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The roles and responsibilities of direct support professionals (DSPs) are evolving. This qualitative study explores how DSPs perceive their role and explores those perceptions across DSPs working in traditional, intermediate, and innovative agencies, as defined for the study. Examining 440 DSP survey responses and interviews with 24 DSPs, we found that DSPs working in more individualized settings tended to have expanded role functions (focused on promoting self-determination and community engagement). DSPs working in more traditional settings tended to have more care-focused role functions (concentrated on activities of daily living, medication administration, and health and safety). The role perception of DSPs at intermediate agencies and role conflict due to competing responsibilities demonstrate a need to systemically transform future service delivery.

The Direct Support Professional (DSP) workforce has experienced a multidecade period of disinvestment in the field leading to DSPs being in high demand, while efforts to recruit, train, and retain these professionals pose challenges. To gain a better understanding of the needs of DSPs themselves, 440 survey responses and 24 interviews of DSPs were analyzed to understand what would help DSPs do their jobs better and ensure they feel more supported by their agencies. Results revealed six distinct support needs: (a) ensure quality participatory management practices, (b) provide fair compensation and recognition, (c) enhance access to training opportunities, (d) assure reliable and quality staffing, (e) adequately fund basic needs of both programs and people receiving support, and (f) maintain reasonable job expectations.

This online, cross-sectional study examined food insecurity and sleep quality among pregnant/recently pregnant women (N = 486). The prevalence of food insecurity was highest among emerging adults (69%), followed by young adults (57%) and middle-aged adults (31%). In adjusted models, emerging and young adults had 2.42 (1.19, 4.97) and 2.62 (1.60, 4.37) times the odds of food insecurity compared to middle-aged adults. Individuals reporting low food security (−0.29 [−0.44, −0.13]) and very low food security (−0.61 [−0.80, −0.41]) had lower sleep quality compared to individuals reporting food security. Emerging adult mothers are at risk of food insecurity and associated low sleep quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current article presents the findings of a quantitative study of 3,886 adults with disabilities and family members of people with disabilities to examine their financial health during the COVID-19 pandemic (March 2020-March 2021). This study provides hard data to highlight how the first year of the pandemic has exacerbated long-standing obstacles in servicing potential planning clients with disabilities. Participants assessed their overall financial well-being by completing a webbased survey to provide information about the state of their individual or family incomes and financial planning behaviors. Two key findings are germane to financial service planners and the special needs planning (SNP) industry: (1) three quarters of individuals reported that their incomes were negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic; and (2) nearly a third of people with disabilities and their family members have no financial literacy education or training in SNP matters. Collectively, these findings identify both a knowledge gap and a means gap that must be addressed to provide financial planning services to a larger portion of the disabilities market. The vast majority of individuals with disabilities desire, intend to obtain, or are already obtaining some form of financial literacy education or financial planning resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultrasound-guided intraarticular hip corticosteroid injections may be useful for emergency care providers treating patients with painful exacerbations of osteoarthritis of the hip. Corticosteroid injection is widely recommended as a first-line treatment for painful osteoarthritis of the hip. Bedside ultrasound is readily available in most emergency departments; however, using ultrasound to guide therapeutic hip injections has not yet been described in emergency practice. Herein, we present the first description of a successful emergency physician-performed ultrasound-guided hip injection of local anesthetic and corticosteroid for pain control in a patient with an acute exacerbation of osteoarthritis. [West J Emerg Med. 2013;14(5):505–508.]

A interesting case and image of a 50-year-old woman with a history of non-insulin diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) who presented to the emergency department with right hip pain for one week and the subsequent findings. [West J Emerg Med. 2012;13(6):494]

