Concrete Actions Research Articles

Exploring the urban-rural dichotomies in post-pandemic migration intention: Empirical evidence from Europe

Since the beginning of the 21st century, we have been living in the ‘urban century’, characterised by a rise in the number of cities and mega-cities and a structural population increase in most cities, to the detriment of rural areas. Given the declining interest in rurality, the aims and scope of this paper are to map out the complex force field of rurality versus urbanity, and explore if the COVID pandemic has become a ‘game changer’ that thus may swift the existing patterns. Relying on multilevel modelling, to also account for between-country differences, and using Eurobarometer data on post-pandemic migration intention in both rural and urban areas, our results do not find support for a major post-covid urban exodus. Younger individuals from large cities are indeed more willing to leave for rural areas when they are convinced that they can play an active role in the local decision-making process. Teleworking, as well as EU concrete actions for addressing environmental issues, may also drive more migration toward rural areas. On the other hand, poor access to health services may push individuals towards urban areas. In policy terms, our findings advocate for improving access to public services in rural areas. In addition, the study reinforces the role of the Cohesion Policy to urge the twin transition, as facilitating teleworking and strengthening the environmental commitment were shown to make rural areas more appealing.

Advocacy through storytelling: challenging eating disorders and eating disorders stigma

BackgroundAlthough eating disorders (EDs) are among the most stigmatised mental illnesses, a number of individuals break past this stigma and engage in ED advocacy by sharing their recovery stories. Little is known, however, about the role of such advocacy in their healing journeys.MethodsTo bridge this gap, the authors examined the role of autobiographical oral storytelling in the ED recovery of adult advocates. Autobiographical oral history interviews were carried out with adult advocates (n = 16) recovering from EDs. The data were analysed using a mixture of actantial and thematic analyses. Authors also used activity theory to categorise how storytelling was translated into concrete social actions. Results were then interpreted through frameworks of embodiment and the intersectionality of identity.ResultsAdvocates chose to share their ED stories as a way to embody resilience and make meaning from their ED experiences. Beyond personal gains, the social benefits of sharing their stories included raising hope and openness to converse further with audiences, advocating for greater ED resources (e.g., ED literacy among school staff), and offering new training initiatives for healthcare professionals. The ties between storytelling and the unique aspects of one’s identity are also discussed.ConclusionsEngaging in advocacy through storytelling can positively affect both the advocates and the audiences with whom they connect. Future studies, informed by feminist biopsychosocial frameworks, can examine storytelling as a therapeutic intervention. Such frameworks serve as alternatives to biomedical models of EDs and mental illnesses. They also emphasise the need for broader changes that destabilise oppressive body cultures and display how storytelling can help mobilise change.

Tweet no harm: Offer solutions when alerting the public to voter suppression efforts

Voter suppression was a major issue during the 2018 U.S. Midterm elections. Civil rights organizations, advocacy groups, and celebrities used Twitter to urgently warn voters about potential problems at the polls. However, in raising awareness of these normatively problematic matters, these messages had the potential to negatively impact key measures of democratic health. We conduct a survey experiment exploring the effect of exposure to tweets about voter suppression on confidence in elections, democratic legitimacy, and vote intent. Tweets that highlight voter suppression without a solution depress confidence in elections across all party groups, suggesting that solely warning people about problems at the polls without concrete actions they can take in response may do more harm than good. In addition, tweets highlighting voter suppression increase democratic legitimacy among Republicans relative to Democrats, suggesting that the former see such efforts as beneficial. There is no impact of either treatment condition on vote intent. Normative implications for democracy are discussed.

Rethinking Health Systems Responsiveness in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Validation Study.

