Barcelona Research Articles

The Role of the Norway Rat, Rattus norvegicus, as a Reservoir of Zoonotic Helminth Species in the City of Barcelona (Spain)

Synanthropic rodents are involved in the transmission of several parasitic zoonoses to humans, such as helminth parasites. As part of a multidisciplinary study concerning the rodent population in Barcelona (Spain), 300 specimens of the Norway rat, Rattus norvegicus, were analyzed to elucidate their helminth community, mainly species with a zoonotic potential. The sample included 263 specimens from the sewage system and 37 from public gardens. A total of 253 (84.3%) rats were found to be parasitized, and 206 (68.7%) harbored zoonotic species. Adult rats were found to be more heavily parasitized with zoonotic helminths than juveniles, but the sex and site of capture had no influence. Six zoonotic helminths were identified: Hydatigera taeniaeformis larvae (1.7%), Rodentolepis nana (8.0%), Hymenolepis diminuta (21.3%), Calodium hepaticum (46.3%), Gongylonema neoplasticum (36.7%), and Moniliformis moniliformis (2.3%). Human zoonotic helminth infections often go unreported, so that the role of R. norvegicus in their transmission is unknown. According to our results, it is advisable to monitor and control rodent populations in deprived settlements close to cities and in cities themselves, and to promote good hygienic and sanitary practices, especially among vulnerable populations and workers with high exposure such as sewage workers.

Long-term effects of urban renewal on health and health inequalities: the Neighbourhoods Law in Barcelona, Spain

IntroductionFew studies exist examining the long-term effects of urban renewal programmes on health. The purpose of this study is to examine the long-term effects of an urban renewal programme on...

A new STI in the city: MPOX in Barcelona. First outbreak (5/2022-5/2023) and subsequent resurgence.

In May 2022, after the suspension of the mobility restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the first outbreak of MPOX virus, transmitted from human to human, was detected outside of Africa, affecting mostly sexually active men who have sex with men. Our aim is to report the first outbreak of MPOX in Barcelona city in the period from 5/2022 to 5/2023 and the subsequent surge of cases in 8/2023. We performed a descriptive study of all notified cases in city residents, obtained through epidemiological surveys. The analyses are presented for the hospitalized cases and the key population of men who have sex with men. Of 2037 notified cases, 82.6% were confirmed. The cumulative incidence in the general population was 1.03 (95%CI 1.00-1.06) per 1000 inhabitants and 2.13 (2.01-2.17) per 1000 in men. Men were older than women, with a median age of 37 years (interquartile range 31-43). While 84.5% of men reported having sex with partners of the same gender, 70.9% of women only reported sex with partners of the opposite gender. Complications occurred in 4.1% of infected persons, 1.6% required hospitalization, and no deaths were registered. Georeferencing was highly associated with gay venues. Gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) accounted for most cases and severe cases, and were associated with attending public sex venues and not providing contact tracing information. Digital and printed prevention campaign materials were developed for GBMSM. The 2022 MPOX outbreak posed a major challenge to surveillance and sexual health services worldwide. With new cases and re-infections on the rise, MPOX may become a regular infection to be incorporated in STI testing and management guidelines. Barcelona has some characteristics that may facilitate the occurrence and spread of emergencies related to sexual health.

Wood fuel consumption in the city of Barcelona in the medieval and early modern periods. An overview based on archaeological wood charcoal analysis

AbstractWood fuel was essential for urban development in the Mediterranean area during the Middle Ages. Therefore, wood gathering practices and supply can be investigated through the study of wood-charcoal fragments obtained from urban archaeological contexts. This paper considers anthracological remains from 14 archaeological rescue-interventions in Barcelona (NE Iberia), to reconstruct the city’s wood-fuel usage from the 6th to the 17th century ce. The diachronic anthracological sequence, compared with a previous study of the Roman period, reveals significant changes in the city's energy supply and woodland impact over time. Between the 6th and 13th centuries ce, there was a reduction in Quercus ilex (holm oak) wood exploitation and an increase in the use of shrubby vegetation, due to oak woodland degradation, partly caused by agriculture and grazing expansion. The growing use of vine, olive and other fruit tree prunings during the Middle Ages indicates the spread of arboriculture in the Barcelona plain. Furthermore, despite local oak woodland regression, evergreen and deciduous oak wood usage increased from the 14th century onwards, due to fuel imports to meet the growing urban energy demands. Differences in fuel consumption among the city’s socio-economic sectors are discussed, revealing discrepancy between urban fuel and that used outside the city walls on the shore. Finally the fuel used in some urban productive activities is also examined, highlighting a heterogeneous range of solutions, based on local availability and convenience. Overall, this research provides the first extensive diachronic analysis of fuel consumption in a Mediterranean city, illustrating the importance of archaeobotany for understanding pre-industrial urban resource management.

