, Marion

    2015-01-01

    Background Patient empowerment has gained considerable importance but uncertainty remains about the best way to define and measure it. The validity of empirical findings depends on the quality of measures used. This systematic review aims to provide an overview of studies assessing psychometric properties of questionnaires purporting to capture patient empowerment, evaluate the methodological quality of these studies and assess the psychometric properties of measures identified. Methods Electronic searches in five databases were combined with reference tracking of included articles. Peer-reviewed articles reporting psychometric testing of empowerment measures for adult patients in French, German, English, Portuguese and Spanish were included. Study characteristics, constructs operationalised and psychometric properties were extracted. The quality of study design, methods and reporting was assessed using the COSMIN checklist. The quality of psychometric properties was assessed using Terwee’s 2007 criteria. Findings 30 studies on 19 measures were included. Six measures are generic, while 13 were developed for a specific condition (N=4) or specialty (N=9). Most studies tested measures in English (N=17) or Swedish (N=6). Sample sizes of included studies varied from N=35 to N=8261. A range of patient empowerment constructs was operationalised in included measures. These were classified into four domains: patient states, experiences and capacities; patient actions and behaviours; patient self-determination within the healthcare relationship and patient skills development. Quality assessment revealed several flaws in methodological study quality with COSMIN scores mainly fair or poor. The overall quality of psychometric properties of included measures was intermediate to positive. Certain psychometric properties were not tested for most measures. Discussion Findings provide a basis from which to develop consensus on a core set of patient empowerment constructs and for

  5. Correlation between Social Determinants of Health and Women’s Empowerment in Reproductive Decision-Making among Iranian Women

    PubMed Central

    Kiani, Zahra; Simbar, Masuomeh; Dolatian, Mahrokh; Zayeri, Farid

    2016-01-01

    Background and Objectives: Women empowerment is one of millennium development goals which is effective on fertility, population’s stability and wellbeing. The influence of social determinants of health (SDH) on women empowerment is documented, however the correlation between SDH and women’s empowerment in fertility has not been figured out yet. This study was conducted to assess correlation between social determinants of health and women’s empowerment in reproductive decisions. Material and Methods: This was a descriptive-correlation study on 400 women who attended health centers affiliated to Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences Tehran-Iran. Four hundred women were recruited using multistage cluster sampling method. The tools for data collection were 6 questionnaires including; 1) socio-demographic characteristics 2) women’s empowerment in reproductive decision-making, 3) perceived social support, 4) self-esteem, 5) marital satisfaction, 6) access to health services. Data were analyzed by SPSS-17 and using Pearson and Spearman correlation tests. Results: Results showed 82.54 ± 14.00 (Mean±SD) of total score 152 of women’s empowerment in reproductive decision making. All structural and intermediate variables were correlated with women’s empowerment in reproductive decisions. The highest correlations were demonstrated between education (among structural determinants; r= 0.44, P< 0.001), and Self-esteem (among intermediate determinants; r= 0.34, P< 0.001) with women’s empowerment in fertility decision making. Conclusion: Social determinants of health have a significant correlation with women’s empowerment in reproductive decision-making. PMID:27157184

  6. Correlations between Perceived Teacher Empowerment and Perceived Sense of Teacher Self-Efficacy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hemric, Marty; Eury, Allen D.; Shellman, David

    2010-01-01

    Empirical research has linked teacher efficacy with student achievement. In this study, the authors determined the perceived levels of empowerment and self-efficacy from 70 elementary teachers in two schools. Descriptive and predictive statistics were used to explore the degree to which perceived empowerment and self-efficacy were related in an…

  7. Health promotion and empowerment in Henganofi District, Papua New Guinea.

    PubMed

    Barcham, Richard; Silas, Esther; Irie, Jesse

    2016-01-01

    Evidence shows that the government of Papua New Guinea is failing to provide basic services in health to the majority of its people. Local non-government organisations (NGOs), partnered with international NGOs, are attempting to fill this gap. With limited resources, these small Indigenous organisations must focus much of their effort on training that supports self-reliance as the main strategy for communities to improve their quality of life. This project explored the training content and methodology of Touching The Untouchables (TTU), a small Indigenous NGO based in Goroka, Eastern Highlands Province, that has trained a network of village volunteers in health promotion and safe motherhood.
    Village life imposes multiple demands, from self-sufficiency in food to maintaining law and order. There are established attitudes about power and dependence, referred to as 'cargo thinking'. Cargo thinking stands as a barrier to the necessity of self-reliance, and requires training strategies that seek to empower participants to create change from their own initiative. Empowerment is understood as oriented towards individual people taking collective action to improve their circumstances by rectifying disparities in social power and control. To achieve self-reliance, empowerment is necessarily operational on the levels of person, community and society.
    In addition to being operational on all three levels of empowerment, the training content and methodology adopted and developed by TTU demonstrate that empowering practice in training employs approaches to knowledge that are evidence-based, reflexive, contextual and skill-based. Creating knowledge that is reflexive and exploring knowledge about the broader context uses special kinds of communicative tools that facilitate discussion on history, society and political economy. Furthermore, training methodologies that are oriented to empowerment create settings that require the use of all three types of communication

  8. Empowerment Program for People With Prediabetes: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

    PubMed

    Chen, Mei-Fang; Hung, Shu-Ling; Chen, Shu-Lin

    2017-04-01

    Practicing a health-promoting lifestyle is believed to be effective for delaying or preventing the onset of diabetes. However, although empowerment interventions have proven effective for encouraging the adoption of a health-promoting lifestyle in people with diabetes, these interventions are rarely promoted to people with prediabetes. The aims of this study were to develop an empowerment program for people with prediabetes and to examine its efficacy in terms of the adoption of a health-promoting lifestyle and improvements in blood sugar, body mass index, and self-efficacy. A randomized controlled trial was conducted between May and December 2013. A convenience sample of people with a fasting blood sugar level of 100-125 mg/dl during the previous 3 months was recruited from the health examination center of a hospital in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Participants were assigned to either the experimental group or the control group using block randomization with a block size of 8. The experimental group (n = 38) participated in a 4-month empowerment program (the ABC empowerment program), which encouraged participants to practice a health-promoting lifestyle in three phases: awareness raising, behavior building, and results checking. The control group (n = 40) received routine clinical care. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, independent t test, paired t test, and generalized estimated equations. After controlling for the differences at baseline and considering the interaction between group and time from baseline to 1 week and 3 months after completing the intervention, the generalized estimating equation showed significantly larger improvements in a health-promoting lifestyle, blood sugar, and self-efficacy in the experimental group than in the control group (p < .01). Furthermore, the experimental group achieved a larger reduction in body mass index than the control group at 3 months after completing the intervention (p = .001). The empowerment program was

  9. Empowerment in adolescents and young adults with cancer: Relationship with health-related quality of life.

    PubMed

    Kaal, Suzanne E J; Husson, Olga; van Duivenboden, Saskia; Jansen, Rosemarie; Manten-Horst, Eveliene; Servaes, Petra; Prins, Judith B; van den Berg, Sanne W; van der Graaf, Winette T A

    2017-10-15

    The difficulties adolescents and young adults (AYAs) encounter during a cancer experience may result in a reduction in or absence of empowerment. The aims of the current study were to assess levels of empowerment and associated (demographic, clinical, or psychological) factors and examine the association between empowerment and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among AYA patients with cancer. Patients aged 18 to 35 years at time of cancer diagnosis and who were seen by 1 of the members of the specialized multidisciplinary AYA team of the Radboud University Medical Center were invited to complete questionnaires regarding empowerment; HRQOL; and sociodemographic, clinical, and psychological characteristics (autonomy, coping, unmet social support needs, and psychological distress). A total of 83 AYA patients completed the questionnaires. The mean age of the participants at the time of diagnosis was 27.5 years. The vast majority had been treated with chemotherapy (86%), had a more advanced stage of disease, and had completed treatment at the time of participation (74%). The mean empowerment level was 154.1 (standard deviation, 17.8) with a range of 114 to 200. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that the autonomy subscales of self-awareness (β = .35), capacity for managing new situations (β = .19), and social support (β = .35) were found to be positively associated with empowerment. Coping difficulties (β = -.19) were found to be negatively associated with empowerment. Empowerment was independently associated with physical (β = .31), psychological (β = .50), social (β = .39), religious (β = .33), and total HRQOL (β = .52; all P<.01). Low levels of empowerment were associated with low levels of autonomy and social support, female sex, and coping difficulties among AYA patients with cancer. Recognizing these patients as candidates for empowerment interventions ultimately could help to improve HRQOL in late adolescence and young adulthood. Cancer 2017

  10. Empowerment in adolescents and young adults with cancer: Relationship with health‐related quality of life

    PubMed Central

    Kaal, Suzanne E.J.; Husson, Olga; van Duivenboden, Saskia; Jansen, Rosemarie; Manten‐Horst, Eveliene; Servaes, Petra; Prins, Judith B.; van den Berg, Sanne W.

