Case study evaluating accessibility and use of a laboratory by a student who uses a wheelchair and a blind member of staff

This case study describes the findings of two disabled people who visited an engineering laboratory. It highlights aspects of building design, room layout and equipment use that are often overlooked and which often can be rectified quite simply and inexpensively. The points raised may be used to audit any building and lab

The accessible electronics laboratory

The Disability Discrimination Act requires schools, universities and colleges not to discriminate against disabled students and to make reasonable adjustments. Laboratories are an integral part of all engineering courses. Therefore they have to be accessible to all students and reasonable adjustments should include making laboratories accessible and not excusing disabled students from them. Adjustments to make laboratories more accessible to disabled students generally benefit all students and staff. Making laboratories accessible increases the pool of talent that can be attracted into the engineering profession. Many disabled people have had to exercise a lot of ingenuity to cope with an inaccessible world. The engineering profession could benefit from this ingenuity

A cross-sectional comparison of quality of life between physically active and underactive older men with prostate cancer

Men with prostate cancer experience many side effects and symptoms that may be improved by a physically active lifestyle. It was hypothesized that older men with prostate cancer who were physically active would report significantly higher levels of quality of life (QOL) as assessed by the WHOQOL-BREF and the WHOQOL-OLD. Of the 348 prostate cancer survivors who were invited to participate in the present postal survey, 137 men returned the questionnaires. Those who were physically active had significantly lower prostate specific antigen (PSA) scores and higher social participation than those insufficiently active. These findings offer some support for the benefits of physical activity (PA) within the prostate cancer population in managing the adverse side effects of their treatments on aspects of their QOL. Future research should more closely examine what types of PA best promote improvements in varying aspects of QOL and psychological well-being for prostate cancer survivors

Which behavioral, emotional and school problems in middle-childhood predict early sexual behavior?

Mental health and school adjustment problems are thought to distinguish early sexual behavior from normative timing (16-18 years), but little is known about how early sexual behavior originates from these problems in middle-childhood. Existing studies do not allow for co-occurring problems, differences in onset and persistence, and there is no information on middle-childhood school adjustment in relationship to early sexual activity. This study examined associations between several middle-childhood problems and early sexual behavior, using a subsample (N = 4,739, 53 % female, 98 % white, mean age 15 years 6 months) from a birth cohort study, the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. Adolescents provided information at age 15 on early sexual behavior (oral sex and/or intercourse) and sexual risk-taking, and at age 13 on prior risk involvement (sexual behavior, antisocial behavior and substance use). Information on hyperactivity/inattention, conduct problems, depressive symptoms, peer relationship problems, school dislike and school performance was collected in middle-childhood at Time 1 (6-8 years) and Time 2 (10-11 years). In agreement with previous research, conduct problems predicted early sexual behavior, although this was found only for persistent early problems. In addition, Time 2 school dislike predicted early sexual behavior, while peer relationship problems were protective. Persistent early school dislike further characterized higher-risk groups (early sexual behavior preceded by age 13 risk, or accompanied by higher sexual risk-taking). The study establishes middle-childhood school dislike as a novel risk factor for early sexual behavior and higher-risk groups, and the importance of persistent conduct problems. Implications for the identification of children at risk and targeted intervention are discussed, as well as suggestions for further research

Secondary analyses to test the impact on inequalities and uptake of the schools-based human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programme by stage of implementation of a new consent policy in the south-west of England

Objectives To test the impact on inequalities and uptake of the schools-based human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programme by stage of implementation of a new policy providing additional opportunities to consent.Setting Two local authorities in the south-west of England.Participants Young women (n=7129) routinely eligible for HPV vaccination aged 12–13 years during the intervention period (2017/2018 to 2018/2019 programme years).Interventions Local policy change that included additional opportunities to provide consent (parental verbal consent and adolescent self-consent).Outcomes Secondary analyses of cross-sectional intervention data were undertaken to examine uptake by: (1) receipt of parental written consent forms and; (2) percentage of unvaccinated young women by stage of implementation.Results During the intervention period, 6341 (89.0%) eligible young women initiated the HPV vaccination series. Parental written consent forms were less likely to be returned where young women attended alternative education provider settings (p<0.001), belonged to non-white British ethnic groups (p<0.01) or more deprived quintiles (p<0.001). Implementation of parental verbal consent and adolescent self-consent reduced the percentage of unvaccinated young women from 21.3% to 16.5% (risk difference: 4.8%). The effect was greater for young women belonging to the most deprived compared with the least deprived quintile (risk difference: 7.4% vs 2.3%, p<0.001), and for young women classified as Unknown ethnic category compared with white British young women (6.7% vs 4.2%, p<0.001). No difference was found for non-white British young women (5.4%, p<0.21).Conclusions Local policy change to consent procedures that allowed parents to consent verbally and adolescents to self-consent overcame some of the barriers to vaccination of young women belonging to families less likely to respond to paper-based methods of gaining consent and at greater risk of developing cervical cancer.Trial registration number 49 086 105

Impact of new consent procedures on uptake of the schools-based Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programme

BACKGROUND: Local policy change initiating new consent procedures was introduced during 2017–2018 for the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programme year in two local authorities in the south–west of England. This study aims to assess impact on uptake and inequalities. METHODS: Publicly available aggregate and individual-level routine data were retrieved for the programme years 2015–2016 to 2018–2019. Statistical analyses were undertaken to show: (i) change in uptake in intervention local authorities in comparison to matched local authorities and (ii) change in uptake overall, and by local authority, school type, ethnicity and deprivation. RESULTS: Aggregate data showed uptake in Local Authority One increased from 76.3% to 82.5% in the post-intervention period (risk difference: 6.2% P = 0.17), with a difference-in-differences effect of 11.5% (P = 0.03). There was no evidence for a difference-in-differences effect in Local Authority Two (P = 0.76). Individual-level data showed overall uptake increased post-intervention (risk difference: +1.1%, P = 0.05), and for young women attending school in Local Authority One (risk difference: 2.3%, P < 0.01). No strong evidence for change by school category, ethnic group and deprivation was found. CONCLUSION: Implementation of new consent procedures can improve and overcome trends for decreasing uptake among matched local authorities. However, no evidence for reduction in inequalities was found. IMPLICATIONS AND DISCUSSION: The new consent procedures increased uptake in one of the intervention sites and appeared to overcome trends for decreasing uptake in matched sites. There are issues in relation to the quality of data which require addressing