Positive Health Research Articles

The Role of the Built Environment in Supporting Older Adults' Engagement: A Narrative Literature Review.

This literature review aimed to summarize the existing knowledge surrounding the role of the built environment in supporting older adults' physical and social engagement and identify opportunities for future research and design that facilitates older adults' engagement at multiple environmental scales: from interior spaces to neighborhoods. Physical environments can support or impede older adults' physical and social engagement: willful, motivated involvement in meaningful activity or occupation. Research shows that engagement is a core component of health and well-being and relates to positive health outcomes, including reduced disease risk, better mental health, and improved physical and cognitive function. Thus, designing supportive built environments for engagement can yield significant, positive health and well-being impacts. A systematized search of five databases, a hand search, and an iterative screening process identified 55 studies for inclusion in this review. Through inductive thematic analysis, this review summarizes findings regarding the built environment's role in physical and social engagement in older age and design strategies to facilitate engagement and support health and well-being. Evidence indicates that built environment characteristics can influence older people's physical and social engagement in homes, neighborhoods, and care settings. The thematic analysis of the included studies identified three key themes concerning the relationships of built environment characteristics to older adults' engagement across multiple environmental scales: connection, access, and security. Built environments influence older people's physical and social engagement, significantly affecting their health, well-being, abilities, and longevity. Numerous design strategies can support older adults' engagement, but more research is needed.

Flipping the heterosexual script: representing girls’ positive sexual health on Netflix

ABSTRACT Studies have documented how U.S. teen television programmes perpetuate a dominant heterosexual script in which girls are instructed to deny their sexual desire and to passively wait to be chosen by boys. This project explores how Netflix’s reputation for producing ‘quality television’ provides space for girl-centric programmes to flip conventions of genre and intervene in considerations of girls’ sexuality. We argue the Netflix shows I Am Not OK With This (2020), Trinkets (2019–20), Never Have I Ever (2020–2023), and Teenage Bounty Hunters (2020) flip the long-standing heterosexual script. Main girl characters are shown initiating heterosexual activity, understanding the importance of their own pleasure, demanding protection from pregnancy and STIs, and refusing to be victimized by cultural stigmas. Moreover, while earlier studies examined teen characters who were overwhelmingly white, middle-class and heterosexual – the Netflix girls (and boys) we study are much more diverse in terms of race, class, and sexuality, and the programmes open spaces for Black and Brown girls, in particular, to express and act on their sexual desires without being sexualized.

The big five factors as differential predictors of self-regulation, achievement emotions, coping and health behavior in undergraduate students

BackgroundThe aim of this research was to analyze whether the personality factors included in the Big Five model differentially predict the self-regulation and affective states of university students and health.MethodsA total of 637 students completed validated self-report questionnaires. Using an ex post facto design, we conducted linear regression and structural prediction analyses.ResultsThe findings showed that model factors were differential predictors of both self-regulation and affective states. Self-regulation and affective states, in turn, jointly predict emotional performance while learning and even student health. These results allow us to understand, through a holistic predictive model, the differential predictive relationships of all the factors: conscientiousness and extraversion were predictors regulating positive emotionality and health; the openness to experience factor was non-regulating; nonregulating; and agreeableness and neuroticism were dysregulating, hence precursors of negative emotionality and poorer student health.ConclusionsThese results are important because they allow us to infer implications for guidance and psychological health at university.

