Preference for initiation of end-of-life care discussion in Indonesia: a quantitative study

Background Initiating discussion about death and dying is often considered a difficult topic for healthcare providers, thus there is a need for further research to understand this area, particularly in developing countries. The aim of this study was to describe preferences for the initiation of end-of-life care discussions in Indonesia, comparing the general population and health care professionals. Methods This cross-sectional, descriptive study analysed quantitative data from 368 respondents to an online questionnaire (255 general population (69%); 113 healthcare professionals (31%)) utilizing consecutive sampling and snowball sampling methods. Results Overall, most respondents (80%) stated that they would like to discuss end-of-life issues with a healthcare professional in the case of terminal illness. This was more marked amongst healthcare professionals compared with the general population (94% vs. 75%, respectively, p < 0,001). The preferred time for discussion was at first diagnosis (68% general population, 52% healthcare professionals, p = 0.017) and the preferred person to start the discussion was the doctor (59% general population, 71% healthcare professionals, p = 0.036). Fewer respondents wanted to know about prognosis compared to diagnosis (overall 76% v 93% respectively). Conclusion Doctors have vital role in end-of-life care discussion, and attempts should be made to encourage physicians to initiate these conversations and respond to patient’s requests when needed. These findings contribute to the existing body of knowledge in this area of practice, with focus on a developing country. The role of socio-cultural influences on these conversations warrants further research, in order to develop practical resources to support clinicians to appropriately conduct end-of-life care discussions with their patients and to provide data for policymakers to develop services.

The Walkthrough Method

Nowadays the social scientists are called to integrate within their studies new tools that modify and innovate the scientist's typical toolbox. Digital platforms, media, and especially apps pose further challenges to social scientists today, as they are an important place of significant socio-cultural, economic, health, relationships, and entertainment transformations. When studying digital technologies, in fact, it's important to pay attention to both their socio-cultural representations and technological aspects – since even design and data outputs have social and cultural influences. In this context, new research questions arise; among all the possible tools in the digital method toolbox, the walkthrough method is a noteworthy way to answer them. Starting from these considerations, this chapter aims to analyze, through a review of the literature, the birth and development of the walkthrough method in its various meanings to identify the innovative aspects and fields of application.

Human Rights Literacy (HRL) to Promote and Sustain Attitudes and Behaviours Supportive of Social Justice

This chapter explores what Human Rights Literacy (HRL) involves and how it establishes and develops improved rights of the citizens supportive to social justice in the society. People with different cultural backgrounds have the fundamental right to be literate members of society. However, due to various cultural influences, this right is somewhat restricted to certain individuals. For example, girls' education has become controversial in some lands. There are still instances in some cultures where people of all walks of life, such as LGBTI, Blacks, Indigenous people, migrants, etc., are helpless in the face of their rights. Thus, legal literacy and its unique component of human rights literacy are essential to ensure the protection of human rights. A theoretical framework is eventually drawn up by summarising the findings of the study.

Cultural influences on physical activity and exercise beliefs in patients with chronic kidney disease: ‘The Culture-CKD Study’—a qualitative study

ObjectivesThis study used a mixed-method approach to explore cultural and ethnic influences on the perception of, and decision to engage with or not to engage with, physical activity and exercise therapy in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD).DesignQualitative research was conducted through the use of semistructured interviews and focus groups. Self-reported physical activity levels were measured using the General Practice Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPPAQ), and self-efficacy for exercise with Bandura’s Self-Efficacy for Exercise Scale.SettingThis study was conducted in a non-clinical setting of a single National Health Service Hospital Trust between April 2018 and July 2019.ParticipantsParticipants >18 years of age with a diagnosis of CKD, from black African, black Caribbean, South Asian or white ethnicity were eligible for the study. 84 patients with a diagnosis of CKD (stages 2–5), aged 25–79 (mean age 57) were recruited. Semistructured interviews (n=20) and six single-sex, ethnic-specific focus group discussions were undertaken (n=36).OutcomesPrimary outcome was to explore the perceptions, attitudes and values about exercise and physical activity in different ethnic groups through qualitative interviews, analysed using an inductive thematic analysis approach. Questionnaires were analysed using Pearson correlation to determine if there was a significant relationship between the self-efficacy and GPPAQ levels.ResultsQualitative analysis provided four primary themes: I am who I am, Change of identity, Influences to physical activity and exercise and Support and education. Quantitative analysis using Pearson correlation revealed a significant correlation between GPPAQ levels of activity and self-efficacy to regulate exercise behaviour (r=−0.40, p=0.001).ConclusionUnderstanding the cultural, attitudes and beliefs of individuals with CKD from a variety of ethnic backgrounds is complex. Understanding of patients’ experiences, thoughts and beliefs may be of relevance to clinicians when designing CKD exercise services.Trial registration numberNCT03709212; Pre-results.

