Context Of Social Environment Research Articles

Exploration of barriers to treatment for patients with eating disorders in Chile

BackgroundEating disorders (EDs) are associated with high morbidity and mortality, affecting predominantly young people and women. A delay in starting treatment is associated with chronic and more severe clinical courses; however, evidence on barriers and facilitators of access to care in Latin America is scarce. We aimed to identify barriers and facilitators of ED treatment in Chile from the perspective of patients, relatives, and health professionals.MethodsQualitative approach through semi-structured interviews with patients, their relatives, and health professionals. Participants were recruited from two ED centers in Santiago, Chile (one public and one private). Analysis was mainly based on Grounded Theory, using MAXQDA software.Results40 interviews were conducted (n = 22 patients, 10 relatives, and 8 health professionals). The mean age of patients was 21.8 years, while the mean duration of untreated ED was 91.4 months (median 70 months). Five categories emerged with intersections between them: patient (P), family and social environment (FSE), health professionals (HP), healthcare system (HCS), and social and cultural context (SCC). Relevant barriers appeared within these categories and their intersections, highlighting a lack of professional knowledge or expertise, cultural ignorance or misinformation regarding EDs, and patient’s ego-syntonic behaviors. The main facilitators were patients’ and relatives’ psychoeducation, recognition of symptoms by family members, and parents taking the initiative to seek treatment.ConclusionsThis study provides information regarding access to treatment for patients living with EDs in Chile. A practical public health approach should consider the multi-causality of delay in treatment and promoting early interventions.Plain English SummaryEating disorders (EDs) may severely affect the daily functioning of people enduring them. A delay in starting treatment is associated with a disease that is more difficult to treat. To our knowledge, there are no published studies carried out in Latin America exploring factors influencing treatment initiation in EDs patients. This study aimed to identify facilitators of and barriers to treating patients with EDs in Chile. We interviewed patients (n = 22), their relatives (n = 10), and health professionals (n = 8) from a private and a public center in Santiago, Chile. Our analysis showed that the main barriers to starting treatment were the lack of professional knowledge in ED, the monetary cost of illness, and cultural misinformation. Facilitators were related to the role of the family in recognizing and addressing the disease while being educated in EDs by professionals. This study helps to provide data about treatment access in developing countries. While facilitators and barriers were similar to others reported in the literature, the untreated ED’s duration was longer. It is essential to address these barriers to provide access to treatment more efficiently and prevent severe and enduring forms of disease.

Exploring the Impact of Animal Assisted Interventions on the Occupational Participation of People Living with Dementia

Abstract Background Animal Assisted Intervention (AAI) is defined as a goal-directed intervention designed to promote improvement in social, emotional, physical and cognitive functioning (AAII 2020). AAIs are a growing area in dementia research and practice (Lai et al. 2019). There is a significant gap in implementing and researching AAI in a UK context (Fine 2019). Caring for pets and service animals is considered an instrumental activity of daily living (AOTA 2008) and AAI has been shown to enhance the occupational participation of other client populations (Winkle et al. 2012; Herlache-Pretzer et al. 2017; Andreasen et al. 2017). It is unclear what impact AAI has on the occupational participation of people living with dementia (PLWD). Methods Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was proposed to facilitate deep level interpretations of the experience of occupational participation for PLWD who have an assistance dog. Over a two-month period, the researcher proposed to complete four thirty-minute video observations capturing PLWD participating in a chosen occupation in their home environment. The researcher further proposed to maintain a reflexive journal and document notable observations throughout the research process to enhance the development of themes. Results PLWD have the right to access personally meaningful occupations (WFOT 2006). Assistance dogs may have the potential to facilitate positive occupational experiences such as occupational identity, occupational competence and occupational adaptation. Conclusion Occupational therapists who claim to be guided by the principals of client-centred practice (RCOT 2015a) must strive to look beyond traditional interventions to effectively meet the individual needs and preferences of PLWD (Brodrick and Barry 2016). Education and further research (Fine 2019) are required to raise the profile of AAI in a UK context. Future research would benefit from exploring the experience of occupational participation in social environmental contexts for PLWD (who have an assistance dog), to gain whole experiential accounts of this phenomenon.

Dropout in elite sport: What stressors and resilience factors are perceived in youth sport climbing?

