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General population preferences for health-related protective behaviors during infectious disease emergencies:a systematic review of conjoint-analysis studies
No full textObjective: To primarily systematically review the evidence from conjoint analysis (CA) studies on general population preferences for health-related protective behavioral measures during infectious disease emergencies, to secondarily assess the role of social networks in shaping decisions and to synthesize quantitative data to inform behaviorally responsive epidemiological models. Methods: PubMed and EMBASE were searched to identify relevant CA studies published up to June 2025. In addition to study characteristics, the scope of protective measures of included studies were examined and categorized according to seven pre-defined groups; the relative importance of attributes in each study was ranked and compared across studies and the heterogeneity of preferences was explored. The ISPOR checklist was used to assess the quality of reporting of included studies. Results: Of 2,523 articles identified, 16 studies were included. The quality of included studies was high with an average score of 24.7 out of 30 (range 18.5-28.5). Lockdown and restriction-related measures were most frequently perceived as important. A moderate level, targeted lockdown in a short period was preferred over severe or no restrictions. Face mask wearing and physical distancing were generally highly valued and preferred; for these measures, there was a clear preference for voluntary compliance over mandatory enforcement. Selective public spaces closures were preferred over broader shutdowns. Long-lasting, mandatory, and broadly applied quarantine was generally less preferred, while targeted quarantine was more acceptable. Substantial heterogeneity in preferences across populations was identified; age-and risk-based discrepancies in preferences were reported. Conclusion: This review demonstrates the complexity of public preferences for protective measures and highlights the importance of aligning public health strategies with individual preferences by taking into account substantial heterogeneity. Incorporating these insights into policy and mathematical modelling frameworks would be helpful to enhance the acceptability and adherence of health-related protective measures in future pandemic preparedness
Housing in progress:Caring for and living in unfinished remittance houses
No full textEmpty, unfinished, or ‘ghost’ houses are common sights around the world, where aspirational investment in housing outpaces the potential to physically occupy it. While these structures may be only partially completed, this does not mean they are unoccupied. In fact, their state of incompleteness can prompt owners to find an occupant, in order to prevent incursion, protect the existing investment in construction, and enable incremental progress towards completion. This paper explores one configuration of housing investment – ‘remittance houses’, constructed by migrants – and the dynamics of caretaking and guardianship that arise to protect these housing structures while they are in-process over an unpredictable, multiple-year timeline. Building on two case studies, in Morocco and Ghana, we investigate both the lives of the houses in-progress and the accommodations and adaptations made by live-in caretakers to make them into dwell-able homes. These simultaneous and interwoven timelines involve uncertain futures for both the house and its occupants, as the more ‘complete’ the house becomes, the more uncertain the caretaker's tenure. We bring into question how the framework of ‘care’ as mutually transformative development can help to understand the affective and embodied investments made by the migrant who is building the home and the caretaker occupying and adapting it, in relation to the material responsiveness of the house itself. We take these mutual transformations as resonant not just for these houses which are markedly ‘unfinished’, but as a way to consider how much housing is somehow ‘in progress’ and complexly constituted through care
Pain-related variables as contributing factors to physical activity after breast cancer surgery:a one-year follow-up study
No full textPhysical activity (PA) levels among breast cancer survivors following surgery are often low, with unclear roles played by pain-related factors. This study investigates the changes in PA and its contributing factors, including pain-related factors, in 184 breast cancer survivors throughout the acute post-operative stage of 1 week (T1), the sub-acute stage of 4 months (T4), and the long-term stage of 12 months (T12). A linear mixed model was utilized to evaluate PA changes in the first year post-surgery. Multivariate regression analyses explored associations between moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and patient characteristics, pain-related factors, emotional and physical functioning, and quality of life (QoL) at each timepoint separately and also explored factors in the acute and sub-acute stage contributing to MVPA at T12. Weekly minutes of MVPA and steps had a significant increase between T4 and T12. All models, adjusted for age and BMI, were significant (p < 0.01) but explained only small proportions of variance of MVPA at T1 (AdjR 2 :15%), at T4 (AdjR 2 :25%) and at T12 (AdjR 2 :26%). Pain-related factors, together with emotional and physical symptom burden, negatively impacted PA at various points in time. Despite these challenges, higher QoL and existential well-being were positive influences. Breast cancer survivors demonstrate increasing PA over the first year post-surgery. Contributing factors differ for each timepoint, highlighting the complex interplay of emotional and physical factors in promoting active lifestyles. Rehabilitation interventions need to hold the time-dependency of contributing factors into account and aim to address both immediate and long-term needs.</p
"Look at Yourself":Teachers' Reflective Practices Toward Enjoyment in Primary School Physical Education
