Participation In Program Research Articles

The Role of Collaboration in Supporting Community Resilience Programmes in Post-Disaster Events

The impact of collaboration on the community resilience program for residents of Lumajang Regency varies. For the variable “Strengthening local knowledge”, collaboration is preferable since it allows different communities to cooperate in gathering local information from different perspectives. According to our research, if local knowledge is not strengthened through collaboration, it will actually have the reverse effect—that is, it will not have an impact on catastrophe risk reduction. This is due to the community’s still limited and underutilized participation in government programs for monitoring and communicating the catastrophe response. Different findings were made for the community network and relationship variables, where the influence of relationships within the community network on disaster risk reduction is still non-significant, whether directly or indirectly through cooperative mediation. Because LR is preparing for disaster risk management, community relations or engagement with the authorities regarding the necessity of disaster risk management have not yet been involved. The location, interaction, traits, and interests should all be taken into consideration when forming the community. In fact, LR residents have not yet put this into practice. The findings are similarly important when considering how different variables, either directly or through the collaboration variable, influence leadership, governance, and health. Therefore, disaster risk reduction may be impacted directly or indirectly by the presence of emergency response health services, the creation of disaster-resilient villages, and the creation of a profile of disaster-prone locations. But according to the data above, collaboration can actually have a bigger impact on disaster risk reduction.

A digital program for daily life management with endometriosis: Pilot study on symptoms and quality of life among participants.

After suffering for an average of 7 years before diagnosis, endometriosis patients are usually left with more questions than answers about managing their symptoms in the absence of a cure. To help women with endometriosis after their diagnosis, we developed an online support program combining user research, evidence-based medicine, and clinical expertise. Structured around CBT and the quality-of-life metrics from the EHP score, the program is designed to guide participants over a 3-month and is available in France. This cohort study was designed to measure the impact of a digital health program on the symptom and quality of life levels of women with endometriosis. Ninety-two participants were included in the pilot study, among a total of 146 program participants who volunteered and assessed for eligibility for this research. They were recruited either free of charge through employer health insurance or via individual direct access. A control group of women with endometriosis who did not follow the program was recruited (n=404) through social media and mailing campaign. Questionnaires assessing quality of life and symptom levels were sent to program participants and controls at baseline and at three months via email. The control group was sampled according to initial pain level in order to obtain a similar pain profile between controls and program participants (n=149). Descriptive statistics and statistical tests (Chi-square, Fisher's exact, Wilcoxon, Mann-Whitney U, Student t-tests) were used to analyze intra- and inter-group differences, with Cohen's D measuring effect size for significant results. Over three months, global symptom burden, the general level of pain, anxiety, depression, dysmenorrhea, dysuria, chronic fatigue, neuropathic pain, and endobelly levels improved significantly among program participants. These improvements were significantly different from the control group for global symptom burden (mean±SD: participants=-0.7±1.6, controls=-0.3±1.3, P=.048, small d), anxiety (participants=-1.1±2.8, controls=0.2±2.5, P<.001, medium d) and depression levels (participants=-0.9±2.5, controls=0.0±3.1, P=.04, small d), neuropathic pain (participants=-1.0±2.7, controls=-0.1±2.6, P=.004, small d), and endobelly (participants=-0.9±2.5, controls=-0.3±2.4, P=.03, small d). Participant quality of life evolution between baseline and three months improved and significantly differed from the control group for the core part of the EHP-5 (participants=-5.9±21.0, controls=1.0±14.8, P=.03, small d) and the EQ-5D (participants=0.1±0.1, controls=-0.0±0.1, P=.001, medium d). Perceived knowledge of endometriosis was significantly greater at three months among participants than in controls (P<.001). The results from this pilot study suggest that a digital health program providing medical and scientific information about endometriosis and multidisciplinary self-management tools may be useful to reduce global symptom burden, anxiety, depression, neuropathic pain, and endobelly while improving knowledge on endometriosis and quality of life among participants.

Does Caregiver Engagement Predict Outcomes of Adolescent Wilderness Therapy?

