Hagen, Brad

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    Adolescent health: A rural community's approach
    (Journal of Rural and Remote Health, 2005) Harrowing, Jean N.; Miller, N.K.; Cooper, Natalie R.; Brown, S.; Hagen, Brad F.
    Introduction: Significant health problems encountered in adulthood often have their roots in health behaviours initiated during adolescence. In order to reverse this trend, school and health personnel, as well as parents and other community members working with high school students, need to be aware of the health-related beliefs and choices that guide the behaviours of teenagers. Although a wide variety of research has been conducted on this topic among urban adolescents, less is known about the health beliefs and behaviors of adolescents residing in rural areas, particularly in Canada. In general, rural Canadians are less healthy than their urban counterparts. Building on the knowledge and understanding of their own community, key stakeholders were invited to engage in the design and implementation of a participatory action research project aimed at understanding and improving the health of rural adolescents. Methods: A group of parents, teachers, students, school administrators and public health nurses engaged in a participatory action research project to better understand determinants of the health of rural adolescents at a high school in Western Canada. Group members developed and administered a health survey to 288 students from a small rural high school, in an effort to identify areas of concern and interest regarding health practices and beliefs of rural adolescents, and to take action on these identified concerns. Results: Results indicated some interesting but potentially worrying trends in this population. For example, while frequent involvement in a physical activity was noted by 75.9% of participants, close to half of the females (48%) described their body image as ‘a little overweight’ or ‘definitely overweight’, and approximately 25.8% of respondents noted that they skipped meals most of the time. Differences between the genders were apparent in several categories. For example, more girls smoked (16.2%) than boys (12.3%), and more males (55.0%) than females (41%) had tried illegal drugs. Participants indicated awareness of other health-compromising behaviours, including unsafe driving habits and high stress levels, and acknowledged several steps they wanted to take to improve their health, as well as the barriers to taking those steps. Students identified improved nutrition, stress reduction, and increased levels of physical activity as particular important health goals. Students also recommended ways in which information and support could be provided within the school environment to enable them to achieve their health-related goals. Several activities developed in collaboration with students have incorporated the recommendations, and have spawned other activities in response to the ongoing identification of new concerns. Conclusions: The process of including the rural community in the identification of health assets and needs from the perspective of students - as well as the planning and implementation of appropriate strategies to address those needs - demonstrates the strengths inherent within a small rural population. Community members’ awareness of the need to create a healthy environment for youth is reflected in their willingness to participate in activities leading to improved health. Greater awareness of the health needs of rural adolescents, and of the influence of gender in some aspects of health behaviors, will help researchers to explore ways in which the unique culture of rural communities can be harnessed to help shape health-focused interventions.
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    Adolescent health: A rural community's approach
    (The International Electronic Journal of Rural and Remote Health Research, Education, Practice and Policy, 2005) Groft, Jean N.; Hagen, Brad F.; Miller, Nancy K.; Cooper, Natalie R.; Brown, S.
    Introduction: Significant health problems encountered in adulthood often have their roots in health behaviours initiated during adolescence. In order to reverse this trend, school and health personnel, as well as parents and other community members working with high school students, need to be aware of the health-related beliefs and choices that guide the behaviours of teenagers. Although a wide variety of research has been conducted on this topic among urban adolescents, less is known about the health beliefs and behaviors of adolescents residing in rural areas, particularly in Canada. In general, rural Canadians are less healthy than their urban counterparts. Building on the knowledge and understanding of their own community, key stakeholders were invited to engage in the design and implementation of a participatory action research project aimed at understanding and improving the health of rural adolescents. Methods: A group of parents, teachers, students, school administrators and public health nurses engaged in a participatory action research project to better understand determinants of the health of rural adolescents at a high school in Western Canada. Group members developed and administered a health survey to 288 students from a small rural high school, in an effort to identify areas of concern and interest regarding health practices and beliefs of rural adolescents, and to take action on these identified concerns. Results: Results indicated some interesting but potentially worrying trends in this population. For example, while frequent involvement in a physical activity was noted by 75.9% of participants, close to half of the females (48%) described their body image as ‘a little overweight’ or ‘definitely overweight’, and approximately 25.8% of respondents noted that they skipped meals most of the time. Differences between the genders were apparent in several categories. For example, more girls smoked (16.2%) than boys (12.3%), and more males (55.0%) than females (41%) had tried illegal drugs. Participants indicated awareness of other health-compromising behaviours, including unsafe driving habits and high stress levels, and acknowledged several steps they wanted to take to improve their health, as well as the barriers to taking those steps. Students identified improved nutrition, stress reduction, and increased levels of physical activity as particular important health goals. Students also recommended ways in which information and support could be provided within the school environment to enable them to achieve their health-related goals. Several activities developed in collaboration with students have incorporated the recommendations, and have spawned other activities in response to the ongoing identification of new concerns. Conclusions: The process of including the rural community in the identification of health assets and needs from the perspective of students - as well as the planning and implementation of appropriate strategies to address those needs - demonstrates the strengths inherent within a small rural population. Community members’ awareness of the need to create a healthy environment for youth is reflected in their willingness to participate in activities leading to improved health. Greater awareness of the health needs of rural adolescents, and of the influence of gender in some aspects of health behaviors, will help researchers to explore ways in which the unique culture of rural communities can be harnessed to help shape health-focused interventions.
