Enrollment Rates Research Articles

Examining the roles of traditional leaders in promoting quality education in Ghana

PurposeThe government of Ghana since independence has undertaken steps to develop educational infrastructure setup. This notwithstanding, the educational sector is beset with challenges such as low-quality education and low enrolment rates in Senior High Schools (SHS) of children from large households, among others. Given the myriad of challenges bedevilling the education sector, there have been calls for collaboration among public leaders to promote education. The paper, therefore, examines traditional leaders' roles in promoting quality education in Ghana.Design/methodology/approachThrough a desk review approach, the study examines the role of traditional leaders in promoting quality education in Ghana. This approach was adopted due to its flexible nature.FindingsThe study found that traditional leaders have provided educational materials and resources to deprived schools. They have established scholarship schemes for needy but brilliant students, promoted gender parity in education, constructed educational facilities and promoted a healthy teaching environment.Practical implicationsThe paper provides stakeholders in Ghana’s educational sector with the opportunity to review educational policies and include traditional leaders to influence educational policies. The recommendations call for support from the GETFUND and Scholarship Secretariat of Ghana to assist community-initiated projects and scholarship schemes established by traditional leaders.Originality/valueThe paper provides evidence to support the importance of traditional leadership, which has come under criticism from a democratisation perspective in contemporary times.

Empowering Women Through Education:- A CASE STUDY OF BIHAR

One of the main pillars of society development is the Empowerment of women via education, yet in Bihar, India, there are still inequalities that prevent women from realizing this basic right. This abstract summarizes a study project that aims to Analyze the complex environment of women's empowerment via education in Bihar and to identify important obstacles, opportunities, and routes to revolutionary change. The study uses a mixed-methods approach, combining qualitative interviews and quantitative surveys to fully capture the subtleties of women's educational empowerment. to present a comprehensive picture of the current situation, the study evaluates access, quality, retention, and public attitudes regarding women's education. Assessing Enrollment rates across demographic groups, identifying obstacles to education, evaluating educational quality, investigating the socioeconomic effects of educational empowerment, and evaluating the function of how stakeholders may support education that is inclusive of all genders. Anticipated results comprise of implementable suggestions for policy modifications, interventions, and community campaigns targeted at promoting gender parity in education. In the end, this study aims to spark revolutionary change by imagining a time when women in Bihar would be able to realize their full potential via education, opening the door to a society that is more inclusive and egalitarian. Keywords:- Women , Empowerment , Gender , Education

Unveiling the health consequences of air pollution in the world’s most polluted nations

Air pollution poses a persuasive threat to global health, demonstrating widespread detrimental effects on populations worldwide. Exposure to pollutants, notably particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 µm (PM2.5), has been unequivocally linked to a spectrum of adverse health outcomes. A nuanced understanding of the relationship between them is crucial for implementing effective policies. This study employs a comprehensive investigation, utilizing the extended health production function framework alongside the system generalized method of moments (SGMM) technique, to scrutinize the interplay between air pollution and health outcomes. Focusing on a panel of the top twenty polluted nations from 2000 to 2021, the findings yield substantial insights. Notably, PM2.5 concentration emerges as a significant factor, correlating with a reduction in life expectancy by 3.69 years and an increase in infant mortality rates by 0.294%. Urbanization is found to increase life expectancy by 0.083 years while concurrently decreasing infant mortality rates by 0.00022%. An increase in real per capita gross domestic product corresponds with an improvement in life expectancy by 0.21 years and a decrease in infant mortality rates by 0.00065%. Similarly, an elevated school enrollment rate is associated with a rise in life expectancy by 0.17 years and a decline in infant mortality rates by 0.00032%. However, a higher population growth rate is found to modestly decrease life expectancy by 0.019 years and slightly elevate infant mortality rates by 0.000016%. The analysis reveals that per capita greenhouse gas emissions exert a negative impact, diminishing life expectancy by 0.486 years and elevating infant mortality rates by 0.00061%, while per capita energy consumption marginally reduces life expectancy by 0.026 years and increases infant mortality rates by 0.00004%. Additionally, economic volatility shock presents a notable decrement in life expectancy by 0.041 years and an increase in infant mortality rates by 0.000045%, with inflationary shock further exacerbating adverse health outcomes by lowering life expectancy by 0.70 years and elevating infant mortality rates by 0.00025%. Moreover, the study scrutinizes the role of institutional quality, revealing a constructive impact on health outcomes. Specifically, the institutional quality index is associated with an increase in life expectancy by 0.66% and a decrease in infant mortality rates by 0.0006%. Extending the analysis to examine the nuanced dimensions of institutional quality, the findings discern that economic institutions wield a notably stronger positive influence on health outcomes compared to political and institutional governance indices. Finally, the results underscore the pivotal moderating role of institutional quality in mitigating the deleterious impact of PM2.5 concentration on health outcomes, counterbalancing the influence of external shocks, and improving the relationships between explanatory variables and health outcome indicators. These findings offer critical insights for guiding evidence-based policy implications, with a focus on fostering resilient, sustainable, and health-conscious societies.

