Health literacy: Reducing inequalities in healthcare access through improving the readability of healthcare material in the Northeast of England-a qualitative evaluation

Objectives Lower health literacy increases the risk of chronic illness, premature mortality, and health-harming behaviours. Leading to higher healthcare utilisation and lower preventive care participation. Many adults in England read at a 9–11-year level making most healthcare materials inaccessible. This study aimed to assess an intervention modifying healthcare materials’ readability in a hospital trust in North-East England by evaluating patient and staff perspectives. Study design Guided by the Theoretical Framework of Acceptability, a qualitative design evaluated modified patient leaflets for routine outpatient clinics, adjusted to a reading age of 9–11 years to align with the national average. Stakeholder perspectives on modified and unmodified materials were explored. Methods Twenty-five participants (six males, 19 females; aged 18–60, including 12 healthcare providers and 13 service users) with varying health literacy were recruited from four medical specialties in a single hospital trust in the northeast of England. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and analysed using Framework method. Results Participants preferred the modified materials for their clarity. Simpler language was perceived as reducing stigma and increasing confidence to engage with healthcare professionals. Service users felt empowered to manage their health, as revised materials were easier to understand. Healthcare providers valued improved readability, anticipating enhanced patient engagement and reduced misunderstandings. Participants emphasised the ethical imperative for accessible healthcare information to reduce inequalities. Conclusions Improving readability is welcomed and necessary to reduce structural inequalities. As disparities persist, ensuring accessible healthcare information could be a cost-effective scalable strategy. Further research should assess effectiveness on health outcomes

Enhancing organizational outcomes through task-oriented leadership: the mediating role of perceived organizational support in the logistics sector Available to Purchase SECTOR

Purpose: The research purpose is to examine the effect of task-oriented leadership on perceived organizational support, work motivation and organizational performance in the logistics industry. Additionally, the mediating role of perceived organizational support in the relationship between task-oriented leadership and work motivation and organizational performance variables is investigated. Design/methodology/approach: In the research, factor analysis, PLS-SEM Path analysis and mediation effect analysis are carried out on the data collected from 346 white-collar (expert) employees working in logistics companies by using the Smart PLS 3.2 program. Findings: The analysis results reveal that task-oriented leadership positively affects perceived organizational support, work motivation and organizational performance. Additionally, perceived organizational support significantly mediates the relationship between task-oriented leadership and both work motivation and organizational performance. Theoretical implications: The research provides empirical evidence supporting the positive effects of task-oriented leadership on perceived organizational support, work motivation and organizational performance. The research develops the Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) theory (Graen and Uhl-Bien, 1995) and Self-Determination Theory (SDT) (Deci and Ryan, 2000), and provides strong empirical validation for the Social Exchange Theory (SET) (Blau, 2017; Eisenberger et al., 1986) by confirming the mediating role of Perceived Organizational Support (POS). The research extends the application of LMX, SDT and SET by empirically demonstrating TOL influence on employees attitudes and performance through POS. Practical implications: Findings show that companies in the logistics sector should adopt task-oriented leadership practices to improve employees' perception of organizational support, which in turn increases work motivation and organizational performance. Additionally, the importance of leadership development programs that focus on task-oriented strategies to foster a supportive work environment is emphasized. Originality/value: The research is one of the few researches examination the mediating role of perceived organizational support in the logistics industry and provides new insights into how leadership styles can affect employee motivation and organizational outcomes. Research limitations/implications: The fact that the research is limited to the logistics sector and white-collar employees may affect the generalizability of the findings. Future research may expand the scope to include other industries and employee categories to confirm and extend current findings

The Role of Gerotranscendence Theory and Physical, Psychological, and Social Determinants in Predicting Life Satisfaction: A Structural Equation Modeling Analysis

Background: (1) Objective: This study aimed to develop and evaluate a structural model of life satisfaction in older adults, integrating the World Health Organization’s biopsychosocial determinants and the theory of gerotranscendence to provide a more holistic understanding of the aging experience. (2) Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 600 older adults (≥60 years) residing in Tehran, selected through proportional random sampling. Data was collected via validated instruments assessing demographic factors, physical and mental health, social support, environmental condition quality, and gerotranscendence. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) using AMOS 24 and hierarchical regression were employed for data analysis. (3) Results: The findings revealed that physical health, mental health, social support, environmental conditions, and gerotranscendence were all significantly associated with life satisfaction (p < 0.01). Hierarchical regression analysis showed that gerotranscendence remained an independent and significant predictor of life satisfaction, even after accounting for other variables. The final model explained approximately 39% of the variance in life satisfaction and demonstrated good fit indices (RMSEA = 0.051, CMIN/DF = 2.545, PCLOSE = 0.272, GFI = 0.815). (4) Conclusion: The proposed model offers a comprehensive framework for understanding life satisfaction in older adults, highlighting the unique contribution of gerotranscendence. These findings highlight the importance of integrated interventions that enhance physical and mental health, promote social and environmental well-being, and foster spiritual growth. Future research should consider longitudinal and mixed-method designs to further explore causal relationships and cultural contexts. Keywords: gerotranscendence theory; life satisfaction; social determinant; psychological determinant; physical determinan

A Non-Invasive Blood Pressure Estimation Method Based on Mamba-UNet and PPG Signals