Traducció Sense Fronteres: Theatre Projects and Translation in Multicultural Contexts, Originating in Barcelona

This paper is centred on different theatre initiatives linked to the city of Barcelona that emphasise the performing arts as a means of promoting intercultural communication, as well as overcoming the barriers that prevent its production. The analysis is focused on observing the role that translation, understood in a broad and often performative sense, plays in all these projects calling for a review of its canonical definition in academia in order to adjust it to the reality of the 21st century. At the same time, the article claims the recognition of these theatrical creations, not so much as indisputable initiatives of social nature, but as artistic products of the first order.

Characterisation of type 2 diabetes subgroups at diagnosis: the COPERNICAN prospective observational cohort study protocol

IntroductionType 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a highly heterogeneous and complex metabolic disease harbouring different metabolic characteristics. Adequate characterisation of subjects is essential to allow the implementation of precision medicine...

Influence of Social Context and Gender Gap Awareness on Women’s Mobility on Public Transportation

A gender gap in mobility, although with different levels, exists everywhere. Several factors are linked to this gap, such as females’ daily schedules and duties, economic aspects, or preferences. Women’s personal risk perception and its counterpart, i.e., actual (in)security in the transportation system, are related aspects as well. This research focuses on these last factors and adds a novel perspective: the influence of the social context and its awareness of the gender gap. To this end, a twofold methodological approach was applied to the cities of Barcelona and Budapest. It included the comprehensive evaluation of local policies aimed at closing gender gap in mobility as well as the distribution and analysis of an ad hoc developed survey. The main research findings indicate that harassment on public transportation is associated with general societal gender dynamics and behaviors. Actions taken by local administrations in the pursuit of gender equality in mobility become effective in the medium term, leading to a decrease in severe aggressions. Among these actions, awareness-raising plays a key role. First, women gain self-confidence and increase their own commitment to the cause; second, a snowball effect takes place, causing the rejection of harassment and the fight against it to spread across different social spheres.

INTERWEAVING DIPLOMACY, DATA, AND TECHNOLOGY FOR SUSTAINABILITY: A CASE STUDY OF BARCELONA’S LOCAL GOVERNANCE

Local governance plays a crucial role in sustainable development. While research has examined diplomacy, data, and technology within local governance, their combined impact still needs to be explored. This study aimed to investigate how the city of Barcelona integrated diplomatic relations, data-driven insights, and technological advancements to propel local sustainability efforts. Employing a qualitative approach with a multi-method design, the study explored the interaction of diplomacy, data, and technology in fostering sustainable community development. The tracing process involved analyzing official reports, city council documents, and academic publications from 2015 to 2023. In-case analysis complemented process tracing and focused on specific policies, programs, and practices that promoted data-driven decision-making and technology use within Barcelona’s sustainability efforts. The detailed examination included documents from the Barcelona city website and other official sources. The Inductive, Descriptive Case Study allowed natural phenomena to emerge; finally, thematic analysis categorized patterns and identified key themes related to diplomacy, data, and digital technologies within Barcelona’s LGSD context. The investigation revealed a compelling three-pronged approach: (i) Cross-sectoral Diplomacy and Engagement: Barcelona fostered a collaborative environment where diverse stakeholders worked in concert. (ii) Data-Driven Decision Making: The city leveraged the power of data to inform strategic policy choices. (iii) Technology-Enhanced Governance: Technology acted as a catalyst, streamlining and optimizing governance processes. The study offers valuable insights for policymakers and stakeholders in other countries seeking to adopt similar strategies. Further research must explore context-specific implementation approaches and diplomatic strategies, considering different regions' diverse social, civic, political, and economic landscapes.

Effect of match location on the playing style of teams coached by 'Pep' Guardiola.

