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Health outcomes are influenced by social and environmental determinants of health. As places where people work, live, meet and consume, high street retail environments are influential in shaping health. In recent decades, high streets have been in decline, prompting policies to revitalise retail environments and support local businesses, particularly in European and North American countries. The aim of this scoping review was to systematically map evidence on retail environment interventions, to gain a deeper understanding of the current evidence base assessing their possible health and wellbeing impacts. The objectives were to identify different types of interventions and the outcomes they address; and the mechanism through which interventions are theorised to influence health and equity. Peer-reviewed studies were identified through academic databases (MEDLINE, Embase, EconLit, Web of Science and Social Policy and Practice) using relevant search terms. Additional (grey) literature was identified using citation scanning and online searches. Studies were eligible if they evaluated interventions with a significant focus on supporting the retail environment, reported on at least one health and wellbeing outcome and were written in English. Relevant data were extracted and presented descriptively. An interpretive approach was taken to analyse theories of change. The searches identified 53 peer-reviewed studies and nine grey literature reports. Interventions were categorised as follows: area-based initiatives, business improvement districts, business incentives, and demand-side incentives. Studies predominantly evaluated impacts on social and environmental determinants of health. Some studies measured impacts on self-rated (mental) health, physical activity and food consumption and purchasing. Studies reported evidence of both improved and worsening outcomes. Theories of change were often under-specified and reductionist, lacking a clear understanding of the complex systems in which interventions take place. Future interventions could benefit from more comprehensive theories of change that meaningfully integrate economic, and health and wellbeing outcomes. This requires intersectoral collaboration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Understanding the factors that influence medication adherence and the multidimensional aspects of quality of life in the elderly is of paramount importance in enhancing their overall well-being. Since geriatric patients usually suffer from multiple morbidities due to their declining age, the adherence towards their medications plays a very crucial role in their quality of life. Methodology: This cross-sectional study explores the intricate relationship between medication adherence and quality of life among 310 elderly patients at a single medical college and hospital. Participants completed the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-8) to assess medication adherence and the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) questionnaire, which comprises four domains (physical health, psychological health, social relationships, and environment) to evaluate quality of life. Statistical analyses, including correlations, paired t-tests, ANOVA, and Backward Multiple Linear Regression, were employed to examine the relationships and differences among variables. Results: The findings indicate varying levels of medication adherence among participants, with a significant proportion exhibiting medium adherence (47.1%) and highlighting the need for interventions to address challenges in medication adherence among the elderly population. Notably, gender emerged as a significant factor influencing quality of life, with males reporting higher satisfaction across all domains compared to females. Medication adherence exhibited a significant correlation with the social relationships domain (DOM3) of the WHOQOL-BREF, underlining the importance of adherence in fostering positive social interactions. Conclusion: Our study revealed a significant association between medication adherence (MMAS- 8) and the quality of life (WHOQOL-BREF) among elderly patients. We also observed noteworthy gender differences in quality-of-life perceptions. It emphasizes the need for tailored interventions that consider medication adherence issues to enhance the overall quality of life among this vulnerable population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Link worker social prescribing programs are gaining recognition in Australia for addressing health and social needs outside routine medical care. The evaluation of these programs is essential for informing future social prescribing programs, research and evolving policy. However, diverse outcome evaluation measures present challenges for benchmarking across link worker social prescribing programs. An integrative review was conducted to identify and describe outcome domains and measures, and the methodological approaches and evaluation designs of link worker social prescribing programs in Australia. Comprehensive searches of the literature on link worker social prescribing programs in Australia were conducted across 14 electronic databases. In order to reduce the risk of bias, study selection and data extraction were conducted independently by multiple authors, and included studies underwent quality and risk of bias assessment using the standardised Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. Six studies met the inclusion criteria. Outcome domains were categorised into 'person-level', 'system-level' and 'program implementation' domains. Despite the variation in participant groups, the 'person-level' domains of global well-being and social well-being were consistently evaluated. While measurement tools varied significantly, the WHO Quality of Life Brief Assessment and short-form UCLA Loneliness Scale were most commonly applied. At the system level, health service utilisation was primarily evaluated. This integrative review reports on the current state of evidence in Australia, with the potential to track changes and trends over time. Developing a core outcome set, incorporating stakeholder and consumer contributions for benchmarking aligned with the healthcare landscape is recommended. The findings may guide the refining of social prescribing initiatives and future research, ensuring methodological robustness and alignment with individual and community needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is an important and frequently used patient-reported outcome in health research. However, little qualitative research exists in this field in South Africa. This study was set in Khayelitsha, one of the largest informal settlements in South Africa, where the burden of HIV and tuberculosis (TB) co-infection are amongst the highest in the world and significantly affect HRQOL. Objective: To explore the experience of HRQOL among patients living with HIV-associated TB. Methods: We conducted sixteen interviews with male (n = 10) and female (n = 6) adult participants (ages 24–56; median age 35) to explore their HRQOL living with HIV-associated TB, related treatment and how this impacted on life domains they considered relevant for HRQOL. We used thematic analysis to analyse data, using both an inductive and deductive analysis using an interpretive phenomenological approach (IPA). Results: Experiences of HRQOL were identified along the predominantly emerging themes of physical, social, and mental aspects of HRQOL. Identified sub-themes included well-being, loss of strength, and self-care for the physical domain; usual activities and stigma for the social domain; concerns and coping for the mental domain. The findings illustrate that HRQOL domains are interconnected through social experience. The social experience of HRQOL was identified as the common denominator connecting all domains, around which HRQOL revolved for these participants. Conclusion: HRQOL is experienced socially. The interpersonal connections patients have with significant others present as key to high HRQOL among patients living with HIV-associated TB. This study adds to the existing literature of HRQOL and examines HRQOL using IPA which may help to inform future interventions to improve HRQOL among HIV/TB patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Providing care and support for a person with intellectual disabilities can be challenging and may negatively impact on family carers' health and wellbeing. A online support programme was co-designed with charitable organisations and family carers, to help meet the mental health and wellbeing needs of family carers. Objective: To test the acceptability of a newly developed online support programme for carers of people with profound and multiple intellectual disabilities. Methods: A sequential mixed-methods explanatory design was utilised. An adapted version of the Acceptability of Health Apps among Adolescents Scale was distributed to family carers across the United Kingdom and Ireland who had viewed the Carers-ID.com intervention. Participants were then invited to take part in an online interview. Qualitative and quantitative data were analysed separately and then brought together through the triangulation protocol. Results: Seventy family carers (47 female, 23 male) responded to the acceptability survey, with 10 (7 female, 3 male) taking part in interviews. Carers expressed high levels of programme acceptability (mean = 75.43 out of 88). Six themes were generated from interviews with family carers; i) time is precious, ii) the breadth and depth of module content, iii) it was somebody's experience; it was meaningful, iv) won't work for everyone, v) representation: people I could identify with, and vi) module specific suggestions for future changes. Based on our triangulation, four areas of convergence were identified: programme usability and ease, attitudes towards the programme, perceptions of effectiveness, and programme relatability. Conclusions: To be acceptable, online interventions for carers of people with intellectual disability need to be accessible, understandable and easy to use, as carers' free time can be limited. It would be important to investigate the effectiveness of online interventions for family carers, specifically considering which carers the intervention works for, and for whom it may not. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The worldwide population over 60 years of age is increasing. Thus, older adults should maintain interest and participate in social and family activities to help preserve their independence and promote their well-being. Well-being is a part of human health in its most general sense which manifests itself in all areas of human activity. Leisure activities such as listening to an audiobook may provide enjoyment and promote relaxation in older people and help improve the well-being of older adults. Objective: This study aims to investigate the impact of an audiobook mobile application on the well-being perception of older adults and to evaluate the usability of a mobile application specifically designed for this population. Methods: This protocol is a quasi-experimental study that will be conducted with 60 older adults who will use an audiobook mobile application for 4 weeks. Participants will be evaluated pre and post intervention through validated questionnaires on digital competences, usability, and perception of well-being. Results: A positive impact on the perception of well-being is expected in older adults who listen to poems through an audiobook mobile application. Conclusions: This study will allow us to know the impact on the perception of the older adult's well-being and stimulate other groups to do research on other populations and literary genres. