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Public pressure on evaluation has influenced educational projects and national evaluation systems for many decades. This article extends the ongoing discussions in the field, offering a problematising exploration of evaluation as an educational policy phenomenon, thinking with the notion of rhythm in the analysis. Approaching educational evaluation with the notion of rhythm has, for us, implied a philosophical exploration of the dynamics between evaluation and education, drawing on the writings of Henri Lefebvre and Anna L. Tsing. Rolling of chairs between computers, with the policy documents spread out on a table alongside the original philosophical texts, in a material sense, placed us, as researchers, in an embodied analytical process between human and non-human agency. The turns and returns, back and forth, between policy, philosophy, and previous research enabled unexpected frictions to emerge and prompted us to view issues central to evaluation in surprisingly new ways. 'Striving towards goals and orientations', 'goal-in-between', 'striving-in-between', and 'results of and for results' are with inspiration from Anna L. Tsing presented as a rush of troubled stories.

There is considerably greater variation in metabolic rates between men than between women, in terms of basal, activity and total (daily) energy expenditure (EE). One possible explanation is that EE is associated with male sexual characteristics (which are known to vary more than other traits) such as musculature and athletic capacity. Such traits might be predicted to be most prominent during periods of adolescence and young adulthood, when sexual behaviour develops and peaks. We tested this hypothesis on a large dataset by comparing the amount of male variation and female variation in total EE, activity EE and basal EE, at different life stages, along with several morphological traits: height, fat free mass and fat mass. Total EE, and to some degree also activity EE, exhibit considerable greater male variation (GMV) in young adults, and then a decreasing GMV in progressively older individuals. Arguably, basal EE, and also morphometrics, do not exhibit this pattern. These findings suggest that single male sexual characteristics may not exhibit peak GMV in young adulthood, however total and perhaps also activity EE, associated with many morphological and physiological traits combined, do exhibit GMV most prominently during the reproductive life stages.

A widespread governance response to land use conflict is to seek improved communication through the employment of dialogue-based instruments. In this paper, we interrogate the guiding presupposition that conflict can be planned away through a case study on the Reindeer Husbandry Plan (Renbruksplan), a tool used to address land use conflicts between industrial forestry and Indigenous Sámi reindeer herding. Drawing on critical policy analysis and environmental justice frameworks, we analyze the problematizations, silences, and effects emerging from the tool’s use in forestry planning and land use decisions. Our findings reveal that, operating in its current institutional and legal context, the tool offers limited improvements in procedural justice, exacerbates unequal distribution of burdens and benefits in terms of who gets to use forest resources, privileging a forestry-centered representation of the land use conflict. We therefore conclude that, in absence of institutional reform, the tool is likely to perpetuate conflicts and continue to reproduce the injustices embedded in Swedish forest and land use governance.

A dynamic world requires people to constantly adapt their behavior and make decisions to maintain or enhance relationships between each other and the environment. Where the combined effects of anthropogenic and environmental change affect the livelihoods of Indigenous people, their options to pursue preferred adaptation strategies are often restricted by competing land uses. In this context, we explore how Sámi reindeer herders in Northern Sweden navigate the complexity of decision-making on adaptation, specifically decisions regarding supplementary feeding when winter grazing resources are inaccessible. How are decisions made and where are they positioned on an adaptation-maladaptation continuum? In a participatory approach with two reindeer herding communities, we use fuzzy cognitive mapping to explore the multi-dimensional complexity surrounding supplementary feeding. Our results emphasize the herders’ conviction that supplementary feeding is not a preferred adaptation strategy. It is rather a forced response driven by complex system dynamics that transform their pastoral landscape. To maintain the preferred traditional herding practices, desired adaptation measures viewed from a herding perspective should thus center at the system level, such as halting the loss and restoring already lost grazing grounds. This would require meaningful recognition and demands inclusion of reindeer herders’ right to self-determination into adaptation policies to mitigate environmental change.