Objective: To evaluate implementation of nutrition/physical activity-related policies/practices at colleges participating in a healthy campus initiative and campus health leaders' perceptions of policies/practices' support for student health and ease of/barriers to implementation. Participants: Health leaders at colleges participating in the Healthier Campus Initiative (HCI), with completed or ongoing three-year HCI commitments. Methods: Surveys asked which of 41 guidelines were implemented and perceptions around support for student health and ease of/barriers to implementation. Qualitative interviews explored similar domains. Results: Campuses with completed HCI commitments (n = 17) averaged 27.6 guidelines implemented, versus 21.1 on campuses with commitments ongoing (n = 13; p = 0.003). Perceived support for student health and implementation ease varied by guideline. Common implementation barriers included financial costs and time. Interviews largely reinforced these findings. Conclusions: Completion of a campus environmental change initiative may be associated with more health-supporting practices. Campuses may benefit from implementing coordinated policy/practice changes supporting healthy eating and physical activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Student physical activity is associated with lower stress. Research gaps remain regarding the types of stress management behaviors students use and how these behaviors are associated with students' activity levels. This study examined associations between physical activity and stress management behaviors among students (18-35 years). Students with overweight/obesity (n = 405) attending universities in 2 urban locations enrolled in a randomized controlled trial to promote healthy weight and completed the following baseline measurements: perceived stress, stress management behaviors, accelerometer-measured physical activity, and demographic characteristics. Perceived stress did not differ by physical activity status or race. A greater proportion of students meeting moderate-to-vigorous physical activity guidelines used physically active stress management behaviors compared to those not meeting guidelines (74% vs 56%; P =.006), and students using physically active stress management had lower stress scores (13.1 vs 15.5; P =.003). Among Black and White students only (n = 306), a greater proportion of White students used physically active stress management behaviors compared to Black students (77% vs 62%, P =.013). Results indicate differences in stress management behaviors by student activity level and race. During times of high stress, colleges/universities might support students by promoting stress management and physical activity in tandem, and tailoring messages to student activity levels and demographic characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Most U.S. college students do not meet physical activity guidelines. Physical activity requirements (PAR) are a proposed solution for increasing undergraduate physical activity. Purpose: To determine whether college/university PAR are associated with undergraduates' self-reported physical activity. Methods: Undergraduate students (N = 383,632) attending colleges and universities taking part in the American College Health Association-National College Health Assessment II survey (2015–2019) self-reported physical activity and demographics. Using websites and course catalogs, researchers coded schools to indicate binary PAR status. Bayesian Hierarchical Logistic Regression was used to determine the percentage of students meeting physical activity guidelines; interactions between PAR status and student characteristics (sex, BMI) were examined. Results: PAR status was positively associated with percent of students meeting physical activity guidelines (PAR: 43.3%, without: 40.5%; difference score 95% Highest Density Interval [HDI; 1.0, 4.5]). A greater percentage of students attending schools with PAR, versus without, met physical activity guidelines across all categories of sex and weight. However, the positive relationship between PAR status and physical activity was stronger among male students (PAR: 46.7%, without: 43.2%; 95% HDI [1.6, 5.4]) compared to female students (PAR: 39.9%, without: 37.9%; 95% HCI [0.2, 3.8]), and among students with underweight (PAR: 39.2%, without: 35.5%; 95% HDI [1.2, 6.3]) or obesity (PAR: 37.1%, without: 33.7%; 95% HDI [1.4, 5.3]) compared to normal weight (PAR: 49.3%, without: 47.4%; 95% HDI [0.1, 3.7]) or overweight (PAR: 47.5%, without: 45.5%; 95% HDI [0.1, 4.0]). Conclusions: PAR are associated with meeting physical activity guidelines, particularly among college/university students with underweight or obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the undersigning editors of Volume 97 of the Washington University Law Review condemning Professor McConnell's use of the n-word in the classroom after the murder of George Floyd . Topics include disrupting the learning environment and placing a burden on Black students; explicitly forbidding discriminatory conduct and subject members to the journal's disciplinary sanctions; and BIPOC scholars and articles concerning racial justice for publication.

Background: This is the first study to examine longitudinal associations between self-selected timing of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and health outcomes in young adults over 18 months., Methods: Young adults (N = 434, Mage = 23.9, SDage = 4.6 years) enrolled in a weight management trial recorded 4-7 days of ActiGraph wear time at ≥1 time point (baseline, months 6, 12, and 18). Time-of-day categories were based on quartiles of the temporal distribution of MVPA min/h at baseline: morning (06:00-11:59), afternoon (12:00-15:59), evening (16:00-18:59), and night (19:00-00:59). The proportion of weekly MVPA accumulated during each time category was the predictor in longitudinal linear mixed-effects models predicting body mass index (BMI) and total weekly MVPA. Longitudinal quasibinomial generalized estimating equations models predicted cardiometabolic risk. Interactions were tested, and marginal trend estimates were generated for sex and age subgroups., Results: The analytic sample was 79% female and 49% non-Hispanic White, with a mean (±SD) weekly MVPA of 311 ± 167 min at baseline. In adjusted models, there were no associations with BMI. Morning MVPA was inversely associated with cardiometabolic risk (OR [95% CI]: 0.99 [0.98-0.99]) for both sex and age groups. Evening MVPA was inversely associated with cardiometabolic risk for 26-35 year olds (0.98 [0.97-0.99]). Morning MVPA was associated with greater total MVPA across subgroups, and afternoon MVPA was associated with less total MVPA in women., Conclusions: Over 18 months, incremental health benefits may accrue with optimal activity timing in young adults. Activity-based interventions designed to improve cardiometabolic and behavioral health outcomes in young adults may be optimized by tailoring timing recommendations to demographic factors., (© Society of Behavioral Medicine 2024. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.)