Mindfulness meditation use in Britain during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The objectives of this study were to examine the prevalence and associations of mindfulness meditation use and also its perceived mental health effects during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using repeated cross-sectional data from broad online samples weighted to be representative of the adult population in Britain, we estimated the prevalence of mindfulness meditation use and employed logistic regression models to investigate sociodemographic and political associations of mindfulness meditation use and also its perceived mental health effects during the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings suggest that 16 percent of adults in Britain had learnt to practice mindfulness in 2021. In covariate-adjusted regression models, having learnt to practice mindfulness was more common among young and middle-aged adults, residents in London, and respondents who voted for the Liberal Democrats. Among mindfulness meditation users who reported having practiced mindfulness during the COVID-19 pandemic, 60 percent reported that it positively affected their mental health and 24 percent reported that it negatively affected their mental health. Notably, 41 percent of respondents with children under 18 (versus 13 percent of those without minors) reported negative mental health effects. In covariate-adjusted regression models, negative mental health effects from mindfulness practice during the COVID-19 pandemic were not concentrated in any particular groups, except for respondents with children under 18. Mindfulness meditation has become widespread in Britain, but the results in this study suggest that mindfulness meditation use may be concentrated in certain sociodemographic and political groups. The results also suggest that practicing mindfulness during the COVID-19 pandemic had positive mental health effects for a majority of users, but approximately one-quarter of users reported negative mental health effects. It is therefore important for future research to continue monitoring the prevalence of mindfulness meditation use in society and to investigate under what circumstances, for whom, and in what ways mindfulness-based practices may have negative effects on mental health.

Enhancing vaccination uptake through community engagement: evidence from China

With growing recognition of the importance of community engagement in addressing public health challenges, its role in promoting healthy behaviors and preventing infectious diseases has gained attention. However, vaccination coverage remains a significant concern in many developing countries. While previous studies have linked community engagement to positive health outcomes, there is a gap in understanding its influence on individual vaccination choices, particularly in the context of developing countries. Utilizing data from the 2021 Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS), this study examines the impact of community engagement on COVID-19 and flu vaccination uptake among 7281 individuals. Community engagement, measured by community vaccination notifications, serves as the key independent variable. The study employs Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression and Propensity Score Matching (PSM) methods to analyze the relationship between community engagement and vaccination behavior. The analysis reveals a positive association between community engagement and vaccination rates. Specifically, individuals receiving notifications were more likely to get the COVID-19 vaccine compared to non-recipients (vaccination rates: 100% vs. 53.3%), and flu vaccination rates were also significantly higher among those notified (2.7% vs. 1.9%). Mechanism analysis suggests that individuals receiving community notifications are more aware of the benefits of vaccination, leading to higher vaccination rates among this group. This study underscores the effectiveness of community engagement strategies in promoting positive vaccination behavior among individuals in China. By enhancing awareness and trust in immunization, community engagement initiatives play a crucial role in shaping health behaviors and improving vaccination uptake. These findings emphasize the importance of integrating community engagement approaches into public health interventions to address vaccination challenges.

Creative righting: autoethnographic creative writing as a tool to prevent teacher burnout and attrition

ABSTRACT Teacher burnout is a key feature of the current international crisis of teacher shortages. Teachers are feeling isolated, marginalised and disempowered. Research on burnout in teachers has focused on attrition and how to avoid it. However, factors contributing to teacher burnout are multi-dimensional and complex. Consequently, any potential solution must be able to address such complexities in a personalised way. The literature tells us that personal reflection and discussing experiences, particularly negative or those that involve conflict, can result in improvements in teacher identity, positive teaching experience, positive mental health, and thus less burnout. In my own case of burnout, I used autoethnographic writing to re-imagine challenging episodes from my career. The creative and reflective processes reinvigorated my passion for teaching so that writing and sharing stories became an unexpected pathway away from burnout and into empowerment. The use of autoethnographic creative writing to tell and reflect upon the challenges of teaching offers a personalised and valuable way to address the complex variables of burnout affecting individuals. Importantly, one does not have to be an expert in creative writing to be effective. More research is needed to determine whether this approach has wider appeal and benefit for educators experiencing burnout.

Health-Related Benefits and Adherence for Multiple Short Bouts of Aerobic Physical Activity Among Adults

Most adults do not adhere to established aerobic physical activity (PA) guidelines due in part to various barriers. PA snacks, or periodic short bouts of activity (<10 minutes) offer a potential strategy to overcoming such barriers and increasing PA. Previous efforts have been focused on eliciting the health benefits of PA and exercise snacks, yet adherence to this concept has not been examined. The purpose of this review is to summarize the current literature assessing adherence to PA snacks and health-related outcomes associated with PA snacks. PubMed, CINAHL, and SPORTDiscus were searched for literature published between January 2018-September 2023. Studies investigating adherence and/or the health-related outcomes of PA snacks were included. Of 4201 articles identified, 12 studies were included in the review. Most of the studies were randomized (n = 10), focused on adults with a chronic disease/life-long condition or exhibited a sedentary lifestyle (n = 8), and reported positive health outcomes (n = 12; e.g., improvements in cardiometabolic markers and body composition). Five studies reported adherence to supervised and unsupervised PA snack interventions, with high rates ≥92%. This review supports and extends the previously reported health-related benefits of PA snacks. It also shows promise for increasing overall PA and adherence to the PA guidelines.

