1993 research outputs found
Sort by
Systematic Review of the Impact of Tele-medicine and Digital Platforms on Hypertension Management Among the Elderly in the UK.
Get PDFHypertension affects approximately half of adults aged 65 and over in the UK, presenting significant risks for cardiovascular disease and stroke. Managing hypertension in the elderly is complicated by multi-morbidity, poly-pharmacy, frailty, and barriers to healthcare access. This systematic review examines the impact of telemedicine and digital platforms on hypertension management among older adults in the UK.
Evidence indicates that telemedicine interventions—such as remote blood pressure monitoring, virtual consultations, and mobile health applications—improve blood pressure control, medication adherence, and patient satisfaction, particularly for those with mobility limitations or living in rural areas. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated telemedicine adoption, enabling continuity of care but also highlighting challenges related to digital literacy, technology access, and data privacy. Barriers such as cognitive and sensory impairments, low health literacy, and reliance on caregivers disproportionately affect the elderly, necessitating tailored solutions. While telemedicine offers substantial benefits, its effectiveness varies with patient complexity and digital readiness, and it cannot fully replace in-person care for those with significant comorbidity or technology barriers. The review concludes that hybrid care models, combining digital and traditional approaches, are essential for optimizing hypertension management and addressing the diverse needs of the UK’s aging population
An Examination of How the Mentoring of Initial Teacher Education Students is Perceived and Practised in Wales.
Get PDFThis mixed method study examines the perceptions and values of subject mentors who work with ITE students in placement schools in Wales. A second area of interest is how they work with their students to facilitate their professional development within the distinct socio-cultural context of their placement schools. Finally, the study considers student voice and the subjective diverse expectations and assumptions of individual students about the mentoring role.
The quantitative survey sent to mentors in all secondary schools in Wales provided data about the theoretical stance of subject mentors to the mentoring process and reflected diverse views which were explored through the analysis of descriptive statistics. The qualitative element of the study took the form of case studies of the mentoring process in three secondary schools in south Wales which were chosen for their varied socio-cultural contexts. Data were gained through semi-structured interviews with senior and subject mentors, departmental staff and ITE students, lesson observations and attendance at feedback sessions. Analysis of the data aimed to reflect the richness of the mentoring experiences provided in each case study, to explore how individual mentors worked with their students to support and challenge them in their professional development, and to allow student voice to emerge.
The study makes the following contributions to knowledge of the mentoring process in Wales. Firstly, it contributes to our knowledge of the attitudes and values which influence subject mentors in their work and secondly it explores through observation of classroom practice how mentors focus upon serving the needs of their individual ITE students. A third possible contribution is that of student voice which reveals how the subject mentor is considered by many to be the linchpin of the school experience providing support and reassurance through availability beyond the confines of the school day
Domestic Abuse Among Adults in England During and After COVID19, Government Interventions and Service Improvements
Get PDFThe research aimed to determine the prevalence of domestic abuse violence among adults in the United Kingdom during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, and to gain a better understanding of the available social and public health care services, policies related to it, how they have changed since the pandemic, and what kinds of interventions have been implemented by them and the UK Government.
To analyse the data, a systematic literature review and thematic analysis were conducted on twelve peer-reviewed journal articles based on primary research carried out in the United Kingdom from 2022 to 2024. The data were primarily collected from the UWTSD library and the healthcare-related database ProQuest, with additional information also obtained through Google Scholar.
The search focused on adults over 18 years old living in the United Kingdom who have experienced domestic abuse during the COVID-19 pandemic and afterwards up to the present.
The first theme revealed the connection between the rising number of domestic abuse cases and the period during COVID-19. The second theme offered a clearer understanding of people's awareness of domestic abuse violence. The third theme demonstrated the capacity of employers to support victims of domestic abuse, and finally, the fourth theme provided insights into why, despite the ongoing increase in domestic abuse cases, referral numbers remain low.
This research highlights the importance of conducting further studies to observe how the number of cases changes over time and to encourage policymakers and health and social care sectors to implement more effective interventions. These efforts aim to reduce the number of victims and create a safer country for everyone living in the United Kingdom
A Comparative Study on the Effectiveness of Sugar Tax Policy in Public Health: France (Developed Nation) and Chile (Developing Nation)
Get PDFBackground: The increasing prevalence of obesity and obesity-related NCDs have prompted governments to enact policies to target sugar-sweetened beverages. This dissertation aims to address the varied policy designs in France, a developed nation and Chile, a developing nation on the impact of the tax on their consumption, obesity prevalence, social determinants of health and the barriers and enablers to effective tax implementation.