Background Healthy lifestyle behaviors in pregnancy are important for maternal and offspring health. Mobile health (mHealth) tools have potential to provide support for lifestyle behaviors at scale but such tools are commonly developed only in native languages, limiting reach in migrant populations. Objectives This qualitative study, in two of the largest migrant populations in Sweden (Arabic- and Somali-speaking women), aimed to explore (a) perceptions and needs of knowledge and support related to pregnancy and lifestyle behaviors and (b) needs of and attitudes towards a pregnancy app and how features and content in the app can be adapted to support healthier lifestyle behaviors in migrant women. Method Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with Arabic ( n = 10) and Somali-speaking women ( n = 9). Data was analyzed using content analysis (inductive latent approach). Results Arabic- and Somali-speaking women described an increased need of knowledge regarding pregnancy and lifestyle behaviors. The social environment could both motivate behavior change and be a source of misinformation. Women expressed great trust in maternity healthcare but requested more information related to lifestyle behaviors. A pregnancy app was perceived as a helpful tool to support healthy lifestyle behaviors. Mere translations were suggested to be valuable, however, audio- and video-format to deliver content and inclusion of women's partners in the app were described as desirable adaptations. Conclusion Our findings can guide maternity healthcare on what support migrant women need and inform future development of mHealth tools for pregnant migrant populations. Future research should disentangle the degree of cultural adaptations required for mHealth lifestyle interventions provided by healthcare.

Obesity is caused by a prolonged positive energy balance1,2. Whether reduced energy expenditure stemming from reduced activity levels contributes is debated3,4. Here we show that in both sexes, total energy expenditure (TEE) adjusted for body composition and age declined since the late 1980s, while adjusted activity energy expenditure increased over time. We use the International Atomic Energy Agency Doubly Labelled Water database on energy expenditure of adults in the United States and Europe (n = 4,799) to explore patterns in total (TEE: n = 4,799), basal (BEE: n = 1,432) and physical activity energy expenditure (n = 1,432) over time. In males, adjusted BEE decreased significantly, but in females this did not reach significance. A larger dataset of basal metabolic rate (equivalent to BEE) measurements of 9,912 adults across 163 studies spanning 100 years replicates the decline in BEE in both sexes. We conclude that increasing obesity in the United States/Europe has probably not been fuelled by reduced physical activity leading to lowered TEE. We identify here a decline in adjusted BEE as a previously unrecognized factor.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs), whose main subtypes are exosomes, microparticles, and apoptotic bodies, are secreted by all cells and harbor biomolecules such as DNA, RNA, and proteins. They function as intercellular messengers and, depending on their cargo, may have multiple roles in cancer development. Thymidine kinase 1 (TK1) is a cell cycle-dependent enzyme used as a biomarker for cell proliferation. TK1 is usually elevated in cancer patients' serum, making the enzyme a valuable tumor proliferation biomarker that strongly correlates with cancer stage and metastatic capabilities. Here, we investigated the presence of TK1 in EVs derived from three prostate cancer cell lines with various p53 mutation statuses (LNCaP, PC3, and DU145), EVs from the normal prostate epithelial cell line RWPE-1 and EVs isolated from human seminal fluid (prostasomes). We measured the TK1 activity by a real-time assay for these EVs. We demonstrated that the TK1 enzyme activity is higher in EVs derived from the malignant cell lines, with the highest activity from cells deriving from the most aggressive cancer, compared to the prostasomes and RWPE-1 EVs. The measurement of TK1 activity in EVs may be essential in future prostate cancer studies.

