87 results
Search Results
2. A Collaboratively-Derived Research Agenda for E-Assessment in Undergraduate Mathematics
- Author
-
George Kinnear, Ian Jones, Chris Sangwin, Maryam Alarfaj, Ben Davies, Sam Fearn, Colin Foster, André Heck, Karen Henderson, Tim Hunt, Paola Iannone, Igor' Kontorovich, Niclas Larson, Tim Lowe, John Christopher Meyer, Ann O'Shea, Peter Rowlett, Indunil Sikurajapathi, and Thomas Wong
- Abstract
This paper describes the collaborative development of an agenda for research on e-assessment in undergraduate mathematics. We built on an established approach to develop the agenda from the contributions of 22 mathematics education researchers, university teachers and learning technologists interested in this topic. The resulting set of 55 research questions are grouped into 5 broad themes: errors and feedback, student interactions with e-assessment, design and implementation choices, affordances offered by e-assessment tools, and mathematical skills. This agenda gives a framework for a programme of research aligned with practical concerns that will contribute to both theoretical and practical development.
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
3. Bibliometrics of Scientific Productivity on Physical Activity in Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Down Syndrome
- Author
-
Cossio Bolaños, Marco, Vidal Espinoza, Rubén, Pezoa-Fuentes, Paz, Cisterna More, Camila, Benavides Opazo, Angela, Espinoza Galdámez, Francisca, Urra Albornoz, Camilo, Sulla Torres, Jose, De la Torre Choque, Christian, and Gómez Campos, Rossana
- Abstract
The aim of this study was to compare bibliometric indicators of scientific productivity in physical activity (PA) in children and adolescents with Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and Down syndrome (DS) in the PubMed database. A bibliometric study was conducted for the last 5 years (2017 to 2021). The data collected for each article were: year of publication, language of publication, country, journal name, and type of paper. The results showed that there was higher scientific productivity in the population with DS (20 studies) relative to their counterparts with ASD (31 studies). The language of publication in both cases was English. There were 10 countries that published on PA in ASD and 14 countries that published on DS. Overall, the greatest interest in publishing on PA in children and adolescents with ASD was in North America (6 studies), followed by Asia (5 studies) and Europe (4 studies). In the DS population it was in Europe (13 studies), North America (9 studies) and South America (4 studies). Nineteen journals were identified that published in the ASD population and 29 journals in DS. Six experimental studies were identified in ASD and 7 in DS. There was a higher scientific productivity with original studies. There was a positive trend of increasing scientific productivity over the years in both populations. We suggest the need to promote research on PA in both populations, regardless of the type of study, as it is an indicator of overall health status.
- Published
- 2022
4. Copyright and Text and Data Mining: Is the Current Legislation Sufficient and Adequate?
- Author
-
Juan-Carlos Fernández-Molina and Fernando Esteban de la Rosa
- Abstract
Text and data mining activities -- that is, the automated processing of digital materials to uncover new knowledge -- have become more frequent in all areas of scientific research. Because they require a massive use of copyrighted work, there are evident conflicts with copyright legislation. Countries at the forefront of research and development have begun to address this issue. This paper presents the basic aspects of legislation applicable to text and data mining activities. It offers a detailed comparative analysis of the norms of the main jurisdictions that have regulated them to date, highlighting in each case the positive and negative aspects. An adequate knowledge of these laws is not only important for researchers but also important for the academic librarians who provide advice and support in these matters.
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
5. A Bibliometric Analysis of Digital Literacy Research and Emerging Themes Pre-During COVID-19 Pandemic
- Author
-
Baber, Hasnan, Fanea-Ivanovici, Mina, Lee, Yoo-Taek, and Tinmaz, Hasan
- Abstract
Purpose: Digital literacy is not the mere ability to use a digital device or know to use various software. It is a domain of exploration for sociology, psychology, education and, of course, technology. This study aims to present a quantitative analysis of the literature on digital literacy using a bibliometric approach. Design/methodology/approach: Using data from the Web of Science database, the importance of the research is evaluated by reviewing 2307 publications and examining the yearly publication, field category productivity, citation structure, most cited resources, documents, most-cited authors, most productive authors, and country in the field of digital literacy. Further, a cluster analysis is conducted to see the most recurrent keywords and emerging trends in this field. At last, the authors analyzed the thematic progression of keywords over these five years based on the normalized citations. Additionally, a graphical representation of the bibliometric data using VOSviewer is presented in the paper. Findings: The results suggest a steady rate of publication in this field, with most of the research published in education and library fields and the USA leading the country in this realm. The emerging themes in this field are 'Fake News', 'Competence', 'Educational Technology', 'Health Literacy', 'Self-Efficacy' and, interestingly, 'COVID-19'. The results also revealed that COVID-19 has been examined and associated with fake news, higher education, social media and information literacy. Originality/value: This paper provides an overall summary of the most recent research work published from 2017 to 2021 on digital literacy in the backdrop of COVID-19. The study presents the thematic progression over the years and particularly the new keywords that emerged in the limelight of the pandemic. It contributes by updating the existing body of knowledge in the field of digital literacy and presents preliminary results related to COVID-19.
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
6. The Legal Foundation of Responsible Research Assessment: An Overview on European Union and Italy
- Author
-
Ginevra Peruginelli and Janne Pölönen
- Abstract
During the past decade, responsible research assessment (RRA) has become a major science policy goal to advance responsible research and innovation and open science. Starting with the DORA declaration in 2012, common understanding of the needs and demands of RRA has been shaped by a growing number of initiatives, culminating in a European Commission supported Agreement on reforming research assessment published in July 2022. In this paper, we outline and investigate the normative framework for RRA, ranging from binding legal norms (hard law), rules of conduct which, in principle, have no legally binding force but which nevertheless may have practical effects' (soft law) to self-regulation in supranational (the European Union) and one national (Italy) context. As shown by our analysis of hard and soft legal sources for RRA, apart from constitutional and legal provisions regarding freedom of research, autonomy of universities and non-discrimination and gender equality, the legal foundation for RRA rests mainly on soft law and policy norms. In the discussion we relate the normative framework for RRA to research integrity guidelines and consider the challenges of ensuring coherent RRA implementation across countries and research funding and performing institutions. We conclude that self-regulation and soft law are good starting points and may pave the way for hard law down the line: this can be seen as the optimum mix of regulatory mechanisms to mainstream RRAs.
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
7. The History of Education in Hungary from the Mid-Nineteenth Century to Present Day
- Author
-
Szabó, Zoltán András, Garai, Imre, and Németh, András
- Abstract
In our paper, we aim to give an overview about the emergence and evolvement of the history of education in Hungary. Nevertheless, we intend to surpass the traditional approach of giving a schematic description of these processes as we would like to depict the interconnectedness of the Hungarian history of education with the European research tendencies and the thematic variety of the Hungarian research activities. We used literature analysis, historical source analysis and descriptive statistical analysis as primary methods. Within Hungary, we pay special attention to the University of Budapest but we also reflect special peculiarities regarding the other full universities in the country. The Hungarian history of education followed the pathway of the German-speaking countries regarding the approach and the function until 1948. History of education had a self-legitimising role in the emerging national education system and modernised university environment; however, this characteristic feature did not exclude the incorporation of international research approaches. This function was slightly altered in the interwar period since leading researchers of the subfield contributed to maintaining the ideological coherence of the political structure. During the socialist period, researchers were expected to follow the directives of their Soviet colleagues; however, in the 1970s the homogeneity in themes and research approaches began loosening. As the result of the political regime change in 1989/1990, Hungarian research was given an opportunity to be integrated into the European exchange of ideas and implement research approaches prevalent in Western countries.
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
8. Research Agendas and Culture: A New Approach to Analysing the Academic Profession in Asia and Europe
- Author
-
Santos, João M., Liu, Yingxin, and Tang, Hei-hang Hayes
- Abstract
This paper investigates the research agendas of academics in Asia and Europe with reference to cultural influences rooted in the two continents. Unlike studies on the influence of culture on research that focus on only one or a few countries, this study explores the relationship between cultural dimensions and research agendas at the continental level, across Europe and Asia. The study uses general linear modelling with interaction terms to identify how cultural dimensions influence research agendas and how their influence differs between Europe and Asia. Hofstede's cultural dimensions model and the Multidimensional Research Agendas Inventory-Revised scale are adopted in this study, as measures of cultural dimensions and research agenda-setting, respectively. The results show that culture influences several aspects of research agenda-setting in both Asia and Europe, but these dynamics are not always identical across continents. These findings are relevant both for academics studying the cultural dynamics of science, and also for policymakers who need to consider these cultural dimensions while striving to promote specific research agendas.
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
9. Challenges in Transition of Care for People with Variations in Sex Characteristics in the European Context.
- Author
-
Gramc, Martin
- Subjects
AFFINITY groups ,MEDICAL quality control ,RESEARCH ,FOCUS groups ,SOCIAL support ,TRANSITIONAL care ,SEX differentiation disorders ,QUALITATIVE research ,DOCUMENTATION ,HEALTH care teams ,RESEARCH funding ,THEMATIC analysis - Abstract
Objective: People with variations in sex characteristics (VSCs) have been receiving inadequate care for many decades. The Chicago consensus statement in 2006 aimed to introduce improved comprehensive care, which would include the transition of care from pediatric to adult services organized by multidisciplinary teams. Yet, the evidence for transitional care is scarce. The aim of this paper is to outline the delivery of transition of care for adolescents and young adults with VSCs. Method: Seven focus groups were conducted with health care professionals and peer support groups by care teams in Central, Northern, and Western Europe. The data from the focus groups were examined using reflexive thematic analysis. Results: Even though the transition of care has been implemented in the last two decades, it remains inadequate. There are differences among countries, as the quality of care depends on available resources and variations in sex characteristics. Moreover, there are significant hurdles to adequate transition of care, as there is lack of time and funding. The lack of adult care providers and psychosocial support often leaves young adults with VSCs to navigate the health care system alone. Conclusion: The outcome of the study shows that the transition of care is organized through the department of pediatric endocrinology. The quality of care varies due to resources and variations in sex characteristics. A lack of adult specialists, and especially psychosocial support, represents the biggest obstacle for young adults and adults in navigating the health care system and for improvements in the provision of health care to adults. There is a risk of re-traumatization, as adolescents and young adults must often repeat their medical history and educate adult care providers who are insufficiently trained and knowledgeable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
10. European value-based healthcare benchmarking: moving from theory to practice.
- Author
-
García-Lorenzo, Borja, Gorostiza, Ania, Alayo, Itxaso, Zas, Susana Castelo, Baena, Patricia Cobos, Camiña, Inés Gallego, Narbaiza, Begoña Izaguirre, Mallabiabarrena, Gaizka, Ustarroz-Aguirre, Iker, Rigabert, Alina, Balzi, William, Maltoni, Roberta, Massa, Ilaria, López, Isabel Álvarez, Lobera, Sara Arévalo, Esteban, Mónica, Calleja, Marta Fernández, Mediavilla, Jenifer Gómez, Fernández, Manuela, and Hitar, Manuel del Oro
- Subjects
RESEARCH ,STATISTICAL significance ,HEALTH facilities ,HUMAN research subjects ,KEY performance indicators (Management) ,LUNG tumors ,HEALTH outcome assessment ,MEDICAL care costs ,REGRESSION analysis ,VALUE-based healthcare ,BENCHMARKING (Management) ,INFORMED consent (Medical law) ,QUESTIONNAIRES ,CLINICAL medicine ,DESCRIPTIVE statistics ,RESEARCH funding ,SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC factors ,ELECTRONIC health records ,CLUSTER analysis (Statistics) ,BREAST tumors ,LONGITUDINAL method ,DELPHI method - Abstract
Background Value-based healthcare (VBHC) is a conceptual framework to improve the value of healthcare by health, care-process and economic outcomes. Benchmarking should provide useful information to identify best practices and therefore a good instrument to improve quality across healthcare organizations. This paper aims to provide a proof-of-concept of the feasibility of an international VBHC benchmarking in breast cancer, with the ultimate aim of being used to share best practices with a data-driven approach among healthcare organizations from different health systems. Methods In the VOICE community—a European healthcare centre cluster intending to address VBHC from theory to practice—information on patient-reported, clinical-related, care-process-related and economic-related outcomes were collected. Patient archetypes were identified using clustering techniques and an indicator set following a modified Delphi was defined. Benchmarking was performed using regression models controlling for patient archetypes and socio-demographic characteristics. Results Six hundred and ninety patients from six healthcare centres were included. A set of 50 health, care-process and economic indicators was distilled for benchmarking. Statistically significant differences across sites have been found in most health outcomes, half of the care-process indicators, and all economic indicators, allowing for identifying the best and worst performers. Conclusions To the best of our knowledge, this is the first international experience providing evidence to be used with VBHC benchmarking intention. Differences in indicators across healthcare centres should be used to identify best practices and improve healthcare quality following further research. Applied methods might help to move forward with VBHC benchmarking in other medical conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
11. Something special, something unique: Perspectives of experts by experience in mental health nursing education on their contribution.