Introduction & Purpose Psychosocial stress is a major risk factor for the development of a wide range of psychiatric and somatic illnesses (Hughes et al., 2017). Social factors such as perceived autonomy and competence, relatedness and task climate appear to be related to people dropping out of a sport (Balish et al., 2014). To this point in time, the developmental aspects in youth sports are insufficiently described in the literature. Previous studies dealing with dropout have indicated critical aspects on a personal, contextual, chronological, and procedural level (Moulds et al., 2024). The perception of these aspects seems to determine the individual stress experience. Therefore, the aim of the study was to identify stressors and resources in youth sport climbing and to gain a deeper understanding of how these relate to dropout. Methods Guided by the theoretical framework of the bioecological system theory (Bronfenbrenner & Morris, 2006), two active and six non-active climbers between the ages of 18 and 25 were interviewed using a semi-structured interview approach. The non-active climbers were dropouts, defined here as an athlete ending their competitive sport career before reaching their individual performance peak. In this case they were asked about the related circumstances. Active athletes started the interview from their current perspective. Each development-relevant factor (person, process, context, time; Bronfenbrenner & Morris, 2006) was then reflected on in terms of resources and stressors. The inclusion criterion was the qualification for the national team. A qualitative content analysis was carried out according to Mayring and Fenzl (2022). The data was analyzed using MAXQDA 24 software. Results The interviewed climbers addressed the context of family, school, social environment, training, and personal factors. A high level of social interaction was experienced. The topics of bodyweight and nutrition were often reported with negative connotations, particularly impacted by external factors. Communication skills were a consistently mentioned factor as a resource and potential stressor. A lack of individualisation and opportunities for personal development were reported as long-term stress factors. Feelings of responsibility and self-inflicted pressure were described as additional loads. Professional attachment was reported as a personal resource when positively evaluated. Reflection skills were recognised as a helpful stress management tool. As illustrated in Figure 1, the mindset of individuals appears to be shaped by the internal and external interplay of available resources, aspects of motivation and beliefs that are internalised. Discussion & Conclusion Several factors seem to interact modifying an individual’s experience of stress. The perception of stress at a certain point in time must be seen as a combination of the load experienced and the individual available resources. Sport-specific requirements should be considered. Dropout can be one of the consequences of overall stress in competitive sports and should be analysed systemically. The intention was to identify starting points for reducing dropout rates in sports and support health-promoting participation. These are the first results of this project, in which further athletes from climbing and other sports will be interviewed.

Who is at risk? Applying the biopsychosocial model to explain non-violent and violent delinquency in youth

Research has highlighted the relevance of biological measures in explaining antisocial behavior, but the inclusion of such measures in clinical practice is lagging behind. According to the integrative biopsychosocial model, biological measures should be studied together with psychological and social-environmental factors. In this data-driven study, we applied this comprehensive model to explain non-violent and violent delinquency of 876 at-risk youth (715 male, 9–27 years), by combining nine biological (autonomic-nervous-system; endocrinological), nine psychological, and seven social-environmental measures. Using latent-class-regression analysis we uncovered four distinct psychologically-driven biological clusters, which differed in non-violent and violent delinquency-risk, moderated by social-environmental variables: a biological–psychopathic traits; low problem; high problem; and biological–reactive group. Individual vulnerabilities to (non-)violent delinquency depended on social-environmental context that differed between clusters. These findings highlight the importance of biological and psychological factors, in the context of social-environmental factors, in explaining (non)-violent delinquency.

The Impact of Urban Migration on the Mental Well-Being of Young Women: Analyzing the Roles of Neighborhood Safety and Subjective Socioeconomic Status in Shaping Resilience against Life Stressors

This study evaluates the impact of urban migration on the mental health of young women, focusing specifically on how objective life stressors, perceived neighborhood safety, and subjective socioeconomic status influence depression. Depression is the main outcome measure in this research, serving as a critical indicator of mental health in the context of urban migration. Utilizing a stratified cluster sampling approach, we collect data from 2138 young female migrants in Bao’an District, Shenzhen, employing the Life Stress Scale, Patient Health Questionnaire-9 items, Perceived Neighborhood Safety Scale, and Subjective Social Economic Status Scale to assess the corresponding constructs. Our findings highlight that life stressors directly contribute to increased depression levels among young female migrants, with perceived neighborhood safety significantly mediating this relationship. Furthermore, subjective socioeconomic status moderates the impact of life stressors on perceived neighborhood safety, underlining the intricate dynamics between objective life stressors and the social-environmental context in shaping mental health outcomes. This research underscores the importance of creating supportive and inclusive social environments to mitigate the adverse psychological effects of life stressors on young female migrants, thereby contributing to discussions on sustainability and social welfare.

