The concept of mechanism from a realist approach: a scoping review to facilitate its operationalization in public health program evaluation

International audienceBackground: Public health interventions are complex by nature, and their evaluation requires unpacking their intervention logic and their interactions with open social systems. By focusing on the interrelationships between context, mechanism, and outcome, Pawson and Tilley's realist approach appears a promising innovation for public health-related evaluation works. However, and as expected of any methodological innovation, this approach is being constructed gradually by answering the multiple challenges to its operationalization that fall in its path. One of these challenges, users of this approach agree on, is the necessity of clarifying its key concept of mechanism.Method: We first collected the definitions of mechanism from published works of Pawson and colleagues. Secondly, a scoping review was conducted to identify the ones quoted by users of the realist approach for evaluating public health interventions (1997–2012). We then appraised the clarity and precision of this concept against the three dimensions defined by Daigneault and Jacobs " term, sense and referent. "Results: Of the 2344 documents identified in the scoping review, 49 documents were included. Term: Users of the realist approach use adjectives qualifying the term mechanism that were not specifically endorsed by Pawson and colleagues. Sense: None of the attributes stated by Pawson and colleagues has been listed in all of the documents analyzed, and some contributions clarified its attributes. Referent: The concept of mechanism within a realist approach can be ascribed to theory-based evaluation, complex social interventions, and critical realism.Conclusion: This review led us to reconsider the concept of mechanism within the realist approach by confronting the theoretical stance of its proponents to the practical one of its users. This resulted in a clearer, more precise definition of the concept of mechanism which may in turn trigger further improvements in the way the realist approach is applied in evaluative practice in public health and potentially beyond. A mechanism is hidden but real, is an element of reasoning and reactions of agents in regard to the resources available in a given context to bring about changes through the implementation of an intervention, and evolves within an open space-time and social system of relationships

KINEMATIC AND DYNAMIC COUPLED MEASUREMENTS IN TETHERED FRONT CRAWL SWIMMING

Force measurements of athletes in aquatic environments are difficult to perform. Competitive swimming has been confronted with this problem for many years. Tethered swimming is a means used to measure propulsive forces (Martin, Yeater & White, 1981). According to Filho and Denadai (2008), this method is often used to measure the performance level of swimmers and also as a training resource. Its validity has been shown on numerous occasions, notably in its good correlation between swimming velocity, stroke frequency and the measured forces (Yeater, Martin, White & Gilson, 1981; Morouço, Keskinen, Vilas-Boas & Fernandes, 2011). This method has good test–retest reliability (Kjendlie & Thorsvald, 2006), and it provides muscle activity patterns very similar to those displayed in free swimming (Bollens, Annemans, Vaes, & Clarys, 1988). Even if there are questions about the swimming technique used in the tethered swimming compared to the free swimming, this method is important to know the forces created by the stroke technique, especially by the arms. It seems also interesting to measure the forces in the three characteristic paces (long distance, middle distance and sprint). This kinematic and dynamic coupled method is transferable in training pool, and then it could be an everyday tool for swimmers and coaches to measure and to improve the technical swimmers

HYDRODYNAMIC ANGLES, ORIENTATION AND VELOCITY OF THE HAND IN FRONT CRAWL SWIMMING

The hydrodynamic parameters of the hand (angle of attack, sweepback, velocity and orientation) play an important role in the generation of the resultant forces. These parameters were measured throughout an aquatic stroke to study the possible modifications caused by a variation of the swimming pace. Seventeen competitive swimmers swam at the long distance, middle distance and sprint paces. Parameters were calculated from the trajectory of seven markers on the hand measured with an optoelectronic system. Results showed that sweepback and angle of attack, and orientation of the hand do not vary significantly depending to the pace. Only the velocity of the hand increases when the pace increases, but only during the less propulsive phases. The increase of pace is then explained by the swimmer's capacity to maintain propulsive phases rather than increasing the force generation within each cycle

A Historiometric Examination of Machiavellianism and a New Taxonomy of Leadership

Although researchers have extensively examined the relationship between charismatic leadership and Machiavellianism (Deluga, 2001; Gardner & Avolio, 1995; House & Howell, 1992), there has been a lack of investigation of Machiavellianism in relation to alternative forms of outstanding leadership. Thus, the purpose of this investigation was to examine the relationship between Machiavellianism and a new taxonomy of outstanding leadership comprised of charismatic, ideological, and pragmatic leaders. Using an historiometric approach, raters assessed Machiavellianism via the communications of 120 outstanding leaders in organizations across the domains of business, political, military, and religious institutions. Academic biographies were used to assess twelve general performance measures as well as twelve general controls and five communication specific controls. The results indicated that differing levels of Machiavellianism is evidenced across the differing leader types as well as differing leader orientation. Additionally, Machiavellianism appears negatively related to performance, though less so when type and orientation are taken into account.Yeshttps://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/manuscript-submission-guideline

Explorer les relations entre la recherche interventionnelle en santé publique et l’application intégrée des connaissances

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Le partage et l’application des connaissances en santé publique entre chercheurs et acteurs des politiques locales : Et si on RICAPitulait ?

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Let’s talk about sustaining local interventions or research through equity focused knowledge translation

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Formation et recrutement : les jeunes chercheurs se refont une santé

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Santé ou santés ?

International audienceCe manuel pédagogique présente l’essentiel des savoirs en promotion de la santé : définitions, principaux concepts, principes et théories, connaissances et outils clés pour appréhender, planifier, mettre en œuvre et évaluer des projets en promotion de la santé. Structuré comme une série de cours spécifiques, il a été pensé et construit sur la base de compétences clés en promotion de la santé et s’appuie sur l'expérience de chercheurs et professionnels internationaux (France, Belgique, Suisse, Canada, pays d’Afrique francophone) afin de mieux comprendre les pratiques et de valoriser les outils existants et émergents. (4ème couv.