Analysis in football seeks to find the performance factors that bring teams closer to success. This study aims to analyze the playing styles of two teams managed by Pep Guardiola (F.C. Barcelona and Manchester City) based on match location (home or away). Two methods of analysis were used: descriptive statistics through chi-square tests to evaluate game characteristics and the polar coordinates technique to analyze the relationships between the different lines of each team (goalkeeper, defenders, midfielders, and forwards). The results showed that F.C. Barcelona maintained a consistent playing style regardless of location, exhibiting significant differences only in actions that involved shots or header (p = 0.035), with better performance at home. In contrast, Manchester City displayed significantly different performance in action success (p < 0.001), level of play elaboration (p = 0.004), density (p = 0.033), duration (p = 0.036), and actions that included a shot (p = 0.001) depending on the location. Additionally, qualitative analyses revealed differences in the relationships among the team lines according to match location, with Manchester City displaying more variability in these interactions than F.C. Barcelona. The study concludes that although Guardiola applies a consistent set of strategies, match location has a greater influence on Manchester City's performance, suggesting that this team adjusts its playing style on the basis of contextual conditions. These findings highlight the importance of considering factors such as location when preparing tactics to increase the probability of success in elite football.

Modeling and Optimization of NO2 Stations in the Smart City of Barcelona

The growing problem of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) pollution in urban environments is driving cities to adopt smart and sustainable approaches to address this challenge. To quantify and compare the effect of environmental policies, cities must be able to make informed decisions with real-time data that reflect the actual situation. Therefore, the objective of this work is threefold: The first is to study the behavior of the key performance indicator (KPI) of NO2 concentrations per station in Barcelona through exploratory analysis and clustering. The second is to predict NO2 concentration behavior, considering meteorological data. Lastly, a new distribution of current and new stations will be proposed using an optimization algorithm that maximizes the distance between them and covers the largest area of the city. As a result of this study, the importance of the location of measurement points and the need for better distribution in the city are highlighted. These new spatial distributions predict an 8% increase in NO2 concentrations. In conclusion, this study is a comprehensive tool for obtaining an accurate representation of NO2 concentrations in the city, contributing to informed decision-making, helping to improve air quality, and promoting a more sustainable urban environment.

Community mental health for migrant women in Barcelona (“Self-Care Among Women”): Protocol for a mixed-methods process evaluation of a pilot psychological intervention

IntroductionMigrant populations, especially women, are often more susceptible to poor mental health and they face healthcare access barriers. This study aims to develop and evaluate a community-based mental health intervention through a participative research process to promote mental health and prevent psychiatric disorders among migrant women in Barcelona city. The intervention is built upon two evidence-based guidelines: Group Problem Management Plus (Group PM+) and Self-Help Plus (SH+). Methods“Self-Care Among Women” is a mixed-methods process evaluation study for the development of a community-based psychological pilot intervention. A participatory approach will be employed to adapt the content agenda of the community mental health intervention. Process indicators on context, implementation and mechanisms of change will be assessed through an intersectionality lens to explore the way in which the intervention is developed and implemented. The contextual fit, acceptability and feasibility of the proposed psychological intervention will be examined through participants' and facilitators' perceptions of the intervention. Further, women's clinical mental health condition and wellbeing will be assessed before and after the intervention, through standardized and culturally-validated instruments. Ethics and disseminationEthical approval of the research protocol has been obtained by the Research Ethics Committees of Hospital Clínic, Fundació Institut Universitari per a la recerca a l’Atenció Primària de Salut Jordi Gol i Gurina (IDIAPJGol) and Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu. Written informed consent will be requested from all research participants for inclusion in the study. The study results will be published in peer-reviewed journals and communicated to congresses.

Digital strategies of public youth mental health services to raise awareness of their existence

Abstract Background Data from a survey of the first part of the eHealthLit4teen Project show that adolescents in the city of Barcelona (12-16 years old) are not aware of the public youth mental health services (YMHS) available in the city. Considering the intensive use that young people make of digital platforms, YMHS might leverage these channels to raise young people’s awareness of available resources, which would impact on the help-seeking behaviours. The aim of this work is to analyse the social media strategies for the dissemination of public YMHS and emotional well-being services (promoted by the city council and the regional government) in Barcelona. Methods Identification of public YMHS and emotional wellbeing services, and interview on the use of social networks for dissemination with those responsible for the services and communication (March-April 2024). Analysis of the use of persuasive design and behavioural design techniques by the social media profiles of these services and, by way of contrast, the influencers who publish mental health content identified by the adolescents in the previous survey of the Project (March 2023). Results Public YMHS mainly rely on outreach through face-to-face visits to high schools. This format makes it easier for reluctant young people to access formal support, but more difficult for them to seek support because of stigma. In general, public YMHS do not show a clear strategy to disseminate their service on social media, and the information provided confusion between the characteristics of the services offered. Likewise, there is no widespread use of behavioural design or persuasive design techniques in the publications of health services on social media, nor in those of influencers. Conclusions Public YMHS do not make efficient use of the digital platforms that young people use intensively to raise awareness of their existence and increase usage. Key messages • There is no clear digital strategy for communicating public youth mental health services (YMHS), although they recognise that digital platforms can be a good means of dissemination. • YMHS need to be accessible on digital platforms to young people’s adults of reference (especially for younger teens), as they are the ones who seek out online the existence of this type of services.

