Buffel
Biographic Data
| ID | 259908 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Buffel |
| FAMILY NAME | Buffel |
| SIGNATURE | BUFFEL |
| AFFILIATIONS | Ghent University |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-6602-9525 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 33 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 72 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 33 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2014 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 5 |
In pursuit of intimacy
The COVID-19 crisis gave rise to measures such as physical distancing, sheltering in place, and social bubbles that impacted sexual lives profoundly. One group particularly badly impacted by COVID-19 containment, and at risk of sexual and mental health consequences as a result, comprised gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men -- many of whom were more likely to live alone, to have had multiple partners before the epidemic, and some of …
Choosing to care
The childcare sector is experiencing major staff shortages, putting pressure on the quality provided within childcare centers and consequently on the children. One cause of these shortages is the insufficient supply of new childcare professionals. This study examines pre-service childcare professionals’ intentions to enter the field in relation to the following three aspects: study choice motivation, practicum experiences and perceptions of worki…
Understanding the role of family social support in the medication adherence to hypertension treatment in Cambodia
The role of social support from family members was very positive in enhancing medication adherence among patients with HTN in Cambodia. Potential strategic interventions should include focus on establishing an intervention involving family members to provide support for HTN treatment
Scaling up integrated care for chronic diseases in belgium
INTRODUCTION: Few integrated care studies elaborate how interventions are brought to wider scale. The SCUBY project developed interventions for scale-up of an Integrated Care Package (ICP) for two common diseases - type 2 diabetes and hypertension-, comprising evidence-based roadmaps and policy dialogues. This paper's aim is to report on the process evaluation of the ICP scale-up in Belgium. Specific objectives are: to describe the development of…
Navigating diabetes care inequities
Our pioneering findings support the social capital pathway, as CCM implementation is associated with a reduction in the healthcare inequity gap in the T2D care process. This suggests that promoting CCM implementation may improve healthcare equity, particularly in regions with significant socioeconomic disparities or high concentrations of deprived individuals
Hypertension Cascade Across Three Healthcare Systems and in Relation to the Level of Implementation of the Integrated Care Package
Despite contextual differences between the countries and difficulties in comparability of the cascades, lessons can be learnt from each country's strengths and weaknesses to improve quality of integrated hypertension care
Sexual Activity and Mental Health in Higher Education Students in Antwerp, Belgium During the Covid-19 Pandemic
Study Protocol Medimig
Background: European society is becoming increasingly diverse due to high levels of migration. Persons with a migration background, especially those from non-western countries, may experience significant challenges when they seek medical care. Some of the main issues arise in the context of medical decision-making (MDM), where cultural preferences for close family involvement may be difficult to reconcile with the western model of medicine, as en…
Unravelling the Belgian cascade of hypertension care and its determinants
Our results show that undiagnosed hypertension is the most significant barrier to BP control in Belgium. Health interventions are thus needed to improve the accurate and timely diagnosis of hypertension. Once diagnosed, the Belgian health system retains patients fairly well along the continuum of hypertension care, yet targeted health interventions to improve hypertension management for high-risk groups remain necessary, especially with regard to…
Scaling-up integrated type-2 diabetes and hypertension care in Cambodia
Background: Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as type-2 diabetes (T2D) and hypertension (HTN) pose a massive burden on health systems, especially in low- and middle-income countries. In Cambodia, to tackle this issue, the government and partners have introduced several limited interventions to ensure service availability. However, scaling-up these health system interventions is needed to ensure universal supply and access to NCDs care for Cam…
Scale-up Integrated Care for Chronic Diseases in Belgium
Background. The goal of more integrated care has been on the Belgium health care policy agenda since 2007 with the start of disease specific care trajectories, reports on chronic care and pilot projects at local level. While there is consensus on what needs to be done, the process of how it should be done is much more uncertain. Scale-up of integrated care is complex, because it requires multi-stakeholder action and intersectoral coordination at …
