Tina L. Rochelle

The Importance of Illness Perceptions, Quality of Life and Psychological Status in Patients with Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn’s Disease

The present study investigates illness perceptions of inflammatory bowel disease patients in an outpatient population, examining whether these illness perceptions are related to disease severity, quality of life and psychological adjustment. A cohort of 102 inflammatory bowel disease outpatients was prospectively enrolled on the study. The participants completed a questionnaire assessing illness perceptions, anxiety, depression and disease-specific symptoms. The study has identified specific illness perceptions of inflammatory bowel disease sufferers that are strongly associated with patients’ quality of life. By raising and addressing these issues, clinicians may be able to allay these significant and often unexpressed concerns, and improve quality of life for patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

Methodological Issues in Positive Psychology Research with Diverse Populations: Exploring Strengths Among Chinese Adults

In this chapter, we will discuss some issues in multicultural positive psychology research. A general discussion on common methodological issues will be provided first. We will then discuss the following four methodological issues: linguistic equivalence, conceptual equivalence, metric equivalence, and functional equivalence. Linguistic equivalence is achieved if all items of two questionnaires in different languages have identical meanings. Conceptual equivalence refers to whether the same concept represents the same set of behaviour in different cultures. Metric equivalence focuses on the psychometric properties of the same questionnaire in different language versions. Functional equivalence refers to whether the same behaviour or concept plays the same function role in different cultures. Our research on well-being (happiness), posttraumatic growth, and character strengths among Chinese adults will be used for illustration. Since positive psychology is developed in the era of globalization, there is the need to better understand the nuances of culture and positive psychology.

Predictors of the gender gap in life expectancy across 54 nations

We studied the gender gap in life expectancy (GGLE), which currently favours women on average by 5 years. Individual data from 54 societies were extracted from the 1999–2004 wave of the World Values Survey. The GGLE was not predicted by the socio-economic factors of gross domestic product (GDP) or Gini coefficient, but was increased by national level of alcohol consumption, and decreased by gender differences in national levels of life satisfaction. Different national-level phenomena appear to be responsible for male and female contributions to the GGLE. National levels of male longevity were responsive to GDP, Gini coefficient, social engagement, tobacco use and life satisfaction, whereas female longevity rates were responsive only to GDP and alcohol consumption, underscoring the greater sensitivity of male longevity to contextual features of the nations where they live.

Health Behaviors and Use of Traditional Chinese Medicine Among the British Chinese

Health behaviors and use of traditional Chinese medicine among the British Chinese community were examined. One hundred and eighty-six British Chinese participants recruited from Chinese health and community centers across the United Kingdom completed the Cultural Health Belief and Value Survey. Results revealed that the majority of respondents used Western medicine. Respondents’ decisions to use Western medicine were influenced by cost of medicine and speed of recovery. Use of traditional Chinese medicine was significantly associated with a number of variables, including respondent speaking a Chinese dialect as his or her first language being, having a sense of cultural superiority, and believing that cultural values and religious beliefs influence health behavior. Concurrent use of traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine was found to be common among respondents. Better understanding of the influence of traditional cultural and health beliefs could enable more culturally appropriate and effective health provision.

'We Are Not Sad At All': Adolescents Talk About Their ‘City of Sadness’ Through Photovoice

In neighborhood-effects research, the voices of young residents are seldom heard. The present study examines how an adolescent sample living in a high-poverty area of Hong Kong is affected by its neighborhood and wider community contexts. Using the method of photovoice, the adolescents expressed their perceptions of the salient characteristics of their neighborhood/community. The geographical milieu where the respondents are situated is a remote district commonly known as the “City of Sadness.” Fifty-four adolescents (aged 12 to 17) were recruited to photograph neighborhood and community conditions and discuss their perceptions of them. Content analysis of the narratives solicited from eight photovoice sessions identified the complex feelings of satisfaction, dissatisfaction, and fear participants felt about their neighborhood. In addition, a survey of a random sample of 22 parents was also undertaken to understand the uniqueness of the adolescents’ opinions. Implications on how the neighborhood contexts impact adolescents’ perceptions and development are discussed.

The relationship between personality, social functioning, and depression: a structural equation modeling analysis.