Method: A systematic literature review was conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines through searching through databases such as PubMed, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library, EBSCOhost, JSTOR and UWTSD online library and 15 studies were chosen. These articles were critically appraised through the Joanna Briggs Institute Checklist (JBI) and were synthesised according to Braun and Clark thematic analysis methodology. The analysis focused on four domains which were public health outcomes of sugar taxation, social determinants affecting policy effectiveness, consumer behaviour and substitution effects and policy design and implementation.
Findings: Findings showed that modest reductions were observed in France and Chile with higher reductions from higher tax thresholds. In Chile, the purchases of high-sugar SSBs reduced by around 3 per cent while the purchases of substitutions increased by 10 per cent. The reductions in France were smaller but was equally supported through reformulation efforts. However, the overall impact on obesity was limited. Individuals of high-income groups were more responsive of the tax compared to low-income groups who displayed weaker behavioural shifts.
Conclusion: The study concludes that SSB taxes alone were useful but insufficient to reduce sugar consumption. Policymakers should prioritise higher tax thresholds, reinvestment of tax revenues and education campaigns. Future research should also include long-term evaluations, inclusion of rural populations and the industrial response to the tax
The Creative Art Journey: An artist facilitator's autoethnographic exploration of the specificities of place, culture, and tradition through workshop-led extra-curricular art learning in Wales.
Get PDFThe thesis explores the dynamic between the artist as facilitator and participants in extracurricular art workshops. A personal perspective examines whether the Welsh context allows for more creative freedom in undertaking art workshops. The thesis emphasises the role of the artist facilitator in autoethnographic remembering the collaboration with participants in art processes and their benefits. Exploring teaching and learning both from history and contemporary practices forms a foundation from which to question the learning processes of the art workshop. Exploring language and culture focusses on the importance of these to Wales and the inclusion of these in art workshops. This research discovers that creative freedom within the learning AND teaching environment is the key process in a two-way collaboration.
The theoretical framework underpinning this research utilises a mixed method qualitative approach, including focusing on the self in autoethnography, art making in practice-based research, place in psychogeography and past art workshops in reflective case studies. This is undertaken through personal narratives, making new art, and remembering. Art, culture, language, and the regional positioning of the workshop are important and reveal a vitality where the facilitator and participants develop new skills, information, a collaborative creative memory, and a changed perspective. Art both in the imagination and as artefacts, help to embed information from the past in the present and into the future. The workshop is fleeting but the impact lasts. The research demonstrates the need to examine the position of facilitator and participants in art workshops in Wales with a focus on the liberation of creativity and imagination. This thesis is presented in English, but the research process has been undertaken bilingually, and some use of Welsh is presented alongside English interpretations
It is rocket science: professionalising the early childhood workforce in the UK - Final report from the Comparative analysis of early years workforce policy in the four UK nations (EYW4N) project
No full textThe Importance and Usefulness of English to Pupils in the Schools of The Saarland, Germany
Get PDFThis study investigates the factors influencing German students! attitudes toward learning English in the multilingual region of the Saarland. Using a qualitative, mixed-methods approach, data were collected from 64 students across two age groups (10–12 and 16–18) through questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. The research focuses on learners' motivation, confidence, engagement with English outside the classroom, and perceptions of its usefulness.
Participants were drawn from two schools: a Berufsbildungszentrum (A career-oriented school) (ages 16–18) and a Gemeinschaftsschule (A comprehensive school) (ages 10–12). Findings indicate that while both age groups regard English as valuable for future careers and global communication, their sources of motivation differ. Younger students were more influenced by digital media and gamified contexts, whereas older learners expressed stronger instrumental goals and practical applications of the language. Across both groups, intrinsic motivation, media exposure and social interaction played key roles in fostering engagement.