Identification of the social economic and environmental context of the concept of city sustainability, based on the example of Ternopil, Ukraine

The main intent of the study is to investigate the conceptual framework of sustainability associated with the social, economic, and environmental context of the city of Ternopil, Ukraine. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and MetaAnalyses have been used to better understand the conceptual threshold area of sustainability. Geospatial approaches are used to measure the city’s sustainability. The results indicate that Ternopil city’s socio-economic context moderately supports sustainability, while the environmental context is less supportive. The study found that the city’s economic growth and development have caused environmental degradation, leading to the loss of biodiversity and natural resources. However, the study revealed that the city is adopting sustainable practices. The city’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) have been analysed in light of sustainability. The study recommends that policymakers and stakeholders in Ternopil City should prioritise sustainable development practices, such as implementing public transport and promoting sustainable urban planning. Overall, the study provides insights into the relationship between socioeconomic and environmental factors and sustainability in Ternopil City and highlights the need for sustainable development practices to ensure a sustainable future for the city.

Perceived Barriers and Facilitators to Implementation of Inclusive Policy, Systems, and Environmental Changes

People with disabilities (PWDs) are often excluded from health-promoting activities in their communities. Inclusive policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) changes can promote access to healthy lifestyle choices for PWDs. However, implementation of inclusive PSEs in community-based settings is challenging and we lack an understanding of what factors impact implementation of inclusive PSEs. The purpose of this study was to examine barriers and facilitators experienced by community coaches while planning and implementing inclusive PSEs. Semi-structured interviews (n = 10) were conducted with coaches as part of the Reaching People with Disabilities through Healthy Communities project. Interviews were coded using directed content analysis guided by the Theoretical Domains Framework and were categorized into barriers and facilitators within the COM-B framework (which identifies Capability, Opportunity, and Motivations as components that can impact Behavior). The opportunities domain, consisting of social influences and environmental context and resources, most impacted disability-inclusive PSE implementation. Within this domain, facilitators included community support, strong partnerships, technical assistance from experts, and alignment with ongoing initiatives. Barriers included the community’s lack of knowledge about disability, fear regarding resources needed for inclusive changes, and lack of resources (time, staff, funding). Supports addressing the opportunities domain should be considered to facilitate the implementation of disability-inclusive PSEs to build healthy, accessible communities for all.

Exploring social and environmental predictors of school engagement among first‐ and second‐generation Latino youth: A multidimensional approach

AbstractUsing a multidimensional, integrative approach this study examined the influence of social position factors (nativity, economic hardship, and language) and environmental contexts (community trauma, geographic location, and discrimination) on three domains of school engagement (cognitive, behavioral, and relational) among a community sample of first‐ and second‐generation Latino adolescents. Findings from this study reveal that both social position and environmental contexts significantly and differentially predicted each of the three domains of school engagement. Participants (n = 306) included students from 11 high schools in two US cities. Fifty‐three percent were first‐generation immigrants and 80% were born, or had a parent from, Mexico or Central America. Results indicated that all three social position factors (nativity, economic hardship, and language) and two of the three environmental contexts (community trauma exposure and discrimination) significantly and differentially predicted each of the three domains of school engagement. Findings emphasize the direct effects of student's social positionality and environmental contexts on their engagement in school.

