http://www.smhc.org.cn/uploadfiles/2014/09/20140929090442442.pdf

A Meta-Analysis of Cytokines in Major Depression

This chapter synthesizes fifteen years of published research on campus racial climates. It also presents nine themes that emerged from a qualitative study of campus racial climates at five predominantly White universities.

Nine themes in campus racial climates and implications for institutional transformation

Nancy K. Lowe Editor I n January 2011, U.S. Surgeon General Regina M. Benjamin released the landmark document The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding. Prepared by three agencies of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (USDHHS; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], the O⁄ce on Women’s Health [OWH], and the O⁄ce of the Surgeon General), this document summarizes the background literature around the importance of breastfeeding, rates of breastfeeding, barriers to breastfeeding in the United States, and breastfeeding from the public health perspective. It details the call to action with 20 speci¢c actions in the categories of mothers and their families, communities, health care, employment, research and surveillance, and public health infrastructure (Table 1). The full document is freely available as a download at http://surgeongeneral.gov/ topics / breastfeeding /calltoactiontosupportbreast feeding.pdf

https://www.jognn.org/article/S0884-2175(15)30564-5/pdf

The Surgeon General's Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding

Background. Much attention has been paid to the problem of postpartum depression in women. However, there is some indication that men also experience depression after the birth of a child, and that paternal depression is linked to maternal depression.

Aims.  The purpose of this integrative review was to examine current knowledge about postpartum depression in fathers. Specific aims were (1) to examine the incidence of paternal depression in the first year after the birth of a child, (2) to identify the characteristics and predictors of paternal postpartum depression, (3) to describe the relationship between maternal and paternal postpartum depression, and (4) to discuss the influence of paternal depression on the family and infant.

Methods.  A literature search from 1980 to 2002 was carried out using the CINAHL, PsychInfo, and Medline electronic databases. Twenty research studies were identified that included incidence rates of paternal depression during the first year postpartum. These were further examined and synthesized regarding onset, severity, duration, and predictors of paternal depressive symptoms, and for information about the relationship between maternal and paternal depression.

Findings.  During the first postpartum year, the incidence of paternal depression ranged from 1·2% to 25·5% in community samples, and from 24% to 50% among men whose partners were experiencing postpartum depression. Maternal depression was identified as the strongest predictor of paternal depression during the postpartum period. The implications of parental depression for family health were discussed.

Conclusions.  Postpartum depression in men is a significant problem. The strong correlation of paternal postpartum depression with maternal postpartum depression has important implications for family health and well-being. Consideration of postpartum depression in fathers as well as mothers, and consideration of co-occurrence of depression in couples, is an important next step in research and practice involving childbearing families.

Paternal postpartum depression, its relationship to maternal postpartum depression, and implications for family health

Many coaches, athletes and sports medicine personnel hold the belief, based on observations and experiences, that massage can provide several benefits to the body such as increased blood flow, reduced muscle tension and neurological excitability, and an increased sense of well-being. Massage can produce mechanical pressure, which is expected to increase muscle compliance resulting in increased range of joint motion, decreased passive stiffness and decreased active stiffness (biomechanical mechanisms). Mechanical pressure might help to increase blood flow by increasing the arteriolar pressure, as well as increasing muscle temperature from rubbing. Depending on the massage technique, mechanical pressure on the muscle is expected to increase or decrease neural excitability as measured by the Hoffman reflex (neurological mechanisms). Changes in parasympathetic activity (as measured by heart rate, blood pressure and heart rate variability) and hormonal levels (as measured by cortisol levels) following massage result in a relaxation response (physiological mechanisms). A reduction in anxiety and an improvement in mood state also cause relaxation (psychological mechanisms) after massage. Therefore, these benefits of massage are expected to help athletes by enhancing performance and reducing injury risk. However, limited research has investigated the effects of pre-exercise massage on performance and injury prevention. Massage between events is widely investigated because it is believed that massage might help to enhance recovery and prepare athletes for the next event. Unfortunately, very little scientific data has supported this claim. The majority of research on psychological effects of massage has concluded that massage produces positive effects on recovery (psychological mechanisms). Post-exercise massage has been shown to reduce the severity of muscle soreness but massage has no effects on muscle functional loss. Notwithstanding the belief that massage has benefits for athletes, the effects of different types of massage (e.g. petrissage, effleurage, friction) or the appropriate timing of massage (pre-exercise vs post-exercise) on performance, recovery from injury, or as an injury prevention method are not clear. Explanations are lacking, as the mechanisms of each massage technique have not been widely investigated. Therefore, this article discusses the possible mechanisms of massage and provides a discussion of the limited evidence of massage on performance, recovery and muscle injury prevention. The limitations of previous research are described and further research is recommended.

