Advocacy Tool Research Articles

Development and validation of a novel index to assess the perceived impact of sports-related oro-dental trauma among adolescents: findings from Sri Lanka

BackgroundSports-related oro- dental trauma, such as tooth fracture, displacement, mobility, and avulsion, cause significant concern among adolescent players due to detrimental impacts. The current study aims to develop, validate and assess the reliability of a simple index as a questionnaire to assess the impact of sports-related oro-dental trauma both untreated and treated, among adolescent school children in Sri Lanka.MethodsAODTII, an adolescent oro-dental trauma impact index, was developed and validated using a mixed-method approach. Items for the index were generated by quantitative as well as qualitative analysis of the results from Oral Health-Related Quality of Life Questionnaires, personnel interviews with experts and focus group discussions with adolescents. Principal component analysis and Exploratory factor analysis were used to create the index. The index was validated in the Sinhala language, and the reliability of the index was assessed using a separate sample in the school context in the Colombo district.ResultsThe initial list of 28 items was reduced to 12 by the Principal Component Analysis. Exploratory Factor Analysis categorised the variables into four latent constructs; physical impact, psychosocial effect influenced by peer pressure, the impact of oral health care and the impact caused due to unmet dental trauma treatment need. The cut-off values of the AODTII were based on PCA. The index achieved the Content Validity Ratio of 88.33. The construct validity was assessed with confirmatory factor analysis by developing a structural equation model. It obtained good model fit indices of RMSEA value of 0.067, SRMR of 0.076, CFI of 0.911 and the Goodness of Fit index of 0.95. The homogeneity was ensured with convergent and discriminant validity. The Cronbach's alpha value was 0.768, ensuring reliability. The index assesses the level of impact due to oro- dental trauma and identifies whether the adolescents perceive it significantly or not.ConclusionTwelve-item AODTII emerged as a reliable and valid tool to assess the perceived impact of untreated and treated sports-related oro- dental trauma on Sri Lankan adolescents with implications for its use in other populations. Further research is required to improve the translational value of AODTII. Moreover, the tool is potential as a patient-centred communication tool, clinical adjunct, advocacy tool and a useful OHRQoL index. However, it is needed to be supported end-users’ feedback.

“I Have Fought for so Many Things”: Disadvantaged families’ Efforts to Obtain Community-Based Services for Their Child after Genomic Sequencing

Background Families whose child has unexplained intellectual or developmental differences often hope that a genetic diagnosis will lower barriers to community-based therapeutic and support services. However, there is little known about efforts to mobilize genetic information outside the clinic or how socioeconomic disadvantage shapes and constrains outcomes. Methods We conducted an ethnographic study with predominantly socioeconomically disadvantaged families enrolled in a multi-year genomics research study, including clinic observations and in-depth interviews in English and Spanish at multiple time points. Coding and thematic development were used to collaboratively interpret fieldnotes and transcripts. Results Thirty-two families participated. Themes included familial expectations that a genetic diagnosis could be translated into information, understanding, and assistance to improve the quality of a child’s day-to-day life. After sequencing, however, genetic information was not readily converted into improved access to services beyond the clinic, with families often struggling to use a genetic diagnosis to advocate for their child. Conclusion Families’ ability to use a genetic diagnosis as an effective advocacy tool beyond the clinic was limited by the knowledge and resources available to them, and by the eligibility criteria used by therapeutic service providers’ – which focused on clinical diagnosis and functional criteria more than etiologic information. All families undertaking genomic testing, particularly those who are disadvantaged, need additional support to understand the limits and potential benefits of genetic information beyond the clinic.

Role of Media in Coverage and Reporting of Child Abuse Cases

Child abuse is arguably one of the most debated publics/social policy areas. Thus, the need for systematic data is not only for recognizing child protection issues but also for formulating and implementing policy responses and practices in Pakistan. This study aims to analyze the role of the media in the research and reporting of child abuse cases. The method used in this study is to use media framing theory to conduct quantitative investigations using content analysis. Media coverage of child abuse can help communities understand issues around child abuse and neglect and interact constructively with children's rights. Using media as a reporting, representation, and advocacy tool will increase public knowledge about perpetrators and aid in preventing child abuse. However, there are shortcomings in structures and institutions that can cause children suffering. It needs cooperation from government agencies and civil society to improve child protection from maltreatment and carelessness. Therefore, the role of the media as a component of a more extensive system designed to protect children is crucial. Child sexual abuse can be reduced in the country by enacting strong anti-child sexual abuse laws. By affirming the country's commitment, providing legal protection, increasing public awareness, increasing the effectiveness of law enforcement. With clear laws in place, police and the justice system can act on child sexual abuse cases more quickly and decisively. This can provide a deterrent effect to perpetrators and prevent similar crimes in the future.