Increased Anxiety and Depression Among Belgian Sexual Minority Groups During the First Covid-19 Lockdown—Results From an Online Survey
The COVID-19 pandemic most likely had a negative impact on mental health. Sexual minorities are at higher risk for adverse mental outcomes such as depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation. Such mental health disparities may have exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic, due to restricted real-life social contact. The study aim was to examine changes in depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation among Belgian sexual minority adults between the per…
Knowledge deficit and fear of Covid-19 among higher education students during the first wave of the pandemic and implications for public health
COVID-19 related knowledge was independently associated with both fear of acquiring SARS-COV-2 infection as well as contracting severe COVID-19. Our findings will serve as a basis for public health response for both the current and similar future pandemics by highlighting the need for addressing the COVID-19 knowledge deficit to fight the infodemic and prevent negative mental health outcomes
Depressive symptoms in higher education students during the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. An examination of the association with various social risk factors across multiple high- and middle-inc…
Higher-education students face substantial risks for developing depressive symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic or experiencing exacerbated pre-existing depressive symptoms. This study uses data from the COVID-19 International Student Well-Being Study, which collected data through a non-representative convenience sample in 125 higher-education institutions (HEI) across 26 high- and middle-income countries (N: 20,103) during the first wave of the…
Awareness of, Willingness to Take PrEP and Its Actual Use Among Belgian MSM at High Risk of HIV Infection
The medicalisation of female genital cutting
Today, female genital cutting is increasingly practised by trained healthcare providers. While opposition to medicalised female genital cutting (FGC) is strong, little is known about the underlying motivation for this medicalisation trend in practising communities. We formulated three hypotheses based on medicalisation theories. The medicalisation of FGC: (i) is stratified and functions as a status symbol, (ii) functions as a harm-reduction strat…
Scale-up integrated care for diabetes and hypertension in Cambodia, Slovenia and Belgium (SCUBY)
Health systems worldwide struggle to manage the growing burden of type 2 diabetes and hypertension. Many patients receive suboptimal care, especially those most vulnerable. An evidence-based Integrated Care Package (ICP) with primary care-based diagnosis, treatment, education and self-management support and collaboration, leads to better health outcomes, but there is little knowledge of how to scale-up. The Scale-up integrated care for diabetes a…
Motherhood in Europe
This study examines how European variation in breastfeeding initiation and duration rates is related to the presence of baby-friendly hospitals, the international code of marketing of breast-milk substitutes, and different constellations of maternal, paternal, and parental leave. We use Eurobarometer data (2005) to compare initiation and duration levels across 21 European countries within a multilevel regression framework. We find that countries …
Mental wellbeing, air pollution and the ecological state
Comparing Negative Attitudes Toward the Unemployed Across European Countries in 2008 and 2016
We explore how negative attitudes toward the unemployed are related to countries’ overall and long-term (LT) unemployment rate. Insights from the risk attribution and position theory are combined with the in-group–out-group conflict model, derived from migration literature. Multilevel analyses are performed on two waves (2008 and 2016) of the European Social Survey. Negative attitudes toward the unemployed are measured via the item “most unemploy…
The Reversal of the Gender Gap in Education
Recent studies have indicated that the relationship between education and health differs between men and women. In line with the resource substitution theory, these studies demonstrate that women receive greater health returns to an additional year of schooling than men do. In this article, we argue that this female advantage in the effect of education can change across different socio-historical contexts. In particular, we investigate the impact…
Medicalization of Sleep Problems in an Aging Population
Sleep problems seem to be medicalized particularly when they prevent aging individuals from engaging in work-related responsibilities, as medication is especially used by employed individuals with sleep problems
Power and the gendered division of contraceptive use in Western European couples
The relation between religion and depression in Europe
Previous research has found that religiosity is positively related to mental well-being. This study assesses whether the religious context moderates the relationship between individual levels of religiosity and depression in the religiously diverse European context. We apply multilevel models, examining 68,874 individuals in 29 European countries subdivided into 277 regions from the sixth (2012) and seventh (2014) wave of the European Social Surv…