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier—NCT05891925 (An Audiobook-based Intervention on Community-dwelling Older Adults in Concepción, Chile). URL—https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05891925. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adolescence and emerging adulthood are two life stages marked by notable cognitive and socioemotional changes. During both periods, friendships play an increasingly significant role and can significantly impact individuals positively or negatively. Despite the evolving nature of these relationships, parents remain crucial to the development of both adolescents and emerging adults, playing a key role in their well-being. This study aimed to investigate the mediating role of attachment to friends in the relationship between parental attachment and the well-being of Chilean adolescents and emerging adults. In a cross-sectional correlational study, 363 adolescents (48.2% female) aged 14 to 17 years (M = 15.33, SD = 0.95) and 199 emerging adults (67.8% female) aged 18 to 29 years (M = 22.42, SD = 2.53) completed the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment and the Pemberton Happiness Index Scale to assess general, eudaimonic, hedonic, and social well-being. Results of path analyses indicated that, for both adolescents and emerging adults, a more secure attachment to parents was directly associated with higher scores in all well-being dimensions. Additionally, more secure parental attachment was indirectly associated with better eudaimonic and social well-being through a more secure attachment to friends. These findings suggest that enhancing parental attachment could be a valuable focus in clinical interventions aimed at improving overall well-being in adolescents and emerging adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nature and composition of well-being has been the subject of ongoing debate in the field of positive psychology. Recent discussions identify Seligman's PERMA dimensions as concrete pathways to achieve subjective well-being, rather than a distinct type of well-being. Four additional "building blocks" have been categorized to define positive functioning at work (PERMA+4). The present study adds another level of inquiry, by newly examining the relationships of character strengths and a general factor or character with PERMA+4 and life satisfaction in a large international sample of 5,487 employees. We found that 21 of the 24 character strengths were significantly (yet only slightly) more strongly correlated with PERMA+4 than with life satisfaction, and that PERMA+4 was consistently related to life satisfaction. The happiness strengths (hope, gratitude, zest, curiosity and love) and the general factor of character were also directly and indirectly related to life satisfaction. Taken together, these results suggest that the PERMA+4 dimensions may help bridge the gap between strengths and well-being, explaining how individuals with good character are also those who report higher life satisfaction. Future longitudinal studies should build on the present findings and examine whether character strengths can act as the "building blocks of the building blocks" of life satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Burnout among healthcare workers is a global concern with significant implications for both the well-being of the workforce and the quality of patient care. This facility-based cross-sectional study aimed to identify factors associated with burnout among healthcare workers in central Uganda. Methods: The study, conducted between June and July 2023, utilized a cross-sectional design involving physicians, nurses, and technicians. The study covered both public and private hospitals in central Uganda, incorporating urban and rural settings. A sample size of 550 healthcare workers was selected using a simple random sampling. Data collection involved a socio-demographic survey, the Professional Quality of Life (ProQOL-5). Descriptive statistics, Pearson Chi-square test, and ordinal regression models were employed to analyze demographic factors associated with burnout. Results: Of 548 participants, 218(39.8%) experienced high burnout levels. Factors significantly associated with high burnout levels included having over 10 years of work experience (OR: 2.04, 95% CI: 1.12–3.73), working more than 40 hours per week (AOR: 4.46, 95% CI: 1.20–16.62), lack of management support (AOR: 14.45, 95% CI: 3.83–54.56), not experiencing workplace violence (AOR: 2.22, 95% CI: 1.31–3.76), and reporting inadequate sleep (AOR: 6.96, 95% CI: 3.86–12.57). Conclusion: Addressing burnout among healthcare workers in central Uganda requires targeted interventions tailored to the specific challenges faced in the region, including workload distribution, managerial support enhancement, violence prevention strategies, and promotion of adequate sleep. Urgent attention to these factors is essential for enhancing the well-being of healthcare professionals and maintaining quality patient care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The well-being of people working and studying in higher education, including students, staff, and faculty, is a topic of increasing concern. The lack of well-being may be attributed to the current academic context, which does not consistently provide cues that affirm social inclusion to all members of the academic population. This study examines the role of kindness (defined as actions that affirm dignity and social inclusion) in promoting identification with community and well-being in higher education utilizing a cross-sectional study of 182 diverse members of higher education. To assess the extent that kindness relates to the acquisition of institutional identity, well-being, and stress, we developed and validated two novel psychometric rating scales for kindness: Kindness Received (α = 0.927, ώ =.921) and Kindness Given (α =.859, ώ =.860). Initial analysis showed that receiving kindness was significantly associated with increased well-being, reduced stress, and improved institutional identity. Giving kindness was significantly associated with decreased stress reduction and decreased institutional identity. Results from structural equation modeling shows that institutional identity mediates the relationship between receiving kindness and well-being. Qualitative analysis of micronarratives regarding kindness showed that feeling safe and being acknowledged are the most commonly described experiences of kindness, both acts that affirm dignity. The findings from this study suggests that kindness contributes towards improving diverse people's well-being and increased identification with institutions of higher education. Measurement of kindness provides methods for assessing institutional changes that foster greater positivity and inclusion in higher education settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clarifying the relationship between economic development and human well-being is conducive to promoting high-quality economic development. This study focused on 16 prefecture-level cities in the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau region. The critic weighting method assessed the 2007–2018 human well-being index (HWI). The Tapio decoupling model allowed the study of the human well-being decoupling state. Finally, the drivers of decoupling between economic development and human well-being were analyzed using the Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index method. The results indicated that (1) almost all cities in the study region had an upward 2007–2018 HWI trend, but there were significant differences in growth magnitude and change trend. (2) Economic development and human well-being in the study region in 2007–2018 had expansion negative decoupling, thus, human well-being increased with economic growth, but not as fast as gross domestic product. 9 cities in 2007 showed weak decoupling, expansion connection, and expansion negative decoupling, increasing to 13 cities by 2018, indicating that human well-being development gradually improved from 2007 to 2018. (3) For most cities, the economic scale effect was the most influential factor in the decoupling of economic development and human well-being. Therefore, this study provided policy recommendations for decoupling economic development and human well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both scientists and laypeople have become increasingly concerned about smartphones, especially their associated digital media (e.g., email, news, gaming, and dating apps) and social media (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat). Recent correlational research links substantial declines in Gen Z well-being to digital and social media use, yet other work suggests the effects are small and unnoteworthy. To help further disentangle correlation from causation, we conducted a preregistered 8-day experimental deprivation study with Gen Z individuals (N = 338). Participants were randomly assigned to one of four conditions: (1) restrict digital media (i.e., smartphone) use, (2) restrict social media use, (3) restrict water use (active control), or (4) restrict nothing (measurement-only control). Relative to controls, participants restricting digital media reported a variety of benefits, including higher life satisfaction, mindfulness, autonomy, competence, and self-esteem, and reduced loneliness and stress. In contrast, those assigned to restrict social media reported relatively few benefits (increased mindfulness) and even some potential costs (increased negative emotion). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the rise of digital technology and its assumed impact on psychological well-being, this scoping review systematically examines the literature on Fear of Missing Out (FoMO), which is assumed to play a pivotal role in this dynamic. Although adverse effects of FoMO are commonly assumed, there is still no consensus on the nature of the phenomenon or its relations with psychological well-being and digital technology use, making a scoping review essential. To address this need, we comprehensively assess the conceptualizations of the construct of FoMO and its roles in relation to well-being and digital technology use. We conducted a literature search in PubMed, Ebsco/APA PsycINFO, and Web of Science (period 2013 to July 7, 2023), screening 4121 articles at the title and abstract level and assessing 342 full-text articles for eligibility, ultimately including 106 articles. The review revealed a fragmented FoMO literature, emphasizing the need for conceptual clarity to address critical gaps and inconsistencies in existing research. Consensus exists on FoMO's essence—an unpleasant feeling arising from missed social experiences driven by activity comparison. However, debates include FoMO's associated affective states and conceptual boundaries, as well as the need to disentangle FoMO as a trait or state. The review also underscored FoMO's multifaceted roles in well-being and digital technology use, highlighting the need for causal research, theoretical guidance, and unified terminology to advance understanding in the FoMO literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Job crafting is the behavior that employees engage in to create personally better fitting work environments, for example, by increasing challenging job demands. To better understand the driving forces behind employees' engagement in job crafting, we investigated implicit and explicit power motives. While implicit motives tend to operate at the unconscious, explicit motives operate at the unconscious level. We focused on power