Health systems responsiveness (HSR) is the ability of systems to respond to legitimate non-health expectations of the population. The concept of HSR by the World Health Organization (WHO) includes respect for dignity, individual autonomy, confidentiality, prompt attention to care, availability of basic amenities, choice of provider, access to social support networks, and clarity of communication. The WHO tool is applied globally to assess HSR in low, middle, and high-income countries. We have revised the conceptual framework of HSR following a rigorous systematic review and made it specific for low- and middle-income countries (L&MICs). This study is designed to (1) run the Delphi technique to validate the upgraded conceptual framework of HSR, (2) modify and upgrade the WHO measurement tool for assessing HSR in the context of L&MICs, and (3) determine the validity of the upgraded HSR measurement tool by pilot testing it in Pakistan. The Delphi technique will be run by inviting global public health experts to provide suggestions on the domains and subdomains of HSR specific to L&MICs. Cronbach ɑ will be calculated to determine internal consistency among the participants. The upgraded HSR conceptual framework will serve as a beacon to modify the measurement tool by the research team, which will be reviewed by subject experts for refinement. The modified tool will be pilot-tested by administering it to 1128 participants from primary, secondary, and tertiary care hospitals in Rawalpindi district, Pakistan. Additionally, an "observation checklist" of HSR domains and subdomains will be completed to objectively measure the state of HSR across health care facilities. HSR assessment will be further strengthened by incorporating the perspective of hospital managers, service providers, and policy makers (ie, the supply side) as well as community leaders and representatives (ie, the demand side) through qualitative interviews. The study was started in January 2024 and will continue until February 2025. A multidimensional approach will yield significant quantifiable information on HSR from the demand and supply sides of L&MICs. This study will provide a conceptual understanding of HSR and a corresponding measurement tool specific to L&MICs. It will contribute to global public health literature and provide a snapshot of HSR in Rawalpindi district, Pakistan, with concrete action points for policy makers. DERR1-10.2196/59836.

QUALITY ATTRIBUTES AND FOOD WASTE IN APPLE VALUE CHAIN: A CONSUMER PERSPECTIVE

Fruticulture is one of the main sub-sectors of Albanian agriculture, the production of which is mainly dominated by apples. Despite the development trend of the last years, actors in the Apple supply chain are facing various issues, leading to product loss and waste within the chain. This derives due to problems related to the quality of seedlings, the varietal structure, low level of technology, the lack of storage capacities, lack of labor force, etc., but also as a consequence of consumer's perception and knowledge related to the attributes of fruit quality. Although losses are higher at the bottom part of the value chain, the waste generated at the consumption level (consumers) cannot be neglected either. The study aims to identify the factors that influence the behavior of consumers in the market, analyzing the characteristics that contribute to food quality. According to the nature of the study and the data type, the quantitative research method was determined as the most appropriate for addressing the research findings. Through primary research instruments (structured questionnaires), 286 consumers were interviewed in the retail market in the city of Korça. In addition, the collected data were processed and analyzed through the SPSS program. Accordingly, consumers evaluated the qualities related to sensory, safety, and aesthetic features, (appearance and color) as the most important. To reduce the level of waste, concrete actions are needed from all the stakeholders, encouraging not only the cooperation between actors of the food chain but also increasing the awareness of consumers as important contributors to the reduction of waste.

Patient engagement as a collaborative process in a large Dutch COVID-19 vaccination study (RECOVAC) – insight into the contribution of patient engagement and learnings for the future

BackgroundThe need for patient engagement in health research has been increasingly acknowledged and accepted in recent years. However, implementation is still limited due to lack of evidence on its value and lack of guidance on how to implement patient engagement. This study aims to provide insight into the contribution of patient engagement in the RECOVAC project, which studied COVID-19 vaccination in kidney patients, and formulate concrete practice-based action perspectives for patient engagement.MethodsWe used a qualitative participatory mixed methods approach, based on the Patient Engagement Monitoring and Evaluation (PEME) framework. Patient engagement and data collection were based on the Reflexive Monitoring in Action (RMA) approach. Data collection included participant observations, open ended questionnaires and interactive reflection sessions. Qualitative analysis was done via a thematic approach.ResultsWe have described the process of patient engagement systematically, provided insight in its value and found that there is a need for clear aims, expectations and preparations from the start of the engagement process. We have shown that reflection throughout the process is of utmost importance and the same applies to clear communication between researchers and patient representatives. By being part of the consortium patient representatives had direct access to information, straight from the source, on for example the vaccination schedule and medication availability and had indirect influence on decisions made by the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) on preventive measures and treatment against COVID-19. Having experienced patient representatives is important, otherwise training needs to be provided. We also found that patient engagement had impact on conduct and outcomes of research activities itself and may have impact on future research and patient engagement activities in general.ConclusionPatient engagement has changed the course of the project. Concrete practice-based action perspectives have been formulated, which are already being implemented by the Dutch Kidney Patients Association (NVN). Studying patient engagement in a high pace project with high public interest has resulted in lessons learned and will help prepare and implement patient involvement in future research projects.Clinical trial registrationThe RECOVAC studies in which the patient engagement took place are registered at clinicialtrial.gov (NCT04741386 registration date 2021-02-04, NCT04841785 registration date 2021-03-22 and NCT05030974 registration date 2021-08-20).