The social norm of unemployment in relation to mental health and medical care use
The relationships between unemployment, mental health (care) and medication use among 50-65 year-old men (N = 11,789) and women (N = 15,118) are studied in Europe. Inspired by the social norm theory of unemployment, the relevance of regional unemployment levels and workplace closure are explored, using multilevel analyses of data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement. In line with the social norm theory, the results show that - only fo…
Educational expansion and the education gradient in health
The social norm of unemployment in relation to mental health and medical care use
The relationships between unemployment, mental health (care) and medication use among 50-65 year-old men (N = 11,789) and women (N = 15,118) are studied in Europe. Inspired by the social norm theory of unemployment, the relevance of regional unemployment levels and workplace closure are explored, using multilevel analyses of data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement. In line with the social norm theory, the results show that - only fo…
Medicalization of the Uncertainty? An Empirical Study of the Relationships between Unemployment or Job Insecurity, Professional Care Seeking, and the Consumption of Antidepressants
In addition to concerns about the treatment gap in mental health (MH) care, an increasing number of researchers are paying attention to the medicalization of daily life. Framed in a context characterized by a growth in the use of antidepressants and at the same time economic instability, the aim of this study is to unravel the relations between employment status/job insecurity, seeking professional care for MH problems, and antidepressant use. Da…
The Institutional Foundations of Medicalization
In this study, we question (1) whether the relationship between unemployment and mental healthcare use, controlling for mental health status, varies across European countries and (2) whether these differences are patterned by a combination of unemployment and healthcare generosity. We hypothesize that medicalization of unemployment is stronger in countries where a low level of unemployment generosity is combined with a high level of healthcare ge…
The mental health consequences of the economic crisis in Europe among the employed, the unemployed, and the non-employed
Comparing Negative Attitudes Toward the Unemployed Across European Countries in 2008 and 2016
We explore how negative attitudes toward the unemployed are related to countries’ overall and long-term (LT) unemployment rate. Insights from the risk attribution and position theory are combined with the in-group–out-group conflict model, derived from migration literature. Multilevel analyses are performed on two waves (2008 and 2016) of the European Social Survey. Negative attitudes toward the unemployed are measured via the item “most unemploy…
The Reversal of the Gender Gap in Education
Recent studies have indicated that the relationship between education and health differs between men and women. In line with the resource substitution theory, these studies demonstrate that women receive greater health returns to an additional year of schooling than men do. In this article, we argue that this female advantage in the effect of education can change across different socio-historical contexts. In particular, we investigate the impact…
The relation between religion and depression in Europe
Previous research has found that religiosity is positively related to mental well-being. This study assesses whether the religious context moderates the relationship between individual levels of religiosity and depression in the religiously diverse European context. We apply multilevel models, examining 68,874 individuals in 29 European countries subdivided into 277 regions from the sixth (2012) and seventh (2014) wave of the European Social Surv…
Gender specific effects of financial and housework contributions on depression
Studies that focus on the effects of both the division of household chores and of financial contributions on the mental health of couples are scarce. This paper expands on previous research by paying attention to the variation of this relationship among three types of households: Male breadwinner, one-and-a-half-earner and dual-earner. Using paired data from the 10th wave of the Panel Study of Belgian Households, collected in 2001, we perform sep…
The medicalisation of female genital cutting
Today, female genital cutting is increasingly practised by trained healthcare providers. While opposition to medicalised female genital cutting (FGC) is strong, little is known about the underlying motivation for this medicalisation trend in practising communities. We formulated three hypotheses based on medicalisation theories. The medicalisation of FGC: (i) is stratified and functions as a status symbol, (ii) functions as a harm-reduction strat…
Mental wellbeing, air pollution and the ecological state
Medicalization of Sleep Problems in an Aging Population
Sleep problems seem to be medicalized particularly when they prevent aging individuals from engaging in work-related responsibilities, as medication is especially used by employed individuals with sleep problems
