Children's Health: Evaluating the Impact of Digital Technology. Final Report for Sunderland City Council.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Children’s Health project sponsored by the City of Sunderland Digital Challenge project examined the impact of providing health-focused digital technologies to children aged 11-15 years, in terms of their usage and requirements of such technologies, and their subsequent behavioural changes. The empirical study ran with three groups of six children over a period of seven weeks for each group. A console-based exercise game and an exercise-focused social website were used in the study and the focus was on opportunistic (unstructured/unplanned) exercise. The emergent findings are: • Data collected about physical activity must be more extensive than simple step counts. • Data collection technologies for activities must be ubiquitous but invisible. • Social interaction via technology is expected; positive messages reinforcing attainments of goals are valued; negative feedback is seen as demotivating. • participants were very open to sharing information (privacy was not a concern). • Authority figures have a significant impact on restricting adolescents’ use of technologies. This document reports the how the study was conducted, analyses the findings and draws conclusions from these regarding how to use digital technologies to improve and/or maintain the physical activity levels of children throughout their adolescence and on into adulthood. The appendices provide the detailed (anonymised) data collected during the study and the background literature review

Hypertext, navigation, and learning: a psychological perspective

Hypertext has the potential to revolutionise the way we organise and read texts. Indeed, hypertext’s non-linearity and enhanced learner control are regarded by many as being an enormous advantage over the traditional printed medium. However, there is evidence to suggest that users are unable to explore hypertext without experiencing navigational problems (Kim and Hirtle 1995).The research presented in this thesis examined some of the problems associated with navigation and learning in hypertext. As regards navigation, it was found that disorientation is a problem for hypertext users and that text structure affects navigation performance. Non-linear texts are a greater problem for users than hierarchical and mixed texts (hierarchical with a small number of cross referential links). It appears therefore, that although non-linear networks capture the real essence of hypertext, users are unable to manage the freedom they are given Disorientation also seems to be particularly marked for users who are unfamiliar with the subject matter of the text. However, the results show that the provision of localised spatial maps can minimise disorientation. As regards learning, the results showed that although non-linear texts create navigational problems and disrupt learning at acquisition, they can lead to good long-term retention. Indeed, the results suggest a dissociation between navigation and learning. That is, efficient navigation is not always a prerequisite of meaningful learning. Unfortunately, the results showed that subjects prefer linear text and believe that hypertext requires greater mental effort to understand largely because of the navigational problems it creates. One solution to this problem may be to provide some form of guidance such as a map. However, the structural information depicted in spatial maps does not appear to support learning. By contrast, a conceptual map can reduce (but not eradicate) disorientation and enhance learning at both acquisition and retention

Sustained home visiting for vulnerable families and children: a literature review of effective programs

Parenting young children has become a more complex and stressful business, especially for those families in our community with the least resources (Grose, 2006; Hayes et al, 2010; Poole, 2004; Richardson & Prior, 2005; Trask, 2010). A widening gap exists between families that function well and those that are vulnerable. The paradox of service delivery for children and families is that vulnerable families – that is, those families with the greatest needs – are also the least likely to be able to access those services (Ghate & Hazel, 2002; Fram, 2003). A range of barriers exist for vulnerable and at risk families in making use of services (Carbone et al, 2004). One of the key barriers to vulnerable families accessing services is that many find it difficult to relate to the formal service system and are easily alienated by practices others find acceptable. Research regarding parents’ experiences of support services suggests that parents want services where they are simultaneously cared for and enabled in their role as parents, and to receive services characterised by empathy, competence, functionality, respect, flexibility and honesty (Attide-Stirling et al, 2001; Winkworth et al, 2009). Vulnerable parents fear a loss of autonomy in their interactions with support services and want services that are non-judgemental and that provide continuity of care (Ghate & Hazel, 2002; von Bultzingslowen, 2006). In addition to the barriers faced by vulnerable and marginalised families in accessing services, the system does not work in an integrated or coherent fashion to ensure that all children and families needing support receive it. Furthermore, the vast majority of services for children and families in Australia do not have an outreach function, that is, a means of engaging these vulnerable and at risk families who are in need of support but use services inconsistently or not at all. In short, the service system was not designed to meet the needs of vulnerable families within the context of a rapidly changing social and economic climate. Therefore, many families requiring support are not receiving it. A research collaboration between the Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth (ARACY), the Centre for Health Equity Research and Evaluation (CHETRE) and the Centre for Community Child Health (CCCH

Utilizing a Structuration Perspective to Examine Perceptions of Labor Market Opportunities & Constraints in a Distressed Urban Neighborhood

