Exploring Historical Colonial Relationships in North-South School Partnerships

This small-scale qualitative research study examines the extent to which teachers involved in Global North-South School Partnerships engage with learning about shared colonial histories. Existing research in this field suggests that teachers’ lack of knowledge and confidence leads to historical context being largely absent from such projects. Further, it is suggested that such omissions can fuel unhelpful stereotypes and assumptions about Global South regions and peoples. In this study, Postcolonial theory has been used to reflect on the importance of including historical colonial context for learning in Global North-South Partnerships and its potential for helping to develop historically conscious practice and a more critical view of development and global issues. The study involved interviews with two UK-based teachers involved in school partnerships to discuss and explore the challenges and barriers they faced in engaging with historical colonial relationships in Global North-South Partnerships and also the benefits to diverse British communities. The recommendations build on the findings from these discussions and aim to contribute to shifting Global North-South Partnerships from sites that potentially uphold, reinforce and reproduce colonial framing, to sites that critically engage with colonial history and its legacy

The Paradox of Compacts: final report to the Home Office on monitoring the impact of Compacts

The Compact is an important building block in achieving a better relationship between Government and the voluntary and community sector. We are fully committed to partnership working with the sector and increasing their role in civil society and in the delivery of public s e rvices. The Compact helps us to work better together, so that we can better meet the needs of communities

Is glycaemic control associated with dietary patterns independent of weight change in people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes?:Prospective analysis of the Early-ACTivity-In-Diabetes trial.

BACKGROUND: It is unclear whether diet affects glycaemic control in type 2 diabetes (T2D), over and above its effects on bodyweight. We aimed to assess whether changes in dietary patterns altered glycaemic control independently of effects on bodyweight in newly diagnosed T2D. METHODS: We used data from 4-day food diaries, HbA1c and potential confounders in participants of the Early-ACTivity-In-Diabetes trial measured at 0, 6 and 12 months. At baseline, a ‘carb/fat balance’ dietary pattern and an ‘obesogenic’ dietary pattern were derived using reduced-rank regression, based on hypothesised nutrient-mediated mechanisms linking dietary intake to glycaemia directly or via obesity. Relationships between 0 and 6 month change in dietary pattern scores and baseline-adjusted HbA1c at 6 months (n = 242; primary outcome) were assessed using multivariable linear regression. Models were repeated for periods 6–12 months and 0–12 months (n = 194 and n = 214 respectively; secondary outcomes). RESULTS: Reductions over 0–6 months were observed in mean bodyweight (− 2.3 (95% CI: − 2.7, − 1.8) kg), body mass index (− 0.8 (− 0.9, − 0.6) kg/m(2)), energy intake (− 788 (− 953, − 624) kJ/day), and HbA1c (− 1.6 (− 2.6, -0.6) mmol/mol). Weight loss strongly associated with lower HbA1c at 0–6 months (β = − 0.70 [95% CI − 0.95, − 0.45] mmol/mol/kg lost). Average fat and carbohydrate intakes changed to be more in-line with UK healthy eating guidelines between 0 and 6 months. Dietary patterns shifting carbohydrate intakes higher and fat intakes lower were characterised by greater consumption of fresh fruit, low-fat milk and boiled/baked potatoes and eating less of higher-fat processed meats, butter/animal fats and red meat. Increases in standardised ‘carb/fat balance’ dietary pattern score associated with improvements in HbA1c at 6 months independent of weight loss (β = − 1.54 [− 2.96, − 0.13] mmol/mol/SD). No evidence of association with HbA1c was found for this dietary pattern at other time-periods. Decreases in ‘obesogenic’ dietary pattern score were associated with weight loss (β = − 0.77 [− 1.31, − 0.23] kg/SD) but not independently with HbA1c during any period. CONCLUSIONS: Promoting weight loss should remain the primary nutritional strategy for improving glycaemic control in early T2D. However, improving dietary patterns to bring carbohydrate and fat intakes closer to UK guidelines may provide small, additional improvements in glycaemic control. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN92162869. Retrospectively registered on 25 July 2005 SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12916-022-02358-5

Assessing the Spurious Impacts of Ice-Constraining Methods on the Climate Response to Sea-Ice Loss using an Idealised Aquaplanet GCM