- Author
-
Happell, Brenda, Warner, Terri, Waks, Shifra, O'Donovan, Aine, Manning, Fionnuala, Doody, Rory, Greaney, Sonya, Goodwin, John, Hals, Elisabeth, Griffin, Martha, Scholz, Brett, Granerud, Arild, Platania‐Phung, Chris, Russell, Siobhan, MacGabhann, Liam, Pulli, Jarmo, Vatula, Annaliina, van der Vaart, Kornelis Jan, Allon, Jerry, and Bjornsson, Einar
- Subjects
PSYCHIATRIC nursing ,OCCUPATIONAL roles ,RESEARCH ,PROFESSIONS ,ATTITUDES of medical personnel ,INTERVIEWING ,QUALITATIVE research ,RESEARCH funding ,NURSING students ,THEMATIC analysis - Abstract
Accessible Summary: What is known on the subject: ●Expert by Experience participation in mental health services is embedded in mental health policy in many countries. The negative attitudes of nurses and other health professionals to consumer participation poses a significant obstacle to this policy goal.●Involving mental health Experts by Experience in the education of nursing students demonstrates positive attitudinal change. What the paper adds to existing knowledge: ●The paper presents perspectives from Experts by Experience about the unique knowledge and expertise they derive from their lived experience of mental distress and mental health service use. As a result, they can make a unique and essential contribution to mental health nursing education. They utilize this knowledge to create an interactive learning environment and encourage critical thinking.●The international focus of this research enriches understandings about how Experts by Experience might be perceived in a broader range of countries. What are the implications for practice: ●Mental health policy articulates the importance of service user involvement in all aspects of mental health service delivery. This goal will not be fully achieved without nurses having positive attitudes towards experts by experience as colleagues.●Positive attitudes are more likely to develop when nurses understand and value the contribution experts by experience bring by virtue of their unique knowledge and expertise. This paper provides some important insights to achieving this end. Introduction: Embedding lived experience in mental health nursing education is increasing, with research findings suggesting the impact is positive. To date, research has primarily targeted the perspectives of nursing students and academics from the health professions. Aim: To enhance understanding of the unique knowledge and expertise experts by experience contribute to mental health nursing education. Methods: Qualitative exploratory research methods were employed. In‐depth individual interviews were conducted with experts by experience who delivered a coproduced learning module to nursing students in Europe and Australia. Results: Participants described their unique and essential contribution to mental health nursing education under four main themes: critical thinking, beyond textbooks; interactive and open communication; understanding personal recovery; and mental health is health. Conclusions: These findings present an understanding of the unique knowledge and expertise Experts by Experience contribute to mental health education not previously addressed in the literature. Appreciating and respecting this, unique contribute is necessary as Expert by Experience contributions continue to develop. Implications for Practice: Mental health services purport to value service user involvement. Identifying and respecting and valuing the unique contribution they bring to services is essential. Without this understanding, tokenistic involvement may become a major barrier. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
12. Promoting social inclusion for adult communities: The moderating role of leisure constraints on life satisfaction in five European countries.
- Author
-
Koçak, Funda and Gürbüz, Bülent
- Subjects
- *
STATISTICAL correlation , *INDEPENDENT living , *SATISFACTION , *CRONBACH'S alpha , *RESEARCH funding , *STATISTICAL sampling , *QUESTIONNAIRES , *CHI-squared test , *DESCRIPTIVE statistics , *SOCIAL integration , *LEISURE , *STATISTICS , *RESEARCH , *HEALTH promotion , *DATA analysis software , *ADULTS - Abstract
Although leisure constraints that individuals have to cope with can negatively affect their social inclusion and satisfaction with life, little research has addressed the link between these variables. Therefore, the current paper examined the moderator role of leisure constraints on the relationship between satisfaction with life and leisure constraints among adults living in five different European countries. The respondents were 1,382 women and 877 men adults. The findings of analysis revealed that all factors used in the study accounted for 15% of the variance in satisfaction with life and social inclusion had a significant and positive impact on satisfaction with life. As a result, it can be said that leisure constraints had a moderating effect on the relationship between satisfaction with life and social inclusion. The present research study recommends that social inclusion should be encouraged through decreasing to leisure constraints to increase the life satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
13. Unemployment and Substance Use: An Updated Review of Studies from North America and Europe.
- Author
-
Nolte-Troha, Carina, Roser, Patrik, Henkel, Dieter, Scherbaum, Norbert, Koller, Gabriele, and Franke, Andreas G.
- Subjects
SUBSTANCE abuse treatment ,SUBSTANCE abuse prevention ,SUBSTANCE abuse risk factors ,RESEARCH ,ONLINE information services ,UNEMPLOYMENT ,SUBSTANCE abuse ,SMOKING cessation ,PSYCHIATRIC drugs ,SYSTEMATIC reviews ,RISK assessment ,DISEASE relapse ,DISEASE prevalence ,ATTRIBUTION (Social psychology) ,MEDLINE ,EARLY medical intervention - Abstract
Since the industrial revolution, the relationship between unemployment and psychiatric disorders has been a subject of high interest. Currently, regarding the correlation between unemployment and substance-use disorders (SUDs), only older, often isolated and fragmented research results are available in the literature. This review was based on an extensive literature search of the European and North American literature in most relevant databases for "unemployment" and "substance use" related to "drugs", "alcohol", "nicotine", and "tobacco" between November 2022 and January 2023, according to the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic review and Meta-Analysis) guidelines. A total of 59,117 papers were identified, of which only 33 articles were identified as relevant to the research objective. The literature showed significantly higher prevalence rates of SUDs involving divergent psychotropic substances among unemployed people. Unemployment was found to be a risk factor for SUD, and vice versa. However, the correlation between unemployment and relapses or smoking cessation was inconsistent. In addition, there appeared to be a mild effect of business cycles on SUD. The results showed significant multifaceted correlations between unemployment and SUD, indicating that prevention and early intervention are required to prevent harmful psychosocial consequences, such as social disintegration and severe psychiatric disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
14. Investigating students' use of self‐assessments in higher education using learning analytics.
- Author
-
Ifenthaler, Dirk, Schumacher, Clara, and Kuzilek, Jakub
- Subjects
RESEARCH ,SCHOOL environment ,SELF-evaluation ,RATING of students ,LEARNING strategies ,UNDERGRADUATE programs ,SURVEYS ,T-test (Statistics) ,RESEARCH funding ,DESCRIPTIVE statistics ,QUESTIONNAIRES ,DATA analytics ,CLUSTER analysis (Statistics) - Abstract
Background: Formative assessments are vital for supporting learning and performance but are also considered to increase the workload of teachers. As self‐assessments in higher education are increasingly facilitated via digital learning environments allowing to offer direct feedback and tracking students' digital learning behaviour these constraints might be reduced. Yet, learning analytics do not make sufficient use of data on assessments. Aims: This exploratory case study uses learning analytics methods for investigating students' engagement with self‐assessments and how this relates to performance in the final exam and self‐reported self‐testing strategies. Materials & Methods: The research study has been conducted at a European university in a twelve‐weeks course of a Bachelor's program in Economic and Business Education including nenroll = 159 participants. During the semester, students were offered nine self‐assessments each including three to eight tasks plus one mid‐term and one exam‐preparation self‐assessment including all prior self‐assessments tasks. The self‐assessment interaction data for each student included: the results of the last self‐assessment attempt, the number of processed self‐assessment tasks, and the time spent on the last self‐assessment attempt, the total self‐assessment attempts, and the first as well as last access of each self‐assessment. Data analytics included unsupervised machine learning and process mining approaches. Results: Findings indicate that students use the self‐assessments predominantly before summative assessments. Two distinct clusters based on engagement with self‐assessments could be identified and engagement was positively related to performance in the final exam. The findings from learning analytics data were also indicated by students' self‐reported use of self‐testing strategies. Discussion: With the help of multiple data from self‐reports, formal exams, and a learning analytics system, the findings provided multiple perspectives on the use of self‐assessments and their relationships with course performance. These findings call for applying assessment analytics and related frameworks in learning analytics as well as providing learners with related adaptive feedback. Conclusion: Future research might investigate different (self‐report) variables for clustering, other student cohorts or self‐assessment forms. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Formative assessments are vital for supporting learning and performance.Learning analytics do not make sufficient use of data on assessments. What this paper adds: Students use the self‐assessments predominantly prior to summative assessments.Engagement with self‐assessments was positively related to performance in the final exam. Implications for practice and/or policy: Findings call for applying assessment analytics and implementing related learning analytics frameworks for supporting learning processes and performance.Pedagogically oriented assessment analytics may provide multiple benefits for learners, teachers, schools, and other involved stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