A STUDY ON PROMOTIONAL STRATEGY AND ITS IMPACT ON CUSTOMERS SATISFACTION TOWARDS E LEARNING AT EDIGLOBE

Education is the cornerstone of societal advancement, serving as a catalyst for economic growth, social mobility, and individual empowerment. However, access to quality education has historically been uneven, particularly in emerging markets where challenges such as limited infrastructure, socioeconomic disparities, and cultural barriers impede progress. In recent years, the intersection of education and technology has ushered in a new era of innovation and opportunity, giving rise to a dynamic sector known as Educational Technology, or EdTech. This introduction sets the stage for an exploration of EdTech startups and businesses in emerging markets, tracing their historical evolution, assessing their current impact, and envisioning their future potential. Through targeted advertising campaigns, Edi Globe aims to reach prospective learners across diverse demographics and geographical locations. Additionally, the company offers promotional discounts, free trials, and referral programs to incentivize enrollment and foster customer engagement. Customer Satisfaction in E-Learning: Customer satisfaction in e-learning hinges on several factors including course content quality, platform usability, instructor expertise, and technical support. Edi globe recognizes the significance of these elements and endeavors to provide a seamless learning experience for its users. By regularly updating course materials, enhancing platform functionality, and offering prompt customer support, Edi globe aims to exceed customer expectations and cultivate loyalty. Impact of Promotional Strategy on Customer Satisfaction: The effectiveness of Edi Globe's promotional strategy in bolstering customer satisfaction is evident in several ways. Firstly, promotional discounts and free trials allow prospective learners to experience the platform firsthand, thereby mitigating apprehensions and increasing enrollment rates. Moreover, targeted advertising campaigns ensure that EdiGlobe reaches individuals genuinely interested in e-learning, leading to higher conversion rates and customer satisfaction. Additionally, referral programs not only attract new customers but also foster a sense of community among existing users, thereby enhancing satisfaction and retention.

Participation in a 2-year weekly phone surveillance system: results from Lesotho

Interest in cell phones as a valid survey mode in sub–Saharan Africa increased precipitously in the past decade. However, the mode has mainly been used for cross-sectional studies. This paper presents enrollment and participation rates for a two-year (July 2020 – June 2022), weekly population-based computer-assisted telephone interview (CATI) surveillance system in Lesotho. We found high participation and share lessons learned.

The Relationship Between the Per Capita Possession of Public Libraries' Books in Each Province and the Enrolment Rate in Regular Senior Secondary Schools

The Relationship Between the Per Capita Possession of Public Libraries' Books in Each Province and the Enrolment Rate in Regular Senior Secondary Schools

South Africa: Wealth Gap, Employment Imbalance, and Education Inequality in South Africa

This study uses changes in education and work between men and women to estimate the impact of gender inequality on the wealth gap in South Africa. Although the low enrollment rate of males in primary education continues to occur, social factors of gender inequality led to higher graduation rates and unemployment rates for females than for males, even though they have higher enrollment rates. These findings prove that gender inequality in society leads to job and income imbalances. for this paper, the innovation lies in the logical analysis of the three factors together, rather than the research on the influence of one element. Interestingly, even with the promotion of women's rights in South African society, gender bias has been affecting people's behaviour and subconsciousness at work, making people ignore that South African women have higher learning and skilled workability, which can improve the social economy more than men.

