11237 research outputs found
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Evaluating the impact of the Health Navigator Model on housing status among people experiencing homelessness in four European countries
No full textBackground: People experiencing homelessness (PEH) face significant health disparities and systemic barriers to healthcare, elevating their risk for cancer and other chronic diseases. To tackle PEHs’ challenges in accessing cancer preventive care, the CANCERLESS project implemented the Health Navigator Model (HNM)—a person-centered intervention that utilizes trained Health Navigators to provide tailored support and facilitate service access. Recognizing housing as a key determinant of health, this analysis assessed changes in housing status associated with participation in the HNM among CANCERLESS participants in Austria, Greece, Spain, and the UK. Methods: This was a secondary analysis of cross-national data collected during a single-arm interventional study. Of 652 enrolled PEH, 277 (42.5%) completed the HNM intervention follow-up and were included in the analysis. Changes in housing status from baseline to follow-up were categorized using the European Typology of Homelessness and Housing Exclusion (ETHOS) and treated as an ordered outcome. Descriptive statistics were complemented by a cumulative link mixed model with a participant random intercept to estimate the association between time (follow-up vs. baseline) and housing transitions among completers, adjusting for age, residence/legal status, and daily smoking. Results: Participants had a mean age of 47.4 (SD 13.8), primarily identified as male (64.1%), reported upper secondary education (33.9%), and were from Western European countries (39.7%), with varying housing situations. Among intervention completers, time (follow-up vs. baseline) was associated with higher odds of being in a higher ETHOS category (OR = 1.49, 95% CI = 1.02–2.20, p = 0.042), consistent with a modest improvement in housing status. Larger estimates were observed among migrants without legal documents (OR = 24.13, 95% CI = 6.41–90.89, p < 0.001), while daily smoking was associated with lower odds (OR = 0.33, 95% CI = 0.11–0.96, p = 0.041); other residence status categories were not statistically significant. Conclusions: Suggesting that tailored, navigation-based models, such as the HNM, may be linked to improved housing stability for PEH, these findings can inform piloting and context-aligned integration of the HNM within public health strategies as an alternative approach to address the complex, interconnected health and social needs of PEH. However, the lack of a comparison group and high attrition limit the results’ conclusiveness, and future evaluations should aim to include assessments of housing-associated contextual factors.</p
Effect of a Single Acupressure Treatment on the Mechanical Nociceptive Thresholds (MNTs) of the Equine Epaxial Back Musculature
No full textAims: Equine acupressure therapies possess an abundance of acclaimed anecdotal evidence; however, scientific validation remains limited. This investigation aimed to explore the effect of manual acupressure on the mechanical nociceptive thresholds (MNTs) of the equine epaxial musculature. Materials and Methods: The study design was a randomized, single crossover trial involving ten horses (five geldings and five mares) of various ages (16 ± 4.49 years). Horses were split into two groups and received a 10-minute acupressure or sham treatment. Nine acupressure points were selected and treated with 30 seconds of direct light pressure followed by six full circles. Each horse was assessed for points of sensitivity at three points bilaterally along the epaxial musculature, before, immediately after, and one day after the acupressure or sham treatment. A two-week washout period was implemented; the groups were reversed, and the protocol was repeated. Data were both parametric and nonparametric; therefore, to ascertain whether differences occurred in MNT values across the time points, a series of repeated measures ANOVAs and Friedman's analyses were undertaken. Where significant differences were found, post hoc Wilcoxon tests with Bonferroni correction identified how MNTs differed with time. Further paired t-tests or Wilcoxon rank tests determined whether differences occurred in the percentage of change between the treatment and control groups. Results: The results of the study suggest that acupressure elicits an immediate increase in MNTs in the epaxial musculature, most significantly at the thoracolumbar region. A decrease in this response could indicate lower sensitivity of the back, allowing better back kinematics and possibly improved performance.</p
Corporate power, conflict and transitional justice: addressing business human rights abuses in the digital era
