Solution-oriented Research Research Articles

Prevalence of suicidal ideation and associated factors among pregnant women attending ANC follow-up clinic in Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia, 2022

Suicide is a worldwide concern and ranks as the third leading cause of death among individuals of reproductive age. According to many findings, Ethiopia remains to suffer with a considerable number of suicide deaths and attempts, so more research on the prevalence of suicidal ideation is necessary. Since there is limited research available about suicide ideation/attempts specifically from the study area, evidence-based and solution-oriented research is necessary. This study sought to determine the prevalence of suicidal ideation and its contributing factors among pregnant women visited ante-natal care (ANC) at the University of Gondar Specialized Compressive Hospital. Institutional based cross-sectional study was conducted among 174 pregnant women who visit ante-natal care (ANC) at the University of Gondar Specialized Compressive Hospital, from June 01 to August 30, 2022. Participants were selected by using a systematic random sampling method. The World Mental Health (WMH) survey Initiative Version of the World Health Organization (WHO) Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) was used to measure suicidal ideation and attempt. The data was entered into SPSS version 25 for analysis, and descriptive and inferential statistics were done. Bivariable and multivariable binary logistic regression analyses were done to identify factors associated with suicidal ideation and attempt among pregnant women. Variables with a P value less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant with 95% CI. In the current study 174 pregnant women were screened, and 168 volunteered to participate with a response rate of 96.5%. The finding showed that the prevalence of suicidal ideation and a suicidal attempt was 5.4% (95% CI: 1.8–8.9) and 4.8% (95% CI: 1.8–8.9) respectively. Unplanned pregnancy [AOR: 1.9(1.22–0.88)], history of abortion [AOR: 2.5(1.5–12.6)], history of stillbirth [AOR: 2.32(1.7–13.2)], HIV status of seropositive [AOR: 1.5(01.2–16.0)] and history of lifetime substance use [AOR: 1.6(1.3–12.0)] were significant positive predictors of prevalence of suicidal ideation. The study finding shows that the prevalence of suicidal ideation and attempt among pregnant women was low. Unplanned pregnancy, history of abortion, history of stillbirth, HIV status of seropositive, and history of lifetime substance use were variables significantly associated with suicidal ideation among pregnant women.

From coarse resolution to practical solution: GRACE as a science communication and policymaking tool for sustainable groundwater management

Managing groundwater is challenging because its below-ground existence makes the resource difficult to monitor. GRACE is an important tool as it provides the opportunity to monitor the storage of groundwater. While GRACE-based groundwater studies have focused on many regions across the globe, studies that link scientific research to policymaking and groundwater practices are still limited. This paper aims to provide recommendations for the improved use of GRACE data for the purpose of sustainable groundwater management. To gain insight into this, a policy Delphi survey was conducted to collect opinions from both the academic and non-academic communities. Although opinions are divergent and a mismatch exists between what science (researchers) currently supplies and what users (practitioners) demand, we found that both communities acknowledged the potential of GRACE data and GRACE-derived products for groundwater management and would be willing to collaborate to develop projects for practical applications. Better communication between researchers and practitioners was recommended as key for greater application of GRACE-derived products into practice. Practitioners noted the need for reliable data for management responsibilities but prefer locally-observed data. The reliability of GRACE at local scales was raised by practitioners as a limitation despite advances in downscaling methods within the academic community. The survey reveals a shared desire for more comparison between GRACE-derived products with local measurements to determine whether GRACE products can be useful for informing local decisions. Using survey outcomes, we propose three recommendations to improve the usefulness of GRACE-derived and other remote sensing products for groundwater management and practices: improving communication strategies; increasing data accuracy, transparency and accessibility to build trust; and conducting solution-oriented research.

Opportunities for understanding the COVID-19 pandemic and child health in the United States: the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) program.