No use of schools: the heterogenous effects of conflict in Pakistan on enrolment rates of boys and girls

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to estimate the impact of conflict witnessed in Pakistan on the enrolment rates of boys and girls. Pakistan has the world’s second-highest number of out-of-school children, with an estimated 22.8 million children aged 5–16 years not attending school.Design/methodology/approachBy merging data on violence with the data on enrolment rates, this paper finds that exposure to violence is correlated with a decline in overall district-level enrolment rates in the short run at primary-level schools and middle-level schools.FindingsHowever, for boys, violence is also negatively correlated with enrolment rates at middle-level schools in the medium run. One possible mechanism tested in this paper is the potential substitution of boys into the labour market during a period of conflict.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper adds to the existing literature in several ways. Firstly, the effect of conflict on the labour market by impacting schooling for boys and girls is examined for the first time in Pakistan. Secondly, the district-level data set on enrolment rates used for this study is novel and has not been used before for this type of analysis. Thirdly, while this study strengthens the evidence that the short run effects of conflict are stronger than the long-run effects, it also confirms the negative effects of conflict do not fade away immediately. Fourthly, this study emphasizes that each conflict is unique in terms of its heterogeneous effects across different cohorts, such as gender, as these effects are dependent on the mechanism through which conflict impacts each individual.

The feasibility and acceptability of integrating dogs into inpatient rehabilitation therapy with children with acquired brain injury.

Children with acquired brain injury (ABI) are at risk for poor therapeutic engagement due to cognitive impairment, affect lability, pain, and fatigue. Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) has the potential to improve patient engagement in rehabilitation therapies; however, the feasibility of integrating AAT into the rigorous therapy schedule of inpatient clinical care or its reception by patients, families, and staff is unknown. To examine the feasibility and acceptability of incorporating dogs into physical therapy and occupational therapy sessions with pediatric patients being treated on an inpatient rehabilitation unit for acquired brain injury. A feasibility study of AAT within the context of a within-subjects crossover study. Pediatric inpatient rehabilitation unit. Sixteen patients, aged 7-28 years (mean = 13.6 years, standard deviation [SD] = 5.2 years; 50% male), being treated on the inpatient rehabilitation unit following ABI. AAT - the integration of dogs into inpatient physical therapy and occupational therapy sessions. Feasibility measures: enrollment rate, the proportion of AAT sessions a dog attended, adverse events, instances where therapist or handler ended session early, patient animal closeness, and utilization of dog in session. Satisfaction measures: parent satisfaction questionnaires and therapist feedback. Feasibility was supported by high enrollment rate (88.9%) and dog attendance rate of 93%-95%; 84.3% of sessions used the dog in multiple ways and patients reported a high level of closeness with the dog in session, indicating that the dogs were integrated in meaningful ways. No adverse events were noted, therapists reported that intervention was convenient, and clinical care was not negatively impacted. A high level of satisfaction was reported by families and therapists. Findings suggest that AAT is feasible and acceptable, and it may be a valuable tool for therapists working with patients with ABI on an inpatient rehabilitation unit.

The business case for hospital mobility programs in the veterans health care system: Results from multi-hospital implementation of the STRIDE program.

To conduct a business case analysis for Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) program STRIDE (ASsisTed EaRly MobIlization for hospitalizeD older VEterans), which was designed to address immobility for hospitalized older adults. This was a secondary analysis of primary data from a VA 8-hospital implementation trial conducted by the Function and Independence Quality Enhancement Research Initiative (QUERI). In partnership with VA operational partners, we estimated resources needed for program delivery in and out of the VA as well as national implementation facilitation in the VA. A scenario analysis using wage data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics informs implementation decisions outside the VA. This budget impact analysis compared delivery and implementation costs for two implementation strategies (Replicating Effective Programs [REP]+CONNECT and REP-only). To simulate national budget scenarios for implementation, we estimated the number of eligible hospitalizations nationally and varied key parameters (e.g., enrollment rates) to evaluate the impact of uncertainty. Personnel time and implementation outcomes were collected from hospitals (2017-2019). Hospital average daily census and wage data were estimated as of 2022 to improve relevance to future implementation. Average implementation costs were $9450 for REP+CONNECT and $5622 for REP-only; average program delivery costs were less than $30 per participant in both VA and non-VA hospital settings. Number of walks had the most impact on delivery costs and ranged from 1 to 5 walks per participant. In sensitivity analyses, cost increased to $35 per participant if a physical therapist assistant conducts the walks. Among study hospitals, mean enrollment rates were higher among the REP+CONNECT hospitals (12%) than the REP-only hospitals (4%) and VA implementation costs ranged from $66 to $100 per enrolled. STRIDE is a low-cost intervention, and program participation has the biggest impact on the resources needed for delivering STRIDE. ClinicalsTrials.gov NCT03300336. Prospectively registered on 3 October 2017.