Existing research shows some links between wilderness therapy outcomes and familial functioning. However, wilderness therapy programs do not agree on what kind of caregiver involvement is required to improve adolescent program outcomes, nor has research examined different types of family engagement and their impact on adolescent treatment outcomes. Thus, the present study explored the research question: Does caregiver engagement in adolescent wilderness therapy foster improved outcomes? The study sample consisted of 4067 adolescent wilderness therapy clients from 12 different wilderness therapy programs. Using standardized measures and multilevel structural equation modeling, the authors found that caregiver program participation significantly predicted adolescent mental health outcomes of the program, suggesting that the more caregivers were involved in family interventions during the program, the more likely their adolescent child was to improve in the program. The study also found that greater caregiver effort predicted greater mean change in adolescent mental health outcomes of wilderness therapy. This study suggests the importance of enhancing familial interventions in adolescents' wilderness therapy programs in order to improve adolescent outcomes. Given findings from this study, wilderness therapy programs should consider expanding the ways that they involve families in treatment in order to optimize adolescent outcomes.

Smartphone or Laptop? Device Type Choice and Data Quality in Surveys of Commercial and Residential Utility Customers

In this study, we explore device type choice for residential and nonresidential (business/commercial) survey respondents and its relationship to data quality. We use data from a survey of energy efficiency program participants administered each month, from August 2023 to September 2024. Findings suggest that nonresidential survey respondents more often opt to use desktop or laptop computers to respond, whereas residential survey respondents are more likely to choose to use smartphones. Neither response time nor tendency to provide non-substantive responses were related to device type choice for residential or nonresidential respondents. We did not find a relationship between device type and straightlining either. Residential respondents&amp;#x2019; device type choice related to the length of open-ended responses, while nonresidential respondents&amp;#x2019; device type choice did not. Thus overall, we found minimal evidence to support the hypothesis that respondents who choose to respond using a smartphone may provide lower data quality.

Food as medicine, community as medicine: Mental health effects of a social care intervention.

To assess mental health related outcomes of Recipe4Health, a multisectoral social care partnership implementing produce prescriptions with or without group medical visits (GMVs). Recipe4Health was implemented at five community health centers from 2020 to 2023. Primary care teams referred patients with food insecurity and/or nutrition-sensitive chronic conditions (e.g., diabetes, depression) to 16 weeks of Food Farmacy (produce prescriptions) with the option of GMV participation. We used a convergent mixed-methods design including survey and interview data. We conducted (1) participant surveys pre- and post-intervention and (2) semi-structured interviews with Recipe4Health participants and partner organization staff. Linear mixed effects models examined changes in mental health and related outcomes. Interviews were analyzed using codebook thematic analysis. Program participants were middle-aged, primarily women, and from diverse racial/ethnic backgrounds (majority Latine and Black). At baseline, moderate or severe depression and/or anxiety symptoms were reported by 77/188 (41%) of Food Farmacy-only participants, and 113/284 (40%) of Food Farmacy +GMV participants. Among Food Farmacy-only participants, post-intervention depression and anxiety symptoms significantly improved only among those who did not have baseline depression/anxiety (PHQ9: -1.7 [95% CI: -2.8, -0.6]; GAD7: -1.8 [95% CI: -2.9, -0.8]). Among Food Farmacy +GMV participants, mental health symptoms improved regardless of baseline mental health; among those with baseline depression/anxiety: PHQ9: -2.4 (95% CI: -3.6, -1.2); GAD7: -0.9 (95% CI: -2.0, 0.1); among those without: PHQ9: -2.2 (95% CI: -3.2, -1.2); GAD7: -2.2 (95% CI: -3.1, -1.2). Improvements in social needs (food insecurity, loneliness) and health-related behaviors (fruit/vegetable intake, physical activity) varied by intervention arm and baseline depression/anxiety symptom level. In interviews, staff and patients endorsed produce prescriptions for improving nutrition and food insecurity, and GMVs for increasing social support. Social care interventions providing vegetables and fruit, with or without group medical visits, may concurrently address mental health symptoms and social needs.

Moderating factors in psilocybin-assisted treatment affecting mood and personality: A naturalistic, open-label investigation.