Exploring Human Resource Management Alternatives: A Comprehensive Evaluation

This paper seeks to examine HRM practices in India, taking into consideration the underlying cultural, political, and economic influences. The research is structured into three primary sections. The first section explores the concept of HRM within the context of India's social environment. The second section outlines the methodology and presents the data analysis. The third section delves into the results, offering insights into HRM practices within Indian organizations. The research outcomes presented in the paper provide insights into the principal HRM functions within the Indian public sector. Staffing practices are characterized by a prominent reliance on networking, entitlement, adherence to Islamic/revolutionary criteria, and a strong emphasis on job security. Compensation structures feature fixed pay, rewards linked to ascription/seniority, and a hierarchical pay system. Training and development programs are observed to be largely ad hoc and unplanned. Lastly, the appraisal function receives limited attention and relies predominantly on subjective and behavioral criteria. Given that TOPSIS is not well-suited for directly handling this type of data, we have introduced an innovative approach known as "TOPSIS for Algorithm Ranking," abbreviated as TOPSIS-AR. In this approach, algorithms are treated as alternatives, while benchmarks are considered as criteria. To assess the alternatives based on the criteria, we represent their ratings using a decision matrix that incorporates mean values and standard deviations.To demonstrate the applicability of this method, we present a case study involving evolutionary algorithms. The simulation results from this study validate the effectiveness of TOPSIS-AR in determining the ranking of the evaluated algorithms. The paper acknowledges certain limitations in its study related to HRM functions, the sector under examination, and the sample size. Future research endeavors could extend the analysis by comparing HRM practices between large/state-owned and small/private organizations. These insights could prove valuable to a diverse range of stakeholders, including Multinational Enterprises (MNEs), Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), international negotiators, expatriate managers, investors, and anyone with an interest in this geographical region. The paper offers a practical and convenient approach for evaluating HRM variations. By combining both qualitative and quantitative data, it provides a comprehensive understanding of HRM practices, supplemented by secondary data and previous research findings. Given the potential similarities between India and other developing countries, the outcomes of this study might be particularly relevant for comparative research aimed at examining the transferability of management practices across different contexts.

48 Does Automated Behavioral Monitoring Inevitably Lead to Improved Pig welfare?

Abstract Academics, producers, veterinarians, technology developers, and even the general public seem to be talking about using technology to solve agricultural problems. The starting point for many proposed technological solutions to help manage pigs is the automated detection of specific behaviors. These behavioral data then need to be translated into actionable information to assess welfare, and ideally to provide a management solution to ensure good welfare for the monitored pigs. However, detecting behavior of animals, particularly of relatively homogeneous animals living in large groups at high densities, such as pigs on commercial farms, is not a trivial problem. Most functional behaviors are complex and made of multiple smaller elements, including postures and simple motions. Training technology to detect behaviors with accuracy that mimics a human expert is difficult, due to behavioral complexity as well as to variation in how each individual does a behavior and how physical and social environmental context affect performance of a behavior. Disappointingly, many technologies that claim to detect performance of behaviors are in fact only detecting the proximity of the pigs to resources or to each other and then assuming that pig is interacting with the resource or social partner in a particular way. However, a pig standing near a feeder is not always eating, nor is a pig near another pig always deliberately interacting with that other animal. It is necessary to closely evaluate automated behavior detection solutions to determine if these do directly detect the behavioral outcomes of interest. The next problem is connecting the detected behavior to a specific welfare outcome. Animals typically perform behaviors for biologically motivated reasons related to maintaining physiological homeostasis, responding to disease challenges, or to expressing their emotional state. Yet making a direct link between performance of a certain behavior and a subsequent welfare state is not straightforward. For example, grooming is often thought of as a comfort behavior, but animals that are distressed may groom as a displacement behavior. Therefore, context and other measures are needed to complement the behavioral information before drawing a welfare conclusion. A final problem to consider is whether detection of a welfare problem inevitably leads to improved welfare. In some cases, such as when a technology identifies the start of an outbreak of treatable illness, action is possible. In other cases, the technology may detect a more intractable problem, such as lameness in a sow. If we cannot effectively cure the underlying problem or eliminate the associated pain or distress, does this raise ethical dilemmas or reduce trust in the swine industry? While technologies do hold promise to better monitor and manage pigs in labor efficient ways, we must mindfully develop solutions that monitor pigs' behavior and cautiously evaluate their ultimate impacts on pig welfare.

Co-designing a theory-informed, multicomponent intervention to increase vaccine uptake with Congolese migrants: A qualitative, community-based participatory research study (LISOLO MALAMU).