15. Healthcare resource utilisation and medical costs for children with interstitial lung diseases (chILD) in Europe.
- Author
-
Seidl, Elias, Schwerk, Nicolaus, Carlens, Julia, Wetzke, Martin, Cunningham, Steve, Emiralioğlu, Nagehan, Kiper, Nural, Lange, Joanna, Krenke, Katarzyna, Ullmann, Nicola, Krikovszky, Dora, Maqhuzu, Phillen, Griese, Charlotte A., Schwarzkopf, Larissa, Griese, Matthias, and chILD-EU collaborators
- Subjects
RESEARCH ,RESEARCH methodology ,MEDICAL care costs ,INTERSTITIAL lung diseases ,EVALUATION research ,PATIENTS' attitudes ,COMPARATIVE studies ,LONGITUDINAL method - Abstract
Background: No data on healthcare utilisation and associated costs for the many rare entities of children's interstitial lung diseases (chILD) exist. This paper portrays healthcare utilisation structures among individuals with chILD, provides a pan-European estimate of a 3-month interval per-capita costs and delineates crucial cost drivers.Methods: Based on longitudinal healthcare resource utilisation pattern of 445 children included in the Kids Lung Register diagnosed with chILD across 10 European countries, we delineated direct medical and non-medical costs of care per 3-month interval. Country-specific utilisation patterns were assessed with a children-tailored modification of the validated FIMA questionnaire and valued by German unit costs. Costs of care and their drivers were subsequently identified via gamma-distributed generalised linear regression models.Results: During the 3 months prior to inclusion into the registry (baseline), the rate of hospital admissions and inpatient days was high. Unadjusted direct medical per capita costs (€19 818) exceeded indirect (€1 907) and direct non-medical costs (€1 125) by far. Country-specific total costs ranged from €8 713 in Italy to €28 788 in Poland. Highest expenses were caused by the disease categories 'diffuse parenchymal lung disease (DPLD)-diffuse developmental disorders' (€45 536) and 'DPLD-unclear in the non-neonate' (€47 011). During a follow-up time of up to 5 years, direct medical costs dropped, whereas indirect costs and non-medical costs remained stable.Conclusions: This is the first prospective, longitudinal study analysing healthcare resource utilisation and costs for chILD across different European countries. Our results indicate that chILD is associated with high utilisation of healthcare services, placing a substantial economic burden on health systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
16. Distance in Disconnection: The Varied Impact of Core Network Losses on Loneliness Among Older Europeans.
- Author
-
Sun, Haosen and Schafer, Markus H
- Subjects
- *
LONELINESS in old age , *RESEARCH , *SOCIAL networks , *LOSS (Psychology) , *POPULATION geography , *SURVEYS , *COMPARATIVE studies , *LONELINESS , *AGING , *DESCRIPTIVE statistics , *INTERPERSONAL relations , *DATA analysis software , *ELDER care , *BEREAVEMENT , *PSYCHOSOCIAL factors , *OLD age - Abstract
Objectives Research among older adults reveals that the loss of core network members is a risk factor for loneliness. Still, it is not clear whether all such losses induce similar levels of loneliness, particularly as network members are distributed at varied geographic distances. Neither is it clear whether tie addition—the other ubiquitous aspect of network turnover in later life—offsets the loneliness that arises from different network loss scenarios. Methods This paper scrutinized core network losses across multiple relationship–distance scenarios. We used the fourth and sixth waves of data from the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe and estimated fixed-effect models. Results The loss of a child from a core network increases feelings of loneliness across variant distances, especially when not complemented by additional connections. Losing relatives or nonkin core connections in proximity (within 1 km and 5 km radius, respectively) is also associated with increased loneliness, yet such effects are also largely mitigated by the addition of new core network members. Discussion The relationship between core network member losses and loneliness can significantly differ based on the nature of the lost connection and its geographic distance. Active rebalancing of one's core network following losses and proactive network expansion can serve as pivotal strategies to prevent loneliness for the aging population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
17. The effect of Covid-19 on the willingness to use video consultations among orthopedic and trauma outpatients: a multi-center survey in 1400 outpatients.
- Author
-
Scherer, Julian, Back, David A., Thienemann, Friedrich, Kaufmann, Ernest, Neuhaus, Valentin, Willy, Christian, Hepp, Pierre, Pape, Hans-Christoph, and Osterhoff, Georg
- Subjects
MEDICAL consultation ,RESEARCH ,AGE distribution ,PATIENTS ,PATIENTS' attitudes ,SURVEYS ,COMPARATIVE studies ,EMERGENCY medical services ,HEALTH attitudes ,QUESTIONNAIRES ,DESCRIPTIVE statistics ,WOUNDS & injuries ,COVID-19 pandemic ,TELEMEDICINE - Abstract
Introduction: Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, making more use of remote medical solutions has been advertised. The purpose of this study was to assess the willingness of orthopedic trauma patients to conduct an online video consultation (OVC) during the coronavirus pandemic compared to before. Methods: A survey amongst orthopedic and trauma outpatients from three European trauma centers was conducted via paper-based questionnaires, composed of participants' demographics and five open and closed questions between June and November 2019 and between April and July 2020 during Covid-19. The main outcome was the difference between the cohorts regarding the willingness to use an OVC, reasons for and against usage as well as advantages and disadvantages. Sub-analysis was performed for gender, participants' occupation and three age groups (≤ 30 years; 31–55 years; > 55 years). Results: 1400 participants (780 preCovid-19 and 620 Covid-19) were included. There was no difference in willingness to conduct an OVC between the cohorts (57.6% versus 63.9%; p = 0.053). The highest disposition towards an OVC in both cohorts was seen in patients below 30 years of age, followed by 31–55 years and over 55 years. Women were significantly more likely in the Covid-19-group than in the preCovid-19-group to conduct an OVC (p = 0.032). Use of the OVC for "personal questions to the physician" was more often stated in the Covid-19-cohort (p = 0.007). "No danger of an infection" (p = 0.001) and "availability from anywhere" (p = 0.032) as advantages of an OVC were more often stated in the Covid-19-cohort. "No direct contact with the doctor" (p = 0.001) and "relationship to the doctor could change" (p = 0.024) as disadvantages of the OVC were less often stated in the Covid-19-cohort. Conclusion: The majority of the assessed outpatients would use an OVC. Fear of infections have increased, and direct physical contact is less important since the Covid-19 pandemic, but have not increased the disposition for an OVC significantly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
18. Costs of management of acute respiratory infections in older adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
- Author
-
Shanshan Zhang, Wahi-Singh, Pia, Wahi-Singh, Bhanu, Chisholm, Alison, Keeling, Polly, Nair, Harish, Zhang, Shanshan, and RESCEU Investigators
- Subjects
EVALUATION research ,RESPIRATORY infections ,HOSPITAL care ,META-analysis ,WORLD health ,FERRANS & Powers Quality of Life Index ,SYSTEMATIC reviews ,RESEARCH ,RESEARCH methodology ,COMPARATIVE studies ,POVERTY - Abstract
Background: Acute respiratory infections (ARIs) accounted for an estimated 3.9 million deaths worldwide in 2015, of which 56% occurred in adults aged 60 years or older. We aimed to identify the cost of ARI management in older adults (≥50 years) in order to develop an evidence base to assist decision-making for resource allocation and inform clinical practice.Methods: We searched 8 electronic databases including Global Health, Medline and EMBASE for studies published between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2021. Total management costs per patient per ARI episode were extracted and meta-analysis was conducted by World Health Organization (WHO) region and World Bank income level. All costs were converted and inflated to Euros (€) (2021 average exchange rate). The quality of included studies and the potential risk of bias were evaluated.Results: A total of 42 publications were identified for inclusion, reporting cost data for 8 082 752 ARI episodes in older adults across 20 countries from 2001 to 2021. The majority (86%) of studies involved high-income countries based in Europe, North America and Western Pacific. The mean cost per episode was €17 803.9 for inpatient management and €128.9 for outpatient management. Compared with costs reported for patients aged <65 years, inpatient costs were €154.1, €7 018.8 and €8 295.6 higher for patients aged 65-74 years, 75-84 years and over 85 years. ARI management of at-risk patients with comorbid conditions and patients requiring higher level of care, incurred substantially higher costs for hospitalization: €735.9 and €1317.3 respectively.Conclusions: ARIs impose a substantial economic burden on health systems, governments, patients and societies. This study identified high ARI management costs in older adults, reinforcing calls for investment by global health players to quantify and address the scale of the challenge. There are large gaps in data availability from low-income countries, especially from South East Asia and Africa regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
19. Estimating the percentage of European MSM eligible for PrEP: insights from a bio-behavioural survey in thirteen cities.
- Author
-
Cordioli, Maddalena, Gios, Lorenzo, Huber, Jörg W., Sherriff, Nigel, Folch, Cinta, Alexiev, Ivailo, Dias, Sónia, Nöstlinger, Christiana, Gama, Ana, Naseva, Emilia, Staneková, Danica Valkovičová, Marcus, Ulrich, Schink, Susanne Barbara, Rosinska, Magdalena, Blondeel, Karel, Toskin, Igor, Mirandola, Massimo, and Valkovičová Staneková, Danica
- Subjects
HIV infection epidemiology ,HIV prevention ,ANTI-HIV agents ,RESEARCH ,HUMAN sexuality ,RESEARCH methodology ,MEDICAL cooperation ,EVALUATION research ,PATIENTS' attitudes ,HOMOSEXUALITY ,PREVENTIVE health services ,COMPARATIVE studies ,RESEARCH funding ,METROPOLITAN areas - Abstract
Objectives: This paper aims to estimate the percentage of European men who have sex with men (MSM) who may benefit from pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), applying the three most widely used HIV risk indices for MSM (MSM Risk Index, Menza score, San Diego Early Test (SDET) score) and drawing on a large-scale multisite bio-behavioural survey (Sialon II).Methods: The Sialon II study was a bio-behavioural survey among MSM implemented in 13 European cities using either time-location sampling or respondent-driven sampling. Biological and behavioural data from 4901 MSM were collected. Only behavioural data of HIV-negative individuals were considered. Three widely used risk indices to assess HIV acquisition risk among MSM were used to estimate individual HIV risk scores and PrEP eligibility criteria.Results: 4219 HIV-negative MSM were considered. Regardless the HIV risk score used and the city, percentages of MSM eligible for PrEP were found to range between 5.19% and 73.84%. Overall, the MSM Risk Index and the Menza score yielded broadly similar percentages, whereas the SDET Index provided estimates constantly lower across all cities. Although all the three scores correlated positively (r>0.6), their concordance was highly variable (0.01Conclusion: Our findings showed the impact of different scoring systems on the estimation of the percentage of MSM who may benefit from PrEP in European cities. Although our primary aim was not to compare the performance of different HIV risk scores, data show that a considerable percentage of MSM in each city should be offered PrEP in order to reduce HIV infections. As PrEP is highly effective at preventing HIV among MSM, our findings provide useful, practical guidance for stakeholders in implementing PrEP at city level to tackle HIV infections in Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] - Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
20. CROWDFUNDING SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH: A CASE STUDY BASED ON USER RESEARCH.
- Author
-
Odo, Chinasa, De Paoli, Stefano, Forbes, Paula, and Oniga, Andreea
- Subjects
- *
CROWD funding , *RESEARCH , *INTERNET , *SOCIAL classes - Abstract
Over the years, funding scientific projects have been the responsibility of traditional research funding institutions. Many projects were not getting funded due to the difficulties of accessing government funds. Crowdfunding has provided an alternative means of providing financial solutions to projects which ordinarily are not of interest to government funding agencies and other major funders of research. A crowdfunding platform is an internet-based matchmaker where the citizens (the funders) are matched with the researchers who are seeking funds to finance their projects. This paper investigates the users of a nascent crowdfunding channel for Social Sciences and Humanities. The users are the Social Sciences and Humanities researchers who seek financial support on scientific projects and the funders who are motivated to invest in a project. The goal of this research was to find out about the user needs and preferences to help in the decision-making about this nascent crowdfunding channel. We utilized the mixed method of research design to collect both qualitative and quantitative data about the users and their needs. This included codesigning work and a Europe-wide questionnaire. The outcome of this work was formalized in a set of practical recommendations for the new crowdfunding channel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
21. Population health information research infrastructure—from data to public health actions.
- Author
-
Schutte, Nienke, Bogaert, Petronille, Saso, Miriam, and Oyen, Herman Van
- Subjects
DIFFUSION of innovations ,POPULATION health ,HEALTH policy ,ELECTRONIC data interchange ,RESEARCH ,HEALTH information systems ,PUBLIC health ,COVID-19 pandemic - Abstract
The authors introduce the issue, themed From Data to Public Health Actions, which features work conducted by the Population Health Information Research Infrastructure (PHIRI). Topics discussed include an overview of PHIRI, essential pillars covered by PHIRI to support strong and resilient HIS and research for evidence-based policy making across Europe, and role of PHIRI in the implementation of the European Health Data Space (EHDS).