Ongoing pediatric cohort studies offer opportunities to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children's health. With well-characterized data from tens of thousands of US children, the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program offers such an opportunity. ECHO enrolled children and their caregivers from community- and clinic-based pediatric cohort studies. Extant data from each of the cohorts were pooled and harmonized. In 2019, cohorts began collecting data under a common protocol, and data collection is ongoing with a focus on early life environmental exposures and five child health domains: birth outcomes, neurodevelopment, obesity, respiratory, and positive health. In April of 2020, ECHO began collecting a questionnaire designed to assess COVID-19 infection and the pandemic's impact on families. We describe and summarize the characteristics of children who participated in the ECHO Program during the COVID-19 pandemic and novel opportunities for scientific advancement. This sample (n = 13,725) was diverse by child age (31% early childhood, 41% middle childhood, and 16% adolescence up to age 21), sex (49% female), race (64% White, 15% Black, 3% Asian, 2% American Indian or Alaska Native, <1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 10% Multiple race and 2% Other race), Hispanic ethnicity (22% Hispanic), and were similarly distributed across the four United States Census regions and Puerto Rico. ECHO data collected during the pandemic can be used to conduct solution-oriented research to inform the development of programs and policies to support child health during the pandemic and in the post-pandemic era.

Tool-based renewable energy system planning using survey data: A case study in rural Vietnam

Renewable energies provide effective sustainable development by raising living standards, accelerating economic growth, and mitigating pollution. However, specifically in developing countries, the lack of information, data, and local expertise challenges the design process and long-term success of renewable energy systems. Following the call for inter-disciplinary, solution-oriented research, this work uses a design science research-approach to facilitate multi-energy planning. The decision support system NESSI4D is developed, which considers site-specific economic, environmental, technological, and social factors and is tuned for stakeholder needs in developing countries. Following a step-by-step process model manual, the artifact’s applicability is demonstrated in a use case for a rural community in Thua Thien-Hue, Vietnam. Missing load data are synthesized from the TVSEP with the software RAMP. The results show that the implementation of renewable energy technologies only enables affordable, low-emission electrification with governmental financial incentives. Several sensitivity tests illustrate the impact of changing assumptions and highlight the importance of detailed analyses with highly specialized tools. The demonstrating use case validates the method’s relevance for research and practice towards the goals of effective sustainable development.

Accessible decision support for sustainable energy systems in developing countries

With rising electricity demand through digitization and innovation, the urgency of climate change mitigation, and the recent geopolitical crisis, stakeholders in developing countries face the complex task to build reliable, affordable, and low-emission energy systems. Information inaccessibility, data unavailability, and scarce local expertise are major challenges for planning and transitioning to decentralized solutions. Motivated by the calls for more solution-oriented research regarding sustainability, we design, develop, and evaluate the web-based decision support system NESSI4Dweb+ that is tailored to the needs and capabilities of various stakeholders in developing countries. NESSI4Dweb+ is open access and considers location-specific circumstances to facilitate multi-energy planning. Its applicability is demonstrated with a case study of a representative rural village in southern Madagascar and evaluated through seven interviews with experts and stakeholders. We show that NESSI4Dweb+ can support the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and enable the very prerequisite of digitization: reliable electrification.

Theorizing land use transitions: A human geography perspective

Land system science provides a theoretical lens for deepening our understanding of interactions between social and environmental systems. Synthesis and integration of land system science and land use transitions are vital for advancing Global Land Project, and providing a platform for integrating knowledge from multiple fields and for translating explorative research into solution-oriented research. In the context of growing urbanization, the adoption of rural vitalization and urban-rural integrated development strategies has an impact on land use transitions in rural China. Thus, this paper has two major goals. The first is to unite the theory of human-environment interaction territorial system with Chinese rural development strategy to provide a theoretical framework to explain land use transitions against the context of rapid urbanization, including a “conflict-coordination” theoretical model of regional land use transitions, the perspectives of structural change and functional change of land system, and coupling pattern and process to adjust and control land use transitions. The second goal is to deploy the theoretical method in an attempt to advance rural development strategy via adjusting and controlling land use transitions. By using human geography to reinvigorate land system science, this paper calls for integrated theoretical approaches to comprehend land use transitions and associated regional development strategies.