Disparities in the uptake of routine and COVID-19 vaccinations have been observed in migrant populations, and attributed to issues of mistrust, accessand low vaccine confidence. Participatory research approaches and behaviour change theory hold the potential for developing tailored vaccination interventions that address these complex barriers in partnership with communities and should be explored further. This study used a theory-informed, community-based participatory research approach to co-design a culturally tailored behaviour change intervention aimed at increasing COVID-19 vaccine uptake among Congolese migrants in London, United Kingdom (2021-2022). It was designed and led by a community-academic partnership in response to unmet needs in the Congolese community as the COVID-19 pandemic started. Barriers and facilitators to COVID-19 vaccination, information and communication preferences, and intervention suggestions were explored through qualitative in-depth interviews with Congolese migrants, thematically analysed, and mapped to the theoretical domains framework (TDF) and the capability, opportunity, motivation, behaviourmodel to identify target behaviours and strategies to include in interventions. Interventions were co-designed and tailored in workshops involving Congolese migrants. Thirty-two Congolese adult migrants (24 (75%) women, mean 14.3 (SD:7.5)years in theUnited Kingdom, mean age 52.6 (SD: 11.0) years) took part in in-depth interviews and 16 (same sample) took part in co-design workshops. Fourteen barriers and 10 facilitators to COVID-19 vaccination were identified; most barrier data related to four TDF domains (beliefs about consequences; emotion; social influences and environmental context and resources), and the behavioural diagnosis concluded interventions should target improving psychological capability, reflective and automatic motivationsand social opportunities. Strategies included culturally tailored behaviour change techniques based on education, persuasion, modelling, enablementand environmental restructuring, which resulted in a co-designed intervention comprising community-led workshops, plays and posters. Findings and interventions were disseminated through a community celebration event. Our study demonstrates how behavioural theory can be applied to co-designing tailored interventions with underserved migrant communities through a participatory research paradigm to address a range of health issues and inequalities. Future research should build on this empowering approach, with the goal of developing more sensitive vaccination services and interventions which respond to migrant communities' unique cultural needs and realities. Patient and public involvement (PPI) were embedded in the participatory study design and approach, with community members co-producing all stages of the study and co-authoring this paper. An independent PPI board (St George's Migrant Health Research Group Patient and Public Involvement Advisory Board) comprising five adult migrants with lived experience of accessing healthcare in the United Kingdom were also consulted at significant points over the course of the study.

The Social Environment Matters for Telomere Length and Internalizing Problems During Adolescence.

Depression and anxiety symptoms are on the rise among adolescents. With increasing evidence that cellular aging may be associated with depressive and anxiety symptoms, there is an urgent need to identify the social environment context that may moderate this link. This study addresses this research gap by investigating the moderating role of the social environment on the relation between telomere length and emotional health among adolescents. Participants were 411 non-Hispanic (88.56%) Black (100%) adolescents (M = 14.23 years, SD = 1.85, female = 54%) in a major metropolitan city. Youth and parents reported on an array of social risk and protective factors, and youth provided DNA samples for telomere length measurement. Results demonstrated that the association of telomere length and anxiety symptoms was stronger among youth with higher perceived stress or lower school belongingness, and the association of telomere length with depressive symptoms was stronger under conditions of higher parent inter-partner psychological aggression. The results enhance our understanding of the complex associations between biological aging, the social environment, and mental health in adolescence.

13 “Don’t Want to Be in the Room? Never. Can’t Be in the Room? Yes”: A Mixed Methods Analysis of Barriers and Facilitators to Parental Presence at the Bedside in a Paediatric Intensive Care Unit

Abstract Background Though a paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) admission is overwhelming for families, bedside parental presence improves child comfort, reduces parental anxiety, and enables family engagement. Previous research has focused on parental presence during events (rounds, resuscitation, and procedures), but little is known about factors influencing parental presence at their child’s bedside for routine PICU care. Objectives To identify factors that parents perceive as impacting their capability, opportunity, and motivation to be at the bedside in PICU, and explore parental perceptions about the quality and value of time spent at the bedside. Design/Methods This mixed methods study used semi-structured interviews based on the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF). Participants were parents of children admitted to a Canadian PICU. Participants completed a demographics form and the Medical Term Recognition Test (METER) to assess health literacy. Interviews were coded independently by two researchers using a directed content approach based on the TDF. Once consensus was reached, themes and subthemes were identified inductively within each domain to generate barriers and enablers. Factors were examined for trends based on dichotomized demographics. Results Fourteen primary caregivers participated in 11 interviews. Participants were 8 mothers and 6 fathers, of children with both planned (n=4) and unplanned (n=7) admissions. METER scores ranged from 4 to 40, with a mean of 31. Seventy-six barriers and enablers were identified within 13 domains. Factors were most commonly in the ‘environmental context and resources’ domain (n=13) and included “comfortable and functional physical environment”, “medicalization of the child”, and “PICU technology”. Parents emphasized the importance of self-care which, although requiring parents to leave the bedside, allowed them to be fully engaged when they were present. A ubiquitous factor was “maintenance of the parent role”. Parents felt responsible to be present, but recognized alterations in the parental role while in PICU. Parents who were <25 years old, fathers, or those who had first and unplanned PICU admissions identified relatively fewer skills and capabilities supporting their presence. Multiple factors, particularly in the domains of social influence and environmental context, are potentially modifiable to better support parental presence and engagement at the bedside. Conclusion Parents perceive multiple factors influencing their capability, opportunity, and drive to be present with their critically ill child in PICU, some of which are amenable to direct intervention by healthcare professionals and hospital policy. Healthcare professionals may maximize parental engagement by attempting to optimize quality, rather than quantity, of time at the bedside.