Economic Literacy as a Tool for Advocacy

ABSTRACT Learning about how economic well-being—or the lack of well-being—shapes peoples’ lives can enhance social work students’ and professionals’ efforts to “champion social progress powered by science,” a stated aim of the Grand Challenges for Social Work. Yet social work and economics have pursued divergent paths since the late 20th century, inhibiting productive collaboration. Modern, pluralist approaches to economic literacy can restart cross-disciplinary conversations by: (a) encompassing a broad range of economic activity, including nonprofits, household production, and community engagement; (b) framing well-being as the goal of economic institutions; and (c) highlighting economic policy controversies. This article illustrates how this approach informs two Grand Challenges: (a) Reduce extreme economic inequality; and (b) Create social responses to a changing environment.

The global fatty liver disease Sustainable Development Goal country score for 195 countries and territories.

Fatty liver disease is highly prevalent, resulting in overarching wellbeing and economic costs. Addressing it requires comprehensive and coordinated multisectoral action. We developed a fatty liver disease Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) country score to provide insights into country-level preparedness to address fatty liver disease through a whole-of-society lens. We developed 2 fatty liver disease-SDG score sets. The first included 6 indicators (child wasting, child overweight, noncommunicable disease mortality, a universal health coverage service coverage index, health worker density, and education attainment), covering 195 countries and territories between 1990 and 2017. The second included the aforementioned indicators plus an urban green space indicator, covering 60 countries and territories for which 2017 data were available. To develop the fatty liver disease-SDG score, indicators were categorized as "positive" or "negative" and scaled from 0 to 100. Higher scores indicate better preparedness levels. Fatty liver disease-SDG scores varied between countries and territories (n = 195), from 14.6 (95% uncertainty interval: 8.9 to 19.4) in Niger to 93.5 (91.6 to 95.3) in Japan; 18 countries and territories scored > 85. Regionally, the high-income super-region had the highest score at 88.8 (87.3 to 90.1) in 2017, whereas south Asia had the lowest score at 44.1 (42.4 to 45.8). Between 1990 and 2017, the fatty liver disease-SDG score increased in all super-regions, with the greatest increase in south Asia, but decreased in 8 countries and territories. The fatty liver disease-SDG score provides a strategic advocacy tool at the national and global levels for the liver health field and noncommunicable disease advocates, highlighting the multisectoral collaborations needed to address fatty liver disease, and noncommunicable diseases overall.

Using multimedia technology to enhance self‐advocacy of people with intellectual disabilities: Introducing a theoretical framework for ‘Multimedia Advocacy’

Multimedia Advocacy is the use of digital technology for people with intellectual disabilities as means of developing identities, being heard, connecting to family and care networks and, advocating for change. We explore principles and theories that underpin Multimedia Advocacy, mapping disciplinary approaches that have influenced the concept and praxis. We describe relevant theories from cultural and media studies, personal therapeutic practices, communication, universal design, and systemic adoption of technology. We discuss new ways of achieving person-centred working with digital technology. We aim to develop a stronger theory/practice dialogue between these disciplines. The theories described highlight the importance of embedding access and use of digital technology within everyday settings. Long-term implementation plans and buy-in from all organisational levels are required for Multimedia Advocacy tools to be embraced by health and social care systems so the voice of an individual is included and genuine person-centred practice is achieved.

Advocacy of violence against women through the implementation of cyber public relations at the Rifka Annisa women's Crisis Center

This research examines the implementation of Cyber Public Relations at the Rifka Annisa Women's Crisis Center (Rifka Annisa WCC) in advocating public awareness of violence against women. This study aims to identify the obstacles Rifka Annisa WCC faces in managing Cyber Public Relations activities, analyze how they address those obstacles, and examine the impact of Cyber Public Relations implementation on advocacy of violence against women.. This research employs a qualitative case study method through observation and in-depth interviews with Rifka Annisa WCC's media officer. The study objectives are presented using the concepts of Cyber Public Relations and Social Media. The study results found that the lack of human resources in managing social media hindered Rifka Annisa WCC in optimizing Cyber Public Relations activities to advocates public awareness. To address this obstacle, Rifka Annisa WCC focuses on using Instagram as an online advocacy tool. Furthermore, the application of Cyber Public Relations in Rifka Annisa WCC's advocacy activities had a significant impact on aspects of community literacy regarding the discourse on violence against women, as well as changes in the behavior of victims of violence and the larger community in responding to violence against women.