motives, as power is an agentic motive characterized by the need to influence your environment. Although power is relevant to job crafting in its entirety, in this study, we link it to increasing challenging job demands due to its relevance to job control, which falls under the umbrella of power. Using a cross-sectional design, we collected survey data from a sample of Lebanese nurses (N = 360) working in 18 different hospitals across the country. In both implicit and explicit power motive measures, we focused on integrative power that enable people to stay calm and integrate opposition. The results showed that explicit power predicted job crafting (H1) and that implicit power amplified this effect (H2). Furthermore, job crafting mediated the relationship between congruently high power motives and positive work-related outcomes (H3) that were interrelated (H4). Our findings unravel the driving forces behind one of the most important dimensions of job crafting and extend the benefits of motive congruence to work-related outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the largest developing country, China has accumulated enormous material wealth since its reform and opening-up policy. How to effectively evaluate the level of well-being in China has become a meaningful research endeavor. Using the entropy method, Dagum Gini coefficient and Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index (LMDI) decomposition methods, the study examines the spatial and temporal distribution characteristics, spatial differences and driving effects of provincial well-being levels from 2007 to 2020. The results of this study suggest that the level of well-being as a whole, as well as in the eastern, central and western regions increased significantly over the period, with an "east-to-west decreasing" distribution in China. In terms of the pattern of inter-provincial distribution, although the level of well-being in the central and western regions has improved at a faster rate, most provinces in the eastern region have always been among the leading teams on the path of livelihood development. There is still enormous room for improvement in the level of well-being in the central and western provinces. The overall differences in the development of well-being in China, as well as intra-regional and inter-regional differences among the three major regions, showed a narrowing trend. Intra-regional differences in the development of well-being are greatest in the western region, and inter-regional differences in the development of well-being are greatest in the eastern and western regions. Inter-regional differences are the main reason for the spatial differences in well-being among China's provinces. The combination of economic, social, ecological and technological effects has led to a gradual increase in the level of well-being over the sample period. Among them, economic, social and technological effects have a clear positive driving effect on the increase of well-being levels, while ecological effect have a certain negative driving influence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Belonging is closely associated with well-being, yet individuals with experiences of being unhoused are likely to experience social exclusion and challenges with developing a sense of belonging. Engagement in meaningful activity has been linked to belonging; however, there are no focused studies exploring experiences of how engaging in meaningful activities influences belonging. Meaningful activities are things we do that bring value to our lives. Purpose: To explore how engaging in meaningful activities may influence experiences of belonging following homelessness through a secondary analysis of qualitative interviews. Method: Using interviews conducted in a community-based participatory action study exploring the transition to housing following homelessness (n = 19), we conducted a thematic analysis using the method described by Braun and Clarke. Participants were recruited through communication with local organizations supporting individuals with lived and living experiences of being unhoused as well as through presentations at drop-in organizations. An intentional effort was made to recruit diverse participants regarding housing status, age, and gender. Inductive analysis was used to conduct initial coding, focusing on belonging and engaging in meaningful activities. We then analyzed the codes abductively, using Bourdieu's Social Capital Theory to inform this analysis. Findings: The overarching essence generated in our analysis was: "I don't feel like I belong...everything in the world is not for me...it's for people with...enough money to...enjoy those things". Within this overall essence, we generated three themes: 1) Human connection: "being where I am with people who care about me, I actually feel good"; 2) Social exclusion: being a "regular member of society"; and 3) Non-human connection: "my cats...are like my kids to me." Participants described numerous contextual factors that challenged them as they sought belonging following homelessness, including financial limitations and other societal factors. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that meaningful activity was an important pathway to belonging for participants in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The capacity of higher education students to comprehend and act on health information is a pivotal factor in attaining favourable health outcomes and well-being. Assessing the health literacy of these students is essential in order to develop targeted interventions and provide informed health support. The aim of this study was to identify the level of health literacy and to analyse its relationship with determinants such as socio-demographic variables, chronic disease, perceived health status, and perceived availability of money for expenses among higher education students in the Alentejo region of southern Portugal. Methodology: An observational, descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted between 22 June and 12 September 2023. An online structured questionnaire consisting of the Portuguese version of the European Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire—16 items (HLS-EU-PT-Q16), including socio-demographic data, presence of chronic diseases, perceived health status, and availability of money for expenses. Data were analysed using independent samples t-test, one-way ANOVA, post-hoc Gabriel's test, and multivariate logistic regression analyses at a significance level of 0.05. Regression models were used to investigate the relationship between health literacy and various determinants. The study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of the University of Évora, and all participants gave written informed consent. Results: Analysis of the HLS-EU-PT-Q16 showed that 82.3% of the 1228 students sampled had limited health literacy. The mean health literacy score was 19.3 ± 12.8 on a scale of 0 to 50, with subscores of 19.4 ± 13.9 for health care, 19.1 ± 13.1 for disease prevention, and 19.0 ± 13.7 for health promotion. Significant associations were found between health literacy and several determinants. Higher health literacy was associated with the absence of chronic diseases. Regression analysis showed that lower health literacy was associated with not attending health-related courses, not living with a health professional, perceiving limited availability of money for expenses, and having an unsatisfactory health status. Conclusion: This study improves the understanding of health literacy levels among higher education students in Alentejo, Portugal, and identifies key determinants. Higher education students in this region had relatively low levels of health literacy, which may have a negative impact on their health outcomes. These findings highlight the need for interventions to improve health literacy among higher education students and to address the specific needs of high-risk subgroups in the Alentejo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Gastro-oesophageal reflux (GOR) affects nearly half of infants. Parents play a crucial role in management but more understanding of their attitudes and experiences is needed to inform future education, support and research. This study aims to explore parental experiences, attitudes and understanding of the symptoms, diagnosis and management of infant GOR. Methods: Qualitative semi-structured interviews with 9 parents of infants with GOR in the UK, analysed by thematic analysis. Results: 8 participants were mothers and median age was 34 years. Over half identified as White ethnicity. Parents described that GOR can affect all aspects of life, including mental wellbeing and bonding with their baby. Medications are time-consuming to prepare and can cause challenging side effects such as constipation. It is crucial that health professionals manage parental expectations in that treatments are not curative and symptoms do not last forever. Attitudes about healthcare professionals varied: some were perceived as dismissive, whilst some showed understanding. There were differences depending on whether the child was a first or second born child, with more understanding shown where the child was not the parents' first born. Parents felt more education could be beneficial for parents and clinicians. Conclusions: Infant GOR can affect infants and parents in a variety of ways, impacting both physical and mental health. Parents play a vital role in the management of infant reflux, but there is lack of consistency of information and levels of knowledge among healthcare professionals vary. More education could be beneficial, and further research is needed into health professionals' perceptions and fathers' experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and purpose: The public health workforce faces a wide range of challenges related to people's health. Thus, they need a combination of different professional skills and competencies to perform essential public health operations and provide services to people. The present study was conducted to determine the competencies needed for the public health workforce to implement health transformation plan programs at Ahvaz University of Medical Sciences in the capital of Khuzestan province in Iran. Methods: This research was a descriptive cross-sectional study that was conducted in 2020 among 51 managers and experts of the health deputy and faculty members of the public health school. STROBE guideline was used for the present study. The research tools were two researcher-made questionnaires based on the chain of Programs, Operations, and Competencies (POC). Additionally, the validity and reliability of the questionnaires were checked. Cronbach's alpha coefficient was equal to 0.87 for the first questionnaire (programs-operations) and 0.85 for the second questionnaire (operations-competencies). Results: The operations of surveillance of population health and well-being, monitoring and responding to health hazards and emergencies, and disease prevention, including early detection of illness, obtained the highest mean total score (3.9 (95% CI: 3.6 to 4.2)). Respect for and adherence to ethical principles and confidentiality in any professional activity obtained the highest mean total score (4.0 (95% CI: 3.7 to 4.3)) among the needed competencies. Conclusion: To properly implement public health programs, managers must plan and take necessary measures to improve such operations as surveillance of population health and well-being, monitoring and responding to health hazards and emergencies, disease prevention (including early detection of illness), and promotion of the workforce competencies in the field of respect