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We provide a mixed-methods, comparative analysis of the development of the urban-rural electoral cleavage in Canada, Great Britain, and the United States from the early 20th century to the present. Using aggregate election results, electoral district boundary files, and electoral district population measures, we construct a new comparable dataset of district election results and urbanity for the lower house of the legislature in each country. We use this dataset to measure the importance of the urban-rural divide for election outcomes across countries and time. We find that the cleavage has widened over time in each country, each arrived at its current urban-rural divide via a distinct developmental trajectory, which we interpret with reference to secondary literature. We conclude by discussing the significance of our findings for theories of both the causes and consequences of urban-rural divides and discuss the implications of our work for the comparative study of urban-rural cleavages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research compares food insecurity for U.K. veterans and nonveterans using the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) 10-item Adult Food Security Survey Module (AFSSM) for a sample of 1,492 participants. We find 1 in 10 veterans are living in a food-insecure household but that veteran status is not related to food insecurity. In addition, income and housing benefits are correlated with food insecurity for veterans and for nonveterans, but disability benefits are correlated with food insecurity among veterans only. Specifically, veterans with disability benefits averaged 1.12 (95% confidence interval, [0.42, 1.82]) more points (indicating more food insecurity) on the AFFSM than veterans without those benefits. These findings raise concerns that low-income disabled veterans with housing needs are a unique population at risk of living in food insecurity. Given the absence of research on food insecurity among U.K. veterans, it is necessity to study this population in greater detail and implement screening protocols where possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In response to the increase in Routine Outcome Monitoring and Clinical Feedback, the Patient-Perceived Helpfulness of Measures Scale (ppHMS) was developed to assess the helpfulness—as perceived by patients—of using measures in psychological treatment. Study 1: The construct of patient-perceived helpfulness of measures was explored using thematic analysis with 15 patients. Six helpful and three unhelpful themes were identified and informed item development. Study 2: 28 items were formulated and rated by experts. Ten items were taken forward for psychometric shortening in a sample of 76 patients. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) led to an adequately fitting six-item model with excellent internal consistency, and convergence with the Delighted-Terrible single item of product satisfaction and a single item of measure helpfulness. Study 3: In a stratified online sample of 514 U.K. psychotherapy patients, a five-item model constituted the best fit. The final ppHMS had excellent internal consistency (McDonald's ω =.90), convergent validity with psychotherapy satisfaction (r =.5; p <.001), divergence from social desirability (r =.1), and metric and scalar invariance across measures. Study 4: Analyses were replicated and confirmed in a stratified U.S. sample (n = 602). The ppHMS is a reliable and valid scale that can be used to assess and compare patients' perceptions of the helpfulness of different measures as part of their psychological treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little research has analysed the relationship between personality traits and loneliness, considering polygenic risk scores (PGSs), social isolation, socioeconomic, and health factors. We used data from 4,892 older adults 52 years and older from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA). ELSA wave 5 (2010/2011) was our baseline, and wave 6 (2012/2013) to wave 9 (2018/2019) was the loneliness follow-up. Polygenic risk scores for loneliness were derived from genome-wide association studies. We conducted multiple linear regression and multilevel LMMs to analyse the cross-sectional and longitudinal relationship between personality traits and loneliness. Extroversion (Coef. = -.375; 95% CI:−.447 to.302), Neuroticism (Coef. =.557; 95% CI:.485–.629), Agreeableness (Coef. = −.188: 95% CI: −.273 to.103), Conscientiousness (Coef. = −.183; 95% CI: −.271 to.095), and Openness to Experience (Coef. = −.170; 95% CI: −.236 to.103) were associated with loneliness at baseline. Over eight years of follow-up, loneliness levels decreased on average. Only Extroversion was associated with the loneliness rate of decline (Coef. =.012; 95% CI:.002–.022) after potential confounders had been considered. An important task of health and social services is to identify older adults at risk of physical, mental, and cognitive health issues. The success of public health and clinical interventions to reduce loneliness could be informed by a consideration of personality profiles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This introduction to the "Rape, Genre, and TV after #MeToo" special issue articulates the importance of genre for understanding shifting affective and political norms related to sexual violence. Recent TV from the U.S. and the U.K. has worked to expand the public's understanding of what counts in the genre of rape, bringing into view less discussed harms like nonconsensual condom removal. At the same time, public discussions of rape have put pressure on the conventions of genres, including the genres explored in this special issue: the procedural, stand-up comedy, the Western, and the situation comedy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Professional quality of life (ProQOL) refers to workers' subjective feelings associated with work involved in helping others who have experienced trauma. It consists of positive and negative aspects, that is, subscales of compassion satisfaction, and burnout and secondary traumatic stress. Foster and kinship caring inherently involves risks associated with exposure to the trauma responses of children in their care. This exposure can lead to poor ProQOL, carer attrition, and placement instability. While limited studies specifically explore ProQOL of carers, many studies have examined factors and interventions related to ProQOL. However, there is a lack of synthesis of these studies. To fill such a research gap, we undertook a scoping review of 70 empirical studies from Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, published from 2012 to 2022 reporting on ProQOL, and its related factors and concepts. We applied a multilevel ecosocial construct to examine complex interrelationships between private and governance settings to better understand factors related to ProQOL of carers and interventions aimed to improve it in these dynamic systems. In our review, some studies showed positive outcomes for carers, such as reduced stress or burnout associated with training. However, there was insufficient attention to factors associated with ProQOL at relational and sociopolitical levels. It is crucial to improve carers' ProQOL or well-being to ensure their retention and placement stability. Long-term systemic improvements require interventions across different levels of the system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Feasibility test a co-developed intervention based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to support psychological adjustment post-stroke, delivered by a workforce with community in-reach. Design: Observational feasibility study utilising patient, carer, public involvement. Setting: Online. UK. Participants: Stroke survivors with self-reported psychological distress 4 + months post-stroke. Interventions: The co-developed Wellbeing After Stroke (WAterS) intervention includes: 9-weekly, structured, online, group sessions for stroke survivors, delivered via a training programme to upskill staff without Acceptance and Commitment Therapy experience, under Clinical Psychology supervision. Main measures: Feasibility of recruitment and retention; data quality from candidate measures; safety. Clinical and demographic information at baseline; patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) via online surveys (baseline, pre- and post-intervention, 3 and 6 months after intervention end) including Mood (hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS)), Wellbeing (ONS4), Health-Related Quality of Life (EQ5D5L), Psychological Flexibility (AAQ-ABI) and Values-Based Living (VQ). Results: We trained eight staff and recruited 17 stroke survivors with mild-to-moderate cognitive and communication difficulties. 