http://yunus.hacettepe.edu.tr/~nazank/SBR330Masaj/The%20mechanisms%20of%20massage%20&%20effects%20on%20performance,%20muscle%20recovery,%20injury%20prevention.pdf

The Mechanisms of Massage and Effects on Performance, Muscle Recovery and Injury Prevention

"And so a lot of times I felt out of place, because you see all white faces. You know I'm the only fly in the buttermilk, so that took some getting used to ..." These words, shared by a black student during an interview for the present study, poignantly reflect the essence of the experience of being a minority student on a predominately white university campus. The impetus for this study of that experience was our realization that the graduation rate for black students was lower than the total rate for the university (four-year graduation rates are 19.6% versus 16.8%; five year rates are 36.1% versus 50.7). Available data provided no ready explanation for this discrepancy, although preliminary information from a research project concerning graduates of the university's nursing program indicated painful and alienating experiences among black students (Thomas & Davis, 2000). These early results led to a decision to enlarge the research team and to broaden the study to include students in other undergraduate majors. The purpose of this study was to obtain the first-person perspective of the students themselves, a perspective missing from most of the literature about the academic experience of black students. Review of Literature Minority groups in the United States currently constitute 25% of the overall population, and it is projected that before the year 2015 one-third of the population will consist of individuals culturally and ethnically different from the white majority (American Council on Education, 1988; U.S. Census Bureau, 1993). This national pattern of cultural change is also reflected on college campuses where increasing numbers of minority students are enrolling and, far too often, dropping out. Predominantly white institutions of higher education, in fact, often devote intensive efforts to minority student recruitment but find that subsequent retention is a significant problem. In predominantly white institutions, 70% of black students do not complete baccalaureate education compared to 20% of those from historically black institutions (National Center for Education Statistics, 1992; Steele, 1992). Throughout the 1990s the national college dropout rate for blacks was 20-25% higher than that for whites (Steele, 1999). This discrepancy is often explained by inferior academic preparation of black students prior to college entry. Extant data, however, strongly suggest that academic concerns are not paramount in the high attrition of black students (Echols, 1998) and certainly not the sole reason for their premature departure from campus (Steele, 1999). Given this possibility, attention must be given to nonacademic factors that influence attrition. In a meta-analysis of 113 studies covering research on minority students from 1970 to 1997, a number of social, academic, family, and institutional factors were found to be linked to academic success (Echols, 1998). Over 1500 institutions and 46,000 minority students (Hispanic Americans and Native Americans as well as black students) were represented in Echols' analysis. Supporting a theory proposed by Tinto (1975, 1987)--regarding the importance of social integration in promoting graduation--this analysis revealed that integrative experiences were a highly significant predictor variable. Negative or nonintegrative experiences (loneliness, alienation, and so forth) were positively correlated with voluntary withdrawal from college whereas positive or integrative experiences enhanced minority student persistence. Fostering educational attainment were factors such as an ability to be bicultural yet also maintain a cultural identity and to avoid becoming disheartened by racist events. Several authors suggest that the predominately white university campus does not present a hospitable atmosphere for minority student learning. If educational offerings are Euro-centric, culturally different students may feel unappreciated or come to devalue their own cultural group (Sue, Bingham, Porche-Burke, & Vasquez, 1999). …