A methodology for prioritizing sustainable development goals targets at the local level: The case of Barcelona City Council

AbstractThe implementation of the 2030 Agenda relies heavily on the active involvement of local governments. The concept of “Localization”—the process of adapting and customizing the SDGs and translating them into local development plans and strategies—has gained prominence as governments address emerging challenges, necessitating innovative approaches. Practical insights from local governments are essential for guiding others in this process. A key debate focuses on “prioritization,” emphasizing the need to focus on a specific set of SDG targets based on available resources, the local government's experience with sustainable policies or the normative framework in which it operates. Prioritization is crucial to prevent fragmentation of efforts that could hinder the local government's contribution to the 2030 Agenda. This paper aims to introduce a methodology for prioritizing SDG targets within local governments. Using a multicriteria analysis tool, the paper shows the process undertaken by the Barcelona City Council to cluster the SDG targets around four priority groups based on four criteria: (i) distance to the goal, (ii) strategic coverage, (iii) normative competence, and (iv) budgetary effort. The prioritization approach contributes to a better monitoring and evaluation process to assess progress towards the SDGs and enhance collaborative efforts across municipal policy and management levels. The findings provide valuable insights and serve as a reference for other local governments aiming at contributing to the 2030 Agenda. The approach is adaptable and can be applied to different subnational governments by tailoring to their specific scope and requirements of the context of application.

Towards more accessible digital urban public transport for people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD): a critical incident analysis (CIT)

PurposeThis study empirically and comparatively examines two digital technologies that have been implemented as part of the experience of urban public transport during the COVID-19 pandemic in the city of Barcelona, the digitization of tickets and self-service technology in kiosks in the different operators of the metropolitan transport authority (ATM) environment. The study gives a voice to people with ASD and makes a theoretical and practical contribution to making urban transport increasingly digitized after the COVID-19 pandemic, more accessible and inclusive for the group, little observed so far.Design/methodology/approachThe data collection consisted of a discussion group, ethnographic techniques and a visit to the Barcelona Metro (2022), and interviews after the visit through a semi-structured questionnaire with 12 participants with ASD. This study uses the critical incident analysis (CIT).FindingsResults provide an extension of the attribute-based Dabholkar model (1996) that applies to the perception of the use of self-service technology, when using digital technologies in urban transport.Originality/valueThis redefinition of the current model of the perception of the use of technology, taking into account the needs of people with ASD, will enable better decision making by transport operators for previously neglected groups.

Tracing neoliberal discourse in school documentation. The analysis of educational projects in Barcelona state schools

An extensive literature has been produced to interpret the transformations that have taken place in education as an expression of the expansion of neoliberal rationality in public policies. This study adopts a mixed method, combining quantitative (text mining) and qualitative approaches (computer-assisted discourse analysis), with the aim of determining/verifying/analysing the permeability of the educational projects of state secondary schools in the city of Barcelona with regard to the neoliberal educational paradigm. Taking into account the occurrence of specific node words (such as work, competition, quality, and company), the results highlight the construction of an educational discourse focused on teaching oriented towards the needs of the new labour market, thus allowing schools to become one of the institutions that contribute to shaping a new type of subject: the flexible, emotionally stable, self-enterprising person who always needs to acquire new skills to increase her ‘human capital’.

Political disaffection or institutional adultcentrism? Youth perceptions of adult hegemony in institutional politics and policies

ABSTRACT The relationship between young people and public institutions has traditionally attracted a lot of attention. In particular, there has been much discussion about the idea of youth political disaffection. In recent years, the literature seems to agree that this disaffection of the new generations is fundamentally oriented towards the institutional political system. Studies on institutional disaffection have tended to look at the characteristics, transformations and situations experienced by young people themselves. However, the role that public institutions play in producing this distancing has hardly been examined. In this article, we aim to determine whether the theoretical tool of adultcentrism, as a hegemony that places young people in a peripheral position, helps us understand these processes. We use data from focus groups and participatory workshops in the city of Barcelona to analyse to what extent the distancing of young people from institutions is shaped by perceptions and discourses that assume or react to the marginal position that youth have in the institutional system. By basing this analysis on adultcentric forms of governance, we aim to understand both how such perspectives are constructed by young people through their interaction with institutions, and also how these perceptions become generalised discourses among youth.