12/17 (71%) joined three intervention groups with 98% attendance and no related adverse events. PROMS data were well-completed. The HADS is a possible future primary outcome (self-reported depression lower on average by 1.3 points: 8.5 pre-group to 7.1 at 3-month follow-up; 95% CI 0.4 to 3.2). Conclusion: The WAterS intervention warrants further research evaluation. Staff can be trained and upskilled to deliver. It appears safe and feasible to deliver online to groups, and study recruitment and data collection are feasible. Funding has been secured to further develop the intervention, considering implementation and health equality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Victims of intimate partner violence (IPV) are frequently blamed and disbelieved, which may affect their willingness to report their abuse experiences. This vignette-based online experiment examines whether victim attractiveness (attractive vs. unattractive) and the type of abuse suffered (psychological vs. psychological plus physical abuse) may impact attributions of victim blame or victim credibility. The final sample included 167 UK residents (79% females) aged between 18 and 66 years (M = 33.17, SD = 11.26). Results indicated that the attractive victim was judged as being more credible than the unattractive victim. Results are discussed in light of societal attitudes toward IPV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scholars have long argued that incidental news exposure (INE) is a potentially valuable way citizens gain political information and learn about current affairs. Yet growing scholarship on news avoidance suggests many people still manage to consume little news, and algorithmic curation may decrease the likelihood that they will be exposed to it incidentally. In this article, we put the literatures on INE, news avoidance, and political talk into dialogue with one another. Then, by inductively analyzing over a hundred in-depth interviews conducted from 2016 to 2020 with news avoiders in the UK, Spain, and the United States, we explore how they encounter news incidentally and to what extent they feel the news is accessible and available to them. Our audience-centric approach highlights that interviewees often did not make a clear distinction between direct encounters with professional news ("firsthand news") and discussions of news ("secondhand news"), especially online. When they did make a distinction, the latter was often more salient for them. We also find that just as news consumers have repertoires of news sources on which they habitually rely, news avoiders have repertoires of sources for incidental exposure to news to stay informed about major events and anything that might affect them directly. And yet, those repertoires catch only the biggest and most sensational stories of the day and do little to help them contextualize or understand the news they encounter, contributing to their sense that news is neither entirely absent nor ambient in the way scholars have theorized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In contrast to opt-in systems, relatively little is known about what influences whether or not people register a decision about organ donation in opt-out systems. We address this gap in the literature. Participants (N = 756) living in a country with opt-out consent (Wales, UK) provided information on demographics and blood donor status. Participants indicated whether they had opted-in or opted-out (i.e. active decision), or not registered a decision under the assumption of deemed consent. Subsequently, their negative emotional beliefs (or affective attitudes) towards organ donation were measured. Opting-in was associated with being younger, having donated blood and holding superstitious beliefs about donation (jinx). Disgust (ick factor) deterred opting-in, and bodily integrity concerns increased opting-out. Positive affective attitudes increased opting-in and deterred opting-out. Actively opting-in increases the likelihood of organs being transplanted, thus, modifying affective attitudes and targeting blood donors should enhance the number of donors available under opt-out systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reflects on collaborative research carried out during the COVID-19 pandemic involving indigenous youth co-investigators from different urban settings in Bolivia and a UK- and Bolivia-based research coordination team. Unlike previous studies that highlight the potential of generating a shared co-presence via virtual engagements and digital methods when face-to-face interactions seem less desirable, this article offers a more cautious account. We question the existence of a shared co-presence and, instead, posit co-presence as fragmented and not necessarily mutual, requiring careful engagement with power imbalances, distinct socio-economic and space-time positionings, and diverse priorities around knowledge generation among team members. These considerations led us to iteratively configure a hybrid research approach that combines synchronous and asynchronous virtual and face-to-face interactions with multi-modal methods. We demonstrate how this approach enabled us to generate a sense of co-presence in a context where collaborator access to a shared space-time was limited, differentiated, or displaced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article contributes to the growing literature on researcher reflexivity by broaching the often-ignored issue of religious positionalities within political science, as well as speaking to the methodological implications of researching religion more broadly. We present and compare two autoethnographic case studies of research on politico-religious conflict in Vietnam and Lebanon, exploring how a researcher's religiosity presents unique fieldwork challenges, opportunities and insights. We then discuss the ambivalence faced by religious researchers within the highly secularised academic environment, thus blurring the artificial dichotomy between 'the field' and the academy. Our reflections centre around three findings: (1) the importance of taking an intersectional approach which neither essentialises nor ignores religious aspects of positionality, whilst also being sensitive to spatial and temporal shifts in how they interact with a researcher's gender, ethnicity, class and other identifiers; (2) the opportunities and perils of a researcher's apparent religious common ground with participants (or lack thereof) in building rapport and negotiating a degree of insider status; and (3) the similarities and differences between suspicions of religious partialism during fieldwork and within academia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Deaths of people with intellectual disabilities are often unplanned for and poorly managed. Little is known about how to involve people with intellectual disabilities in end-of-life care planning. Aim: To explore the perspectives of people with intellectual disabilities, families, health and social care professionals and policy makers on end-of-life care planning within intellectual disability services. Design: A total of 11 focus groups and 1 semi-structured interview were analysed using qualitative framework and matrix analysis. The analysis was conducted inclusively with co-researchers with intellectual disabilities. Setting/participants: A total of 60 participants (14 people with intellectual disabilities, 9 family carers, 21 intellectual disability professionals, 8 healthcare professionals and 8 policy makers) from the UK. Results: There were differences in how end-of-life care planning was understood by stakeholder groups, covering four areas: funeral planning, illness planning, planning for living and talking about dying. This impacted when end-of-life care planning should happen and with whom. Participants agreed that end-of-life care planning was important, and most wanted to be involved, but in practice discussions were postponed. Barriers included issues with understanding, how or when to initiate the topic and a reluctance