Designing for hope and dignity:female specific approach to prison design

Abstract. This master’s thesis, Designing for Hope and Dignity: Female Specific Approach to prison design, recognizes the need for gender specificity in prison design. Prisons are highly male dominated environments where women are often a marginalized and invisible group. Female inmates have distinct needs and do not benefit from prison’s gender-neutral practices that are on a closer inspection based solely on male norms. Through gaining a fuller understanding of female prisoner needs and knowledge in architecture’s effect on wellbeing, the thesis aims to create a concept design that enhances wellbeing and is better suited for the needs of female inmates. The thesis is divided into two sections. The first section is the literary background study which aims to answer the following questions: who female prisoners are, what are their needs, why it is advantageous to invest in better prison design, and what are important design attributes we can apply to improve wellbeing. Currently in Finland female prisoners are placed in separate female wards in male prisons or in Finland’s only female prison. It appears that most of these small wards in male prisons are inadequate at meeting female needs. Female prisoners would benefit from being placed in institutions that are separate from men and have been designed with women in mind. The latter section is the conceptual design, where analyses formed from the background study are utilized to create a closed prison design for women which seeks to promote prisoner wellbeing. The design is established on the idea that well-thought-out architecture that feels safe for women, fosters positive interactions, and is humane in scale and size, has the potential to support inmates in regaining some measure of dignity and provide opportunities for hope. The overall design composes of a general plan of the prison’s campus style layout and its spatial solutions, which are not tied to a particular site. Following a closer examination on spaces that have important roles in enhancing wellbeing, such as visitation and living spaces.Tiivistelmä. Tämä diplomityö tunnistaa naiserityisyyden tarpeen vankiloiden suunnitellussa. Vankilat ovat miespainotteisia ympäristöjä, joissa naiset ovat usein näkymätön marginaalisessa asemassa oleva ryhmä. Naisvangeilla on omat tarpeensa, eivätkä he ole pääset hyötymään vankiloiden niin sanotuista sukupuolineutraaleista toimintamalleista, joiden voidaan lähemmän tarkastelun myötä todeta pohjautuvan miesnormeihin. Tällä hetkellä Suomessa naisvankeja sijoitetaan joko Suomen ainoaan naisvankilaan tai erillisiin pieniin naisosastoihin miesvankiloissa, joista suurin osa ei kykene vastaamaan naisten tarpeisiin. Naisvangit hyötyisivät siitä, että heidät sijoitetaan omiin laitoksiin, jotka on suunniteltu heitä ajatellen. Kiinnittämällä huomiota naisvankien tarpeisiin ja tietoon arkkitehtuurin vaikutuksesta hyvinvointiin, työn tavoite on luoda konseptitasoinensuunnitelma, joka tukee hyvinvointia ja naisvankien erityistarpeita. Diplomityö on jaettu kahteen osaan. Ensimmäinen osa on kirjallinen taustatutkimus, jonka tarkoituksena on vastata seuraaviin kysymyksiin: keitä ovat naisvangit, mitkä ovat heidän tarpeensa, miksi panostaa parempaan vankilasuunnitteluun ja mitkä ovat tärkeitä suunnittelukeinoja, joita voimme soveltaa hyvinvoinnin parantamiseen. Työn jälkimmäinen osio on konseptisuunnitelma, jossa taustatutkimuksesta saatua tietoa hyödyntämällä luodaan suljettu vankilamalli naisille, joka pyrkii edistämään vankien hyvinvointia. Suunnitelma perustuu ajatukseen siitä, että harkitulla arkkitehtuurilla, joka tuntuu turvalliselle, edistää positiivisia vuorovaikutuksia ja on kooltaan ja mittakaavaltaan inhimillinen voi jossain määrin auttaa vankeja palauttamaan ihmisarvoa ja tarjota toivoa. Suunnitelman alkuosassa esitetään kampusmallia soveltaen yleissuunnitelma vankila-alueesta, joka ei ole paikkasidonnainen. Tämän jälkeen työssä tarkastellaan lähemmin hyvinvoinnin kehittämisessä tärkeässä asemassa olevia tiloja, kuten vankilan vierailu- ja asuintilat

A critical review of national physical activity policies relating to children and young people in England