    2017-01-01

    BACKGROUND The difficulties adolescents and young adults (AYAs) encounter during a cancer experience may result in a reduction in or absence of empowerment. The aims of the current study were to assess levels of empowerment and associated (demographic, clinical, or psychological) factors and examine the association between empowerment and health‐related quality of life (HRQOL) among AYA patients with cancer. METHODS Patients aged 18 to 35 years at time of cancer diagnosis and who were seen by 1 of the members of the specialized multidisciplinary AYA team of the Radboud University Medical Center were invited to complete questionnaires regarding empowerment; HRQOL; and sociodemographic, clinical, and psychological characteristics (autonomy, coping, unmet social support needs, and psychological distress). RESULTS A total of 83 AYA patients completed the questionnaires. The mean age of the participants at the time of diagnosis was 27.5 years. The vast majority had been treated with chemotherapy (86%), had a more advanced stage of disease, and had completed treatment at the time of participation (74%). The mean empowerment level was 154.1 (standard deviation, 17.8) with a range of 114 to 200. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that the autonomy subscales of self‐awareness (β = .35), capacity for managing new situations (β = .19), and social support (β = .35) were found to be positively associated with empowerment. Coping difficulties (β = ‐.19) were found to be negatively associated with empowerment. Empowerment was independently associated with physical (β = .31), psychological (β = .50), social (β = .39), religious (β = .33), and total HRQOL (β = .52; all P<.01). CONCLUSIONS Low levels of empowerment were associated with low levels of autonomy and social support, female sex, and coping difficulties among AYA patients with cancer. Recognizing these patients as candidates for empowerment interventions ultimately could help to improve HRQOL in late

  11. Barriers of health news producers' empowerment: a qualitative study in iran.

    PubMed

    Ashoorkhani, Mahnaz; Taghdisi, Mohammad Hossein; Shahmoradi, Safoora; Haghjoo, Leila; Majdzadeh, Reza

    2014-01-01

    Studies show that raising news producers' knowledge and skills are influential and necessary for promoting the quality of health news. This study aimed to investigate the barriers to implementing empowerment programs for news producers and to identify their respective solutions. In this qualitative content analysis the opinion of 14 journalists, one translator, 10 editors or editors-in-chief of health news agencies were gathered through 12 in-depth interviews and 4 focus group discussions. Purposive sampling was done and interviews continued up to the point of saturation. Data were analyzed with Open Code software. The barriers to the implementation of empowerment programs were identified as: a) individual factors, b) deficiency of certain facilitators, and c) organizational and macro policymakings. Various solutions were suggested for the barriers respectively. The implementation of empowerment programs for news producers requires a system approach toward its determinant factors. This will be more likely if measures at other concerned levels are also taken. Creating incentives on behalf of the news-producing organizations can also contribute to this end and create a suitable context for news producers. Training and empowerment alone will not be sufficient.

  12. Shifting the balance: conceptualising empowerment in individuals with spinal cord injury.

    PubMed

    Rohatinsky, Noelle; Goodridge, Donna; Rogers, Marla R; Nickel, Darren; Linassi, Gary

    2017-03-01

    Empowerment is believed to be an essential element in self-management of disease and the promotion of self-efficacy, and can be defined as the ability of individuals to increase control over aspects of their lives. In contrast, powerlessness in individuals with chronic illness can occur when they perceive that they lack the capacity, authority or resources to affect an outcome. Individuals with spinal cord injuries (SCIs) are at risk for powerlessness and have the potential to become empowered, but these concepts have not been explored within their context. The purpose of this study was to explore how individuals with SCI enact the empowerment process using Lord's (1991) process of empowerment framework. This study used a secondary analysis of a data set obtained from a mixed methods study exploring access to health and social care for 23 persons with SCI in Saskatchewan, Canada. The primary study data were collected from September 2012 to January 2013. The secondary analysis of data utilised a deductive thematic analysis approach and findings were conceptualised and applied to a model that represents the shift in balance between powerlessness and empowerment in individuals with SCI. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  13. Employee empowerment, innovative behavior and job productivity of public health nurses: a cross-sectional questionnaire survey.

    PubMed

    Chang, Li-Chun; Liu, Chieh-Hsing

    2008-10-01

    Employee empowerment is an important organizational issue. Empowered employees with new ideas and innovative attributes may increase their ability to respond more effectively to face extensive changes in current public health care work environments. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationships between employee empowerment, innovative behaviors and job productivity of public health nurses (PHNs). This study conducted a cross-sectional research design. Purposive sampling was conducted from six health bureaus in northern Taiwan. 670 PHNs were approached and 576 valid questionnaires were collected, with a response rate of 85.9%. Structured questionnaires were used to collect data by post. Meaning and competence subscales of psychological empowerment, information and opportunity subscales of organizational empowerment, and innovative behaviors were the predictors of job productivity, only accounting for 16.4% of the variance. The competence subscale of psychological empowerment made the most contribution to job productivity (beta = 0.31). Meaning subscale of psychological empowerment has a negative impact on job productivity. Employee empowerment and innovative behavior of PHNs have little influence on job productivity. Employees with greater competence for delivering public health showed higher self-evaluated job productivity. The negative influences on job productivity possibly caused by conflict meaning on public health among PHNs in current public health policy. It should be an issue in further researches. Public health department should strengthen continuing education to foster competence of psychological sense of empowerment and innovative behavior to increase job productivity

  14. The practicality of employee empowerment: supporting a psychologically safe culture.

    PubMed

    Valadares, Kevin J

    2004-01-01

    In times of workforce shortages and increasing pressures to compete, health care organizations need to advance and ameliorate their resources to ensure organizational success. Other industries have maximized empowerment initiatives as a strategy to retain and develop employees as primary stakeholders of its mission. While the notion of employee empowerment is by itself noble, for it to succeed, health care organizations must promote a culture of psychological safety to ensure a genuine commitment exists in its mission and strategies.

  15. Empowerment and the ecological determinants of health: three critical capacities for practitioners.

    PubMed

    Williams, Lewis

    2017-08-01

    Human agency or the expression of intentionality towards some form of betterment has long occupied human imagination and creativity. The ways in which we express such aspirations are fundamentally informed by our beliefs about the nature of reality, meanings of human well-being and progress, and the ways in which our social locations shape our interests. Within Western health-promoting discourse and practice, such processes have largely been expressed through the construct of empowerment. To date, like health, much empowerment practice has been implicitly rooted in Cartesianism, has tended towards anthropocentrism and in cases where it has engaged with environmental issues, has mirrored environmentalism's focus on externalities and objectivity. These tendencies coupled with the increasing complexity of global, ecological, human well-being issues call empowerment practitioners to integrate new kinds of capacities more suited to addressing the ecological determinants of health. Drawing in part on the author's empowerment research over more than a decade, this article distinguishes between a range of epistemological perspectives underlying contemporary empowerment practices while fore-grounding the concepts of place-based agency and social-ecological resilience. These constructs in turn form the basis for three capacities considered critical for practitioners addressing human-ecological well-being. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  16. The effect of nurses' empowerment perceptions on job safety behaviours: a research study in Turkey.

    PubMed

    Yıldız, Ahmet; Kaya, Sıdıka; Teleş, Mesut; Korku, Cahit

    2018-05-03

    This study aimed to investigate the effect of nurses' empowerment perceptions on job safety behaviours. A survey of 377 nurses working in five hospitals in Turkey was conducted using the conditions of work effectiveness questionnaire, psychological empowerment instrument, universal precautions compliance scale and occupational health and safety obligations compliance scale. Relations between variables were tested using Pearson's correlation and path analysis. There was a moderate and statistically significant relationship between psychological and structural empowerment and complying with universal safety measures and meeting occupational health and safety obligations. Also, an increase of 1 unit on the level of psychological empowerment was found to correspond to an increase of 0.37 units on the level of universal precautions compliance and to an increase of 0.46 units on the level of occupational health and safety obligations compliance. As such, an increase of 1 unit in structural empowerment corresponds to an increase of 0.53 units on the level of universal precautions compliance and to an increase of 0.36 units (total effect) on the level of occupational health and safety obligations compliance. The findings reveal that empowerment is a valuable tool for nurses' positive job safety behaviours.

  17. The Effect of Empowerment and Self-Determination on Health Outcomes.

    PubMed

    Garces-Ozanne, Arlene; Kalu, Edna Ikechi; Audas, Richard

    2016-12-01

    There remains a persistent gap in health outcomes between wealthy and poor countries. Basic measures such as life expectancy and infant and under-five mortality remain divergent, with preventable deaths being unacceptably high, despite significant efforts to reduce these disparities. We examine the impact of empowerment, measured by Freedom House's ratings of country's political rights and civil liberties, while controlling for per capita gross domestic product, secondary school enrollment, and income inequality, on national health outcomes. Using data from 1970 to 2013 across 149 countries, our results suggest, quite strongly, that higher levels of empowerment have a significant positive association with life expectancy, particularly for females, and lower rates of infant and under-five mortality. Our results point to the need for efforts to stimulate economic growth be accompanied with reforms to increase the levels empowerment through increasing political rights and civil liberties. © 2016 Society for Public Health Education.

  18. The influence of authentic leadership and empowerment on new-graduate nurses' perceptions of interprofessional collaboration.

    PubMed

    Laschinger, Heather K S; Smith, Lesley Marie

    2013-01-01

    The aim of this study was to examine new-graduate nurses' perceptions of the influence of authentic leadership and structural empowerment on the quality of interprofessional collaboration in healthcare work environments. Although the challenges associated with true interprofessional collaboration are well documented, new-graduate nurses may feel particularly challenged in becoming contributing members. Little research exists to inform nurse leaders' efforts to facilitate effective collaboration in acute care settings. A predictive nonexperimental design was used to test a model integrating authentic leadership and workplace empowerment as resources that support interprofessional collaboration. Multiple regression analysis revealed that 24% of the variance in perceived interprofessional collaboration was explained by unit-leader authentic leadership and structural empowerment (R = 0.24, F = 29.55, P = .001). Authentic leadership (β = .294) and structural empowerment (β = .288) were significant independent predictors. Results suggest that authentic leadership and structural empowerment may promote interprofessional collaborative practice in new nurses.

  19. Women's empowerment and its differential impact on health in low income communities in Mumbai, India

    PubMed Central

    Davis, Lwendo Moonzwe; Schensul, Stephen L.; Schensul, Jean J.; Verma, Ravi; Nastasi, Bonnie K.; Singh, Rajendra

    2015-01-01

    This paper examines the relationship of empowerment to women's self-reported general health status and women's self-reported health during pregnancy in low-income communities in Mumbai. The data on which this paper is based were collected in three study communities located in a marginalized area of Mumbai. We draw on two data sources: in-depth qualitative interviews conducted with 66 married women and a survey sample of 260 married women. Our analysis shows that empowerment functions differently in relation to women's reproductive status. Non-pregnant women with higher levels of empowerment experience greater general health problems, while pregnant women with higher levels of empowerment are less likely to experience pregnancy related health problems. We explain this non-intuitive finding and suggest that a globally defined empowerment measure for women may be less useful that one that is contextually and situationally defined. PMID:24766149

  20. "Coming Out" with a Mental Disorder in Japan: How Self-Stigma and Empowerment Affect this Decision.

