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Randomised-controlled feasibility study evaluating the REgulate your SItting Time (RESIT) intervention for reducing sitting in individuals with type 2 diabetes:a process evaluation
Full text linkOBJECTIVES: The REgulate your SItting Time (RESIT) is a tailored intervention targeting reductions and breaks in sitting in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). A feasibility trial of RESIT had been conducted and the purpose of this paper is to report findings from the process evaluation.DESIGN: A mixed-methods process evaluation within a randomised controlled feasibility trial.SETTING: The study was conducted remotely in the community.PARTICIPANTS: Ambulatory individuals with T2DM aged 18-85 years.INTERVENTION: A tailored intervention comprising an online education session, regular health coaching and technology for self-monitoring behaviour and prompting breaks in sitting.PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Questionnaires (intervention participants n=22 at both 3 and 6 months; control participants n=21 at 3 months, n=29 at 6 months) and interviews (n=30, with n=13 intervention participants, n=12 control participants, n=5 health coaches) to assess perceptions of the intervention components, strategies and barriers for sitting less, the role of the study evaluation measures, and reasons for taking part.RESULTS: The trial operated a largely successful online education element for those in the intervention group (82% completion; ≥76% engagement in individual educational elements). There was good use of self-monitoring and prompt technology (apps and wearables) with 73% of participants reporting using these at 6 months. Health coaching had high engagement and was perceived as enjoyable and useful. Data revealed strategies used for behaviour change (eg, active functional tasks) alongside barriers to change (eg, restrictions at work). There were also potential behavioural influences from the study evaluation measures (eg, activity measures increasing awareness and execution of behaviours) for both intervention and control participants.CONCLUSIONS: A comprehensive process evaluation identified successful intervention elements (ie, online education, health coaching, wearables and smartphone apps) alongside strategies and barriers to behaviour change. These findings can inform future sedentary behaviour interventions for adults with T2DM and a definitive randomised controlled trial evaluating RESIT.TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ISRCTN14832389.</p
Perceptions of HIV-related stigma among youth exposed to the PPSAC Programme in Yaoundé, Cameroon
Full text linkINTRODUCTION: HIV-related stigma continues to undermine prevention, treatment and quality of life across sub-Saharan Africa. In Cameroon, stigma persists despite community interventions. This study evaluates the impact of the PPSAC (Projet de Prévention du Sida en Afrique Centrale) project, particularly Result 3, which aims to reduce HIV stigma and discrimination among young people in Yaoundé.METHOD: Guided by socio-cognitive theory, we employed a mixed-methods design. A total of 260 respondents completed structured online questionnaires, and 24 young people participated in three focus group discussions. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics and Wilson score 95% confidence intervals. Qualitative data were thematically analysed to explore attitudes, misconceptions and stigma-reduction strategies.RESULTS: Findings indicate partial progress in acceptance. While 88.6% of respondents reported willingness to care for an HIV-positive family member and 57.2% supported HIV-positive doctors continuing to practise, only 14.7% were willing to befriend someone living with HIV and 67.8% opposed HIV-positive children attending daycare. Focus group narratives revealed persistent misconceptions about casual transmission, moral and religious condemnation, and family rejection. Conversely, supportive peer networks emerged as protective, fostering resilience and acceptance. Taken together, quantitative and qualitative findings converged to show partial progress in acceptance across several domains, while deeply rooted fears and moral judgements persist.CONCLUSION: PPSAC interventions appear to have been only partially successful, with increased acceptance evident in some domains but persistent stigma in others. Future programmes should incorporate family- and community-level engagement, partnership with religious leaders, structural reforms in healthcare and workplaces, and sustained youth-led advocacy to promote long-term stigma reduction and improve the well-being of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA).</p
Blended learning studies to address student isolation: lessons from the literature
Full text linkDistance education can lead to feelings of isolation, disconnection and depersonalisation on the part of the learner. The objective of this study is to analyze whether the literature on blended learning addresses student isolation and what lessons it provides. A systematic critical review of the literature was conducted following the PRISMA 2020 protocol. Eighty-four articles from the Web of Science were selected and analysed, and a cluster analysis was performed using VOSviewer. The results show that the sense of isolation resulting from the pandemic somewhat hides the isolation that blended methodology can provoke. Isolation is still attributed to the online part of the hybrid teaching and especially to the asynchronous part, but little is said in the literature about blended learning as a whole. We must move beyond the focus on the pandemic and encourage studies that assess thisphenomenon, studyingthe appropriate design of hybrid courses to address isolation holistically. This study itself makes some recommendations and suggestions for further work to lessen the isolation that students may feel in blended learning, and in distance learning in general
Reassessing the military expenditure–economic growth nexus in the context of geopolitical risk: evidence from Poland
No full textThis study investigates the relationship between military expenditure (milex), geopolitical risk (GPR), and economic growth in Poland from 1960 to 2023. While extensive research exists on the economic effects of milex, conflict and political stability, the impact of milex on economic growth within the context of geopolitical risks remains under-examined, particularly in Central European countries. The current global instability, exemplified by the Russia-Ukraine conflict, emphasizes the significance of GPR on economic activities and security. Poland, with a history of prioritizing military strength to safeguard its sovereignty, has seen a significant rise in milex during the last years, due to regional security threats and its strategic position within the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Using the novel Fourier Augmented Autoregressive Distributed Lag (FAARDL) methodology to derive short- and long–run estimates, the study reveals that increased milex negatively affects economic growth in the short–run but can potentially support long–run growth by enhancing national security. The results emphasize the critical role of geopolitical stability in shaping economic outcomes and offer policymakers insights into the need for a balanced approach to defence and economic strategies.</p
