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Capacity development is critical to long-term conservation success, yet we lack a robust and rigorous understanding of how well its effects are being evaluated. A comprehensive summary of who is monitoring and evaluating capacity development interventions, what is being evaluated and how, would help in the development of evidence-based guidance to inform design and implementation decisions for future capacity development interventions and evaluations of their effectiveness. We built an evidence map by reviewing peer-reviewed and grey literature published since 2000, to identify case studies evaluating capacity development interventions in biodiversity conservation and natural resource management. We used inductive and deductive approaches to develop a coding strategy for studies that met our criteria, extracting data on the type of capacity development intervention, evaluation methods, data and analysis types, categories of outputs and outcomes assessed, and whether the study had a clear causal model and/or used a systems approach. We found that almost all studies assessed multiple outcome types: most frequent was change in knowledge, followed by behaviour, then attitude. Few studies evaluated conservation outcomes. Less than half included an explicit causal model linking interventions to expected outcomes. Half of the studies considered external factors that could influence the efficacy of the capacity development intervention, and few used an explicit systems approach. We used framework synthesis to situate our evidence map within the broader literature on capacity development evaluation. Our evidence map (including a visual heat map) highlights areas of low and high representation in investment in research on the evaluation of capacity development.
Background: Spinal cord compression from degenerative cervical myelopathy is characterized by progressive loss of hand dexterity, alongside changes in the metabolite profiles in the brain and spinal cord. Correlating the changing metabolite profile with measures of dexterity following decompression surgery may assist in identifying which patients may benefit most from surgery. Methods: Thirty operative myelopathy patients consented to receive spectroscopy and GRASSP-M dexterity assessments both preoperatively and 6-weeks postoperatively. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (TE=135) was performed in the motor cortex using a 3 Tesla Siemens MRI scanner at Robarts Research Institute. Spearman correlations were used to evaluate associations between metabolite levels and dexterity (p<0.05 was considered significant). Paired two-tailed Student t-tests were used to assess for postoperative changes in metabolite levels. Results: Postoperatively, we observed a statistically significant (p<0.05) negative correlation (r=-0.44) between the N-acetylaspartate-to-creatine ratio (NAA/Cr) and GRASSP-M dexterity scores. There was no significant difference in NAA, Cr, or NAA/Cr postoperatively. Conclusions: These findings demonstrate that patients with lower postoperative NAA/Cr usually have better recovery of dexterity. This link between the myelopathic metabolite profile and clinically meaningful dexterity values requires further investigation to understand the role of both NAA and Cr in mechanisms of postoperative recovery from myelopathy.
Delineating the proximal urethra can be critical for radiotherapy planning but is challenging on computerised tomography (CT) imaging.
Materials and methods:
We trialed a novel non-invasive technique to allow visualisation of the proximal urethra using a rapid sequence magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) protocol to visualise the urinary flow in patients voiding during the simulation scan.
Results:
Of the seven patients enrolled, four were able to void during the MRI scan. For these four patients, direct visualisation of urinary flow through the proximal urethra was achieved. The average volume of the proximal urethra contoured on voiding MRI was significantly higher than the proximal urethra contoured on CT, 4·07 and 1·60 cc, respectively (p = 0·02). The proximal urethra location also differed; the Dice coefficient average was 0·28 (range 0–0·62).
Findings:
In this small, proof-of-concept prospective clinical trial, the volume and location of the proximal urethra differed significantly when contoured on a voiding MRI scan compared to that determined by a conventional CT simulation. The shape of the proximal urethra on voiding MRI may be more anatomically correct compared to the proximal urethra shape determined with a semi-rigid catheter in place.
Food insecurity is associated with a greater risk of depression among low-income adults in the USA. Members of food-insecure households have lower diet diversity than their food-secure counterparts. This study examined whether diet diversity moderates the association between food insecurity and depression.
Design:
Multiple logistic regression was conducted to examine independent associations between food insecurity and depression, between diet diversity and depression, and the moderating effect of diet diversity in the food insecurity–depression link.
Setting:
Cross-sectional data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2013–2014).
Participants:
2636 low-income adults aged 18 years and older.
Results:
There was a positive association between food insecurity and depression among low-income adults. Diet diversity was not associated with depression. Diet diversity had a moderating effect on the association between food insecurity and depression among low-income adults.
Conclusions:
Food insecurity is independently associated with depression among low-income adults in the USA. However, this association differs across levels of diet diversity. Longitudinal studies are needed to confirm the role diet diversity may play in the pathway between food insecurity and depression.