Background: There has been an increasing focus on the importance of national policy to address population levels of physical inactivity. It has been suggested that the 4 cornerstones of policy comprise (1) national guidelines on physical activity (PA), (2) setting population goals and targets, (3) surveillance or health-monitoring systems, and (4) public education. The current study aimed to review the policy actions that have addressed each of these elements for children and youth in England and to identify areas of progress and remaining challenges.  Methods: A literature search was undertaken to identify past and present documents relevant to PA policy for children and youth in England. Each document was analysed to identify content relevant to the 4 cornerstones of policy.  Results: Physical activity guidelines (Cornerstone 1) for children and youth have been in place since 1998 and reviewed periodically. Physical activity targets (Cornerstone 2) have focussed on the provision of opportunities for PA, mainly through physical education in schools rather than in relation to the proportion of children meeting recommended PA levels. There has been much surveillance (Cornerstone 3) of children's PA, but this has been undertaken infrequently over time and with varying inclusions of differing domains of activity. There has been only one campaign (Cornerstone 4) that targeted children and their intermediaries, Change4Life, which was an obesity campaign focussing on dietary behavior in combination with PA. Most recently, a government infographic supporting the PA guidelines for children and young people was developed, but details of its dissemination and usage are unknown.  Conclusion: There have been many developments in national PA policy in England targeted to children and young people. The area of most significant progress is national PA guidelines. Establishing prevalence targets, streamlining surveillance systems, and investing in public education with supportive policies, environments, and opportunities would strengthen national policy efforts to increase PA and reduce sedentary behavior

Anger is associated with subclinical atherosclerosis in low SES but not in higher SES men and women : the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study

We investigated the associations of anger and cynicism with carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT) and whether these associations were moderated by childhood or adulthood socioeconomic status (SES). The participants were 647 men and 893 women derived from the population-based Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study. Childhood SES was measured in 1980 when the participants were aged 3-18. In 2001, adulthood SES, anger, cynicism, and IMT were measured. There were no associations between anger or cynicism and IMT in the entire population, but anger was associated with thicker IMT in participants who had experienced low SES in childhood. This association persisted after adjustment for a host of cardiovascular risk factors. It is concluded that the ill health-effects of psychological factors such as anger may be more pronounced in individuals who have been exposed to adverse socioeconomic circumstances early in life.We investigated the associations of anger and cynicism with carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT) and whether these associations were moderated by childhood or adulthood socioeconomic status (SES). The participants were 647 men and 893 women derived from the population-based Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study. Childhood SES was measured in 1980 when the participants were aged 3-18. In 2001, adulthood SES, anger, cynicism, and IMT were measured. There were no associations between anger or cynicism and IMT in the entire population, but anger was associated with thicker IMT in participants who had experienced low SES in childhood. This association persisted after adjustment for a host of cardiovascular risk factors. It is concluded that the ill health-effects of psychological factors such as anger may be more pronounced in individuals who have been exposed to adverse socioeconomic circumstances early in life.We investigated the associations of anger and cynicism with carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT) and whether these associations were moderated by childhood or adulthood socioeconomic status (SES). The participants were 647 men and 893 women derived from the population-based Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study. Childhood SES was measured in 1980 when the participants were aged 3-18. In 2001, adulthood SES, anger, cynicism, and IMT were measured. There were no associations between anger or cynicism and IMT in the entire population, but anger was associated with thicker IMT in participants who had experienced low SES in childhood. This association persisted after adjustment for a host of cardiovascular risk factors. It is concluded that the ill health-effects of psychological factors such as anger may be more pronounced in individuals who have been exposed to adverse socioeconomic circumstances early in life.Peer reviewe

Football in the community schemes: Exploring the effectiveness of an intervention in promoting healthful behaviour change

This study aims to examine the effectiveness of a Premier League football club’s Football in the Community (FitC) schemes intervention in promoting positive healthful behaviour change in children. Specifically, exploring the effectiveness of this intervention from the perspectives of the participants involved (i.e. the researcher, teachers, children and coaches). A range of data collection techniques were utilized including the principles of ethnography (i.e. immersion, engagement and observations), alongside conducting focus groups with the children. The results allude to the intervention merely ‘keeping active children active’ via (mostly) fun, football sessions. Results highlight the important contribution the ‘coach’ plays in the effectiveness of the intervention. Results relating to working practice (i.e. coaching practice and coach recruitment) are discussed and highlighted as areas to be addressed. FitC schemes appear to require a process of positive organizational change to increase their effectiveness in strategically attending to the health agenda

A systematic review and meta-analysis of interventions to increase physical activity in children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities

Background: Increasing physical activity (PA) through intervention can promote physical and mental health benefits in children and adolescents. However, children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities (ID) have consistently been shown to engage in low levels of PA, which are insufficient for long-term health. Despite this, little is known about the effectiveness of interventions to increase PA in children and adolescents with ID. The aims of this study were therefore to systematically review how effective interventions are at increasing PA levels in children and adolescents with ID and to further examine what components have been used in these interventions. Method: A systematic search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, Education Resources Information Center, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, PsychINFO, Cochrane Central Register for Controlled Trials and International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial Number trials registry was conducted (up to July 2016). Articles were included if they met the following eligibility criteria: children and adolescents (<18 years) with ID, measurement of PA at baseline and post-intervention and intervention studies. Effect sizes were calculated as standardised mean difference (d) and meta-analysis calculated between intervention and no treatment control intervention. Results: Five studies met the eligibility criteria and were included in the review. Study design, methodological quality and intervention components were varied. Interventions did not support sufficient changes in PA to improve health. The meta-analysis demonstrated that intervention groups were not more effective at increasing PA levels post-intervention (d: 2.20; 95% CI −0.57 to 0.97) compared with control. However, due to a decrease in PA in the control intervention, a moderate significant effect was demonstrated at follow-up (d: 0.49; 95% CI 0.14 to 0.84). Conclusions: There is a lack of studies which aim to increase PA levels in children and adolescents with ID, with current interventions ineffective. Future studies are required before accurate recommendations for appropriate intervention design and components can be made