"We are in the forgotten corner!" a qualitative study of experiences and challenges among Chinese older women at the onset of acute myocardial infarction.

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is a common and serious cardiovascular disease (CVD) that is one of the leading causes of death among women globally and in China. However, there are sex-associated differences and inequalities in the detection and management of AMI, especially in older people. There is little research demonstrating how challenges and barriers affect older women's help-seeking behavior and health-related procedures in China. The objective of this study was to explore the experiences of older women with AMI, focusing on their perception, challenges, and coping strategies at the onset of AMI in Wuhan, China. This study utilized a qualitative research design approach and conducted semi-structured, in-depth, and audio-recorded interviews with 18 women aged 65-84 years, purposively selected from two tertiary hospitals in Wuhan City from November 2021 to April 2022. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was used in this study to analyze the data on 18 participants and three major themes were generated: disease perception disorder, negative coping strategies, and barriers due to social-environmental contexts. To reduce older women's delay in seeking help, healthcare professionals should provide public health education that emphasizes sex-related disparities, and age-specific knowledge-attitude aspects to high-risk groups. Policy-based and health administration recommendations, including e-health information support, access to care, and social-environmental factors, should be highlighted to promote women's health behavior.

Child abuse, the narrative of parents living in poverty: a critical analysis of parental and professional explanations of why a child was harmed

ABSTRACT Research has identified an association between poverty and the likelihood of children suffering from abuse. What is less clear is how the experience of living in poverty links to this abuse. This qualitative study investigated individual stories of child abuse and the role of poverty in their lives. Through interpretative phenomenological analysis explanations why children had been abused were elicited from parents and professionals. Poverty as an abstract concept was articulated by parents describing their lived experience, breaking it down into its constituent parts. Social health and environmental contexts and the personal consequences of this emerged from the data. Professionals missed poverty at a macro level by focussing on the micro processes, leading to explanations of the abuse as personal inadequacy rather than systemic issues.

Advocating for Gender Equity in Sport: An Analysis of the Canadian Women and Sport She’s Got It All Campaign

Despite increasing access to sport and exercise opportunities, girls and women in Canada continue to face gender disparity in sport participation. Several media campaigns have emerged to address this disparity and advocate for gender equity in sport. However, there is little understanding or evaluation of the content of these media campaigns. Informed by sport participation research, the She’s Got It All campaign was designed to highlight the challenges and intersecting disadvantages that girls and women face in sport. The purpose of the current study was to assess the textual and visual content of this campaign. The posters (N = 48) were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis (text) and deductive content analysis (visual) to identify the characteristics of the images and the themes in the messages. Based on the thematic analysis, seven main themes pertaining to girls’ and women’s barriers to sport participation are identified including physiology, gendered social behaviors, intrapersonal beliefs, environmental contexts, stereotypes, female representation, and interpersonal support. Based on the content analysis, most of the models presented in the posters are perceived as White and average-sized adult women, with visible muscle definition, slightly or nonrevealing clothing, and performing an individual sport. The poster visual and text material seem to miss opportunities to highlight the experiences of girls and women identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (or sometimes questioning), and others and those classified as lower socioeconomic status. These findings provide foundational information for future research and media campaign designed to target gender equity in sport.