“We are only to Appear to be Fighting Corruption…We can’t even Bite”: online memetic anti-corruption discourse in the Ghanaian media

Abstract Purpose The goal of this study is to explore how memes are used as tools to expose and shame corruption in Ghana. The Ghanaian media has used memes to criticize unhealthy governmental and social practices and advocated for alternative approaches to addressing these issues. Thus, we explore the qualities memes possess in contributing to the anti-corruption discourse in Ghana. Methods Using visual rhetoric and metaphorical analysis of five media memes purposively collected from the Facebook page of Tilapia Da Cartoonist of TV3, this study discusses the approaches memes employ to ridicule and humorize the fight against corruption in Ghana and suggests remediations for governmental corruption. Results We find that memes play crucial anti-corruption roles. As such, they criticize corruption by showing the impact of corruption on the average citizen. Memes reveal the suppression of anti-corruption agents and agencies and the lack of real commitment to the fight against corruption in Ghana. While memes expose and criticize corruption, they also provide utilitarian approaches to addressing corruption. Central to this study, the research finds that humor is a basic feature of memes. However, within the Ghanaian media context, the humor in a meme does not affect the seriousness of the message a meme conveys. Practical implications Memes can be used strategically as an advocacy tool and a good complement to daily news reports. Social implications Media memes could be used as active media tools to produce, reproduce, distribute, and enhance complex socio-political narratives in society. This may have social and political implications for society. Originality This is the first study to explore memes as an anti-corruption media text. It is also the first study to examine the impact of humor on the message a meme conveys. This is done through a qualitative interpretation of the memes. Limitations and recommendations are provided.

Activists in international courts: Backlash, funding, and strategy in international legal mobilization

Activists in international courts: Backlash, funding, and strategy in international legal mobilization

Age Management for the Common Good

AbstractIn the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and amid the present reconfiguring of corporate purpose, there is an opportunity to realign actions focused on prolonging working lives. We put forward a transformative agenda concerned with workforce ageing that aligns with contemporary expectations regarding sustainability, inequality, and emerging conceptualisations of management. In this article, the new concept of Common Good human resource management (HRM) is utilised as a potential means of encouraging business responses focused on grand challenges such as population ageing. We suggest how these principles might be applied to the issue of managing age in workplaces, to recast debate about issues of age and work, to be used as an advocacy tool encouraging employer engagement, while providing a framework that might direct organisational leadership.

Tell Us What You Really Think: Implementing a Mixed-methods Approach to Library User Assessment

This article presents an analysis of student feedback received via formal biennial survey and informal post-it notes assessment, and advocates for the use of informal assessment methods to supplement formal methodologies. A biennial satisfaction survey and an informal post-it notes assessment were employed to collect data from library users and yielded comprehensive, timely, and actionable feedback from the students, faculty, and staff. Feedback received from the two assessment methods allowed the University Library of Columbus (ULC) to gain a greater understanding of user needs and preferences which was used to improve library spaces, resources, and services to increase user satisfaction. While each method has advantages and disadvantages, combining varied assessment methods helped the ULC to gain a more holistic understanding of its users and provided a rich set of actionable data. Furthermore, student feedback is a valuable tool for library advocacy and outreach to both the university community at large and administrators.

Advancing Queer-inclusive International Human Rights Law Education in Nigerian Classrooms through Indigenous Storytelling: Stories from a Law Classroom at Eko (Lagos, Nigeria)

ABSTRACT This study grounds itself in contact theory and imagined contact theory to argue that contact and simulated/imagined contact with queerness contributes to the eradication of homophobic prejudices. Using international human rights soft law – the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights’ Resolution 275 on the protection against violence and other human rights violations against persons on the basis of their real or imputed sexual orientation or gender identity – for its persuasive effect, this study seeks to centre the importance of attitude-focused work in the advancement of queer rights as well as in the engagement with queer-inclusive soft law standards in Nigeria, and more specifically in Nigerian universities. Based on an empirical storytelling intervention conducted at the University of Lagos, this study seeks to demonstrate the potential of the joint use of indigenous storytelling and Resolution 275 as attitude-focused and empathy-driven advocacy tools for advancing queer rights in Nigeria, In doing so, the study contributes to reimagining soft law and queer rights advocacy in terms of pedagogies as well as queer Nigerian classrooms as sites for queer rights advocacy.