Psychometric properties of the positive mental health questionnaire: short form (PMHQ-SF18) in young adults

IntroductionPositive Mental Health (PMH) plays a pivotal role in the promoting of mental health. Assessing this phenomenon is essential for early recognition and intervention in mental health. To date, only one tool was validated with 39 items to assess PMH among Portuguese young adults.MethodThis study sought to examine the psychometric properties of the short version of the Positive Mental Health Questionnaire (PMHQ) among Portuguese university students. The PMHQ Short Form was administered to a sample of 3,647 university students via an online platform. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were performed. The principal factor solution was employed because some items showed higher levels of kurtosis. Multivariate analysis was tested using the Mardia’s Test, Henze-Zirkler, and Royston. Findings of content, construct validity tests, and Cronbach’s alfa demonstrated the satisfactory validity and suitable reliability of the PMHQ-Short Form (PMHQ-SF).Results and discussionThe exploratory factor analysis produced six dimensions of the PMHQ-SF with three items in each factor demonstrating adequate internal reliability. The global internal consistency was 0.92, with factors ranging between 0.60 to 0.82. The results suggest that the PMHQ-SF is reliable, easier, and more practical to complete by university students due to the shortening of the number of items. The PMHQ-SF is useful for assessing positive mental health in young adults. The final version of the instrument contains from 32 to 18 items.

Child Contact, Partner Conflict, and Psychological Distress Among Incarcerated Fathers: Testing the Mediating Role of Perceived Social Support.

The mechanism(s) through which child contact can lead to more positive mental health and romantic relationship outcomes among incarcerated fathers are not sufficiently studied. The present study tests whether the associations between frequency of child contact and later psychological distress and conflict in romantic relationships are mediated by perceived social support. Self-reported longitudinal data from a sample of incarcerated men who participated in a fatherhood education program (n = 2,096) were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Variables were assessed pre- and post-program participation. As hypothesized, more frequent child contact was associated with greater perceived social support, which predicted reduced psychological distress and reduced partner conflict. There were significant indirect effects of child contact on psychological distress and partner conflict via perceived social support. The findings may inform policies aiming to help incarcerated fathers to better manage psychological distress and conflictual relationships, preparing them for a more successful return to society.

Relationship Quality Among Persons with Serious Mental Illness and Their Relatives: Rates and Correlates.

Supportive family relationships for persons with serious mental illness (SMI) are correlated with positive functional, health and mental health outcomes and are essential to the recovery process. However, there has been a dearth of research on positive family dynamics. Using multivariate logistic regression with a U.S. community-recruited sample of persons with SMI (N = 523), we examined the extent to which demographics, clinical characteristics, and supportive and problematic relationship interactions were associated with relationship quality with reference relatives (RR). Secondarily, we tested whether the relationship between routine limit-setting practices by RR toward participants and relationship quality was significantly mediated by perceived emotional overinvolvement using Baron and Kenny's four step method. High levels of relationship quality were reported by two-thirds of the sample. Relationship quality was positively associated with frequency of contact between participants and RR, participants helping RR with activities of daily living, and caregiving provided by RR to participants. High relationship quality was negatively associated with RR being parents or other family members (compared to romantic partners), perceived emotional overinvolvement of RR, and psychological abuse by RR toward participants. Clinical and demographic characteristics were not associated with relationship quality. Perceived emotional overinvolvement was found to be a mediator between routine limit-setting practices and relationship quality. These results can help direct clinicians in targeting factors that will likely enhance the process of recovery.

