The Sibling Sexual Behaviour Mapping Tool (SSBMT):Supporting practitioner confidence, planning and competency when responding to sexual behaviours between siblings

ObjectivesThis paper outlines the development and initial pilot of the Sibling Sexual Behaviour Mapping Tool (SSBMT). Building on the findings of the National Project on Sibling Sexual Abuse (King-Hill, McCartan, et al., 2023) and work by Yates and Allardyce (2023), the tool was devised with the aim of supporting frontline child-protection social workers during the initial stages of working with families where sibling sexual behaviours (SSB) may be present.MethodsThis paper explores the rationale for the SSBMT design, and preliminary findings from the first phase of resource evaluation. The evaluation process comprised a small pilot with social workers across seven local authorities in the United Kingdom (UK). The pilot study sought to assess the workability and effectiveness of the SSBMT within social work practice, providing stakeholder insight prior to its launch. The study employed mixed methods to gain feedback on the SSBMT design, accessibility, ease of use and compatibility with current child protection work processes, which included training of 50 practitioners, surveys with 20 professionals and two semi-structured interviews.FindingsThe findings suggest that the SSBMT increased practitioner confidence when working with SSB, and promoted holistic, whole-family approaches in the initial stages of work with children and families affected by SSB

Building Up Geometry

Much of the text you are about to read is made up. GASP! Second, many people don’t think the subject of this story, Euclid, was a real person. GASP, again!! I happen to believe Euclid was real and did a lot of great mathematics work that is still used today. That said, there is little known about Euclid or his life. Historians who believe in Euclid speculate that he was born around 300BC in Alexandria, Egypt, was taught by Plato in Athens, Greece, and taught mathematics later in his life. His greatest works are collected in his book, Elements, a collection of geometric constructions and arguments. Whether you’re a math lover like I am or not, I hope you enjoy this story about Euclid, a magical wizard, and an exciting journey

Longitudinal changes in heart rate after participating in the Groningen Active Living Model (GALM) recreational sports programme

The aim of this study was to investigate changes in heart rate during submaximal exercise as an index of cardiovascular function in older adults participating in the Groningen Active Living Model recreational sports programme who were sedentary or underactive at baseline. A repeated measurement design was conducted; 151 participants were included, providing 398 heart rate files over a period of 18 months. Multi-level analyses were conducted; growth and final models were developed. Significant decreases in mean heart rate over time were observed for all walking speeds. The covariates of sex and body mass index (BMI) were significantly related to mean heart rate at each walking speed, except for BMI at 7 km/h. No significant relationships were observed between energy expenditure for recreational sports activities and leisure-time physical activities and mean heart rate, except for energy expenditure for leisure-time physical activities at 7 km/h. From baseline to December 2002, decreases in predicted mean heart rate were 5.5, 6.0, 10.0, and 9.0 beats/min at walking speeds of 4, 5, 6, and 7 km/h; relative decreases ranged from 5.1 to 7.4%. Significant decreases in heart rate observed during submaximal exercise reflected a potential increase in cardiovascular function after 18 months of participation in the Groningen Active Living Model recreational sports programme. DOI:10.1080/0264041090300874

Is Your Neighborhood Designed to Support Physical Activity? A Brief Streetscape Audit Tool.

INTRODUCTION:Macro level built environment factors (eg, street connectivity, walkability) are correlated with physical activity. Less studied but more modifiable microscale elements of the environment (eg, crosswalks) may also affect physical activity, but short audit measures of microscale elements are needed to promote wider use. This study evaluated the relation of a 15-item neighborhood environment audit tool with a full version of the tool to assess neighborhood design on physical activity in 4 age groups. METHODS:From the 120-item Microscale Audit of Pedestrian Streetscapes (MAPS) measure of street design, sidewalks, and street crossings, we developed the 15-item version (MAPS-Mini) on the basis of associations with physical activity and attribute modifiability. As a sample of a likely walking route, MAPS-Mini was conducted on a 0.25-mile route from participant residences toward the nearest nonresidential destination for children (n = 758), adolescents (n = 897), younger adults (n = 1,655), and older adults (n = 367). Active transportation and leisure physical activity were measured with age-appropriate surveys, and accelerometers provided objective physical activity measures. Mixed-model regressions were conducted for each MAPS item and a total environment score, adjusted for demographics, participant clustering, and macrolevel walkability. RESULTS:Total scores of MAPS-Mini and the 120-item MAPS correlated at r = .85. Total microscale environment scores were significantly related to active transportation in all age groups. Items related to active transport in 3 age groups were presence of sidewalks, curb cuts, street lights, benches, and buffer between street and sidewalk. The total score was related to leisure physical activity and accelerometer measures only in children. CONCLUSION:The MAPS-Mini environment measure is short enough to be practical for use by community groups and planning agencies and is a valid substitute for the full version that is 8 times longer

Applying Mixed-Effects Location Scale Modeling to Examine Within-Person Variability in Physical Activity Self-Efficacy

Abstract: Background: Physical activity self-efficacy is conceptualized as a construct that is changeable and responsive to contextual factors. The current study applied mixed-effects location scale modeling to examine within-person variability in physical activity self-efficacy among middle-aged and older adults (N = 14 adults, mean age = 59.4 years) who were attempting behavior change. Methods: An electronic diary was used to record self-reported self-efficacy and physical activity via Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) twice a day (2:00 pm and 9:00 pm). Data from weeks 1-6 were analyzed using a Mixed-Effects Location Scale Model in SAS PROC NLMIXED. Results: Participants differed from each other in the degree to which physical activity self-efficacy varied from day to day (p = .03). Within-person variation in self-efficacy was negatively related to levels of brisk walking each week (p = .002), and decreased over time (p = .03). Conclusions: Preliminary results suggest that fluctuations in self-efficacy may be as important for predicting short-term behavior as the overall or mean level of self-efficacy

Changes in CVD risk factors in the activity counseling trial

Primary care facilities may be a natural setting for delivering interventions that focus on behaviors that improve cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors. The purpose of this study was to examine the 24-month effects of the Activity Counseling Trial (ACT) on CVD risk factors, to examine whether changes in CVD risk factors differed according to baseline risk factor status, and to examine whether changes in fitness were associated with changes in CVD risk factors. ACT was a 24-month multicenter randomized controlled trial to increase physical activity. Participants were 874 inactive men and women aged 35–74 years. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three arms that varied by level of counseling, intensity, and resource requirements. Because there were no significant differences in change over time between arms on any of the CVD risk factors examined, all arms were combined, and the effects of time, independent of arm, were examined separately for men and women. Time × Baseline risk factor status interactions examined whether changes in CVD risk factors differed according to baseline risk factor status. Significant improvements in total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, the ratio of total cholesterol to HDL-C, and triglycerides were seen in both men and women who had high (or low for HDL-C) baseline levels of risk factors, whereas significant improvements in diastolic blood pressure were seen only in those men with high baseline levels. There were no improvements in any risk factors among participants with normal baseline levels. Changes in fitness were associated with changes in a number of CVD risk factors. However, most relationships disappeared after controlling for changes in body weight. Improvements in lipids from the ACT interventions could reduce the risk of coronary heart disease in people with already high levels of lipids by 16%–26% in men and 11%–16% in women. Interventions that can be implemented in health care settings nationwide and result in meaningful population-wide changes in CVD risk factors are needed. The ACT physical activity interventions produced substantial improvements among men and women with elevated CVD risk factors