to talk about dying. Conclusions: To develop effective interventions and resources aiding end-of-life care planning with people with intellectual disabilities, clarity is needed around what is being planned for, with whom and when. Research and development are needed into supporting intellectual disability staff in end-of-life care planning conversations. Collaboration between intellectual disability staff and palliative care services may facilitate timely end-of-life care planning and thus optimal palliative end-of-life care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interviews with individuals experiencing homelessness can be challenging for various reasons, including mental and physical health issues, substance use, and negative experiences with authority figures. Researchers have used photos to facilitate communication and empower participants during data collection. We analyzed data from a previous study to explore the use of researcher-generated photos during interviews about health with 13 women experiencing homelessness. Conversation analysis revealed clear patterns regarding the use of the photos during the interviews. The photos were referred to 118 times over the total interview length, 6 hours and 23 minutes, with the interviewer making 62% of the referrals and the women accounting for 38%. Fifty-nine percent of the referrals occurred within the first 5 minutes of the interviews. The women used the photos to trigger associations and emotions, to describe photo content, or in a minor role during the interview. Interpretations from an advisory board of six women with lived experiences of homelessness suggested that the photos did not engage participants as intended, highlighting the importance of considering participants' perspectives when designing photo-elicitation methods. The feedback also provided valuable insights into interview locations and incentives in research that may have influenced the women's willingness to use the photos. This study emphasizes the importance of understanding the complexity of choosing researcher-generated photos in interviews with underserved, hard-to-reach populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Image-based sexual abuse (IBSA) encompasses the taking, sharing, and/or threatening to share nude or sexual images of others without their consent. The prevalence of IBSA is growing rapidly due to technological advancements, such as access to smartphones, that have made engagement in such activities easier. Bystanders offer an important means of intervention, but little is known about what facilitates or inhibits bystander action in these contexts. To address this gap in the literature, seven focus groups (n = 35) were conducted to explore the factors that facilitate and inhibit bystander action in the context of three different IBSA scenarios (taking, sharing, and making threats to share nude or sexual images without consent). Using thematic analysis, eight themes were identified, suggesting that the perceived likelihood of intervention increased with greater feelings of responsibility, empathy with the victim, reduced feelings of audience inhibition, greater feelings of safety, greater anger toward the IBSA behavior, closer relationships with the victim and perpetrator, the incident involving a female victim and male perpetrator, and perception of greater benefits of police involvement. These findings are considered alongside the physical sexual violence literature in highlighting the similarities and nuances across the different contexts. Implications for the development of policies and educational materials are discussed in relation to encouraging greater bystander intervention in IBSA contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Sikh community may be more visible and vulnerable to racism than other religious groups, and previous research has documented the racism targeted at Sikh men and women in the United States. Relatively few studies have, however, addressed the racism experienced by Sikh communities in other countries, where racism may be less closely connected to the events of 9/11. The present study investigates the lived experience of racism in Sikh adults living in the United Kingdom. Six participants (5 male, 1 female) aged 19 to 30 years (M = 24.17, SD = 3.98) were recruited via advertisements placed on social media. Both Amritdhari Sikhs (n = 4) who had undertaken the Amrit Sanskar initiation ceremony or commitment and Sahajdhari Sikhs (n = 2) who had not undertaken the initiation participated. Semi-structured interviews were conducted (totaling 372 minutes of interview data), covering a range of subjects including personal experiences of racism and subsequent responses to the racist abuse. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of the interview transcripts identified five superordinate themes. These were (1) Appearance and Visibility; (2) Inevitability and Normalization; (3) Coping and Conformity (Religion as Support, Fitting In, Internalization); (4) Education and Understanding; and (5) Bystander Behavior (Experiences of Intervention, Religious Duty to Intervene, Consequences of Intervention). Findings highlight the extent to which racism occurs and the increased vulnerability of the Sikh community (e.g., appearance being the focus of racist abuse). Findings also highlight the importance of religion as a source of support and cultural pride and the significance of education and bystander behavior. Future research should further investigate these themes and introduce interventions to support the safety and well-being of members of the Sikh community experiencing racist abuse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Policy learning from other international contexts is an important strategy during the sports policymaking process for the government of Taiwan, and recent research has examined potential parallels between Taiwan and Scotland with regards to sports policy. Although the status of Taiwan and Scotland is not the same, interesting comparisons can be made given their shared status as 'contested nations' that are often in the shadow of their closest neighbours with whom there is an uneasy political relationship – respectively, China and England. As a consequence, sport is regarded in both countries as an important vehicle for establishing and promoting a distinctive identity, albeit with contrasting political and policy considerations. Drawing upon 15 semi-structured interviews with sports policymakers and politicians from both Taiwanese and Scottish contexts, this paper critically examines the similarities and contrasts with regards to the political considerations which shape and constrain the nature of sport policy in each context. This analysis will focus on the role of central government, local government, sport policy organisations, and sporting National Governing Bodies in both Taiwan and Scotland, with particular emphasis on the position of sport within the broader policy, political, ideological and constitutional considerations for policymakers in each context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the reasons why between 1979 and 2020 the number of abattoirs licenced to slaughter red blood livestock species in Great Britain fell from 1146 to 200, average throughput per abattoir increased, larger abattoirs specialised in the species slaughtered, and family owned abattoirs have been replaced by international companies owning multiple slaughterhouses and food processing factories. The study combines abattoir sector survey data with findings from a national survey of small abattoirs. Larger abattoirs have exploited economies of size and location to achieve the throughput necessary to supply multiple retailers and/or wholesale markets. Smaller abattoirs have exploited economies of scope to develop the bespoke butchering services needed to supply private kill customers. The high rate of closure of smaller abattoirs suggests the future of small-scale, locally based supply chains in which private kill services supply is threatened. The recently introduced Small Abattoir Fund offers grants towards the purchase of new equipment which will offer some relief. But smaller abattoirs must support their private kill customers by organising collection points for onward transport of livestock to the abattoir and local redistribution centres for meat and carcases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Charles Lloyd Tuckey (1854–1925) was one of the leaders of the British 'New Hypnotism' movement of the late nineteenth century. This neglected figure is important because of his contributions to the early psychotherapies in Britain, ushering in the concept of suggestion to British medicine from Europe. Through his networks and clubs, Tuckey demonstrates the bewildering range of institutions that shaped and spread the novel theory of suggestion and the nascent talking therapies at this time. His affiliations to psychic investigation and ceremonial magic societies demonstrate his intellectual curiosity rather than backwards primitivism. Tuckey played an important role in establishing the term 'psychotherapeutics' and legitimising medical hypnotism, a precursor of the psychological therapies of the early twentieth century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Human papillomavirus (HPV) primary testing for cervical screening is being implemented around the world. We explored HPV awareness, and knowledge about primary screening in Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales), where it has been in place for several years, ahead of extended screening intervals being implemented in England. Setting/Methods: Women aged 18–70 (n = 1995) were recruited by YouGov from their online panel in August 2022. The weighted sample (n = 1930) was population-representative by age, region, education and social grade. We measured HPV awareness, knowledge (excluding those unaware of HPV) using eight true/false items, and understanding of the role of HPV testing in cervical screening. Results: Overall, 77.6% (1499/1930) of women were aware of HPV. When asked to identify the statement describing how cervical screening works, only 12.2% (236/1930) correctly selected the statement reflecting HPV primary screening (13.5% (194/1436) in screening-eligible women). Excluding those unaware of HPV, most participants had heard about the virus in the context of cervical screening (981/1596; 61.5%) or HPV vaccination (1079/1596; 67.6%). Mean knowledge score was 3.7 out of 8 (SD = 2.2) in this group. Most knew that an HPV-positive result does not mean a woman will definitely develop cervical cancer (1091/1499; 72.8%) but far fewer were aware of the long timeline for HPV to develop into cervical cancer (280/1499; 18.7%). Conclusions: Only three-quarters of women in Britain are aware of HPV, and knowledge of primary screening is very low, even among screening-age women. This points to continued need for awareness-raising campaigns to ensure informed choice about screening and mitigate public concern when screening intervals are extended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This retrospective review documents the experience of ipratropium bromide use among pediatric patients with sialorrhea at our multidisciplinary sialorrhea clinic at Children's Hospital at London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC). Methods: A retrospective chart review of patients diagnosed with sialorrhea at our multidisciplinary clinic between January 2015 and June 2021 was completed. Data on patient demographics, comorbidities, clinical presentation, previous interventions, quality of life, and medication adverse side effects was collected. Drooling Frequency and Severity Scale (DFSS) scores were reviewed to compare sialorrhea management pre- and post-treatment with topical 0.03% ipratropium bromide nasal solution. A descriptive analysis and Wilcoxon signed rank tests were conducted to compare pre- versus post-treatment DFSS scores. Results: A total of 12 patients presented for follow-up and were included in the final analysis. At the pre-treatment visit, the median DFSS score was 4 for frequency and 5 for severity. Post-treatment, median DFSS score was 3 for frequency and 4.5 for severity, (P =.020 and.129, respectively). Minimal adverse effects were encountered. Conclusions: Ipratropium bromide provided a statistically significant benefit for drooling frequency in the patients studied and may present an additional topical medical option for pediatric sialorrhea with limited adverse effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This protocol outlines a mixed-methods study to explore the dynamics of intimacy on dating apps before, during and after the crisis years of COVID-19 in the UK; how these influenced/were influenced by different gendered and sexual cultures of relating; and their impact on personal resilience, viral risk, and wellbeing. The project examines diverse gendered and sexual cultures, examining the experiences of heterosexuals and LGBT+ communities. Through a two-stage approach involving a UK-wide quantitative survey and in-depth qualitative interviews, the study explores how dating app practices influence resilience, viral risk, and intimate norms. The project aims to generate knowledge about how app-based services can be harnessed to support the social and emotional needs of diverse gendered and sexual groups during and after COVID-19 providing valuable insights into strategies for personal resilience in the face of viral risk and social during periods of social distancing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite advances in the field of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), outcomes among children who require AAC remain discouraging. Practitioners may benefit from guidelines to aid decision-making in relation to supporting pre-linguistic communicators. We conducted an open-ended questionnaire of 30 AAC professionals from six countries—Australia, Denmark, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States—to determine if consensus existed regarding the assessment information needed, the communication skills to teach, and the instructional strategies to employ to support AAC learning for pre-linguistic communicators. We analyzed the responses using qualitative content analysis in four iterative phases. We provide five statements that reflect areas of consensus and divergence among the participating AAC professionals. These findings provide important insights related to assessment, communicative competence, instructional strategies, decision-making, and communication partner instruction. Findings of this preliminary exploration indicate the need for ongoing and targeted research related to AAC decision-making guidance that attends to context (e.g., languages spoken, service structures) and pre- and in-service training in AAC decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article contributes to research on citizenship and belonging in the post-Brexit white East European migration to the UK. It explores wearing a garment as an act of citizenship and an embodied methodology. It is formed of two interrelated parts: the first presents the argument that wearing a particular garment at a specific spatio-temporal juncture can be considered an act of citizenship. The second part proposes wearing as an affective method in researching citizenship that has the potential to explore the sensory and emotional dimensions of (non)belonging. White embodiments and discomfort are two threads that connect the main arguments. The article builds on autoethnographic notes made after preparing for a job interview as a white East European woman wearing a Victorian male costume while travelling from East to South London in the wake of the General Election on 12 December 2019. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article argues that as a consequence of austerity, police in England and Wales have taken over important roles in welfare and social policy institutions. This renders those institutions more coercive, punitive and exclusionary, and normalises a police worldview in those institutions. This process of what I call austerity-driven policification can be observed specifically well in the increasing numbers of police officers integrated into schools most affected by austerity. Such 'transinstitutional policing' in Britain is triggered by contradictory post-global financial crisis austerity measures, but reliant upon a long, racialised history of authoritarian neoliberalisation. Cuts to public spending in the 2010s reduced state institutions' capacities to provide for vulnerable people, who were further criminalised and whose rights to support and solidarity were further delegitimised by a radicalisation of the framing of welfare recipients as undeserving, social housing estates as drug-infested gang territories, and schools in deprived areas, and Black pupils in particular, as dangerous. Police, while subjected to austerity measures also, functioned as an institution of last resort, supplementing and replacing incapacitated state institutions, while also being presented as an appropriate institution to address problems increasingly understood to be of a criminal rather than educational nature. This article suggests that austerity-driven policification is an intensification of longer-term trends toward a larger role for police in the neoliberal era. It shows the racial and authoritarian nature of neoliberalisation, and its messy realisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes an unexpected methodological shift made in response to the COVID-19 pandemic during doctoral research, and exemplifies reflexivity in action whilst negotiating my complex positionality as both a researcher and a social worker. The first UK national lockdown was announced after I had conducted 3 months of ethnographic data collection in a local authority adult social work team, thus halting my research. As society shut down, face-to-face research was paused overnight, however, the local authority continued to provide essential services and support. Forging a path forward, I successfully gained a job practising as a social worker within the team and completed a supplementary ethics application to include auto-ethnographic data which would complement the existing ethnography. Although practicing reflexivity and analysing positionality are established and encouraged parts of ethnographic research, how a researcher actively conducts them varies and usually remains unseen. Methodologies are often presented in a sanitised and polished manner, depriving the reader of the messy yet informative reality of research. This article draws upon fieldnotes to practically illustrate and bring this reflexivity on positionality to the fore. As I move from participant-observer to complete-participant, the findings zoom in on my experience of navigating positionality, revealing a micro picture of the details and subtleties of this process. This unexpected research journey enhanced my level of intimacy with the phenomenon, the research site, and the participants. Overall, this example of enacting reflexivity helps to bridge the gap between how positionality is theorised and how it actively practiced. Finally, this article is a call for more open, deeper, and continual reflexivity on our positionality as researchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many face-to-face group activities for new parents moved online. In this article, we share findings from 14 interviews conducted during the first lockdown in the United Kingdom with parents of babies under 12 months about their experiences of participating in online groups. Attendance at groups was treated as a survival mechanism or even a panacea for some parents, providing well-rounded entertainment and support for parents, their children and the parenting relationship. However, reviews of the online groups were mixed, with some deemed more adequate than others for online delivery. Parents expressed concerns about the lack of informal spaces in online contexts to share private conversations and the unnatural group conversations affected by the custom of taking turns to talk. These experiences highlighted what was important to parents: the need for the embodiment of connection. The peculiarity of the online setting saw the emergence of parenting display work; parental awareness of online impression management and self-presentation strategies. While online technologies are ubiquitous, online groups for parents are nascent, and these technologies require careful analysis and evaluation from users and facilitators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To facilitate future research on career adaptability, this study aims to validate the super-short form of the Career Adapt-Abilities Scale (CAAS-SSF) through two studies across three samples. In Study 1, the full scale is shortened to a 4-item scale based on a Chinese sample (Sample 1, N = 616), considering both reliability and validity. Study 2 aims to validate the 4-item CAAS-SSF across two additional samples: Sample 2 in China (N = 332) and Sample 3 in the United Kingdom (N = 317). Results show that the CAAS-SSF demonstrates satisfactory reliability and good fit with the unidimensional model of career adaptability. Furthermore, the super-short scale exhibits acceptable measurement invariance across gender and culture groups. Moreover, criterion-related validity of the CAAS-SSF is supported by its positive correlations with criterions (i.e., job performance, career satisfaction, and occupational self-efficacy) that parallel results of the CAAS and CAAS-Short Form. Overall, the findings support the CAAS-SSF as a reliable and valid representation of the 24-item CAAS. Limitations and directions for future research are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing research on party leader questioning in legislatures usually focuses on single case studies, less-than-ideal behaviours across leaders, and often post-election periods. Our article compares hostility and positivity in behaviours across three parliaments and, because of the COVID-19 crisis, across different time periods and modes of operation (live, hybrid, and online) while controlling for the same leaders. Using content analysis at the sentence level (N = 3554), our data contrast parliamentary leader hostility and positivity levels in the UK, Scottish, and Welsh Parliaments across three time periods: pre-COVID-19, initial, and lockdown COVID-19. Findings for positivity are mixed, but for hostility, we find that while the initial shock of the COVID-19 crisis suppressed hostility, Westminster has higher ratios of hostility across all three time periods, and that format of operation has little effect on behaviour. Findings suggest less hostility in Scotland and Wales than in Westminster adding possible weight to 'new politics' arguments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the wake of the deepest and longest recession that the United Kingdom has experienced since the 1930s, the consequences of Brexit and now COVID too, this article examines the origins, sustenance and puncturing of the growth dynamic it enjoyed since the early 1990s. It identifies what is termed the 'Anglo-liberal growth model' and its social policy corollary, 'asset-based welfare', considering the symbiotic yet increasingly tense and dynamic interdependence of the two. It argues that although both are compromised by the compound shocks of the crisis, Brexit and COVID, they have in fact become more not less intertwined and interdependent in these more troubled times. It considers the implications for the long-term sustainability of this fractious coupling and the wider consequences for UK economic performance and social welfare in the years ahead. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

British parties have pioneered the use of 'one-member, one-vote' ballots to select their leaders. However, the elections of Jeremy Corbyn (Labour) and Liz Truss (Conservative) prompted calls to return leadership selection to parliamentarians. Critics claim that party members are non-centrist and liable to impose unsuitable leaders on MPs. This weakens the cohesion of parliamentary parties, undermining the functioning of Britain's majoritarian democracy. This article assesses the major parties' leader-selection systems. It goes beyond existing research by identifying and applying four evaluative criteria for selection institutions : legitimacy, parliamentary acceptability, leader-eviction and timeliness. It shows that most criticisms of one-member, one-vote are overstated because the latter is heavily mediated by ex-ante and/or ex-post parliamentary controls, for example, nomination thresholds and confidence votes. One-member, one-vote generally produces leaders acceptable to MPs; 'unsuitable' ones typically arise when the parliamentary controls fail. However, key institutional weaknesses are identified: legitimacy in the Conservatives' system and leader-eviction in Labour's. