Plymouth Marjon University Repository
Not a member yet
930 research outputs found
Sort by
Exploring school leadership in coastal schools: ‘getting a fair deal’ for students in disadvantaged communities
Get PDFThis paper is a response to an earlier article in the Journal of Education Policy, which calls for ‘new ideas and constructive principles and practices for the provision of socially-just education’. We first discuss how an economistic approach to education entrenches socioeconomic disadvantage and argue that, in the light of evidence that inequalities are increasing both nationally and internationally, it has become increasingly important that we understand models of social justice in schools in deprived locations. Reporting on original longitudinal research with schools in disadvantaged coastal areas in England, and drawing on the notion of the insistent affirmation of possibility, we then discuss three dimensions of active social justice undertaken by participating school leaders. By examining practical examples of social justice, we aim to shift the debate into more positive territory, in which there can be more appreciation of the efforts and outcomes of some leaders in highly disadvantaged areas and more leaders can take heart in following their example
A mixed studies systematic review and meta-analysis of school-based interventions to promote physical activity and/or reduce sedentary time in children
Get PDFPurpose
The aim of this mixed-studies systematic review was to ascertain the effectiveness of school-based interventions at increasing physical activity (PA) and/or reducing sedentary time (ST) in children aged 5 to 11 years, as well as to explore effectiveness in relation to categories of the theory of expanded, extended and enhanced opportunity (TEO).
Methods
Adhering to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, 5 databases were searched using pre-defined search terms. Following title and abstract screening of 1115 records, the removal of duplicates (n = 584) and articles that did not meet the inclusion criteria agreed to a priori (n = 419) resulted in 112 records that were full-text screened. Two independent reviewers subsequently used the mixed-methods appraisal tool to assess the methodological quality of 57 full-text studies that met the inclusion criteria after full-text screening. The interventions were summarised using the TIDierR checklist and TEO. The strength of evidence was determined using a five-level rating system utilising a published decision tree.
Results
Overall evidence ratings for interventions implemented within school settings were no evidence on moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and inconclusive evidence on sedentary time. In relation to the TEO, expansion of PA appeared to be the most promising intervention type for MVPA, with moderate evidence of effect, whereas extension and enhancement of PA opportunity demonstrated no evidence of effect. A critical issue of possible compensatory behavior was identified by analysis of intervention effect in relation to PA measurement duration; when studies measured changes in PA during the actual intervention there was moderate evidence of effect, whereas those that measured changes in PA during the school day presented inconclusive evidence of effect and those that measured changes in PA over a whole day yielded no evidence of effect. Two meta-analysis of those studies using a whole-day accelerometer measure for MVPA or ST showed a significant but moderate effect for MVPA (effect size (ES) = 0.51; 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 0.02–0.99) and a large but non-significant effect for ST 1.15 (95%CI: –1.03 to 3.33); both meta-analysis demonstrated low precision, considerable inconsistency, and high heterogeneity.
Conclusion
The findings have important implications for future intervention research in terms of intervention design, implementation, and evaluation
One-year surveillance of body mass index and cardiorespiratory fitness in UK primary school children in North West England and the impact of school deprivation level
Get PDFObjectives Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is independently associated with health and academic attainment in childhood and adolescence. Yet overweight/obesity remains the focus in public health policy. Surveillance of body mass index (BMI) and CRF considering school deprivation levels is limited. Therefore, we examined this in English primary schools.
Methods Participants (n=409) were students (9–10 years) from 13 schools. BMI and CRF (20 m shuttle run) were measured at three time points across the academic year and a fourth after summer recess.
Results BMI z-scores significantly decreased (p=0.015) from autumn (z=0.336 (95% CI 0.212 to 0.460)) to spring (z=0.252 (95% CI 0.132 to 0.371)), and then significantly increased (p=0.010) to summer (z=0.327 (95% CI 0.207 to 0.447)). CRF significantly increased (p<0.001) from autumn (z=0.091 (95% CI −0.014 to 0.196)) to spring (z=0.492 (95% CI 0.367 to 0.616)), no change (p=0.308) into summer (z=0.411 (95% CI 0.294 to 0.528)) and a significant decrease (p<0.001) into the following autumn term (z=0.125 (95% CI 0.021 to 0.230)). BMI was unaffected by deprivation; however, pupils from the most deprived areas saw significantly greater reductions in CRF compared with pupils from affluent areas. No time, or deprivation level, by sex interactions were found.
Conclusion Significant reductions in children’s CRF occurred over the summer recess and were greater among children from schools in the most deprived areas. This may help inform future research into interventions targeting physical activity of schoolchildren, particularly over the summer recess
Sleep Abnormalities in Multiple Sclerosis
Get PDFPurpose of review
This review summarizes the most well-documented sleep disorders seen in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), with a special focus on the impact on quality of life.
Recent findings
Sleep abnormalities in patients with MS are a multifactorial and relatively complex issue affecting approximately 60% of the patients while the pathophysiology of these symptoms is not fully understood. Circadian rhythm disorders and increased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines have been recognized as potential players in affecting sleep homeostasis in MS patients. Medication-related side effects such as in immunotherapy and other factors such as lesion load can contribute to the disruption of normal sleep patterns.
Summary
Most frequently encountered sleep disorders are insomnia, sleep-related movement disorders, sleep-related breathing disorders, and circadian rhythm disorders affecting both adults and paediatric MS populations. Aetiology still remains unknown with treatment options focusing on behavioural cognitive therapy and lifestyle modification including improvement in sleep hygiene as well as melatonin supplementation. Given MS prevalence is still rising affecting millions of people, more personalized medicine applications should possibly form the key approach for improving patients’ quality of life and quality years
A Possible Explanation for Non-responders, Responders and Super-responders to Biologics in Severe Asthma
Get PDFResponse to biologic therapies in severe asthma is variable, with patients being either nonresponders, responders or super-responders. There is currently no explanation for this variation in response. If asthma-specific inflammatory pathways are part of a wider network of pathogenic mechanisms (including systemic inflammation), then the state of this wider network could either help or hinder the effect of the biologic. People with severe asthma are often polysymptomatic with a variable frequency of nonrespiratory symptoms. Application of existing network theory would predict that high systemic inflammation, measurable by the frequency of nonrespiratory symptoms, should decrease the effectiveness of biologics, a prediction consistent with the limited existing data. A detailed examination of the relationship between biologic response and the frequency or profile of nonrespiratory symptoms would provide a testable prediction of this hypothesis. The clinical presentation of super-responders is consistent with biologics sometimes having a positive effect on the pathology (level of dysregulation) in a network system. If that were the case, then network theory predicts the possibility of a short-term increase in nonrespiratory symptoms prior to the improvement reported by super-responders. If biologics lead to less network dysregulation in some patients, then this raises the possibility of new applications for this therapy and of an improved response to biologics if lifestyle improvement is started prior to biologic therap
Not another literacy? A case for developing professional literacy with undergraduate students using dialogic feedback opportunities
Get PDF