The purpose of this study is to understand how members of an urban extreme poverty neighborhood experience the labor market and how they perceive the role of social policies and institutions that attempt to facilitate or mediate employment opportunities. Residents of extreme poverty neighborhoods have been the subject of numerous public policy efforts designed to ameliorate the geographic concentration of poverty as well as strategies to promote work participation based on existing theoretical models of how work participation can be induced. It is argued that the predominant theoretical models that shape inquiry and the development of policy recommendations are incomplete and that adoption of a new orientation may offer additional insight. It is further argued that the use of a structuration perspective to guide research inquiry may extend existing knowledge and facilitate the development of responsive social policies and practice strategies (Wilson, 1995). A structuration perspective guides the researcher to analyze the labor market participation of a stigmatized group with a different lens. It recommends focusing on the individual’s perceptions of how labor market engagement is constrained and enabled by structural properties. It further recommends attending to the resiliency of individuals by examining how participants respond to such constraints: how they are navigated, how they are transformed, and how they are reproduced. The research design may best be described as an instrumental single case study using qualitative methods (Creswell, 1998). The focus of the study is the experiences of residents in one bounded community; it relies on multiple sources of data and closely attends to how the phenomenon is embedded within the social-political context. The goal of the research is to develop new understanding and build or extend theory. In-depth interviews were conducted with 25 residents, 11 community based service providers or program and policy administrators, and 1 staff person of an elected city official. A purposive sampling strategy was utilized. To increase the likelihood that diverse perspectives were captured among residents, variation was sought in employment and housing status, age, gender, and use of public benefits. An elite sampling strategy was utilized with city program administrators and service providers nominated by residents based on their identified role in the community or their capacity to provide rich information. Interviews were taped and all audiotapes were fully transcribed. Data were analyzed using Atlas.ti qualititative data analysis software. Rigor was achieved by meeting Lincoln and Guba\u27s (1985) standards for assessing the trustworthiness of interpretive research. This study highlights constraints and how people respond to them. Residents of the extreme poverty neighborhood interviewed for this study face significant stressors and challenges simply to live safely in their neighborhood. There are a number of responses by residents to these challenges, including learning how to live within the context of those constraints, working to change those constraints for members of their community by contributing personal strengths and resources, or by trying to leave. Residents of the neighborhood also report significant employment barriers that are constraining. The residents and service providers alike respond in various ways, including trying to dismantle those barriers, managing within the context of those barriers, or giving up. Service providers and city administrators have tools to intervene but can feel similarly constrained by limited resources, lack of flexibility in how resources can be utilized, program rules and practices, and imposed outcome requirements that occasionally seem counterproductive to shared goals. In each instance, whether responding to the challenges of living within an extreme poverty neighborhood or by responding to employment barriers, residents and service providers require additional supports and resources to strengthen their existing efforts

Use of Dietary and Herbal Supplements in Older Adults with Osteoarthritis

Over the past several decades, older adults with Osteoarthritis (OA) have increasingly used more natural products in an effort to manage chronic pain. The theoretical framework for this study was the Lazarus and Folkman transactional theory of stress and coping. This framework was chosen based on the belief that older adults with OA are taking natural products as an active problem solving coping strategy to manage the pain, disability, and alterations they experience in their health related quality life including functional status, physical symptoms, emotional health, and social functioning. Older adults also take prescription medications for Osteoarthritis and a variety of other medical conditions and may not report them to their health care provider, which puts them at a significant risk for drug interactions. The sample of 204 participants diagnosed with OA resided in Southern Mississippi and had visited one of three rheumatology clinics or had participated in local community activities. The participants completed the questionnaire and returned it by mail. The questionnaire was a consolidation of demographic questions and questions related to the types of natural products and prescription medications taken, visual analog scale (VAS) for pain, the Pain Disability Index (PDI) and the Arthritis Impact Measurement Scale 2 Short Form (AIMS2 - SF). Data analysis revealed the majority of participants were females aged 61 to 80 who were White, Non-Hispanic, married and had a High School or GED level of education, and rated their health as being good. Forty-nine per cent of the participants reported taking natural products and prescription medications concurrently to relieve pain. Thirty-five per cent of the participants reported only taking natural products. Findings indicate participants with higher levels of pain, pain disability, and lower HRQOL are continuing to seek treatments to manage their chronic pain, pain disability, and HRQOL. The majority of the participants (65.7%) did not report use to health care providers underscoring the need for health care providers to question their patients about use of natural products and to educate them on potential adverse side effects with prescription medications

Retrospective protocols in usability testing: a comparison of Post-session RTA versus Post-task RTA reports

We present the results of a study that compared two placements of the Retrospective Think-aloud (RTA): A Post-session RTA where the think-aloud occurs after all tasks are complete, and a Post-task RTA where the think-aloud is elicited after each task. Data from task performance and verbal measures were collected from 24 participants. The results suggest that in terms of task performance, participants in the Post-session RTA condition performed tasks faster, with fewer errors and fewer clicks than in the Post-task RTA condition. In terms of utterances, participants in the Post-task RTA condition produced significantly more utterances that explained actions, expectations and procedural descriptions than in the Post-session RTA condition

E-COMMERCE READINESS OF SMEs IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES: A MODEL-DRIVEN SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEW (34)

It is important that modern IS decision making is accomplished using a systematic evaluation of research. A Model Driven Systematic Literature Review (MD-SLR) was used to examine the factors that influence e-commerce adoption readiness of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in developing countries. An initial review of commonly used theories of e-commerce adoption and e-readiness assessment theories was conducted to provide the model driving the MD-SLR. During the MD-SLR evidence was sought from all relevant empirical qualitative studies identified to refine the initial model based on evidence. The evidence supported the existence of internal SME factors (such as: awareness, commitment, technological resources, size of organisation, business resources, social relationship, relational complexities and human resources) and external factors (such as government readiness, market forces, supporting industries). New factors emerged: power supply instability, social and relationships, family support, political uncertainty, and cultural issues

Barking Up the Wrong Tree: A Qualitative Study of the Potential for Dog-Owner Technology

Current approaches to dog technology are predominantly aimed at owners monitoring and remotely engaging their dogs to prevent boredom when they are left home alone. The potential of technology to enhance the collocated dog-human experience has received little attention. This paper discusses a qualitative study with 10 owners and their dogs, exploring how technology could be used to enhance dog-human interaction in the home. Results highlight that dog toys are actually targeted at play involving both dog and owner; that playful interactions between dogs and owners focus on increasing bonding and affective symbiosis; and that the play isn’t the point for neither dog nor human, the relationship is. The study concludes that dog-human technology for collocated enjoyable interaction will be significantly different than that used in remote human-dog interaction and requires further work