Psychedelic-assisted therapy is increasingly applied within mental health treatment. This study focused on factors moderating changes in the acute and long-term effects of an individual psilocybin-assisted program on depression, anxiety, PTSD and personality structures by including demographic factors, subjective experience and degree of mystical type experiences during the dosing, as well as emotional breakthrough and personal growth after the program. At baseline, 1 week and 3 months after the psilocybin program participants completed the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Assessment (GAD-7), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) and NEO Five-Factor Inventory-3 (NEO-FFI-3). In addition, after the dosing the Mystical Experiences Questionnaire (MEQ-30), Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI) and Emotional Breakthrough Inventory (EBI) were administered. Moderation effects were established using linear mixed-model analysis. A single high dose of psilocybin in combination with therapy was found to lower symptoms of anxiety, depression, PTSD and neuroticism over a period of 3-months. Scores on openness and conscientiousness increased after the treatment only. Participants reported mystical type experiences, emotional breakthrough and personal growth. These subjective experiences together with demographic factors were moderating the observed positive changes. Findings indicate that individual psilocybin-assisted therapy has the potential for beneficial effects on mood and personality characteristics. Moreover, the study highlights the importance of subjective experiences and demographic factors in moderating this effect. This study adds to the ongoing research onpsilocybin-assisted therapy by investigating contributing factors for optimizing this evolving type of therapy.

Nurse practitioner and physician associate mentorship: Improving retention and employment experiences.

Clinician turnover is costly for health care organizations. A retention strategy for newly hired nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician associates (PAs) was needed at our organization. A quality improvement project was conducted to determine whether a mentorship program could improve retention and employment experiences of newly hired NPs and PAs. A one-to-one mentorship program was implemented for newly hired NPs and PAs. (a) Retention and productivity data were compared for mentee participants vs. nonparticipants. (b) Mentee and mentor participants completed two program evaluation surveys to examine the program's impact on their employment experiences. Sixty-eight mentee-mentor pairs completed their mentoring relationship during the first 3 years of the program. Retention was higher among mentee participants vs. nonparticipants during their first (96% vs. 85%, p = .0332) and second year of employment (83% vs. 65%, p = .0480). Productivity during the first year was similar for mentee participants and nonparticipants (38th percentile vs. 37th percentile, p = .84). Most participants (≥69%) believed the program improved onboarding, personal and professional growth, work environment, and NP and PA community connection. The mentorship program improved first- and second-year retention of newly hired NPs and PAs and employment experiences of program participants. By our estimates, the program helped retain 15 NPs and PAs who would have otherwise left the organization, yielding potential organizational savings of $1.29M-$1.72M. A mentorship program can be an effective retention strategy for reducing health care turnover and related costs.

Online grocery purchasing in Mississippi: associations with broadband, rurality, and household characteristics.

This study investigates the sociodemographic, economic, and area characteristics associated with Online Grocery Purchasing (OGP) use among adult residents of Mississippi. Understanding these factors is important in a largely rural and low-income state to address barriers and enhance accessibility. Data were collected from a 2022 online pilot survey (n = 398) and secondary sources. A logistic regression model was used to analyze associations between self-reported OGP use and factors including local broadband quality, sociodemographic and economic characteristics, the local food environment, and participation in government nutrition assistance programs. The analysis revealed that higher education and income levels are positively associated with the likelihood of OGP use. Conversely, age and rural residence emerged as potential barriers. Although broadband disparities are widespread across Mississippi, self-reported home internet type and local internet speeds showed inconsistent associations with OGP participation across analyses. The findings underscore the nuanced interplay of accessibility and individual-level contexts in shaping OGP behavior. This study highlights the importance of addressing both structural and individual-level barriers to improve access to online grocery services in rural and low-income areas.

Differences in US Adult Dietary Patterns by Cardiovascular Health and Socioeconomic Vulnerability.