Seven questions to ask when reforming academic skills services
No full textWith academic skills services facing a perfect storm of challenges, many are under review. Here’s how to make sure your students’ needs are being effectively met, through seven questions.<br/
Reimagining relationships and sex education:a safe uncertainty approach to adolescent intimacies
No full textAt a time when concerns about sexual violence, online harms and the efficacy of Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) frameworks are at the forefront of public discourse, this book offers a timely and necessary intervention. Presenting the concept of 'safe uncertainty' as a transformative framework for understanding adolescent intimacies and relationships, authors Setty and Hunt critique current deficit models in relationships and sex education in place of a more nuanced engagement with digital intimacies, online sexual learning and sex media, healthy relationships, gender and consent. Traditional approaches to RSE, while well-intentioned, can reduce complex social and emotional dynamics to simplistic binaries, leaving young people ill-equipped to navigate the inherent ambivalences and ambiguities of intimacy and relationality. Drawing on original research and case studies from the authors' practice, this text demonstrates how safe uncertainty acknowledges ambiguity and ambivalence as integral parts of relationships and intimacy and involves creating environments where young people can explore their perspectives and experiences without fear of judgment or rigid moral or legal solutions. Aligned with a broader need for relational, developmental and contextual approaches to understanding adolescent intimacies, Setty and Hunt explore how this framework encourages educators, policymakers and researchers to move beyond knowledge-transfer models and instead focus on equipping young people with the skills to navigate uncertainty in ways that promote emotional resilience and ethical decision-making as sexual citizens. Connecting the concept of safe uncertainty with critical debates on consent, gender and digital culture, this timely contribution bridges gaps between research, practice and policy on both a national and an international scale.</p
189 Promoting equity in migrant maternity care across Europe: how to actively involve migrant women in the design and implementation of interventions?
Full text linkRationales and Purpose: Migrant women across the European re-gion face persistent barriers to equitable maternity care, including exclusion from service design, language barriers, racism, and a lack of culturally responsive care. These inequities can contribute to poorer maternal and infant outcomes. This workshop aims to ex-plore practical, effective, and sustainable methods for meaningfully involving migrant women in the co-design and implementation of maternity care interventions across the European region. It seeks to challenge existing research practices, encourage more inclusive, par-ticipatory approaches, and promote responsiveness in maternal health care services.Methods/Process of Workshop: Using a roundtable format, this 60-minute session will be co-facilitated by a migrant woman with lived experience and an academic researcher. Five discussants will present brief case examples, including intervention research from the UK, Germany, and Denmark, alongside findings from a systematic re-view and qualitative study. A ‘Creative Thinking’ framework will guide participant engagement through mind mapping, live polling, and facilitated discussion to stimulate new ideas and capture diverse perspectives.Projected Learning Outcomes: Participants will:1. Gain insight into innovative, participatory approaches for engag-ing migrant women in research.2. Understand how co-production can enhance intervention rele-vance and sustainability.3. Consider the role and perspectives of health care services and professionals in this field.4. Reflect on the influence of structural determinants on migrant maternity care.5. Leave with practical strategies to strengthen equity and inclusion in their own research or practice
Seven questions to ask when reforming academic skills services
No full textWith academic skills services facing a perfect storm of challenges, many are under review. Here’s how to make sure your students’ needs are being effectively met, through seven questions.<br/
Cardiac structure and systolic function in resistance-trained athletes versus untrained male adults
Full text linkPurpose: Research examining the Athlete’s Heart has often focused on endurance athletes, yet no clear consensus has emerged on the cardiac adaptations observed in resistance-trained athletes. The purpose of this study is to examine cardiac structure and systolic function in resistance-trained athletes compared to untrained individuals. Methods: An observational cross-sectional study conducted echocardiographic examinations on male resistance-trained athletes (n = 12; body mass: 93 ± 19 kg [95%CI 82–104]) and age-matched untrained volunteers (n = 12; body mass: 80 ± 7 kg [95%CI 76–84]). Resting blood pressure and anthropometrics were gathered to allow indexing of cardiac parameters to body size and composition. Results: Compared to untrained individuals, resistance-trained athletes had greater septal (resistance-trained: 1.2 ± 0.1 cm; untrained: 0.9 ± 0.1 cm; p < 0.001), and posterior (resistance-trained: 1.2 ± 0.1 cm; untrained: 0.8 ± 0.1 cm; p < 0.001) wall thickness, and absolute left ventricular mass (resistance-trained: 275 ± 50 g; untrained: 162 ± 25 g; p < 0.01). These differences in left ventricular mass remained significant after accounting for body size and composition (p < 0.01). Cardiac dimensions of the resistance-trained athletes are greater than the normative range described in current literature. Significant differences in functional parameters including stroke volume, E/A ratio and LV end-systolic wall stress were also observed (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Both structural and functional differences in cardiac measures are apparent when comparing those engaged in chronic resistance-trained to untrained individuals. Furthermore, despite these structural differences, no significant impairment in left ventricular function was observed. However, whilst the cardiac dimensions of most resistance-trained athletes do not exceed the upper limits for physiological hypertrophy the exact mechanism for these differences is unclear and warrants further investigation.</p
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