Exploring the Association Between Commute to School Duration and Children\u27s Physical Activity Level and Bodyweight Status

The commute to school is recognized as a daily activity with high potential for influencing children’s health behaviours and outcomes. While the impact of commute mode on children’s health has been extensively researched, the influence of commute duration remains relatively unexplored. This thesis uses binary logistic regression and multiple linear regression analysis of a cross-sectional sample to determine how active and inactive commute to school duration impacts children’s physical activity level and bodyweight status in urban, small town and rural environments in Southwestern Ontario. It is found here that longer active commute duration is associated with greater average levels of physical activity, but not greater rates of overweight or obesity. It is also found that longer inactive commute duration is associated with lower rates of overweight or obesity, despite a lack of significant difference in physical activity level. Data suggests that differences in home food environment may play a role. The built environment is shown to play little to no role in children’s health outcomes once commute mode is accounted for. In addition, contrary to other studies, results show that children living in small to medium population centres, rather than in rural areas, are more likely to be overweight or obese. This thesis contributes the first study on the effects of children’s inactive commute duration on physical activity level and obesity, and one of the few on the effects of children’s active commute duration on physical activity level and obesity. Methodologically, the strengths of this study include the utilization of researcher-measured BMI as well as GPS and accelerometry to capture precise commute duration, bodyweight status and physical activity level. This study also includes controls for a large number of known confounders at the individual and neighbourhood level

Buckling and strength analysis of panels with discrete stiffness tailoring

Continuous variation of stiffness across flat plates has been shown, theoretically, to improve buckling performance by up to 60%. However, steered fibre manufacturing methods cannot achieve the minimum radius of curvature required for improvement whilst maintaining a high deposition rate. An alternative concept, Discrete Stiffness Tailoring (DST), which varies stiffness within a ply through discrete changes of angle, is compatible with high rate deposition methods such as Advanced Tape Laying. Through the simple example of redistribution of the material in a quasi-isotropic [±45/90/0]2S laminate whilst maintaining ply percentages, DST is shown both experimentally and theoretically to improve buckling stress by at least 15% with no indication of failure in regions of discrete angle change (seams). However, the reduced tensile strength of seams obtained by virtual and experimental testing means that increased buckling performance in the principle load direction needs to be balanced against loss of transverse strengthThis work was supported by the UK EPSRC ADAPT research project (grant number EP/N024508/1) which is gratefully acknowledged. Richard Butler is supported by a Royal Academy of Engineering and GKN Aerospace Research Chair. Lucie Culliford’s PhD studentship is 50% funded by GKN Aerospace

An ecological and theoretical deconstruction of a school-based obesity prevention program in Mexico

BACKGROUND: Ecological intervention programs are recommended to prevent overweight and obesity in children. The National Institute of Public Health (INSP) in Mexico implemented a successful ecological intervention program to promote healthy lifestyle behaviors in school age children. This study assessed the integration of ecological principles and Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) constructs in this effective school-based obesity prevention program implemented in 15 elementary schools in Mexico City. METHODS: Two coders applied the Intervention Analysis Procedure (IAP) to “map” the program’s integration of ecological principles. A checklist gauged the use of SCT theory in program activities. RESULTS: Thirty-two distinct intervention strategies were implemented in one setting (i.e., school) to engage four different target-groups (students, parents, school representatives, government) across two domains (Nutrition and Physical Activity). Overall, 47.5% of the strategies targeted the school infrastructure and/or personnel; 37.5% of strategies targeted a key political actor, the Public Education Secretariat while fewer strategies targeted parents (12.5%) and children (3%). More strategies were implemented in the Nutrition domain (69%) than Physical Activity (31%). The most frequently used SCT construct within both intervention domains was Reciprocal Determinism (e.g., where changes to the environment influence changes in behavior and these behavioral changes influence further changes to the environment); no significant differences were observed in the use of SCT constructs across domains. CONCLUSIONS: Findings provide insight into a promising combination of strategies and theoretical constructs that can be used to implement a school-based obesity prevention program. Strategies emphasized school-level infrastructure/personnel change and strong political engagement and were most commonly underpinned by Reciprocal Determinism for both Nutrition and Physical Activity

Planning ahead with children with life-limiting conditions and their families : development, implementation and evaluation of ‘My Choices’