for and adherence to ethical principles and confidentiality in any professional activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the association between migration and deteriorated refugee mental health is well-documented, existing research overwhelmingly centers on adult populations, leaving a discernible gap in our understanding of the factors influencing mental health for forcibly displaced children. This focus is particularly noteworthy considering the estimated 43.3 million children who are forcibly displaced globally. Little is known regarding the association between family processes, parental and child wellbeing for this population. This study addresses these gaps by examining the relationship between parental mental health and child mental health among refugees experiencing transmigration. We conducted in-person structured survey interviews with 120 parent-adolescent dyads living in the Trichy refugee camp in Tamil Nadu, India. Descriptive, multivariate analysis (hierarchical regression), and Machine Learning Algorithm (XGBOOST) were conducted to determine the best predictors and their importance for child depressive symptoms. The results confirm parental mental health and child behavioral and emotional factors are significant predictors of child depressive symptoms. While our linear model did not reveal a statistically significant association between child mental health and family functioning, results from XGBOOST highlight the substantial importance of family functioning in contributing to child depressive symptoms. The study's findings amplify the critical need for mental health resources for both parents and children, as well as parenting interventions inside refugee camps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recipient financial need is a crucial factor in donation decisions. This study proposes a novel model for determining financial donations, incorporating consumption levels of both donor and recipient within a societal context. Solving our model's utility maximization problem reveals how consumption, donation, and savings are interlinked. Empirical evidence reinforces these findings, aligning with prior research and showing that larger consumption gaps between donors and recipients lead to increased donations. Our findings point towards an inherent altruistic motivation in donation, where elevating the recipient's well-being ultimately enhances the donor's own utility. This reinforces the notion that consideration of the recipient's financial hardship, as reflected by their consumption patterns, is crucial when making donation decisions. Shifting beyond traditional models, this study introduces a groundbreaking approach to financial donations. Our novel model factors in consumption levels of both the donor and recipient, along with the broader societal context, using utility maximization to unravel the intertwined decisions of consumption, donation, and savings. Real-world data validates our model, confirming known donation factors and revealing a key finding: larger disparities in consumption lead to increased giving, suggesting an altruistic drive where helping others boosts personal satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to address and improve the low physical activity levels among people with mild dementia by implementing a novel shared decision-making and motivational support program, named "Changing the Focus". It will utilise a pre-post mixed methods approach, aiming to recruit 60 community living older people with mild dementia and their care-partners. The shared decision-making process will involve the person living with dementia, their care-partner, and a research therapist, using a purpose-designed discussion tool including factors such as preferred physical activities, health status, local opportunities and program accessibility. This process aims to identify personalised local physical activity opportunities. Participants will be supported with the help of a research therapist to engage in targeted community-based physical activities for 12-months, to progress towards the recommended physical activity guidelines of 150 minutes per week. The intervention provided by the research therapist will include three home visits (baseline, 6- and 12-months) and seven motivational support phone calls (within the first six months). Research therapists may provide additional home visits and support calls as needed. Primary outcomes include program participation (participants living with dementia continuing with the program after 12-months), total physical activity time per week (measured using the Active Australia Survey at baseline, 6- and 12- months) and program acceptability (assessed through semi-structured interviews with participants, care-partners, referrers, and physical activity providers). Secondary outcomes include physical performance, mental health, wellbeing measures, and impact on care-partners (evaluated through physical tests or validated scales at baseline, 6- and 12-months). Other implementation aspects include reach, maintenance, safety (falls, other adverse events) and an economic evaluation. Results will inform feasibility, potential benefits, and challenges associated with this innovative shared decision-making and supported physical activity program for people living with mild dementia. Findings will guide future large-scale studies and contribute to enhancing physical activity opportunities for this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human well-being and functioning depend on two fundamental mental states: Relaxation and sleepiness. Relaxation and sleepiness are both assumed to be states of low physiological arousal and negatively correlated. However, it is still unclear how consistent this negative relationship is across different settings and whether it changes before and after an intervention. Here we investigated this intricate relationship between subjective momentary sleepiness and relaxation states by meta-analytically analyzing several data sets from studies using the Relaxation State Questionnaire. We discovered that subjective sleepiness and relaxation were in fact anti-correlated pre-intervention. This anti-correlation provides a quantitative dissociation between sleepiness and relaxation. Thus, even though sleepiness and relaxation both implicate a low arousal level, the two mental states are subjectively experienced in a qualitatively different fashion, and thus reflect distinct underlying constructs. For the post-intervention relationship, this negative correlation could not be consistently found. This indicates that there are aspects of the experimental setting or intervention that introduce changes in the dynamics of the relationship of the two constructs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper uses cluster analysis to explore the results of the 2016 National Financial Well-Being survey. Our analysis identifies four groups, two of which have very similar levels of financial well-being but markedly different objective financial situations. These findings indicate there is a systematic bias between financial well-being and objective financial situation. Although it is understood that these two constructs do not evaluate exactly the same thing, the difference in objective financial situation between the two groups suggests that, for large subsets of the American population, these constructs may be more different than the existing literature seems to suggest. This underscores the importance of considering both objective and subjective measures when assessing an individual's overall financial situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Routine health check-ups may improve adolescent health, but global guidelines are lacking. Phase 1 of the WHO-coordinated Y-Check Research Programme involved three African cities to co-produce a programme of adolescent health check-ups. We describe a systematic approach to developing a routine adolescent health check-ups and wellbeing programme (Y-Check) to contribute evidence on whether adolescent health check-ups should be part of routine health services in Ghana. Methods: Y-Check Phase 1 was conducted in four communities in Cape Coast Ghana, over two stages using a variety of methods: (a) needs assessment and landscape analysis on the health of adolescents (existing policies/programmes, school system, adolescent health conditions) was conducted through desk-review and interviews with key informants to identify the potential content, delivery strategy and settings for adolescent health check-ups in this context; (b) co-designing the Y-Check intervention framework through person-centred participatory workshops and a consensus-building workshop with multiple stakeholders, including adolescents (10–19 years) and their parents. The study was conducted between January 2020 and October 2020. Results: The Y-Check intervention consists of two check-ups with content that is tailored to the needs of younger adolescents and older adolescents; delivered at both school and community settings by a team of trained staff in multiple steps involving up to four stations. Y-Check includes a referral system for adolescents with any problems that cannot be investigated or treated on-the-spot. Conclusions: Our systematic approach to co-producing Y-Check has resulted in an intervention whose content and structure is determined by the local context, and which was adjudged by multiple stakeholders to be likely to be both useful and acceptable, and which builds on best practice. As a logical next step, the Y-Check will be subjected to pilot testing and implementation research to rigorously evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, coverage, yield of previously undiagnosed conditions and cost of these health check-ups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The widespread problem of burnout among healthcare workers is not only common but also a significant concern that impacts the entire healthcare system in Uganda. It is essential to understand the connection between burnout and quality of life among healthcare workers in the specific context of central Uganda, where healthcare professionals face high patient volumes, limited resources, exposure to infectious diseases, and socioeconomic challenges. This study examined the relationship between burnout and quality of life among healthcare workers in central Uganda. Methods: This research utilized a cross-sectional study conducted across various healthcare settings in central Uganda. The data were analyzed at descriptive, bivariate, and multivariate levels. The relationship between dependent and independent variables was evaluated using an independent t-test for binary variables and a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) for categorical variables. Significance was determined with a reported p-value, with relationships deemed significant at p < 0.2. For multivariable analysis, multiple linear regression was employed using a forward selection method, with significance set at 5% (p < 0.05). Results: Our findings indicate that nearly 40% of healthcare workers reported experiencing high levels of burnout. The average score for overall quality of life was 10.71 (±4.89), with variations observed across different domains. The study reveals a significant connection between socio-demographic factors, burnout, and overall quality of life, emphasizing the impact of job category, supervisory support, sleep quality, and burnout on the well-being of healthcare workers. Predictive analysis illustrates how these factors influence both overall quality of life scores and scores in specific domains. Particularly noteworthy is that nurses and technicians tend to have a lower quality of