Compulsory admission procedures of patients with mental disorders vary between countries in Europe. The Ethics Committee of the European Psychiatric Association (EPA) launched a survey on involuntary admission procedures of patients with mental disorders in 40 countries to gather information from all National Psychiatric Associations that are members of the EPA to develop recommendations for improving involuntary admission processes and promote voluntary care.
Methods.
The survey focused on legislation of involuntary admissions and key actors involved in the admission procedure as well as most common reasons for involuntary admissions.
Results.
We analyzed the survey categorical data in themes, which highlight that both medical and legal actors are involved in involuntary admission procedures.
Conclusions.
We conclude that legal reasons for compulsory admission should be reworded in order to remove stigmatization of the patient, that raising awareness about involuntary admission procedures and patient rights with both patients and family advocacy groups is paramount, that communication about procedures should be widely available in lay-language for the general population, and that training sessions and guidance should be available for legal and medical practitioners. Finally, people working in the field need to be constantly aware about the ethical challenges surrounding compulsory admissions.
The aim of this cross-sectional study was to examine the association between childhood obesity and modifiable population-level risk factors, after accounting for deprivation.
Design:
A review of the literature identified population-level risk factors including a healthy childcare setting, the local food environment, accessible open space, community safety and crime. Data for these risk factors were then identified and matched by each of the twenty-two local government areas in Wales to each child that had data on height and weight in the Wales Childhood Measurement Programme (CMP) (2012–2017). Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify associations with childhood obesity.
Setting:
The current study was undertaken in Wales, UK, where approximately one in eight 4–5-year-olds are classified as obese.
Participants:
All participants were children aged 4 or 5 years who attend school, measured as part of the CMP, between 2012 and 2017 (n 129 893, mean age 5·0 (sd 0·4) years).
Results:
After adjusting for deprivation, small but statistically significant associations were found between childhood obesity and percentage of land available as accessible open space OR 0·981 (95 % CI: 0·973, 0·989) P < 0·001) and density of fast food outlets OR 1·002 (95 % CI 1·001, 1·004, P = 0·001). No other population-level risk factors were associated with childhood obesity.
Conclusions:
The current study indicates that, even after accounting for deprivation, risk factors such as the density of fast food outlets and access to green space should be considered when tackling childhood obesity as a public health issue.
Introduction: Lacerations are common in children presenting to the emergency department (ED). They are often uncooperative when sutures are needed and may require procedural sedation. Few studies have evaluated intranasal (IN) ketamine for procedural sedation in children, with doses from 3 to 9 mg/kg used mostly for dental procedures. In a previous dose escalation trial, DosINK-1, 6 mg/kg was found to be the optimal IN ketamine dose for procedural sedation for sutures in children. In this trial, we aim to further evaluate the efficacy of this dose. Methods: We conducted a multicentre single-arm clinical trial. A convenience sample of 30 uncooperative children between 1 and 12 years (10 to 30 kg) with no cardiac or kidney disease, active respiratory infection, prior administration of opioid or sedative agents received 6 mg/kg of IN ketamine using an atomizer for their laceration repair with sutures in the ED. The primary outcome was defined as the proportion (95% CI) of patients who achieved an adequate procedural sedation evaluated with the PERC/PECARN consensus criteria. Results: Thirty patients were recruited from April 2018 to November 2019 in 2 pediatric ED. The median age was 3.2 (interquartile range(IQR), 1.9 to 4.7) years-old with laceration of more than 2 cm in 20 (67%) patients and in the face in 21 (70%) cases. Sedation was effective in 18 out of 30 children 60% (95%CI, 45 to 80), was suboptimal in 6 patients (20%) with a procedure completed with minimal difficulties, and unsuccessful in the remaining 6 (20%), all without serious adverse event. Similarly, 21/30 (70%) physicians were willing to reuse IN ketamine at the same doses and 25 parents (83%) would agree to the same sedation in the future. Median time to return to baseline status was 58 min (IQR, 33 to 73). One patient desaturated during the procedure and required transitory oxygen and repositioning. After the procedure, 1 (3%) patient had headache, 1 (3%) patient had nausea, and 2 (7%) patients vomited. Conclusion: A single dose of 6 mg/kg of IN Ketamine for laceration repair with sutures in uncooperative children is safe and facilitated the procedure in 60% (95%CI, 45 to 80) of patients, was suboptimal in 20% and unsuccessful in 20% of patients. As seen with IV ketamine, an available additional dose of IN ketamine for some children if needed could potentially increase proportion of successful sedation. However, the safety and efficacy of repeated doses needs to be addressed.