“Do you practice what you preach?” The effects of celebrities’ pro-environmental messages on social media on young adults’ pro-environmental behavior

Purpose Celebrities communicating about environmental sustainability on social media have the power to inspire young adults to engage in pro-environmental behavior, such as reducing their consumption behavior or only buying local and organic food. However, at the same time, celebrities’ carbon-rich and luxurious lifestyles might generate skepticism when they preach about environmental action. Thus, this study aims to shed light on the effects of celebrity pro-environmental messages on young adults’ perceived authenticity and greenwashing and, subsequently, on young adults’ pro-environmental behavior. Moreover, this study examined the moderation effect of congruent (vs incongruent) messages in the celebrity’s social media profile depicting an environmentally friendly (vs unfriendly) lifestyle. Design/methodology/approach The authors conducted a 3 (celebrity pro-environmental messages: with concrete action claim vs without vs control group) x 2 (celebrity message-lifestyle congruence: congruent vs incongruent) between-subjects experimental study (N = 400) with young adults (16–26 years old). Findings Results showed a significant positive effect of celebrity pro-environmental messages with concrete green action claims on authenticity perceptions only when the social media profile depicted a congruent environmentally friendly lifestyle. Moreover, higher perceived authenticity of the celebrity by social media audiences led to a higher likelihood of young adults’ engagement in pro-environmental behavior. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to consider celebrity message characteristics and young adults’ perceptions of authenticity and greenwashing when investigating the effects of celebrity pro-environmental messages on young adults’ pro-environmental behavior.

Semangat Pelayanan Santa Teresa dari Calcutta Menjadi Inspirasi Bagi Katekis Masa Kini

St. Teresa of Calcutta was a Religious who had a strong faith and love for the poor. She is one of the figures in the Catholic Church who has been canonized a saint. The purpose of this writing is to study the life and charism of St. Teresa of Calcutta who lived her faith in God which was manifested in her service to the poor. The method used to explore this theme is a literature review. The authors have tried to explore matters related to St. Teresa and her service through reliable sources. Through this writing have findings were obtained about the life and work of St. Teresa's of Calcutta. The exemplary and attitude of St. Teresa's life are figures for catechists for their work and service. Catechists need to live the values ​​of Evangelical spirituality as lived by St. Teresa of Calcutta. This writing can inspire catechists to develop spiritual values ​​that are rooted in a strong faith in God that manifests itself in concrete actions. The implications of writing St. Teresa can be an inspiration and example for catechists to be closer to God, faithful in their duties and service.

Returns, Marches and Countermarches: The Agony for Truth and Justice

The present research aims to describe and characterize the actions in the reparation processes of Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo, and Mothers and Relatives of Disappeared Detainees, in Argentina and Uruguay respectively, in the period from 2005 to 2015, in the face of the effects of political violence and state terrorism. It is proposed to make visible what the organizations' actions have been to influence advances in reparations, with special emphasis on concrete actions in contexts of self-styled "progressive" governments. A qualitative research is proposed, with the substantive use of the technique of documentary analysis and in-depth interviews for data collection, and for the analysis of said data we proceeded through discourse analysis. The results indicate that the central axes linked to comprehensive reparation in each organization are oriented towards: psychosocial reparation, accompaniment in the search process, progress at the legal level, recognition by the State of its responsibility before the crimes committed, the clarification of the truth, especially in the awareness of young people, with an educational paradigm that encourages education for memory. Reparatory mechanisms have manifested themselves in a similar way in the contexts of political progressivism, both in Argentina and Uruguay. However, the Argentine context has established a greater deployment of policies, with a special focus on the restitution of rights, and guarantees of non-repetition, developing an instituting policy promoted by the human rights movement. In the Uruguayan case, although progressivism enabled the creation of new institutions, providing new spaces and a budget to respond to the citizenship and mainly to the victims' relatives, for truth, justice and reparation, these have been poorly satisfactory measures, in where there is still a consolidation of policies, demanded by the human rights movement.