life compared to physicians. Conclusion: The results underscore the relationship between socio-demographic factors, burnout, and particular aspects of quality of life. Notably, job category, supervisory support, sleep quality, and burnout stand out as significant factors shaping the well-being of healthcare workers. Nurses and technicians encounter distinct challenges, suggesting the need for interventions tailored to their needs. Addressing issues such as inadequate supervisory support, burnout, and sleep-related problems is recognized as a potential approach to improving the overall quality of life among healthcare workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on the extent to which people believe that people can change (incremental beliefs) suggests that incrementalist beliefs are positively related to well-being, whereas entity beliefs (people cannot change) are not. One explanation for this relationship is that incremental beliefs are associated with a mastery orientation, whereas entity beliefs are not. If this is the case, then autonomous and competence motives should mediate relationships between incrementalism and well-being because these motives reflect different aspects of mastery. The present study examined the possibility that autonomous and competence motives mediate relationships between self-theories and well-being. Participants were adult community members (n = 428) who completed the Life Engagement Test (eudaimonic well-being), the Satisfaction with life Scale (hedonic well-being), the Mental Health Continuum Scale (eudaimonic, subjective, and psychological well-being), the Basic Needs Satisfaction scale (autonomy, competence, relatedness), and a measure of implicit theories of the self (incremental and entity beliefs). Regression analyses found that incremental beliefs were significantly related (positively) to all three measures of well-being, whereas entity beliefs were not significantly related to well-being. Regression analyses also found that incremental beliefs were positively related to satisfaction of autonomy and competence needs but were not related to satisfaction of relatedness needs. Entity beliefs were not related to the satisfaction of any of the three basic needs. A series of mediational analyses found that competence and autonomy motives mediated relationships between incremental beliefs and all three measures of well-being. In all but one case, satisfaction with life, the direct effects of incremental beliefs on well-being were rendered non-significant when satisfaction of autonomy and competence needs were included as mediators. The present results confirm and extend to the general domain the supposition that a mastery orientation is responsible for relationships between well-being and incremental theories of the self. They also conform the importance of the tenants of Self-Determination Theory in understanding self-theories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Former UK military personnel who were previously deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan in combat roles have exhibited elevated levels of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) compared to other groups. The present qualitative analyses used semi-structured interviews and a framework analysis to compare the experiences of symptomatic (N=10) and asymptomatic (N=7) former Army and Royal Marine personnel who were exposed to combat. Participants were drawn from a large UK military health and wellbeing cohort study and were sampled based upon probable PTSD status using scores from the PTSD Checklist-Civilian Version (PCL-C). All symptomatic participants attributed the development of post-traumatic stress to deployment events, with one additionally ascribing symptoms to childhood events. Among the participants, post-traumatic stress was temporarily buffered, and held at bay, by the holding function of various military structures, including the military collective; cultural and ethical frameworks that helped to organise traumatic experiences; an operational necessity for psychological compartmentalisation and even the distraction of deployment itself. Leaving the military appeared to elicit a global rupture of these supports. As a result, the military-to-civilian transition led to an intensification of post-traumatic stress, including deployment-related memories, among the symptomatic participants. In contrast, asymptomatic participants tended to report continuity of their holding structures across the lifespan, especially across the military-to-civilian transition. The onset and maintenance of post-traumatic stress may thus be explained by an interplay between the capacity of holding structures and the magnitude of lifetime rupture. Overall, findings might provide an explanation for the widening discrepancies between those with enduring post-traumatic stress and those without and further research is required to determine the fit of our findings for other groups and contexts. This approach further illustrates the need to situate individual experiences of post-traumatic stress in wider structural, ecological, cultural and ethical contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In wild brown bears, likely factors triggering hibernation response to harsh environmental conditions are temperature, photoperiod, and food resources availability. In fact, constantly fed captive brown bears are described as skipping hibernation being active all year-round. Is the hibernation response so flexible and subordinate to contingencies, or else is an adaptation that, if dismissed, may negatively impact on bear well-being? This study investigates the potential hibernation response in captive brown bears under unvaried management conditions using an integrative approach simultaneously analyzing multiple animal-based variables together with environmental covariates. Data from a mid-latitude zoo revealed distinct behavioral, fecal glucocorticoids, and body condition score seasonal fluctuations, resembling natural hibernation cycles, despite constant food access. Environmental variables like photoperiod and visitor numbers significantly influenced activity levels. Bears exhibited behaviors indicative of hyperphagia and fall transition, such as appetitive feeding and denning behaviors. Hormonal analyses revealed high fecal cortisol metabolites levels during hyperphagia, suggesting physiological responses to seasonal changes. Findings underscore the importance of environmental cues and food availability in shaping zoo bear behavior and physiology. Considering that the hibernating vs. non-hibernating description might represent an oversimplification, management strategies should deal with captive bear potential need to freely express their adaptive predispositions by accommodating their natural behaviors, such as providing denning spots and adjusting diet composition as soon as typical hyperphagic and predenning behaviors emerge, ultimately enhancing their well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the importance of menstruation and the menstrual cycle to health, human rights, and sociocultural and economic wellbeing, the study of menstrual health suffers from a lack of funding, and research remains fractured across many disciplines. We sought to systematically review validated approaches to measure four aspects of changes to the menstrual cycle—bleeding, blood, pain, and perceptions—caused by any source and used within any field. We then evaluated the measure quality and utility for clinical trials of the identified instruments. We searched MEDLINE, Embase, and four instrument databases and included peer-reviewed articles published between 2006 and 2023 that reported on the development or validation of instruments assessing menstrual changes using quantitative or mixed-methods methodology. From a total of 8,490 articles, 8,316 were excluded, yielding 174 articles reporting on 94 instruments. Almost half of articles were from the United States or United Kingdom and over half of instruments were only in English, Spanish, French, or Portuguese. Most instruments measured bleeding parameters, uterine pain, or perceptions, but few assessed characteristics of blood. Nearly 60% of instruments were developed for populations with menstrual or gynecologic disorders or symptoms. Most instruments had fair or good measure quality or clinical trial utility; however, most instruments lacked evidence on responsiveness, question sensitivity and/or transferability, and only three instruments had good scores of both quality and utility. Although we took a novel, transdisciplinary approach, our systematic review found important gaps in the literature and instrument landscape, pointing towards a need to examine the menstrual cycle in a more comprehensive, inclusive, and standardized way. Our findings can inform the development of new or modified instruments, which—if used across the many fields that study menstrual health and within clinical trials—can contribute to a more systemic and holistic understanding of menstruation and the menstrual cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mental health in the UK had deteriorated compared with pre-pandemic trends. Existing studies on heterogenous wellbeing changes associated COVID-19 tend to segment population based on isolated socio-economic and demographic indicators, notably gender, income and ethnicity, while a more holistic and contextual understanding of such heterogeneity among the workforce seems lacking. This study addresses this gap by 1) combining UK time use surveys collected before and during COVID-19, 2) identifying latent lifestyles within three working mode groups (commuter, homeworker and hybrid worker) using latent class model, and 3) quantifying nuanced experiential wellbeing (ExWB) changes across workers of distinct lifestyles. The direction and magnitude of ExWB changes were not uniform across activity types, time of day, and lifestyles. The direction of ExWB change during the daytime activities window varied in accordance with lifestyle classifications. Specifically, ExWB decreased for all homeworkers but increased significantly for certain hybrid workers. Magnitude of ExWB change correlated strongly with lifestyle. To understand the significant heterogeneity in ExWB outcomes, a spatial-temporal conceptualisation of working flexibility is developed to explicate the strong yet complex correlations between wellbeing and lifestyles. The implications to post-pandemic "back-to-work" policies are 1) continued expansion of hybrid working optionality, 2) provide wider support for lifestyle adaptation and transitions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Women in the fisher communities in coastal regions of Bangladesh are engaged in a wide range of fishery activities. However, there is limited evidence available on the occupational hazards and risks experienced by them. Method: The study was conducted among fishing colonies in Cox's Bazar and Chattogram districts in Bangladesh. This was a cross-sectional study blending qualitative and quantitative approaches. The qualitative component comprised five focus group discussions to understand the occupational context, hazards, and risks faced by the fisherwomen, informing the questionnaire design for the subsequent survey. The quantitative survey involved a sample of 207 women from fisher communities, gathering socio-demographic information, occupational hazards, risks, and health and safety practices. Findings: The study found a high occurrence of occupational hazards, health risks and limited availability of preventive measures among the women in fisher communities. Occupational hazards include physical safety hazards such as slippery surfaces and fish