Coupled climate model simulations designed to isolate the effects of Arctic sea-ice loss often apply artificial heating, either directly to the ice or through modification of the surface albedo, to constrain sea ice in the absence of other forcings. Recent work has shown that this approach may lead to an overestimation of the climate response to sea-ice loss. In this study, we assess the spurious impacts of ice-constraining methods on the climate of an idealised aquaplanet general circulation model (GCM) with thermodynamic sea ice. The true effect of sea-ice loss in this model is isolated by inducing ice loss through reduction of the freezing point of water, which does not require additional energy input. We compare results from freezing point modification experiments with experiments where sea-ice loss is induced using traditional ice-constraining methods, and confirm the result of previous work that traditional methods induce spurious additional warming. Furthermore, additional warming leads to an overestimation of the circulation response to sea-ice loss, which involves a weakening of the zonal wind and storm track activity in midlatitudes. Our results suggest that coupled model simulations with constrained sea ice should be treated with caution, especially in boreal summer, where the true effect of sea-ice loss is weakest but we find the largest spurious response. Given that our results may be sensitive to the simplicity of the model we use, we suggest that devising methods to quantify the spurious effects of ice-constraining methods in more sophisticated models should be an urgent priority for future work

What is the most effective method of delivering Making Every Contact Count training? A rapid review

The Making Every Contact Count MECC programme encourages staff to have opportunistic brief behaviour change conversations with service users. It uses the day-to-day interactions that healthcare professionals, or those within other organisations, including the not-for-profit sector have with people, to support them in making positive changes to their physical and mental health, and wellbeing. The aim of this review is to assess which elements or types of MECC training, or comparable interventions, are most effective and preferred by those who would implement MECC in practice. The review included evidence available up until June 2024. 11 studies were included. These all focused on healthcare organisations and included health care or public health professionals, with two also including trainees who worked in a local authority. There was consistent evidence that training increased both trainee confidence and use of MECCrelated techniques immediately following training. There was some evidence that despite a slight reduction, these improvements were at least maintained up to one year later. There was no evidence on the longer-term effect, other than an indication that refresher training would be appreciated. There was also no evidence assessing whether improvements in trainee confidence and competence had any impact on service user behaviour change and outcomes. There was an indication that face-to-face training was preferred to online training. Barriers to MECC training attendance included a feeling that there was not enough time, and a lack of managerial support. Barriers to MECC utilisation included a feeling that there was not enough time, a lack of organisational and managerial support, a fear of upsetting patients, and a lack of awareness of downstream support services to refer service users to following healthy behaviour conversations. The evidence indicated that barriers to MECC training and utilisation could be overcome via provision of information about downstream support services, and improved organisational and managerial support for both attendance at MECC training and its use in practice. Further research is needed. This should include research into the impact from MECC on patient behaviour and eventual outcomes, and how these change following training

Gender differences in identities and their socio-structural correlates: how gendered lives shape parental and work identities

This study draws on identity theory to explore parental and work identities. It examined gender differences in identities, as well as the moderating role of gender in the effects of individuals’ socio-structural characteristics. A sample of 148 couples with young children completed extensive questionnaires. As hypothesized, couples’ paid work strategy moderated gender differences in the salience and centrality of parental and work identities. Whereas significant differences in identities were found between stay-at-home mothers and their breadwinning husbands, no differences were found among dual-earner couples. Moreover, men’s work identity centrality increased when they had more and younger children, whereas women’s work identity centrality decreased. Finally, men’s parental identity centrality increased with their income, whereas women’s parental identity centrality decreased the more they earned. These findings attest to the importance of examining differences within as well as between genders, by taking into account the interactive effects of gender with other socio-structural characteristics

Reported child awareness of parental depression

Aims and method To determine rates of parent-reported child awareness of parental depression, examine characteristics of parents, children and families according to child awareness, and explore whether child awareness is associated with child psychopathology. Data were available from 271 families participating in the Early Prediction of Adolescent Depression (EPAD) study, a longitudinal study of offspring of parents with recurrent depression. Results Seventy-three per cent of participating children were perceived as being aware of their parent's depression. Older children, and children of parents who experienced more severe depression, were more likely to be aware. Awareness was not associated with child psychopathology. Clinical implications Considering children in the context of parental depression is important. Child awareness may influence their access to early intervention and prevention programmes. Further research is needed to understand the impact of awareness on the child