Investigates whether the recent emphasis on persuading employers to abandon ageist attitudes and ... more Investigates whether the recent emphasis on persuading employers to abandon ageist attitudes and appoint or promote on merit, irrespective of the applicant’s age, has been justified by comparing the results of the 1992 Institute of Personnel Management survey with those from 221 post-experience management students from a survey carried out in 1995. In this preliminary analysis of the data, major
Food shopping – although often dismissed as dreary necessity – has always served a range of laten... more Food shopping – although often dismissed as dreary necessity – has always served a range of latent functions. In the 1950s, food storage limitations and tight budgets gave rise to weekly – often daily – shopping patterns that also allowed shoppers to meet certain social needs. Going to food shops, and the way that customer service was organized, produced significant interactional opportunities which were valued by participants. Exchanging news with other customers may have reinforced shopping patterns but shopkeepers, and knowledgeable assistants, were also useful intermediaries for product and usage information. Functional specialization in food commodities bestowed the aura of expertise, and direct accountability for the quality of what was sold provided a more personal style of retailing than is currently typical. Much depended on the perception of relationships. The 1950s were an important transitional period in the UK. Rationing gave way to wider choice and availability, while the market position of corner shops was increasingly eclipsed by town centre supermarkets. This article explores the social context of food shopping, and its relationship to the specific issue of customer loyalty.
While farmers' markets are a colourful addition to urban shopping, they are periodic, relatively ... more While farmers' markets are a colourful addition to urban shopping, they are periodic, relatively expensive and provide for a very limited range of consumer requirements. In fact, they are the antithesis of supermarket ubiquity, price sensitivity, wide product/service range and extended opening hours. So, despite their small role in total food retail sales, why are they a growing presence and what do farmers' markets say about the consumer needs that supermarkets do not satisfy? This article reports the findings of a questionnaire-based survey of 391 farmers' market customers in five Scottish towns during 2006. Customers were seeking high quality food products, even if that meant premium prices, and put a particular value on direct transactions with the producer. Although these data have a specific geographic context, they have resonance for the growing schism between producer and customer in the UK and other countries.
General practice surgeries and health centres often provide patients with healthy eating advice d... more General practice surgeries and health centres often provide patients with healthy eating advice during consultation for specific problems, or in the context of general health monitoring. In some circumstances, patients will be referred for specialist dietary advice but, for most, all advice is provided from the resources of the practice. Advice about what patients should be eating or avoiding has long been a legitimate part of the consultation process for some illnesses, but diet is now seen as significant in a wider range of conditions, and in actively promoting healthy lifestyle. The research evidence as to whether primary care staff are able to effectively deliver healthy eating advice is equivocal. This paper reports Scottish data (n = 101) collected in a study of Scottish and Finnish practice nurses’ practical food knowledge conducted in 2003/2004. In this sample, practice nurses often demonstrated very good levels of nutritional knowledge to underpin basic advice, although sometimes there was considerable variation among these nurses. By comparison with earlier studies in the UK, practical cooking advice was extremely limited. This may have reflected an awareness of changed eating-out patterns, and the increased consumption of processed foods or ready meals at home, but the need for care with snacking behaviour or the need to restrict portion size, whether eating at home or eating out, was not typically part of their healthy eating advice.
In Scotland and Finland, a relatively small proportion of older people are in some form of reside... more In Scotland and Finland, a relatively small proportion of older people are in some form of residential care, but their numbers are not insubstantial given generally increased longevity. Moreover, those currently in residential care tend to be among the most vulnerable survivors of their generation. Residential care for older people has always been something of a paradox. The state has
... Emily Alexander, Emily Alexander is based at the School of Management and Consumer Studies, U... more ... Emily Alexander, Emily Alexander is based at the School of Management and Consumer Studies, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK. ... began with Queen Victoria's death in January 1901, although its end is often defined not in terms of King Edward VII's brief reign until 1910 but ...