Examining adverse childhood experiences and Black youth's engagement in a hospital-based violence intervention program using administrative data.

Stemming from poverty and systemic racism, Black youth are disproportionately represented in hospital-based violence intervention programs (HVIPs) due to greater violence exposure. HVIPs are a critical intervention that have been shown to reduce rates of reinjury in urban hospitals and trauma centers across the United States; however, they are plagued by low enrollment and engagement rates. Few studies have examined factors related to engagement, particularly among Black youth. Guided by Trauma Theory and Critical Race Theory, this study uses a retrospective cohort design. Between-group differences of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) among engaged youth compared to nonengaged youth who were violently injured and recruited for a HVIP were examined using chi-square and logistic regression. ACEs were approximated using a novel approach with administrative data. Results indicated that the total ACE score was not significantly associated with engagement status. Individual ACEs were tested across age groups. This study highlights a novel approach to understanding ACEs among a hard-to-reach population and illuminates the significant level of ACEs faced by violence-exposed Black youth at young ages. Considering theory, Black families may be more reluctant to engage due to fear and past harms in social service systems stemming from systemic racism. Though ACEs did not predict engagement in this study, considering the high rates of ACEs experienced by Black youth and their families in the context of systemic racism suggests that HVIPs should acknowledge historical harms and foster trauma-informed and healing-centered interactions during recruitment and later stages of engagement.

Development and feasibility of a mindfulness-based dance/movement therapy intervention for chronic low back pain.

Responding to the need for innovative, multi-modal, non-pharmacological strategies in chronic low back pain (cLBP) care, this article presents the development and a mixed methods feasibility trial of a manualized Mindfulness-based Dance/Movement Therapy (M-DMT) program for cLBP. The 12-week program is designed as a group therapy, integrating mindfulness principles, creative/expressive dance and movement, and psychoeducational content focused on cLBP management. This holistic program seeks to cultivate nonjudgmental awareness of pain experiences, challenge maladaptive pain-related beliefs, enhance emotional well-being, foster social support, and promote effective coping strategies for the daily challenges associated with cLBP. The 12-week M-DMT intervention was administered to individuals with non-specific cLBP (N = 18, aged 51.7 ± 13.9 years, 72% female, 55% Black and 39% White). We assessed feasibility and acceptability through monitoring enrollment and retention rates, attendance, and adverse events. Moreover, we measured the intervention's credibility/expectancy, participants' perception of changes, and overall satisfaction. Additionally, we collected qualitative data, capturing participants' perspectives on the intervention's usefulness and perceived benefits. Specific benchmarks were established to gauge the successful feasibility and acceptability of the program. The adherence rate stood at 80%, with a perfect retention rate of 100%. The study successfully met the benchmarks for treatment acceptability and satisfaction criteria, with 61% of participants reporting "feeling better" or a "great deal better" after the intervention. No adverse events were observed. Participants found the intervention enjoyable and reported that it provided effective tools for cLBP and related symptoms. Notably, participants reported a decrease in fear-avoidance behaviors, increased motivation for physical activity, and a boost in self-efficacy for pain management. These encouraging findings establish a strong basis for considering the M-DMT intervention as a promising approach for cLBP management, warranting further investigation in larger-scale studies.

