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Background: Communication and collaboration between healthcare, community, and government organizations is key for community violence prevention. This qualitative study aimed to assess Innovation Forum (IF) participant solutions' alignment with recommended strategies, to identify innovative solutions, and to identify the most common participant priorities. Methods: IF were held via teleconference in August 2022 in Indianapolis, Indiana with participants from healthcare organizations, the community, and local government. Forum solutions were documented, coded, and categorized to eight recommended violence prevention strategies from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform (NICJR). Uncategorized solutions were considered innovative. Solutions were analyzed by descriptive thematic analysis to identify participant priorities. Results: Seventy-seven participants and 11 facilitators participated in 10 IF. Participants generated 162 solutions. Twenty-two solutions were unable to be categorized according to the CDC and NICJR strategies. The most common participant priorities were: 1. Improve collaboration between existing community organizations and dissemination of resources (42, 21.9%), 2. Improve the community's physical and social environment (27, 14.1%), 3. Increase public awareness and media campaigns (26, 13.5%), 4. Promote a nurturing environment and supports for children and youth (26, 13.5%), and 5. Increase employment, vocational skills, and trade programs (19, 9.9%). Conclusions: Innovation forums identified innovative solutions and participant priorities for violence prevention with representatives from healthcare, the community, and government organizations. Most solutions and priorities aligned with national recommendations, reinforcing their relevance at the community level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although guidelines support aerobic exercise in sub-acute mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), evidence for adults with persisting post-concussive symptoms (PPCS) after mTBI is lacking. The objective was to evaluate the impact of a sub-symptom threshold aerobic exercise intervention on overall symptom burden and quality of life in adults with PPCS. Methods: This prospective cohort study was nested within the ACTBI Trial (Aerobic Exercise for treatment of Chronic symptoms following mild Traumatic Brain Injury). A total of 50 adults with a diagnosis of mTBI, PPCS and exercise intolerance completed a 12-week sub-symptom threshold aerobic exercise intervention either immediately after enrollment (i-AEP group; n = 27) or following 6-weeks of stretching (d-AEP group; n = 23). Data from all participants (n = 50) were included in the combined AEP (c-AEP) group. The primary outcome was symptom burden on the Rivermead Post Concussion Symptoms Questionnaire (RPQ). Secondary outcomes included measures of quality of life and specific post-concussive symptoms (depressive and anxiety symptoms, functional impact of headache, fatigue, sleep, dizziness and exercise tolerance). Heart rate, blood pressure and heart rate variability were also assessed to understand autonomic function response to intervention. Results: Participants were a mean (SD) of 42.6 (10.9) years old (74% female) and 25.1 (14.1) months post-mTBI. Following 12-weeks of intervention participants had a significant improvement in symptom burden on the RPQ (i-AEP: mean change = −9.415, p < 0.001; d-AEP: mean change = −3.478, p = 0.034; c-AEP: mean change = −6.446, p < 0.001). Participants also had significant improvement in quality of life (i-AEP: mean change = 9.879, p < 0.001; d-AEP: mean change = 7.994, p < 0.001, c-AEP: mean change = 8.937, p < 0.001), dizziness (i-AEP: mean change = −11.159, p = 0.001; d-AEP: mean change = −6.516, p = 0.019; c-AEP: −8.837, p < 0.001) and exercise tolerance (i-AEP: mean change = 5.987, p < 0.001; d-AEP: mean change = 3.421, p < 0.001; c-AEP: mean change = 4.703, p < 0.001). Headache (mean change = −5.522, p < 0.001) and depressive symptoms (mean change = −3.032, p = 0.001) improved in the i-AEP group. There was no change in measures of autonomic function. Conclusion: A 12-week aerobic exercise intervention improves overall symptom burden, quality of life and specific symptom domains in adults with PPCS. Clinicians should consider prescription of progressive, individualized, sub-symptom threshold aerobic exercise for adults with PPCS even if presenting with exercise intolerance and months-to-years of symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Timing of didactic theoretical content with clinical experiences can be challenging due to limited clinical placements and insufficient experienced faculty. However, appropriate and timely clinical experiences for nursing students are essential for developing knowledge and skills. This project evaluated the effects of the timing of clinical experiences on examination performance. Method: A retrospective review compared students' first examination scores (n = 1,620) with the timing and type of clinical exposure in a traditional baccalaureate nursing program in the Midwest. Results: No significant differences in examination scores and timing of clinical exposures were found in adult medical-surgical courses. However, student examination scores were significantly lower in maternal/neonatal and child-health courses when students did not have a clinical exposure linked to the examination. Conclusion: Faculty should consider the effect of the timing of clinical experiences for specialty courses. Timing of medical-surgical content and clinical experiences may not be as essential. [J Nurs Educ. 2025;64(1):44–47.] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evaluating adaptive capacities that support the resilience of at-risk communities can be from an objective (top-down) approach or from a subjective (bottom-up) approach. While both approaches are valuable, there remains a need for quantitative subjective measures that complement objective measures by grounding understanding in community members’ perceptions and experiences. To address this need, a 12-item self-report assessment scale of community adaptive capacity to coastal hazards was developed and validated using data collected from two samples of Texas Gulf Coast residents. Findings support the psychometric validity and reliability of the measure and indicate that at-risk coastal communities in Texas can be meaningfully segmented using the measure. The perception of greater adaptive capacity, real, or otherwise, may ameliorate natural hazard concerns and inflate beliefs about preparedness. As such, subjective measures are important companions to objective measures of adaptive capacity and can offer opportunities to identify mismatches between top-down approaches to building adaptive capacity and community perceptions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To explore adult community members' perspectives concerning barriers to mental health care that confront rural-dwelling youth., Methods: Group concept mapping, a participatory community-engaged research method, was used. Adult community members brainstormed and sorted statements describing barriers rural youth encounter in accessing mental health services. Point and cluster maps were created to visualize conceptual similarities between statements. Statements were rated according to their commonness and importance (1: low commonness/importance, 5: high commonness/importance)., Findings: Thirty-five adults sorted and/or rated 71 barriers facing rural youth in accessing mental health services. Seven conceptual clusters were identified: system-level barriers, knowledge and communication, youth concerns, parent/guardian concerns, parent/guardian barriers, costs and convenience, and school-level barriers. Within youth concerns, community members also identified a subcluster focused on stigma. Common and important statements related to limited after-school programs and community mental health support initiatives., Conclusions: Group concept mapping methodology provides structure for conceptualizing challenges facing rural youth in accessing mental health services. Policies should be informed by rural community concerns and priorities. After-school and support programs may align with mental health needs identified by rural communities., (© 2024 National Rural Health Association.)