In Finland there are valid questions being asked about the sustainability of the current provisio... more In Finland there are valid questions being asked about the sustainability of the current provision in state healthcare systems. Structurally, lower birth rates and greater longevity mean that populations age and present the challenge of chronic illness management in later life for a larger proportion of the population. Culturally, some 50 years after the introduction of a state healthcare system, ageing populations will have greater expectations of service quality than their predecessors. Paradoxically, they will also have a greater engagement with lifestyles which themselves will bring new challenges to long-term health status. There is no single solution to the complex problem of service sustainability but undoubtedly health education provides some potential to limit future demands. Diet-related illness and incapacity are specific health challenges for the coming decades but the problems can be substantially reduced by changing current behaviour. To make such changes possible, knowledge needs to be communicated effectively in terms of simplicity, accuracy and with appropriate timing. Health education can make a major contribution to service sustainability. This paper reports a study of primary care nurses (n = 50) in the Tampere area and examines their capacity to provide healthy eating advice. In this sample, nurses often demonstrated good levels of nutritional knowledge on which to base patient advice, but there was considerable variation. Arguably, focused in-service training would provide updating on theory and practice for more consistent advice and better prospects for behavioural change.
In this article, we outline a voluntary staff development course - Writing for Publication - and ... more In this article, we outline a voluntary staff development course - Writing for Publication - and its operation in the context of changing policy, practice and professional demands. One year from course completion we are in a position to discuss its success. We argue that, in a small but significant way, a paradigm shift in nursing is reflected in requests for the course, and for places on it. Clearly, there are new professional needs to be met.
Substance use is increasingly common in many countries. Consumption and lifestyles associated wit... more Substance use is increasingly common in many countries. Consumption and lifestyles associated with consumption often involve a number of specific health and legal risks for users. For pregnant women, the risks extend to the health and care of their unborn children. A multi-professional approach to the management of substance use in pregnancy is recommended as best practice but, as with all strategies, effectiveness depends on the way that professional workers implement policy. This study evaluated evidence of multi-professional working within local maternity services in and around a Scottish city by (a) collating and analysing data from the maternity records of 163 substance-using women, who delivered between January 2001 and December 2003; and (b) conducting a questionnaire survey in 2004 with 120 midwives and neonatal nurses for their views on maternity care for substance-using women and their babies. Despite the importance placed on multi-professional working by midwives and neonatal nurses, maternity records indicated operational inconsistencies with implementation in some cases and not in others. Policy was not yet to be seen embedded in everyday practice.
Investigates whether the recent emphasis on persuading employers to abandon ageist attitudes and ... more Investigates whether the recent emphasis on persuading employers to abandon ageist attitudes and appoint or promote on merit, irrespective of the applicant’s age, has been justified by comparing the results of the 1992 Institute of Personnel Management survey with those from 221 post-experience management students from a survey carried out in 1995. In this preliminary analysis of the data, major
Food shopping – although often dismissed as dreary necessity – has always served a range of laten... more Food shopping – although often dismissed as dreary necessity – has always served a range of latent functions. In the 1950s, food storage limitations and tight budgets gave rise to weekly – often daily – shopping patterns that also allowed shoppers to meet certain social needs. Going to food shops, and the way that customer service was organized, produced significant interactional opportunities which were valued by participants. Exchanging news with other customers may have reinforced shopping patterns but shopkeepers, and knowledgeable assistants, were also useful intermediaries for product and usage information. Functional specialization in food commodities bestowed the aura of expertise, and direct accountability for the quality of what was sold provided a more personal style of retailing than is currently typical. Much depended on the perception of relationships. The 1950s were an important transitional period in the UK. Rationing gave way to wider choice and availability, while the market position of corner shops was increasingly eclipsed by town centre supermarkets. This article explores the social context of food shopping, and its relationship to the specific issue of customer loyalty.
While farmers' markets are a colourful addition to urban shopping, they are periodic, relatively ... more While farmers' markets are a colourful addition to urban shopping, they are periodic, relatively expensive and provide for a very limited range of consumer requirements. In fact, they are the antithesis of supermarket ubiquity, price sensitivity, wide product/service range and extended opening hours. So, despite their small role in total food retail sales, why are they a growing presence and what do farmers' markets say about the consumer needs that supermarkets do not satisfy? This article reports the findings of a questionnaire-based survey of 391 farmers' market customers in five Scottish towns during 2006. Customers were seeking high quality food products, even if that meant premium prices, and put a particular value on direct transactions with the producer. Although these data have a specific geographic context, they have resonance for the growing schism between producer and customer in the UK and other countries.