Introduction: Venipuncture is a frequent cause of pain and distress in the pediatric emergency department (ED). Distraction, which can improve patient experience, remains the most studied psychological intervention. Virtual reality (VR) is a method of immersive distraction that can contribute to the multi-modal management of procedural pain and distress. Methods: The main objectives of this study were to determine the feasibility and acceptability of Virtual Reality (VR) distraction for pain management associated with venipunctures and to examine its preliminary effects on pain and distress in the pediatric ED. Children 7-17 years requiring a venipuncture in the pediatric ED were recruited. Participants were randomized to either a control group (standard care) or intervention group (standard of care + VR). Principal clinical outcome was the mean level of procedural pain, measured by the verbal numerical rating scale (VNRS). Distress was also measured using the Child Fear Scale (CFS) and the Procedure Behavior Check List (PBCL) and memory of pain using the VNRS. Side effects were documented. Results: A total of 63 patients were recruited. Results showed feasibility and acceptability of VR in the PED and overall high satisfaction levels (79% recruitment rate of eligible families, 90% rate of VR game completion, and overall high mean satisfaction levels). There was a significantly higher level of satisfaction among healthcare providers in the intervention group, and 93% of those were willing to use this technology again for the same procedure. Regarding clinical outcomes, no significant difference was observed between groups on procedural pain. Distress evaluated by proxy (10/40 vs 13.2/40, p = 0.007) and memory of pain at 24 hours (2.4 vs 4.2, p = 0.027) were significantly lower in the VR group. Venipuncture was successful on first attempt in 23/31 patients (74%) in the VR group and 15/30 (50%) patients in the control group (p = 0.039). Five of the 31 patients (16%) in the VR group reported side effects Conclusion: The addition of VR to standard care is feasible and acceptable for pain and distress management during venipunctures in the pediatric ED. There was no difference in self-reported procedural pain between groups. Levels of procedural distress and memory of pain at 24 hours were lower in the VR group.
The English health system has recently undergone significant change via the Health and Social Care Act 2012. The Royal College of Psychiatrists successfully lobbied for an amendment to this Act which explicitly recognised the importance of both physical and mental health. This became known as the ‘parity of esteem’ amendment.’
The College has since published an extensive report on how to achieve parity between mental and physical health in England. Many of the areas considered by this report (such as avoidable premature mortality, the stigma associated with mental illness and the low levels of treatment compared to incidence) are also significant problems in parts of Europe.
Objective:
To inform delegates about the English experience regarding parity of esteem, in order to inform their own engagement with nation-specific issues as necessary.
Aims:
The detailed aims of this session are to outline the English experience in (1) securing a legislative basis for parity of esteem, (2) defining parity of esteem as a concept and (3) identifying the England-specific issues which needed to be addressed in order to achieve parity. It is intended that delegates will be able to use the information provided as a template for action in their own country, as necessary.
Methods:
N/A
Results:
N/A
Conclusions:
The longstanding lack of parity between mental and physical health remains inequitable and socially unjust. It is hoped that English experience will lead to improvements which can be exported to other European nations as necessary.
In the UK, blood investigations ordered by the Mental Health Trust are usually carried out by Acute hospitals. The results are not immediately accessible by the staff of Mental Health Trusts on the computer due to confidentiality and lack of shared software access between trusts. This has a significant impact on care management of psychiatric patients often resulting in delay in clinical decisions.
Introduction:
We encountered similar problem where the results of the tests ordered by the staff were not immediately accessible to them, as these investigations are carried out by the local acute hospital. To address this issue a project was chartered.
Aim:
Of the project was to develop a protocol between the trusts so that the staff of Mental Health Trust could access the results of investigation on local computers as soon as they become available and to evaluate its impact on service.
Method:
A steering committee including Specialty Registrar, Pharmacist and Matron was constituted. The committee met regularly and evolved strategy with representatives of the Acute Trust. The main concern of the Acute Trust was patient confidentiality and software access. Following regular meetings and correspondence shared-protocol was developed.
Discussion:
It was agreed that the acute trust would install the software on all mental health trust computers. The staff would be trained to use the software and access results. To address the issue of confidentiality, flowchart of sponsorships of the shared-protocol was developed. Accordingly, all the medics would be sponsored for access by Medical Director, Nursing Staff by Matron and Pharmacists by Chief Pharmacist. This protocol ensured that all the staff trained are accounted and IT department could monitor any unauthorised access of data.
Conclusions:
We have noticed a big improvement in the quality of clinical practice as a result. Unnecessary delays in clinical decisions have been avoided. We feel such a shared-protocol could be developed in other hospitals that are faced with similar access issues.