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
22. Pediatric suicide attempts lagged during the COVID-19 pandemic: a European multicenter study.
- Author
-
Moscoso, Ana, Cousien, Anthony, Serra, Giulia, Erlangsen, Annette, Vila, Mar, Paradžik, Ljubica, Pires, Sandra, Villar, Francisco, Bogadi, Marija, da Silva, Pedro Caldeira, Vicari, Stefano, Krantz, Mette Falkenberg, Delorme, Richard, do Amaral, Sarah, Andracchio, Elisa, Apicell, Massimo, Bilić, Ivana, Chieppa, Fabrizia, Duarte, Nuno Araújo, and Faustino, Iolanda
- Subjects
STATISTICAL models ,BEHAVIOR modification ,EMERGENCY services in psychiatric hospitals ,LOGISTIC regression analysis ,MENTAL illness ,RETROSPECTIVE studies ,MULTIVARIATE analysis ,DESCRIPTIVE statistics ,FAMILY history (Medicine) ,SUICIDAL behavior ,ODDS ratio ,REWARD (Psychology) ,RESEARCH ,STATISTICS ,CONFIDENCE intervals ,COVID-19 pandemic ,GOVERNMENT regulation ,ALGORITHMS ,POISONING ,TIME ,CHILDREN - Abstract
Background: Elevated rates of suicidal behavior were reported during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, information is scarce on patients' profiles during this period. Studies evoke the potential adverse effects of the mandatory lockdown, but they remain relatively speculative. Methods: We monitored fluctuations in suicide attempts (SA) in six European countries. We gathered data, retrospectively for under 18-year-old SA episodes (1 January 2018 to 31 December 2021), through records of psychiatric emergency services. We collected clinical profiles individually. We extracted environmental indicators by month, as provided by Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker (OxCGRT). We used the Pruned Exact Linear Time (PELT) method to identify breakpoints in SA episodes reported for each country, and logistic regressions to estimate changes in patients' characteristics after the breakpoints. Finally, we used a univariate and multivariate negative binomial model to assess the link between SA and OxCGRT indicators, accounting for the delay (lag) between the interventions and their impact on SA. Results: The study comprised 2,833 children and adolescents (mean age = 15.1 years (SD 1.6); M: F sex-ratio = 1:5.4). A significant increase in SA was found either 6 or 10 months after the beginning of the pandemic, varying by country. Patients were more likely to be girls (aOR = 1.77 [1.34; 2.34]) and used SA methods "other than self-poisoning" (aOR = 1.34 [1.05; 1.7]). In the multivariate model, an association was found between SA and the contact tracing indicator with an 11 months delay, and the number of COVID-19 deaths with a 3-months delay. Conclusions: Findings confirmed a delayed increase in SA during the COVID-19 pandemic in children and adolescents as well as changes in patients' profiles. The duration and severity of the pandemic emerged as the strongest predictor in the rise of SA. If faced with a similar pandemic in the future, the gap between the onset of pandemic and the increase in suicide attempts presents an opportunity for prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
23. Nature and Extent of Quantitative Research in Social Work Journals: A Systematic Review from 2016 to 2020.
- Author
-
Kurten, Sebastian, Brimmel, Nausikaä, Klein, Kathrin, and Hutter, Katharina
- Subjects
PROFESSIONAL practice ,PUBLISHING ,MANUSCRIPTS ,SERIAL publications ,SYSTEMATIC reviews ,QUANTITATIVE research ,SOCIAL work research ,RESEARCH funding ,DESCRIPTIVE statistics ,GOVERNMENT policy ,SOCIAL services ,DATA analysis ,SOCIAL case work ,AUTHORSHIP - Abstract
This study reviews 1,406 research articles published between 2016 and 2020 in the European Journal of Social Work (EJSW), the British Journal of Social Work (BJSW) and Research on Social Work Practice (RSWP). It assesses the proportion and complexity of quantitative research designs amongst published articles and investigates differences between the journals. Furthermore, the review investigates the complexity of the statistical methods employed and identifies the most frequently addressed topics. From the 1,406 articles, 504 (35.8 percent) used a qualitative methodology, 389 (27.7 percent) used a quantitative methodology, 85 (6 percent) used the mixed methods (6 percent), 253 (18 percent) articles were theoretical in nature, 148 (10.5 percent) conducted reviews and 27 (1.9 percent) gave project overviews. The proportion of quantitative research articles was higher in RSWP (55.4 percent) than in the EJSW (14.1 percent) and the BJSW (20.5 percent). The topic analysis could identify at least forty different topics addressed by the articles. Although the proportion of quantitative research is rather small in social work research, the review could not find evidence that it is of low sophistication. Finally, this study concludes that future research would benefit from making explicit why a certain methodology was chosen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
24. Shifts at the margin of European welfare states: How important is food aid in complementing inadequate minimum incomes?
- Author
-
Hermans, Karen, Cantillon, Bea, and Marchal, Sarah
- Subjects
INCOME ,GOVERNMENT policy ,RESEARCH funding ,STATISTICAL sampling ,INTERVIEWING ,SOCIOECONOMIC factors ,DESCRIPTIVE statistics ,CHARITY ,FOOD relief ,RESEARCH ,PUBLIC welfare ,CASE studies ,BUDGET ,POVERTY - Abstract
In recent decades, disappointing poverty trends and welfare state limitations in many European countries – including constraints on minimum income benefits – have paved the way for a larger role of the third sector. An interesting but controversial form of third-sector in-kind support is food aid provision. In Europe, food aid is, so far, a non-rights-based practice displaying worrisome discretionary and stigmatizing characteristics. Yet, the phenomenon of food aid in Europe has spread, professionalized, and penetrated the institutions of the welfare state. This raises the question if, how and to what extent food aid plays a role in bypassing structural constraints on minimum income protection. This article applies an exploratory case study approach to estimate the monetary value of food aid in relation to statutory minimum incomes in four EU-countries. We use cross-nationally comparable food reference budgets to price food aid packages in Belgium, Finland, Hungary and Spain. The results show that food aid, although not sufficient to close the at-risk-of-poverty gap, is non-trivial for some European households. In Spain and Belgium food aid packages can reach up to €100 a month (expressing 7% to 11% of respective minimum income benefit levels). Importantly, we perceive (formalized) cooperation and interaction between local welfare agencies and food charities in all countries, suggesting that welfare state actors use non-rights-based food aid for filling gaps in the social safety net. The large between- and within-country variation of the monetary values of food aid packages points, however, to food aid as a problematic discretionary practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
25. Reasonability of Frequent Laboratory Analyses during Therapy with Nivolumab and Nivolumab+Ipilimumab in Patients with Advanced or Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma during the Phase 2 Clinical Trial TITAN-RCC.
- Author
-
Franke, Klara, Foller, Susan, Rosero Moreno, Michele Estephania, Ali, Nalyan, Leistritz, Lutz, Leucht, Katharina, and Grimm, Marc-Oliver
- Subjects
THERAPEUTIC use of antineoplastic agents ,LEUKOCYTE count ,CREATININE ,DATA analysis ,STATISTICAL significance ,RESEARCH funding ,DRUG therapy ,ASPARTATE aminotransferase ,BILIRUBIN ,DESCRIPTIVE statistics ,METASTASIS ,CLINICAL pathology ,DOSE-effect relationship in pharmacology ,LONGITUDINAL method ,KAPLAN-Meier estimator ,RENAL cell carcinoma ,RESEARCH ,ALANINE aminotransferase ,LIPASES ,NIVOLUMAB ,CANCER patient psychology ,THYROTROPIN ,DATA analysis software ,IPILIMUMAB ,AMYLASES - Abstract
Simple Summary: In this work, we evaluated the need for frequent laboratory assessments in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma treated with nivolumab and nivolumab+ipilimumab during the TITAN-RCC clinical trial. We analysed how often reached criteria for dose delay or permanent discontinuation of therapy would have been missed if the frequency of laboratory testing had been reduced, in order to avoid over-sampling patients and to optimise clinical workflow and staffing. Our study showed that if the frequency of laboratory tests had been reduced, reached dose delay criteria would hardly have been missed. This would have affected up to 1% (2/207) of patients. An exception was dose delay due to the elevation of lipase blood levels which would have been missed in up to 7% (15/207) of patients. However, these patients presented with symptoms and would have been identified based thereupon. Discontinuation criteria would have only been overlooked for lipase (2% [4/207] of patients) and amylase (0.5% [1/207] of patients). Again, these patients would have been identified, since only symptomatic patients would have needed to discontinue treatment due to amylase or lipase laboratory values. In conclusion, in asymptomatic patients in our setting, laboratory analyses do not seem to be necessary before every treatment application. In clinical trials, laboratory values are assessed with high frequency. This can be stressful for patients, resource intensive, and difficult to implement, for example in office-based settings. In the prospective, multicentre phase 2 TITAN-RCC trial (NCT02917772), we investigated how many relevant changes in laboratory values would have been missed if laboratory values had been assessed less frequently. Patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (n = 207) received a response-based approach with nivolumab and nivolumab+ipilimumab boosts for non-response. We simulated that laboratory values were obtained before every second dose instead of every dose of the study drug(s). We assessed elevated leukocyte counts, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, bilirubin, creatinine, amylase, lipase, and thyroid-stimulating hormone. Dose delay and discontinuation criteria were defined according to the study protocol. With the reduced frequency of laboratory analyses, dose delay criteria were rarely missed: in a maximum of <0.1% (3/4382) of assessments (1% [2/207] of patients) during nivolumab monotherapy and in a maximum of 0.2% (1/465) of assessments (1% [1/132] of patients) during nivolumab+ipilimumab boosts. An exception was lipase-related dose delay which would have been missed in 0.6% (25/4204) of assessments (7% [15/207] of patients) during nivolumab monotherapy and in 0.8% (4/480) of assessments (3% [4/134] of patients) during nivolumab+ipilimumab boosts, but would have required the presence of symptoms. Discontinuation criteria would have only been missed for amylase (<0.1% [1/3965] of assessments [0.5% (1/207) of patients] during nivolumab monotherapy, none during nivolumab+ipilimumab boosts) and lipase (0.1% [5/4204] of assessments [2% (4/207) of patients] during nivolumab monotherapy; 0.2% [1/480] of assessments [0.7% (1/134) of patients] during nivolumab+ipilimumab boosts). However, only symptomatic patients would have had to discontinue treatment due to amylase or lipase laboratory values. In conclusion, a reduced frequency of laboratory testing appears to be acceptable in asymptomatic patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma treated with nivolumab or nivolumab+ipilimumab. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
26. Variation of subclinical psychosis across 16 sites in Europe and Brazil: findings from the multi-national EU-GEI study.