The relationship between personality, social functioning, and depression remains unclear. The present study employs structural equation modeling to examine the mediating role of social functioning between harm avoidance (HA), self-directedness (SD), and depression. A sample of 902 individuals completed a self-report questionnaire consisting of the following scales: HA and SD subscales of the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and Social Adaptation Self-Evaluation Scale (SASS). Structural equation modeling via analysis of moment structure was used to estimate the fit of nine related models. Results indicated that social functioning is a mediator between harm avoidance or self-directness and depression. Self-directedness was also shown to have direct effects on depression. The results support the social reinforcement theory of depression and provide a theoretical account of how the variables are related based on correlation methods. Suggestions are offered for future experimental and longitudinal research.

Volunteerism and positive aging in Hong Kong: a cultural perspective.

This study aims to examine factors related to volunteerism and explore the relationship between volunteerism and positive aging across three age groups. A total of 1,170 Hong Kong Chinese respondents aged between 15 years and 79 years were recruited for the study via a random household survey. Results found that age was negatively related to participation in voluntary work. Older adults aged 60 years to 75 years demonstrated the lowest volunteer participation rate compared with younger adults (aged 15 years to 39 years) and midlife adults (aged 40 years to 59 years). Paradoxically, older volunteers exhibited the highest frequency of volunteering, operationalized as spending 10 hours or more on volunteer work in the past month. Compared with younger and midlife adults, older adults were motivated to volunteer by societal concern and esteem enhancement. Participation in voluntary work was associated with three positive aging outcomes: good health, caring engagement with significant others, and productive engagement in the community. The findings suggest great potential in promoting volunteering in old age because older volunteers tend to contribute more hours than younger volunteers do, and volunteering is associated with positive aging.

Factors associated with utilisation of traditional Chinese medicine among Hong Kong Chinese.

The present study explored factors associated with belief in, and utilisation of, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), as well as factors associated with trust in TCM practitioners (TCMPs) among Hong Kong Chinese individuals. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire. A sample of 300 Hong Kong Chinese aged between 18 and 90 years old were recruited. The study used a number of outcome variables including demographic variables, health status, as measured by the SF-12, attitude towards TCM and Western medicine as measured by the Chinese-Western Medical Beliefs Scale, traditional Chinese values as measured by the Chinese Values Scale and trust in physicians. Findings revealed an association between age, gender and education level, with older age, being female and lower educational attainment all being predictive of TCM utilisation. Utilisation norms was predictive of trust in practitioners, indicating that frequent use of TCM lead to higher levels of trust in TCMP. Chinese values were differentially associated with use of and belief in TCM. Confucian obligation was predictive of belief in TCM and utilisation of TCM, while tolerance and harmony was not associated with belief and use of TCM. Younger respondents tended to score higher in tolerance and harmony, while older respondents scored higher in Confucian obligation, which goes some way to explain these differing trends in Chinese values and associations with TCM as older respondents were much more likely to utilise TCM than their younger counterparts.

Ageing in Hong Kong and the UK : a comparison of the Chinese at home and abroad

Abstract It is accepted that many parts of the world are now facing major demographic changes as the population ages and older people become a larger proportion of the population. Being an older person in a modern city can be a challenging experience: the loosening of family bonds, geographical dispersal of family members, cultural dominance of what has been termed “youth culture,” and the loss of social esteem for those beyond working age, combined with some of the inevitabilities of the ageing process, such as the loss of friendships, declining physical abilities, increased likelihood of chronic ill health, and increased likelihood of experiencing depression. How are these tensions likely to be exacerbated for ageing Chinese individuals living in Hong Kong and for those ageing migrants in the UK? The present study explores the differences.

Assessing the Factor Structure of the Chinese Conformity to Masculine Norms Inventory

ABSTRACT The purpose of the present study was to examine the factor structure and assess the reliability of the Chinese Conformity to Masculine Norms Inventory-46 (CCMNI-46). Using a cohort of 254 Hong Kong-born Chinese males, scale reliability determination involved the internal consistencies of the entire instrument. Ages of respondents ranged from 18 to 81 years (M = 38.05; SD = 17.3). Confirmatory factor analysis provided support for the psychometric properties of the CCMNI-46, thus confirming the multidimensional structure of the CMNI-46 and the replicability of the CMNI using a Hong Kong Chinese sample. All items loaded onto the corresponding factor with the exception of one item from the emotional control subscale. The overall reliability of the CCMNI-46 was lower than previous Western studies and may well reflect the subtle diversity of masculinity across cultures. The findings offered psychometric support for use of the CCMNI-46 in research and practice regarding Hong Kong Chinese masculinity. The CCMNI-46 provides a useful template for the operationalization of masculine norms in Chinese society.