Decent and good work in the platform economy: private hire and taxi work in Nottingham

During 2018 and 2019 a research team at Nottingham Trent University (NTU) conducted research concerning working conditions for private hire and Hackney taxi drivers in Nottingham, England. Our findings are informed by an exploratory literature review and in-depth interviews with eight individuals from four local drivers’ organisations, Nottingham City Council, and an organisation supporting students on nights out. This data was used to explore drivers’ working conditions, to which established criteria for ‘Good Work’ and ‘Decent Work’ were applied, subsequently considering possible strategies for improvement

Digital and life sciences skills in D2N2: labour market intelligence report for Nottingham College

This report assesses the national, regional and local labour market in the digital and life sciences sectors in support of a proposal to deliver a Skills Accelerator Programme as part of the Strategic Development Fund (SDF). To do so, the report includes an extensive review of the relevant research and policy literature and a detailed analysis of regional and local data. We examine demand from the perspective of the employer and not the potential student. That is, the report is concerned with the demand for labour and not the demand for courses

Psychological wellbeing and safety in a global context: a rapid evidence assessment

Psychological wellbeing is a key dimension which impacts on the productivity and work experiences of employees within safety-critical sectors. This rapid evidence assessment has reviewed the academic and grey literature globally to establish key factors that impact on mental health across five sectors responsible for critical social and economic infrastructure – maritime/energy; construction; engineering; food and digital. Structural factors in the organization of workplaces and safety practices impact upon the psychological wellbeing of employees and are in turn affected by the emotional and behavioural consequences and diminished psychological wellbeing. The Power Threat Meaning Framework (PTMF) provides a way of modelling this relationship that avoids some of the difficulties inherent in global approaches to mental health. The evidence clearly shows that psychosocial factors play a central role in mediating the relationship between structural aspects of the working environment and psychological wellbeing. Whilst there is wide variability in the efficacy of interventions attempted across the sectors explored, in general, strategies which employ a holistic approach to psychological wellbeing generally demonstrate better outcomes. On the basis of the available evidence, we recommend that interventions proceed by identifying and modelling the specific configuration of psychosocial factors within a given sector or organization. We further recommend that participation in interventions is facilitated collaboratively, and designed across all levels within the organization. The 4th Industrial Revolution offers many challenges to all the sectors explored and is generally considered in terms of the direct and indirect threats it poses to psychological wellbeing through exacerbating existing workplace inequalities. However, technological changes also offer innovative means through which mental health may be monitored. The evidence base also provides some key lessons for the transitions every sector will have to make during and in recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic

The impact of COVID-19 on psychological wellbeing in occupational contexts

The need to address the relationship between psychological wellbeing and safety in the workplace is well established. The COVID-19 pandemic has intensified this need across the majority of sectors because of the unique and myriad challenges it has presented, including multiple lockdowns, changing working practices and social isolation amongst employees

An exploration of how adolescents experience and reason their parents' comments on their weight, shape, and eating

Introduction: Disordered eating among adolescents is of increasing concern given associated physical and mental health sequelae. Cognitions underlying disordered eating are formed in childhood and adolescence. Parents are a significant presence during this period, so it is critical to understand how they influence their adolescent's eating cognitions and behaviors. Methods: Qualitative analysis using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) methodology was employed to consider the lived experiences of 10 Australian adolescents (14-19 years), 60% female, as they engaged with their parents in a range of weight, shape, and eating communications. Results: Our inductive IPA revealed three key themes representing adolescents' experiences and meaning-making: Parents as Influencers-adolescents acknowledged parents are influencers (objects) within a wider context of community and cultural norms (symbols) and can be protective for peer influence on body image ideals; Expression and Perception-the "what" (weight-talk as an object) and the "how" (objects as independent influences) of gendered parental communication related to health and fitness ideals and illustrated diverse interpretations of both verbal and non-verbal expression; and Fertile Soil and Maturity-the adolescent's characteristics and context influence perceptions of communication, a fear of deviating from norms, and an overarching focus on being "healthy" yet not always knowing what that was. Perception of bidirectional communication also offered valuable insights into potential dangers through family loyalty and in-group permissions. Conclusions: Findings highlight implications for the nuanced influence of parental communication and illustrate the pivotal role of parents within the bioecosystem of adolescent development

Associations between parents' body weight/shape comments and disordered eating amongst adolescents over time : a longitudinal study

Parents are key influencers of adolescents’ attitudes on weight, shape, and eating, and make more positive than negative comments, with negative comments most impactful. This study examined prospective unique associations of parental positive and negative comments in a community sample of adolescents with paediatric psychosocial quality of life (PED-QoL), Eating Disorder Weight/Shape Cognitions (EDEQ-WS), BMI percentile, and Psychological Distress (K10) scales. Data were from 2056 adolescents from the EveryBODY study cohort. Multiple regressions were conducted for the impacts of parental positive and negative comments on four dependent variables at one year after controlling for their stage of adolescence (early, middle, late). Multiple imputation and bootstrapping were used for handling missing data and violations of normality. Results indicated that positive maternal comments on eating were associated with increased EDCs and better quality of life at one year. Paternal positive weight shape comments were associated with a decrease in psychological distress, but positive eating comments saw a decrease in quality of life. Findings highlight the nuances of parental comments and how these are perceived and interpreted, and could alert health care workers and family practitioners who have weight, shape, and eating conversations to be aware of the potential influence of their communication

Prevalence of parental comments on weight/shape/eating amongst sons and daughters in an adolescent sample

Reports suggest that 12–76% of adolescents have experienced parental comments regarding their weight/shape and/or eating behaviours. Parents may engage in conversations about weight/shape and eating out of concern, even without any ill intent; however, the associations of these comments with subsequent problematic psychosocial and eating behaviours are evidenced. Therefore, an in-depth understanding of the content and prevalence of such comments is needed. To date, adolescent-reported prevalence estimates have not included differentiation between mother or father and sons or daughters, nor have they considered eating-focussed comments. This study considered the prevalence of positive and negative parental commentary regarding weight/shape and eating with a focus on parental origin. A total of 2287 Australian male and female adolescents participated via a self-report survey. Adolescents reported frequent positive comments on weight/shape and on eating, most commonly maternal positive comments on weight/shape (78%; 95% CI 77–80). Daughters reported significantly more maternal comments on weight/shape (positive and negative) as well as more negative eating comments from mothers than did sons. Sons reported significantly more negative weight/shape comments from fathers than did daughters. Some negative comments increased significantly with age. These findings support a notable prevalence of reported parental weight/shape and eating comments directed at their offspring, particularly from mothers