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores how a Powellite form of nostalgia – named for the anti-immigration politics of former British MP Enoch Powell – connects seemingly contradictory nationalist narratives known as Global Britain and Little England. While the former is typically aligned with an expansive and buccaneering national biography, the latter is held to operate via a more defensive and exclusionary imaginary. This article challenges such a binary distinction by demonstrating how the two discursive strands are intimately connected by nostalgic views about white English racial dominance, cultivated during Britain's pursuit of empire. Drawing on a qualitative analysis of verbal and visual sources from the Brexit referendum, plus 13 interviews with Leave campaigners, the article shows how Powellite nostalgia reproduces gendered and racialised colonial images of the nation amid immigration 'crisis'. Despite the detoxifying effects of much post-referendum Brexit analysis, the article also demonstrates how Powellite nostalgia is shared across the Eurosceptic spectrum and within broader English culture, persisting into the post-Brexit era. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Telephone advice lines have been recommended internationally to support around-the-clock care for people living at home with advanced illness. While they undoubtedly support care, there is little evidence about what elements are needed for success. A national picture is needed to understand, improve and standardise service delivery/care. Aim: To explore telephone advice lines for people living at home with advanced illness across the four UK nations, and to construct a practical framework to improve services. Design: A cross-national evaluation of telephone advice lines using structured qualitative interviews. A patient and public involvement workshop was conducted to refine the framework. Setting/participants: Professionals with responsibilities for how palliative care services are delivered and/or funded at a local or regional level, were purposively sampled. Results: Seventy-one interviews were conducted, covering 60 geographical areas. Five themes were identified. Availability : Ten advice line models were described. Variation led to confusion about who to call and when. Accessibility, awareness and promotion : It was assumed that patients/carers know who to call out-of-hours, but often they did not. Practicalities : Call handlers skills/expertise varied, which influenced how calls were managed. Possible responses ranged from signposting to organising home visits. Integration/continuity of care : Integration between care providers was limited by electronic medical records access/information sharing. Service structure/commissioning : Sustained funding was often an issue for charitably funded organisations. Conclusions: Our novel evidence-based practical framework could be transformative for service design/delivery, as it presents key considerations relating to the various elements of advice lines that may impact on the patient/carer experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Delirium is a serious neuropsychiatric syndrome with adverse outcomes, which is common but often undiagnosed in terminally ill people. The 4 'A's test or 4AT (www.the4AT.com), a brief delirium detection tool, is widely used in general settings, but validation studies in terminally ill people are lacking. Aim: To determine the diagnostic accuracy of the 4AT in detecting delirium in terminally ill people, who are hospice inpatients. Design: A diagnostic test accuracy study in which participants underwent the 4AT and a reference standard based on the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. The reference standard was informed by Delirium Rating Scale Revised-98 and tests assessing arousal and attention. Assessments were conducted in random order by pairs of independent raters, blinded to the results of the other assessment. Setting/participants: Two hospice inpatient units in Scotland, UK. Participants were 148 hospice inpatients aged ⩾18 years. Results: A total of 137 participants completed both assessments. Three participants had an indeterminate reference standard diagnosis and were excluded, yielding a final sample of 134. Mean age was 70.3 (SD = 10.6) years. About 33% (44/134) had reference standard delirium. The 4AT had a sensitivity of 89% (95% CI 79%–98%) and a specificity of 94% (95% CI 90%–99%). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.97 (95% CI 0.94–1). Conclusion: The results of this validation study support use of the 4AT as a delirium detection tool in hospice inpatients, and add to the literature evaluating methods of delirium detection in palliative care settings. Trial registry: ISCRTN 97417474. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sexual assault is a global problem, with the risk highest among university students. Bystander intervention preventing sexual assaults has primarily been researched using quantitative methods to understand what factors influence it. However, both sexual assault and bystander intervention are complex with many subtle and overlapping issues that, when analyzed qualitatively, can offer new insights. The current study aimed to explore and develop a nuanced and comprehensive understanding of students' perceptions of sexual assault and bystander intervention across two universities, one in the United Kingdom and one in Australia. Thirty-nine university students (19 in the United Kingdom; 20 in Australia) took part in one-to-one semistructured interviews. Using inductive thematic analysis, two overarching themes were identified: (a) navigating the complex dynamics of sexual assault; and (b) decisions to intervene or not to intervene. Findings suggest that the complexity and ambiguity around sexual assault can forestall bystander intervention. As such, increasing education, awareness, and discussions around sexual assault and bystander intervention is vital to increase awareness of the problem and mobilize action from bystanders to prevent sexual assault. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sexual violence (SV) experienced by higher education students is a prevalent public health problem. Collecting data on SV through self-report surveys in higher education institutions (HEIs) is essential for estimating the scope of the problem, the first step to adequately resourcing and implementing prevention and response programming and policies. However, in the United Kingdom, data is limited. We used data from the cross-sectional Oxford Understanding Relationships, Sex, Power, Abuse and Consent Experiences survey, administered to all students at a university in the United Kingdom in May 2021 (n = 25,820), to estimate the past year prevalence of SV. We analyzed data from respondents who answered at least one question on SV (n = 1,318) and found that 20.5% of respondents experienced at least one act of attempted or forced sexual touching or rape, and 52.7% of respondents experienced at least one act of sexual harassment (SH). We found that women experienced the highest rates of SV. Attempted forced sexual touching was far more common than forced sexual touching, or rape. Sexist remarks or jokes were the most common act of SH. Most acts of SV took place at the university. These findings reveal that the prevalence of SV in HEIs in the United Kingdom could be far higher than what is experienced in the general population. While this study reflects the context in only one institution, it underlines the need for continued monitoring to develop rigorous, evidence-based, and targeted prevention and response strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Risks of contralateral kidney abnormalities and chronic kidney disease necessitate follow-up for unilateral multicystic dysplastic kidneys (MCDK). A nationwide survey of senior UK pediatricians was conducted. Of the 60 responses obtained, 62% routinely perform a dimercaptosuccinic acid scan to confirm diagnosis. Eight percent routinely perform a cystogram to investigate contralateral vesicoureteric reflux. Sixty-two percent would routinely measure renal function (frequency ranging from once only to "every 2 years"). Twenty-five percent recalled MCDK nephrectomy being performed within the previous 5 years. Respondents voiced concerns that national guidance may result in an overcautious approach but could balance consensus and safe variation, and offer families choice and reassurance. The mean estimated cost of follow-up from birth to 18 years ranged from £258 to £3854. Results demonstrate significant variation in management, highlighting the need for a clear pathway to decrease unwanted variability and to ensure those at high risk of renal sequelae are recognized early, without undue investigatory burden. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)) is now established as a causal risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and accurate laboratory measurement is of pivotal importance in reducing Lp(a) associated risk. The consensus statement by HEART UK in 2019 included recommendations to improve standardisation of clinical laboratory measurement and reporting of Lp(a). Methods: A 16 question, electronic audit survey was circulated to 190 accredited clinical biochemistry laboratories to assess the adoption of these recommendations in the UK. Results: Responses were received from 65 of 190 laboratories (34%). Only 5 (8%) did not offer Lp(a) measurement. Of those providing the test, 23% (n = 14) offered an in-house service (IHS), the remaining laboratories (77%; n = 46) used an external referral service (ERS). The majority (10 of 14 or 71%) of IHS laboratories responded with details of their method, stating whether it minimised sensitivity to the effect of Lp(a) isoform size and used calibrators certified for traceability to the WHO/IFCC reference material, however, only a minority ERS laboratories (13 of the 46 or 28%) were able to specify the method used by their referral laboratory. Of the laboratories who specified their reporting units, 6 of 10 IHS and 7 of 23 ERS laboratories reported in nmol/L. Among the 60 laboratories who responded, the HEART UK recommendations appear to have been adopted in full by only 3 IHS laboratories. Conclusions: Further efforts are needed to standardise the measurement and reporting of Lp(a) so that results and interpretation are comparable across clinical biochemistry laboratories in the UK. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The post-World War II availability of commercial spectrometers spurred the development of professional spectroscopic societies: The Infrared and Raman Discussion Group in the UK, the Coblentz Society, and the Society for Applied Spectroscopy in the USA. There was a desire to ensure that customers understood the instrumentation and techniques, became part of a community, and had access to the latest subject matter knowledge. With the advent of low-cost routine instruments, and portable instruments in the field, professional societies have a distinct role to play in education and training, especially as libraries deaccession (withdraw) even comparatively recent books on practical spectroscopy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intimate partner femicide (IPF) and attempted intimate partner femicide (AIPF) are severe forms of violence and global phenomena occurring in all societies worldwide. However, explaining IPF and AIPF is a complex and challenging endeavor. This article delves into the evolution of IPF and AIPF in Portugal during and after COVID-19, seeking to comprehend the underlying explanatory factors through a comprehensive strain-based approach. IPF rates during the COVID-19 pandemic have remained relatively stable, comparable to those observed before the pandemic, following a pattern akin to that documented in other countries. However, a significant increase in AIPF occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, and a slight uptick in IPF indicators was noted toward the end of the pandemic period (2022). Perpetrators faced various strains, such as separation and financial difficulties, along with experiencing emotions like anger, jealousy, anxiety, and depression, leading to instances of IPF and AIPF. The COVID-19 crisis and associated restrictions introduced additional strains, including social isolation, economic losses, anxiety, and widespread fear, which may contribute to psychological distress, stress, and depression, thereby heightening the likelihood of committing IPF and AIPF. The pandemic restrictions also resulted in limited access to support and protection services, hindering victims from seeking help. Establishing a contingency plan for use in future crises (including pandemics) is imperative to promote support for victims and prevent situations of IPF and AIPF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an empirical study of femicide and intimate partner violence (IPV) in Israel during 2020, the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic compared to previous years. Studies worldwide found elevated IPV during 2020 and a mixed picture of femicide, as both increases and decreases were reported, depending on the country. In Israel, the media reported a growth in IPV and femicide. However, no comprehensive empirical comparison of femicide and IPV during the lockdown months in 2020 in comparison to previous years was conducted. The current study fills this gap, comparing the 2014–2020 period in terms of IPV and femicide to determine whether the first pandemic year was unusual in terms of femicide and IPV. Data were collected from news websites, the Knesset (Israeli parliament) report, and annual public police reports to break down case-by-case femicide reports. The findings show a growth in femicide and IPV in the pandemic's first year, compared to 2019. However, compared to previous years, 2020 was not unusually high in terms of femicide. However, IPV was higher in 2020 than that in previous years. Hence, the media claims about the pandemic's elevated risk of femicide and IPV are only partially true. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades, the issue of violence against women has increasingly drawn the attention of international and national legislators and policymakers. The term "femicide" became widespread in the early 2000s and was incorporated into the criminal codes of several countries. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent social distancing measures raised significant concerns about their impact on women's safety. This study examines the effect of COVID-19 confinement measures on femicide trends in Italy, a country which adopted stringent COVID-19 confinement measures and, since 2019, implemented new legislation to counteract violence against women. Using two data sets—one from the Italian Ministry of Interior containing 1,382 cases of female homicides (2013–2022) and another from Italian NGOs detailing 1,253 femicides according to media coverage (2012–2022)—the study employs autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) analysis to assess monthly trends alongside the stringency index for COVID-19 containment efforts. The findings reveal that, although overall femicide rates remained stable during lockdowns, there was a significant shift in victim–perpetrator relationships. Specifically, from March to May 2020, there was a decline in femicides by former partners, offset by an increase in those by cohabiting partners. These results underscore the complexity of femicide and the need for further research on various facets of violence against women. This includes the potential escalation of physical and psychological violence during lockdowns, influenced by forced proximity and substance abuse in domestic environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current paper explores the theoretical and empirical capacity of developmental and life-course criminology (DLC) to further our understanding of non-lethal intimate partner violence (IPV) and femicide. Drawing on Sampson and Laub's age-graded theory and Moffitt's dual taxonomy, the paper delves into empirical research that has identified and examined the overlap between general offending and IPV, highlighting how these DLC theoretical frameworks could provide insight into non-lethal IPV and femicide. We also outline the ways in which these DLC perspectives are challenged to fully address the gendered nature of IPV and less able to provide an empirical and theoretical understanding of the role of power and control by men over their women partners. We then place these frameworks within the global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on gender-based violence, including femicide. While the COVID-19 lockdowns increased vulnerability to IPV and increased homicide in the United States, the expected rise in femicide did not materialize—at least within the United States, prompting questions about the extent to which existing criminological theories are able to provide a framework for these types of crime trends during unprecedented events. We examine the way non-lethal and lethal IPV are shaped by different factors as outlined in