A Study on the Competitiveness and Influencing Factors of the Digital Service Trade

In today’s digital era, the rapidly escalating digital service industry plays a crucial role in the country’s economic development. However, compared to the countries that are a part of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), the competitiveness level of China’s digital service trade still needs to be improved. This paper aims to know the differences in the competitiveness of the digital service trade between China and CPTPP countries and explore the factors affecting competitiveness in both exports and imports to improve China’s competitiveness level and narrow the gap with CPTPP, thereby promoting its accession process. This paper first uses China and CPTPP countries’ 2010–2022 import and export volume of digital service data to calculate each country’s revealed comparative advantage index, trade competitiveness index, market share, and Michaely fluctuation index indicators, further comparing the comprehensive level of competitiveness between countries. Then, based on the diamond theory, multiple regression analyses will be conducted based on the factors influencing digital service trade competitiveness and using the indicator data of influencing factors in each country for 2010–2021. The conclusions show that China’s digital service trade competitiveness ranked relatively high among CPTPP countries. The competitiveness of imports and exports of the digital service trade is influenced positively by several factors, including the degree of trade freedom, government efficiency, the number of fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, and the industry’s openness. The value of exports of trade in goods has a positive effect on export competitiveness, the enrolment rate in tertiary education has a positive effect on import competitiveness, and the ratio of employed in the service sector to the total employed has a dual effect, facilitating export competitiveness and inhibiting import competitiveness.

Accrual Quality Improvement Program for clinical trials.

The Early Phase Cancer Prevention Clinical Trials Program (Consortia), led by the Division of Cancer Prevention, National Cancer Institute, supports and conducts trials assessing safety, tolerability, and cancer preventive potential of a variety of interventions. Accrual to cancer prevention trials includes the recruitment of unaffected populations, posing unique challenges related to minimizing participant burden and risk, given the less evident or measurable benefits to individual participants. The Accrual Quality Improvement Program was developed to address these challenges and better understand the multiple determinants of accrual activity throughout the life of the trial. Through continuous monitoring of accrual data, Accrual Quality Improvement Program identifies positive and negative factors in real-time to optimize enrollment rates for ongoing and future trials. The Accrual Quality Improvement Program provides a web-based centralized infrastructure for collecting, analyzing, visualizing, and storing qualitative and quantitative participant-, site-, and study-level data. The Accrual Quality Improvement Program approaches cancer prevention clinical trial accrual as multi-factorial, recognizing protocol design, potential participants' characteristics, and individual site as well as study-wide implementation issues. The Accrual Quality Improvement Program was used across 39 Consortia trials from 2014 to 2022 to collect comprehensive trial information. The Accrual Quality Improvement Program captures data at the participant level, including number of charts reviewed, potential participants contacted and reasons why participants were not eligible for contact or did not consent to the trial or start intervention. The Accrual Quality Improvement Program also captures site-level (e.g. staffing issues) and study-level (e.g. when protocol amendments are made) data at each step of the recruitment/enrollment process, from potential participant identification to contact, consent, intervention, and study completion using a Recruitment Journal. Accrual Quality Improvement Program's functionality also includes tracking and visualization of a trial's cumulative accrual rate compared to the projected accrual rate, including a zone-based performance rating with corresponding quality improvement intervention recommendations. The challenges associated with recruitment and timely completion of early phase cancer prevention clinical trials necessitate a data collection program capable of continuous collection and quality improvement. The Accrual Quality Improvement Program collects cumulative data across National Cancer Institute, Division of Cancer Prevention early phase clinical trials, providing the opportunity for real-time review of participant-, site-, and study-level data and thereby enables responsive recruitment strategy and protocol modifications for improved recruitment rates to ongoing trials. Of note, Accrual Quality Improvement Program data collected from ongoing trials will inform future trials to optimize protocol design and maximize accrual efficiency.

Feasibility and Acceptability of a Multifaceted Observational Protocol to Investigate Lucidity in Advanced Dementia.

Episodes of lucidity (ELs), characterized by spontaneous, transient recovery of abilities, are reported across neurological conditions, including advanced dementia. Despite the significance of these events, existing research is limited to retrospective reports. Approaches to prospectively capturing and characterizing ELs in dementia are lacking. This pilot study determined the feasibility and acceptability of a multifaceted observational protocol to capture, characterize, and validate ELs in individuals with advanced dementia in hospice. Feasibility was measured through enrollment/retention rates, workload/usability assessment of video observation, and data processing procedures to facilitate the measurement of verbal and nonverbal features for EL characterization. The acceptability of observation and informant validation procedures was qualitatively examined with clinician and family caregiver participants. Study procedures were endorsed as highly acceptable among clinician (N = 49) and caregiver (N = 16) participants, demonstrating higher than anticipated thresholds for observation duration. Enrollment and retention rates for patient participants (N = 6) were 100% and 84%, respectively. Workload and usability measures demonstrated low disruptiveness and high ease of use after training. Longitudinal video observation among individuals with advanced dementia in hospice care for the detection of lucidity was feasible and highly acceptable. Multidimensional, temporal coding of features of ELs is feasible but time-intensive.