cutting instruments, and physical hazards like prolonged sun exposure and noise. Chemical hazards like pesticides and saltwater, ergonomic hazards such as prolonged uncomfortable posture and heavy lifting, and biological hazards including inadequate sanitation facilities were prevalent. The study also identified the potential occupational risks, and the outcomes resulting from the hazards, including injuries (87.44%), musculoskeletal conditions (69.08%), skin diseases/conditions (56.52%), eye complaints (33.82%), severe respiratory distress (24.15%) and high incidence of self-reported communicable diseases. Most women (78.26%) did not use personal protective equipment, and the majority (93.72%) lacked a workplace first aid kit. Conclusion: The study revealed a high prevalence of occupational hazards and health risks, including injuries and diseases, among Bangladeshi women in fisher communities with insufficient safety measures. Collaboration among government, NGOs, development partners, fisheries stakeholders, and the community is imperative for targeted training, innovative procedures, ergonomic solutions, provision of protective equipment, and advocacy to enhance the well-being of these women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Warehousing and storage is an economically vital industry, with 1.2 million workers in 2020. The Fulfillment Center Intervention Study focuses on workers in fulfillment centers in the e-commerce segment of this industry. Fulfillment centers are a growing yet understudied work environment which provides a unique setting to further examine how working conditions and worker voice influence health. The Study involves a group-randomized controlled trial comparing participants in worksites randomized to launch the participatory intervention (Health and Well-Being Committees, or HaWCs) with participants working for the same firm in control sites. HaWCs serve as a new formal voice channel where a small group of frontline workers and supervisors solicit workers' concerns and ideas about safety (e.g., physical hazards), the psychosocial environment (e.g., how workers feel about their treatment at work), and work organization (e.g., workflow, training opportunities, scheduling) and then develop and implement improvement projects in response. The primary objectives of the study are to evaluate the efficacy of the HaWC intervention and its effect on mental health outcomes and changes in the conditions of work within fulfillment centers, and to conduct a process evaluation of key contextual factors that support effective intervention implementation and sustained engagement. To our knowledge, this will be the first trial of a participatory intervention within a fulfillment center setting. Anticipated challenges include competing demands and company initiatives that may limit management support and high turnover. Should the intervention be shown to be feasible, the outcomes from this study will inform future randomized controlled trials of participatory interventions. Trial registration: This trial is registered with the ClinicalTrials.gov registry (NCT05199415) and approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Protocol: 200800024). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Early-life medical and surgical interventions in babies born preterm and/or with surgical conditions influence later life health and educational outcomes. Obtaining long-term outcomes post-discharge to evaluate the impact of interventions is complex, expensive, and burdensome to families. Linkage of routinely collected data offers a feasible and cost-effective solution. The NeoWONDER research programme aims to describe the short and long-term health and educational outcomes for babies born preterm and/or with surgical conditions and evaluate the impact of neonatal care and interventions on later health and educational outcomes. Methods and analysis: We will include babies who received care in neonatal units in England and Wales, born between 2007–2020 with a gestational age below 32 weeks (approximately 100,000), and/or born between 2012–2020 (all gestations) with any of six surgical conditions: necrotising enterocolitis, Hirschsprung's disease, gastroschisis, oesophageal atresia, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, and posterior urethral valves (approximately 8,000). A detailed list of surgical condition codes is shown in S3 File. We will obtain long-term health and education outcomes through linkage of the National Neonatal Research Database, which contains routine data for all babies admitted to NHS neonatal units, to other existing health and educational datasets. For England, these are: Hospital Episode Statistics, the Office for National Statistics, Mental Health Services Dataset, Paediatric Intensive Care Audit Network, National Pupil Database; and for Wales, the Secure Anonymised Information Linkage databank. Analysis will be undertaken on de-identified linked datasets. Outcomes of interest for health include mortality, hospital admissions, diagnoses indicative of neurodisability and/or chronic illness, health care utilisation; and for education are attainment (using national curriculum assessments), school absence and special educational needs status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water, energy, and food insecurity are significant challenges that affect both economies and households, particularly in developing countries. These resources have an effect on households wellbeing, businesses, and all sectors of the economy, making them critical to ensuring household well-being, which is frequently measured by quintile welfare. As a result, there has been a significant increase in interest in securitizing these resources in order to mitigate their negative effects on household's wellbeing This study provides an empirical investigation of the determinants of water, energy, and food (WEF) security and the effect of water, energy, and food security on household well-being in Ghana. This study provides an empirical investigation of the determinants of water, energy, and food (WEF) security and the effect of water, energy, and food security on household well-being in Ghana. The study used a sample of 2,735 households from the Ghana Living Standard Survey (GLSS) Wave 7. We applied an instrumental variable probit, complementary log-log and ordered Probit estimation techniques for analysis. Empirical analysis reveals several important findings. Firstly, factors such as age, credit access, household location, employment status, and livestock ownership positively contribute to household water security, while remittances, water supply management, water bills, and water quantity have negative impacts. Secondly, age, marital status, household size, remittances, and livestock ownership significantly influence household energy security. Thirdly, marital status, household income, credit access, and household size are crucial determinants of household food security, with residence and region of household location exerting negative effects. Additionally, while water and energy security have a relatively lower impact on household well-being, food security emerges as a key driver in promoting household wellbeing. The study recommends that policymakers and stakeholders design and implement robust programs and interventions to sustain households' water, energy, and food supply. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tools screening depression and anxiety developed using the Western biomedical paradigm are still used with First Nations Peoples globally, despite calls for cross-cultural adaption. Recent work by this research team found that tools used to screen for depression and anxiety were inappropriate for use with Australian First Nations Peoples living in the Torres Strait and Northern Peninsula Area of Australia. The objective of this Delphi study, the second phase of a broader four-phase project, was to gain consensus from an expert mental health and/or social and emotional wellbeing (SEWB) panel to inform the development of an appropriate screening tool. This Delphi study took place between March and May 2023. Three sequential rounds of anonymous online surveys delivered using QualtricsTM were planned, although only two were needed to reach 75% consensus. The first round sought consensus on whether a new screening tool needed to be developed or whether existing tools could be used. The second round achieved consensus. Twenty-eight experts (47% response rate) participated across the two Delphi rounds. In the second round, 83% of these experts agreed or strongly agreed that a new screening tool, using the holistic First Nations concept of social and emotional wellbeing, be developed. Ninety-four percent of them agreed that it should take a Yarning approach. These findings enabled the development of a new SEWB screening tool that adopted a Yarning (narrative) approach designed for use in primary care and geriatric settings in the region. The new tool has four different Yarning areas: Community engagement and behaviour; Stress worries; Risk; and Feeling strong. Guidelines for tool use are integrated as well as Summary and Recommendation sections. At a macro-level this project responds to the need for new screening tools that are underpinned by First Nations worldviews. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rise of populism in many countries, including Germany, it is more important than ever to better understand the causes and consequences of populist support. Using two experiments within the context of a large panel survey, we study how support for the German right-wing populist party Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) is associated with subjective perceptions of personal and financial well-being. In both experiments, we rely on priming the identity of AfD supporters, once in a controlled manner and once in a natural setting. We document a causal relationship from AfD support to diminished well-being for new and marginal AfD supporters. Our findings challenge the prevailing assumption that causality moves unidirectionally, from life dissatisfaction to support for populist parties, and suggest that early interventions focusing on positive messages are particularly promising to win voters back into the mainstream. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research has indicated the suitability of behavioural activation (BA) as an intervention for reducing depression in older adults. However, little research has investigated the potential of BA to increase active engagement and well-being in older adults. The current pilot study sought to investigate the usefulness and acceptability of BA to promote well-being in a group of non-clinical older adults. Participants (N = 18) aged between 65 and 86 (M = 77.82, SD = 5.59) who were retired and living independently in the community were provided a 6-week BA program predominantly delivered online. Treatment retention, self-ratings, and participants' compliance to treatment principles indicate preliminary feasibility for the use of BA as an approach for increasing active engagement in older adult populations. Participants also provided feedback on their experiences with the program post-intervention via individual structured interviews. Thematic analysis of these data revealed that participants found the program to be beneficial in terms of increased self-awareness and social engagement, and provided several recommendations for improving acceptability of the program and workbook. The unexpected events relating to the first wave of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) led to necessary adaptations to delivery modalities, and provided the researchers with an opportunity to investigate the use of a structured well-being program on a high-risk population during a pandemic. Our findings support the proposition that BA is a suitable intervention for increasing engagement and well-being in older adults, provide insight into adapting programs for older adults, and suggest next steps for testing intervention efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Society asks individuals, such as front-line medical and emergency personnel or social media moderators, to help others under highly negative emotional circumstances, and those individuals need to regulate their emotions for their own well being. A well-studied form of emotion regulation is reappraisal, the use of cognitive processes used to reinterpret initial emotional responses to negative events. Distancing (pretending that a situation is distant in time or space) is well documented to be an effective form of emotion regulation, but it may not be applicable in social contexts where individuals must engage with distressing events to help others. Here, for the first time, we asked whether a novel reappraisal strategy focused on Social Good–imagining that an aversive event is also an opportunity to prevent harm to others–can be an effective form of reappraisal. In a pre-registered experiment, participants were randomly assigned to Distancing or Social Good conditions as they viewed neutral or highly aversive images and then reported their subjective emotional states with or without reappraisal. Both Distancing and Social Good reappraisals led to significantly less negative affect. Distancing yielded a stronger effect, but importantly, participants reported both Distancing and Social Good as equally easy to employ and both were effective across multiple demographic and personality characteristics, indicating the broad value of both as effective forms of reappraisal. Across both reappraisal conditions, effective reappraisal increased with age and positive affect. These findings indicate that Social Good is an effective reappraisal strategy and raise the possibility that it could be particularly valuable in contexts in which emotionally demanding tasks are completed on behalf of the good for other people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Skin neglected tropical diseases including leprosy and Buruli ulcer (BU)are a group of stigmatizing and disability-inducing conditions and these aspects of the diseases could lead to poor mental health. The study was designed to assess the burden of poor mental health and wellbeing among persons affected by leprosy or BU in Nigeria Methods: A community based cross-sectional study design was employed. The study involved persons affected by leprosy or BU. Ten local government areas with the highest number of notified leprosy or BU cases between 2014 and 2018 in southern Nigeria were purposively selected. Information were obtained using Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorders-7 (GAD-7), Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS) and OSLO Social Support Scale. Outcome measure was poor mental health/wellbeing and was determined by proportion of respondents who had depressive symptoms, anxiety disorder and poor mental wellbeing. Results: A total of 635 persons affected by leprosy or BU participated in the study. The mean age of respondents was 43.8±17.0 years and highest proportion, 22.2% were in age group, 40–49 years. Majority of respondents, 50.7% were males. A higher proportion of respondents, 89.9% had depressive symptoms, 79.4% had anxiety disorders and 66.1% had poor mental wellbeing. Majority, 57.2% had poor mental health/wellbeing. Among the respondents, there was a strong positive correlation between depression and anxiety scores, (r = 0.772, p<0.001). There was a weak negative correlation between depression score and WEMWBS score, (r = -0.457, p<0.001); anxiety score and WEMWBS score, (r = -0.483, p<0.001). Predictors of poor mental health/wellbeing included having no formal education, (AOR = 1.9, 95%CI: 1.1–3.3), being unemployed, (AOR = 3.4, 95%CI: 2.2–5.3), being affected by leprosy, (AOR = 0.2, 95%CI: 0.1–0.4) and having poor social support, (AOR = 6.6, 95%CI: 3.7–11.8). Conclusions: The burden of poor mental health/wellbeing among persons affected by leprosy or BU is very high. There is need to include mental health interventions in the management of persons affected with leprosy or BU. Equally important is finding a feasible, cost-effective and sustainable approach to delivering mental health care for persons affected with leprosy or BU at the community level. Improving educational status and social support of persons affected by leprosy or BU are essential. Engaging them in productive activities will be of essence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper demonstrates how artificial-intelligence language analysis can inform understanding of human–nature relationships and other social phenomena. We demonstrate three techniques by investigating relationships within the popular word2vec word embedding, which is trained on a sample from over 50,000 worldwide news sources. Our first technique investigates what theory-generated analogies are most similar to nature:people. The resource:user analogy is most similar, followed by the playground:child and gift:receiver analogies. Our second technique explores whether nature-related words are affiliated with words that denote race, class, or gender. Nature words tend slightly toward associations with femininity and wealth. Our third technique demonstrates how the relationship between nature and wellbeing compares to other concepts' relationships to wellbeing—e.g., spirituality–wellbeing, social relations–wellbeing. Nature is more semantically connected to wellbeing than money, social relations, and multiple other wellbeing correlates. Findings are consistent with previous social science and humanities research on human-nature relationships, but do not duplicate them exactly; our results thus offer insight into dominant trends and prevalence of associations. Our analysis also offers a model for using word embeddings to investigate a wide variety of topics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: It is well established that the actions and behaviour of dementia care workers are fundamental to the wellbeing of the people they care for. Not only do they deal with basic healthcare needs, but they also perform a vital psycho-social function by providing–through their regular presence–an underlying continuity for residents. This has been shown to improve well-being, particularly for those in the advanced stages of dementia. It has also been suggested that there are additional psycho-social benefits of such contact which can directly influence the need for anti-psychotic medication. However, unlike most other healthcare and medical settings, the specialised and often difficult interactions that dementia care workers handle every day have not yet been the subject of detailed micro-level analysis. This is particularly significant because much of the impact that care-workers have relates to the way in which they interact with the people they care for. Not having a clear understanding of how their interactions 'work' at the micro-level–particularly ones that are specific to dementia care settings, and that care workers report to be difficult or challenging–means that any training interventions that are developed may not resonate with their real-world experience, and ultimately run the risk of failing. This video-based observational study aims to provide a detailed micro-exploration of problematic and challenging interactions involving care-workers and people living with dementia. Setting and methods: The study is based in the UK and will involve up to 20 dementia care staff and 60 people living with dementia. Fieldwork will be conducted in 5 dementia care home and community-based dementia day care settings using naturalistic observational methods (primarily video-ethnography). Data will be analysed using Conversation Analysis (CA). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: People with Parkinson's (PwP) want access to timely, relevant, and specific exercise and physical activity (PA) information to enable them to manage their symptoms and maintain wellbeing and quality of life. Research that promotes exercise in this population group is limited. Little is also known about the clinical practice around PA promotion in this population, especially around the time of diagnosis. Objective: To explore the experiences, preferences, and priorities of PwP around exercise and PA promotion and assess their knowledge on these topics. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey for PwP in the United Kingdom was conducted from July to December 2021. Results: 430 participants started the survey and 405 completed it. Participants had a mean age of 65.1 (±9.2) and had been living with Parkinson's for a varying time (up to 2 years = 38%, up to 6 years = 39% and for 7 or more years = 23%). Most participants reported they had not received an education (68%; n = 276) or exercise intervention (54%; n = 217) as part of their routine management by the National Health Service (NHS) since diagnosis and had sought services privately. Knowledge of the overall benefits of exercise was good, however participants lacked specific knowledge on the impact of Parkinson's Disease (PD) on posture, falls and muscle strength. 90% of participants reported they would participate in an exercise and PA education interventions. Conclusions: PwP want exercise and PA education interventions that provide knowledge, skills and access to opportunities that enable participation. For the majority, these interventions have not been provided as part of their routine care pathway. To align with the priorities and preferences of PwP, interventions should be offered around the time of diagnosis, include content that is relevant and specific to how exercise and PA can mitigate symptoms of PD and should be delivered in person or online in a group setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Since the early 2000s, there have been marked trends in adolescent health and wellbeing indicators across Europe, North America and Australia. In particular, there have been substantial declines in youth drinking. We know little about how these trends are underpinned by co-occurring indicators within individuals. This paper aims to analyse change over time in how indicators cluster within individuals and differences in these patterns between five countries with different trends in youth drinking. Methods: We analysed four waves of repeat cross-sectional survey data from 15-year-olds in England (n = 5942), Italy (n = 5234), the Netherlands (n = 5408), Hungary (n = 5274), and Finland (n = 7446), which were included in the Health Behaviours in School-aged Children (HBSC) study between 2001/02 and 2013/14. We defined clusters of individuals using multigroup latent class analyses which accounts for change over time. The class indicators included health behaviours, attitudes, wellbeing and relationships. We modelled associations between class membership, sex, and family affluence over time. Results: We identified four classes in all countries: Overall unhealthy, Overall healthy, Moderately healthy and Substance abstainers with behaviour risk indicators. The proportion of adolescents in the Overall unhealthy class declined between 2001/02 and 2013/14 by between 22.8 percentage points (pp) in England and 3.2pp in Italy. The extent to which indicators of health and wellbeing changed as linked clusters differed across countries, but changes in alcohol consumption, smoking, drug use and sexual activity