| Learning Objective #1: See the connection between subjective health, a sense of coherence and available sources to inner strength, and relate it to community-based health promotion programs | |||
| Learning Objective #2: Discuss the scope of caring science integrated into programs of health promotion in the community |
Objective: to survey the subjective health and perceived sources for inner strength among Finnish arcipelague inhabitors, as a basis for community health promotion program. Design: Cross sectional survey. Population: 15-80 aged inhabitants in Kimito arcipelague in Finland. Sample: 700 (every sixth person). Setting: 3 arcipelague communities in south of Finland. Year: 2000-2002. Variables studied: age, gender, mother langue, subjective mental and physical health, sence of coherense, life style, social network, diseases, perceived sources of inner strength, contact with community health care. Methods: Questionnaire with standardized and open-ended questions. Findings: There is no significant differenses in subjective health (SF-36) between archipelago inhabitants and others. The subjective mental health is higher among elderly persons. Most of the persons with diseases feel having inner strength. The sourses of strength are outdoor life, the archipelague, the domestic animals, music, literature, relationships, religion, spirituality, life itself. Some people describing suffering have none or only one source of strength. Conclusions: There is a need for maintaining and promoting subjective health in the communities. A central variable is the perceived inner strength, especially persons who perceive none or only one source of inner strength. Implications: Local public health nurses develop health policy based on the findings in the research and on basic knowledge of caring science. Natural caring for each other should be improved by the health for all 2015 local health policy.
Back to Population Specific Research
Back to 14th International Nursing Research Congress
Sigma Theta Tau International
10-12 July 2003