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    Algorithm for Appropriate Use of Neuroleptics in Dementia
    (2002) Hagen, Brad F.; Neuroleptic Study Steering Committee
    A two-page flowchart that provides recommendations for the appropriate use of neuroleptics in dementia.
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    Designer's Corner: Gerontological Nursing Research: A Challenging But Rewarding Field
    (McGill School of Nursing, 2003) Hagen, Brad F.
    The purpose of this short article is to highlight some of the positive and negative issues confronting gerontological nurse researchers. These issues fall into three categories: ethical, recruitment and sampling, and measurement.
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    Diminished: Canadian women's experiences of electroshock
    (Mount Saint Vincent University. Institute for the Study of Women, 2015) van Daalen-Smith, Cheryl; Hagen, Brad F.; Breggin, Peter
    “Diminished” is the result of a two-year feminist inquiry into the gendered experience of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in Canada. This paper focuses on seven women’s experiences with electroshock and how it affected their lives. It raises pressing questions for Canadian feminists about the apparent dispensability of women’s minds, with the purpose being to re-ignite feminist interest in women’s experiences of psychiatry in general and the damaging effects of electroshock in particular
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    "Double trouble": The lived experience of problem and pathological gambling in later life
    (Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 2005) Nixon, Gary; Solowoniuk, Jason; Hagen, Brad F.; Williams, Robert J.
    Objective: The objective of this phenomenological qualitative study was to explore the lived experience of older adults who engage in problem or pathological gambling. Method and sample: Older adults who gambled were recruited and were administered two gambling screens to ensure that they met the criteria for problem or pathological gambling. Eleven problem-pathological gamblers were identified and contributed their narratives via in-depth interviews about their experiences of problem or pathological gambling. Results: Several themes arising from the interviews were similar to patterns identified with younger gamblers, yet distinct patterns emerged. Some older gamblers gamble as an opportunity to break away and escape from traditional roles and go to extreme measures to continue their gambling while hiding it from significant others. Conclusion: Despite research suggesting few seniors encounter problems with gambling, this qualitative study suggests that gambling can have devastating consequences. Older adults may have lessened ability and time to recover from these consequences or from hitting bottom.
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    Electroconvulsive therapy: Should this treatment be used for depression? Con - There's a lack of evidence for benefit.
    (Parkhurst Publishing, 2003) Hagen, Brad F.
    This article provides two differing viewpoints on the use of electroconvulsive therapy for the treatment of depression.
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    Experiencing Community Development: Research-based Insights for Gerontological Nurses
    (Perspectives: Journal of the Gerontological Nursing Association, 1999) Hagen, Brad F.; Gallagher, Elaine M.
    This paper will include an overview of some of the characteristics of community development and a description of the community development project. The methods used to evaluate the project will be presented along with results of the qualitative evaluation. Finally, some insights and implications are offered for gerontological nurses who may be engaged in similar community development projects involving older persons.
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    Gambling and Problem Gambling Within Forensic Population: A Review of the Literature
    (Sage, 2005-12) Williams, Robert J.; Royston, Jennifer; Hagen, Brad F.
    A review of problem gambling in forensic populations suggests that one third of criminal offenders meet criteria for problem or pathological gambling. This is the highest rate yet found in any population. Approximately 50% of crime by incarcerated problem and pathological gamblers is reportedly committed to support gambling. The prevalence of gambling within correctional facilities (40%) appears lower than in the general population. However, inmates who do gamble tend to do so regularly, and problem and pathological gamblers are disproportionately represented among this group. Inmate screening for problem gambling and provision of specialized treatment are currently lacking in most correctional facilities. In addition to more screening and treatment, there needs to be greater vigilance in detecting gambling and enforcing its prohibition.
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    Positive Outcomes in Cardiac Rehabilitation: The Little Program That Could
    (Canadian Council of Cardiovascular Nurses (CCCN), 2003) Lavorato, Leila; Grypma, Sonya; Spenceley, Shannon; Hagen, Brad F.; Nowatzki, Nadine R.
    Cardiac rehabilitation programs (CRPs) are receiving increasing attention because they restore, maintain, or improve both physiologic and psychosocial client outcomes (Evenson, Rosamond & Luepker, 1998). However, less attention has been paid to the effect such programs may have on the health-related quality of life of participants. The objective of this study was to measure health-related quality of life outcomes before and after participation in a CRP. Participants were 64 clients entering one of five CRP groups at the Lethbridge Regional Hospital in southern Alberta. Participants completed the Short Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36) (Ware, 1997) both at the beginning and at the end of one 13-week CRP intervention. The SF-36 examines eight health concepts: physical functioning (PF), role-physical (RP), bodily pain (BP), general health (GH), vitality (VT), social functioning (SF), role-emotional (RE), and mental health (MH). Analysis showed a significant difference between the pre-test and post-test scores for six of the eight categories. Larger effect sizes were found for PF (d=.746), RP (d=657), and VT (d=.593). Smaller effects were found for BP (d=.299j, SF (d=.337J, and RE (d=.271). The findings of this study highlight improved health-related quality of life outcomes for clients participating in comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation programs.
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    A Qualitative Study to Determine the Impact of Caregiver Education and Support Groups
    (Perspectives: Journal of the Gerontological Nursing Association, 1997) Hagen, Brad F.; Gallagher, Elaine M.
    This article describes an alternative approach to evaluating a program involving support groups for family caregivers, using focus group interviews conducted three months following a 10-week program. This was one component of a larger evaluation of the Supporting Caregivers in British Columbia (SCBC) program, funded by the B.C. Ministry of Health.