Uncovering motivators and stumbling blocks: Exploring the clinical research experiences of speech-language pathologists

Purpose : Healthcare providers increasingly expect that allied health staff will not only translate research evidence into their clinical practice, but also generate research. Little is known about how well prepared clinicians are to meet these expectations. Research suggests that allied health professionals, including speech-language pathologists, have moderate levels of interest in research, but only little-to-moderate experience participating in research activities. The present study aimed to explore the experiences and attitudes of speech-language pathologists in regards to undertaking research in their clinical settings

OER Action Plan for Kansas State University’s Open Alternative Textbook Initiative

This report submitted in completion of the Open Educational Network's OER Librarian Certification program examines the K-State Open Alternative Textbook Initiative (OATI) and its needs past, present, and future. It creates a list of goals and proposes new metrics for that will help bring the project into its 10th year (2023) with success, community, and sustainability in mind. The report is written from the perspective of the Scholarly Communication and Copyright Librarian who has met the administrative needs of the project since February of 2020. This report serves as a checklist and proposal moving forward but also as a resource to other OER librarians/enthusiasts interested in the administration and future of the OATI. The introduction provides an overview on how K-State administers its program, followed by sections that lay out needs and possible solutions for moving forward with the project, and it ends with an appendix that provides an overview of OATI reporting and administration. The documents in the appendices are licensed from the Open Alternative Textbook Initiative for others to reuse in their OER efforts

Evaluation of the Adult Learning Grant cohort 1 (waves 1 and 2)

"The Adult Learning Grant (ALG) was announced as part of the Government’s Skills Strategy in 2003. The ALG pilot began in September 2003 in ten areas across England. The ALG aims to support adults in learning through the offer of a meanstested monetary allowance... Throughout the report (except for ALG experiences), [this] analysis focuses on comparisons between ALG applicants (or sub-groups: awardees or recipients) and qualification-eligible non-applicants." -- pp. i & iii

Evaluation of the Adult Learning Grant cohort 2 (wave 1)

"The Centre for Research in Social Policy (CRSP) at Loughborough University and the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) are evaluating ALG on behalf of the Department for Education and Skills and the National Office of the Learning and Skills Council... The Adult Learning Grant (ALG) aims to support adults who have not yet obtained their first Level 2 or first Level 3 qualification. The ALG is intended to help adults with the additional costs of learning (for example, books, travel) through the provision of a means-tested monetary grant." - pp. i-ii

Translating the Diabetes Prevention Program into the Community The DEPLOY Pilot Study

Background The Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) found that an intensive lifestyle intervention can reduce the development of diabetes by more than half in adults with prediabetes, but there is little information about the feasibility of offering such an intervention in community settings. This study evaluated the delivery of a group-based DPP lifestyle intervention in partnership with the YMCA. Methods This pilot cluster-randomized trial was designed to compare group-based DPP lifestyle intervention delivery by the YMCA to brief counseling alone (control) in adults who attended a diabetes risk-screening event at one of two semi-urban YMCA facilities and who had a BMI ≥24 kg/m2, ≥2 diabetes risk factors, and a random capillary blood glucose of 110–199 mg/dL. Multivariate regression was used to compare between-group differences in changes in body weight, blood pressures, HbA1c, total cholesterol, and HDL-cholesterol after 6 and 12 months. Results Among 92 participants, controls were more often women (61% vs 50%) and of nonwhite race (29% vs 7%). After 6 months, body weight decreased by 6.0% (95% CI=4.7, 7.3) in intervention participants and 2.0% (95% CI=0.6, 3.3) in controls (p<0.001; difference between groups). Intervention participants also had greater changes in total cholesterol (–22 mg/dL vs +6 mg/dL controls; p<0.001). These differences were sustained after 12 months, and adjustment for differences in race and gender did not alter these findings. With only two matched YMCA sites, it was not possible to adjust for potential clustering by site. Conclusions The YMCA may be a promising channel for wide-scale dissemination of a low-cost approach to lifestyle diabetes prevention

Teaching With Data in the Social Sciences at Kansas State University: How Can K-State Libraries Support Undergraduate Instruction?