Beyond Cerdá: Public housing in the Barcelona periphery

Mass migration into the city of Barcelona in the 1950s created an estimated deficit of 100,000 dwellings by the close of the decade, and by the early 1960s an estimated 100,000 people were living in shanty towns in and around the city. In an effort to address this crisis, central State and local housing authorities constructed a series of housing estates in the urban periphery, beyond the central ensanche (expansion), the centrepiece of Ildefonso Cerdá’s 1860 master plan for the city. Using secondary sources, original photographs taken at the end of the Franco era, and more recent Google Earth images, this article discusses the role of the main housing authorities at the time, and examines the planning process that allowed the construction of these housing estates and their subsequent demolition or remodelling in the post-Franco era. The article finds that the public authorities allowed planning regulations to be contravened, or used loopholes and special measures within the planning laws, to construct housing units of minimal dimensions and generally poor quality in areas often zoned for other uses. More recently, “special plans” have been used effectively to improve or replace the majority of these estates. The article concludes that political will was the dominant factor in determining housing construction in the Franco era with the planning process being largely an irrelevance, and that residents’ associations have led the struggle for improvements in these estates in the post-Franco era, with the revised planning laws providing an effective framework for change.

Towards a Retailess City? A Comparative Analysis of the Retail Desertification between a Global and a Local Commercial Strips in Barcelona

The relationships between the circuits of the urban economy and retail desertification are analysed based on two retail strips in Barcelona: Passeig de Gràcia, a central hub with global reach, and the Sants-Creu Coberta strip, which responds to the demand for consumption on a local, everyday scale. The hypothesis is that the relationships between these circuits and retail desertification behave differently depending on their relative position in the city with respect to consumption flows. This is tested with a one-to-one analysis of the uses of ground floor premises in both strips for 2016 and 2021, using data from the Commercial Censuses of the Barcelona City Council and Barcelona Provincial Council, respectively. Each ground floor premises is classified as superior, lower or vacant, which allows the process to be mapped from 2016 to 2021 for each of the premises. The article provides, first and foremost, an original systematisation of the behaviour, relationships, and observed forms between the circuits and desertification, and secondly, it demonstrates the differential behaviour of these relationships and forms through case studies, indicating that retail desertification is the main cause of economic and landscape change.

Vulnerated Urban Areas under Regeneration: Strategies to Prevent Neighborhood Expulsion in Barcelona or How to Improve without Expelling?

This article explores the negative effects of gentrification, especially in vulnerable areas of contemporary cities, by focusing on five case studies of the city of Barcelona. This relevant question is addressed here following a double strategy (quantitative and qualitative). In an attempt to engage on a debate around the scope and limitations of current urban regeneration interventions, the phenomenon of gentrification is quantified throughout time drawing from official statistics. At the same time, the voices of local entities’ representatives are included to introduce a level of representation on the phenomenon. The results suggest that, even though urban regeneration strategies are absolutely necessary, especially in the more vulnerated areas, it is necessary to include more comprehensive approaches and tools that take into consideration not only the physical and urban effects of rehabilitation, but also the economic and social aspects. Thus, it may be necessary to engage in a more consequential discussion not only on how vulnerability and regeneration are theorized, measured and dealt with, but also on some less studied dimensions of the socio-urban phenomenon, such as the social capital and the social infrastructure of neighborhoods.

Online Gambling and At-Risk Gambling Behaviour in a Cross-Sectional Survey Among 13-19Year-Old Adolescents in Barcelona.

Gambling forms part of social and leisure activities for adolescents but is not free of potential harms. Moreover, with the emergence of new technologies, gambling has become increasingly accessible and appealing to this population. The aim of this study was to determine the magnitude of gambling behaviour and its associated factors in adolescents aged 13-19years in the city of Barcelona in 2021. A cross-sectional study was conducted using data from the 2021 Survey of Risk Factors in Secondary Schools. A bivariate analysis was carried out and multiple logistic regression models were constructed to estimate adjusted odds ratios and their 95% confidence intervals for online, non-online, and at-risk gambling. The prevalence of gambling among adolescents in Barcelona was 18.6% in boys and 6.1% in girls. Gambling was associated with various sociodemographic, health, and lifestyle factors, with differences observed by sex and gambling modality (online vs. non-online). The prevalence of at-risk gambling was 6.2% in boys and 1% in girls. At-risk gambling was associated with male sex, engaging in online gambling, poor mental health, and participating in more than two different types of gambling. The results of this study show that gambling is a widespread activity among adolescents in Barcelona, with significant associated risks. Preventive programmes and regulations are needed to reduce gambling involvement and gambling-related harms.