- Author
-
D'Andrea, Giuseppe, Quattrone, Diego, Malone, Kathryn, Tripoli, Giada, Trotta, Giulia, Spinazzola, Edoardo, Gayer-Anderson, Charlotte, Jongsma, Hannah E, Sideli, Lucia, Stilo, Simona A, La Cascia, Caterina, Ferraro, Laura, Lasalvia, Antonio, Tosato, Sarah, Tortelli, Andrea, Velthorst, Eva, de Haan, Lieuwe, Llorca, Pierre-Michel, Rossi Menezes, Paulo, and Santos, Jose Luis
- Subjects
SCHIZOTYPAL personality disorder ,ECOLOGY ,RESEARCH funding ,MULTIPLE regression analysis ,SEX distribution ,NOMADS ,SOCIOECONOMIC factors ,DESCRIPTIVE statistics ,AGE distribution ,RESEARCH ,MATHEMATICAL models ,PSYCHOSES ,THEORY ,COMPARATIVE studies ,CANNABIS (Genus) ,SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC factors ,PHENOTYPES ,DISEASE incidence ,ADVERSE childhood experiences ,EMPLOYMENT - Abstract
Background: Incidence of first-episode psychosis (FEP) varies substantially across geographic regions. Phenotypes of subclinical psychosis (SP), such as psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) and schizotypy, present several similarities with psychosis. We aimed to examine whether SP measures varied across different sites and whether this variation was comparable with FEP incidence within the same areas. We further examined contribution of environmental and genetic factors to SP. Methods: We used data from 1497 controls recruited in 16 different sites across 6 countries. Factor scores for several psychopathological dimensions of schizotypy and PLEs were obtained using multidimensional item response theory models. Variation of these scores was assessed using multi-level regression analysis to estimate individual and between-sites variance adjusting for age, sex, education, migrant, employment and relational status, childhood adversity, and cannabis use. In the final model we added local FEP incidence as a second-level variable. Association with genetic liability was examined separately. Results: Schizotypy showed a large between-sites variation with up to 15% of variance attributable to site-level characteristics. Adding local FEP incidence to the model considerably reduced the between-sites unexplained schizotypy variance. PLEs did not show as much variation. Overall, SP was associated with younger age, migrant, unmarried, unemployed and less educated individuals, cannabis use, and childhood adversity. Both phenotypes were associated with genetic liability to schizophrenia. Conclusions: Schizotypy showed substantial between-sites variation, being more represented in areas where FEP incidence is higher. This supports the hypothesis that shared contextual factors shape the between-sites variation of psychosis across the spectrum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
27. Mapping the link between socio-economic factors, autistic traits and mental health across different settings.
- Author
-
Del Bianco, Teresa, Lockwood Estrin, Georgia, Tillmann, Julian, Oakley, Bethany F, Crawley, Daisy, San José Cáceres, Antonia, Hayward, Hannah, Potter, Mandy, Mackay, Wendy, Smit, Petrusa, du Plessis, Carlie, Brink, Lucy, Springer, Priscilla, Odendaal, Hein, Charman, Tony, Banaschewski, Tobias, Baron-Cohen, Simon, Bölte, Sven, Johnson, Mark, and Murphy, Declan
- Subjects
PARENTS ,MENTAL health ,RESEARCH funding ,AUTISM ,SOCIOECONOMIC factors ,QUESTIONNAIRES ,DESCRIPTIVE statistics ,RESEARCH ,ENVIRONMENTAL exposure ,HEALTH facilities ,FACTOR analysis ,REGRESSION analysis ,EMPLOYMENT ,EDUCATIONAL attainment - Abstract
Autistic individuals experience higher rates of externalising and internalising symptoms that may vary with environmental factors. However, there is limited research on variation across settings that may highlight common factors with globally generalisable effects. Data were taken from two cohorts: a multinational European sample (n = 764; 453 autistic; 311 non-autistic; 6–30 years), and a South African sample (n = 100 non-autistic; 3–11 years). An exploratory factor analysis aggregated clinical (Verbal Comprehension and Perceptual Index), adaptive traits (Vineland Adaptive Behaviour Scale) and socio-economic variables (parental employment and education, home and family characteristics) in each cohort separately. With regression, we investigated the effect of these factors and autistic traits on internalising and externalising scores (measured with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire). Cohorts showed similar four-factor structures (Person Characteristics, Family System, Parental and Material Resources). The 'Family System' factor captured family size and maternal factors and was associated with lower internalising and externalising symptoms in both cohorts. In the European cohort, high autistic traits reduced this effect; the opposite was found in the South Africa cohort. Our exploratory findings from two separate analyses represent consistent evidence that Family System is associated with internalising and externalising symptoms, with a context-specific impact in persons with high autism traits. Autistic individuals are more likely than non-autistic individuals to experience a mental health condition in their lifetime, and this includes externalising and internalising symptoms. We know very little about how different environments and family conditions impact these symptoms for autistic individuals. Improving our understanding of these relationships is important so that we can identify individuals who may be in greater need of support. In this article, we seek to improve our understanding of how environmental and family conditions impact externalising and internalising symptoms in autistic and non-autistic people. To do this, we conducted analyses with two cohorts in very different settings – in Europe and South Africa – to ensure our findings are globally representative. We used advanced statistical methods to establish environmental and family conditions that were similar to each other, and which could be combined into specific 'factors'. We found that four similar 'factors' could be identified in the two cohorts. These were distinguished by personal characteristics and environmental conditions of individuals, and were named Person Characteristics, Family System, Parental and Material Resources. Interestingly, just 'Family System' was associated with internalising and externalising symptoms, and this was the same in both cohorts. We also found that having high traits of autism impacted this relationship between Family System and mental health conditions with opposite directions in the two settings. These results show that characteristics in the Family System are associated with internalising and externalising symptoms, and autistic persons are particularly impacted, reinforcing the notion that family stressors are important to consider when implementing policy and practice related to improving the mental health of autistic people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
28. Barriers and Facilitators to the International Implementation of Standardized Outcome Measures in Clinical Cleft Practice.
- Author
-
Apon, Inge, Rogers-Vizena, Carolyn R., Koudstaal, Maarten J., Allori, Alexander C., Peterson, Petra, Versnel, Sarah L., and Ramirez, Jessily P.
- Subjects
RESEARCH ,ATTITUDE (Psychology) ,RESEARCH methodology ,CLEFT palate ,HEALTH outcome assessment ,MEDICAL personnel ,INTERVIEWING ,PATIENT-centered care ,MEDICAL care ,CLEFT lip ,TREATMENT effectiveness ,HUMAN services programs ,QUALITATIVE research ,CONCEPTUAL structures ,WORKFLOW ,VALUE-based healthcare ,QUESTIONNAIRES ,THEMATIC analysis ,CONTENT analysis ,INTERNATIONAL agencies ,STANDARDS ,EVALUATION - Abstract
Objective: To identify barriers and facilitators to international implementation of a prospective system for standardized outcomes measurement in cleft care. Design: Cleft teams that have implemented the International Consortium for Health Outcomes Measurement Standard Set for cleft care were invited to participate in this 2-part qualitative study: (1) an exploratory survey among clinicians, health information technology professionals, and project coordinators, and (2) semistructured interviews of project leads. Thematic content analysis was performed, with organization of themes according to the dimensions of the reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation and maintenance (RE-AIM) framework: reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, and maintenance. Results: Four cleft teams in Europe and North America participated in this study. Thirteen participants completed exploratory questionnaires and 5 interviewees participated in follow-up interviews. Survey responses and thematic content analysis revealed common facilitators and barriers to implementation at all sites. Teams reach patients either via email or during the clinic visit to capture patient-reported outcomes. Adopting routine data collection is enhanced by aligning priorities at the organizational and cleft team level. Streamlining workflows and developing an efficient data collection platform are necessary early on, followed by pilot testing or stepwise implementation. Regular meetings and financial resources are crucial for implementing, sustaining, analyzing collected data, and providing feedback to health care professionals and patients. Fostering patient-centered care was articulated as a positive outcome, whereas time presented challenges across all RE-AIM dimensions. Conclusions: Identified themes can inform ongoing implementation efforts. Intentionally investing time to lay a sound foundation early on will benefit every phase of implementation and help overcome barriers such as lack of support or motivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
29. Adolescent Young Carers Who Provide Care to Siblings.
- Author
-
Brolin, Rosita, Hanson, Elizabeth, Magnusson, Lennart, Lewis, Feylyn, Parkhouse, Tom, Hlebec, Valentina, Santini, Sara, Hoefman, Renske, Leu, Agnes, and Becker, Saul
- Subjects
WELL-being ,RESEARCH ,CAREGIVERS ,SOCIAL support ,HEALTH services accessibility ,SELF-evaluation ,CHILDREN with disabilities ,BURDEN of care ,HEALTH status indicators ,MENTAL health ,ACADEMIC achievement ,T-test (Statistics) ,QUALITY of life ,RESEARCH funding ,QUESTIONNAIRES ,DESCRIPTIVE statistics ,FAMILY relations ,DATA analysis software ,ADOLESCENCE - Abstract
A child's disability, long-term illness, or mental ill-health is known to affect siblings' health, social life, school engagement, and quality of life. This article addresses a research gap by its focus on young sibling carers and the impact of providing care to a sibling. A cross-national survey study was conducted in 2018–2019 (Italy, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK) to examine the incidence of adolescent sibling carers, the extent of care they provide, and their self-reported health, well-being, and school situation. The survey was completed by 7146 adolescents, aged 15–17, and 1444 of them provided care to family members with health-related conditions. Out of these, 286 were identified as Sibling Carers and 668 as Parent Carers, while 181 had both sibling(s) and parent(s) with health-related conditions, and thus were identified as Sibling–Parent Carers. Sibling Carers and Sibling–Parent Carers carried out higher levels of caring activities compared to Parent Carers. They reported both positive aspects of caring, such as increased maturity, and negative aspects, such as mental ill-health, impact on schooling and a lack of support. To reduce the negative aspects of a sibling carer role, it is important to recognise them and to implement early preventive measures and formal support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
30. Governing Integrated Health and Social Care: An Analysis of Experiences in Three European Countries.
- Author
-
EXLEY, JOSEPHINE, GLOVER, REBECCA, MCCAREY, MARTHA, REED, SARAH, AHMED, ANAM, VRIJHOEF, HUBERTUS, MANACORDA, TOMMASO, VACCARO, CONCETTA, LONGO, FRANCESCO, STEWART, ELLEN, MAYS, NICHOLAS, and NOLTE, ELLEN
- Subjects
MEDICAL care research ,RESEARCH funding ,INTERPROFESSIONAL relations ,ENDOWMENTS ,DIFFUSION of innovations ,CLINICAL governance ,RESPONSIBILITY ,INTERVIEWING ,LEADERSHIP ,SOCIAL case work ,THEMATIC analysis ,RESEARCH methodology ,CONCEPTUAL structures ,RESEARCH ,MEDICAL coding ,COMPARATIVE studies ,INTEGRATED health care delivery ,COVID-19 pandemic ,MEDICAL care costs - Abstract
Purpose: Achieving greater health and social care integration is a policy priority in many countries, but challenges remain. We focused on governance and accountability for integrated care and explored arrangements that shape more integrated delivery models or systems in Italy, the Netherlands and Scotland. We also examined how the COVID-19 pandemic affected existing governance arrangements. Design/methodology/approach: A case study approach involving document review and semi-structured interviews with 35 stakeholders in 10 study sites between February 2021 and April 2022. We used the Transparency, Accountability, Participation, Integrity and Capability (TAPIC) framework to guide our analytical enquiry. Findings: Study sites ranged from bottom-up voluntary agreements in the Netherlands to top-down mandated integration in Scotland. Interviews identified seven themes that were seen to have helped or hindered integration efforts locally. Participants described a disconnect between what national or regional governments aspire to achieve and their own efforts to implement this vision. This resulted in blurred, and sometimes contradictory, lines of accountability between the centre and local sites. Flexibility and time to allow for national policies to be adapted to local contexts, and engaged local leaders, were seen to be key to delivering the integration agenda. Health care, and in particular acute hospital care, was reported to dominate social care in terms of policies, resource allocation and national monitoring systems, thereby undermining better collaboration locally. The pandemic highlighted and exacerbated existing strengths and weaknesses but was not seen as a major disruptor to the overall vision for the health and social care system. Research limitations: We included a relatively small number of interviews per study site, limiting our ability to explore complexities within sites. Originality: This study highlights that governance is relatively neglected as a focus of attention in this context but addressing governance challenges is key for successful collaboration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