    PubMed

    Nagai, Kuniyoshi; Kajita, Etsuko

    2018-03-01

    When persons with mental disorders attempt to live independently in the community, they face situations where they must decide whether to disclose their disorder (i.e., "come out"), which will affect self-concept, self-stigma, and empowerment. We conducted a self-reported questionnaire among users of psychiatric daycare facilities (N = 150) to gather correlational data on these variables among others. Sixty-one percent had positive intentions to come out, which was influenced by affirmativeness and self-efficacy. More participants with mood disorders intended on coming out than did those with schizophrenia. Satisfaction with social support encouraged coming-out affirmativeness and autonomy, providing implications for caregivers.

  1. Opening the Black Box: Women's Empowerment and Innovative Secondary Education in Honduras

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Murphy-Graham, Erin

    2008-01-01

    This article aims to clarify the relationship between education and women's empowerment. Drawing from qualitative data collected in a study of four Garifuna villages on the north coast of Honduras, it argues that education can trigger the empowerment process if it expands women's knowledge and understanding, self-confidence and awareness of gender…

  2. An Examination of Leadership Readiness and Empowerment among Full-Time Nursing Faculty

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bilder, Loretta Lynn

    2014-01-01

    Leadership skills in faculty and administrators are vital given the complex challenges faced in higher education, yet little is known about how best to prepare for a leadership role. According to the literature in other disciplines, empowerment can be identified as a primary antecedent to leadership readiness. Empowerment has been studied related…

  3. Developing and Translating a New Model for Teaching Empowerment Into Routine Chronic Care Management

    PubMed Central

    Wallace, Carolyn A; Pontin, David; Dokova, Klara; Mikkonen, Irma; Savage, Eileen; Koskinen, Liisa

    2017-01-01

    Background: Health professional education has been criticized for not integrating patient expertise into professional curricula to develop professional skills in patient empowerment. Objective: To develop and translate a new expert patient-centered model for teaching empowerment into professional education about routine chronic care management. Methods: Eight Finnish patients (known as expert patients), 31 students, and 11 lecturers from 4 European countries participated in a new pilot intensive educational module. Thirteen focus groups, artefacts, and an online student evaluation were analyzed using a thematic analysis and triangulated using a meta-matrix. Results: A patient-centered pedagogical model is presented, which describes 3 phases of empowerment: (1) preliminary work, (2) the elements of empowerment, and (3) the expected outcomes. These 3 phases were bound by 2 cross-cutting themes “time” and “enabling resources.” Conclusion: Patient expertise was embedded into the new module curriculum. Using an example of care planning, and Pentland and Feldman’s theory of routine organization, the results are translated into a patient-centered educational model for teaching empowerment to health profession students. PMID:29582009

  4. Patient empowerment, an additional characteristic of the European definitions of general practice/family medicine.

    PubMed

    Mola, Ernesto

    2013-06-01

    Growing evidence supports the inclusion of patient empowerment as a key ingredient of care for patients with chronic conditions. In recent years, several studies based on patient empowerment, have been carried out in different European countries in the context of general practice and primary care to improve management of chronic diseases. These studies have shown good results of the care model, increasing patient and health professionals' satisfaction, adherence to guidelines and to treatment, and improving clinical outcomes. In 2011, the Wonca European Council included as the twelfth characteristic of the European definitions of general practice/family medicine: 'promote patient empowerment'. The aim of this paper is to clarify the meaning of 'patient empowerment' and to explain why family medicine should be considered the most suitable setting to promote it. The inclusion of patient empowerment as one of the essential characteristics of general practice fills a conceptual gap and clearly suggests to the European health care systems a tested model to face chronic diseases: involving and empowering patients in managing their own conditions to improve health and well-being.

  5. Coastal women empowerment in improving enterprise of fish product processing in Sanga-Sanga Districts

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Haqiqiansyah, G.; Sugiharto, E.

    2018-04-01

    This research was conducted to identify and scrutinize women empowerment of fish product processing group in the District of Sanga-Sanga on 2017. The method used was survey method, which is direct observation and interview to respondent. Data were collected in the form of primary and secondary data. Collected data then processed, tabulated, and displayed in the table and graph. The measurement of women empowerment degree was measured by Likert Scale on 3 level, that are score 1 = low, score 2 = less, and score 3 = high. The result of research demonstrated that the rate of empowerment women group of fish product processor was high (score 42,75). Partially, awareness level or willingness to change of processing enterprise group which indicate empowerment indicator categorized as high (91,67%). The level of capability to increase the chance of acquiring access was high (66,67%), the level of capability to overcome an obstacle tend to categorized as less (50%) and the level of capability to collaborate was high (66,67%). It means that the level of coastal women empowerment could be reliable to do a reformation.

  6. Women's empowerment and micro-finance programmes: strategies for increasing impact.

    PubMed

    Mayoux, L

    1998-05-01

    This study summarizes findings from a pilot project that distributed information and ran workshops in Ethiopia, Ghana, and India, on women's empowerment and microfinance. The project was funded by the British Small Enterprise Development Fund of the Department of International Development. Links between microfinance and women's empowerment are viewed as optimistic, limited by design, cost effective in eliminating poverty, and a misplaced diversion of resources. Microfinance programs range from small scale self-help groups to large poverty-targeted banks. One model may vary in delivery, group functions and structures, and complementary services. This project identified 3 contrasting approaches to microfinance and women's empowerment: the financial sustainability approach, the integrated community development approach, and the feminist empowerment approach. However, program evaluations revealed the need to question the assumptions underlying all 3 approaches. In most programs, women benefited to a limited degree. Many women did not control the loan use. Most women were engaged in low paid, traditionally female activities, and increases in income were small. Resources and time invested in economic activity were limited by responsibility for household consumption and unpaid domestic work. Microfinance programs sometimes created domestic tension between spouses and loss of spousal income and support. Group repayment pressures sometimes created pressures between women. Many women focused on personal rather than social objectives. The author proposes a gender strategy for microfinance and sets priorities for further research.

  7. Patient reported outcomes and patient empowerment in clinical genetics services.

    PubMed

    McAllister, M; Dearing, A

    2015-08-01

    Evaluation of clinical genetics services (CGS), including genetic counseling and genetic testing, has been problematic. Patient mortality and morbidity are unlikely to be directly improved by interventions offered in CGS. Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) are not routinely measured in CGS evaluation, but this may change as patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) become a key part of how healthcare services are managed and funded across the world. However, there is no clear consensus about which PROMs are most useful for CGS evaluation. This review summarizes the published research on how PROs from CGS have been measured and how patients may benefit from using those services, with a focus on patient empowerment. Many patient benefits (PROs) identified repeatedly in the research literature can be re-interpreted within a patient empowerment framework. Other important PROs identified include family functioning, social functioning, altruism, sense of purpose, enabling development of future research and treatment/participating in research. Well-validated measures are available to capture (dimensions of) patient empowerment. Although generic measures of family functioning are available, suitable measures capturing social functioning, development of future treatments, and altruism were not identified in this review. Patient empowerment provides one useful approach to measuring PROs from CGS. © 2014 The Authors. Clinical Genetics published by John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  8. The Association of Psychological Empowerment and Job Burnout in Operational Staff of Tehran Emergency Center.

    PubMed

    Ghaniyoun, Aram; Shakeri, Khosro; Heidari, Mohammad

    2017-09-01

    Workers in social service professions are the first candidates for job burnout. The researchers believe this is due to daily exposure to stressful situations and lack of positive conditions in the workplace. It seems that psychological empowerment of staff can affect their job burnout. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between psychological empowerment and job burnout in operational staff of emergency center. This was a descriptive correlational study. A total of 1100 operational staff of emergency center were evaluated, and of which, 285 persons were selected by simple random sampling method. Data were collected using Spritzer's psychological empowerment and Maslach Burnout Inventory questionnaires. SPSS software, version 18, was used for data analysis along with descriptive analytical tests. The findings of this study revealed that the majority of units (46%) were in intermediate level in terms of empowerment. Similarly, the majority of cases had intermediate level (77.5%), and a minor percentage (8.4%) had low levels of job burnout. Based on Pearson's correlation test, there was a significant invert correlation between psychological empowerment and job burnout. This inverse and significant relationship was also observed between the four components of psychological empowerment (competence, self-determination, impact, and meaning) and job burnout. According to the results of the study, policy makers and health planners can take some measures in enhancing psychological empowerment to prevent problems associated with job burnout, by identifying stressors and strategies to deal with them.

  9. The Association of Psychological Empowerment and Job Burnout in Operational Staff of Tehran Emergency Center

    PubMed Central

    Ghaniyoun, Aram; Shakeri, Khosro; Heidari, Mohammad

    2017-01-01

    Background: Workers in social service professions are the first candidates for job burnout. The researchers believe this is due to daily exposure to stressful situations and lack of positive conditions in the workplace. It seems that psychological empowerment of staff can affect their job burnout. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between psychological empowerment and job burnout in operational staff of emergency center. Methods: This was a descriptive correlational study. A total of 1100 operational staff of emergency center were evaluated, and of which, 285 persons were selected by simple random sampling method. Data were collected using Spritzer's psychological empowerment and Maslach Burnout Inventory questionnaires. SPSS software, version 18, was used for data analysis along with descriptive analytical tests. Results: The findings of this study revealed that the majority of units (46%) were in intermediate level in terms of empowerment. Similarly, the majority of cases had intermediate level (77.5%), and a minor percentage (8.4%) had low levels of job burnout. Based on Pearson's correlation test, there was a significant invert correlation between psychological empowerment and job burnout. This inverse and significant relationship was also observed between the four components of psychological empowerment (competence, self-determination, impact, and meaning) and job burnout. Conclusions: According to the results of the study, policy makers and health planners can take some measures in enhancing psychological empowerment to prevent problems associated with job burnout, by identifying stressors and strategies to deal with them. PMID:28970654

  10. Nurse managers' perceptions and experiences regarding staff nurse empowerment: a qualitative study.

    PubMed

    Van Bogaert, Peter; Peremans, Lieve; de Wit, Marlinde; Van Heusden, Danny; Franck, Erik; Timmermans, Olaf; Havens, Donna S