Moffitt's dual taxonomy. The pandemic for example did not create increased psychopathy (i.e., affective and personality disorders) associated with the risk for femicide, but the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdowns did create increased economic and family stressors, which placed many at-risk women and children in further social isolation, and reduced access to victim services. We conclude a need for further theoretical development surrounding femicide, integrating developmental and life-course perspectives, thereby emphasizing the need for refined frameworks to address the intricate dynamics of violence against women globally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, stay-at-home restrictions significantly changed people's daily lives around the world. Opportunity and strain theories predict this would lead to an increase in intimate partner abuse (IPA), including intimate partner homicide (IPH). This paper applies an alternative theoretical framework—situational action theory (SAT)—to explain mixed findings regarding changes in IPA and unexpected findings regarding (a lack of) changes in IPH. It is argued that SAT may contribute to explaining the impact of stay-at-home restrictions on IPA and IPH in three important ways: 1. by addressing the fact that motivation is necessary but not sufficient for explaining action and better specifying how motivation translates into IPA and IPH; 2. by addressing the fact that people perceive different alternatives for action and better specifying why some people come to see IPA and IPH as acceptable action alternatives; 3. by addressing the fact that exposure affects people differently and better specifying how stay-at-home restrictions shaped people's activity fields and, in turn, their perceptions and action choices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Government measures to limit the spread of COVID-19 affected crime opportunities and criminal justice systems, resulting in changes in crime trends. This article explores the effects of restrictions (lockdowns) on the number of femicides. The monthly data on femicides from 2017 to 2021 were collected in five Central and South-eastern European countries: Croatia, Hungary, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Slovenia. The total number of femicides from 2017 to 2021 decreased in all observed countries. Increases were detected in Croatia and Slovenia in 2020. However, they presented an exception to the general trend. The monthly distribution of femicides showed that there was no common point peak month(s) among observed countries. Analyzing the effects of the level of restrictions using the Stringency Index on the number of femicides confirmed the initial observation that the number of femicides was not dependent on lockdown measures. In general, the findings show that restriction measures had no effect on the number of femicides in the studied countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intimate partner violence (IPV), including intimate partner homicide (IPH) and femicide, raises issues for general theories of crime, such as control and opportunity theories, that see close relationships among friends and family as barriers to interpersonal crimes. Crime-specific studies of both correlates and trends in IPV, including recent interrupted trend studies that examine the effects of COVID restrictions, often test opportunity theories absent considerations of theoretically driven images of actors. Review of empirical research on IPV and IPH reveals strong compatibility between the predictions of modern control theory and consistent findings from trend data. Barriers to understanding of the explanatory power of general theories of crime (including, for example, control theories and feminist perspectives) in contemporary research include use of poor definitions of intimacy, misspecification of age effects, failure to consider the versatility of offending behavior, neglecting the importance of trends in analogous behaviors, neglecting the role of situational factors in violence, and the limitations in the measurement of repetitive victimization. Theories such as routine activity and situational crime prevention that fail to explicitly include characteristics of actors can go only a limited way in providing meaningful policy. Research supports the potential policy effects of investments in early childhood and attention to situational barriers (including limitations on alcohol use and firearm availability) to reduce IPV. Although modern control theory is used to illustrate these issues, other general theories, like feminist theories, can make similar arguments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on national data collected by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) from 105 countries and territories, this study estimates that nearly 49,000 women and girls worldwide were killed by their intimate partners or other family members in 2022. Using annual data from the Americas and Europe as well as monthly data from 14 countries in various regions, the study also shows that regional and national trends in female intimate partner/family-related homicide were highly heterogeneous during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. UNODC produces global and regional estimates of female intimate partner and family-related homicide to shed light on the magnitude of the problem and to inform advocacy, policies, and programs to end such killings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article briefly reviews the difficulties of predicting and preventing domestic homicide. It considers the evidence on offender prior suicidal behaviour as a precursor. It includes findings from the 1950s and 1960s as well as the most recent findings on links between suicide ideation and domestic homicide intent. It also reviews ways in which these links can be further explored and operationalised to prevent future harm. It concludes with reflections on the effect of Covid on femicide trends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the experiences and identities of minority ethnic women at the UEFA Women's Euros (UWE) held in England in 2022. It does so at a time when women sports fans have become more visible in the historically male-dominated environs of football fandom, particularly in the United Kingdom (UK), and when questions of 'race', ethnicity and gender are longstanding, contested elements of British culture and society. Through a Black feminist thought methodology allied to critical race theory principles, the study contributes an essential intersectional account of minority ethnic women's sports fandom experiences at a major international event. The findings confirm that the growth of women's football in the UK, motivated minority ethnic women to attend the UWE. However, the current visibility and inclusivity of professional women's football demonstrates a lack of diversity and cultural sensitivity, which often inhibits minority ethnic women from presenting their identities to further engage with and support the game's growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Novel community-wide approaches that gamify physical activity through challenges and competition have become increasingly popular in recent years. However, little is known about the factors that help or hinder their implementation. This qualitative study aimed to address this gap in the literature by systematically investigating the facilitators (organizational and experiential) and barriers to successful implementation of a community-wide intervention delivered in Gloucester, the United Kingdom. A two-phased process evaluation was conducted. Phase 1 involved the thematical analysis of open question feedback from n = 289 adults. Phase 2 included three focus groups conducted with n = 12 participants. This research showed that promoting the initiative through primary education settings was fundamental to enhancing awareness and participation. Social elements of the intervention were identified as a motivating factor for, and a consequential outcome of, participation. A lack of promotion to wider-reaching proportions of the community was perceived to be a significant barrier to implementation, potentially limiting inclusivity and participation in the activity. Game dynamics, timing, and fears regarding sustainability represented further difficulties to implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]