Understanding Sexual Consent Among Adolescents: Protocol for a Scoping Review

Background: Sexual consent remains one of the most important tools in the prevention of sexual violence, for which adolescents are an especially vulnerable group. However, it is unclear how sexual consent processes are defined and used by this population. To bridge this gap in knowledge, we present a protocol for a forthcoming scoping review that will identify and synthesize the available empirical research findings on sexual consent conceptualizations and processes among adolescents. Methods/Design: Using the framework by Arksey and O’Malley (2005), a systematic search of six academic databases (Education Source, ERIC, Gender Studies Database, PsycINFO, Social Services Abstracts, and Sociological Abstracts) will be conducted; this range has been selected due to the multi-disciplinary nature of sexual consent research. Following two levels of screening, data from the full-text articles will be charted and subjected to qualitative thematic analysis. Discussion: These collated results will provide a map of key concepts and establish gaps in the extant literature in order to guide future research on this topic. The findings will advance our knowledge of sexual consent as it is understood by the adolescent population; they may also inform the content and delivery of sexual education programs to ensure that they are relevant to their target audience and assist in the prevention of sexual violence

Resilient and Sustainable Water Infrastructure: A Systematic Literature Review Protocol

Background: Lifeline critical infrastructures are pivotal for the uninterrupted flow of goods and services that are crucial to the functioning of society (Singh, 2021). This review will be the second in a series of four systematic literature reviews examining the resilience and sustainability of critical lifeline infrastructures in Australia, with a focus on the state of Tasmania. The first SLR examined energy infrastructure. The recent passing of the 2021 Security Legislation Amendment (Critical Infrastructure) Bill in Australia, coupled with the lack of a governing document at the state level in Tasmania, necessitates a review to uncover the governance settings, which will aide in increasing the resilience and sustainability of water infrastructures, contributing to broader critical lifeline infrastructure resilience, in Tasmania. Methods/Design: Following the 2015 PRISMA-P (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic review and Meta-Analysis Protocols), the review focuses on scholarly sources that address the governance of water infrastructures. In addition to governance settings, secondary evidence is sought regarding interruptions to water infrastructures; policy problems and solutions; and resilience and sustainability definitions. Discussion: Findings from this review will contribute to a comprehensive understanding of how the resilience and sustainability of water infrastructures may be enhanced via deeper knowledge of their governance settings. This research is directed at Tasmanian policy-makers, practitioners, industry specialists, and researchers to inform and enhance their decision-making on this important topic

The Use of Synchronous Videoconference in Bipolar Patients: A Novel Study on Therapist Mentalization Capacity, Therapeutic Process, and Efficacy within Videoconferencing Psychotherapy (VCP) Intervention Context

Background: A considerable literature has developed around demonstrating the clinical relevance of mentalizing as a construct. However, much of the emphasis has been on patients’ deficits rather than therapist’s abilities. Although it may be the case that therapist’s mentalization capacity can facilitate better outcomes in psychotherapy, there is a dearth of empirical evidence concerning the impact mentalization has on therapist competencies in psychotherapy and the implications of this in clinical practice dyads. Methods/Design: A pilot study will use an integrated design. A longitudinal case series alongside a qualitative grounded theory approach will be utilized to develop a context-specific, grounded micro theory model of therapeutic alliance rupture and resolution during online psychotherapy with patients with bipolar disorder. 10 dyads of therapists and patients will be assessed by pre-and post-session outcome ratings, as well as baseline and post-therapy performance ratings during the four-month intervention period. In addition, semi-structured grounded theory interviews will be conducted with participants to gain a deeper understanding of their experiences during the therapeutic process. Discussion: New research findings on videoconferencing-enabled clinical interventions have been needed since the COVID-19 pandemic began. According to an assessment of the available evidence, little is known about psychotherapy, and significant gaps remain. This paper describes a protocol of a pilot aimed to capture the explicit and implicit knowledge that emerge from therapists and patients during the therapeutic process in order to investigate the complex process of therapeutic interaction beyond “outcome effects”

Breast Cancer Survivorship Experiences: Protocol for a Retrospective Cohort Study Based on Hospital Based Cancer Registry of a Tertiary Cancer Centre in Northern Kerala

Background: With advancement in early detection and treatment number of breast cancer survivors are on the rise. Long term survivors have in addition to medical problems related to treatment, psychological distress and challenges related to body image, sexuality and stigma. The survivorship issues related to breast cancer are largely under studied in India. Methods/Design: This is a retrospective cohort study of breast cancer survivors from 2016 Hospital-Based Cancer Registry (HBCR) of a Tertiary Cancer Centre (TCC). Baseline data will be collected from registry. Quantitative data on present status and issues of survivors will be done by a cross sectional survey. In depth interviews will be done to explore the challenges of survivors and lived experiences of the co- survivors. Documents about cancer will also be reviewed to find out existing guidelines on breast cancer control. Discussion: Understanding survivorship experiences will help to improve their quality of life and guide health workers and caregivers in providing the much-needed supportive care in their journey throughout the disease. &nbsp