Social and Cultural Influences on Traditional Balinese House Pattern in the Highland Areas of Eastern Bali

The design of a traditional Balinese house is based on the polarity principle, which states that the world is divided into two opposing poles. As a result, the orientation and form of space influence the physical landscape of Bali, including house plans. The topography of Bali, with the plateau running through the center of the island from west to east, causes changes in the spatial orientation system in various locations throughout the island. This condition is due to the fact that spirituality is based on geography, with high areas thought to be the abodes of the gods. As a result, the spatial orientation patterns of the island's southern and northern regions differ. Furthermore, many settlements in the eastern part of the island of Bali have unique pattern variations due to the island's unique orientation system. This individuality has an impact on local customs, such as traditional house design. To investigate this uniqueness, this article examines traditional residential patterns in several villages in eastern Bali. It investigates through the examination of buildings and exposure to developments and spatial changes associated with people's daily activities. This approach includes visual analysis and stories about community cultural activities. Geographic orientation, according to this study, has an impact on settlement patterns. Even though they are close to one another, the spatial layout of customary settlements differs.

The effects of different genres of music on passersby

Music preferences reflect both experience and societal or cultural influences. The characteristics of the music genre include both structural style and societal connotations. This study investigated reactions to different types of music. The behavior of passersby was observed as music from two stereotypically “opposite” genres, hip-hop and classical, was played by the researcher while jogging past them. It was hypothesized that due to societal stereotypes and reputations of these genres’ participants would react negatively toward hip-hop and favorably toward classical. As the study was conducted, participants were observed during six different outings over a three-week period. The researcher jogged at the same time of day and over the same route with either hip-hop or classical music playing. Passersby were observed on their facial expressions, any changes in behavior, and their body language to determine their overall reaction to the music, as being “positive”, “negative”, or “neutral.” The results indicate that older passersby responded negatively to hip-hop and positively to classical music. Younger age groups often had opposite reactions. This study provides insight into different populations’ responses to opposite genres of music and how societal stereotypes may have affected these responses.

Science Fiction in Belgrade in the 1920s: A Possible Contribution to the Development of Metropolitan Belgrade

Historian Jovana Babović claims that post-World War I Belgrade residents embraced different foreign cultural influences in an attempt to become citizens of western type metropolis. Various examples that support her claim were discovered through analysing a specific area of popular culture — science fiction — and enriched with interesting findings about surprisingly fast translations of certain stories, at the very beginning of the establishment of science fiction as an independent genre by Hugo Gernsback, publisher of the world’s first SF magazine Amazing Stories (1926). Several stories from its first issues appeared after only a few months in the Belgrade magazine Reč i slika [Words and Images], with faithful copies by domestic illustrators of original drawings by the leading US genre illustrator of that time, Frank R. Paul. Despite the relatively small number of translated stories, influence on domestic writers and illustrators of popular fiction was significant. The importance of these stories is reflected in the growing penetration of Serbian popular culture by US influences, which began to gain signifi cance in relation to the hitherto dominant French, German and Russian influences. Unfortunately, considering that most of the people involved in these activities died during World War II, and that there is no archived documentation, the pathways by which these stories reached readers in Serbia have yet to be uncovered.