/library/oar/handle/123456789/62491 Wed, 05 Nov 2025 19:00:34 GMT 2025-11-05T19:00:34Z /library/oar/handle/123456789/100228 Title: Drug rehabilitation : intersectionality between law, medicine and the self Abstract: This research explores and analyses the lived experience of persons who are undergoing rehabilitation for hard drug dependence, mainly heroin and cocaine, under Malta’s Drug Court through the Drug Offenders Rehabilitation Board (DORB). By adopting an Interpretative Phenomenological Approach (IPA), this qualitive research sought to investigate how drug addicts in rehabilitation relate and deal with their addiction during DORBs rehabilitation treatment and whether and how this impacts their identity as law, medicine and the self intersect. The findings, analyses and discussion revolve around the participants’ challenges arising from drug dependence and their trajectories in overcoming them through rehabilitation. A number of main findings led to the discussion about the transition from biographical disruption to biographical reconstruction, as well as the importance and significance of the intersectionality of law, medicine and the self through the Drug Dependence (Treatment not Imprisonment) Act (Cap. 537) which law stipulates DORBs functions. This Act primarily filled in the gap for this intersectional approach and provided a guidance and supervisory role for legal, medical and social services. Recommendations for service provision (including legal amendments) and for further research arising from this study, shall inform policymakers and practitioners on intersectional prevention and intervention, particularly on how to enhance the effectiveness of the Drug Court system. Description: M.A.HEALTH,MEDICINE&SOCIETY Wed, 01 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT /library/oar/handle/123456789/100228 2020-01-01T00:00:00Z /library/oar/handle/123456789/92381 Title: Local nurses’ attitudes towards obesity and their impact on the quality of nursing care of obese patients : a quantitative study Abstract: Obesity rates have increased exponentially worldwide, including Malta, with recent statistical data indicating that almost 70% of Maltese adults are overweight or obese (Cuschieri et al., 2016). Obesity is known to cause multiple secondary health problems and in recent years, public health authorities have come to recognise this physical state as a medical condition, claiming control over its definition and management. Public health authorities have created biomedical discourses which depict obesity as unhealthy, such that while the fat body was once highly valorised and attributed with beauty and fertility, today, obesity is attributed with negative attitudes. Studies among health professionals, indicate that nurses may also hold such negative attitudes towards obese people. Social processes that lead to obesity stigma, suggest that negative attitudes towards obesity can lead to obese people being discriminated against, and this discrimination has already been reported within health care (Brown 2006). The primary aim of this research was to explore the association, if any, between local nurses’ negative attitudes towards obesity and the quality of nursing care of adult obese patients. A cross-sectional quantitative research design was used to test the following hypothesis: Negative attitudes towards obesity among nurses negatively impact the nursing care provided to adult obese patients. A questionnaire was used to assess nurses’ attitudes towards obesity, the quality of nursing care of adult obese patients, the perceived barriers to providing good quality nursing care to obese patients and the participants’ demographic data. The questionnaire included both close-ended and open-ended questions. A link to the questionnaire was set up on the Facebook page of the Malta Union of Midwifes and Nurses (MUMN) such that all nurses who are members of this official Facebook page could voluntarily participate. Quantitative data was analysed using SPSS while qualitative data was analysed using thematic content analysis. Findings revealed an overall low level of negative attitudes towards obesity among the study sample. However, when present, these negative attitudes were significantly associated with the quality of nursing care of obese patients. Indeed, the findings showed that negative attitudes resulted in compromised nursing care, accepting the hypothesis. However, apart from negative attitudes, the qualitative component showed that nurses provide a lower level of nursing care to obese patients due to other factors. These included the risk of injury while caring for an obese patient, inadequate human resources, the lack of adequate equipment and the lack of education on obesity management. Nurses emphasised the need for these organisational barriers to be addressed in order to enhance the quality of care of obese patients and ultimately the obese patient’s experience with health care. Description: M.A.HEALTH,MEDICINE&SOCIETY Wed, 01 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT /library/oar/handle/123456789/92381 2020-01-01T00:00:00Z /library/oar/handle/123456789/76227 Title: Coping with diabetes in the workplace : client and management perspectives Abstract: The key objectives of this research study were to explore the impact of type 1 diabetes, a chronic illness, on one’s employment, and to investigate as well how the context and conditions of this same