Civil RICO: A Tool of Advocacy

This article sets out Civil RICO as a tool of advocacy because of the broad and liberal construction of the statute. Title 18 U.S.C. Section 1964(c) is a civil statute that provides a cause of action to any person who has been injured in his business or property by reason of a violation of Section 1962. The burden of proof is by a preponderance of the evidence with a criminal mens rea.Where the plaintiff can establish a pattern of racketeering activity by an enterprise with specificity together with damages to his business or property the court is required to treble the damage award.Civil RICO is a powerful tool of advocacy that can be used by the plaintiff or as a counterclaim by the defendant.

A Student-Designed Multimodal Sex- and Gender-Based Women's Health Elective Program: Advocacy Curriculum for Medical Students.

The objective of this article is to describe the design and implementation of a multimodal, student-driven, sex- and gender-based women's health (SGBWH) elective with a curricular focus on patient and legislative advocacy. In this single arm, pre/post design, interventional study, we detail and evaluate the use of social media, newsletters, and round-table discussions in conjunction with a traditional lecture-based educational format to engage medical students in a virtual learning environment. We developed a 22-week SGBWH curriculum for pre-clinical and clinical medical students, which included a series of lectures on multi-specialty and gender-inclusive topics related to SGBWH, small group discussions with community leaders and legislators involved in women's health advocacy, and other self-directed resources such as social media, a website, and digital newsletters. Students were surveyed before and after completing the curriculum to assess for increases in self-reported confidence in advocating for their female and gender minority patients. One hundred and one students completed the anonymous pre- and post-elective surveys. There was statistically significant improvement in 8 of the 12 self-reported confidence measures. Eight (8%) participants identified their sex as male. Fifty-five (55%) participants stated future interest in primary care specialties (Internal Medicine, Family Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Pediatrics). Our curriculum improved medical students' self-reported confidence in advocating for their female and gender minority patients when controlling for sex and specialty interest of participants. The success of our multimodal approach demonstrates the value in incorporating resources such as social media as tools for education and advocacy in the evolving landscape of medical education.

Using virtual reality to implement disability studies’ advocacy principles: uncovering the perspectives of people with disability

One central aim of disability studies is to shift understandings of disability, such that disability comes to be understood as about the social disadvantage/oppression that people face when society does not cater to impairment of body/mind. Nevertheless, there remains a need for more practical tools for disability advocacy, through which to transmit disability studies’ ideas of disability to the general community. Drawing on a qualitative study of the perspectives of 23 people with physical and sensory impairments, this paper proposes virtual reality as an advocacy tool to communicate the principles and beliefs of disability studies. The findings highlight that, due to the nature of the technology, participants feel virtual reality has clear potential as a disability advocacy tool that can facilitate empathy, perspective-taking and positive social change, with a particular focus on how it is the environmental barriers and social attitudes around people that disables them. Points of interest More practical advocacy or informal education tools are needed that align with the principles of disability studies. This research conducted in-depth interviews with 23 people with physical and sensory impairments. The research finds that virtual reality has clear potential as a disability advocacy tool. The participants reported that virtual reality can facilitate empathy, perspective-taking and positive social change. The research finds that virtual reality focuses on how environmental barriers and social attitudes around people with disability disable them, rather than focusing on impairment experiences.

Finding voice in a year of collective trauma: Case study of an online photovoice project with youth.

In this article, we share findings from a qualitative case study of a virtual youth photovoice program implemented across three regions of the United States. The purpose of the program was to engage youth in research on a social issue relevant to them during an unprecedented year marked by two public health crises, COVID-19 and anti-Black racial violence. Results of an analysis of curriculum and archival program materials lend support for online strategies for youth engagement including individualized support and online audiovisual presentations with avatars. Racial justice and trauma-informed adaptations were designed to be responsive to youth needs for flexible programming and safe spaces. Themes captured in the first online gallery of youth photos include (1) tools for mental health, (2) meaningful connection, and (3) community advocacy, bringing attention to structural issues as well as family and community strengths. Findings suggest photovoice can be thoughtfully adapted for youth researchers and support individual and group storytelling in response to collective trauma.