No full textBackground Enjoyment is key in primary school physical education (PE), yet ensuring enjoyable PE experiences for all children is challenging. Reflection may help teachers improve lesson quality and foster PE enjoyment.Methods This cross-sectional study explored Dutch primary school teachers' perspectives on enjoyable PE and reflective practices. An online questionnaire was completed by 173 teachers (70.5% PE specialists, 29.5% generalists) who teach at least one PE lesson per week. Teacher type differences were analyzed using Chi-square tests, Mann-Whitney U tests, and logistic regressions.Results Perspectives on reflective practices were similar among teacher types. Generalists reported more teacher- and policy-related barriers to providing enjoyable PE, while specialists cited child-related challenges. Most teachers reflected internally, with limited use of written reflection or feedback from children and colleagues. Specialists used professional networks and peer feedback more. Time constraints and low prioritization were key barriers to reflection.Implications for School Health Policy Schools should allocate time and promote reflection tools. Generalists could benefit from coaching and targeted professional development. For specialists, teacher education might foster reflective practices using video and child feedback to improve child outcomes like PE enjoyment.Conclusions Tailored strategies are needed to strengthen reflection and improve PE quality to foster children's PE enjoyment
Can you beat the music? Validation of a gamified rhythmic training in children with ADHD
No full textNeurodevelopmental disorders like ADHD can affect rhythm perception and production, impacting performance in attention and sensorimotor tasks. Improving rhythmic abilities through targeted training might compensate for these cognitive functions. We introduce a novel protocol for training rhythmic skills via a tablet-based, serious game called Rhythm Workers (RW). This proof-of-concept study tested the feasibility of using RW in children with ADHD. We administered an at-home longitudinal protocol across Canada. A total of 27 children (7 to 13 years) were randomly assigned to either a finger-tapping rhythmic game (RW) or a control game with comparable auditory-motor demands but without beat synchronization (active control condition). Participants played the game for 300 min over 2 weeks. We collected data (self-reported and logged onto the device) on game compliance and acceptance. Further, we measured rhythmic abilities using the Battery for the Assessment of Auditory Sensorimotor and Timing Abilities (BAASTA). The current findings show that both games were equally played in duration, rated similarly for overall enjoyment, and relied on similar motor activity (finger taps). The children who played RW showed improved general rhythmic abilities compared to the controls; these improvements were also positively correlated with the playing duration. We also present evidence that executive functioning improved in those who played RW, but not in the controls. These findings indicate that both games are well matched. RW demonstrates efficacy in enhancing sensorimotor skills in children with ADHD, which may benefit their executive functioning. A future RCT with extended training and sample size could further validate these skill transfer effects
Sample Size Determination for Optimal and Sub-Optimal Designs in Simplified Parametric Test Norming
No full textNorms play a critical role in high-stakes individual assessments (e.g., diagnosing intellectual disabilities), where precision and stability are essential. To reduce fluctuations in norms due to sampling, normative studies must be based on sufficiently large and well-designed samples. This paper provides formulas, applicable to any sample composition, for determining the required sample size for normative studies under the simplified parametric norming framework. In addition to a sufficiently large sample size, precision can be further improved by sampling according to an optimal design, that is, a sample composition that minimizes sampling error in the norms. Optimal designs are, here, derived for 45 (multivariate) multiple linear regression models, assuming normality and homoscedasticity. These models vary in the degree of interaction among three norm-predictors: a continuous variable (e.g., age), a categorical variable (e.g., sex), and a variable (e.g., education) that may be treated as either continuous or categorical. To support practical implementation, three interactive Shiny apps are introduced, enabling users to determine the sample size for their normative studies. Their use is demonstrated through the hypothetical planning of a normative study for the Trail Making Test, accompanied by a review of the most common models for this neuropsychological test in current practice
Food for strength:Nutritional bioactives to enhance vitality and skeletal muscle regeneration
No full textFrom evidence to everyday care:Implementing and evaluating a lifestyle-focused approach in mental healthcare
Get PDFKids menu:Factors affecting children’s vegetable acceptance, sweet preference and loss of control eating
No full textRepresentativeness of surgical controls in aortic valve replacement trials:comparison with routine surgical cohorts
No full textBACKGROUND: Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) comparing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) and surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) have significantly influenced treatment guidelines for aortic stenosis, expanding the use of TAVI into lower risk populations. However, the patients enrolled in the SAVR arms of these trials may differ from those typically undergoing SAVR in routine clinical practice. This study aims to critically assess the representativeness of SAVR patients in these RCTs by comparing their characteristics and outcomes to those of patients undergoing SAVR in routine clinical practice. METHODS: A systematic literature review was conducted across PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Emcare and the Cochrane Library, focusing on RCTs and large prospective studies (n=500 SAVR patients), enrolling low-risk or intermediate-risk patients since 2010. Patient characteristics, early outcomes and 5-year survival were compared between RCT SAVR cohorts and those treated in routine clinical practice settings. Meta-analyses of pooled data and reconstructed Kaplan-Meier survival analyses were performed, with stratification by risk category. RESULTS: Nineteen studies (9 RCTs and 10 studies describing routine clinical practice), encompassing 74 797 SAVR patients, were included. SAVR patients in routine clinical practice demonstrated comparable early mortality to SAVR patients in RCTs but experienced fewer periprocedural complications, including lower rates of stroke, pacemaker implantation and myocardial infarction. At 5 years, overall survival was notably higher in patients treated in routine clinical practice compared to those in the SAVR arms of RCTs, both for low-risk (HR 0.64, 95% CI 0.55 to 0.75) and intermediate-risk patients (HR 0.55, 95% CI 0.470.64). CONCLUSIONS: Compared with typical SAVR patients treated in routine practice, RCT SAVR patients experienced higher complication rates and worse long-term survival, despite similar or lower surgical risk scores. These findings question the external validity of SAVR versus TAVI trials