The Role of Parental Health Literacy in Establishing Health-Promoting Habits in Early Childhood

In early childhood, children are extremely susceptible to the acquisition of habits and the establishment of health-promoting habits. Therefore, the patterns, routines, and rules transmitted and expected by the adults surrounding the child are of paramount importance and can correlate with the level of their health literacy. Our cross-sectional, quantitative, exploratory study aimed to examine the relationships between parental health literacy and preschool children’s health-related habits, using simple, non-random sampling (n = 598). In addition to the sociodemographic characteristics, the measuring tool we compiled included the standardized European Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire (HLS-EU-Q16), as well as a set of questions containing 30 statements suitable for exploring children’s habit systems. The health literacy of the parents involved in our study proved to be more favorable than that of the general population. Regarding children’s habit systems, we found significant differences in several areas by age group (p < 0.05) and gender (p < 0.05). The levels of parental health literacy (0.003 ≤ p ≤ 0.048) and parents’ education (p < 0.05) show a correlation with the children’s health-related habit systems: the indicators of children with parents who have a higher level of health literacy and a higher level of education are more favorable in terms of established habits. In the long term, the formation of health-promoting habits may facilitate the internalization of favorable health behavior motives for the future, contributing to the establishment of positive physical, mental, and social health in adulthood.

Governance, Health Financing and Health Outcomes in Nigeria: A Quantitative Assessment

Good health is essential to achieve sustainable development in any economy. Nigeria is no exception. No wonder it is the third goal in the sustainable development goals of the United Nations. Achieving good health also needs to be well funded with institutional quality, hence this study. This paper examined the effect of health financing and governance quality on health outcomes in Nigeria from 1980 to 2018 using secondary data sourced from World Development Indicators (WDI). A co-integration test and a vector error correction model (VECM) were employed to analyse the data. Short- and long-term results of an analysis based on life expectancy and infant mortality as a measure of health outcomes and dependent variables demonstrate that institutions empowered with good governance could produce positive health outcomes in the country.

Development and content validity of the DizzyQuest

IntroductionVestibular disorders have a high prevalence and impact on general health. Currently questionnaires to measure vestibular symptoms and the impact on daily life, do not capture disease-specific symptoms or induce recall bias. The DizzyQuest was introduced, to measure vestibular symptoms in the flow of daily life, using the ecological momentary assessment (EMA) strategy. The development and content validity of the DizzyQuest are described in this article.MethodsThe development process consisted of two stages: First, the development of a concept version of the DizzyQuest based on the conceptual model of positive health, semi-structured interviews with patients diagnosed with bilateral vestibulopathy (BV) and expert input. Second, the assessment of content validity through a 4-week pilot trial, followed by focus group meetings with patients and professionals separately.ResultsPatient interviews, an expert meeting and a conceptual model resulted in the first pilot version of the DizzyQuest, which included a morning-, within-day-, evening- and attack-questionnaire. To report patient characteristics, complimentary patient- and doctor-questionnaires were added. The pilot trial (N = 5) and two patient focus group meetings resulted in multiple suggestions for response options. Two professional focus group meetings provided recommendations for sampling time and sampling schedule. As a result, two versions of the DizzyQuest were developed, consisting of a regular DizzyQuest (DQ) and an extended DizzyQuest-XL (DQ-XL).ConclusionThe DizzyQuest enables the administration of multiple questionnaires during the flow of daily life, therefore increasing reliability and ecological validity. The DQ and DQ-XL, using a big data approach, has the potential to improve precision medicine.

Associations between parental socioeconomic status and mental health in Chinese children: the mediating roles of parenting practices.

The significance of socioeconomic status (SES) in child mental health is well-established in Western populations; however, there is little evidence on this topic in Chinese populations. The possibility that Chinese families with different SES elicit different parenting practices that cause positive or negative child mental health outcomes warrants further investigation. This study examined the associations of SES, parenting practices, and child mental health among 1401 Chinese school children and their parents residing in Shanghai. SES was measured by a composed index of parental education levels, occupations, and household incomes. The Alabama parenting questionnaire (APQ; child version) and the strengths and difficulties questionnaire (SDQ; parent version) were used to assess parenting practices and child mental health. We also explored the underlying mechanisms between parental SES and the mental health of children by testing different parenting practices as mediators of the relationships. The results showed that a higher SES is positively associated with better mental health in children. Positive involvement and deficient monitoring can mediate the relationship between SES and child mental health outcomes. Negative discipline did not significantly mediate the above relationship. The results highlight the significance of positive involvement and sufficient monitoring in promoting children's mental health and provide evidence for designing effective programs to improve parenting skills.

