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1) To explore how children with spina bifida (SB) and their parents understand bodyweight, health and weight management; and 2) To identify what services and supports children with SB and their families feel are most appropriate to help them manage their health and weight. The study used interpretive description within a qualitative design. Participants were children with SB (aged 10-18) attending two Canadian SB clinics and their parents. Data were collected through individual interviews and analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. Five children and five parents participated in the study. Children and parents had a weight-centric approach to health, which was related to the child's mobility. Weight was considered to be under individual control and mostly through diet. Trusting relationships between healthcare providers, children and families were important to discuss weight in a non-judgemental manner. Children should be involved in setting meaningful and achievable weight management goals. Greater knowledge of how children with SB and their families understand weight and health offers opportunities for non-judgemental discussions about their needs and wishes. Helping families to place more value on health over weight may reduce feelings of stigma, while allowing children to develop some autonomy over health-related decisions. Children with spina bifida and their parents do not recognise the complexity of factors contributing to weight regulation. Weight regulation was often seen as the child's responsibility, which could lead to feelings of guilt and shame through internalised weight stigma Healthcare professionals working with children with spina bifida should explore their perceptions, beliefs, and behaviours related to weight, health and mobility to ensure they are not causing themselves physical and/or psychological harm [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To examine changes in self-determination associated with youth participation in residential immersive life skills (RILS) programs. In this prospective mixed methods study, the Arc's Self-Determination Scale was administered pre- and post-program, and at 3- and 12-month follow-ups, to 27 RILS youth and a comparison group of 11 youth enrolled in a non-residential life skills program. Ten RILS youth were interviewed 3 and 12 months post-program, with content analysis used to explore changes in autonomy, self-realization, and psychological empowerment. RILS youth showed statistically significant increases in autonomy immediately after the program, which were maintained one year later, whereas the comparison group displayed increased autonomy only at 3 months post-program. Qualitatively, RILS youth emphasized changes in behavioral autonomy and psychological empowerment 3 months post-program, whereas at one year there was greater emphasis on changes in self-realization. Using a triangulation protocol, the mixed methods data were interpreted as showing agreement regarding changes in autonomy due to intervention, partial agreement regarding self-realization, and dissonance regarding psychological empowerment. RILS programs can enhance the autonomy of youth with physical disabilities and contribute to their sense of confidence and understanding of themselves as they move forward in life. The findings suggest the importance of the immersive, away-from-home component of residential immersive life skills programs in enhancing the autonomy of youth with disabilities Youth reported changes in their level of autonomy after attending residential immersive life skills programs, as well as feeling more confident in living on their own Residential immersive life skills programs can contribute to youth's understanding of themselves as they transition to adulthood [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Due to reported challenges experienced by healthcare providers (HCPs) when having weight‐related conversations with children with disabilities and their families, a knowledge translation (KT) casebook was developed, providing key communication principles with supportive resources. Our aim was to explore how the KT casebook could be implemented into a disability context. Study objectives were to develop and integrate needs‐based implementation supports to help foster the uptake of the KT casebook communication principles. Methods: A sample of nurses, physicians, occupational therapists and physical therapists were recruited from a Canadian paediatric rehabilitation hospital. Informed by the Theoretical Domains Framework, group interviews were conducted with participants to understand barriers to having weight‐related conversations in their context. Implementation strategies were developed to deliver the KT casebook content that addressed these identified barriers, which included an education workshop, simulations, printed materials, and a huddle and email strategy. Participant experiences with the implementation supports were captured through workshop evaluations, pre‐post surveys and qualitative interviews. Post‐implementation interviews were analysed using descriptive content analysis. Results: Ten HCPs implemented the KT casebook principles over 6 months. Participants reported that the workshop provided a clear understanding of the KT casebook content. While HCPs appreciated the breadth of the KT casebook, they found the abbreviated printed educational materials more convenient. Strategies developed to address participants' need for a sense of community and opportunities to learn from each other did not achieve their aim. Increased confidence in integrating the KT casebook principles into practice was not demonstrated, due, in part, to having few opportunities to practice. This was partly because of the increase in competing clinical demands at the onset of the COVID‐19 pandemic. Conclusions: Despite positive feedback on the product itself, changes in the organisational and environmental context limited the success of the implementation plan. Monitoring and adapting implementation processes in response to unanticipated changes is critical to the success of implementation efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]