This article reports a study of older people in higher education, their socio-economic characteristics and the motivations and reported benefits of their studies. Whilst research on older learners is growing, particularly the benefits of the learning process itself, little is known about those who engage in higher education study. The findings are reported of a survey of graduates from the two UK higher education institutions that specialise in part-time study provision. The study population is distinctive in two respects: their participation in the accreditation process and that they complete with a formal qualification. It is shown that, whilst a sizable proportion of the middle-aged and older students are well-off and well educated, there is also considerable heterogeneity and that many are making up for opportunities lost earlier in life. A substantial proportion of the ‘middle-aged’ graduates still saw qualifications as a pathway to enhanced employment opportunities, whereas the older graduates placed more weight on wider benefits. The qualification was seen as an important aspect of their chosen study. Using the responses to qualitative interviews, the article explores the role of the qualification in the lives of the older graduates, and illustrates how this particular kind of study is an element of their strategies to manage the transition from work to retirement, and to make life in retirement more meaningful.
Semistructured interviews with women diagnosed with IBD and IBS revealed that all women felt governed by their bowels to varying degrees. In addition, all women within this sample knowingly engaged in behaviors concerning food/beverages that had the potential to be detrimental to their conditions. A myriad of reasons were given for consuming foods/beverages. Implications for nursing practitioners are discussed.
Diet was the primary behavioral factor manipulated by participants to manage their conditions. The determination of potential trigger foods/beverages, however, entailed an often frustrating process of trial and error, in which few of the women received assistance from primary healthcare professionals. As a result, many of the women sought dietary information from alternate sources, some of which may not provide reliable information. Through experimentation and, for some, the documentation of food intake and symptom production, all participants identified food/beverage items they believed to cause symptom development. Although similar items were identified by many, all participants had individual triggers and sensitivities.
The purpose of this research was to explore the dietary lived experiences of university-aged women suffering from inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). This paper will address the decision-making process used by these women when contemplating the consumption of dietary temptations, despite the associated negative consequences. This phenomenological study was guided by heuristic inquiry. A purposive sample of eight women, between the ages of 18 and 23 years, who were living with IBD or IBS were recruited via postings and word-of-mouth. The findings indicate that these women occasionally felt compelled to give into dietary temptations, despite the consequences to their health. The decision-making process they used when considering these negative health behaviours involved three personally controlled parameters. These three parameters included: assessing the cost-benefit relationship before engaging in these behaviours; having a physical and/or psychological reliance on medications to treat resulting symptoms; and through controlling the timing and surroundings in which they indulged in these negative dietary behaviours. The practical implications for health-care professionals treating patients with IBD or IBS are discussed.
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