Abstract—Continuous blood pressure monitoring is of great significance for the early diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases. To address the limitations of current machine learning and deep learning-based blood pressure (BP) prediction methods, which rely on manual feature extraction and struggle to reconstruct complete BP waveforms, this paper employs a continuous noninvasive arterial BP detection model named Mamba-UNet based on photoplethysmography (PPG) signals. The model deeply integrates the selective state space model (Selective SSM) with the U-Net architecture, achieving direct mapping from PPG signals to arterial blood pressure (ABP) waveforms through end-to-end modeling. In the encoder, the MambaConvBlock module captures long-term temporal dependencies and individual vascular characteristics of PPG signals by dynamically adjusting parameters (Δ, B, C). The decoder employs a hybrid Mamba-convolution structure, combining the global dynamic modeling capability of SSM with the local feature extraction ability of convolution to accurately reconstruct BP waveform details. The model design balances the multi-scale feature integration advantages of U-Net with the efficient long-sequence processing capability of Mamba. Evaluated on the Sensors dataset (derived from MIMIC-III, containing 1,131 ICU patient records), Mamba-UNet achieved a mean absolute error (MAE) of 6.06 mmHg for diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and 13.11 mmHg for systolic blood pressure (SBP), outperforming models such as MLP, ResNet, and U-Net. Index Terms—Arterial blood pressure (ABP), photoplethysmography (PPG), Mamba, U-Net, non-invasive

4-007 Understanding the experience of patients with implantable loop recorders: a scoping review

Published conference abstrac

Exploring the Energy Consumption and Carbon Emissions Nexus in Nigeria

This study investigates the intricate nexus between energy consumption and environmental quality in Nigeria, a country that is highly vulnerable to climate change. Focusing on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly goal 13 climate action, this study examined the effect of diverse fossil fuel sources on environmental quality measured by CO2 emissions. By unbundling the diverse energy sources and assessing their individual and interactive influence from 1990 to 2023 using the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) framework, this study provides a nuanced understanding of the impact of diverse energy sources on carbon emissions. By applying the EKC framework, this study aims to determine whether the nexus between economic growth and environmental degradation in Nigeria follows a hypothesized inverted U-shape. Using the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model, this study contributes to the extant literature by exploring both the long- and short-run linkages between energy consumption and CO2 emissions and analyzing the ripple effects across diverse economic sectors. The findings reveal a complex link between energy consumption, economic growth, and CO2 emissions, which is consistent with the EKC hypothesis. Energy consumption stimulates economic growth and significantly influences emissions from transportation, industrial activities, urbanization, and residential/commercial services in Nigeria. This study concludes with actionable policy recommendations emphasizing the transition to green energy, stringent emission regulations, and investment in public transportation infrastructure to mitigate CO2 emissions and enhance environmental quality. These insights can assist policymakers in formulating targeted interventions for sustainable growth and ecological sustainability

The Rise of the Victorian Asylum

Historically before the rise of the asylum system in the UK, terms such as ‘madness’ and ‘lunacy’ were used to refer to people with mental health issues. At this time there was minimal consideration for the appropriate treatment needed to support these individuals. The asylum system was initiated as a safe space for people with mental health conditions, but quickly became a system of vastly oppressive institutions. Thus, creating institutions that housed people with significant mental health conditions as opposed to treating and curing them as it has originally proposed to do. This chapter will contextualise changes to legislation throughout the 18th and 19th centuries that were posed as progressive moves in mental health treatment. But that led to a continuation of the construction of ‘dangerousness’ in people with mental health illnesses. This will be demonstrated through the consideration of the long-standing effects that legislation, such as the Poor Law Amendment Act, held over the use of segregation for people with significant mental health conditions in the asylum system. This chapter will conclude by exploring the medicalization of the asylum system that led to the emergence of medical hospitals in the 20th century

Regaining the trust of communities: What we can share from the return of Neighbourhood Policing to England and Wales

Commentar

Factors affecting the well-being of patients with thyroid cancer: results of a UK qualitative study

Objectives: The study sought to understand the experiences of patients with thyroid cancer (TC) from their own perspective and to identify the factors that affected their well-being. Design: This was a qualitative study based on semistructured interviews that collected both prospective and retrospective longitudinal data. Setting: Patients were initially recruited from one National Health Service (NHS) Trust and from the contact list of a TC charity. Participants: 25 participants took part in the study: 22 female and 3 male. The inclusion criteria were: (1) adults over 18 years of age; (2) patients diagnosed with papillary or follicular TC within 5 years of diagnosis and (3) patients able to give informed consent. The exclusion criteria were: (1) diagnosis of anaplastic TC; (2) diagnosis of terminal TC with a short life span prediction and (3) codiagnosis of another condition in addition to TC. Results: Patients’ psychological health, physical health, relationships, employment and finances are all likely to be affected by the diagnosis and treatment of TC. Negative factors that affect the overall experience can include a lack of compassion from healthcare professionals, as well as physical side effects after surgery and during recovery. Isolation and loneliness can be significant at many stages, most frequently during treatment with radioactive iodine. Anxiety and fear were widespread among participants. Conclusions: The experiences of TC patients can be challenging, with well-being influenced by treatment effects, psychological distress and the quality of support available. These findings suggest that enhanced patient education, emotional support and follow-up care may help improve well-being, although further research is needed to explore how best to implement such approaches