    2015-01-01

    To study nurse managers' perceptions and experiences of staff nurse structural empowerment and its impact on the nurse manager leadership role and style. Nurse managers' leadership roles may be viewed as challenging given the complex needs of patients and staff nurses' involvement in both clinical and organizational decision-making processes in interdisciplinary care settings. Qualitative phenomenological study. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with 8 medical or surgical nurse managers in a 600-bed Belgian university hospital between December 2013 and June 2014. This hospital was undergoing conversion from a classical hierarchical, departmental structure to a flat, interdisciplinary model. Nurse managers were found to be familiar with the structural empowerment of clinical nurses in the hospital and to hold positive attitudes toward it. They confirmed the positive impact of empowerment on their staff nurses, as evidenced by increased responsibility, autonomy, critical reflection and enhanced communication skills that in turn improved the quality and safety of patient care. Structural empowerment was being supported by several change initiatives at both the unit and hospital levels. Nurse managers' experiences with these initiatives were mixed, however, because of the changing demands with regard to their manager role and leadership style. In addition, pressure was being experienced by both staff nurses and nurse managers as a result of direct patient care priorities, tightly scheduled projects and miscommunication. Nurse managers reported that structural empowerment was having a favorable impact on staff nurses' professional attitudes and the safety and quality of care in their units. However, they also reported that the empowerment process had led to changes in the managers' roles as well as daily practice dilemmas related to the leadership styles needed. Clear organizational goals and dedicated support for both clinical nurses and nursing unit

  11. Indicators for evaluating cancer organizations' support services: performance and associations with empowerment.

    PubMed

    Lauzier, Sophie; Campbell, H Sharon; Livingston, Patricia M; Maunsell, Elizabeth

    2014-10-15

    Community-based cancer organizations provide services to support patients. An anticipated benefit of these services is patient empowerment. However, this outcome has not been evaluated because of the lack of validated health-related empowerment questionnaires in the cancer context. In this validation study, the authors assessed the extent to which 16 indicators used by the Canadian Cancer Society (CCS) and the Cancer Council Victoria, Australia (CCV) to evaluate their services were associated with health-related empowerment. Cancer patients/survivors who were diagnosed < 3 years earlier and who used CCS programs completed a questionnaire that included the 16 CCS-CCV indicators and 5 scales from the Health Education Impact Questionnaire (heiQ) measuring key dimensions of empowerment. To determine whether the CCS-CCV indicators captured empowerment, differences in heiQ scores were compared between 2 groups: those with higher levels of agreement (agreeing or agreeing strongly) with an indicator and those with lower levels of agreement (agreeing slightly or disagreeing to any degree). Participation was 72% (207 of 289 eligible CCS users). Compared with participants who had lower levels of agreement on CCS-CCV indicators, those who had higher levels of agreement were more likely to report higher levels of empowerment on the different heiQ scales. For 15 of 16 indicators, these differences were significant (Wilcoxon rank-sum test; P < .10) on ≥ 1 of 5 heiQ scales and for 10 of 16 indicators on ≥ 3 of 5 heiQ scales. Two indicators were associated significantly with all 5 heiQ scales (cope better and feel more in control). Using CCS-CCV indicators to evaluate community-based cancer organizations' services will help determine whether these services are reaching one of their important goals: namely empowering patients. © 2014 American Cancer Society.

  12. The Effect of Trust on Teacher Empowerment: The Mediation of Teacher Efficacy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yin, Hong-biao; Lee, John Chi-Kin; Jin, Yu-le; Zhang, Zhong-hua

    2013-01-01

    This study explores the impact of teachers' perception of trust in colleagues on their sense of empowerment in Mainland China, with a particular focus on the mediating role of teacher efficacy. The results of a survey of 1646 teachers indicate that although teachers scored positively on trust in colleagues, efficacy and empowerment, they had…

  13. Individual and collective empowerment and associated factors among Brazilian adults: a cross-sectional study.

    PubMed

    Soares, Marcia Fatima; Ferreira, Rachel Conceição; Pazzini, Camila Alessandra; Travassos, Denise Vieira; Paiva, Saul Martins; e Ferreira, Efigênia Ferreira

    2015-08-12

    The empowerment embedded in the health area is defined as a process that can facilitate control over the determinants of health of individuals and population as a way to improve health. The aim of this study was to verify the association between individual and collective empowerment with sociodemographic conditions, lifestyle, health conditions and quality of life. A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted with 1150 individuals (aged 35 to 44 years). The empowerment was determined by questions from the Integrated Questionnaire for the Measurement of Social Capital (IQ-MSC). The quality of life was measured using the WHOQOL (World Health Organization Quality of Life-Bref). Lifestyle and health conditions were obtained by adapted questions from the Fantastic Lifestyle Questionnaire The DMFT Index was incorporated in the health conditions questions. Logistic regression or multinomial regression was performed. The practice of physical activity was related to individual (OR: 2.70) and collective (OR: 1.57) empowerment. Regarding individual empowerment, people with higher education level (5-11 years - OR: 3.46 and ≥12 years - OR: 4.41), who felt more able to deal with stress (OR:3.76), who presented a high score on quality of life (psychological domain) (OR:1.23) and that smoked (OR:1.49) were more likely to feel able to make decisions and participate in community activities. The increase in the DMFT Index represented less chance of individuals to feel more able to make decisions (OR: 0.96). Regarding the collective empowerment, being religious (catholic) (OR: 1.82), do not drink or drink just a little (OR: 1.66 and 2.28, respectively), and increased score of overall quality of life (OR: 1.08) were more likely to report that people cooperate to solve a problem in their community. The two approaches to empowerment, the individual and collective are connected, and the physical activity showed to be a good strategy for the empowerment construction.

  14. Maternal education, empowerment, economic status and child polio vaccination uptake in Pakistan: a population based cross sectional study

    PubMed Central

    Zaheer, Sidra; Shafique, Kashif

    2017-01-01

    Objectives To explore the association of maternal education and empowerment with childhood polio vaccination using nationally representative data of Pakistani mothers in a reproductive age group. Design Cross-sectional. Setting Secondary analysis of Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey (PDHS), 2012–2013 data was performed. Participants Of the 13 558 mothers included in the survey sample, 6982 mothers were able to provide information regarding polio vaccinations. Main outcome measures Polio vaccination coverage among children aged up to 5 years was categorised as complete vaccination (all four oral polio vaccine (OPV) doses), incomplete vaccination, and no vaccination (zero OPV dose received). Mothers' empowerment status was assessed using standard ‘Measure DHS’ questions regarding their involvement in decision-making related to health, household possessions and visits among family and friends. Education was categorised as no education, primary, secondary and higher education. Results of multinomial regression analyses were reported as adjusted OR with 95% CI. We adjusted for age, wealth index, urban/rural residence, place of delivery, and antenatal and postnatal visits. Results Only 56.4% (n=3936) of the children received complete polio vaccination. Women with no education had significantly higher odds of their child receiving no polio vaccination (OR 2.34, 95% CI 1.05 to 5.18; p<0.01) and incomplete vaccination (OR 1.40, 95% CI 1.04 to 1.87; p<0.01). Further, unempowered women also had significantly higher odds of not taking their child for any polio vaccination (OR 1.58, 95% CI 1.17 to 2.12; p<0.01) and incomplete vaccination (OR 1.18, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.41; p=0.04). Conclusions Illiteracy, socioeconomic status and empowerment of women remained significant factors linked to poorer uptake of routine polio vaccination. PMID:28283489

  15. Is Women's Empowerment Associated With Help-Seeking for Spousal Violence in India?

    PubMed

    Rowan, Kathleen; Mumford, Elizabeth; Clark, Cari Jo

    2018-05-01

    Violence against women by their husbands is a problem for women worldwide. However, the majority of women do not seek help. This article presents findings from a national survey in India on empowerment-related correlates of help-seeking behaviors for currently married women who experienced spousal violence. We examined individual-, relationship-, and state-level measures of empowerment on help-seeking from informal and formal sources. Findings indicate that help-seeking is largely not associated with typical measures of empowerment or socio-economic development, whereas state-level indicators of empowerment may influence help-seeking. Although not a target of this study, we also note that injury from violence and the severity of the violence were among the strongest factors related to seeking help. Taken together, the low prevalence of help-seeking and lack of strong individual-level correlates, apart from severe harm, suggests widespread barriers to seeking help. Interventions that affect social norms and reach women and men across social classes in society are needed in addition to any individual-level efforts to promote seeking help for spousal violence.

  16. Leader Empowering Behaviours and Work Engagement: The Mediating Role of Structural Empowerment.

    PubMed

    Cziraki, Karen; Laschinger, Heather

    2015-09-01

    Reports of poor working conditions persist amid ongoing healthcare restructuring. Simultaneously, nursing shortage threats continue as the nursing population ages. Leadership strategies that create empowering working conditions are likely to retain nurses who are eligible to retire, and attract future nurses to the profession. Several studies have focused on leader behaviours and structural empowerment in recent years and how these impact the work environment and staff engagement. Correlations among leader empowering behaviours, structural empowerment and work engagement have been demonstrated (Laschinger et al. 1999; Peachey 2002); however, there is a gap in the empirical literature as to how leader empowering behaviours influence nurses' work engagement by creating structurally empowering work environments. Kanter's (1977, 1993) structural empowerment theory was used to test this proposition using data from a cross-sectional study of 322 Ontario staff nurses. Mediation analysis revealed that structural empowerment partially mediated the influence of leader empowering behaviours on work engagement. The implications for healthcare managers and leaders are discussed with a view to the recruitment and retention of nursing staff, by fostering greater work engagement. Copyright © 2015 Longwoods Publishing.

  17. Women's empowerment and health: the role of institutions of power in Pakistan.

    PubMed

    Qureshi, N; Shaikh, B T

    2007-01-01

    Women's right to health has been reiterated many times. However, there are social and cultural barriers in developing countries that hinder their empowerment. Women's low status, deprivation of education and lack of control over their own lives and bodies have a negative impact on their health status and that of their families. This paper discusses women's empowerment and health within the framework of the 4 institutions of power in a society-family, community, health care systems and the state--with special reference to the situation in Pakistan. It concludes that to improve women's health status, concerted efforts are needed by all these institutions of power to work towards gender equality and the greater empowerment of women.

  18. A Prototype Exercise-Empowerment Mobile Video Game for Children With Cancer, and Its Usability Assessment: Developing Digital Empowerment Interventions for Pediatric Diseases.

