58 research outputs found
Framework, principles and recommendations for utilising participatory methodologies in the co-creation and evaluation of public health interventions
Background:
Due to the chronic disease burden on society, there is a need for preventive public health interventions to stimulate society towards a healthier lifestyle. To deal with the complex variability between individual lifestyles and settings, collaborating with end-users to develop interventions tailored to their unique circumstances has been suggested as a potential way to improve effectiveness and adherence. Co-creation of public health interventions using participatory methodologies has shown promise but lacks a framework to make this process systematic. The aim of this paper was to identify and set key principles and recommendations for systematically applying participatory methodologies to co-create and evaluate public health interventions.
Methods:
These principles and recommendations were derived using an iterative reflection process, combining key learning from published literature in addition to critical reflection on three case studies conducted by research groups in three European institutions, all of whom have expertise in co-creating public health interventions using different participatory methodologies.
Results:
Key principles and recommendations for using participatory methodologies in public health intervention co-creation are presented for the stages of: Planning (framing the aim of the study and identifying the appropriate sampling strategy); Conducting (defining the procedure, in addition to manifesting ownership); Evaluating (the process and the effectiveness) and Reporting (providing guidelines to report the findings). Three scaling models are proposed to demonstrate how to scale locally developed interventions to a population level.
Conclusions:
These recommendations aim to facilitate public health intervention co-creation and evaluation utilising participatory methodologies by ensuring the process is systematic and reproducible
The establishment of the Standard Cosmological Model through observations
Over the last decades, observations with increasing quality have
revolutionized our understanding of the general properties of the Universe.
Questions posed for millenia by mankind about the origin, evolution and
structure of the cosmos have found an answer. This has been possible mainly
thanks to observations of the Cosmic Microwave Background, of the large-scale
distribution of matter structure in the local Universe, and of type Ia
supernovae that have revealed the accelerated expansion of the Universe. All
these observations have successfully converged into the so-called "concordance
model". In spite of all these observational successes, there are still some
important open problems, the most obvious of which are what generated the
initial matter inhomogeneities that led to the structure observable in today's
Universe, and what is the nature of dark matter, and of the dark energy that
drives the accelerated expansion. In this chapter I will expand on the previous
aspects. I will present a general description of the Standard Cosmological
Model of the Universe, with special emphasis on the most recent observations
that have us allowed to consolidate this model. I will also discuss the
shortfalls of this model, its most pressing open questions, and will briefly
describe the observational programmes that are being planned to tackle these
issues.Comment: Accepted for publication in the book "Reviews in Frontiers of Modern
Astrophysics: From Space Debris to Cosmology" (eds Kabath, Jones and Skarka;
publisher Springer Nature) funded by the European Union Erasmus+ Strategic
Partnership grant "Per Aspera Ad Astra Simul" 2017-1-CZ01-KA203-03556
Experiences of lifestyle change among women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM): A behavioural diagnosis using the COM-B model in a low-income setting
Lifestyle change can reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes among women with prior
gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). While understanding women’s lived experiences and
views around GDM is critical to the development of behaviour change interventions to
reduce this risk, few studies have addressed this issue in low- and middle- income countries.
The aim of the study was to explore women’s lived experiences of GDM and the feasibility of
sustained lifestyle modification after GDM in a low-income setting
Policies and clinical practices relating to the management of gestational diabetes mellitus in the public health sector, South Africa – a qualitative study
BACKGROUND: Women with a prior gestational diabetes have an increased lifetime risk of developing type 2
diabetes. Although post-partum follow-up for GDM women is essential to prevent progression to type 2 diabetes, it
is poorly attended. The need for health systems interventions to support postpartum follow-up for GDM women is
evident, but there is little knowledge of actual current practice. The aim of this study was to explore current policies
and clinical practices relating to antenatal and post-natal care for women with GDM in South Africa, as well as
health sector stakeholders’ perspectives on the barriers to – and opportunities for – delivering an integrated
mother - baby health service that extends beyond the first week post-partum, to the infant’s first year of life.
METHODS: Following a document review of policy and clinical practice guidelines, in-depth interviews were
conducted with 11 key informants who were key policy makers, health service managers and clinicians working in
the public health services in South Africa’s two major cities (Johannesburg and Cape Town). Data were analysed
using qualitative content analysis procedures.
RESULTS: The document review and interviews established that it is policy that health services adhere to
international guidelines for GDM diagnosis and management, in addition to locally developed guidelines and
protocols for clinical practice. All key informants confirmed that lack of postpartum follow-up for GDM women is a
significant problem. Health systems barriers include fragmentation of care and the absence of standardised
postnatal care for post-GDM women. Key informants also raised patient - related challenges including lack of
perceived future risk of developing type 2 diabetes and non-attendance for postpartum follow up, as barriers to
postnatal care for GDM women. All participants supported integrated primary health services but cautioned against
overloading health workers.
CONCLUSION: Although there is alignment between international guidelines, local policy and reported clinical
practice in the management of GDM, there is a gap in continuation of care in the postpartum period. Health
systems interventions that support and facilitate active follow-up for women with prior GDM are needed if high
rates of progression to type 2 diabetes are to be avoided
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