COVID-19 in South Carolina: Experiences Using Facebook as a Self-Organizing Tool for Grassroots Advocacy, Education, and Social Support

This retrospective case study describes our experiences, processes, and lessons learned using social media for pandemic response. Our team created and maintained a large Facebook group, and we used this platform to support grassroots advocacy, public health messaging, and health equity during the COVID-19 pandemic in South Carolina. The Facebook group was initially formed to urge local and state leaders to implement a stay-at-home order, but we recognized a continued need for our virtual space. Group leaders performed tasks including data tracking/reporting and content review/approval. Initial advocacy successes included the stay-at-home order, efforts to limit transmission, and social/mental health support. As the Delta variant emerged, we posted vaccine education and access information and supported school mitigation, including a successful litigation effort that led to a mask requirement on school buses. With the Omicron variant, our group’s focus shifted to educating about immune evasion, transmissibility, and individual protection. This included updates on mask use, antigen testing, vaccine boosters, treatment, data reports, and vaccines. Throughout the pandemic, we addressed health equity, especially for those identifying as disabled. We learned that virtual communities could support each other and improve public health, even when disinformation was present and elected officials emphasized politics over science.

“I can’t see how people could walk through that exhibit and not be forever changed”: A qualitative analysis exploring the use of art in research dissemination

BackgroundArt can be a strong advocacy tool; it can be used to amplify the voices of marginalized communities and can change people’s perceptions of the world and others in it. In 2018, an art exhibit at Jefferson University included the cardboard signs of people who panhandle in Philadelphia as well as excerpts from in-depth interviews with those who panhandle to highlight their lived experiences. While the team published an article about this work, the purpose of this follow-up study is to explore the lasting impact of the exhibit experience on attendees’ perceptions of people who panhandle.MethodsFourteen attendees of the “Signs of Humanity” exhibit were interviewed 18 months later to explore their recollection of their visit and perceptions of the panhandling community. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and thematic codes were developed in two ways: a priori codes based on literature, and through line-by-line reading of transcripts.ResultsDirected content analysis showed three main areas in which the exhibit resonated with participants: emotional, behavioral, and educational resonance, in addition to a cross-cutting “sticky” theme, referring to the memorable long-term value of the exhibit.ConclusionThis study demonstrates that integrating art into the dissemination phase of research is effective in imbuing long-lasting emotional/behavioral responses in a way that is both accessible and provocative for the lay and scientific communities. This study adds to the body of evidence supporting the efficacy of art as an education tool and supports its use as a way to amplify the voices of marginalized communities.

Ask and They Will Listen: Economic Justice, Political Agency, and a Right to Health in Uganda

AbstractOver the last two decades, courts have emerged as increasingly important fields of struggle in the fight for maternal health rights. While the success of litigation has been celebrated as a sign of the strength of rights‐based platforms as advocacy tools, critics of this approach have highlighted how these cases may do little to permanently address the systemic inequality that drives poor maternal health outcomes. Such critiques highlight persistent questions regarding the efficacy of human rights to address issues of economic inequality. This article explores these tensions by examining a legal case and associated advocacy for health rights in Uganda. By drawing on Ugandan political norms that emphasize the ways rights are collective and shaped by mutual obligations, activists have helped to draw the state back into debates over resource allocation even as neoliberal reforms have worked to sideline state investment in healthcare in the region. This article explores how African cultural frameworks for political advocacy may be effective in positioning the problem of economic inequality as a human rights issue in ways Western frameworks have not been.

Queering the Book Club: Empathy Development Through Young Adult Literature in Australian Discussion Groups

Young Adult (YA) literature that focuses on the experiences of marginalized individuals and communities empowers young readers, challenges social stigma and discrimination, and supports identity formation. This article explores the impact of queer YA literature on young queer and questioning readers, with a specific focus on how it can develop empathy within its audience. We analyzed reader responses to queer representation through monthly focus groups with twenty-three queer-identifying participants. Over eight months the participants discussed pre-selected queer YA texts. We found that queer YA literature has the capacity to not only empower its readers, but to develop their capacity for empathy, challenge perceived social norms, and demonstrate the potential of literature as a tool for activism and advocacy. Showing younger readers diverse experiences within queer YA literature can support readers to see themselves reflected on the page, and challenge reductive and restrictive views about queer identities.