No full textThis article examines how concentrated corporate power in the technology sector reshapes repression and human rights harm, arguing that an integrated Business and Human Rights (BHR) and Transitional Justice (TJ) approach is needed. It identifies three persistent gaps in BHR practice—regulatory fragmentation, limited access to remedy and Global North dominance—and demonstrates how TJ principles, particularly victim-centred participation, Global South leadership and transformative reparations, can address these challenges. Drawing on Latin American experiences with truth-seeking, reparations and corporate accountability, the article develops a hybrid BHR–TJ framework designed to confront power asymmetries, strengthen remedies and embed guarantees of non-repetition in global governance. The argument positions this integration as a forward-looking response to the structural harms of the digital economy, offering tools to move beyond proceduralism towards systemic corporate accountability. By combining BHR’s regulatory tools with TJ’s participatory and transformative approaches, the article contributes a novel accountability model for the digital era.</p
All psychologies are indigenous: addressing historical grounding of WEIRD social psychological knowledge in colonialism and racism
No full textWhen observing that theories of social behavior are primarily reflections of contemporary history, Gergen (JPSP 26:309–320, 1973) could have also noted that it was an error to consider these theories to reflect universals. This paper reviews developments concerning the recognition that social psychology is based on artifacts created through specific methods, and it is related to a very particular population, of undergraduate students with Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic (WEIRD) backgrounds. Although the resulting implications are known, the adoption of measures to rectify these issues is slow, especially in contexts that retain the notion that psychological sciences should rely on quantitative/experimental methods, and use theoretical frameworks developed with WEIRD research samples. Gergen (JPSP 26:309–320, 1973) suggested that social psychology should collaborate with the discipline of history and other relevant sciences, and the benefits of interdisciplinary research have been recognized widely. However, social psychology has not yet addressed as much as the historical grounding of its knowledge, together with its reliance on deficit models, based on racism and colonialism. Future social psychology should become able to discover “the human psyche” in its diversity, and highlight the cultural grounding of human psychological characteristics. Future research has to consider the culturally specific worldviews and practices pertaining to the populations involved, together with the socio-ecological, histo-cultural, and economy-political dynamics within which the research participants have been embedded. In addition, social psychology should strive to translate the resulting theory into practice, in order to address crucial questions that pertain to people’s lived experiences.</p
Professionals in-place: the role of the practice-based research coordinator
No full textBackground: The authors were members of a large, interorganisational research project conducted by a university and an English NHS trust. The project’s success relied on building positive partnerships and networks over three years. Recognising the challenges of working across different organisations, the authors created a new role for a nurse: the ‘in-place research coordinator’ (IPRC). Aim: To introduce and explain the new role and provide examples of how the authors devised and applied it during their research. Discussion: The IPRC was a member of the NHS trust, so brought valuable organisational insights to the research team while gaining research experience through applying her professional knowledge and connections. Conclusion: The IPRC enabled this inter-organisational research to take place, and had measurable efficacy and impact. Implications for practice: The authors recommend that future collaborative interorganisational research projects include an IPRC, with specific budgeting for the role and recruitment from practice.</p
A hybrid business process optimisation method incorporating quantifiable interdependence analysis and smart data