    PubMed

    Bruggers, Carol S; Baranowski, Sabrina; Beseris, Mathew; Leonard, Rachel; Long, Derek; Schulte, Elizabeth; Shorter, Ashton; Stigner, Rowan; Mason, Clinton C; Bedrov, Alisa; Pascual, Ian; Bulaj, Grzegorz

    2018-01-01

    Medical advances continue to improve morbidity and mortality of serious pediatric diseases, including cancer, driving research addressing diminished physical and psychological quality of life in children with these chronic conditions. Empowerment enhances resilience and positively influences health, disease, and therapy understanding. We describe the development and usability assessment of a prototype Empower Stars! mobile video game grounded in behavioral and exercise theories with the purpose of coupling physical exercise with empowerment over disease in children with cancer. Academic faculty, health-care providers, and community video game developers collaborated in this project. The iPadAir was selected as a delivery platform for its accelerometer and gyroscope features facilitating exercise design. Unity multiplatform technology provided animation and audiovisual features for immediate player feedback. Javascript, C#, Photoshop, Flash, and SketchUp were used for coding, creating graphical assets, Sprite sheets, and printing files, respectively. 3D-printed handles and case backing were used to adapt the iPad for physical exercise. Game usability, engagement, and enjoyment were assessed via a multilevel study of children undergoing cancer chemotherapy, their parents, and pediatric cancer health-care providers. Feedback crucial for ongoing game development was analyzed. A prototype Empower Stars! mobile video game was developed for children 7-14 years old with cancer. Active, sedentary, educational, and empowerment-centered elements intermix for 20 min of exercise within a 30 min "one-day treatment" gameplay session involving superheroes, space exploration, metaphorical cancer challenges, life restoration on a barren planet, and innumerable star rewards. No player "dies." Usability assessment data analyses showed widespread enthusiasm for integrating exercise with empowerment over cancer and the game itself. Favorite elements included collecting star

  19. Influences of health literacy, judgment skills, and empowerment on asthma self-management practices.

    PubMed

    Londoño, Ana Maria Moreno; Schulz, Peter J

    2015-07-01

    Asthma self-management has been recognized as an essential factor for the improvement of asthma outcomes and patients' quality of life (WHO, 2013). Likewise, empowerment and health literacy have been noted as important elements for the management of chronic diseases. To study the influence of health literacy and empowerment on asthma self-management. This cross-sectional study used a self-reported questionnaire assessing health literacy, judgment skills, empowerment, and asthma self-management; 236 patients were recruited from medical offices in Switzerland and Italy. Judgment skills (B=2.28, p<0.001) and empowerment (B=0.19, p<0.05) have a significant and positive influence on several asthma self-management practices such as use of medicines, timely medical consultation, and asthma triggers control whereas health literacy (B=-0.15, p<0.175) appeared to have a negative effect on self-management practices. However, this was not significant. These findings suggest that empowered patients with adequate judgment skills carry out key self-management tasks more appropriately, which in turn will potentially result in better asthma control. This study recommends that both empowerment and judgment skills should be addressed in patient education as they serve as essential motivators to engage patients in these behaviors. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Dispositional characteristics, relational well-being and perceived life satisfaction and empowerment of elders.

    PubMed

    Francescato, Donata; Pezzuti, Lina; Mebane, Minou; Tomai, Manuela; Benedetti, Maura; Moro, Annalisa

    2017-10-01

    The broad purpose of this research is to identify the key modifiable variables most related to elders' life satisfaction and empowerment in order to improve the efficacy of interventions projects. Our study aims to integrate the theoretical perspectives of personality and community psychology focusing both on dispositional characteristics and relational well-being of elders, investigating triads, composed by an elder, a paid caregiver and the most involved relative. This study explores the impact of (1) some socio-demographic characteristics of elders, (2) some modifiable dispositional variables of elders and (3) elders' relational well-being on elders' empowerment and life satisfaction. The study involved 429 people in 143 triads. Semi-structured interviews with elders, paid caregiver and close relatives were used to construct a new pilot measure of elders' relational well-being. Life Satisfaction, Empowerment, Loneliness, Positivity, Humor and Emotions self-efficacy scales were also administered. Hierarchical multiple regressions were performed. Elders' positivity, relational well-being of elders and living alone were significantly related to empowerment. Elders' relational well-being and positivity significantly contributed to life satisfaction. Interventions to increase empowerment and life satisfaction should focus primarily on augmenting positivity and relational well-being integrating the theoretical premises of both personality and community psychology.

  1. Relationships among structural empowerment, psychological empowerment, intent to stay and burnout in nursing field in mainland China-based on a cross-sectional questionnaire research.

    PubMed

    Meng, Lina; Liu, Yanhui; Liu, Hongwei; Hu, Yu; Yang, Jipeng; Liu, Jingying

    2015-06-01

    The aim of the study was to explore the relationship among perceived structural empowerment, psychological empowerment, burnout and intent to stay by nurses in mainland China.With the shortage of nurses in many countries, including China, intent to stay is a dominant factor to influence the quality of care. Also, burnout is identified to negatively affect the quality of care. Empowered clinical nurse practical environment is related to intent to stay and burnout. In the current literature, there is a lack of data based on empowering environment discussing the relationship between burnout and intent to stay. The study used an anonymous questionnaire, filled voluntarily by 219 nurses from different sections in a city in mainland China, 2012.Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to test the proposed hypotheses. Based on the SEM model, structural empowerment and psychological empowerment had significant positive effects on intent to stay of nurses and negative effects on burnout. Burnout had a significant negative effect on intent to stay. The final modified models yielded χ(2)  = 58.580, P > 0.05, χ(2) /df = 1.046, root mean square error of approximation = 0.015, Tucker-Lewis Index = 0.996, comparative fit index = 0.998,which indicated good fit indices. Creating a positive empowering workplace can encourage nurses to stay long and prevent burnout. Therefore, higher level of empowering environment is required. © 2014 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

  2. Seeking Connectivity in Nurses' Work Environments: Advancing Nurse Empowerment Theory.

    PubMed

    Udod, Sonia

    2014-09-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate how staff nurses and their managers exercise power in a hospital setting in order to better understand what fosters or constrains staff nurses' empowerment and to extend nurse empowerment theory. Power is integral to empowerment, and attention to the challenges in nurses' work environment and nurse outcomes by administrators, researchers, and policy-makers has created an imperative to advance a theoretical understanding of power in the nurse-manager relationship. A sample of 26 staff nurses on 3 units of a tertiary hospital in western Canada were observed and interviewed about how the manager affected their ability to do their work. Grounded theory methodology was used. The process of seeking connectivity was the basic social process, indicating that the manager plays a critical role in the work environment and nurses need the manager to share power with them in the provision of safe, quality patient care. Copyright© by Ingram School of Nursing, McGill University.

  3. Challenging empowerment: AIDS-affected South African children and the need for a multi-level relational approach.

    PubMed

    Ansell, Nicola

    2014-01-01

    Critics of empowerment have highlighted the concept's mutability, focus on individual transformation, one-dimensionality and challenges of operationalisation. Relating these critiques to children's empowerment raises new challenges. Drawing on scholarship on children's subjecthood and exercise of power, alongside empirical research with children affected by AIDS, I argue that empowerment envisaged as individual self-transformation and increased capacity to act independently offers little basis for progressive change. Rather it is essential to adopt a relational approach that recognises the need to transform power relationships at multiple levels. This analysis has implications for our wider understanding of empowerment in the 21st century.

  4. Empowerment and organizational commitment of chiropractic faculty.

    PubMed

    Henkin, Alan B; Marchiori, Dennis M

    2003-06-01

    Professionals in chiropractic education retain much of the authority over their work. Their work is impacted, negatively or positively, by their perceptions of their organization's value for their skills and knowledge. Specifically, empowerment and organizational commitment are 2 psychological constructs that may mediate work circumstances and therefore are the focus of this study. The purpose of this study is to explore associations between empowerment and organizational commitment among chiropractic faculty. Study design Full faculty survey utilizing descriptive statistics and multivariable analysis. Surveys were distributed to full- and part-time faculty working in the United States and Canada. The survey included Spreitzer's multidimensional measure of psychological empowerment, Meyer and Allen's multidimensional measure of organizational commitment, and additional survey items focusing on faculty demographics and workplace variables including sex, age, academic rank, employment status, and primary area of work assignment. More than 54% of the study population (N = 609) completed and returned the instrument. A general profile of a chiropractic faculty member emerges as a middle-aged male employed full-time as a teacher in the academic program. Regression analyses suggest that the observed faculty characteristics and the workplace variables are not associated with fit between the faculty member's work role and his/her own beliefs, norms, and behaviors regarding the value of the work-related tasks. The level of institutional commitment experienced by the faculty member was associated with the fit between the task, goal or purpose of the job, and the internal standards held by the individual.

  5. Physical Education Students' Ownership, Empowerment, and Satisfaction with PE and Physical Activity

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Moore, E. Whitney G.; Fry, Mary D.

    2017-01-01

    Individuals experiencing a highly caring, task-involving, and low ego-involving exercise climate have reported greater ownership in exercise class and empowerment to exercise in general. Purpose: This study examined the relationship between ownership and empowerment in exercise, with 2 context-specific outcomes, satisfaction with physical…

  6. The effect of structural empowerment and organizational commitment on Chinese nurses' job satisfaction.

    PubMed

    Yang, Jinhua; Liu, Yanhui; Chen, Yan; Pan, Xiaoyan

    2014-08-01

    The purposes of this study were (1) to examine the level of structural empowerment, organizational commitment and job satisfaction in Chinese nurses; and (2) to investigate the relationships among the three variables. A high turnover rate was identified in Chinese staff nurses, and it was highly correlated with lower job satisfaction. Structural empowerment and organizational commitment have been positively related to job satisfaction in western countries. A cross-sectional survey design was employed. Data analysis included descriptive statistics and multiple step-wise regression to test the hypothesized model. Moderate levels of the three variables were found in this study. Both empowerment and commitment were found to be significantly associated with job satisfaction (r=0.722, r=0.693, p<0.01, respectively). The variables of work objectives, resources, support and informal power, normative and ideal commitment were significant predictors of job satisfaction. Support for an expanded model of Kanter's structural empowerment was achieved in this study. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Antecedents to Empowerment: A Preliminary Investigation.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hughes, Karel J.