Solution-oriented research for chemical exposures and children’s health: the ECHO Program

Solution-oriented research for chemical exposures and children’s health: the ECHO Program

Environmental influences on child health outcomes: cohorts of individuals born very preterm.

The National Institutes of Health’s Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program was designed to address solution-oriented research questions about the links between children’s early life environment and their risks of pre-, peri-, and post-natal complications, asthma, obesity, neurodevelopmental disorders, and positive health. Children born very preterm are at increased risk for many of the outcomes on which ECHO focuses, but the contributions of environmental factors to this risk are not well characterized. Three ECHO cohorts consist almost exclusively of individuals born very preterm. Data provided to ECHO from cohorts can be used to address hypotheses about (1) differential risks of chronic health and developmental conditions between individuals born very preterm and those born at term; (2) health disparities across social determinants of health; and (3) mechanisms linking early-life exposures and later-life outcomes among individuals born very preterm.Impact The National Institutes of Health’s Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes Program is conducting solution-oriented research on the links between children’s environment and health.Three ECHO cohorts comprise study participants born very preterm; these cohorts have enrolled, to date, 1751 individuals born in 14 states in the U.S. in between April 2002 and March 2020.Extensive data are available on early-life environmental exposures and child outcomes related to neurodevelopment, asthma, obesity, and positive health.Data from ECHO preterm cohorts can be used to address questions about the combined effects of preterm birth and environmental exposures on child health outcomes.

How Do We Build the Human Capital for a True Learning Healthcare System?

Our healthcare systems depend on human capital for effectiveness. The Canadian Institutes of Health Research - Institute of Health Services and Policy Research has prioritized building capacity for "solution-oriented research and evidence-informed health care system transformation" (CIHR IHSPR 2021a: 20) as a core strategic direction. In this commentary, we articulate strategies for positioning PhD-trained scientists at the forefront of this transformation, including refreshing a competency framework that outlines the skill set required for maximum impact, exploring opportunities to expand embedded research career pathways and considering new ways to support the evolution of learning health systems. We conclude highlighting the need to modernize how real-world research impact is recognized.

Setting the European environment and health research agenda –under-researched areas and solution-oriented research

BackgroundThe aim of the EU-funded HERA (health and environment research agenda) project is to set priorities for the future European research agenda in the environment, climate and health nexus. We report results from a European researcher’s perspective and identify research areas that have been inadequately investigated to date. MethodsAn online survey was completed by European researchers to assess, evaluate and visualise research gaps. These research gaps were identified for 21 predefined areas within 3 main categories: i) classical environment and health paradigm; ii) problem or sector-based research areas and approaches and iii) holistic research areas and concepts. All research gaps were then evaluated by expert groups with the pre-defined criteria and systematically summarized. For areas identified within the survey as under-reported, additional input was sought from a range of key selected experts. The EU project database Cordis was utilized to verify that these areas were under-researched. ResultsBetween May and July 2019, 318 respondents from 38 countries reported 624 research gaps. The main areas for attention identified were: urban environments; chemicals; and climate change, (combined n = 313 gaps). Biodiversity loss and health; transport, mobility, sustainable solutions and health; energy transition and health; waste and the circular economy and health; ethics and philosophy and health were areas that were acknowledged as under-researched (combined n = 27 gaps). These under-researched areas were identified as having certain commonalities, they: i) mostly fell in the category “problem or sector based approaches“; ii) they are essential for developing and implementing solutions; and iii) require trans-disciplinary and cross-sectoral collaboration. ConclusionsCurrently attention is given to topical and highly researched areas in environmental health. In contrast, this paper identifies key topics and approaches that are under-researched, yet, are critical for the implementation of the EU Green Deal, related strategies and action plans, and require further investigation and investment. The findings reveal the imperative to foster solutions-oriented, trans-disciplinary and participatory research and its implementation through changes in research funding and research structures.