employment can have an effect on those bearing such a chronic illness. Simpler and more researchable questions were also proposed, stemming from these concerns and interests. These searching questions include: how does type 1 diabetes, if at all, affect employment choice? Does having this chronic illness impact employees in reaching their goals and employers from hiring and engaging such employees? Does employment have an impact on the everyday management of type 1 diabetes? Is there an awareness of type 1 diabetes at the workplace and, if so, does the workplace provide any kind of support to employees living with this chronic illness? The number of individuals living with this chronic illness is on the rise. Therefore, in order to collect a substantial amount of data to represent the population and conduct an in-depth examination of their multi-faceted, nuanced experience, a mixed method approach was adopted. 73 questionnaires were filled out by employees, 20 questionnaires were completed by employers, and three voluntary unstructured interviews with employees were held. These quantitative and qualitative data-collecting tools yielded a vast amount of data, eliciting an in-depth understanding of why questionnaire respondents answered in such a way. After the data was collected and analysed, it could be seen that employment does have an effect on one’s chronic illness and diabetes has a marked effect on one’s work. Such an impact can be seen at the very beginning of one’s employment. This is because the change in one’s routine already caused multiple disruptions in one’s management of time and work obligations. This chronic illness also interfered with a person’s work tasks and as a result affected their diabetes care management. On the other hand, data gleaned from employers provided insight into the extent of their knowledge and the support they provided to such employees. Therefore, these results shone some useful light on the relationship between type 1 diabetes and employment. Such data suggests that although type 1 diabetes does impact one’s employment, it becomes so intertwined that it is normalised for and by the individual. The persons living with this chronic illness will have grown used to their new ‘normality’, by the time they reach working age. Therefore, it is normal and usual for them to experience such intense emotions, to change according to their new routine and to adapt to their new work environment. From such data, a number of recommendations as well as suggestions for future research regarding this area have also been proposed. Although type 1 diabetes awareness is slowly but surely gaining increased acknowledgement, much more needs to be done in order to gain a better comprehension of the current situation in Malta and Gozo. Description: M.A.HEALTH,MEDICINE&SOCIETY Wed, 01 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT /library/oar/handle/123456789/76227 2020-01-01T00:00:00Z /library/oar/handle/123456789/73749 Title: Essential connections? : virtual social networks in everyday life Abstract: The purpose of this study was to look at the ways that social media has come to form part of, and intertwine with one’s lifestyle. It explores whether (and, if so, how) being part of the virtual world and creating a social media account impacts everyday life in essential ways. The theoretical framework of this is symbolic interactionism, with a focus on the different aspects of online social interaction online and how throughout this process, the perception of others may affect one’s sense of ‘self’ and relationship with themselves and others. The foundation of this study has its root in the curiosity and wish to understand why for many, it seems to have become part of their daily routine to connect with the internet and log into their online account, simultaneously carrying on with their daily tasks while staying connected with those who are not physically around. A qualitative methodological approach was used to collect rich in-depth data. A convenience sampling technique was used to recruit participants resulting in a sample of twenty participants of different ages, all of whom are Maltese residents. A semi-structured interview technique was used to collect data. Interviews were recorded with consent then transcribed. Interviews were conducted in different ways, the majority online, either synchronously or asynchronously, with some taking place in person. Thematic analysis was used to identify the key themes which emerged in the data, being: 1. Motivation 2. Presentation of the Self 3. Impact Findings show how people on social media encounter unforeseen situations which somehow impact their lives. Relationships can be facilitated and maintained through efficient communication platforms, or conversely threatened for simple reasons like not being able to pick up on sarcasm. Use of social media helps individuals to remain in contact with the offline world, especially if due to some circumstances, daily activities are suddenly interrupted and they lack social interaction in person with others. Lastly, any individual on social media can be, and develop a sense of who they are while maintaining control over what to intentionally communicate with others through the resources that social media provides its users with. Description: M.A.SOCIOLOGY Wed, 01 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT /library/oar/handle/123456789/73749 2020-01-01T00:00:00Z