Freire's Praxis, Democracy and Critical Consciousness in Islamic Education

Critical philosophy in education assumes that students are so naive and unable to read social reality critically, and this also happens in Islamic education. Paulo Freire tries to promote the importance of student-centred education, active participation and critical consciousness in education. This study aims to: (1) explore Freire's ideas about praxis; (2) explore Freire's thoughts on democracy; (3) explore Freire's thinking about critical consciousness; (4) integrate the concepts of praxis, democracy and critical consciousness in Islamic education. This is literature research which involves review of literature that is relevant to Freire's concepts and their application in Islamic education. The findings of this study are: (1) Praxis allows students to link Islamic knowledge and values with concrete actions in life; (2) Democracy promotes student participation in decision-making and open dialogue, enabling them to actively contribute to learning; (3) Critical consciousness helps students understand the structure of society and analyze their understanding of Islamic teachings critically; (4) The concepts of praxis, democracy and critical consciousness in Islamic education provides opportunities for students to integrate religious teachings with their life experiences, understand the social context and develop a critical understanding of Islam.

Applying a trauma‐informed care framework to courtroom practice: An analysis of judges' perspectives

AbstractAnalysis of in‐depth interviews with eight district court judges in North Carolina revealed over 40 practices that judges can adopt to become more trauma‐informed in their work. These practices map onto SAMHSA's framework for a trauma‐informed approach, demonstrating that abstract principles can translate into concrete actions in the courtroom setting. Analysis revealed an additional core principle of trauma‐informed judicial practice—Rehabilitation and Healing—and several areas where judges can deepen their commitment to trauma‐informed care—engagement with peer support programming; greater attention to cultural, historical, and gender issues; and application of trauma‐informed practice in adult criminal court.

Air Quality Awareness—Empirical Evidence from a Comparative Perspective between Two European Cities

This research, conducted as part of the European project PA-MAP (Participatory Approach to Monitoring Air Quality in Urban Environments), investigates citizens’ perceptions of air pollution in two European cities: Turin (Italy) and Dublin (Ireland). We systematically collected social data through semi-structured surveys distributed via online platforms. Our aim was to gather comprehensive information on the perception of pollution sources and the effectiveness of control systems. We examined citizens’ habits and their suggestions to improve air quality. The results revealed the following: (1) In Turin, the perception of air pollution significantly influences individuals’ self-assessments of health. Consequently, increased vigilance is required to mitigate environmental health risks and to disseminate information on air quality and effective practices for reducing air pollution. (2) The use of sustainable transportation in Turin is hindered due to the inadequate maintenance of cycling infrastructure. Citizens prefer to use cars or trains, which facilitate rapid travel. (3) In Dublin, greater sensitivity to the problem of air pollution has emerged, and the use of sustainable means of transport is facilitated via ad hoc infrastructure. These results provide empirical evidence to policymakers to support the promotion of concrete local actions through which to improve air quality.

Public health contributions of entomological surveillance of West Nile virus (WNV) and other mosquito-borne arboviruses in a context of climate change.

Climate change is likely to increase the risk of human transmission of arboviruses endemic to Canada, including West Nile virus (WNV), Eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV) and California serogroup virus (CSV), calling for enhanced surveillance, including entomological surveillance targeting mosquito vectors. A scoping review was carried out to document the public health contributions of entomological surveillance of arboviruses of importance in Canada. The Ovid® and EBSCO platforms and the grey literature were searched to identify documents published between 2009 and 2023, in English or French, dealing with entomological surveillance of arboviruses of interest, conducted annually for human health purposes under the aegis of a government authority, with specified public health objectives and actions. The 42 selected publications mainly reported two public health objectives of adult mosquito surveillance: early warning of viral circulation and assessment of the level of risk of human transmission. Recommended actions included clinical preparedness, risk communication, promotion of personal protection measures and vector control. The main objectives of immature mosquito surveillance were to identify sites with high larval densities, in order to reduce/eliminate them and target the application of larvicides. In a context of climate change favouring the spread of arboviruses, this study highlights the potential public health contributions of regular entomological surveillance of endemic arboviruses of importance in Canada. It helps support concrete actions to protect the health of the population from the risks of arboviral transmission.