    1998-01-01

    Contends that empowerment and student autonomy strongly correlate with self-confidence; that this increases with incremental successes; and that any success is the outcome of acquiring and applying appropriate skills. Argues that geography students will be better life-long learners if they are taught enabling skills early in their programs. (DSK)

  8. High School Teacher Perceptions of Empowerment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jacobs, Tricia S.

    2014-01-01

    As the responsibilities of principals become more complex and as accountability becomes more evident in K-12 cultures, it becomes increasingly important that high school principals be trained to empower teachers. This paper examined the research concerning the conditions of the empowerment of teachers. More specifically, it measured high school…

  9. Development and perceived effects of an educational programme on quality and safety in medication handling in residential facilities.

    PubMed

    Mygind, Anna; El-Souri, Mira; Rossing, Charlotte; Thomsen, Linda Aagaard

    2018-04-01

    To develop and test an educational programme on quality and safety in medication handling for staff in residential facilities for the disabled. The continuing pharmacy education instructional design model was used to develop the programme with 22 learning objectives on disease and medicines, quality and safety, communication and coordination. The programme was a flexible, modular seven + two days' course addressing quality and safety in medication handling, disease and medicines, and medication supervision and reconciliation. The programme was tested in five Danish municipalities. Municipalities were selected based on their application for participation; each independently selected a facility for residents with mental and intellectual disabilities, and a facility for residents with severe mental illnesses. Perceived effects were measured based on a questionnaire completed by participants before and after the programme. Effects on motivation and confidence as well as perceived effects on knowledge, skills and competences related to medication handling, patient empowerment, communication, role clarification and safety culture were analysed conducting bivariate, stratified analyses and test for independence. Of the 114 participants completing the programme, 75 participants returned both questionnaires (response rate = 66%). Motivation and confidence regarding quality and safety in medication handling significantly improved, as did perceived knowledge, skills and competences on 20 learning objectives on role clarification, safety culture, medication handling, patient empowerment and communication. The programme improved staffs' motivation and confidence and their perceived ability to handle residents' medication safely through improved role clarification, safety culture, medication handling and patient empowerment and communication skills. © 2017 Royal Pharmaceutical Society.

  10. [Characteristics of case management programs and their potential for patient empowerment].

    PubMed

    Grün, Oskar; Maier, Manfred

    2008-01-01

    Different types of case management programs have been increasingly developed for health care systems. This study, therefore, aimed to identify similarities and differences of case management programs, to estimate their shaping with special emphasis on patient empowerment, and to develop an instrument for their differentiation. During an interdisciplinary seminar for students, eight different case management programs were selected and analyzed. Five characteristics of case management programs were identified: type of case, extent of functions, players involved, limits of availability and need for resources. The programs were categorized into information-, provider-, disease- or patient centred. With these characteristics the selected programs could be exactly described and their potential for patient empowerment could be assessed. This newly developed tool for describing case management programs allows for their sufficient differentiation. The potential for patient empowerment apparently is most prominent in patient centred programs.

  11. Reclaiming the Maiden: Use of Archetypes in a 6-Week Women's Empowerment Group

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Singh, Anneliese; Hofsess, Christy D.

    2011-01-01

    The purpose of this article is to describe a 6-week, semi-structured group counseling experience for university women students (undergraduate and graduate) from diverse backgrounds exploring archetypes and using group empowerment skills. Theoretical perspectives on women's empowerment groups and the use of archetypes in counseling are discussed as…

  12. 24 CFR 984.204 - On-site facilities.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... SECTION 8 AND PUBLIC HOUSING FAMILY SELF-SUFFICIENCY PROGRAM Program Development and Approval Procedures... 24 Housing and Urban Development 4 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false On-site facilities. 984.204 Section 984.204 Housing and Urban Development Regulations Relating to Housing and Urban Development (Continued...

  13. Validity and reliability of the personnel version of the Family Empowerment Scale (FES) for the social, health and educational services in Finland.

    PubMed

    Vuorenmaa, Maaret; Halme, Nina; Åstedt-Kurki, Päivi; Kaunonen, Marja; Perälä, Marja-Leena

    2014-04-01

    This paper reports a study testing of the validity and reliability of the personnel version of the Family Empowerment Scale in family services in Finland. The role of family services in parental reinforcement is important, given their extensive reach to most families and their aim of promoting family welfare. No instruments applicable to this situation were available in Finland. The Family Empowerment Scale is a widely used instrument that measures parent's empowerment. The personnel version of the Family Empowerment Scale enables an evaluation of the reinforcement of empowerment. This study used a cross-sectional survey design. The Family Empowerment Scale was modified to measure how family services personnel evaluate reinforcement of parental empowerment. In May 2009, a questionnaire was sent to unit heads (n = 457) in public social, health and educational services for families with children aged 0-9 years. The construct, convergent and discriminant validities, reliability and responsiveness of the personnel version of the Family Empowerment Scale were assessed. According to confirmatory factor analysis, the personnel version of the Family Empowerment Scale comprised three subscales (family, service system and community) as in the original Family Empowerment Scale. Confirmed convergent and discriminant validities supported the same construct. The reliability of the personnel version of the Family Empowerment Scale was acceptable. The reinforcement level of parental empowerment was high. Parental empowerment was reinforced most in health and least in educational services. The psychometric properties of the personnel version of the Family Empowerment Scale were acceptable. It can serve as a generic instrument for assessing reinforcement of empowerment in family services in Finland. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  14. Measurement of Women’s Empowerment in Rural Bangladesh

    PubMed Central

    Mahmud, Simeen; Shah, Nirali M.; Becker, Stan

    2013-01-01

    SUMMARY Women’s empowerment is a dynamic process that has been quantified, measured and described in a variety of ways. We measure empowerment in a sample of 3500 rural women in 128 villages of Bangladesh with five indicators. A conceptual framework is presented, together with descriptive data on the indicators. Linear regressions to examine effects of covariates show that a woman’s exposure to television is a significant predictor of three of the five indicators. A woman’s years of schooling is significantly associated with one of two self-esteem indicators and with freedom of mobility. Household wealth has a significant and positive association with a woman’s resource control but a significant negative association with her total decision-making score. PMID:23637468

  15. Empowerment an essential ingredient in the clinical environment: a review of the literature.

    PubMed

    Kennedy, Sara; Hardiker, Nicholas; Staniland, Karen

    2015-03-01

    Empowerment is an important concept worthy of attention in healthcare. The merits of empowerment are irrefutable including benefits to the organisation and to the individual nurse. Empowered nurses contribute to the clinical learning environment in a positive way. There is a dearth of literature on how or indeed if nursing students are empowered. The process of empowering registered staff/nursing students is not clear. Ward environment and culture are important contributors to patient care, patient safety and staff well-being. It is therefore necessary to address how empowerment can contribute positively to improving the environment in which care is provided. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Gender empowerment and female-to-male smoking prevalence ratios

    PubMed Central

    Fong, Geoffrey T

    2011-01-01

    Abstract Objective To determine whether in countries with high gender empowerment the female-to-male smoking prevalence ratio is also higher. Methods Bivariate and multiple regression analyses were performed to explore the relation between the United Nations Development Programme’s gender empowerment measure (GEM) and the female-to-male smoking prevalence ratio (calculated from the 2008 WHO global tobacco control report). Because a country’s progression through the various stages of the tobacco epidemic and its gender smoking ratio (GSR) are thought to be influenced by its level of development, we explored this correlation as well, with economic development defined in terms of gross national income (GNI) per capita and income inequality (Gini coefficient). Findings The GSR was significantly and positively correlated with the GEM (r = 0.680; P < 0.001). In addition, the GEM was the strongest predictor of the GSR (β, adjusted: 0.47; P < 0.0001) after controlling for GNI per capita and for Gini coefficient. Conclusion Whether progress towards gender empowerment can take place without a corresponding increase in smoking among women remains to be seen. Strong tobacco control measures are needed in countries where women are being increasingly empowered. PMID:21379415

  17. Women's empowerment and the intention to continue the practice of female genital cutting in Egypt.

    PubMed

    Afifi, Mustafa

    2009-03-01

    The study aimed to (dis)prove the association of the level of women's empowerment with their future intention to perpetuate female genital cutting for their daughters. In a national representative community-based sample of 14,393 currently-married women in Egypt, the level of empowerment, intention to continue the practice, and other socio- demographic variables were collected in the 2000 Egypt Demographic and Health Survey. Secondary in-depth analysis was conducted on data downloaded from MEASURE Demographic Health Surveys (MEASURE DHS) website. About 14% of the women intended to discontinue the practice. Twenty-six percent of the women were empowered in all household decisions. Levels of women's empowerment adjusted for age, residence, education, interaction between empowerment and education, work status, and female genital cutting status of currently-married women were entered in six logistic regression models in a sequential way. In the last model, those of high levels of empowerment and education were 8.06 times more likely not intending to perpetuate female genital cutting for their daughters than low- empowered low-educated women.