Introduction Global surveillance of physical activity (PA) of children and adolescents with questionnaires is limited by the use of instruments developed in high-income countries (HICs) lacking sociocultural adaptation, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs); under-representation of some PA domains; and omission of active play, an important source of PA. Addressing these limitations would help improve international comparisons, and facilitate the cross-fertilisation of ideas to promote PA. We aim to develop and assess the reliability and validity of the app-based Global Adolescent and Child Physical Activity Questionnaire (GAC-PAQ) among 8–17 years old in 14 LMICs and HICs representing all continents; and generate the ‘first available data’ on active play in most participating countries.Methods and analysis Our study involves eight stages: (1) systematic review of psychometric properties of existing PA questionnaires for children and adolescents; (2) development of the GAC-PAQ (first version); (3) content validity assessment with global experts; (4) cognitive interviews with children/adolescents and parents in all 14 countries; (5) development of a revised GAC-PAQ; (6) development and adaptation of the questionnaire app (application); (7) pilot-test of the app-based GAC-PAQ; and, (8) main study with a stratified, sex-balanced and urban/rural-balanced sample of 500 children/adolescents and one of their parents/guardians per country. Participants will complete the GAC-PAQ twice to assess 1-week test–retest reliability and wear an ActiGraph wGT3X-BT accelerometer for 9 days to test concurrent validity. To assess convergent validity, subsamples (50 adolescents/country) will simultaneously complete the PA module from existing international surveys.Ethics and dissemination Approvals from research ethics boards and relevant organisations will be obtained in all participating countries. We anticipate that the GAC-PAQ will facilitate global surveillance of PA in children/adolescents. Our project includes a robust knowledge translation strategy sensitive to social determinants of health to inform inclusive surveillance and PA interventions globally.

Introduction: Procrastination behaviors are common among university students, and have been found to be associated with stress, symptoms of depression, anxiety, and poorer academic performance. There is a need for interventions that can reach students at scale, and therefore this study aimed to estimate the effects of a single session low-threshold digital intervention (Focus) for procrastination behaviors among university students in Sweden. Methods and analysis: A two-arm, parallel groups (1:1), single blind randomized controlled trial was conducted between February 8 to April 26, 2023. The study used email to invite university students across Sweden to participate in the trial. Both the intervention and the control group were invited to assess their current procrastination behaviors using the Pure Procrastination Scale (PPS). The intervention group immediately received feedback and behavior change advice by means of an interactive website, while the control group was shown their total PPS score without any further feedback. Students were included in the study if they scored 20 points or more on the PPS. Our primary outcome was procrastination behavior measured at 2 months post-randomization. Analyses were conducted using multilevel regression models estimated with Bayesian inference. Results: A total of 2209 participants (intervention: 1109, control: 1100) were randomized. The average age of participants was 26.4 years (SD = 7.8) and 65 % were women (n = 1442). The mean PPS score at baseline was 35.6 points (of a maximum of 60). Primary outcome data were available for 45 % (n = 498) of the intervention group and 55 % (n = 601) of the control group. The evidence suggested no marked difference between groups regarding any of the outcomes, although there was weak evidence of lower physical activity in the intervention group. Qualitative findings from open-ended responses uncovered a variety of views on procrastination and perceived problems that may follow. Those not feeling supported by Focus explained having troubles adopting the advice given and converting their intentions into action without more continuous support. Conclusions: Access to a single session of feedback and behavior change advice by means of an interactive website did not produce differential self-reported procrastination among university students who took the opportunity to self-assess their behaviors. The findings are limited by assessment reactivity due to screening at baseline and attrition to follow-up.

Dog ownership gained popularity during the pandemic. However, there was also a corresponding increase in the number of dogs being relinquished and rehomed. The rehoming procedure is known to be stressful to the dog, but the short- and long-term effects still need to be better understood. This study aimed to enhance our understanding of the short- and long-term challenges dogs encounter during the rehoming process by combining behavioral and physiological measures. The study included 20 relinquished dogs from a Swedish shelter and 30 rehomed dogs, comparing them to 33 control dogs that have been with their owner since leaving the breeder as puppies. All participants performed an unsolvable problem task, eye-contact test, and memory test and hair samples were obtained to analyze cortisol concentrations. Furthermore, dog owners (of rehomed and control dogs) completed a questionnaire assessing their perceived human-dog relationship. These owner-dog dyads also participated in a behavioral synchronization test. The result indicated that shelter dogs had the shortest eye-contact duration in both an eye-contact test and an unsolvable problem task, but there was no difference between the three groups in the short-term memory test or in stress-related behaviors. Analysis of hair cortisol concentrations in the dogs revealed that the shelter dogs had higher long-term stress levels than rehomed dogs, but they did not differ significantly from control dogs. Both rehomed and control dogs synchronized their behavior with their owner, but, interestingly, the owners of rehomed dogs reported a higher emotional closeness to their dogs than owners of control dogs. Consequently, despite the observed short-term effects during the rehoming procedure, this study suggests that rehomed dogs can adapt to their new life and develop a strong relationship with their owner.

