The purpose of this study was to clarify the relationship between cognitive family functioning and mental health in hemodialysis patients, using structural equation modeling. The subjects were 1,705 hemodialysis patients who belonged to the "A" Prefectural Association of Kidney Disease Patients. Hemodialysis patients answered a self-administered questionnaire about their sex and age, family structure, duration on hemodialysis (months), Katz Index, number of the complications, working state, cognitive economical poorness, cognitive family functioning and mental health. Data of 464 hemodialysis patients were used for this analysis. The results indicated that cognitive family cohesion had a significant relationship on mental health, not cognitive family adaptability. In clinical intervention, Social Workers intend to assess cognitive family cohesion with hemodialysis patients, and approach which aimed to maintain and improve mental health.

View full abstract

The objective of this study was to identify patterns of coping strategies of pregnant teenagers in response to stressful life events and changes in those patterns and to examine the emphasis of nursing care for those teenagers. Ten pregnant teens ages 17-18 who were giving birth for the first time consented to the study; they were asked to draw a "life line" of difficult events prior to giving birth and participated in a semi-structured interview. Qualitative analysis of the data obtained identified 5 stressful life events like "fears of pregnancy brought about by a missed period" and "a pregnancy reported to one's mother" and 13 patterns of coping strategies like "pressuring one's partner." In addition, pregnant teenagers changed as the patterns of coping strategies they adopted in response to each stressful event went, for example, from negative strategies such as "rejecting the pregnancy" to positive strategies such as "dealing with the pregnancy" or from the rift-inducing decision of "not reporting a pregnancy to one's mother" to "seeking to strengthen one's relationship with one's mother." Attachment to the unborn child, splitting from an unreliable partner, and repairing one's relationship with one's mother were identified as turning points for these changes.

View full abstract

For the purpose of understanding the characteristics of activity of daily living (ADL) among the hemophilia patients, an anonymous survey was conducted. Main items investigated were subjects' biographical data, such as age, impairment level, pain, bleeding history, and level of ADL accomplishment. The difficulty degree of 21 items of ADL was investigated and a ranking analysis was performed by using quantification theory type III. Valid responses were 259 (37.5%), average age was 40.9 years old, and joints with much sharp pain and bleeding were elbow, knee, and ankle. The most difficult ADL were sitting straight, running, and using Japanese-style toilet. According to the result of quantification theory type III, the 1st. axis was interpreted as ability for ADL. It was able to be said so because the ratio for all axial variance was 42%, and ADL of the subjects could almost be interpreted on the 1st. axis. According to the scatter plot of the category score, 21 items of ADL were categorized into two clusters. Cluster 1: Flexion and load of lower limbs. Cluster 2: Composite movement of upper and lower extremities. The range was calculated from category score between 2 groups' degree of difficulty of 21 items of ADL. As a result, the movement most influenced by the ADL score were sitting straight and using Western-style toilet, and the movement least influenced by the ADL score were attaching and removing buttons and cutting toe nails.

View full abstract

As an occupational therapist with years of experience treating adults with cerebral palsy, one began to search for answers to the following questions: What do adults with cerebral palsy want occupational therapists to do for them? Are occupational therapists able to satisfy their needs? Therefore, an attempt was made to seek answers to these questions. Three adults with cerebral palsy and two of their mothers were interviewed. Data gathered through interviews were examined to find out what adults with cerebral palsy expect from occupational therapists. The study found that adults with cerebral palsy anticipate a number of things from occupational therapists. They expect to receive physical and psychological care, help to perform activities of daily living and geriatric care. In addition, the therapists need to perform the role of a consultant.

View full abstract

The purpose of this study was to develop the Self-Efficacy Scales about Manual Skilled Activities (SESA) among Occupational Therapy (OT) students. The validity and the standardization which represented the nature of data of previously developed SESA by authors were examined and then the relationship between past experiences towards the activities within the SESA and self-efficacy were addressed for the purpose of the study. Participants were 303 OT students. There were four following procedures in order to decide the final activities in the SESA; 1) clarifying the distribution of responses among the participants for standardization of the SESA, 2) examining the criterion-related validity based on the General-Self Efficacy Scales (GSES), 3) examining the construct based on factor analysis of the SESA, and 4) clarifying the relationship between the degree of past experiences, the SESA and the GSES. As a result, three stable factor structures were confirmed within the SESA and each factor was named. The fifteen out of twenty-one activities were adopted for the final activities of the SESA based on the results from the second and the fourth procedures. It was selected that the only limited woman's activities in the SESA while there were needed for the special consideration from the distribution of responses among the participants.

View full abstract

In the previous report, we proposed a speech production substitute using a pen-tablet and a wearable PC. From the evaluation tests, it was found that by tracing the tablet using a pen, some consonants contained in the continuous speech sounds were perceived even though the consonants did not phonetically exist. Furthermore, it was quite easy to produce non-verbal expression by changing the movement velocity and a touching rhythm. Our speech production method is very effective for a communication tool of people with aphasia or with some articulation difficulties. It would also make them to communicate with their families as well as during speech rehabilitation. In this paper, two pitch control methods were added to the prototype model in order for users to produce more emotional expression than the prototype. One is an intonation producing method that uses a touch panel having a pressure sensor and the other is a song producing method that uses a MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) keyboard. After an experiment by short-time training, some emotional expression such as laughing and surprising could be produced. Furthermore, one of famous Japanese songs also could be produced by using the pen-tablet with a MIDI keyboard. From the evaluation test, our new models adding intonation and melody are effective for communication with their families or during speech rehabilitation.

View full abstract