Status of the Children's Socio-Emotional Well-being Before and During the Pandemic: A Scoping Review

Positive mental health thrives on strong social and emotional connections. Cultivating a child's ability to forge close, secure, and meaningful relationships is the cornerstone of well-being. Yet, pandemic-induced isolation has created barriers to face-to-face interaction with friends, posing a significant challenge to this critical developmental task. This scoping review delves into previous research concerning children's socio-emotional well-being before and during the pandemic. We screened studies, focusing solely on those directly addressing the core issues impacting children's emotional landscape. Our findings reveal disturbing trends: the pandemic has amplified anxieties, particularly among vulnerable children. The evidence speaks for itself – this global health crisis has inflicted a negative impact on children's socio-emotional health. In response, researchers have proposed a range of policy recommendations to equip teachers and parents with the tools to recognize and mitigate the pandemic's consequences on children. Among these, ongoing debriefing sessions for teachers can foster understanding and gradually alleviate anxieties that ripple through classrooms. Simultaneously, parents – as children's primary caregivers – must remain informed and offer unwavering support, actively monitoring and addressing anxieties within their homes.

Influence of physical activity level and perceived social support on mental health and psychological distress in women with menopause problems

ABSTRACT Perceived Social Support (PSS) and Physical Activity (PA) could have an important role in reducing psychological distress in women with problems in the menopausal period. The aim was to analyze the associations between a) Self-Perceived Health (SPH), prevalence of self-reported depression and anxiety, and mental health and its subscales, through the Goldberg General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) with b) the Physical Activity Level (PAL) and c) the PSS, through the Duke-UNC-11 functional social support questionnaire in Spanish women with problems in the menopausal period. This document uses data from the Spanish National Health Survey of 2017, focusing on women between 40 and 69 years of age with problems in the menopausal period. Dependency relationships were found between the prevalence of depression and PAL, anxiety and PAL, and SPH with PAL (p < 0.001). Weak inverse correlations were found between PAL and mental health, Coping Success, Self-confidence, and Stress (rho: − 0.214 to − 0.258; p < 0.001). Also, weak and very weak significant inverse correlations were found between PAL and all items of the GHQ-12. Weak inverse correlations were found between PSS scores and mental health, Coping, and Stress (r: −0.201 to − 0.304; p < 0.001). Likewise, weak and very weak inverse correlations, although statistically significant, were found between the PSS scores and the responses to the GHQ-12 items. Very active women with higher PSS have less psychological distress, higher self-esteem, and better prevalence of positive health.

Cognitive, social, and mental health functions of refugee children – screening and supportive actions at school: a study protocol

BackgroundDespite a world-leading educational system, an achievement gap in educational outcomes exists between children of refugee background and native-born peers in Finland. To offer targeted support for children at schools, we need to be able to reliably assess and understand the interplay of the aspects of children’s cognitive, social, and mental health functions that may explain the underachievement of refugee children.This study tests a novel research-based, universally applicable screening battery for evaluating cognitive, social, and mental health functioning of children at schools and planning supportive actions. It aims to answer research questions about a) the cognitive, social, and mental health functioning of refugee children compared with non-refugee immigrant and native-born children, b) the interplay of these different functions among refugee and other children, c) whether implementing a screening battery can inform schools in planning supportive actions for (refugee) children, and d) whether such supportive actions result in improvements in cognitive, social, and mental health functioning.MethodsFour hundred fifty children aged 10–12 will be recruited from primary schools, including 150 children of refugee background, 150 of non-refugee immigrant background, and 150 native-born Finnish children. A screening battery including tasks and questionnaires on different aspects of cognitive, social, and mental health functioning will be used to assess the children in their classrooms at the start and end of a school year. Supporting information will also be collected from parents and teachers. The information gathered will be collated into class-level feedback reports for teachers and, with parental permission, individualized reports for multiprofessional student welfare bodies, for informing supportive actions. Correlational and latent profile analyses, ANOVAs, and linear regression will be used to answer the research questions.DiscussionThis study will help clarify how the interplay of cognitive, social, and mental health factors may explain underachievement at school among refugee children. It will provide evidence about the extent to which a standardized screening battery could be helpful in informing and planning supportive actions for children at schools, and whether such supportive actions can lead to positive cognitive, social, or mental health outcomes.Trial registrationThe study will be preregistered on the Open Science Framework.