Three crucial considerations when presenting alternative paradigms in sustainability research

Sustainability science (SS) is diverse field of problem-driven and solution-oriented research that is still developing. The further maturation of the field relies on its practitioners formulating alternative paradigms to use-inspired knowledge production to facilitate comparison and reasoned judgment on what constitutes scientific best practices. In this short article, we flag several blind spots that can arise in attempts to articulate potential paradigms in SS. We identify and discuss three crucial components that should be included when constructing and presenting potential paradigms in the field, namely the necessity of 1) comparing suggested alternatives with available competitors, 2) preserving scientific integrity in scientific knowledge production, and 3) clarifying the particular contribution of scientific knowledge to social change. Keeping sight of these three important issues will allow the still developing field of SS to mature in a way that builds on scientific comparison and reasoned judgment among the field’s practitioners, with implications for advancing its research agenda. The issues we outline here should not only concern authors, but reviewers and editors of SS journals as well.

Environmental footprints of meat, milk and egg production in Argentina

The livestock sector contributes significantly to the resource-use and pollution from food systems. Therefore, assessing the current and future environmental impacts of livestock production under different systems in different countries, has become an important area of solution-oriented research in sustainability science. We performed a cradle-to-farm-gate life cycle analysis to quantify biomass consumption (edible and non-edible for humans), land occupation (including cropland), greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and the use of fossil energy, synthetic fertilizers and pesticides related to beef, chicken, pork, milk and egg production in Argentina, a major producer and consumer of animal foods. We found that in 2016 the livestock sector consumed a total of 157 Mt of biomass (87% non edible for humans), required 66.2 Mha of land, of which 7.01 Mha were cropland, and emitted 157 Mt CO2-eq to the atmosphere (46 Mt CO2-eq from land-use change). In addition, 83 PJ of fossil energy were used, including that for the manufacture of 534 kt of N–P–S synthetic fertilizers and 59.6 kt of active ingredients of synthetic pesticides. However, the relative participation of each livestock group on the total environmental footprints was different, being beef the dominant one for all the indicators. When footprints per unit of protein weight were analyzed, all products had similar values regarding edible-biomass consumption, fossil energy use and pesticide use. However, delivering proteins from beef required between 12 and 28 times more land, and emits 6–34 more GHGs than the rest of the livestock products. The options for reducing such impacts are briefly discussed, emphasizing that solutions have to be tailored based on the management traditions and associated with the country's high ecological heterogeneity.

Cyber Security and Management

1. To make a secure cyber ecosystem in India, generate an ample amount of trust in IT systems and transactions in cyberspace and thereby enhance the adoption of IT in all sectors of the economy. 2. To create a convincing framework for developing security policies and enabling actions to abidance to global security standards. 3) To build up the Regulatory framework to ensure a Secure Cyberspace ecosystem. 4) To enhance and create National and Sectoral level mechanisms to obtain strategic policy regarding threats to ICT infrastructure. 5) To enhance the protection of the Nation's critical information infrastructure by operating a National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre and mandating security practices related to the design, accession, evolution, use and operation of information resources. 6) For the growth of suitable indigenous security technologies, solution-oriented research, proof of concept, pilot development, transition, diffusion. 7) To develop the range of the integrity of ICT products and services by establishing infrastructure for testing &amp; validating the security of such products. 8) Create a workspace for 500,000 professionals skilled in cyber security in India within 5years 9) To provide monetary benefits to businesses to adopt standard security practices. 10) To enable security of information while during the process, storage &amp; transit to safeguard the privacy of citizen's data and for reducing financial losses due to cybercrime. 11) To create adequate safety, investigation and prosecution of cybercrime and development of law enforcement capabilities through appropriate legislative intervention.