/pdf/a-fly-in-the-buttermilk-descriptions-of-university-life-by-8t8a3n4h68.pdf

“A Fly in the Buttermilk”: Descriptions of University Life by Successful Black Undergraduate Students at a Predominately White Southeastern University

Purpose To investigate the lived experiences of women who initiate breastfeeding but stop within the first 2 weeks after birth. Design Phenomenology. Methods Interviews were recorded on audio tape, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed for themes by an interdisciplinary group of researchers. Results Women described a clash or incongruity between highly idealized expectations and early breastfeeding problems. This led to incremental disillusionment and cessation of breastfeeding attempts. Women spoke poignantly about a sense of failure, guilt, or shame and had lingering self-doubts about not continuing with breastfeeding. Clinical implications Women need more accurate information about the process of initiating breastfeeding. Nurses should avoid teaching breastfeeding practices that can confuse infants and sabotage mothers and should work toward providing sensitive care that respects personal boundaries of mothers. Additionally, provisions need to be made for continued support and consultation after the mother's discharge from the hospital or birthing center. Finally, nurses and other health professionals should understand that women who stop breastfeeding at an early date may feel guilty about doing so, and may need assistance in resolving feelings about having made that choice.

"It wasn't working. " Women's experiences with short-term breastfeeding.

This article is a review of the incidence, characteristics, risk factors, proposed causes, outcomes, treatment and nursing management of nausea and vomiting of pregnancy. Despite the fact that it affects most pregnant women to some degree, it is poorly understood and often poorly treated. Specific suggestions for therapeutic interventions are outlined.

Nausea and vomiting of pregnancy: an evidence-based review.

Purpose To derive a deeper understanding of postpartum depression (PPD) and its impact on the family through the experiences of fathers whose spouses suffered from this disorder. Design Phenomenology. Methods Eight men were interviewed. Interviews were recorded on audio tape and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis conducted within an interdisciplinary phenomenological research group led to a description of the experiences and emotions involved. Results Respondents in this study revealed a major disruption in their lives and in their relationship with their wives as a result of PPD. The men experienced fear, confusion, and much concern for their spouses, and felt unable to help them in overcoming PPD. The inability to "fix the problem" created frustration and anger. The majority of the respondents reported that they made many sacrifices to hold the relationship and the family together. Even though the PPD improved over time, fathers were left to face an uncertain future with a spouse who seemed to be very different from the person they had previously known. Clinical implications Health care professionals need to design interventions that are more supportive of men, for men also suffer when their spouses experience PPD.

Living with postpartum depression: the father's experience

Objective: To review stress during the postpartum and the research supporting that a unique, protective biology exists in breastfeeding mothers that may reduce reactivity to stress. Data Sources: Publications from nursing and biomedical literature. Study Selection: Studies reviewed were those that have contributed to concurrent conceptualizations of postpartum stress. Additionally, studies with sufficient participants were analyzed for common findings. Animal literature was reviewed for studies on the stress response in lactating and nonlactating animal models. Data Extraction: Stress during the postpartum may be conceptualized as physical, intrapersonal, and interpersonal. Animal data and a few recent human studies suggest that the neuroendocrinology of the lactating mother may down-regulate the magnitude of the stress response. Data Synthesis: A diminished stress response may serve to protect the breastfeeding maternal-infant dyad from environmental stimuli and to direct the physiology of the mother toward milk production, energy conservation, and nurturance. Conclusion: Nurses understand the benefits of breastfeeding for optimal infant health, but new research suggests that maternal health may also be benefited in a biologic and as yet unexplored way. JOGNN, 31, 411–417; 2002.

/pdf/postpartum-stress-current-concepts-and-the-possible-41rg9o7fd9.pdf

Mitzi Davis

Papers

“A Fly in the Buttermilk”: Descriptions of University Life by Successful Black Undergraduate Students at a Predominately White Southeastern University

"It wasn't working. " Women's experiences with short-term breastfeeding.

Nausea and vomiting of pregnancy: an evidence-based review.

Living with postpartum depression: the father's experience

Postpartum Stress: Current Concepts and the Possible Protective Role of Breastfeeding