31. Developments in Automated Potato Storage Management.
- Author
-
Cunnington, Adrian
- Subjects
POTATO storage ,SOLUTION (Chemistry) ,POTATOES ,TRAFFIC safety ,LOW temperatures ,ACRYLAMIDE - Abstract
Potato is a major staple food around the world; some of this production requires storage. The need for storage is largely driven by climatic conditions which dictate when the crop should be planted and harvested. The objective of potato storage is always to keep the crop in its best possible condition throughout, limiting inputs and interventions to those that achieve this aim, whilst minimizing losses and wastage. Increasingly, the storage techniques used to provide a consistent supply of potatoes to meet demand have to be sustainable. This focus on efficiency is important as cost pressures increase. Strategically, for those who are now without CIPC in Europe, the loss of chemistry has re-focused their approach to storage. It is now necessary to consider the wider impact of multiple factors on storage.'Genotype x environment' interactions need to be better understood now that a major non-specific control (CIPC sprout suppressant) is not available. This genetic base is crucial to provide a good starting point with new varieties. Better natural dormancy and improved low temperature tolerance will reduce the need for chemical solutions and lower the risk from acrylamide. Risk must be understood better to forecast potato performance in store so crops can be identified in advance as having better prospects of delivering markets' needs. Having a 'one-size-fits-all' tool like CIPC allowed industry to lose sight of the holistic challenges of sustainability. The pace of development of storage solutions slowed, and it was easier to take a simple — but flawed — approach that relied on a single solution. Now that CIPC is no longer there, the European storage industry has some re-focusing and catching up to do. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
32. Internet Use and Perceived Parental Involvement among Adolescents from Lower Socioeconomic Groups in Europe: An Exploration.
- Author
-
Willems, Roy A., Smith, Peter K., Culbert, Catherine, Purdy, Noel, Hamilton, Jayne, Völlink, Trijntje, Scheithauer, Herbert, Fiedler, Nora, Brighi, Antonella, Menin, Damiano, Mameli, Consuelo, and Guarini, Annalisa
- Subjects
HIGH schools ,RESEARCH ,INTERNET addiction in adolescence ,SOCIAL media ,PARENTING ,SURVEYS ,SOCIOECONOMIC factors ,SEX distribution ,SOCIAL classes ,COMMUNICATION ,RESEARCH funding ,METROPOLITAN areas - Abstract
Internet usage is a salient developmental factor in adolescents' lives. Although relevant correlates of Internet use have been documented earlier, there is a lack of information on lower socioeconomic status groups. This is important, as these adolescents have increased risk of negative online experiences. The current survey aimed to explore Internet use and parental involvement amongst adolescents from areas of socio-economic disadvantage in 30 urban schools across five European countries. A total of 2594 students participated, of whom 90% were 14–16 years. Virtually all adolescents of socioeconomic disadvantage had Internet access, with 88.5% reporting spending more than two hours per day online, often on apps such as Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube. Almost one-third of adolescents did not talk with their parents about their Internet use and almost two-thirds indicated that their parents were only a little or not interested in their Internet use. A consistent finding across countries was that girls more often talked with their parents about their Internet use and more often reported that their parents were interested in their Internet use than boys. The results suggest that parents have an important task in explicitly showing interest in their adolescents' Internet use, with special attention needed for boys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
33. Principles of engagement on research and other collaborations between the brewing sector and research entities: the FACT Principles.
- Author
-
Kok, Frans J., Zarnkow, Martin, and Sierksma, Aafje
- Subjects
FOOD laws ,RESEARCH ,PRIVACY ,ALCOHOLIC beverages ,NONPROFIT organizations ,HEALTH services accessibility ,LIBERTY ,PRIVATE sector ,INTERPROFESSIONAL relations ,MEDICAL ethics ,ACCESS to information ,ADULT education workshops - Abstract
Public–private partnerships are subject to intense scrutiny. This is specifically the case for sensitive health-related topics such as alcohol consumption. The brewing sector and representatives of the scientific community therefore stressed the need for specific principles for the proper and transparent governance of research and other collaborations between the brewing sector and research entities. At a 1-day seminar, a group of scientists and representatives from the brewing and food sector reached a consensus for such principles. They adhere to the following four fundamental conditions: Freedom of research, Accessibility, Contextualisation and Transparency. The points of focus in the FACT principles are open science, meaning that the methods and results are made accessible and reusable, and relationships are clearly disclosed. Actions to be taken for dissemination and implementation of the FACT Principles are, for instance, publishing them on public websites, including them in formal research agreements, and citing them in scientific publications. Scientific journals and (research) societies are encouraged to support the FACT Principles. In conclusion, the FACT Principles provide a framework for increased transparency and control of funding-related bias in research and other collaborations between the brewing sector and research entities. Monitoring their use and evaluating their impact will help to further refine and enforce the FACT Principles in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
34. Barriers and facilitators to health care access for people experiencing homelessness in four European countries: an exploratory qualitative study.
- Author
-
Carmichael, Christina, Schiffler, Tobias, Smith, Lee, Moudatsou, Maria, Tabaki, Ioanna, Doñate-Martínez, Ascensión, Alhambra-Borrás, Tamara, Kouvari, Matina, Karnaki, Pania, Gil-Salmeron, Alejandro, and Grabovac, Igor
- Subjects
DIVERSITY & inclusion policies ,RESEARCH ,HEALTH services accessibility ,TIME ,CROSS-sectional method ,SOCIAL workers ,RESEARCH methodology ,INTERVIEWING ,EXPERIENCE ,QUALITATIVE research ,RESEARCH funding ,HOMELESSNESS ,THEMATIC analysis ,MEDICAL needs assessment ,EARLY diagnosis ,EARLY medical intervention - Abstract
Background: People experiencing homelessness (PEH) are known to be at higher risk of adverse health outcomes and premature mortality when compared to the housed population and often face significant barriers when attempting to access health services. This study aimed to better understand the specific health care needs of PEH and the barriers and facilitators associated with their timely and equitable access to health services in the European context. Methods: We conducted an exploratory cross-national qualitative study involving people with lived experience of homelessness and health and social care professionals in Austria, Greece, Spain, and the UK. A total of 69 semi-structured interviews comprising 15 social care professionals, 19 health care professionals, and 35 PEH were completed, transcribed, and analysed thematically. Results: Findings were organised into three overarching themes relating to the research question: (a) Health care needs of PEH, (b) Barriers to health care access, and (c) Facilitators to health care access. Overall, the general health of PEH was depicted as extremely poor, and mainstream health services were portrayed as ill-equipped to respond to the needs of this population. Adopting tailored approaches to care, especially involving trusted professionals in the delivery of care, was identified as a key strategy for overcoming existing barriers. Conclusions: The results of this study indicate there to be a high degree of consistency in the health care needs of PEH and the barriers and facilitators associated with their access to health care across the various European settings. Homelessness in itself is recognized to represent an essential social determinant of health, with PEH at risk of unequal access to health services. Changes are thus required to facilitate PEH's access to mainstream primary care. This can also be further complemented by investment in 'in-reach' services and other tailored and person-centred forms of health care. Trial registration: This study was registered retrospectively on June 6, 2022, in the registry of ClinicalTrials.gov under the number NCT05406687. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
35. The professional profile of tutors in work-integrated learning.
- Author
-
CURTO REVERTE, ANDREU, PEGUERA-CARRÉ, MARIA CARME, and COBOS RIUS, HELENA
- Subjects
SUPERVISION of employees ,CLINICAL medicine ,SCHOOL environment ,QUALITATIVE research ,FOCUS groups ,WORK environment ,QUESTIONNAIRES ,HUMAN research subjects ,INDUSTRIAL psychology ,COLLEGE teachers ,PROFESSIONAL identity ,RESEARCH ,INFORMED consent (Medical law) ,LITERATURE reviews ,LEARNING strategies ,DELPHI method ,NATIONAL competency-based educational tests ,PROFESSIONAL competence - Abstract
Work-integrated learning (WIL) responds to the labor market's requests by fostering students' competency acquisition and development through active methodologies and profession-oriented practices. This training system means that both academic and workplace tutors guide and supervise the student. The research goal was to identify the tutors' professional profiles in WIL. This study's qualitative methodology is based on data triangulation obtained by the Delphi method, focus groups and a literature review. The participants are international experts in WIL. The outcome of the research is a set of specific and transversal competencies and functions for both types of tutors who guide and supervise students throughout their learning process in a workplace-based university program. In conclusion, the results enabled the establishment of a basis on which to identify WIL professionals working in different territories, as well as create professional development training for such agents involved in this innovative system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
36. The Development and Validation of the "Hippocratic Hypertension Self-Care Scale".
- Author
-
Brokalaki, Hero, Chatziefstratiou, Anastasia A., Fotos, Nikolaos V., Giakoumidakis, Konstantinos, and Chatzistamatiou, Evaggelos
- Subjects
EXPERIMENTAL design ,HYPERTENSION ,RESEARCH ,RESEARCH evaluation ,STATISTICAL reliability ,RESEARCH methodology ,RESEARCH methodology evaluation ,SELF-management (Psychology) ,PSYCHOMETRICS ,CRONBACH'S alpha ,PEARSON correlation (Statistics) ,FACTOR analysis ,DESCRIPTIVE statistics ,DIABETIC retinopathy ,HEALTH self-care ,COMORBIDITY - Abstract
Background: The adoption of self-care behaviors among patients with arterial hypertension (AH) plays an important role in the management of their health condition. However, a lack of scales assessing self-care is observed. We aimed to develop and validate the Hippocratic hypertension self-care scale. Methods: From a pool of questions derived from a literature review, 18 items were included in the scale and reviewed by a committee of experts. Participants indicated the frequency at which they followed the self-behavior prescribed in each statement on a five-point Likert scale. Data were collected between April 2019 and December 2019. Results: A total of 202 consecutive adult patients with AH were enrolled in the study. The internal consistency of the scale was found to be 0.807, using Cronbach's alpha coefficient. An exploratory factor analysis identified two domains that accounted for 92.94% of the variance in the scale items; however, each sub-scale could not be used as an independent scale. Finally, the test–retest of the scale showed a significant strong correlation (r = 0.0095, p < 0.001). Conclusion: This analysis indicates that the scale is reliable and valid for assessing self-care behaviors in patients with AH. It is suggested that health professionals use it in their clinical practice to improve the management of AH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