Moral Stress and Moral Agency in Swedish Eldercare: A Study Protocol on a Participatory Action Research Project

Background: Ageing population, high levels of sick leave among eldercare personnel and financial constraints on municipal budgets impact eldercare. Daily care work is complex and ethical dilemmas are constantly present for eldercare personnel. This project aims to a) identify situations that give rise to moral stress, b) study the relationship between moral stress and moral agency c) explore how moral agency can be fostered in eldercare. The argument underpinning this research project is that ethical dilemmas in the work cause moral stress among staff in eldercare. While much research on moral stress highlights the connection between moral stress and negative effects on health and wellbeing, our focus is on the possible connection between moral stress and moral agency. Moral agency encompasses cognitive capacity, feelings, skills, and actions. Methods/Design: This project has a systemic approach to eldercare and interprets eldercare as an advanced system where a range of different skills is required. Participatory action research (PAR) will be used as an overall methodology. Focus-groups and research circles will be conducted with care workers, first line manages and needs assessors.  Discussion: An ongoing discussion on relevant knowledge production in research, stresses the importance of participation. This is expressed by concepts such as deliberative democracy, user participation, empowerment, collaboration, follow-up research and citizen dialogue. In our research project we refer to robust knowledge as relevant knowledge that is valid in the eyes of care workers, care municipal needs assessors and first line managers. As the research is performed in collaboration with these three vocational groups, local politicians, and trade unions in three municipalities as well as two educational settings, different sorts of knowledge will be present. This unique stand will show how moral agency, as a response to moral stress, can be the ground for social changes and improve quality of care

Aging in the Right Place: Building Capacity for Promising Practices that Support Older People Experiencing Homelessness in Montreal, Calgary, and Vancouver

Background: This project builds upon a pilot study that documented innovative shelter/housing solutions that have not undergone rigorous evaluation but hold the promise of supporting “aging in the right place” for older persons (50+) with experiences of homelessness (OPEH) in Montreal, Calgary, and Vancouver. “Aging in the right place” means older adults remain in their homes and communities supported by housing, health, social services responsive to their unique lifestyles and needs. While our pilot study identified innovative shelter/housing solutions that support OPEH to establish and maintain a home and work towards aging in the right place, there remains a knowledge gap regarding what works, why it works, and for whom it works. Methods/Design: Through a community-based participatory research approach, we will conduct evaluations of 11 different promising shelter/housing practices to determine the types of practices that appear most useful in supporting aging in the right place, and the groups of OPEH for whom the promising practices work based on intersections of risk (e.g., age, gender, sexual orientation, race/ethnicity, disability, Indigenous status, and immigrant status). Our overall goal is to improve the shelter/housing options to meet the unique and complex health and social needs of OPEH across Canada. Discussion: Program evaluations will offer practice-based evidence of ways in which promising practices of shelter/housing might serve as best practices for supporting OPEH to establish and maintain a home and work towards aging in the right place. Project findings will inform housing, homelessness, health, and social service providers’ design and delivery of programs for OPEH to improve the sustainability of community housing, build provider capacity, and ensure supports that promote aging in the right place are sustained

Study Protocol: Cannabis in the Closet? Older Persons\u27 Perceptions of Stigma and their Influence on Use and Access to Medicinal Cannabis

Background: Cannabis has been used for medicinal purposes for millennia. Stigma associated with cannabis use may influence older persons access to cannabis, information seeking about cannabis, and/or use of cannabis. Scant research has sought to examine the impact of older persons’ perceptions of stigma on the ways they learn about and use medicinal cannabis, with important implications for their health. Methods/Design: In this qualitative descriptive study, we will seek older persons’ information needs and challenges accessing cannabis from older persons and professionals who work in the cannabis industry. Using open ended questions, we will survey and interview older persons who use cannabis or are considering using it about their perceptions of stigma, information seeking, choice of cannabis product, and preferred vendor. Professionals who work with cannabis will be interviewed for their experiences with older persons seeking information about and access to cannabis. Discussion: Findings will identify what information related to medicinal cannabis use older Canadians most urgently need, shed light on any stigma they fear and/or experience when searching for such information, and inform the development of information products and knowledge mobilization strategies tailored to older Canadians’ knowledge needs.&nbsp

Social Outcomes Contracting (SOC) in Social Programmes and Public Services: A Mixed-Methods Systematic Review Protocol