K-State Libraries established a local research team to partner with Ithaka S+R on their multi-institutional study on teaching with data in the social sciences. The project was developed to gather information about how undergraduate instructors in the social sciences taught with and about quantitative data. The team hoped to establish baseline knowledge of faculty needs when teaching with data in order to inform our development of research data services. While this report focused on our institution, we hope the recommendations will be useful for librarians at other institutions as well

Effect of Self-Efficacy on Weight Loss: A Psychosocial Analysis of a Community-Based Adaptation of the Diabetes Prevention Program Lifestyle Intervention

Objective. Weight loss is the most effective approach to reducing diabetes risk. It is a research priority to identify factors that may enhance weight loss success, particularly among those at risk for diabetes. This analysis explored the relationships between self-efficacy, weight loss, and dietary fat intake among adults at risk for developing type 2 diabetes. Methods. This pilot, site-randomized trial was designed to compare group-based Diabetes Prevention Program lifestyle intervention delivery by YMCA staff to brief counseling alone (control) in 92 adults at risk for diabetes (BMI ≥ 24 kg/m2, ≥ 2 diabetes risk factors, and a random capillary blood glucose of 110–199 mg/dl). Self-efficacy was measured using the Weight Efficacy Lifestyle questionnaire. Data were collected at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months. A paired t test was used to determine within-group changes in self-efficacy and weight at 6 and 12 months. Using a fitted model, we estimated how much of an increase in self-efficacy was related to a 5% weight reduction at 6 and 12 months. Results. Self-efficacy was associated with a 5% reduction in baseline weight at 6 and 12 months but was not related to fat intake. Conclusion. These findings suggest that it is important to assess the level of self-efficacy when counseling adults at high risk for diabetes about weight loss. Certain aspects of self-efficacy seem to play a greater role, depending on the stage of weight loss

Do automated digital health behaviour change interventions have a positive effect on self-efficacy? A systematic review and meta-analysis

© 2019 Taylor & Francis. This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Health Psychology Review on 20/01/2020, available online: https://doi.org/10.1080/17437199.2019.1705873.Self-efficacy is an important determinant of health behaviour. Digital interventions are a potentially acceptable and cost-effective way of delivering programmes of health behaviour change at scale. Whether behaviour change interventions work to increase self-efficacy in this context is unknown. This systematic review and meta-analysis sought to identify whether automated digital interventions are associated with positive changes in self-efficacy amongst non-clinical populations for five major health behaviours, and which BCTs are associated with that change. A systematic literature search identified 20 studies (n=5624) that assessed changes in self-efficacy and were included in a random effects meta-analysis. Interventions targeted: healthy eating (k=4), physical activity (k=9), sexual behaviour (k=3), and smoking (k=4). No interventions targeting alcohol use were identified. Overall, interventions had a small, positive effect on self-efficacy (푔 = 0.190, CI [0.078; 0.303]). The effect of interventions on self-efficacy did not differ as a function of health behaviour type (Qbetween = 7.3704 p = 0.061, df = 3). Inclusion of the BCT ‘information about social and environmental consequences’ had a small, negative effect on self-efficacy (Δ푔= - 0.297, Q=7.072, p=0.008). Whilst this review indicates that digital interventions can be used to change self-efficacy, which techniques work best in this context is not clear.Peer reviewedFinal Accepted Versio

Mental health service use among mothers involved in public family law proceedings: linked data cohort study in South London 2007-2019

PURPOSE: Mental health problems and substance misuse are common among the mothers of children who experience court-mandated placement into care in England, yet there is limited research characterising these health needs to inform evidence-based policy. In this descriptive study, we aimed to generate evidence about the type, severity, and timing of mental health and substance misuse needs among women involved in public family law proceedings concerning child placement into care ('care proceedings'). METHODS: This is a retrospective, matched cohort study using linked family court and mental health service records for 2137 (66%) of the 3226 women involved in care proceedings between 2007 and 2019 in the South London and Maudsley NHS Mental Health Trust (SLaM) catchment area. We compared mental health service use and risk of dying with 17,096 female-matched controls who accessed SLaM between 2007 and 2019, aged 16-55 years, and were not involved in care proceedings. RESULTS: Most women (79%) were known to SLaM before care proceedings began. Women had higher rates of schizophrenia spectrum disorders (19% vs 11% matched controls), personality disorders (21% vs 11%), and substance misuse (33% vs 12%). They were more likely to have a SLaM inpatient admission (27% vs 14%) or to be sectioned (19% vs 8%). Women had a 2.15 (95% CI 1.68-2.74) times greater hazard of dying, compared to matched controls, adjusted for age. CONCLUSION: Women involved in care proceedings experience a particularly high burden of severe and complex mental health and substance misuse need. Women's increased risk of mortality following proceedings highlights that interventions responding to maternal mental health and substance misuse within family courts should offer continued, long-term support