were typically concurrent. Adolescents with low family affluence were more likely to be in the Overall unhealthy class in all years. Conclusions: Improvements in indicators of adolescent health and well-being are due mainly to concurrent declines in drinking, smoking, sexual activity, and cannabis use, but these declines are not consistently associated with improvements in other domains. They have also not led to reductions in inequalities in indicators of health and well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate whether Heartfulness meditation practice, compared to Gratitude practice, leads to measurable changes in mental wellbeing among healthcare providers across the US. Method: Participants were randomly assigned to one of the following 6-week interventions: the trainer-guided virtual Heartfulness meditation program or the podcast-based self-guided gratitude practice group. The Professional Quality of Life Scale-5 (ProQOL-5) was used to determine Compassion Satisfaction (CS) and risk for Burnout (BO) and secondary traumatic stress (STS). The Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES) was used to assess vigor, dedication, and absorption at work. Outcomes were collected at baseline and the end of the study period. Qualitative questions regarding the experience of learning and practicing were also offered at the end of the six weeks. Results: The majority of participants were nurses (50%), followed by allied healthcare professionals (37%) and physicians (13%) (N = 83). There was a general trend towards increases in CS in the Heartfulness group compared to the gratitude group. However, this was not statistically significant. Strong evidence suggests there was a significant improvement in BO for the Heartfulness group between Week 0 and Week 6 (p = 0.002), as well as STS (p = 0.0004) and vigor (p = 0.0392). Qualitative data analysis revealed that the subjects in the Heartfulness arm reported improved sleep and decreased reactivity to stress. Subjects in the gratitude arm reported improved mood and favorable results using gratitude practices at home with family members. Conclusion: In our study, Heartfulness meditation practice was associated with a significant improvement in burnout and vigor at work, with a trend towards compassion satisfaction after six weeks compared with gratitude practices. Qualitative analysis indicates the benefits of both Heartfulness and Gratitude practices. Further randomized trials with a larger sample size are needed to explore these science-based practices for the wellbeing of healthcare workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To understand the experiences of informal carers and the impact of role and activity changes on their health and wellbeing. Methods: A systematic search of CINHAL, MEDLINE, Embase, APA PsycInfo, and Web of Science was conducted. Studies were eligible if they included informal stroke carers (≥18 years), used a qualitative methodology, explored the roles and valued activities of stroke carers, and were published in English. The 10-item Critical Appraisal Skills Programme checklist for qualitative studies was used to assess methodological quality. The results of the included studies were thematically synthesised. Results: A total of 36 qualitative studies were included and four overarching themes were identified: (1) Life adjustment; (2) Changing role and identity; (3) Changing activities: From meaningful to purposeful; and (4) Understanding and supporting carers. Conclusion: The sudden nature of stroke requires major readjustment in the carers life that has implications on their relationships, roles, and activities, subsequently impacting on their health and wellbeing. Health professionals and researchers should collaborate with stroke carers to identify their valued activities and implement realistic strategies to maintain these activities. Future interventions designed for carers should implement education about the importance of participating in valued activities and strategies to maintain these activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The productivity and well-being of honey bee colonies are greatly influenced by the nutrients present in the hives. A study was conducted to evaluate different supplemental feeds on honey bee productive performance during dearth periods. Thirty colonies were grouped into five (four treatment groups and one control group) and each group contained three sub-groups (2 weak, 2 strong, and 2 very strong). Control groups were not given any supplementation. Treatment diets were T1 (50% sugar syrup + 14% roasted barley powder (beso) + 36% roasted spiced pea powder (Shiro)), T2 (50% powder sugar + 14% white sorghum powder + 36% bakery yeast, T3 (50% powder sugar + 14% white sorghum powder + 36% skimmed milk powder), T4 (50% sugar syrup with infusion of stinging nettle and 1% kerefa + 50% white sorghum powder). Feed was given on the entrance sides. The performance of experimental colonies was measured every 21 days in two phases during the dry season (from 3_2_2021 to 27_4_2021) and the rainy season (from 28–7_2021 to 1_10_2021). Feed intake, space (cm2) of pollen, nectar, and honey in the comb were measured using a frame-sized transparent grid meter. The study revealed significant differences (p<0.0001) in all measured parameters among the various treatments. The diet provided by T4 showed the highest levels of crude protein (18.15%) and carbohydrates (92.15%), whereas the diet presented by T3 had the lowest crude protein content (6.66%) and the diet offered by T1 had the lowest carbohydrate content (61.91%). In general, colonies that received T4 showcased superior performance compared to others. They exhibited a feed intake of 98.3%, a nectar area of 54.3 cm2, a pollen area of 68.7 cm2, a honey area of 311.2 cm2, and a honey yield of 7 kg. Consequently, their net profit amounted to 51.54 USD. On the other hand, the colonies that received T1 had the lowest performance indicators. They demonstrated a feed intake of only 54.7%, a nectar area of 37.6 cm2, a pollen area of 48.8 cm2, a honey area of 254.3 cm2, a honey yield of 2.8 kg, and a net profit of 18.81 USD. The significance of this study was to enable the beekeepers in realizing the effects of feed supplements on the productivity and profitability of honeybee colonies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The aim of the How Farm Vets Cope project was to co-design, with farm veterinary surgeons, a set of web-based resources to help them and others deal with the different situations that they can face. As part of the wider project, participants were recruited for one-to-one semi-structured phone interviews. These interviews focused on elements of job satisfaction and how the participants coped during periods of poor mental wellbeing or with setbacks and failure. Methods: Transcripts of these interviews were analysed using both quantitative methods of sentiment analysis and text mining, including term frequency/inverse document frequency and rapid automated keyword extraction, and qualitative content analysis. The twin aims of the analysis were identifying the important themes discussed by the participants and comparing the results of the two methods to see what differences, if any, arose. Results: Analysis using the afinn and nrc sentiment lexicons identified emotional themes of anticipation and trust. Rapid automated keyword extraction highlighted issues around age of vets and support, whilst using term frequency/inverse document frequency allowed for individual themes, such as religion, not present across all responses, to be identified. Content analysis supported these findings, pinpointing examples of trust around relationships with farmers and more experienced vets, along with some examples of the difference good support networks can make, particularly to younger vets. Findings: This work has confirmed previous results in identifying the themes of trust, communication and support to be integral to the experience of practicing farm veterinary surgeons. Younger or less experienced vets recognised themselves as benefiting from further support and signposting, leading to a discussion around the preparation of veterinary students for entry into a farm animal vet practice. The two different approaches taken showed very good agreement in their results. The quantitative approaches can be scaled to allow a larger number of interviews to be utilised in studies whilst still allowing the important qualitative results to be identified [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foster care programs at animal shelters have emerged as an important tool for promoting animal welfare and supporting shelter life-saving efforts. Preliminary evidence suggests that foster caregiving may also be health-promoting for humans. The goals of this study were to investigate the experiences of foster caregivers at animal shelters based on measures of positive and negative affect, quality of life, and grief, and to describe human-animal attachment among foster populations. Between March 2022 and 2023, 131 foster caregivers from five shelters in the United States completed three online surveys before, during and after providing foster care to a shelter animal. Positive affect decreased significantly from baseline to post-foster (F = 5.71, p<0.01), particularly among dog caregivers (F = 6.17, p<0.01). Negative affect remained unchanged (F = 0.47, p = 0.63). Foster caregivers perceived their foster animal provided companionship, affection and emotional support, although dog foster caregivers reported significantly higher emotional (U = 313.50, p<0.01) and social/physical quality of life (t = 4.42, p<0.01) than cat foster caregivers. Caregivers reported low mean avoidant and anxious attachment, suggesting they were able to develop secure bonds with their foster animals. Retention of fosters was also strong, with 86% of caregivers reporting they were likely to provide foster care in the future. Our findings suggest that fostering at animal shelters may serve as a One Health intervention to offer companionship, affection and emotional support to human caregivers while promoting animal welfare. However, these benefits did not translate to improvements in caregiver mental wellbeing, so caution should be applied when considering foster caregiving as a potential mental health promotion tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: In this study, it is aimed to determine personal wellbeing and social participation levels across different physical disability types and levels of mobility. Methods: A sample of 85 individuals with physical disabilities, excluding those with mental disabilities were included. Sociodemographics, mobility of the participants, cause, duration of disability were recorded. Personal Wellbeing Index-Adult (PWI-A) scale was used for the assessment of wellbeing and Keele Assessment of Participation (KAP) for social participation. Results: Female, single, unemployed subjects and individuals with neurologic disability showed significantly higher median KAP-scores(p = 0.009, p = 0.050, p<0.001, p = 0.050, respectively).The median KAP-score of the independently mobile group was significantly lower compared to the other two groups (p = 0.001). The factors affecting KAP were determined as employment, mobility level and personal wellbeing (p = 0.002, p = 0.024, p = 0.050, respectively). Conclusion: Mobility level, employment and personal wellbeing are the determinants of social participation in people with disabilities. Neurological disability, female gender, being single, unemployment and mobility limitations are factors that reduce social participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]