Power and the gendered division of contraceptive use in Western European couples
Gender specific effects of financial and housework contributions on depression
Studies that focus on the effects of both the division of household chores and of financial contributions on the mental health of couples are scarce. This paper expands on previous research by paying attention to the variation of this relationship among three types of households: Male breadwinner, one-and-a-half-earner and dual-earner. Using paired data from the 10th wave of the Panel Study of Belgian Households, collected in 2001, we perform sep…
Social inequality in morbidity, framed within the current economic crisis in Spain
Our findings partially support the predictions of the FCT for Spain. The crisis effects on health emerge especially in the case of our more-preventable illnesses and among lower educated groups. Health inequalities in Spain could increase rapidly in the coming years due to the differential effects of recession on socioeconomic groups
Employment status and mental health care use in times of economic contraction
Our findings stress the importance of taking the macro-economic context and changes therein into account when studying the mental health care use of unemployed people compared with the employed, in particular among men. Moreover, it is important to make the distinction between primary and specialized medical care use, as the impact of macro-economic conditions is dependent on the type of care, which also applies when controlling for mental health
The mental health consequences of the economic crisis in Europe among the employed, the unemployed, and the non-employed
Educational expansion and the education gradient in health
Medicalization of the Uncertainty? An Empirical Study of the Relationships between Unemployment or Job Insecurity, Professional Care Seeking, and the Consumption of Antidepressants
In addition to concerns about the treatment gap in mental health (MH) care, an increasing number of researchers are paying attention to the medicalization of daily life. Framed in a context characterized by a growth in the use of antidepressants and at the same time economic instability, the aim of this study is to unravel the relations between employment status/job insecurity, seeking professional care for MH problems, and antidepressant use. Da…
Medicalization of Sleep Problems in an Aging Population
Sleep problems seem to be medicalized particularly when they prevent aging individuals from engaging in work-related responsibilities, as medication is especially used by employed individuals with sleep problems
Power and the gendered division of contraceptive use in Western European couples
The relation between religion and depression in Europe
Previous research has found that religiosity is positively related to mental well-being. This study assesses whether the religious context moderates the relationship between individual levels of religiosity and depression in the religiously diverse European context. We apply multilevel models, examining 68,874 individuals in 29 European countries subdivided into 277 regions from the sixth (2012) and seventh (2014) wave of the European Social Surv…
The social norm of unemployment in relation to mental health and medical care use
The relationships between unemployment, mental health (care) and medication use among 50-65 year-old men (N = 11,789) and women (N = 15,118) are studied in Europe. Inspired by the social norm theory of unemployment, the relevance of regional unemployment levels and workplace closure are explored, using multilevel analyses of data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement. In line with the social norm theory, the results show that - only fo…
The Institutional Foundati ons of Medicalizati on
The Institutional Foundations of Medicalization
In this study, we question (1) whether the relationship between unemployment and mental healthcare use, controlling for mental health status, varies across European countries and (2) whether these differences are patterned by a combination of unemployment and healthcare generosity. We hypothesize that medicalization of unemployment is stronger in countries where a low level of unemployment generosity is combined with a high level of healthcare ge…
Comparing Negative Attitudes Toward the Unemployed Across European Countries in 2008 and 2016
We explore how negative attitudes toward the unemployed are related to countries’ overall and long-term (LT) unemployment rate. Insights from the risk attribution and position theory are combined with the in-group–out-group conflict model, derived from migration literature. Multilevel analyses are performed on two waves (2008 and 2016) of the European Social Survey. Negative attitudes toward the unemployed are measured via the item “most unemploy…
The Reversal of the Gender Gap in Education
Recent studies have indicated that the relationship between education and health differs between men and women. In line with the resource substitution theory, these studies demonstrate that women receive greater health returns to an additional year of schooling than men do. In this article, we argue that this female advantage in the effect of education can change across different socio-historical contexts. In particular, we investigate the impact…
Mental wellbeing, air pollution and the ecological state