  18. Psychological empowerment and job satisfaction between Baby Boomer and Generation X nurses.

    PubMed

    Sparks, Amy M

    2012-05-01

    This paper is a report of a study of differences in nurses' generational psychological empowerment and job satisfaction. Generations differ in work styles such as autonomy, work ethics, involvement, views on leadership, and primary views on what constitutes innovation, quality, and service. A secondary analysis was conducted from two data sets resulting in a sample of 451 registered nurses employed at five hospitals in West Virginia. One data set was gathered from a convenience sample and one from a randomly selected sample. Data were collected from 2000 to 2004. Baby Boomer nurses reported higher mean total psychological empowerment scores than Generation X nurses. There were no differences in total job satisfaction scores between the generations. There were significant differences among the generations' psychological empowerment scores. Generational differences related to psychological empowerment could provide insight into inconsistent findings related to nurse job satisfaction. Nurse administrators may consider this evidence when working on strategic plans to motivate and entice Generation X nurses and retain Baby Boomers. Although implications based on this study are tentative, the results indicate the need for administrators to consider the differences between Baby Boomer and Generation X nurses. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  19. Facility based cross-sectional study of self stigma among people with mental illness: towards patient empowerment approach

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background Self stigma among people with mental illness results from multiple cognitive and environmental factors and processes. It can negatively affect adherence to psychiatric services, self esteem, hope, social integration and quality of life of people with mental illness. The purpose of this study was to measure the level of self stigma and its correlates among people with mental illness at Jimma University Specialized Hospital, Psychiatry clinic in southwest Ethiopia. Methods Facility based cross-sectional study was conducted on 422 consecutive samples of people with mental illness using interviewer administered and pretested internalized stigma of mental illness (ISMI) scale. Data was entered using EPI-DATA and analysis was done using STATA software. Bivariate and multivariate linear regressions were done to identify correlates of self stigma. Results On a scale ranging from 1 to 4, the mean self stigma score was 2.32 (SD = 0.30). Females had higher self stigma (std. β = 0.11, P < 0.05) than males. Patients with a history of traditional treatment had higher self stigma (std. β = 0.11, P < 0.05). There was an inverse relationship between level of education and self-stigma (std. β = −0.17, P < 0.01). Perceived signs (std. β = 0.13, P < 0.05) and supernatural causes of mental illness (std. β = 0.16, P < 0.01) were positively correlated with self stigma. Higher number of drug side effects were positively correlated (std. β = 0.15, P < 0.05) while higher self esteem was negatively correlated (std. β = −0.14, P < 0.01) with self stigma. Conclusions High feeling of inferiority (alienation) but less agreement with common stereotypes (stereotype endorsement) was found. Female showed higher self stigma than male. History of traditional treatment and higher perceived supernatural explanation of mental illness were associated with higher self stigma. Drug side effects and perceived signs of mental

  20. Education in Aboriginal Communities: Dilemmas around Empowerment.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Taylor, Donald M.; And Others

    1993-01-01

    Sudden empowerment of Canadian Aboriginal communities has raised many dilemmas concerning community controlled education, including issues related to educational planning and decision making by inexperienced administrators, focusing educational goals on the community versus mainstream society, discontinuities between community and school culture,…

  1. Investigation of the relationship between structural empowerment and organizational commitment of nurses in Zanjan hospitals.

    PubMed

    Eskandari, Fereidoun; Siahkali, Soheila Rabie; Shoghli, Alireza; Pazargadi, Mehrnoosh; Tafreshi, Mansoreh Zaghari

    2017-03-01

    The demanding nature of nursing work environments signals longstanding and growing concerns about nurses' health and job satisfaction and the provision of quality care. Specifically in health care settings, nurse leaders play an essential role in creating supportive work environments to avert these negative trends and increase nurse job satisfaction. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between structural empowerment and organizational commitment of nurses. 491 nurses working in Zanjan hospitals participated in this descriptive-correlational study in 2010. Tools for data collection were Meyer and Allen's organizational commitment questionnaire and "Conditions for Work Effectiveness Questionnaire-II" (CWEQ-II). Data was analyzed by SPSS16. The statistical tests such as variance analysis, t-test, pearson correlation coefficient and linear regression were used for data analysis. According to the findings, the perception of nurses working in hospitals on "Structural Empowerment" was moderate (15.98±3.29). Nurses believed "opportunity" as the most important element in structural empowerment with the score of 3.18 ±0.79. Nurses working in non-academic hospitals and in non-teaching hospitals had higher organizational commitment than others. There was a significant relationship between structural empowerment and organizational commitment. Generally, structural empowerment (relatively strong) correlates with nurses' organizational commitment. We concluded that a high structural empowerment increases the organizational commitment of nurses.

  2. Dimensions of Teacher Empowerment: Identifying New Roles for Classroom Teachers in Restructuring Schools.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Klecker, Beverly; Loadman, William E.

    Teacher empowerment was one of eight criteria required by the Ohio Department of Education for funding as part of its Venture Capital Schools in Ohio program. This report, part of a larger study, identifies and summarizes dimensional definitions of teacher empowerment in school restructuring literature in order to enlarge the vision of Venture…

  3. Physical Education Students' Ownership, Empowerment, and Satisfaction With PE and Physical Activity.

    PubMed

    Moore, E Whitney G; Fry, Mary D

    2017-12-01

    Individuals experiencing a highly caring, task-involving, and low ego-involving exercise climate have reported greater ownership in exercise class and empowerment to exercise in general. This study examined the relationship between ownership and empowerment in exercise, with 2 context-specific outcomes, satisfaction with physical education (PE) and physical activity, respectively. Given the mission of PE to foster individuals' lifelong physical activity habit, the perceptions of high school students were collected for this study. Ownership in exercise was hypothesized to be significantly, positively correlated with students reporting satisfaction in PE more than their satisfaction in physical activity, whereas empowerment in exercise was hypothesized to be more strongly, positively correlated with students' physical activity satisfaction. A second purpose of this study was to test the measurement quality of the updated Empowerment in Exercise Scale (EES; now 13 items). High school students (N = 502, 43% female) in a Midwestern U.S. school district completed a survey. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the internal measurement structure of the EES (λ = .62-.91; McDonald's omega = .89) across student gender (strong invariance). Additionally, the structural equation modeling analysis revealed only 1 parameter moderated by the students' gender (latent mean of ownership). The hypotheses were supported, such that ownership in exercise was more strongly correlated with PE satisfaction (r = .87) and empowerment in exercise had a stronger correlation with physical activity satisfaction (r = .92). These results support the beneficial effect a satisfying experience in PE can have on students' satisfaction with physical activity outside of school.

  4. Job stress, mentoring, psychological empowerment, and job satisfaction among nursing faculty.

    PubMed

    Chung, Catherine E; Kowalski, Susan

    2012-07-01

    The National League for Nursing endorses mentoring throughout nursing faculty's careers as the method to recruit nurses into academia and improve retention of nursing faculty within the academy. A nationwide sample of 959 full-time nursing faculty completed a descriptive survey comprising a researcher-created demographic questionnaire plus Dreher's mentoring scale, Gmelch's faculty stress index, Spreitzer's psychological empowerment scale, and the National Survey for Postsecondary Faculty's job satisfaction scale. Results showed that 40% of the sample had a current work mentor. Variables showed significant relationships to job satisfaction (p < 0.01): mentoring quality (0.229), job stress (-0.568), and psychological empowerment (0.482). Multiple regression results indicated job satisfaction was significantly influenced (p < 0.01) by the presence of a mentoring relationship, salary, tenure status, psychological empowerment, and job stress. The regression model explained 47% of the variance in job satisfaction for the sample. Copyright 2012, SLACK Incorporated.

  5. Power and empowerment in nursing: looking backward to inform the future.

    PubMed

    Manojlovich, Milisa

    2007-01-31

    There are compelling reasons to empower nurses. Powerless nurses are ineffective nurses. Powerless nurses are less satisfied with their jobs and more susceptible to burnout and depersonalization. This article will begin with an examination of the concept of power; move on to a historical review of nurses' power over nursing practice; describe the kinds of power over nursing care needed for nurses to make their optimum contribution; and conclude with a discussion on the current state of nursing empowerment related to nursing care. Empowerment for nurses may consist of three components: a workplace that has the requisite structures to promote empowerment; a psychological belief in one's ability to be empowered; and acknowledgement that there is power in the relationships and caring that nurses provide. A more thorough understanding of these three components may help nurses to become empowered and use their power for better patient care.

  6. Empowerment, job satisfaction and organizational commitment: a comparative analysis of nurses working in Malaysia and England.

    PubMed

    Ahmad, Nora; Oranye, Nelson Ositadimma

    2010-07-01

    To examine the relationships between nurses' empowerment, job satisfaction and organizational commitment in culturally and developmentally different societies. Employment and retention of sufficient and well-committed nursing staff are essential for providing safe and effective health care. In light of this, nursing leaders have been searching for ways to re-engineer the healthcare system particularly by providing an environment that is conducive to staff empowerment, job satisfaction and commitment. This is a descriptive correlational survey of 556 registered nurses (RNs) in two teaching hospitals in England and Malaysia. Although the Malaysian nurses felt more empowered and committed to their organization, the English nurses were more satisfied with their job. The differences between these two groups of nurses show that empowerment does not generate the same results in all countries, and reflects empirical evidence from most cross cultural studies on empowerment. Nursing management should always take into consideration cultural differences in empowerment, job satisfaction and commitment of nursing staff while formulating staff policies.

  7. Subject to empowerment: the constitution of power in an educational program for health professionals.

    PubMed

    Juritzen, Truls I; Engebretsen, Eivind; Heggen, Kristin

    2013-08-01

    Empowerment and user participation represents an ideal of power with a strong position in the health sector. In this article we use text analysis to investigate notions of power in a program plan for health workers focusing on empowerment. Issues addressed include: How are relationships of power between users and helpers described in the program plan? Which notions of user participation are embedded in the plan? The analysis is based on Foucault's idea that power which is made subject to attempts of redistribution will re-emerge in other forms. How this happens, and with what consequences, is our analytical concern. The analysis is contrasted with 'snapshots' from everyday life in a nursing home. The program plan communicates empowerment as a democracy-building instrument that the users need. It is a tool for providing expert assistance to the user's self-help. User participation is made into a tool which is external to the user him-/herself. Furthermore, the analysis shows that the plan's image of empowerment presupposes an 'élite user' able to articulate personal needs and desires. This is not very applicable to the most vulnerable user groups, who thereby may end up in an even weaker position. By way of conclusion, we argue that an exchange of undesirable dominating paternalism for a desirable empowerment will not abolish power, but may result in more covert and subtle forms of power that are less open to criticism. The paper offers insights that will facilitate reflections on the premises for practising empowerment-oriented health care.