Analyzing Sustainable Practices in Engineering Projects: A Systemic Approach

The work of an engineer involves the conceptualization, design, and implementation of new and improved artifacts. However, what sets engineering apart from other professions is the direct responsibility of engineers to think critically and design innovative solutions to solve complex problems in social systems. Unfortunately, the solutions often do not consider the dynamics of the environment or the cultures that will receive them, leading to obsolescence due to the lack of technical knowledge of maintenance and repair. This exacerbates the disruptive power of technology in culture and society, leading to a gap in engineering education that needs to be addressed. Critical theories attempt to reformulate the teaching and practice of engineering in social-environmental contexts of vulnerability, utilizing systemic models to anticipate solutions based on possible scenarios. However, these theories do not consider the mental models of professional engineers, relying mostly on educational studies. To address this gap, this article explores a novel approach to the problem of sustainability mindset in engineering by understanding the characteristics and structures of engineering systems of practice and conveying it through causal loop diagrams. The results identify causal loops that reinforce or affect the application of sustainable practices, which can be used as leverage points within the systems of practice structure to improve the performance and interest of engineering students in sustainable development endeavors and promote more professionals working with a sustainable mindset.

The social and socio-political embeddedness of COVID-19 vaccination decision-making: A five-country qualitative interview study from Europe.

The uptake ofCOVID-19 vaccines has varied considerably across European countries. This study investigates people's decision-making process regarding vaccination by analyzing qualitative interviews (n=214) with residents from five European countries: Austria, Germany, Italy, Portugal, and Switzerland. We identify three factors that shape vaccination decision-making: individual experiences and pre-existing attitudes towards vaccination, social environment, and socio-political context. Based on this analysis, we present a typology of decision-making regarding COVID-19 vaccines, where some types present stable stances towards vaccines and others change over time. Trust in government and relevant stakeholders, broader social factors, and people's direct social environment were particularly relevant to these dynamics. We conclude that vaccination campaigns should be considered long-term projects (also outside of pandemics) in need of regular adjustment, communication and fine-tuning to ensure public trust. This is particularly pertinent for booster vaccinations, such as COVID-19 or influenza.

Experiences and understanding of apathy in people with neurocognitive disorders and their carers: a qualitative interview study

apathy, defined as reduced goal-directed activity, interests and emotion, is highly prevalent in neurocognitive disorders (NCDs). Apathy has important consequences for the individuals who experience it and their carers, yet the lived experiences of apathy in this population are not well understood. to explore how people with NCDs and their carers understand and experience apathy. in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted in participants' homes. Sixteen people with NCDs (dementia or mild cognitive impairment) and 14 carers, living in four geographical areas of England, took part. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Transcripts were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. four themes were generated: 'Apathy is Poorly Understood'; 'Too much trouble: Mediating Effort and Outcome'; 'Preserving Identity in the Face of Loss of Capability and Autonomy' and 'Opportunity and Exclusion'. apathy is experienced as an understandable response to the everyday struggle people with NCDs face to preserve identity in the face of threats to capability and autonomy and is exacerbated by the lack of support and opportunities. Social and environmental modifications may help reduce apathy. In line with previous qualitative research, this challenges the dominant view of apathy as a neuropsychiatric symptom that excludes the social-environmental context.

Qualitative Insights into Vaccine Uptake of Nursing Staff in Long-Term Care Facilities in Finland.

Vaccine hesitancy and refusal have undermined COVID-19 vaccination efforts of nursing staff. This study aimed to identify behavioral factors associated with COVID-19 vaccine uptake among unvaccinated nursing staff in long-term care facilities (LTCF) in Finland. Methodology: The study was based on the Theoretical Domains Framework. Data were collected through qualitative in-depth interviews among nursing staff and managers of LTCFs. The analysis was based on thematic analysis. We identified seven behavioral domains, with several themes, that reduced the staff's intention to get vaccinated: knowledge (information overload, inability to identify trustworthy information sources, lack of vaccine-specific and understandable scientific information), beliefs about consequences (incorrect perceptions about the vaccine effectiveness, and lack of trust in the safety of the vaccine), social influences (influence of family and friends), reinforcement (limited abilities of the management to encourage vaccination), beliefs about capabilities (pregnancy or desire to get pregnant), psychological factors (coping with changing opinion), and emotions (confusion, suspicion, disappointment, and fatigue). We also identified three behavioral domains that encouraged vaccine uptake: social influences (trust in health authorities), environmental context and resources (vaccination logistics), and work and professional role (professional pride). The study findings can help authorities to develop tailored vaccine promotion strategies for healthcare workers in LTCFs.