Naturally occurring dietary patterns, a major contributor to health, are not well described among those with cardiovascular disease (CVD) - particularly in light of socioeconomic vulnerability. We sought to identify major dietary patterns in the US and their distribution by CVD, social risk factors, and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participation. This was a cross-sectional study among 32,498 noninstitutionalized adults from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2009-2020). We used principal component analysis to identify common dietary patterns. Individuals were assigned to the pattern for which they had the highest component score. Using multinomial logit regression, we estimated the percentage whose diets aligned with each pattern in population subgroups stratified by CVD, social risk factors, and SNAP. Analyses were adjusted for age, gender, race and ethnicity, total energy intake, and year, with sampling weights to provide nationally representative estimates. Four dietary patterns were identified among US adults: American (33.7%; high in solid fats, added sugars, and refined grains), Prudent (22.6%; high in vegetables, nuts/seeds, oils, seafood, and poultry), Legume (15.8%), and Fruit/Whole Grain/Dairy (27.9%), that together explained 29.2% of dietary variance. More adults with prevalent CVD (37.1%) than without (33.3%, p=0.005) aligned with the American Pattern, with no differences among other patterns. Each additional social risk factor associated with more adults aligned with American (2.5% absolute increase) and Legume (1.3%), and fewer aligned with Prudent (-1.9%) and Fruit/Whole Grain/Dairy (-1.9%) patterns (p<0.001 each). Analysis of dietary patterns across SNAP participation showed higher proportion of SNAP participants and income-eligible SNAP non-participants compared to non-eligible adults for the American (40.2% [38.1, 42.3%], 35.1% [32.7, 37.5%], 31.9% [31.0, 32.8%], respectively) and Legume patterns (17.2% [15.6, 18.8%], 17.8% [16.1, 19.5%]), 15.4% [14.6,16.1%], respectively) and less for Prudent (17.0% [15.5, 18.6%], 20.2% [18.2, 22.3%], 24.2% [23.3, 25.1%], respectively) and Fruit/Whole Grain/Dairy Patterns (25.6% [23.8%, 27.3%], 26.9%[27.6%,29.5%], 28.6% [27.6%, 29.5%], respectively). Empirical dietary patterns vary by CVD and socioeconomic vulnerability. Initiatives to improve nutrition in at-risk individuals should consider these naturally occurring dietary patterns and their variation in key subgroups.

Wearable Technology Hesitancy in Industrial Applications

OCCUPATIONAL APPLICATIONS Ergonomists and engineers often look to technology to improve workplace outcomes such as safety and productivity. However, hesitancy toward new technology can hinder the adoption of devices such as wearables. In this study, we spoke to industry representatives about the factors that influence the implementation of wearables in the manufacturing workplace. Focus group participants provided several actionable insights to reduce hesitancy in adopting wearables in the industrial workplace. First, emphasizing safety culture and the benefits to workplace safety and health is paramount. Second, the case for using wearable for performance improvement should also be discussed after leading with safety. Finally, organizations should consider voluntary participation in a wearables program with early adopters.

Tailoring implementation strategies for the healthy actions and lifestyles to Avoid Dementia or Hispanos y el ALTo a la Demencia Program: Lessons learned from a survey study.

Healthy Actions and Lifestyles to Avoid Dementia Program (HALT-AD) or Hispanos y el ALTo a la Demencia is a recently-developed online educational platform to help individuals identify and modify their own dementia modifiable risk factors (MRF). In light of known challenges in recruiting and retaining diverse participants in research studies, there is a need to identify data-informed strategies that will contribute to effective outreach and tailored implementation of HALT-AD among its intended users of Hispanic and non-Hispanic midlife and older adults in the US. To identify factors (i.e, demographic, medical, psychosocial and environmental) that may facilitate or impede effective program enrollment and participation. Cross-sectional study SETTING: Data from an online and self-administered survey conducted between January and April 2023 PARTICIPANTS: Residents of California, predominately San Diego, who were 50 to 85 years old, with no dementia or Alzheimer's disease, proficient in English or Spanish and with enough technical ability to complete the survey electronically (n=157; 43% Hispanic). INTERVENTION (IF ANY): none MEASUREMENTS: RedCap was used to capture answers to closed and open-ended survey questions. Mixed-methods analysis was used: For quantitative data, descriptive statistics, comparisons by group (Hispanic/non-Hispanic), and exploratory factor analysis were conducted in SPSS. Thematic analysis with open coding in Excel was used for qualitative responses. Independent of ethnicity, participants' most preferred method of reach for recruitment was through a conversation with their doctor or with a family member or friend. Their least preferred method was receiving a Facebook advertisement especially among non-Hispanics. Interest in program participation did not differ by sociodemographic characteristics or self-rated satisfaction with individualized MRFs. Instead, having higher confidence in one's ability to commit to behavior change was significantly associated with higher interest in program participation. While a common theme to motivate both groups to participate was the potential to decrease dementia risk, non-Hispanics were motivated by the premise of supporting research and having a positive user experience. For program implementation, Hispanics were more likely to be interested in participating if live sessions, either online or in-person, were provided to offer support with making lifestyle changes as adjunct to completing online courses independently. In both groups, participation may be further facilitated by offering wearable devices which provide participants with feedback on lifestyle change progress. A "one-size-fits-all" approach to recruitment and implementation of HALT-AD may not be effective in enrolling and retaining participants in future studies or for clinical use. Instead, a tailored approach that accounts for personal and ethnically-dependent preferences may be more beneficial.