Interdisciplinary collaboration: addressing global challenges through innovative learning strategies

In this era of globalization, students in Indonesia face increasingly complex challenges in understanding, addressing, and contributing to global issues. However, the existing curriculum often fails to provide adequate perspectives and skills to tackle these global problems. Therefore, this research aims to provide students with a holistic, practical, and relevant learning experience to address global challenges through a Team-Based Project strategy that integrates compulsory courses in higher education with a global citizenship education approach. Cross-curricular collaboration helps students see the interconnectedness of various disciplines, which is essential in addressing complex global issues. Survey results indicate a variation of views among student groups regarding their understanding of global issues. This innovative learning strategy utilizes principles of behaviorist theory, such as stimulus-response, positive reinforcement, and social interaction, to create an engaging, relevant, and responsive learning environment tailored to students' needs. Through involvement in joint projects focused on global issues, students are stimulated to contribute and take concrete actions in seeking solutions and bringing about positive change on a larger scale. Thus, this learning strategy is expected to enhance students' understanding, skills, and commitment to addressing global challenges in the contemporary era.

ANALYSIS OF POVERTY AS A MAIN PROBLEM OF THE INDONESIAN ECONOMY AND ITS OVERCOME

Poverty is a phenomenon that occurs in almost every developing country. Poverty stems from the inability of some people to organize their lives at a level that is considered humane. The problem of poverty is an unresolved problem in almost every country, including Indonesia. The research method used in this study was a literature study by examining various literature related to the topics discussed. The purpose of this research is to analyze poverty in Indonesia. The results of the analysis show that poverty in Indonesia can be caused by declining standards of global per capita income development, declining work ethic and people's productivity, low levels of education, and limited capital, these conditions reduce the quality of human resources, which leads to decreased productivity. and income. The reason is that the problem of poverty remains a major problem that needs attention and concrete action through the implementation of programs that are both recovery, empowering and facilitative. Therefore, the author wants to analyze poverty in Indonesia along with overcoming economic problems in Indonesia.

Particulate matter pollution in central Bangkok: assessing outdoor workers’ perceptions and exposure

ABSTRACT Air pollution is estimated to cause 32,300 deaths annually in Thailand, with PM2.5 exposure accounting for much of this. However, not everyone bears the burden of exposure to air pollution equally, and outdoor workers are particularly exposed. In this study, we sought to better understand how local residents and outdoor workers in central Bangkok experience air pollution in their day-to-day life, through a survey of their symptoms and mitigation measures. Respondents were aware of the risks of air pollution but felt there was little they could do about their exposure to it. We also asked a subset of respondents to carry a portable PM2.5 sensor during their working day, to assess which occupations and locations faced highest pollution exposure. We found that all workers, including those who didn’t always work outdoors, faced exposure that exceeded both the WHO and Thailand 24-hour PM2.5 standards, at 43.94 μg/m3 on average. These findings demonstrate that workers face harmful levels of daily exposure and should be provided with appropriate mitigating measures by their employers to limit their exposure, and targeted health screenings. At a city and national scale, concrete action is needed to reduce sources of pollution.

Identifying anticipated challenges when implementing group care: Context-analyses across seven countries to develop an anticipated challenges framework

ProblemDespite increasing interest in Group Care worldwide, implementation is challenging. BackgroundGroup Care is an evidence-based perinatal care model including three core components: health assessment, interactive learning, and community building. It has several advantages for service users and providers compared to individual perinatal care. AimWe aimed to identify anticipated challenges when implementing Group Care, and to develop a supporting tool based on these challenges. MethodsContext analyses through Rapid Qualitative Inquiries were conducted in 26 sites in seven countries to gain insight into the anticipated challenges when implementing Group Care. Data triangulation and investigator triangulation were applied. The context analyses generated 330 semi-structured interviews with service users and other stakeholders, 10 focus group discussions, and 56 review meetings with the research teams. FindingsWe identified six surface structure anticipated challenges categories (content, materials, facilitators, timing, location, group composition), and five deep structure anticipated challenges categories (health assessment, scheduling Group Care into regular care, enrolment, (possible) partner organisations, financials) occurring in all participating sites, leading to the development of the Anticipated Challenges Framework. ConclusionCompleting the Anticipated Challenges Framework raises awareness of anticipated challenges if sustainable Group Care implementation is to succeed and encourages the initiation of a concrete action plan to tackle these challenges. Application of the framework may offer important insights to health systems administrators and other key stakeholders before implementing Group Care. In the medium- and long-term, insights gained may lead to greater possibilities for sustainability and to the most cost-effective approaches for implementing Group Care.