Solution-oriented research for paediatric burn prevention in Mongolia: An assessment of prevention tools

Child burn injuries in Mongolia are often caused by electric cooking appliances used on the floor or low table in traditional tent-like dwellings (called a ger) which have no separate kitchen. To prevent these injuries, we developed a context-specific kitchen rack to make electric appliances inaccessible to children, and the rack was provided to 50 families with children aged 0–3 years living in gers for a pilot test. In the present study, we investigated their opinions about the rack after they used it for about 10 months through semi-structured interviews, their willingness-to-pay (WTP) for the rack using a contingent valuation method, and their preference for potential modifications of the rack using best–worst scaling. The estimated median WTP was about USD 40 (which was higher than USD 37 at the baseline when they started to use the rack). The highest priority of modifications of the rack was to enclose the lower section of the rack with doors (which was originally open without doors to reduce the production cost). A few families did not use the rack in winter because they used heating stoves instead of electric appliances for cooking, but we found a unanimous view that the rack reduces burn injuries to children, which may be reflected in their increased WTP for the rack. These findings would guide us to make our burn prevention efforts more relevant to real-life situations and socially acceptable in Mongolia.

The Afromontane Research Unit: Driving Connections and Capacity Building for the Sustainable Development of Southern African Mountains

Research to inform a sustainable future for southern African mountains as social–ecological systems requires major investment. This is needed to strengthen existing relationships, build new relationships among academia, policy, and practice, and drive a robust research capacity program. This is particularly important in disciplines where there is currently limited capacity for mountain-related research in the region. For many pertinent issues in southern African mountains, the urgent need for foundational research is a reality; without this, it is impossible to build toward multidisciplinary outcomes and to drive transdisciplinary efforts. Keys to strengthening solution-oriented research are improved coordination between actors in similar disciplines (eg water security), strong relationships to achieve maximum synergy instead of competition, and major investment in emerging young researchers. The Afromontane Research Unit is leading the way for southern African mountains.

Solution-Oriented media management research: a framework to nurture future impact of the field

ABSTRACT This article assesses the ways in which media management research collaborates with companies in the fields of media & technology, marketing, and market research. It examines various modes of collaboration, and how they contribute towards a scholar-industry-collaboration with impact. Our conceptualization divides academic research into basic research, use-inspired, applied research and solution-oriented. Building furthermore on existing research across various fields in management studies we develop a novel framework for the assessment of scholar-industry-collaborations. To test our framework, we examine media management research output over the timespan of ten years – a total of 557 academic publications and 246 industry research publications enriched with additional data. We assigned each article to one of the four categories in our framework (basic, use-inspired, applied, solution-oriented), and then further examined them against more finely tuned content criteria to allow for further insights. The analysis of 803 studies revealed a low collaborative relationship between media management scholars and the industry. More strikingly, there is an obvious lack of solution-oriented research. We argue that solution-oriented research has significant potential to recalibrate media management research in scope and scale as its very purpose is to generate synergetic impact for both academia as well as society at large.

Community-Driven Prioritization of Primary Health Care Access Issues by Bangladeshi-Canadians to Guide Program of Research and Practice.

Research around probable solutions to immigrants accessing health care in Canada is not extensive, and the perspective of immigrant communities on priorities and potential solutions has not been captured effectively. The purpose of this article is to describe a research initiative that involved grassroots community members as producers of research priorities on primary care access issues. This study aimed to seek input from an immigrant community in Calgary, Canada. Members of the Bangladeshi community of Calgary were asked through a survey to rank 10 predefined primary care access topics as to what they felt constituted priorities for solution-oriented research (1, highest; 10, lowest). We used frequencies and percentages to describe the participant demographics. Ratings of preferred research themes were analyzed on the basis of relative weighted priority rank. We received 432 responses: 51.2% female; 58.9% aged 36 to 55 years; 90.5% had university-level education; 46.2% immigrated to Canada between 10 and 19 years ago; 82.5% employed full/part-time or self-employed. Lack of resources, lack of knowledge, health care cost, and workplace-related barriers were among the top-ranked topics identified as solution-oriented research priorities. Through partnerships and reciprocal learning, public input can increase insider perspectives to help develop interventions that align with the needs of community members.