CREST‐2 Commitment to Rigorous Assessment of Carotid Stenting for Primary Prevention of Stroke

Background Rather than considering carotid stenting and endarterectomy to be rival procedures, they ought to be seen as complementary, with some patients more suited to one procedure over another. The respective patient populations best suited for optimal outcomes with stenting and endarterectomy differ substantially. Hence, the CREST‐2 (Carotid Revascularization, Endarterectomy Versus Stent Trial‐2) ( study was designed as 2 separate 2‐arm randomized trials run in parallel. One trial compares intensive medical management with and without stenting; the other, intensive medical management with and without endarterectomy. Each trial has a recruitment target of 1240 patients with ≥70% asymptomatic carotid stenosis, randomized 1:1 in each arm. To ensure patient safety and give stenting the best possible chance of demonstrating net benefits in stroke prevention, CREST‐2 adopted a rigorous procedure for evaluating, monitoring, and approving operators to enroll in the trial. The CREST‐2 Registry was established to allow for recent experience for applicant stent operators. Methods The CREST‐2 Registry is a prospective, multicenter, short‐term observational study of carotid stenting allowing use of multiple devices. Results The registry enrolled its first patient in September 2014, and as of October 2, 2023, a total of 9830 patients have been treated by 207 different stent operators from 103 different clinical centers. In this mixed cohort of asymptomatic (61.1% of the cohort) and symptomatic (38.9%) patients, the 30‐day stroke rate is 1.8% and the combined 30‐day stroke or death rate is 2.6%. At its peak in March 2016, the registry achieved an enrollment rate of 142 cases/month. As of October 20, 2023, a total of 104 patients remain to be enrolled in the CREST‐2 stenting trial. Conclusion The registry has facilitated assembly of a high‐performing team of stent operators for the CREST‐2 trial. With continued support of the many operators, we anticipate completing enrollment by the summer of 2024.

Quantitative evaluation of the impact of relaxing eligibility criteria on the risk-benefit profile of drugs for lung cancer based on real-world data.

Restrictive eligibility criteria in cancer drug trials result in low enrollment rates and limited population diversity. Relaxed eligibility criteria (REC) based on solid evidence is becoming necessary for stakeholders worldwide. However, the absence of high-quality, favorable evidence remains a major challenge. This study presents a protocol to quantitatively evaluate the impact of relaxing eligibility criteria in common non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) protocols in China, on the risk-benefit profile. This involves a detailed explanation of the rationale, framework, and design of REC. To evaluate our REC in NSCLC drug trials, we will first construct a structured, cross-dimensional real-world NSCLC database using deep learning methods. We will then establish randomized virtual cohorts and perform benefit-risk assessment using Monte Carlo simulation and propensity matching. Shapley value will be utilized to quantitatively measure the effect of the change of each eligibility criterion on patient volume, clinical efficacy and safety. This study is one of the few that focuses on the problem of overly stringent eligibility criteria cancer drug clinical trials, providing quantitative evaluation of the effect of relaxing each NSCLC eligibility criterion. This study will not only provide scientific evidence for the rational design of population inclusion in lung cancer clinical trials, but also establish a data governance system, as well as a REC evaluation framework that can be generalized to other cancer studies.

Learner Engagement and Demographic Influences in Brazilian Massive Open Online Courses: Aprenda Mais Platform Case Study

This paper explores the dynamics of student engagement and demographic influences in Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). The study analyzes multiple facets of Brazilian MOOC participation, including re-enrollment patterns, course completion rates, and the impact of demographic characteristics on learning outcomes. Using survey data and statistical analyses from the public Aprenda Mais Platform, this study reveals that MOOC learners exhibit a strong tendency toward continuous learning, with a majority re-enrolling in subsequent courses within a short timeframe. The average completion rate across courses is around 42.14%, with learners maintaining consistent academic performance. Demographic factors, notably, race/color and disability, are found to influence enrollment and completion rates, underscoring the importance of inclusive educational practices. Geographical location impacts students’ decision to enroll in and complete courses, highlighting the necessity for region-specific educational strategies. The research concludes that a diverse array of factors, including content interest, personal motivation, and demographic attributes, shape student engagement in MOOCs. These insights are vital for educators and course designers in creating effective, inclusive, and engaging online learning experiences.