Implementasi Sila Pertama Pancasila dalam Tradisi Hajat Sasih Maulid di Kampung Naga: Studi Kualitatif dan Deskriptif

The Hajat Sasih Maulid tradition in Kampung Naga is a tangible embodiment of the noble values of Pancasila, particularly the first principle. This study explores in depth how this tradition serves as a bridge between faith and deeds, belief and concrete actions. Through a descriptive qualitative approach, the research uncovers the religious, social, and cultural dimensions inherent in this tradition. The findings indicate that Hajat Sasih Maulid functions not only as a religious ritual but also as a means to strengthen national values, preserve the environment, and build a just and prosperous society. Additionally, the tradition serves as a medium for moral education, teaching the connection between spirituality and social responsibility, supporting community solidarity, and encouraging active participation in cultural heritage preservation. This research highlights the importance of local traditions in the national context and their contribution to harmonizing Pancasila values with everyday life practices.

Framing Collective Moral Responsibility for Climate Change: A Longitudinal Frame Analysis of Energy Company Climate Reporting

AbstractResponding to climate change and avoiding irreversible climate tipping points requires radical and drastic action by 2030. This urgency raises serious questions for energy companies, one of the world’s largest emitters of greenhouse gases (GHGs), in terms of how they frame, and reframe, their response to climate change. Despite the majority of energy companies releasing ambitious statements declaring net zero carbon ambitions, this ‘talk’ has not been matched with sufficient urgency or substantive climate action. To unpack the disconnect between talk and action, this paper draws on the literature on framing, organisational hypocrisy, and collective moral responsibility. We conduct a longitudinal qualitative content analysis of the framing of climate change used by the ten largest European investor-owned energy companies and the actions they have taken to shift their business practices. Our findings reveal three main categories of energy companies: (i) deflecting, (ii) stagnating, and (iii) evolving. We show key differences in the relationship between framing and action over time for each category, revealing how deflecting companies have larger and persistent gaps between green talk and concrete action and how stagnating companies are delaying action despite increased green talk, while evolving companies exhibit a closer link between talk and action that tends to be realised over time. Our analysis reveals how competing approaches to framing collective moral responsibility help understand the trajectories of talk and action across the different categories of energy companies. This research makes several contributions to the literature on organisational hypocrisy and collective moral responsibility in the context of climate change. Our analysis highlights the complex relationship between collective moral responsibility, organisational hypocrisy and climate action, revealing how different collective framings—diffuse, teleological, or agential—can both enable and offset substantive climate action. The study also enriches our understanding of the performative nature of collective moral responsibility by examining its temporal dimensions and showing how an agential, backward-looking focus is associated with more meaningful climate action.

The Influence of Family Leadership Style in Encouraging Awareness and Action on Household Waste Management

Family leadership style has an important role in encouraging concrete action regarding household waste management. Parents or heads of households who set a good example and provide active encouragement to family members to participate in environmentally friendly waste management practices can form positive and sustainable habits in the household environment. Thus, it is hoped that this research can make a significant contribution to the role of families in encouraging concrete actions related to household waste management. This research aims to analyze the role of family leadership style in encouraging awareness and action regarding household waste management in a community in Padang City. This research uses a quantitative approach with a causal associative type of research. The sampling method used was a saturated sample, with 63 participants from the local community. The data obtained was described, then a description of the research results was carried out using the TCR technique. The determination analysis technique uses simple linear regression to test the extent of the causal influence between variable (X) on the resulting variable (Y). The research results show that the family leadership style among the community is considered very good, with the respondent's achievement level reaching 90.66%. Meanwhile, awareness and action regarding household waste management is also considered high, with the respondent's achievement level reaching 92.11%. The family leadership style variable was proven to have an influence of 28.4% on community awareness and action regarding household waste management, while the rest was influenced by other factors such as motivation, education level and other environmental factors.