Perspectives on ageing: a qualitative study of the expectations, priorities, needs and values of older people from two Canadian provinces.

Understanding the needs and values of older people is vital to build responsive policies, services and research agendas in this time of demographic transition. Older peoples' expectations and priorities for ageing, as well as their beliefs regarding challenges facing ageing societies, are multi-faceted and require regular updates as populations' age. To develop an understanding of self-perceptions of ageing and societal ageing among Canadian retirees of the education sector to define a meaningful health research agenda. We conducted four qualitative focus groups among 27 members of a Canadian retired educators' organisation. Data were analysed using an inductive thematic approach. We identified four overarching themes: (1) vulnerability to health challenges despite a healthier generation, (2) maintaining health and social connection for optimal ageing, (3) strengthening person-centred healthcare for ageing societies and (4) mobilising a critical mass to enact change. Participants' preconceptions of ageing differed from their personal experiences. They prioritised maintaining health and social connections and felt that current healthcare practices disempowered them to manage and optimise their health. Although the sheer size of their demographic instilled optimism of their potential to garner positive change, participants felt they lacked mechanisms to contribute to developing solutions to address this transition. Our findings suggest a need for health research that improves perceptions of ageing and supports health system transformations to deliver person-centred care. Opportunities exist to harness their activism to engage older people as partners in shaping solution-oriented research that can support planning for an ageing society.

SPR Perspectives: scientific opportunities in the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes Program.

Drawing upon extant data from existing pediatric cohorts and new follow-up of a diverse set of pediatric cohorts from across the United States, the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program creates the opportunity for novel and innovative investigations of many previously inaccessible scientific questions in the area of child health. We describe how the large sample size, diversity of participants, emphasis on team science, and infrastructure for improving research methodology make the ECHO Program a major research resource for improving our understanding of early life determinants of childhood health and well-being. Pediatric researchers leverage the unique features of the ECHO Program to address research questions with the potential to yield far-reaching and long-term impacts on child health.Impact The ECHO Program unites pediatric cohorts from across the United States, allowing for investigations of compelling research questions that were previously infeasible due to limited sample sizes or lack of participant diversity.The focus of the ECHO Program on team science, solution-oriented research, and methodological innovation propels novel scientific investigations that are responsive to the needs of a wide range of stakeholders.Features of the ECHO program’s infrastructure poise its investigators to rapidly launch research endeavors that are responsive to time-sensitive and critical needs within the realm of pediatric research.

Gentrification, Urban Interventions and Equity (GENUINE): A map-based gentrification tool for Canadian metropolitan areas.

Researchers, policy makers, and urban planners require tools to better understand the complex relationship between gentrification and health. The Gentrification, Urban Interventions and Equity (GENUINE) tool is an open-access, map-based tool that allows users to explore measures of gentrification for Canadian cities and incorporate them into their work. The phenomenon of gentrification has manifested differently across cities. The GENUINE tool was developed to include four distinct gentrification measures that have been used in the United States and Canada and that rely on different combinations of change in census indicators related to income, housing, occupation, education and age. The measures were computed for all census tracts within the 36 Canadian census metropolitan areas to identify gentrifiable areas in 2006 and those that gentrified between 2006 and 2016. Depending on the measure, by 2016, 2% to 20% of census tracts had experienced gentrification, corresponding to between 2% (418,065 people) and 17% (4,266,434) of the Canadian population living in gentrified areas. Generally, metropolitan areas with populations over 1 million people had a greater proportion of their population living in gentrified areas (2% to 18%) compared with metropolitan areas with fewer than 250,000 residents (1% to 14%). With attention on healthy cities only expanding, GENUINE provides pan-Canadian indicators of gentrification, which can be an integral part of solution-oriented research and advancing cities toward designing healthy and equitable communities.