Private, non-profit, and plantation: Oil palm smallholders in management-assistance programs vary in socio-demographics, attitudes, and management practices.

Smallholder farmers produce over 40% of global palm oil, the world's most traded and controversial vegetable oil. Awareness of the effects of palm oil production on ecosystems and human communities has increased drastically in recent years, with ever louder calls for the private and public sector to develop programs to support sustainable cultivation by smallholder farmers. To effectively influence smallholder practices and ensure positive social outcomes, such schemes must consider the variety in perspectives of farmers and align with their priorities. We conducted social surveys on smallholder farmers in Indonesia and Malaysia with varying degrees of participation in programs that offer advice and support with plantation management ("management-assistance programs") led by an industrial palm oil producer in Indonesia and a conservation-focused NGO in Malaysia. We surveyed farmers on their demographics, attitudes, and management decisions. Our analyses act as case studies to investigate the similarities and differences between smallholder palm oil producers involved in different schemes, allowing us to determine the alignment between the intentions of partnership programs and the current realities of smallholder plantations. The relationship between heterogeneity of social factors and management decisions and degree of program involvement differed across different groups and region: Indonesian smallholders most closely partnered with the private sector were the most varied in socio-demographics and attitudes but showed little variation in management inputs, while Malaysian smallholders most closely partnered with an NGO were the most heterogenous across all survey sections. Specifically, Indonesian farmers partnered with the private sector used less herbicide, more fertilizer, and had higher yield and total household income than farmers completely uninvolved with management assistance programs. In Malaysia, farmers partnered with an NGO also had higher yield and fertilizer application than independent farmers, however they used significantly more herbicide and had lower total household income. Our findings demonstrate the wide variety of smallholder farmers in both regions, directly opposing a 'one-size-fits-all' approach to sustainability. The wide variety of existing management practices also provides a potentially valuable natural experiment to identify high-yield, environmentally-friendly management approaches. When taken in context, our findings may inform the interventions of management-assistance programs, ensuring they are approaching the most relevant farmer groups in the most effective way.

Pilot test of JUNTOS EN PAREJA: Enhancing relationship and financial well-being in Latine couples.

Latine couples, particularly those who are low-income and immigrant, often face significant challenges in relationship and financial functioning, areas in which they are frequently underserved by existing programs. This article aimed to test Juntos en Pareja (JEP), a linguistic and cultural adaptation of the TOGETHER program for Latine couples. JEP is a 20-h, evidence-based psychoeducational curriculum integrating relationship and financial education. This study assessed its acceptability, appropriateness, feasibility, and preliminary effectiveness. Self-report data from 23 Latine low-income, immigrant, heterosexual, Spanish-speaking couples in the Washington, D.C., area were collected in 2019-2020 before (T1) and after program participation (T2) and at 3-month follow-up (T3). Repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVAs) were used to analyze changes across time in relationship and financial functioning using self-report instruments and observable data from three 8-min discussions. Results indicate that the JEP program is successful in reducing Latine partners' financial stress and emotional dysregulation and improving their financial management abilities, relationship satisfaction, and dyadic coping, but with some important gender differences. JEP is a beneficial program for Latine couples, improving relationship and financial functioning and ultimately fostering greater equity and stability in areas where this population is often underserved.

Home Sweet Home: A Program Report on Promoting the Uptake of Home Dialysis.

