53558 research outputs found
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A qualitative exploration of narratives among problematic exercise experiences
Full text linkBackground and Aims
Exercise is recognized as essential for health, but exercise addiction remains a lesser-known phenomenon. Unlike substance addictions, excessive exercise is often celebrated, making it difficult to distinguish between dedication and compulsion. To understand what exercisers perceive as problematic within their exercise context, a qualitative study was conducted investigating personal experiences.
Methods
Through a reflexive thematic analysis, the present study analyzed 153 narratives from individuals who experienced physical, psychological, or emotional problems due to exercise.
Results
Four main themes emerged: (i) The social pressure of a performativity-oriented culture; (ii) Everything seemed to be going well until the injuries appeared; (iii) Time is money: Interpersonal conflicts; and (iv) It is my responsibility: Intrapersonal conflict. The results suggest that a culture of performance provides an interpretive framework that shapes and sustains problematic exercise experiences. Participants internalized performative values, leading to strict demands and fear of failure, resulting in severe injuries in over 70% of cases. In participants' narratives, the forced interruption of activity was associated with the reported emergence of withdrawal symptoms, with health and morality discourses providing the framework for rationalizing their excessive dedication.
Conclusions
These findings suggest that problematic exercise is not an individual issue, but an expression of a broader culture prioritizing performance. These results underscore the importance of shifting toward biopsychosocial interventions that foster identity flexibility and prioritize holistic well-being and enjoyment over performance metrics
Bridging digital skills gap: perspectives from higher education and employers in business and health sectors
No full textThis study investigates the alignment between digital skills taught in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and those demanded by employers in the business management and health and social care sectors in the United Kingdom. Drawing on a qualitative research approach using primary data, the research explores how recent graduates and industry professionals perceive digital competencies and identifies strategies for more effective integrating of these skills into university curricula. A total of 51 graduates and 7 employers participated in the study, contributing insights through surveys distributed via email, WhatsApp, and Microsoft Teams. The findings reveal a persistent gap between graduates' digital literacy and employers' expectations, particularly in data analysis, specialised software use, and digital communication. While basic proficiency in tools like Microsoft Office is common, both groups emphasised the need for more advanced, practice-oriented digital training. Employers highlighted adaptability and digital fluency as critical yet underdeveloped attributes among recruits. The study concludes that bridging this gap requires a collaborative effort between HEIs and industry, involving curriculum reform, simulation-based learning, and certification in emerging technologies. These findings contribute to ongoing debates about graduate employability and digital readiness, offering practical recommendations for educational policy and curriculum development
The WITHING sessions, episode 5
No full textThe WITHING Sessions is a series of six radio episodes broadcast between October 2025 and March 2026 on radio WORM by the research collaboration WITHING. Moving between practice-sharing, research-reporting, and poetic reading, each episode invites listeners to dive into the practice of WITHING, to linger with it and to take part in iterations that blur writing into sounding, scoring into performing, and the other way around
Rainy days don’t always get me down: how rainy weather affects customers’ dining experience and evaluations
No full textWeather conditions can significantly influence individuals’ perceptions of the consumption environment, subsequently influencing their post-consumption evaluations. This research examines the effect of rainy weather during the consumption experience on restaurant customers’ post-consumption evaluations. Using secondary data collected from a popular online restaurant review platform and controlled experiments, the findings suggest that customers who dine during rainy weather tend to rate their experiences favorably. Furthermore, this positive rainy weather effect varies across different dining seasons, and is mediated by an enhanced sense of psychological warmth as customers transition from the rainy outdoors to indoor environments. This research contributes to the literature on weather effect and post-consumption evaluation behavior and offers practical managerial insights regarding customer handling and service improvement for businesses operating in physical retail environments and the restaurant industry
Investigating how sociodemographic factors and vaccination attitudes explain awareness, experience, and willingness toward COVID-19 and influenza vaccination among Taiwan residents
Full text linkSociodemographic factors and individual attitudes may influence individuals’ decisions for vaccination against infectious diseases. The present study aimed to identify how these factors were associated with COVID-19 and influenza vaccination experiences among Taiwanese individuals. Using a cross-sectional design, 914 individuals (female = 58%; aged 50 years or above = 43.1%) completed an online survey between October and November 2024. Chi-squares and odds ratios (ORs) derived from logistic regression were used to examine the associations and perform predictive analysis. Results showed that 54% were undecided (those who answered ‘not sure’) or reluctant (those who answered ‘no’) about receiving a COVID-19 booster vaccine, while 65% were willing to get the next influenza vaccine. Factors such as age, employment, and education were significantly associated with awareness and experience for both types of vaccination. Older people had a higher awareness of the vaccination and were more likely to receive the vaccines. Individuals who worked in health-related settings or had an education in a related field, along with those with higher education, showed increased awareness and experience of vaccination. After controlling for sociodemographic factors, attitude (i.e., vaccination readiness and conspiracy belief) predicted vaccination willingness for both vaccines (pseudo-R2 = 0.28–0.33). Moreover, factors such as age, education, occupation, and attitudes (readiness, conspiracy beliefs) may be associated with awareness, experience, and willingness to receive COVID-19 and influenza vaccines among Taiwanese individuals. Developing awareness programs for younger and less educated people, and those who work in non-health-related sectors, may be helpful to encourage individuals to get vaccinated
Household cannabis cessation and adolescent mental health outcomes in a prospective cohort study
Full text linkBackground: Household cannabis use is a risk factor for adolescents’ mental health problems. However, little is known about the association of the cessation and psychological impairments in affected adolescents. This study examined the associations of household cannabis cessation and adolescents’ mental health outcomes and potential pathways.
Methods: This cohort study used data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study and included adolescents aged 10–13 years with household cannabis use within 12 months at wave 2. Household cannabis cessation was defined as the absence of cannabis use by household members (excluding the adolescent participant) at wave 3 among households that reported use at wave 2. Internalizing and externalizing problems were assessed using the Child Behavior Checklist, and psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) were evaluated using the Prodromal Questionnaire-Brief Child Version. Family conflict and sleep problems were assessed using the Family Environment subscale and the Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children, respectively. Demographic and psychometric confounders were balanced with propensity score matching (PSM). Linear regression was applied to investigate the associations between cessation and mental health outcomes. Mediation analyses of family conflict and adolescent sleep problems were performed. We further considered the influence of genetic predisposition to cannabis use disorder (CUD) and examined whether brain connectivity patterns, measured by resting-state fMRI, modified the relationships.
Results: Of the 1426 adolescents exposed to household cannabis within 12 months, 438 (30.7%) were no longer exposed by wave 3. After PSM, cessation was associated with lower levels of internalizing and externalizing problems, and PLEs (mean ratios, 0.84–0.86, all P < 0.02), adjusting for baseline scores. The associations persisted after additionally adjusting for the adolescents’ polygenic risk for CUD among White participants. Family conflict and sleep problems mediated the associations of cessation with internalizing (proportion mediated, 6.8% and 25.8%, respectively) and externalizing symptoms (14.3% and 24.8%, respectively). Adolescents with weaker connections between cingulo-parietal and dorsal attention networks showed stronger associations between cessation and PLEs.
Conclusions: Household cannabis cessation was linked to a lower level of adolescent mental health problems at follow-up. These findings suggest that interventions aimed at reducing or eliminating household cannabis exposure may be beneficial for youth well-being