Scale-up integrated care for diabetes and hypertension in Cambodia, Slovenia and Belgium (SCUBY)
Health systems worldwide struggle to manage the growing burden of type 2 diabetes and hypertension. Many patients receive suboptimal care, especially those most vulnerable. An evidence-based Integrated Care Package (ICP) with primary care-based diagnosis, treatment, education and self-management support and collaboration, leads to better health outcomes, but there is little knowledge of how to scale-up. The Scale-up integrated care for diabetes a…
Motherhood in Europe
This study examines how European variation in breastfeeding initiation and duration rates is related to the presence of baby-friendly hospitals, the international code of marketing of breast-milk substitutes, and different constellations of maternal, paternal, and parental leave. We use Eurobarometer data (2005) to compare initiation and duration levels across 21 European countries within a multilevel regression framework. We find that countries …
Depressive symptoms in higher education students during the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. An examination of the association with various social risk factors across multiple high- and middle-inc…
Higher-education students face substantial risks for developing depressive symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic or experiencing exacerbated pre-existing depressive symptoms. This study uses data from the COVID-19 International Student Well-Being Study, which collected data through a non-representative convenience sample in 125 higher-education institutions (HEI) across 26 high- and middle-income countries (N: 20,103) during the first wave of the…
Awareness of, Willingness to Take PrEP and Its Actual Use Among Belgian MSM at High Risk of HIV Infection
The medicalisation of female genital cutting
Today, female genital cutting is increasingly practised by trained healthcare providers. While opposition to medicalised female genital cutting (FGC) is strong, little is known about the underlying motivation for this medicalisation trend in practising communities. We formulated three hypotheses based on medicalisation theories. The medicalisation of FGC: (i) is stratified and functions as a status symbol, (ii) functions as a harm-reduction strat…
Increased Anxiety and Depression Among Belgian Sexual Minority Groups During the First Covid-19 Lockdown—Results From an Online Survey
The COVID-19 pandemic most likely had a negative impact on mental health. Sexual minorities are at higher risk for adverse mental outcomes such as depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation. Such mental health disparities may have exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic, due to restricted real-life social contact. The study aim was to examine changes in depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation among Belgian sexual minority adults between the per…
Knowledge deficit and fear of Covid-19 among higher education students during the first wave of the pandemic and implications for public health
COVID-19 related knowledge was independently associated with both fear of acquiring SARS-COV-2 infection as well as contracting severe COVID-19. Our findings will serve as a basis for public health response for both the current and similar future pandemics by highlighting the need for addressing the COVID-19 knowledge deficit to fight the infodemic and prevent negative mental health outcomes
Scaling-up integrated type-2 diabetes and hypertension care in Cambodia
Background: Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as type-2 diabetes (T2D) and hypertension (HTN) pose a massive burden on health systems, especially in low- and middle-income countries. In Cambodia, to tackle this issue, the government and partners have introduced several limited interventions to ensure service availability. However, scaling-up these health system interventions is needed to ensure universal supply and access to NCDs care for Cam…
Scale-up Integrated Care for Chronic Diseases in Belgium
Background. The goal of more integrated care has been on the Belgium health care policy agenda since 2007 with the start of disease specific care trajectories, reports on chronic care and pilot projects at local level. While there is consensus on what needs to be done, the process of how it should be done is much more uncertain. Scale-up of integrated care is complex, because it requires multi-stakeholder action and intersectoral coordination at …
Unravelling the Belgian cascade of hypertension care and its determinants
Our results show that undiagnosed hypertension is the most significant barrier to BP control in Belgium. Health interventions are thus needed to improve the accurate and timely diagnosis of hypertension. Once diagnosed, the Belgian health system retains patients fairly well along the continuum of hypertension care, yet targeted health interventions to improve hypertension management for high-risk groups remain necessary, especially with regard to…
Medicine (22 works) · Psychology (20 works) · Economics (15 works) · Political science (13 works) · Sociology (12 works) · Demographic economics (11 works) · Environmental health (11 works) · Mental health (11 works) · Psychiatry (11 works) · Economic growth (10 works)