Selenium (Se) is an essential element for human health. However, our knowledge of the prevalence of Se deficiency is less than for other micronutrients of public health concern such as iodine, iron and zinc, especially in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Studies of food systems in SSA, in particular in Malawi, have revealed that human Se deficiency risks are widespread and influenced strongly by geography. Direct evidence of Se deficiency risks includes nationally representative data of Se concentrations in blood plasma and urine as population biomarkers of Se status. Long-range geospatial variation in Se deficiency risks has been linked to soil characteristics and their effects on the Se concentration of food crops. Selenium deficiency risks are also linked to socio-economic status including access to animal source foods. This review highlights the need for geospatially-resolved data on the movement of Se and other micronutrients in food systems which span agriculture–nutrition–health disciplinary domains (defined as a GeoNutrition approach). Given that similar drivers of deficiency risks for Se, and other micronutrients, are likely to occur in other countries in SSA and elsewhere, micronutrient surveillance programmes should be designed accordingly.
Recent work suggests that antihypertensive medications may be useful as repurposed treatments for mood disorders. Using large-scale linked healthcare data we investigated whether certain classes of antihypertensive, such as angiotensin antagonists (AAs) and calcium channel blockers, were associated with reduced risk of new-onset major depressive disorder (MDD) or bipolar disorder (BD).
Method
Two cohorts of patients treated with antihypertensives were identified from Scottish prescribing (2009–2016) and hospital admission (1981–2016) records. Eligibility for cohort membership was determined by a receipt of a minimum of four prescriptions for antihypertensives within a 12-month window. One treatment cohort (n = 538 730) included patients with no previous history of mood disorder, whereas the other (n = 262 278) included those who did. Both cohorts were matched by age, sex and area deprivation to untreated comparators. Associations between antihypertensive treatment and new-onset MDD or bipolar episodes were investigated using Cox regression.
Results
For patients without a history of mood disorder, antihypertensives were associated with increased risk of new-onset MDD. For AA monotherapy, the hazard ratio (HR) for new-onset MDD was 1.17 (95% CI 1.04–1.31). Beta blockers' association was stronger (HR 2.68; 95% CI 2.45–2.92), possibly indicating pre-existing anxiety. Some classes of antihypertensive were associated with protection against BD, particularly AAs (HR 0.46; 95% CI 0.30–0.70). For patients with a past history of mood disorders, all classes of antihypertensives were associated with increased risk of future episodes of MDD.
Conclusions
There was no evidence that antihypertensive medications prevented new episodes of MDD but AAs may represent a novel treatment avenue for BD.
In the present study, we aimed to compare anthropometric indicators as predictors of mortality in a community-based setting.
Design:
We conducted a population-based longitudinal study nested in a cluster-randomized trial. We assessed weight, height and mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) on children 12 months after the trial began and used the trial’s annual census and monitoring visits to assess mortality over 2 years.
Setting:
Niger.
Participants:
Children aged 6–60 months during the study.
Results:
Of 1023 children included in the study at baseline, height-for-age Z-score, weight-for-age Z-score, weight-for-height Z-score and MUAC classified 777 (76·0 %), 630 (61·6 %), 131 (12·9 %) and eighty (7·8 %) children as moderately to severely malnourished, respectively. Over the 2-year study period, fifty-eight children (5·7 %) died. MUAC had the greatest AUC (0·68, 95 % CI 0·61, 0·75) and had the strongest association with mortality in this sample (hazard ratio = 2·21, 95 % CI 1·26, 3·89, P = 0·006).
Conclusions:
MUAC appears to be a better predictor of mortality than other anthropometric indicators in this community-based, high-malnutrition setting in Niger.
Public health is defined by the UK’s Faculty of Public Health as ‘The science and art of promoting and protecting health and well being, preventing ill health and prolonging life through the organised efforts of society’.
This definition locates the causes of ill health and the remedies in the realms of personal and societal agency, and not only in the remit of health practitioners. Although the latter have a role as members of society to make prevention a reality for themselves, families and communities, they play a special part in preventing further ill health for people who suffer mental illness and are seeking help for it.
Other chapters in this book attend to the relational and social fabric that enables people to flourish; it is made of good and trusting relationships, and material conditions that permit thought about purpose and meaning beyond survival.
This chapter pulls together key matters in this book. Its title is a quote from a line given to one of the characters in Hamlet by Shakespeare. That sentence perfectly outlines the intention of Section 5 of this book and the function of this final chapter in which I endeavour to align theory, research and the practical impacts of the topics covered by this book with the circumstances in which we find health services as we near the close of the second decade of the twenty-first century. But, first, I return to Chapter 1, to recapture some of those circumstances. Then, I look at the matters on which I think we should focus in order to sustain healthcare services and incorporate the social agenda identified in this book.