The data were analysed thematically using coding tables and visual summaries. The study draws on Gardner's Social Educational Model (SEM), Dörnyei's L2 Motivational Self System (L2MSS), Norton’s investment theory and Complex Dynamic Systems Theory (CDST) to interpret learners' attitudes and behaviours. The findings offer insights for language educators and policymakers, highlighting the importance of developmentally appropriate, identity sensitive approaches to English education in multilingual European contexts
Bottoms Up! John of Arderne and the Interest in Surgical Manuscripts in Late Medieval England
Get PDFGoing back as early as the Middle Ages, people and institutions have coveted and cherished books which were simultaneously a practical means of storing and preservation knowledge and an accessory decorating the people, institutions, and societies that kept them. However, there is still so much we do not know about this early book-form, including their relationship to the people who owned them and their larger place in society. The study of many of the more lavish genres, such as Books of Hours and the Histories produced in the Middle Ages, have gone to great lengths towards revealing the individuals who owned these precious commodities and have uncovered details about these communities of readers. And yet, despite this known approach, the study of the more practical genres, particularly surgical manuscripts, have not been treated in the same manor. With little known about the various ways in which these texts may have been used and the different people in society who would have used them, it is high time to see what some of these surgical texts may reveal about their use and ownership. Looking specifically at a corpus of manuscripts on medieval anal fistulas, the following thesis seeks to fill this gap in our knowledge of medieval manuscripts to uncover the various people who made up surgical readership in later medieval England. In doing this, I hope to demonstrate the importance of this approach to the study of medieval medical manuscripts by demonstrating the various ways it enhances our understanding not only of medieval medical manuscripts, but of the interest in medieval literature in general
Enhancing Cross-Cultural Communication and Cognitive Health Through Chinese Papercutting: A Comparative Study of Welsh and Chinese Adults
No full textThis thesis explores the innovative intersection of traditional Chinese papercutting art with cognitive health and cross-cultural communication within the Welsh context. It introduces the "Chinese Papercutting Cross-Cultural Cognitive Enhancement Model" as a pioneering intervention, an original contribution to the field, developed to address both theoretical gaps and practical challenges encountered in professional settings where cultural understanding and cognitive health intersect. Designed with a practical orientation, the model equips practitioners with actionable strategies to enhance cognitive health through structured artistic practices. By integrating theories from neuroscience, cognitive psychology, art therapy, and cultural studies, this research demonstrates how Chinese papercutting stimulates cognitive functions through enhancing neural plasticity, psychological well-being, social integration, and cross-cultural understanding.
Central to this study are innovative workshops held in Wales, which serve as empirical sites to evaluate and refine the model's efficacy. Specifically, these workshops facilitated rich data collection through participatory observation, surveys, and interviews, providing iterative feedback to ensure the model's practical relevance and adaptability.
To further validate the model, the research employed two case studies targeting local Welsh individuals and Chinese immigrants to compare the intervention's effects across cultural backgrounds. The findings reveal significant cognitive, emotional, and social benefits, demonstrating that the workshops effectively tested the model's hypothesis and validated its applicability across diverse participant groups. This comparative approach enriches the study by providing insights into the model's versatility and effectiveness across demographics. Additionally, the author's professional background as a cultural educator and organiser of cultural programmes informed the development of the workshops, ensuring their alignment with practical contexts and enhancing their applicability to real-world settings.
In terms of contributions, the thesis makes substantial advancements to knowledge and practice by constructing an original theoretical model elucidating the cognitive and social benefits of Chinese papercutting; innovating research methodology by integrating participatory workshops as both intervention and data collection tools; and demonstrating the model's practical application and effectiveness in enhancing cognitive health and promoting cultural exchange. Furthermore, this research advocates for the inclusion of traditional arts in public health strategies, educational curricula, and professional practices, highlighting their roles in advancing global understanding and cooperation. The findings not only validate the model but also reinforce the value of participatory approaches in bridging theoretical constructs and empirical outcomes. Ultimately, the study invites further interdisciplinary research and practical exploration into using artistic activities for cognitive health enhancement, community engagement, social cohesion, and cultural integration in an increasingly globalised society
Dehumanisation as spiritual harm: Simone Weil on love, justice and collective healing
No full textThroughout history, humanity has endured violent atrocities that have left long-lasting scars on communities and societies. This paper contends that understanding the multifaceted impact of dehumanisation – especially its spiritual dimension – is essential for restoring and regenerating global communities. Simone Weil’s philosophical and theological writings form the basis of this paper, which offers an innovative relational interpretation of her relevant analyses by systematically examining her argument on humanity’s rootedness in the sacred, dehumanisation as soul wound and love as an antidote to brutality. Building on Weil’s ideas, this paper proposes a four-fold intergenerational approach to addressing spiritual harm, social degradation and structural injustice. It concludes by suggesting that for communities historically sabotaged by slavery, colonisation and displacement, and currently grappling with continued legacies of injustice, Weil’s wisdom of love as the antidote to spiritual harm can contribute meaningfully and practically to collective healing, advance social justice and promote co-flourishing
Data sources:
Access Repository Dashboard
Do you manage University of Wales Trinity Saint David? Access insider analytics, issue reports and manage access to outputs from your repository in the CORE Repository Dashboard!