Canada's growing prevalence of people with kidney failure receiving kidney replacement therapy has necessitated the expansion of dialysis programs. Although facility-based hemodialysis is the predominant dialysis modality in Canada, it is substantially costlier than home dialysis (peritoneal or home hemodialysis). Initiatives to increase the uptake of home dialysis typically consist of didactic and experiential education. We describe a novel local initiative, Home Sweet Home (HSH), where individuals with lived experience of home dialysis and kidney health professionals share their experience and knowledge with participants in a clinic setting that has been set up to represent a metaphorical home. The aim of this report is to describe our HSH program and to evaluate its acceptability and reach for future scale and spread. We also explored home dialysis uptake among program participants. We collected feedback from attendees following each HSH event with anonymized surveys. We obtained clinical and demographic data and modality at follow-up from 2 linked databases, the Canadian Organ Replacement Register (CORR) and a regional clinical database, the Nephrology Information System (NIS). Reach was evaluated according to modality (i.e., the proportion of participants who were non-dialysis dependent vs the proportion receiving facility-based maintenance hemodialysis) and the proportion living remotely (defined as greater than 200 km from the event). We examined acceptability as the proportion who were interested in a home therapy (either peritoneal dialysis, home hemodialysis, or both) after attending the event. Demographic data and survey data were summarized with counts and percentages. Free text from surveys was collated and summarized. Participants were followed from the time of program attendance until June 21, 2022 or death. A total of 291 participants attended HSH between 2015 and 2019. At the time of program attendance, 70% of participants had chronic kidney disease (CKD) not requiring dialysis (CKD G4-5ND) and 30% had CKD G5D on facility-based maintenance hemodialysis. Participants were primarily urban dwelling (ie, in Edmonton). After the event, 92% of participants indicated they were interested in a home dialysis modality. From the survey free text, participants commonly expressed that they valued the "first-hand information" and a "real life perspective" from HSH facilitators and the simulation helped to ease anxiety about home dialysis. Participants expressed a desire for longer HSH events with more opportunities to ask questions. At a median follow-up of 858 days (interquartile range = 353-1347), 18% of the cohort remained dialysis independent and 25% died. Of the remaining 167 participants, N = 41 (25%) were receiving a home dialysis modality (either peritoneal dialysis or home hemodialysis), N = 40 (24%) received a kidney transplant, and N = 86 (51%) were dialyzing with facility-based hemodialysis. A more in-depth understanding of how the HSH program influenced decision-making for home dialysis could be attained from interviews and focus groups. No causal inferences can be made regarding the uptake of home therapies and HSH attendance. We did not have data on who received a home therapy prior to the last recorded modality at follow-up, which likely underestimated the use of home therapies. The HSH program was highly acceptable with 92% of participants reporting they were interested in a home modality. The reach of HSH could be improved by recruiting more individuals from facility-based hemodialysis and rural and remote locations.

Outdoor activity during class recess prevents myopia onset and shift in premyopic children: Subgroup analysis in the recess outside classroom study.

To investigate whether premyopia is a risk factor for myopia onset and whether outdoor activities can protect against myopia development in premyopic children in the Recess Outside Classroom (ROC) study. Nonmyopic schoolchildren aged 7-11 years were recruited from two schools in Taiwan. One school implemented the ROC program, which encouraged children to go outdoors during recess. The control school maintained its usual schedule. A cycloplegic autorefraction was performed. Premyopia was defined as spherical equivalent refraction ≤ +0.75 diopters (D) and > -0.50 D. After one year of follow-up, multivariate logistic analysis revealed that the ROC program reduced the risk of myopia onset by 61 % (odds ratio [OR] = 0.39, 95 % confidence interval [CI]: 0.21-0.70, P = 0.002). However, premyopia status increased the risk of myopia onset by 14 times compared to hyperopic status (OR = 14.0, 95 % CI: 1.86-105.3, P = 0.010). In the subgroup analysis of premyopic children, the myopic shift was also significantly lower in the ROC group than in the control group (-0.20 ± 0.60 D/year vs. -0.40 ± 0.66 D/year, P = 0.017). Myopia incidence in premyopic children was significantly lower in the ROC group than in the control group (19.6 % vs. 37.8 %, P = 0.001). Multivariate regression analysis showed that participation in the ROC program was significantly associated with a lower myopic shift in premyopic children (-0.22 D/year, 95 % CI: -0.39 to -0.06, P = 0.008) CONCLUSIONS: Premyopia is a risk factor for myopia onset. A school policy that includes more outdoor time can effectively prevent myopia onset and shift in premyopic children.

Body Composition Changes over a Collegiate Playing Career in NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Players.

Tinsley, GM, Meyer, MK, Ptak, SM, Yu, D, Provost, JA, Hansen, NJ, and Carbuhn, AF. Body composition changes over a collegiate playing career in NCAA Division I women's soccer players. J Strength Cond Res 39(1): e40-e55, 2025-Although body composition is known to influence success in organized sport, the longitudinal body composition changes produced by sport specialization are not well characterized for women's soccer. To address this need, this study reports the body composition changes of NCAA Division I women's soccer players over their entire collegiate playing career. Serial dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scans were performed throughout players' involvement in collegiate women's soccer. Analyses of all players with multiple DXA scans (n = 80) and players with ≥3 years of DXA data (n = 17) were performed using linear mixed-effects models that included effects of time, playing position, game minutes, and interactions. In all athletes (n = 80; 2.1 ± 1.2 years of participation), significant increases in bone mass (1.4%), total lean mass (1.7%), and fat-free mass index (0.3 kg·m-2) occurred. These changes coincided with increased arm and leg bone mass, increased lean mass in all regions, and decreased body fat percentage and leg fat mass. In athletes with ≥3 years of collegiate data (n = 17; 3.5 ± 0.4 years of participation), larger increases in bone mass (3.0%), bone mineral density (2.2%), total lean mass (2.5%), fat-free mass index (0.4 kg·m-2), and segmental bone and lean mass were observed. Larger decreases in body fat percentage and leg fat mass were also noted. Although playing position was related to body composition characteristics, changes in outcomes were generally unrelated to position or game minutes. In summary, beneficial changes in multiple aspects of body composition were observed over years of participation in a collegiate women's soccer program.