37. Together4RD position statement on collaboration between European reference networks and industry.
- Author
-
Hedley, Victoria, Bolz-Johnson, Matt, Hernando, Ines, Kenward, Rosalind, Nabbout, Rima, Romero, Clara, Schaefer, Franz, Upadhyaya, Sheela, Arzimanoglou, Alexis, Dollfus, Hélène, Leroux, Dorothée, Scarpa, Maurizio, Verloes, Alain, Daria Julkowska, Rath, Ana, Ussi, Anton, Mimouni, Yanis, Cuisenier, Morgane, Chalandon, Anne-Sophie, and Digneffe, Toon
- Subjects
RARE diseases ,INFRASTRUCTURE policy ,RESEARCH & development ,EXPERTISE - Abstract
Notwithstanding two decades of policy and legislation in Europe, aimed to foster research and development in rare conditions, only 5–6% of rare diseases have dedicated treatments. Given with the huge number of conditions classed as rare (which is increasing all the time), this equates to major unmet need for patients (over 30 million in the EU alone). Worryingly, the pace of Research and Innovation in Europe is lagging behind other regions of the world, and a seismic shift in the way in which research is planned and delivered is required, in order to remain competitive and—most importantly—bring meaningful, disease-altering treatments to those who desperately need them. The European Reference Networks (ERNs), launched in 2017, hold major potential to alleviate many of these challenges, and more, but only if adequately supported (financially, technically, and via robust policies and infrastructure) to realise that potential: and even then, only if able to forge robust collaborations harnessing the expertise, resources, knowledge and data of all stakeholders involved in rare disease, including Industry. To-date, however, ERN-Industry interactions have been largely limited, for a range of reasons (concerning barriers both tangible and perceived). This Position Statement analyses these barriers, and explains how Together4RD is seeking to move the needle here, by learning from case studies, exploring frameworks for collaboration, and launching pilots to explore how best to plan and deliver multistakeholder interactions addressing real research needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
38. European review of agricultural economics—50th anniversary retrospective.
- Author
-
Falco, Salvatore Di, Lagerkvist, Carl-Johan, Nauges, Céline, and Richards, Timothy J
- Subjects
AGRICULTURAL economics ,ECONOMIC research ,APPLIED economics ,ANNIVERSARIES - Abstract
In this article, we celebrate the first 50 years of the European Review of Agricultural Economics. We intend to convey some understanding of how the interests of European Review of Agricultural Economics (ERAE) readers change over time as a reflection of how shifting interests show up in our research. To document how the issues, methods, and content of the ERAE evolve over time, we summarise the content of the top-cited articles by decade. We conclude with a summary, and our thoughts as to where applied economics research in the Review may go over the next 50 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
39. Neonatal invasive disease caused by Streptococcus agalactiae in Europe: the DEVANI multi-center study.
- Author
-
Lohrmann, Florens, Hufnagel, Markus, Kunze, Mirjam, Afshar, Baharak, Creti, Roberta, Detcheva, Antoaneta, Kozakova, Jana, Rodriguez-Granger, Javier, Sørensen, Uffe B. Skov, Margarit, Immaculada, Maione, Domenico, Rinaudo, Daniela, Orefici, Graziella, Telford, John, de la Rosa Fraile, Manuel, Kilian, Mogens, Efstratiou, Androulla, Berner, Reinhard, Melin, Pierrette, and for the DEVANI Study Group
- Subjects
RESEARCH ,RESPIRATORY diseases ,POLYSACCHARIDES ,PRENATAL diagnosis ,NEONATAL diseases ,TIME ,STREPTOCOCCAL diseases ,MEDICAL screening ,HEALTH status indicators ,ANTIBIOTIC prophylaxis ,RISK assessment ,BACTERIAL meningitis ,RESEARCH funding ,DESCRIPTIVE statistics ,INTRAPARTUM care ,DISEASE risk factors ,DISEASE complications - Abstract
Purpose: Group B streptococcus (GBS) remains a leading cause of invasive disease, mainly sepsis and meningitis, in infants < 3 months of age and of mortality among neonates. This study, a major component of the European DEVANI project (Design of a Vaccine Against Neonatal Infections) describes clinical and important microbiological characteristics of neonatal GBS diseases. It quantifies the rate of antenatal screening and intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis among cases and identifies risk factors associated with an adverse outcome. Methods: Clinical and microbiological data from 153 invasive neonatal cases (82 early-onset [EOD], 71 late-onset disease [LOD] cases) were collected in eight European countries from mid-2008 to end-2010. Results: Respiratory distress was the most frequent clinical sign at onset of EOD, while meningitis is found in > 30% of LOD. The study revealed that 59% of mothers of EOD cases had not received antenatal screening, whilst GBS was detected in 48.5% of screened cases. Meningitis was associated with an adverse outcome in LOD cases, while prematurity and the presence of cardiocirculatory symptoms were associated with an adverse outcome in EOD cases. Capsular-polysaccharide type III was the most frequent in both EOD and LOD cases with regional differences in the clonal complex distribution. Conclusions: Standardizing recommendations related to neonatal GBS disease and increasing compliance might improve clinical care and the prevention of GBS EOD. But even full adherence to antenatal screening would miss a relevant number of EOD cases, thus, the most promising prophylactic approach against GBS EOD and LOD would be a vaccine for maternal immunization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
40. Urban–rural differences in perceived environmental opportunities for physical activity: a 2002–2017 time-trend analysis in Europe.
- Author
-
Moreno-Llamas, Antonio, García-Mayor, Jesús, and Cruz-Sánchez, Ernesto De la
- Subjects
LIFESTYLES ,RESEARCH ,SOCIAL determinants of health ,CONFIDENCE intervals ,RURAL conditions ,CROSS-sectional method ,MULTIPLE regression analysis ,SELF-evaluation ,PHYSICAL activity ,SURVEYS ,SOCIOECONOMIC factors ,DESCRIPTIVE statistics ,QUESTIONNAIRES ,METROPOLITAN areas ,ODDS ratio ,HEALTH promotion - Abstract
Urban–rural disparities in resources, services and facilities not only impact daily living conditions but also contribute to inequalities in physical activity, which may be associated with variations in basic public resources between urban and rural areas. This study aims to examine the evolution of perceived opportunities for physical activity in European urban and rural environments from 2002 to 2017 and their association with an active lifestyle. Data from four waves (2002, 2005, 2013 and 2017) of cross-sectional Eurobarometer surveys were collected (n = 101 373), and multilevel binomial logistic regressions were conducted. Firstly, the time trend of perceived opportunities for physical activity between urban and rural environments was explored, and secondly, the effect of urban–rural perceived opportunities on achieving an active lifestyle over the years was estimated. The findings revealed that individuals residing in rural settings encountered less opportunities to be physically active. Conversely, urban settings experienced an increase in perceived opportunities. The significance of health promotion through perceived physical activity opportunities lies in the increased likelihood of being physically active, regardless of place of residence or individual socioeconomic factors [in the area: odds ratio (OR) = 1.40, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.34–1.47; provided by local sport clubs: OR = 1.29, 95% CI = 1.23–1.35]. Modifying environmental aspects, such as enhancing the quantity, quality and accessibility of physical activity opportunities in both rural and urban areas, may lead to improved physical activity and health promotion, particularly among individuals who are more physically inactive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
41. Comparison of three indirect methods for verification and validation of reference intervals at eight medical laboratories: a European multicenter study.
- Author
-
Meyer, Anne, Müller, Robert, Hoffmann, Markus, Skadberg, Øyvind, Ladang, Aurélie, Dieplinger, Benjamin, Huf, Wolfgang, Stankovic, Sanja, Kapoula, Georgia, and Orth, Matthias
- Subjects
REFERENCE values ,CLINICAL pathology ,PATHOLOGICAL laboratories ,RESEARCH ,RESEARCH methodology ,MATHEMATICAL models ,COMPARATIVE studies ,MATHEMATICS ,DESCRIPTIVE statistics ,THEORY ,ALGORITHMS - Abstract
Indirect methods for the indirect estimation of reference intervals are increasingly being used, especially for validation of reference intervals, as they can be applied to routine patient data. In this study, we compare three statistically different indirect methods for the verification and validation of reference intervals in eight laboratories distributed throughout Europe. The RefLim method is a fast and simple approach which calculates the reference intervals by extrapolating the theoretical 95 % of non-pathological values from the central linear part of a quantile-quantile plot. The Truncated Maximum Likelihood (TML) method estimates a smoothed kernel density function for the distribution of the mixed data, for which it is assumed that the "central" part of the distribution represents the healthy population. The refineR utilizes an inverse modelling approach. This algorithm identifies a model that best explains the observed data before transforming the data with the Box-Cox transformation. We show that the different indirect methods each have their advantages but can also lead to inaccurate or ambiguous results depending on the approximation of the mathematical model to real-world data. A combination of different methodologies can improve the informative value and thus the reliability of results. Based on routine measurements of four enzymes alkaline phosphatase (ALP), total amylase (AMY), cholinesterase (CHE) and gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) in adult women and men, we demonstrate that some reference limits taken from the literature need to be adapted to the laboratory's particular local and population characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
42. THE BEST OPEN TOOLS FOR DISCOVERING OA ARTS AND HUMANITIES RESEARCH.
- Author
-
HADEN, DAVID
- Subjects
ART ,RESEARCH ,OPEN access publishing ,BOOKS ,INFORMATION resources ,HUMANITIES - Abstract
The article highlights the author's favorite open search tools for finding open arts and humanities content. Topics discussed include the JURN search tool, which discovers the full text of open journals in the arts and humanities; the sister tool of JURN called GRAFT, which searches the world's academic repositories, and the extremely poor semantic interpretation of queries resulting in subsequent slowing down of Paperity, a multidisciplinary aggregator of OA journals and papers.
- Published
- 2022
43. Guidelines for Spiritually Informed Care for Individuals who have Experienced Sexual Abuse.
- Author
-
Grady, Melissa D., Zitzmann, Brooks, Gilles, Katherine P., and McNeil, Shannon
- Subjects
ADVERSE childhood experiences ,RESEARCH ,CHILD sexual abuse ,SPIRITUALITY ,SOCIAL support ,CONFERENCES & conventions ,EMOTIONAL trauma ,MEDICAL protocols ,ADULT child abuse victims ,SURVEYS ,SPIRITUAL healing ,QUALITATIVE research ,DESCRIPTIVE statistics ,THEMATIC analysis ,SPIRITUAL care (Medical care) ,RELIGION ,PSYCHOLOGICAL resilience - Abstract
Child sexual abuse (CSA) impacts individuals and communities in numerous ways, including their faith. This study's aim was to learn from individuals who have an interest and/or expertise in spirituality and CSA about how various groups can support those impacted by CSA. The participants (n = 76) took part in a symposium focused on this topic and responded to an online survey with open-ended questions. Three themes emerged: negative impacts, direct response, and institutional changes. Using these responses, a model for Spiritually Informed Care is described, and implications for practice for those who work with those who have been impacted by CSA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
44. A Novel Methodological Approach to Measure Linear Trends in Health Inequalities: Proof of Concept With Adolescent Smoking in Europe.