No full textThis research presents an answer for the central issue of business process optimisation by integrating quantitative process interdependence investigation. The process interdependence characterises how various functions of a process rely upon the exhibition of others. Authoritative execution and functions are intensely subject to the relationships that can be sorted as pooled, sequential and reciprocal. For a production supply chain, the most widely recognised sort of relationship is sequential, and its quantifiable investigation can permit to distinguish the functional and cross-functional reliance factors that show up during the execution of changes in measure capacities for advancement. The cross-functional factors can have both a negative and positive effect on proficiency and profitability. The recognisable proof of cross-functional impacts and changes as per the reliant connections of sub-processes can diminish the disappointment rate and increment cost-effectiveness by killing the superfluous advances and limiting mishandling of assets. Interdependence in business processes is one of the most significant challenges to quantify and can provide actionable insights based on data. Process interdependence is generally analysed in a qualitative manner (through interviews and surveys) that increase the risks of overlooking crucial parameters. This research presents a new hybrid optimisation method called the KHB (Khan-Hassan-Butt) method that incorporates quantifiable interdependence analysis using structured data.KHB method incorporates radical and incremental improvements through established management principles, i.e., business process re-engineering and business process management. The validity of the KHB method is accepted with the use of the Witness Horizon 22.5 simulation package, and it has been implemented in two different production line case studies. In both case studies, the process interdependence was identified using structured data collected from the shop floor using process interdependence algorithm and filtered with the data filtration process. The data filtration process transformed the structured data into smart structured data by filtering large data sets into actionable information. This information was used in the simulation software for optimisation purposes.For case study 1 (ACME valve production line), the KHB method increased the productivity by 22.93% and decreased the production cost by 20.96% compared to published literature using an expert mechanism and bottleneck approach. In case study 2, the KHB method was implemented and validated in an international garment manufacturing company. The output showed an increase of 19.78% in productivity and a 9.78% decrease in production cost. The results show that the KHB method can have a significantly positive impact on the flexibility, problem identification, cost reductions and profitability of a business process.The KHB method can be used to identify the quantitative process interdependence in any business process regardless of their interdependence types (sequential or reciprocal). The KHB method is capable of identifying every interdependent factor that has an impact on process functions and uses them for effective decision making to optimise the process and maximise productivity.</p
The association between physical multimorbidity and fall-related injury among adults aged ≥50 years from low- and middle-income countries
No full textStudies from high-income countries have shown that multimorbidity is associated with increased fall risk among older adults. However, studies specifically on this topic from low- and middle-income counties (LMICs) are lacking. Thus, we aimed to assess this association among adults aged ≥ 50 years from six LMICs.Cross-sectional, community-based data from the Study on Global Ageing and Adult Health (SAGE) were analyzed. Eleven chronic physical conditions were assessed. The presence of past 12-month fall-related injury was ascertained through self-reported information. Multivariable logistic regression and mediation analysis was conducted to assess the association between multimorbidity and fall-related injury.Data on 34,129 adults aged ≥ 50 years [mean (SD) age 62.4 (16.0) years; males 48.0%] were analyzed. Overall, compared to having no chronic conditions, having 2, 3, and ≥ 4 chronic conditions were significantly associated with 1.67 (95%CI = 1.21–2.30), 2.64 (95%CI = 1.89–3.68), and 3.67 (95%CI = 2.42–5.57) times higher odds for fall-related injury. The association between multimorbidity (i.e., ≥ 2 chronic conditions) and fall-related injury was mainly explained by pain/discomfort (mediated% 39.7%), mobility (34.1%), sleep/energy (24.2%), and cognition (13.0%).Older adults with multimorbidity in LMICs are at increased odds for fall-related injury. Targeting the identified potential mediators among those with multimorbidity may reduce fall risk in this population.</p
Machine learning-based prediction of substance use in adolescents in three independent worldwide cohorts: Algorithm development and validation study