Designing specific tools to enhance the numeracy of adults with intellectual disabilities

AbstractNumeracy is important for everyday life. Being numerate has a positive impact on the quality of life of individuals, with positive economic, health, and social outcomes. Despite this, little is known about the role of numeracy in the lives of adults with intellectual disability (ID). Design research has been used to develop ways to support mathematical learning for typically developing students. This study investigates the use of design research to develop context-specific, physical tools to support adults with intellectual disability to improve their numeracy capabilities and engagement in daily tasks. Using observation and interview data, findings demonstrate increased engagement and participation in the numeracy demands of these tasks. Participants reported positive perceptions of improved competence and independence. This study demonstrates the application of design research to the field of numeracy for adults with intellectual disability, and the usefulness of designing context-specific tools to support their numeracy development and independence.

A Multifunctional Hydrogel Fabricated by Direct Self-Assembly of Natural Herbal Small Molecule Mangiferin for Treating Diabetic Wounds.

Clinical studies have continually referred to the involvement of drug carrier having dramatic negative influences on the biocompatibility, biodegradability, and loading efficacy of hydrogel. To overcome this deficiency, researchers have proposed to directly self-assemble natural herbal small molecules into a hydrogel without any structural modification. However, it is still a formidable challenge due to the high requirements on the structure of natural molecules, leading to a rarity of this type of hydrogel. Mangiferin (MF) is a natural polyphenol of C-glucoside xanthone with various positive health benefits, including the treatment of diabetic wounds, but its poor hydrosolubility and low bioavailability significantly restrict the clinical application. Inspired by these, with heating/cooling treatment, a carrier-free hydrogel (MF-gel) is developed by assembling the natural herbal molecule mangiferin, which is mainly governed through hydrogen bonds and intermolecular π-π stacking interactions. The as-prepared hydrogel has injectable and self-healing properties and shows excellent biocompatibility, continuous release ability, and reversible stimuli-responsive performances. All of the superiorities enable the MF-based hydrogel to serve as a potential wound dressing for treating diabetic wounds, which was further confirmed by both the vitro and vivo studies. In vitro, the MF-gel could promote the migration of healing-related cells from peripheral as well as the angiogenesis and displays the capacity of mediating inflammation response by scavenging the intracellular ROS. In vivo, the MF-gel accelerates wound contraction and healing via inflammatory adjustment, collagen deposition, and angiogenesis. This study provides a facile and effective method for diabetic wound management and emphasizes the direct self-assembly hydrogel from natural herbal small molecule.

Technology meets clinical practice: Keel Mind as a digital therapy platform

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to highlight current utilizations of advanced technology within the digital mental health platform Keel Mind. Design/methodology/approach Keel Mind, based out of Ontario, Canada is a therapeutic delivery platform that dually functions to train clinicians and deliver virtual therapy to clients. Findings From personalizing client and therapist matching to using natural language processing (NLP) and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven features Keel Mind supports clinician decision-making to meet the growing mental health needs of the population. Keel Mind functions to provide accessible service, efficiently train high-quality clinicians and enhance clinical outcomes for clients. In a preliminary study within post-secondary students from Ontario, Canada, 90.1% of clients reported liking the platform, and 83.4% reported that they experienced positive mental health outcomes as a result of using Keel Mind. Practical implications Keel Mind is a leader within the rapidly developing field of telepsychology and aims to promote positive mental health outcomes worldwide. Originality/value This digital showcase is the first published piece of work highlighting the technological capabilities of Keel Mind as a digital therapeutic platform. The intention of this work is to highlight current uses of digital technology within the field of therapeutic practice and to promote technological growth within the field.