- Author
-
Kuipers, Mirte A G, Kang, Kaidi, Dragomir, Anca D, Monshouwer, Karin, Benedetti, Elisa, Lombardi, Gabriele, Luta, George, and Kunst, Anton E
- Subjects
RESEARCH ,CONFIDENCE intervals ,REGRESSION analysis ,SIMULATION methods in education ,SOCIAL status ,DESCRIPTIVE statistics ,SMOKING ,HEALTH equity ,ADOLESCENCE - Abstract
We describe a new method for presenting and interpreting linear trends in health inequalities, and present a proof-of-concept analysis of inequalities in smoking among adolescents in Europe. We estimated the regression line of the assumed linear relationship between smoking prevalence in low– and high–socioeconomic status (SES) youth over time. Using simulation, we constructed a 95% confidence interval (CI) for the smoking prevalence in low-SES youth for when this would be 0% in high-SES youth, and we calculated the likelihood of eradicating smoking inequality (<5% for both low and high SES). This method was applied to data on adolescents aged 15–16 years (n = 250,326) from 23 European countries, derived from the 2003–2015 European Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs. Smoking prevalence decreased more slowly among low- than among high-SES adolescents. The estimated smoking prevalence was 9.4% (95% CI: 6.1, 12.7) for boys and 5.4% (95% CI: 1.4, 9.2) for girls with low SES when 0% with high SES. The likelihood of eradicating smoking inequality was <1% for boys and 37% for girls. We conclude that this novel methodological approach to trends in health inequalities is feasible in practice. Applying it to trends in smoking inequalities among adolescents in Europe, we found that Europe is currently not on track to eradicate youth smoking across SES groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
45. Attitudes toward healthcare performance in Europe, 2002–2017: How absolute and relative measures can reveal different patterns.
- Author
-
Moolla, Iris and Lambert, Paul
- Subjects
MEDICAL quality control ,RESEARCH ,CROSS-sectional method ,MULTIPLE regression analysis ,MEDICAL care ,MEDICAL care costs ,HEALTH attitudes ,DESCRIPTIVE statistics ,SCALE analysis (Psychology) ,STATISTICAL correlation - Abstract
Citizens' attitudes towards their national healthcare are important indicators of satisfaction and of political perspectives. In this article we summarise individual and national level patterns in healthcare evaluations across Europe. An innovative feature of our analysis is that we demonstrate that assessing healthcare evaluations in relative terms (relative to citizens' views about the performance of national institutions in other domains), offers new insights about individual and national level variations in attitudes. Thus, we introduce an indicator of relative attitudes towards healthcare and contrast it to an absolute measure in a cross-national analysis. We use a larger dataset than previous studies of healthcare evaluations including countries from all regions of Europe and spanning eight rounds of the European Social Survey (2002–2017, N = 342,000). We find that Europeans' healthcare evaluations are multidimensional, with different patterns sometimes operating at an absolute and a relative level. When comparing countries, for instance, several nations in Southern and Eastern Europe compare poorly to other nations in their absolute ratings of healthcare but compare favourably if assessed in relative terms. Likewise, using a relative measure, most Scandinavian countries compare less favourably to other countries, but score positively when evaluations are measured in absolute terms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
46. Condition openness is associated with better mental health in individuals with an intersex/differences of sex development condition: structural equation modeling of European multicenter data.
- Author
-
van de Grift, Tim C.
- Subjects
INTERSEXUALITY ,RESEARCH ,STRUCTURAL equation modeling ,SOCIAL support ,SEX differentiation disorders ,CROSS-sectional method ,SELF-perception ,MENTAL health ,HEALTH status indicators ,SOCIAL stigma ,HEALTH outcome assessment ,PATIENT satisfaction ,SEX distribution ,TREATMENT effectiveness ,COMPARATIVE studies ,MENTAL depression ,DESCRIPTIVE statistics ,RESEARCH funding ,ANXIETY ,ANXIETY disorders ,SHAME ,TURNER'S syndrome ,PSYCHOLOGICAL adaptation ,SELF-esteem testing ,KLINEFELTER'S syndrome - Abstract
Background: Openness on one's health condition or (stigmatized) identity generally improves mental health. Intersex or differences of sex development (DSD) conditions have long been kept concealed and high levels of (internalizing) mental health problems are reported. This study examines the effects of condition openness on anxiety and depression and the role of mediating concepts in this population. Methods: Cross-sectional data of individuals of 16 years and older with an intersex/DSD condition was collected in 14 specialized European clinics as part of the dsd-LIFE study. Patient-reported measures were taken on openness and shame (Coping with DSD), self-esteem (Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale), satisfaction with care (CSQ4), anxiety and depression (HADS). Scores were compared per clinical group and data were analyzed via structural equation modeling (SEM) to calculate prediction and mediation models. Results: Data of 903 individuals were included in this study (Turner syndrome (n = 284), 46, XY DSD (n = 233), CAH (n = 206) and Klinefelter syndrome (n = 180)). Participants were moderately open on their condition. High levels of both anxiety and depression were observed across the sample. In SEM analysis, the tested models predicted 25% of openness, 31% of anxiety and 48% of depression. More condition openness directly predicted lower anxiety and depression symptoms, as well as indirectly through increased self-esteem, self-satisfaction and satisfaction with social support. Conclusions: Condition openness is associated with lower anxiety and depression in individuals with an intersex/DSD condition. Healthcare may provide the necessary knowledge and skills to employ one's optimal level of self-disclosure in order to improve mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
47. Psychometric testing of the facilitative student–patient relationship scale within six EUROPEAN countries.
- Author
-
Suikkala, Arja, Koskinen, Sanna, Brasaitė‐Abromė, Indrė, Fuster‐Linares, Pilar, Lehwaldt, Daniela, Leino‐Kilpi, Helena, Meyer, Gabriele, Sveinsdóttir, Herdís, and Katajisto, Jouko
- Subjects
HOSPITALS ,RESEARCH ,PRIVACY ,RESEARCH evaluation ,PATIENT advocacy ,HEALTH occupations students ,CROSS-sectional method ,CONVERSATION ,PSYCHOMETRICS ,NURSING education ,SURVEYS ,CRONBACH'S alpha ,HUMANITY ,LEARNING strategies ,MULTITRAIT multimethod techniques ,FACTOR analysis ,MEDICAL ethics ,RESEARCH funding ,PATIENT-professional relations ,STATISTICAL sampling ,NURSING students ,EMOTIONS - Abstract
Aim: The aim of the study was to test the psychometric properties of the Facilitative Student–Patient Relationship (FSPR) Scale in clinical practicum in hospital settings within six European countries. Design: A multi‐country, cross‐sectional survey design was applied. Methods: A convenience sample of graduating nursing students (N = 1,796) completed the FSPR Scale. Psychometric testing was carried out through explorative factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis. Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach's alpha. Results: Both validity and reliability of the scale were confirmed. The explorative factor analysis yielded a two‐factor construct explaining 47.7% of the total variance, identifying two sub‐scales: caring relationship and learning relationship. Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the two‐factor structure. The Cronbach alpha coefficients (0.8–0.9) indicated acceptable reliability of the scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
48. A qualitative descriptive study of effective leadership and leadership development strategies used by nurse leaders in European island countries.
- Author
-
Hughes, Victoria, Wright, Rebecca, Taylor, Janice, Petchler, Claire, and Ling, Catherine
- Subjects
RESEARCH ,CULTURE ,INDIVIDUAL development ,LEADERSHIP ,ATTITUDE (Psychology) ,PROFESSIONAL employee training ,RESEARCH methodology ,LEADERS ,GROUP identity ,INTERVIEWING ,QUALITATIVE research ,NURSES ,COMMUNICATION ,INTERPROFESSIONAL relations ,MANAGEMENT styles ,THEMATIC analysis ,JUDGMENT sampling ,STATISTICAL sampling ,CORPORATE culture - Abstract
Aim: Nurse leaders influence workplace culture; however, little is known about ethnic cultural influences on nurse leader development. This research aims to identify personal strategies promoting effective leadership by nurse leaders from European small island countries. Design: Descriptive qualitative study. Methods: In 2017, nineteen semi‐structured interviews with nurse leaders from England, Greece, Republic of Ireland and Malta explored leadership journeys, strategies employed to support their growth and development, and how cultural identity played a role. Transcripts were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Results: Four main themes and 12 subthemes captured the strategies and approaches of the nurse leaders: (1) Influences, (2) Communication, (3) Process and (4) Relationships. These findings reflect and validate the five transformational leadership practices of the Exemplary Leadership Model. While cultural island identity was discussed, there was a shared cultural identity within the role of "nurse leader" that spanned all islands. Patient or Public Contributions: Nineteen nurse leaders contributed to this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
49. Iatrogenic Neonatal Esophageal Perforation: A European Multicentre Review on Management and Outcomes.
- Author
-
Sorensen, Eva, Yu, Connie, Chuang, Shu-Ling, Midrio, Paola, Martinez, Leopoldo, Nash, Mathew, Jester, Ingo, and Saxena, Amulya K.
- Subjects
ANTIBIOTICS ,STEROID drugs ,RESEARCH ,CONSERVATIVE treatment ,CHEST X rays ,PLEURAL effusions ,ESOPHAGEAL perforation ,ABSCESSES ,HEALTH outcome assessment ,RETROSPECTIVE studies ,GESTATIONAL age ,RANITIDINE ,DISEASES ,TERTIARY care ,ACQUISITION of data ,FEEDING tubes ,ARTIFICIAL respiration ,BIRTH weight ,MEDICAL records ,PARENTERAL feeding ,LONGITUDINAL method ,DISEASE risk factors ,CHILDREN - Abstract
Background: The aim of this multicenter retrospective study and literature review was to review management and outcomes of neonatal esophageal perforation (NEP). Methods: Protocol data were collected from four European Centers on gestational age, factors surrounding feeding tube insertion, management and outcomes. Results: The 5-year study period (2014–2018) identified eight neonates with median gestational age of 26 + 4 weeks (23 + 4–39) and median birth weight 636 g (511–3500). All patients had NEP from enterogastric tube insertions, with the perforation occurring at median 1st day of life (range 0–25). Seven/eight patients were ventilated (two/seven-high frequency oscillation). NEP became apparent on first tube placement (n = 1), first change (n = 5), and after multiple changes (n = 2). Site of perforation was known in six (distal n = 3, proximal n = 2 and middle n = 1). Diagnosis was established by respiratory distress (n = 4), respiratory distress and sepsis (n = 2) and post-insertion chest X-ray (n = 2). Management in all patients included antibiotics and parenteral nutrition with two/eight receiving steroids and ranitidine, one/eight steroids only and one/eight ranitidine only. One neonate had a gastrostomy inserted, while in another an enterogastric tube was orally successfully re-inserted. Two neonates developed pleural effusion and/or mediastinal abscess requiring chest tube. Three neonates had significant morbidities (related to prematurity) and there was one death 10 days post-perforation (related to prematurity complications). Conclusions: NEP during NGT insertion is rare even in premature infants after evaluating data from four tertiary centers and reviewing the literature. In this small cohort, conservative management seems to be safe. A larger sample size will be necessary to answer questions on efficacy of antibiotics, antacids and NGT re-insertion time frame in NEP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
50. Emerging gaps in research on agricultural landscapes.
- Author
-
Kruse, Alexandra, Athanasiadou, Eleni, Centeri, Csaba, Michelin, Yves, Slámová, Martina, Hribar, Mateja Šmid, and Ferrario, Viviana
- Subjects
CULTURAL landscapes ,AGRICULTURE ,RESEARCH ,HISTORICAL geography - Abstract
This article is dedicated to Professor Hans Renes who retired after 40 years of continuous research on cultural landscapes as historical geographer in the service of the landscape. Starting with his precious teachings and valuable contribution in this field of studies and from EUCALAND's (see below) collective scientific experience, the authors of this cooperative article reflect on emerging gaps in research about European agricultural landscapes (EALs), finishing with highlighting emerging gaps. The authors will summarise a part of Hans Renes' research with a special focus on agricultural landscapes. In line with his scientific life work, he also was, since the beginning, the president of the Institute for Research on European Agricultural Landscapes e.V. (EUCALAND). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
Discovery Service for Jio Institute Digital Library
For full access to our library's resources, please sign in.