Background: The United Kingdom has led the world in the development of children’s palliative care. Over the past two decades, the illness trajectories of children with life-limiting conditions have extended with new treatments and better home-based care. Future planning is a critically under-researched aspect of children’s palliative care globally. This paper describes the development, implementation and evaluation of innovative child and parent-held palliative care planning resources. The resources were designed to facilitate parent and child thinking and engagement in future planning, and to determine care preferences and preferred locations of care for children with life-limiting conditions from diagnosis onwards. These resources fill a significant gap in palliative care planning before the end-of-life phase. Methods: Drawing on contemporaneous research on producing evidence-based children’s health information, we collaborated with leading children’s not-for-profit organisations, parents, children, and professionals. A set of resources (My Choices booklets) were developed for parents and children and evaluated using interviews (parents, children, professionals) and questionnaires (professionals) and an open web-based consultation. Results: Parents and children responded in three ways: Some used the booklets to produce detailed written plans with clear outcomes and ideas about how best to achieve desired outcomes. Others preferred to use the booklet to help them think about potential options. Remaining parents found it difficult to think about the future and felt there was no point because they perceived there to be no suitable local services. Professionals varied in confidence in their ability to engage with families to plan ahead and identified many challenges that prevented them from doing so. Few families shared their plans with professionals. Parents and children have far stronger preferences for home-care than professionals. Conclusion: The My Choices booklets were revised in light of findings, have been endorsed by Together for Short Lives, and are free to download in English and Welsh for use by parents and young people globally. More work needs to be done to support families who are not yet receptive to planning ahead. Professionals would benefit from more training in person-centred approaches to future planning and additional communications skills to increase confidence and ability to engage with families to deliver sensitive palliative care planning

Habiter à Bamako : conditions de logement et réponses des ménages dans une ville sahélienne

Cet article porte sur les conditions d'habitation des ménages vivant à Bamako, la capitale du Mali. À l'aide de deux indices se rapportant à la nature des matériaux de construction et à la disponibilité des services urbains, nous faisons d'abord ressortir une différenciation des conditions d'habitation dans l'espace bamakois, mais aussi une diffusion du caractère rudimentaire de ces conditions sur l'ensemble du territoire de la ville. Il se dégage ensuite de notre analyse que les conditions d'habitation sommaires ne sont pas réservées qu'aux seuls locataires, mais constituent également le lot d'un pourcentage élevé de propriétaires-occupants, la proportion des locataires et des propriétaires concernés variant cependant d'un type de quartiers à l'autre. Enfin, nous examinons deux types de réponses des ménages face à leurs conditions d'habitation, à savoir modifier leur logement ou le quitter, en dégageant une nette différence entre locataires et propriétaires.This article addresses the housing conditions in Bamako, the capital of Mali. Referring to the building materials and the availability of urban services, we first outline a diffentiation in housing conditions within the territory of the city, while underscoring the rudimentary nature of these conditions throughout this territory. Then, we show that these rudimentary housing conditions are not limited to tenants, but also concern a significant proportion of owner-occupiers. However the proportion of the tenants and owner-occupiers concerned varies from one type of neighbourhood to another. Finally, we examine two types of households' answers relating to their housing conditions, transforming their dwelling or moving, and we point out a difference between tenants and owner-occupiers

Complexity : a potential paradigm for a health promotion discipline

Health promotion underpins a distancing from narrow, simplifying health approaches associated with the biomedical model. However, it has not yet succeeded in formally establishing its theoretical, epistemological and methodological foundations on a single paradigm. The complexity paradigm, which it has yet to broach head-on, might provide it with a disciplinary matrix in line with its implicit stances and basic values. This article seeks to establish complexity's relevance as a paradigm that can contribute to the development of a health promotion discipline. The relevance of complexity is justified primarily by its matching with several implicit epistemological and methodological/theoretical stances found in the cardinal concepts and principles of health promotion. The transcendence of ontological realism and determinism as well as receptiveness in respect of the reflexivity that complexity encompasses are congruent with the values of social justice, participation, empowerment and the concept of positive health that the field promotes. Moreover, from a methodological and theoretical standpoint, complexity assumes a holistic, contextual and transdisciplinary approach, toward which health promotion is tending through its emphasis on ecology and interdisciplinary action. In a quest to illustrate our position, developmental evaluation is presented as an example of practice stemming from a complexity paradigm that can be useful in the evaluation of health promotion initiatives. In short, we argue that it would be advantageous for health promotion to integrate this paradigm, which would provide it with a formal framework appropriate to its purposes and concerns