Reasons for Individuals not Enrolling for Yoga trial in Addiction

IntroductionYoga has been demonstrated to have a range of beneficial effects on individuals with substance use disorders, including opioid use disorders. We initiated a randomized clinical trial to find out the efficacy of add-on yoga among patients with opioid dependence stabilized on treatment to find out whether it led to improvement in sleep and quality of life. However, the rate of enrolment into the study was quite low.ObjectivesIn this interim analysis, we present the preliminary data on the reasons for non-enrolment in the yoga trial.MethodsThe single-centre trial involved 1:1 randomization of patients with opioid dependence stabilized on medications (naltrexone or buprenorphine) for a period of at least 4 weeks into two groups (add-on yoga or wait-list control). The yoga included asanas and panchakosha meditation, taught for a period of 7 days and to be practiced by the participants for a period of 12 weeks. We recorded the reasons for non-participation among those who did not participate and asked them questions about their views on yoga.ResultsOf the 310 patients recruited between August 2022 and July 2023 (99.7% male, mean age 34 years, 56.5% married), 255 (82.3%) could not be enrolled in the trial. The most common reasons for non-enrolment were not having time for training (n = 206, 80.8%), not having time for doing yoga (n = 180, 70.6%), not having a smartphone for continued training or contact (n = 31, 12.2%), distance from the center (n = 17, 5.5%) do not feel the need for yoga (n = 16, 5.2%), injury or disability (n = 9, 3.5%), old age or medical condition (n = 7, 2.7%), already doing gym exercises (n = 7, 2.7%), nature of job (n = 5, 2.0%), do not have knowledge of yoga (n = 5, 2.0%), and do not think yoga would be useful (n = 4, 1.6%). Among those who could not be enrolled, 35.1% reported doing yoga sometime in the past, and 21.6% reported that at least one of the family members did yoga. When asked whether they would be interested if yoga was available online, 16 (5.2%) responded ‘yes’ and 45 (14.5%) responded ‘maybe’.ConclusionsExpressed time constraints may be an important factor deterring patients with opioid dependence from engaging in yoga as an add-on yoga. There are other reasons as well that may deter patients from such an intervention. The findings should be seen in the light of the limitation of a single medically oriented center, and patients already stabilized on treatment.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Preliminary testing of "roadmap to parenthood" decision aid and planning tool for family building after cancer: Results of a single-arm pilot study.

Many young adult female cancer survivors need to use reproductive medicine, surrogacy, or adoption to have a child. This study pilot tested Roadmap to Parenthood, a web-based, self-guided decision aid and planning tool for family building after cancer (disease agnostic). A single-arm pilot study tested feasibility, acceptability, and obtained effect size estimates of the Roadmap tool. Participants, recruited via hospital-based and social media strategies, completed a baseline survey (T1), accessed the Roadmap tool (website), then completed surveys at one- and 3-months (T2 and T3, respectively). Feasibility and acceptability were evaluated with rates of eligibility, enrollment, and survey completion, and feedback. Pairwise t-tests and repeated measures ANOVA evaluated usage effects. Effect size estimates were calculated. Participants (N=98) averaged 31years old (SD=5.61); 71% were nulliparous. Enrollment rate was 73%, T1-T2 completion rate was 80%, and 93% accessed the website. From T1-T2, participants reported improvements in decisional conflict (p<0.001; Cohen's d=0.85), unmet information needs (p<0.001; Cohen's d=0.70), self-efficacy (p=0.003; Cohen's d=0.40), and self-efficacy for managing negative emotions (p=0.03; Cohen's d=0.29); effects were sustained at T3. There was no change in reproductive distress (p=0.22). By T3, 94% reported increased consideration of preparatory actions and 20%-61% completed such actions. The Roadmap intervention was feasible to conduct, acceptable to users, and led to improvements in key psychosocial outcomes. Future directions will test intervention efficacy in a randomized controlled trial with a larger sample and over a longer period. A web-based tool may help women make decisions about family building after cancer and prepare for potential challenges.