General practice surgeries and health centres often provide patients with healthy eating advice d... more General practice surgeries and health centres often provide patients with healthy eating advice during consultation for specific problems, or in the context of general health monitoring. In some circumstances, patients will be referred for specialist dietary advice but, for most, all advice is provided from the resources of the practice. Advice about what patients should be eating or avoiding has long been a legitimate part of the consultation process for some illnesses, but diet is now seen as significant in a wider range of conditions, and in actively promoting healthy lifestyle. The research evidence as to whether primary care staff are able to effectively deliver healthy eating advice is equivocal. This paper reports Scottish data (n = 101) collected in a study of Scottish and Finnish practice nurses’ practical food knowledge conducted in 2003/2004. In this sample, practice nurses often demonstrated very good levels of nutritional knowledge to underpin basic advice, although sometimes there was considerable variation among these nurses. By comparison with earlier studies in the UK, practical cooking advice was extremely limited. This may have reflected an awareness of changed eating-out patterns, and the increased consumption of processed foods or ready meals at home, but the need for care with snacking behaviour or the need to restrict portion size, whether eating at home or eating out, was not typically part of their healthy eating advice.
In Scotland and Finland, a relatively small proportion of older people are in some form of reside... more In Scotland and Finland, a relatively small proportion of older people are in some form of residential care, but their numbers are not insubstantial given generally increased longevity. Moreover, those currently in residential care tend to be among the most vulnerable survivors of their generation. Residential care for older people has always been something of a paradox. The state has
... Emily Alexander, Emily Alexander is based at the School of Management and Consumer Studies, U... more ... Emily Alexander, Emily Alexander is based at the School of Management and Consumer Studies, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK. ... began with Queen Victoria's death in January 1901, although its end is often defined not in terms of King Edward VII's brief reign until 1910 but ...
In Finland there are valid questions being asked about the sustainability of the current provisio... more In Finland there are valid questions being asked about the sustainability of the current provision in state healthcare systems. Structurally, lower birth rates and greater longevity mean that populations age and present the challenge of chronic illness management in later life for a larger proportion of the population. Culturally, some 50 years after the introduction of a state healthcare system, ageing populations will have greater expectations of service quality than their predecessors. Paradoxically, they will also have a greater engagement with lifestyles which themselves will bring new challenges to long-term health status. There is no single solution to the complex problem of service sustainability but undoubtedly health education provides some potential to limit future demands. Diet-related illness and incapacity are specific health challenges for the coming decades but the problems can be substantially reduced by changing current behaviour. To make such changes possible, knowledge needs to be communicated effectively in terms of simplicity, accuracy and with appropriate timing. Health education can make a major contribution to service sustainability. This paper reports a study of primary care nurses (n = 50) in the Tampere area and examines their capacity to provide healthy eating advice. In this sample, nurses often demonstrated good levels of nutritional knowledge on which to base patient advice, but there was considerable variation. Arguably, focused in-service training would provide updating on theory and practice for more consistent advice and better prospects for behavioural change.
In this article, we outline a voluntary staff development course - Writing for Publication - and ... more In this article, we outline a voluntary staff development course - Writing for Publication - and its operation in the context of changing policy, practice and professional demands. One year from course completion we are in a position to discuss its success. We argue that, in a small but significant way, a paradigm shift in nursing is reflected in requests for the course, and for places on it. Clearly, there are new professional needs to be met.
Substance use is increasingly common in many countries. Consumption and lifestyles associated wit... more Substance use is increasingly common in many countries. Consumption and lifestyles associated with consumption often involve a number of specific health and legal risks for users. For pregnant women, the risks extend to the health and care of their unborn children. A multi-professional approach to the management of substance use in pregnancy is recommended as best practice but, as with all strategies, effectiveness depends on the way that professional workers implement policy. This study evaluated evidence of multi-professional working within local maternity services in and around a Scottish city by (a) collating and analysing data from the maternity records of 163 substance-using women, who delivered between January 2001 and December 2003; and (b) conducting a questionnaire survey in 2004 with 120 midwives and neonatal nurses for their views on maternity care for substance-using women and their babies. Despite the importance placed on multi-professional working by midwives and neonatal nurses, maternity records indicated operational inconsistencies with implementation in some cases and not in others. Policy was not yet to be seen embedded in everyday practice.
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