  8. Midwifery empowerment: National surveys of midwives from Australia, New Zealand and Sweden.

    PubMed

    Hildingsson, Ingegerd; Gamble, Jenny; Sidebotham, Mary; Creedy, Debra K; Guilliland, Karen; Dixon, Lesley; Pallant, Julie; Fenwick, Jennifer

    2016-09-01

    the predicted midwifery workforce shortages in several countries have serious implications for the care of women during pregnancy, birth and post partum. There are a number of factors known to contribute to midwifery shortages and work attrition. However, midwives assessment of their own professional identity and role (sense of empowerment) are perhaps among the most important. There are few international workforce comparisons. to compare midwives' sense of empowerment across Australia, New Zealand and Sweden using the Perceptions of Empowerment in Midwifery Scale-R (PEMS-Revised). a self-administered survey package was distributed to midwives through professional colleges and networks in each country. The surveys asked about personal, professional and employment details and included the Perceptions of Empowerment in Midwifery Scale-R (PEMS-Revised). Descriptive statistics for the sample and PEMS were generated separately for the three countries. A series of analysis of variance with posthoc tests (Tukey's HSD) were conducted to compare scale scores across countries. Effect size statistics (partial eta squared) were also calculated. completed surveys were received from 2585 midwives (Australia 1037; New Zealand 1073 and Sweden 475). Respondents were predominantly female (98%), aged 50-59 years and had significant work experience as a midwife (+20 years). Statistically significant differences were recorded comparing scores on all four PEMS subscales across countries. Moderate effects were found on Professional Recognition, Skills and Resources and Autonomy/Empowerment comparisons. All pairwise comparisons between countries reached statistical significance (p<.001) except between Australia and New Zealand on the Manager Support subscale. Sweden recorded the highest score on three subscales except Skills and Resources which was the lowest score of the three countries. New Zealand midwives scored significantly better than both their Swedish and Australian counterparts

  9. Empowerment through Photo Novella: Portraits of Participation.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wang, Caroline; Burris, Mary Ann

    1994-01-01

    Photonovels, based on empowerment education, feminist theory, and documentary photography, enable people with little money, power, or status to communicate needed changes to policymakers. Use of the process with 62 rural Chinese women shows how it contributes to changed consciousness and policy formation. (SK)

  10. Parent Empowerment and Teacher Professionalism: Teachers' Perspective

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Addi-Raccah, Audrey; Arviv-Elyashiv, Rinate

    2008-01-01

    School decentralization, which has reshaped power relations in the educational system, has empowered teachers and parents. Taking Abbott's approach to professions, the authors examine teachers' perceptions of the implications of parents' empowerment for teacher--parent relations. In-depth interviews with homeroom teachers in affluent urban…

  11. Women's empowerment and choice of contraceptive methods in selected African countries.

    PubMed

    Do, Mai; Kurimoto, Nami

    2012-03-01

    It is generally believed that women's lack of decision-making power may restrict their use of modern contraceptives. However, few studies have examined the different dimensions of women's empowerment and contraceptive use in African countries. Data came from the latest round of Demographic and Health Surveys conducted between 2006 and 2008 in Namibia, Zambia, Ghana and Uganda. Responses from married or cohabiting women aged 15-49 were analyzed for six dimensions of empowerment and the current use of female-only methods or couple methods. Bivariate and multivariate multinomial regressions were used to identify associations between the empowerment dimensions and method use. Positive associations were found between the overall empowerment score and method use in all countries (relative risk ratios, 1.1-1.3). In multivariate analysis, household economic decision making was associated with the use of either female-only or couple methods (1.1 for all), as was agreement on fertility preferences (1.3-1.6) and the ability to negotiate sexual activity (1.1-1.2). In Namibia, women's negative attitudes toward domestic violence were correlated with the use of couple methods (1.1). Intervention programs aimed at increasing contraceptive use may need to involve different approaches, including promoting couples' discussion of fertility preferences and family planning, improving women's self-efficacy in negotiating sexual activity and increasing their economic independence.

  12. The influence of empowerment and incivility on the mental health of new graduate nurses.

    PubMed

    Wing, Travis; Regan, Sandra; Spence Laschinger, Heather K

    2015-07-01

    To test a model based on Kanter's theory of structural empowerment, which examines the relationships between new graduate nurses' perceptions of structural empowerment, workplace incivility and mental health symptoms. The initial years of practice can be particularly stressful for new graduate nurses, who may be particularly vulnerable to uncivil behaviour as a result of their status in the work environment. Disempowerment and incivility in the workplace may compound the mental health symptoms experienced by new graduate nurses. A predictive, non-experimental design was used to examine the relationship between structural empowerment, workplace incivility and mental health symptoms in a sample of new graduate nurses working in hospital settings in Ontario (n = 394). High levels of structural empowerment were significantly associated with fewer negative mental health symptoms in new graduates. However, co-worker incivility and supervisor incivility partially mediated the effect of structural empowerment on new graduate nurses' mental health symptoms. The findings suggest that empowering workplaces contribute to lower mental health symptoms in new graduate nurses, an effect that is diminished by incivility. Strategies that foster empowering work conditions and reduce uncivil behaviour are needed to promote positive mental health in new graduate nurses. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  13. The family empowerment program: an interdisciplinary approach to working with multi-stressed urban families.

    PubMed

    Cleek, Elizabeth N; Wofsy, Matt; Boyd-Franklin, Nancy; Mundy, Brian; Howell Lcsw, Tamika J

    2012-06-01

    The family empowerment program (FEP) is a multi-systemic family therapy program that partners multi-stressed families with an interdisciplinary resource team while remaining attached to a "traditional" mental health clinic. The rationale for this model is that far too often, families presenting at community mental health centers struggle with multiple psychosocial forces, for example problems with housing, domestic violence, child care, entitlements, racism, substance abuse, and foster care, as well as chronic medical and psychiatric illnesses, that exacerbate symptoms and impact traditional service delivery and access to effective treatment. Thus, families often experience fragmented care and are involved with multiple systems with contradictory and competing agendas. As a result, services frequently fail to harness the family's inherent strengths. The FEP partners the family with a unified team that includes representatives from Entitlements Services, Family Support and Parent Advocacy, and Clinical Staff from the agency's Outpatient Mental Health Clinic practicing from a strength-based family therapy perspective. The goal of the FEP is to support the family in achieving their goals. This is accomplished through co-construction of a service plan that addresses the family's needs in an efficient and coherent manner-emphasizing family strengths and competencies and supporting family self-sufficiency. © FPI, Inc.

  14. 34 CFR 299.3 - What priority may the Secretary establish for activities in an Empowerment Zone or Enterprise...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... activities in an Empowerment Zone or Enterprise Community? 299.3 Section 299.3 Education Regulations of the... activities in an Empowerment Zone or Enterprise Community? For any ESEA discretionary grant program, the... significant portion of the program funds to address substantial problems in an Empowerment Zone, including a...

  15. 34 CFR 299.3 - What priority may the Secretary establish for activities in an Empowerment Zone or Enterprise...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... activities in an Empowerment Zone or Enterprise Community? 299.3 Section 299.3 Education Regulations of the... activities in an Empowerment Zone or Enterprise Community? For any ESEA discretionary grant program, the... significant portion of the program funds to address substantial problems in an Empowerment Zone, including a...

  16. 34 CFR 299.3 - What priority may the Secretary establish for activities in an Empowerment Zone or Enterprise...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... activities in an Empowerment Zone or Enterprise Community? 299.3 Section 299.3 Education Regulations of the... activities in an Empowerment Zone or Enterprise Community? For any ESEA discretionary grant program, the... significant portion of the program funds to address substantial problems in an Empowerment Zone, including a...

  17. 34 CFR 299.3 - What priority may the Secretary establish for activities in an Empowerment Zone or Enterprise...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... activities in an Empowerment Zone or Enterprise Community? 299.3 Section 299.3 Education Regulations of the... activities in an Empowerment Zone or Enterprise Community? For any ESEA discretionary grant program, the... significant portion of the program funds to address substantial problems in an Empowerment Zone, including a...

  18. 34 CFR 299.3 - What priority may the Secretary establish for activities in an Empowerment Zone or Enterprise...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... activities in an Empowerment Zone or Enterprise Community? 299.3 Section 299.3 Education Regulations of the... activities in an Empowerment Zone or Enterprise Community? For any ESEA discretionary grant program, the... significant portion of the program funds to address substantial problems in an Empowerment Zone, including a...

  19. Women’s empowerment in agriculture and agricultural productivity: Evidence from rural maize farmer households in western Kenya

    PubMed Central

    Seymour, Greg; Kassie, Menale; Muricho, Geoffrey; Muriithi, Beatrice Wambui

    2018-01-01

    This paper documents a positive relationship between maize productivity in western Kenya and women’s empowerment in agriculture, measured using indicators derived from the abbreviated version of the Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index. Applying a cross-sectional instrumental-variable regression method to a data set of 707 maize farm households from western Kenya, we find that women’s empowerment in agriculture significantly increases maize productivity. Although all indicators of women’s empowerment significantly increase productivity, there is no significant association between the women’s workload (amount of time spent working) and maize productivity. Furthermore, the results show heterogenous effects with respect to women’s empowerment on maize productivity for farm plots managed jointly by a male and female and plots managed individually by only a male or female. More specifically, the results suggest that female- and male-managed plots experience significant improvements in productivity when the women who tend them are empowered. These findings provide evidence that women’s empowerment contributes not only to reducing the gender gap in agricultural productivity, but also to improving, specifically, productivity from farms managed by women. Thus, rural development interventions in Kenya that aim to increase agricultural productivity—and, by extension, improve food security and reduce poverty—could achieve greater impact by integrating women’s empowerment into existing and future projects. PMID:29852008

  20. Do Perceptions of Empowerment Affect Glycemic Control and Self-Care Among Adults with Type 2 Diabetes?

    PubMed

    D'Souza, Melba Sheila; Karkada, Subrahmanya Nairy; Hanrahan, Nancy P; Venkatesaperumal, Ramesh; Amirtharaj, Anandhi

    2015-02-24

    The Arab adult with T2DM is understudied with less known facts about the perception of empowerment and its relationship with self-care and glycemic control. The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which perception of empowerment by Arab adults living with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) was associated with better glycemic control and self-care management. A cross-sectional descriptive study was led among 300 Arab adults living in Oman with T2DM in an outpatient diabetes clinic. The Diabetes Empowerment Scale (DES), glycosylated haemaglobin (HbA1c) and Body mass index was assessed. The DES was found to be valid and reliable for the population. ANOVA, Regression analysis, and Structural equation modeling was used for analysis. The composite score and three subscales of DES were a significant and strong predictor of good glycemic control among Omani adults with T2DM (p<0.001). Age, education, duration of DM, prior DM education program and medications were significantly associated with DES. Diabetes nurse educators engaged in the care of adults with T2DM should assess self-empowerment and tailor interventions to increase empowerment for better glycemic control. Patient empowerment plays an essential role in maintaining self-care behaviours and HbA1c.

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