No full textBackground: To address gaps in global understanding of cultural and social variations, this study used a high-performance machine learning (ML) model to predict adolescent substance use across three national datasets.Objective: This study aims to develop a generalizable predictive model for adolescent substance use using multinational datasets and ML.Methods: The study used the Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-Based Survey (KYRBS) from South Korea (n=1,098,641) to train ML models. For external validation, we used the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) from the United States (n=2,511,916) and Norwegian nationwide Ungdata surveys (Ungdata) from Norway (n=700,660). After developing various ML models, we evaluated the final model’s performance using multiple metrics. We also assessed feature importance using traditional methods and further analyzed variable contributions through SHapley Additive exPlanation values.Results: The study used nationwide adolescent datasets for ML model development and validation, analyzing data from 1,098,641 KYRBS adolescents, 2,511,916 YRBS participants, and 700,660 from Ungdata. The XGBoost model was the top performer on the KYRBS, achieving an area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) score of 80.61% (95% CI 79.63-81.59) and precision of 30.42 (95% CI 28.65-32.16) with detailed analysis on sensitivity of 31.30 (95% CI 29.47-33.20), specificity of 99.16 (95% CI 99.12-99.20), accuracy of 98.36 (95% CI 98.31-98.42), balanced accuracy of 65.23 (95% CI 64.31-66.17), F1-score of 30.85 (95% CI 29.25-32.51), and area under precision-recall curve of 32.14 (95% CI 30.34-33.95). The model achieved an AUROC score of 79.30% and a precision of 68.37% on the YRBS dataset, while in external validation using the Ungdata dataset, it recorded an AUROC score of 76.39% and a precision of 12.74%. Feature importance and SHapley Additive exPlanation value analyses identified smoking status, BMI, suicidal ideation, alcohol consumption, and feelings of sadness and despair as key contributors to the risk of substance use, with smoking status emerging as the most influential factor.Conclusions: Based on multinational datasets from South Korea, the United States, and Norway, this study shows the potential of ML models, particularly the XGBoost model, in predicting adolescent substance use. These findings provide a solid basis for future research exploring additional influencing factors or developing targeted intervention strategies.</p
Understanding the Effects of Social Cohesion on Social Wellbeing: A Scoping Review
No full textObjectives: To describe objective social wellbeing in relation to social cohesion.Methods: A literature search that sought to understand the contribution of social cohesion in the community as a means of achieving social wellbeing in the UK, published in the last 10 years.ResultsSocial cohesion is widely associated with community assets, trust, and a sense of belonging at neighbourhood level. Segregation of sub-groups and “incivilities” can lead to reduced social connectedness and wellbeing. Wider multicultural engagement over time, may be beneficial for social cohesion. Evidence suggests that sufficient facilitation through facilities and services improve social relations and wellbeing and create more cohesive communities. A particular focus is needed on potential minorities within otherwise cohesive communities.ConclusionSocial cohesion relates to community resilience and the experience of social connectedness at community level. These features can protect vulnerable groups from exclusion and may have other benefits to health and wellbeing.</p
Romantic Engines
No full textInvited Paper: “What is an engine and what is an engineer? William Hazlitt described Edmund Burke’s Reflections on the Revolution in France as ‘a dangerous engine in the hands of power’. Jon Klancher writes that Wordsworth could ‘imagine the reading of a poem as a personal exchange of “power” between writer and reader’. The notion of writing being an engine, a machine that produces ‘a physical effect’ (OED), that could convert ‘power into motion’, moving people to action, was current in the Romantic period both literally and figuratively. It was during this period that most mechanical advances were made. Keith Gilbert writes that, in ‘1775 the machine tools at the disposal of industry had scarcely advanced beyond those available in the Middle Ages: by 1850 the majority of modern machine-tools had been invented’ (The History of Technology). Nevertheless, there has been little critical engagement between Romanticism and engineering cultures—despite prominent literary figures, such as Thomas Love Peacock and Percy Shelley, being engaged in building steamships. There is a gap between how embedded engines and industry were in cultures of the period and how alien that notion now seems. For Gilbert Simondon, that distance arises from not understanding technology: ‘the most powerful cause of alienation in the contemporary world resides in this misunderstanding of the machine, which is not an alienation caused by the machine, but by the non-knowledge of its nature and essence’ (On the Mode of Existence of Technical Objects). In this talk I will examine the notion of what an engineer is. I will discuss engines and in particular the lead-screw lathe (1798), the first machine capable of self-replication. I will also assess the relationship between machines and craft in pursuit of flatness and greater accuracy.”</p
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