Background: There is limited evidence from globally diverse samples on the prevalence and correlates of meeting the global guideline of 180 minutes per day of total physical activity (TPA) among 3- to 4-year-olds. Methods: Cross-sectional study involving 797 (49.2% girls) 3- to 4-year-olds from 17 middle- and high-income countries who participated in the pilot phases 1 and 2 of the SUNRISE International Study of Movement Behaviours in the Early Years. Daily step count was measured using thigh-worn activPAL accelerometers. Children wore the accelerometers for at least one 24-hour period. Children were categorized as meeting the TPA guideline based on achieving ≥11,500 steps per day. Descriptive analyses were conducted to describe the proportion of meeting the TPA guideline for the overall sample and each of the sociodemographic variables, and 95% CIs were calculated. Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine the sociodemographic correlates of meeting the TPA guideline. Results: Mean daily step count was 10,295 steps per day (SD = 4084). Approximately one-third of the sample (30.9%, 95% CI, 27.6–34.2) met the TPA guideline. The proportion meeting the guideline was significantly lower among girls (adjusted OR [aOR] = 0.70, 95% CI, 0.51–0.96) and 4-year-olds (aOR = 0.50, 95% CI, 0.34–0.75) and higher among rural residents (aOR = 1.78, 95% CI, 1.27–2.49) and those from lower middle-income countries (aOR = 1.35, 95% CI, 0.89–2.04). Conclusions: The findings suggest that a minority of children might meet the TPA guideline globally, and the risk of not meeting the guideline differed by sociodemographic indicators. These findings suggest the need for more surveillance of TPA in young children globally and, possibly, interventions to improve childhood health and development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Physical activity guidelines for children encourage moderate-to-vigorous intensity activities (MVPA); however, some studies have found that only vigorous intensity activities (VPA) might promote health benefits in young children. Thus, the aim of this study is to investigate cross-sectional and 5-year longitudinal associations of VPA and MVPA with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in childhood using compositional data analysis. Results This study utilized data from the SPINACH study (n = 411). Physical activity was measured with accelerometers at 4- and 9-years of age. CVD risk factors were measured at 9-years of age, and included blood pressure (BP), lipid metabolism, and glucose metabolism biomarkers, as well as a continuous metabolic syndrome risk score (MetS). Cross-sectional and longitudinal linear regression models were built using compositional data analysis standards. Cross-sectionally, reallocating time to VPA from lower-intensity behaviours at 9-years was associated with lower waist circumference (B = − 3.219, P = 0.002), diastolic BP (B = − 1.836, P = 0.036), triglycerides (B = − 0.214, P

Background One approach to promoting healthy lifestyle behaviors is to target students with digital interventions. One of these is the digital intervention Buddy. This study aimed to understand why college and university students’ chose to participate in a digital multiple lifestyle behavior intervention trial (Buddy), and their subsequent experiences of the behavior-change process. Methods College and university students taking part in a trial of the Buddy intervention were individually interviewed after completing the 4-month intervention. Participants were guided to narrate their experiences and actions that followed signing up. Altogether, 50 interviews were conducted via telephone. The verbatim transcribed texts were analyzed qualitatively. Results The analysis generated seven personas, which illustrated the students’ different levels of engagement with the intervention and the behavior-change process. These were: the Occupied, the Kickstarter, the Aimless, the Reflective, the Goal-oriented, the Compliant, and the Personally developed. Buddy worked best for students who had clear ideas about what they wanted to change and why, and who were aware of their needs, and those who could translate information and reflection into action and had the mental and physical energy needed to make changes. Conclusions The progress of behavior change depends on the interaction between the digital mode of delivery, the intervention materials of Buddy, the individual's expectations, needs, and skills, and their current life situation. This suggests that designing lifestyle interventions could benefit from more often considering the various personas’ different intentions, knowledge, and contexts. By doing so, interventions are likely to emerge that can better match different needs in the target population.