Background: Across a range of policy areas and geographies, governments and philanthropists are increasingly looking to adopt a social outcomes contracting (SOC) approach. Under this model, an agreement is made that a provider of services must achieve specific, measurable social and/or environmental outcomes and payments are only made when these outcomes have been achieved. Despite this growing interest, there is currently a paucity of evidence in relation to the tangible improvement in outcomes associated with the implementation of these approaches. Although promising, evidence suggests that there are risks (especially around managing perverse incentives).[1] The growing interest in SOC has been accompanied by research of specific programmes, policy domains or geographies, but there has not been a systematic attempt to synthetise this emerging evidence. To address this gap, this systematic review aims to surface the best evidence on when and where effects have been associated with SOC.  Methods: This mixed-methods systematic review protocol has been prepared using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Protocol (PRISMA-P) guidelines (Additional File 2) (Shamseer et al., 2010). The review aims to consult policymakers throughout the evidence synthesis process, by adopting a user-involved research process. This will include the establishment and involvement of a Policy Advisory Group (PAG). The PAG will consist of a large, diverse, international group of policy makers who are or have been actively involved in funding and shaping social outcomes contracts (Additional File 3). The following electronic databases will be searched: ABI/INFORM Global, Applied Social Sciences Index & Abstracts (ASSIA), Scopus, International Bibliography of the Social Sciences (IBSS), PAIS Index, PolicyFile Index, Proquest Dissertations and Theses, ProQuest Social Science, Social Services Abstracts, Web of Science, Worldwide Political Science Abstracts and PsycINFO. We will also conduct a comprehensive search of grey literature sources. Studies will be imported into Covidence and screened (after de-duplication) independently by two reviewers, using explicit inclusion/exclusion criteria. We will conduct risk of bias and quality assessment using recommended tools and we will extract data using a pre-piloted, standardised data extraction form. If meta-synthesis cannot be conducted for the effectiveness component, we will carry out a descriptive narrative synthesis of the quantitative evidence, categorised by type of intervention, type of outcome/s, population characteristics and/or policy sector. The qualitative studies will be synthesised using thematic content analysis (Thomas and Harden 2008). If possible, we will also analyse the available economic data to understand the costs and benefits associated with SOC. Finally, we will conduct a cross-study synthesis, which will involve bringing together the findings from the effectiveness review, economic review and qualitative review. We recognise that the proposed conventional effectiveness review method may lead to inconclusive or partial findings given the complexity of the intervention, the likely degree of heterogeneity and the under-developed evidence base. We see a traditional systematic review as an important foundation to describe the evidence landscape. We will use this formal review as a starting point and then explore more contextually rooted review work in future. Discussion: We will use the systematic review findings to produce accessible and reliable empirical insights on whether, when, and where (and if possible, how) SOC approaches deliver improved impact when compared to more conventional funding arrangements. The outputs will support policymakers to make informed decisions in relation to commissioning and funding approaches. Systematic   review   registration: This   systematic review was registered with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO), on 20th November 2020 and was last updated on 21 January 2021: (registration number PROSPERO CRD42020215207). [1] A perverse incentive in an outcomes-based contract is an incentive that has unintended and undesirable results. For instance, a poorly designed welfare-to-work scheme could create incentives for service providers to prioritise clients who are easier to help and to ‘park’ those who are harder to assist (NAO 2015)

Protocol of Explanatory Study on Social, Economic and Political Dimensions of Nutritional Status of Children Aged Six to Sixty Months from Low Socio-Economic Strata in Kerala, India

Background: Despite having better human development indicators, one-fifth of under-five children in Kerala are undernourished. The demographic, socio-economic, cultural and political transition in Kerala necessitates a revisit on the causes of undernutrition among children given that it tackled many of the immediate causes of undernutrition. The present study aims at the multi-dimensional factors\u27 influence on nutritional status of children from low socio-economic strata in Kerala. Methods/Design: The conceptual framework for the present study adapted the ecosocial theory by Nancy Krieger. We use an explanatory study design, by adopting both quantitative and qualitative methods. The sample size for the quantitative phase is 600 children of age six to 60 months and their mothers. The qualitative phase includes in-depth interviews with key informants. The data collection tools include weighing scale and stadiometer for taking anthropometric measurements, household survey questionnaire, interview schedule for mothers, interview guide for key informants, field diary and checklist for document analysis. Discussion: Contextual evidence that the study generates will have implications at individual, service provision and policy perspectives of undernutrition among children in Kerala. It will help improve the nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive policies and programs in Kerala, which in turn will improve the nutritional status of the children

Protocol for a Scoping Review of Research Practices in the Investigation of Bilingual Effects on Inhibition and Attentional Function in Young People

Background: While there is evidence in support of a bilingual advantage in executive function in children and adults, little work supports these effects in young people. This lack of support may result as consequence of a developmental ceiling effect on task performance in this age group. An alternative explanation can be found in the treatment of bilingualism as a categorical variable, and the use of exclusively fixed-effects methods of analysis. These methods treat bilinguals as a homogenous group, ignoring nontrivial differences between participants, and may contribute to this lack of evidence. This scoping review aims is to identify and summarize research practices in the investigation of bilingual effects in inhibition and attentional function in young people. Methods: The proposed scoping review will follow the five-stage framework proposed by Arksey and O’Malley (2005). Searches will be conducted across five databases using inclusive search strings. Study selection will follow the guidance of the PRISMA-ScR checklist. This review will include both published and unpublished work. A standardized data extraction spreadsheet will be used and data will be presented in tabular and graphic format in alignment with the objectives of the review. Discussion: This review aims to provide a current understanding of research practices in the investigation of bilingual effects in young people as well as identify gaps in the literature. This review may also draw attention to methodological trends in the current literature that limit the conclusions researchers can draw