Write, draw, show, and tell: a child-centred dual methodology to explore perceptions of out-of-school physical activity

Background Research to increase children’s physical activity and inform intervention design has, to date, largely underrepresented children’s voices. Further, research has been limited to singular qualitative methods that overlook children’s varied linguistic ability and interaction preference. The aim of this study was to use a novel combination of qualitative techniques to explore children’s current views, experiences and perceptions of out-of-school physical activity as well as offering formative opinion about future intervention design. Methods Write, draw, show and tell (WDST) groups were conducted with 35 children aged 10–11 years from 7 primary schools. Data were analysed through a deductive and inductive process, firstly using the Youth Physical Activity Promotion Model as a thematic framework, and then inductively to enable emergent themes to be further explored. Pen profiles were constructed representing key emergent themes. Results The WDST combination of qualitative techniques generated complimentary interconnected data which both confirmed and uncovered new insights into factors relevant to children’s out-of-school physical activity. Physical activity was most frequently associated with organised sports. Fun, enjoyment, competence, and physical activity provision were all important predictors of children’s out-of-school physical activity. Paradoxically, parents served as both significant enablers (i.e. encouragement) and barriers (i.e. restricting participation) to physical activity participation. Some of these key findings would have otherwise remained hidden when compared to more traditional singular methods based approaches. Conclusions Parents are in a unique position to promote health promoting behaviours serving as role models, physical activity gatekeepers and choice architects. Given the strong socialising effect parents have on children’s physical activity, family-based physical activity intervention may offer a promising alternative compared to traditional school-based approaches. Parents' qualitative input is important to supplement children’s voices and inform future family-based intervention design. The WDST method developed here is an inclusive, interactive and child-centred methodology which facilitates the exploration of a wide range of topics and enhances data credibility

Catalyzed Hydrothermal Carbonization with Process Liquid Recycling

Catalyzed hydrothermal carbonization (CHTC) was used to produce hydrochar biofuel from wood chips at 240 °C in 1 h batches that included recycling of the process liquid. Infrared spectra showed changes in the chemical structure consistent with dehydration and decarboxylation. The CHTC hydrochar had higher heating values (HHV) of 28.3 MJ/kg, energy yield of 64%, and hydrogen-to-carbon (H/C) and oxygen-to-carbon (O/C) ratios similar to those of coal. The same process without the catalyst (HTC) produced a hydrochar with HHV of 27 MJ/kg, energy yield of 57%, and H/C and O/C ratios similar to those of lignite. Partial recycling of the CHTC process liquid resulted in a 5% increase in the energy yield; elemental composition, HHV, and scanning electron microscopic images of the CHTC hydrochar for different recycles were indistinguishable. Densified CHTC hydrochar pellets were 97% durable and hydrophobic when compared with wood pellets and torrefied-wood pellets, which was shown by water ingress measurements using an electrochemical cell with pellet electrodes. The CHTC process with recycling has the potential to provide a green hydrochar biofuel with excellent handling, storage, and transportation properties, that could be a suitable direct replacement for coal

Production of Organic Compounds through Catalyzed Hydrothermal Carbonization of Woody Biomass

Catalyzed hydrothermal carbonization of woody biomass produces hydrochar and valuable aqueous products (VAPs) that could potentially be harvested to facilitate commercialization of the process. Acetic acid, formic acid, glycolic acid, levulinic acid, 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furfural, and furfural are potential VAPs found in the process liquid. Recycling the process liquid increased the yields of VAPs not associated with hydrochar production, except for formic acid. Yields increased with liquid-to-biomass ratio peaking at 10:1 for all but levulinic acid. The higher-heating-value of the hydrochar, (27.6 ± 0.3) MJ/kg, was not affected by recycling or liquid-to-biomass ratio. Energy yield of catalyzed hydrothermal carbonization increased from 72% to 80% when the process liquid was recycled. Energy yields for hydrochar production increased by 12 percentage points when the liquid-to-biomass ratio was decreased from 12:1 to 3:1

A randomized clinical trial of the effects of parent mentors on early childhood obesity: Study design and baseline data

BACKGROUND: Few effective community-based interventions exist for early childhood obesity. Parent mentors have been successful as an intervention for other conditions, but have not been used for childhood obesity. We designed an intervention for early childhood obesity using parent mentors and a positive outlier approach to assess potential efficacy, feasibility, and acceptability. METHODS: This trial enrolled obese (≥95(th) BMI percentile for age and gender) 2-5-year-old children in a Head Start program and their parents, with allocation to either parent mentors trained in positively deviant behaviors regarding childhood obesity, or community health workers delivering health education on obesity-related behaviors. The primary outcome is body mass index z-score change at the six-month follow-up assessment. Secondary outcomes include feeding behaviors and practices, health-related quality of life, dietary intake, and participation levels. RESULTS: We enrolled three parent mentors and 60 parent-child dyads. The population is 100% Hispanic; 44% of parents speak Spanish as their primary language and 45% were not high-school graduates. Children had a reported median vegetable and fruit intake of 0.3 and 1.1 cups per day, respectively, at baseline, and a median daily screen time of three hours. There was no intergroup difference in quality-of-life scores at baseline. Retention has been high, at 90% at three months. CONCLUSIONS: In this randomized trial of the effects of parent mentors on early childhood obesity, parent-child dyads from an underserved, Hispanic population were successfully enrolled through a partnership with a Head Start organization, with a high retention rate