A biographical approach to studying individual change and continuity in walking and cycling over the life course

Most research studies seeking to understand walking and cycling behaviours have used cross-sectional data to explain inter-individual differences at a particular point in time. Investigations of individual walking and cycling over time are limited, despite the fact that insights on this could be valuable for informing policies to support life-long walking and cycling. The lack of existing longitudinal data, difficulties associated with its collection and scepticism towards retrospective methods as a means to reconstruct past behavioural developments have all contributed to this deficit in knowledge. This issue is heightened when the time frame extends to longer term periods, or the life course in its entirety. This paper proposes and details a retrospective qualitative methodology that was used to study individual change and stability in walking and cycling within a life course framework. Biographical interviews supported by a life history calendar were developed and conducted with two adult birth cohorts. Interpretive, visual biographies were produced from the interview materials. Analysis focused on identifying the occurrence, context and timing of behavioural change and stability over the life course. Typologies of behavioural development were generated to resolve common and distinct behavioural patterns over the life course. Whilst the validity of reconstructed biographies of walking and cycling cannot be proven, this is an approach which offers credible and confirmable insights on how these behaviours increase, diminish, persist, cease, are restored or adapted through the life course, and how behavioural trajectories of walking and cycling may be evolving through historical time

Relationship of objective street quality attributes with youth physical activity: findings from the Healthy Communities Study

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/146411/1/ijpo12429.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/146411/2/ijpo12429_am.pd

Proximity to Sports Facilities and Sports Participation for Adolescents in Germany

Objectives - To assess the relationship between proximity to specific sports facilities and participation in the corresponding sports activities for adolescents in Germany. Methods - A sample of 1,768 adolescents aged 11–17 years old and living in 161 German communities was examined. Distances to the nearest sports facilities were calculated as an indicator of proximity to sports facilities using Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Participation in specific leisure-time sports activities in sports clubs was assessed using a self-report questionnaire and individual-level socio-demographic variables were derived from a parent questionnaire. Community-level socio-demographics as covariates were selected from the INKAR database, in particular from indicators and maps on land development. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine associations between proximity to the nearest sports facilities and participation in the corresponding sports activities. Results - The logisitic regression analyses showed that girls residing longer distances from the nearest gym were less likely to engage in indoor sports activities; a significant interaction between distances to gyms and level of urbanization was identified. Decomposition of the interaction term showed that for adolescent girls living in rural areas participation in indoor sports activities was positively associated with gym proximity. Proximity to tennis courts and indoor pools was not associated with participation in tennis or water sports, respectively. Conclusions - Improved proximity to gyms is likely to be more important for female adolescents living in rural areas

Number of years of participation in some, but not all, types of physical activity during adolescence predicts level of physical activity in adulthood: Results from a 13-year study

Abstract: Background: Adolescent physical activity (PA) levels track into adulthood. However it is not known if type of PA participated in during adolescence is associated with PA levels later in life. We aimed to identify natural groupings of types of PA and to assess whether number of years participating in these different groupings during adolescence is related to PA level in early adulthood. Methods: 673 adolescents in Montreal, Canada, age 12–13 years at baseline (54 % female), reported participation in 29 physical activities every 3 months over 5 years (1999–2005). They also reported their PA level at age 24 years (2011–12). PA groupings among the 29 physical activities were identified using factor analysis. The association between number of years participating in each grouping during adolescence and PA level at age 24 was estimated using linear regression within a general estimating equation framework. Results: Three PA groupings were identified: “sports”, “fitness and dance”, and “running”. There was a positive linear relationship between number of years participating in sports and running in adolescence and PA level at age 24 years (β (95 % confidence interval) = 0.09 (0.04-0.15); 0.08 (0.01-0.15), respectively). There was no relationship between fitness and dance in adolescence and PA level at age 24. Conclusions: The association between PA participation in adolescence and PA levels in young adulthood may be specific to certain PA types and to consistency of participation during adolescence. Results suggest that efforts to establish the habit of participation in sports and running in adolescence may promote higher PA levels in adulthood