BackgroundPhysical activity is well known to have beneficial effects on glycemic control and to reduce risk factors for cardiovascular disease in persons with type 2 diabetes. Yet, successful implementation of lifestyle interventions targeting physical activity in primary care has shown to be difficult. Smartphone apps may provide useful tools to support physical activity. The DiaCert app was specifically designed for integration into primary care and is an automated mobile health (mHealth) solution promoting daily walking. ObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate the effect of a 3-month-long intervention promoting physical activity through the use of the DiaCert app among persons with type 2 diabetes in Sweden. Our primary objective was to assess the effect on moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) at 3 months of follow-up. Our secondary objective was to assess the effect on MVPA at 6 months of follow-up and on BMI, waist circumference, hemoglobin A1c, blood lipids, and blood pressure at 3 and 6 months of follow-up. MethodsWe recruited men and women with type 2 diabetes from 5 primary health care centers and 1 specialized center. Participants were randomized 1:1 to the intervention or control group. The intervention group was administered standard care and access to the DiaCert app at baseline and 3 months onward. The control group received standard care only. Outcomes of objectively measured physical activity using accelerometers, BMI, waist circumference, biomarkers, and blood pressure were assessed at baseline and follow-ups. Linear mixed models were used to assess differences in outcomes between the groups. ResultsA total of 181 study participants, 65.7% (119/181) men and 34.3% (62/181) women, were recruited into the study and randomized to the intervention (n=93) or control group (n=88). The participants’ mean age and BMI were 60.0 (SD 11.4) years and 30.4 (SD 5.3) kg/m2, respectively. We found no significant effect of the intervention (group by time interaction) on MVPA at either the 3-month (β=1.51, 95% CI –5.53 to 8.55) or the 6-month (β=–3.53, 95% CI –10.97 to 3.92) follow-up. We found no effect on any of the secondary outcomes at follow-ups, except for a significant effect on BMI at 6 months (β=0.52, 95% CI 0.20 to 0.84). However, mean BMI did not differ between the groups at the 6-month follow-up. ConclusionsWe found no evidence that persons with type 2 diabetes being randomized to use an app promoting daily walking increased their levels of MVPA at 3 or 6 months’ follow-up compared with controls receiving standard care. The effect of the app on BMI was unclear, and we found nothing to support an effect on secondary outcomes. Further research is needed to determine what type of mHealth intervention could be effective to increase physical activity among persons with type 2 diabetes. Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT03053336; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT03053336

Abstract Background Mental health problems among children and adolescents are a growing public health concern. Self‐report questionnaires are pivotal for screening and early detection of mental health issues. We evaluate the psychometric properties and provide norm data of the 25‐item child and 25‐item parent‐report versions of the Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale (RCADS). Methods A random probability sample of 29,000 children and adolescents (ages 4–17) from the Swedish population registry was invited. Data collection occurred from September 2021 to January 2022, accompanied by one postal and four SMS reminders. Results Participants (N = 7045, 48.98% girls) demonstrate that the RCADS‐25 possesses relatively sound psychometric properties, albeit that the child‐report version assessed with children and adolescents aged 8 to 17 years rendered relatively better psychometric properties (e.g., ω = 0.87–0.92, CFI = 0.89) compared with the parent‐report version and the children 4 to 7 years old (e.g., ω = 0.72–0.82, CFI = 0.84). Conclusion The RCADS‐25 instruments may be used as an effective instrument for the initial assessment of anxiety and depression in children and adolescents in Sweden.