Knowledge and attitude factors as determinants of pregnant women’s participation in triple elimination program in North Bali

Knowledge and attitude factors as determinants of pregnant women’s participation in triple elimination program in North Bali

Pesticide safety behavior among vegetable farmers in Bangladesh: Evaluating the role of market aggregation services.

Pesticide use in Bangladesh is disproportionately high in vegetable farming compared to other crops like cereals, pulses, and cash crops. This study delves into the knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding pesticide use among vegetable farmers, focusing on the impact of a digital aggregation service implemented by Digital Green. Based on interviews with 120 vegetable farmers in the LOOP aggregation scheme and 120 non-LOOP vegetable farmers this study indicates that the farmers using the aggregation service have a moderately higher level of food safety knowledge. LOOP farmers scored higher in pesticide safety knowledge (67.83%) compared to non-LOOP farmers (55%). Regarding pesticide safety attitudes, LOOP farmers scored 17.39%, while non-LOOP farmers 4.17%, reflecting a generally poor attitude toward pesticide application. Regarding practices, 65.55% of LOOP farmers adhered to scientifically sound methods, compared to 43.10% of non-LOOP farmers. Although participation in the LOOP program significantly influenced farmers' pesticide-related knowledge, attitudes, and practices, this study still identifies the need for targeted interventions and training to improve food safety practices among both groups.

Towards sustainable practices: Evaluating student engagement in solid waste management at A’sharqiyah University, Oman

Mass consumption combined with urbanization causes massive waste production, contamination of the environment, and problems for public health. Over half of the sustainable development goals are addressed by tackling solid waste management (SWM) challenges. There are significant risks to the SWM in universities and higher education institutes due to students’ low understanding and involvement in waste segregation and recycling practices. Thus, this study assesses the level of awareness of students at A’Sharqiyah University, Oman, in terms of SWM practices and waste segregation. A quantitative research methodology using an online survey was applied. The survey collected information on demographic data, awareness and attitudes toward SWM, waste generation, and the ability to gain more knowledge about these practices through participation in awareness programs. Results show that 72.3% of students have knowledge of SWM practices. However, a concerning 33.65% lacked awareness or knowledge in this area. Furthermore, 78.6% of students expressed interest in participating in awareness programs to enhance their understanding of SWM. This study is considered a preliminary screening, and the next step will be the application of an extensive program for all students and following up about solid waste disposal and segregation methods in students’ hostels.

Self-Realization Strategies and Their Impact on Mental Health in the Context of Professional Development

Introduction: Given the intensive development of the labor market, the study of self-realization strategies is an urgent task. In this study, the importance of mental well-being on the path of professional development is also an urgent problem for scientific knowledge. The purpose of this study is to identify key self-realization strategies, define their role in professional development, and assess their impact on mental well-being. Methods: The study is a mixed-methods research: it involves the processing of both qualitative (scientific literature) and quantitative materials (survey data). The participants of this study are 112 people who were included on the basis of pre-established criteria. The main research tool was a questionnaire consisting of open and closed questions. Most of the questions are based on a Likert scale (from 1 to 5). Results: The results determined that self-realization, which affects the quality of life and the level of satisfaction with one's professionalism. Self-realization strategies optimize and develop various individual capabilities. They involve individual participation in professional development programs, leadership development, coaching, etc. Coaching provides emotional support and helps individuals overcome challenges. The results demonstrate the role of coach support in improving mental health and maintaining confidence. Conclusions: In the research the positive impact of coaching on increasing motivation, improving well-being and generally improving work efficiency was noted. In addition, the acquired knowledge helped the participants of the experiment to achieve the main goals in terms of professional development.