Effect of being seen on the production of visible speech cues. A pilot study on Lombard speech

International audienceSpeech produced in noise (or Lombard speech) is characterized by increased vocal effort, but also by amplified lip gestures. The current study examines whether this enhancement of visible speech cues may be sought by the speaker, even unconsciously, in order to improve his visual intelligibility. One subject played an interactive game in a quiet situation and then in 85dB of cocktail-party noise, for three conditions of interaction: without interaction, in face-to-face interaction, and in a situation of audio interaction only. The audio signal was recorded simultaneously with articulatory movements, using 3D electromagnetic articulography. The results showed that acoustic modifications of speech in noise were greater when the interlocutor could not see the speaker. Furthermore, tongue movements that are hardly visible were not particularly amplified in noise. Lip movements that are very visible were not more enhanced in noise when the interlocutors could see each other. Actually, they were more enhanced in the situation of audio interaction only. These results support the idea that this speaker did not make use of the visual channel to improve his intelligibility, and that his hyper articulation was just an indirect correlate of increased vocal effort

S’engager à titre de collaborateur bénévole dans un projet de recherche participative : les motivations d’un groupe d’aînés

Cet article rapporte les résultats d’une étude visant l’examen des motivations à la source de l’implication d’aînés au sein d’un projet national de recherche-action. Les données ont été recueillies au moyen d’entrevues en profondeur auprès d’aînés (n=5) engagés dans le volet montréalais du projet. Les résultats révèlent six grandes classes de motivations : changer les choses, utiliser ses habiletés et son expérience, travailler en équipe, faire preuve d’altruisme, conserver un statut et un rôle dans la société et, enfin, agir en lien avec sa philosophie de vie. Ces résultats corroborent en partie ceux qui ont été présentés dans les études antérieures. Cependant, les motivations liées à la poursuite d’activités et de façons de faire expérimentées dans le travail qui précède la retraite ressortent davantage. La discussion aborde les stratégies à privilégier pour faciliter l’implication d’aînés en recherche-action.The purpose of this study was to investigate factors related to the involvement of seniors in a national action-research project. Information was collected by in-depth interviews with the participants involved (n=5) in the Montreal site of the project. The elderly described six main motivations: changing things, using one’s skills and experience, working with a team, being altruistic, maintaining a status and a valued role in society and, finally, acting according to one’s philosophy and ideology of life. These data partly corroborate previous results. However, this study highlights the importance of motivations linked to pursuing activities and ways of doing things developed at work before retirement. Strategies aimed at facilitating the involvement of elderly in action-research projects are presented in the discussion

Forest Products Certification: The Business Customer Perspective

While only a handful of wood products suppliers and business customers are currently involved in manufacturing or purchasing certified wood products, the potential exists for increased industry participation. Previous empirical work on environmental certification has examined the perceptions and a titudes of consumers, with few studies examining the perceptions of corporate customers. This research examines perceptions and activities associated with environmentally certified wood products for architects, building contractors, and home center retailers. Study results indicate that industrial forest product customers are not supportive of wood products certification efforts. Even when management environmental concern exists, there is a breakdown in elevating this concern to a corporate commitment or philosophy. Additionally, the federal government was consistently found to be the organization least trusted to certify forest management practices, while independent third-party certifiers were most trusted. A willingness to pay for certification was mixed, and few respondents felt that their customers would pay a premium for certified products

A systematic review of success factors in the community management of rural water supplies over the past 30 years

Community management is the accepted management model for rural water supplies in many low and middleincome countries. However, endemic problems in the sustainability and scalability of this model are leading many to conclude we have reached the limits of an approach that is too reliant on voluntarism and informality. Accepting this criticism but recognising that many cases of success have been reported over the past 30 years, this study systematically reviews and analyses the development pattern of 174 successful community management case studies. The synthesis confirms the premise that for community management to be sustained at scale, community institutions need a ‘plus’ that includes long-term external support, with the majority of high performing cases involving financial support, technical advice and managerial advice. Internal community characteristics were also found to be influential in terms of success, including collective initiative, strong leadership and institutional transparency. Through a meta-analysis of success in different regions, the paper also indicates an important finding on the direct relationship between success and the prevailing socio-economic wealth in a society. This holds implications for policy and programme design with a need to consider how broad structural conditions may dictate the relative success of different forms of community management