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Background: This article evaluates the evolution of physical activity and health research in China through a bibliometric analysis focused on number of publications, study areas, and sex balance in authorship. Methods: A systematic review was conducted by the Global Observatory for Physical Activity for "physical activity and health" publications between 1950 and 2019. Here, we focus on the 610 Chinese publications identified, defined as those in which data collection took place in China. We assessed the number of publications, classified them into 5 areas (1) surveillance, (2) correlates and determinants, (3) health consequences, (4) interventions, and (5) policy, and analyzed female participation in authorship. Results: The first Chinese publication identified in the review was in 1990. Since, the average number of physical activity and health publications increased from one per year in the 1990s to 7.6 per year in the 2000s, and to 47 per year in the 2010s. Most publications focused on the correlates and determinants (38.7%) and the health consequences of physical activity (35.9%). Physical activity policy accounted for 2.3% of the publications. In the 1990s, 64% of the publications included at least one female author; this proportion increased to 90% in the 2010s. Conclusion: Despite a slow start, China's research on physical activity and health has grown rapidly since 2000. The distribution of publications by study areas and female participation in authorship is similar to that observed globally, with fewer publications focused on interventions and policy as compared with other topics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate determination of pre-pregnancy weight is essential for optimal pregnancy monitoring and antenatal care. Determining pre-pregnancy weight in limited-resources settings is challenging for both clinical practice and public health research. From a 2014–2017 pre-pregnancy cohort in Benin, we evaluated the agreement between the measured pre-pregnancy weight (MPPW) and two proxies: (i) the first trimester pregnancy weight (FTPW) and (ii) the estimated pre-pregnancy weight (EPPW) using Thomas & al. formula. We analysed data from 302 pregnant women with both pre-pregnancy weight measured within 3 months before conception and weight measured during the first trimester. Using segmented linear regression, we first assessed up to which gestational age the weight measured during the first trimester could reasonably estimate the MPPW. Then the Bland & Altman method was used to assess agreement between MPPW and the two proxies. Additional analyses were performed to assess the sensitivity of results to the timing of measurement of either MPPW or the two proxies. On average, FTPW did not feature significant difference with MPPW up to 13.03 (11.99–14.06) weeks of gestational age. FTPW, measured on average at 7 ± 2.4 weeks of gestation, and the EPPW showed similar Bland & Altman limits of agreement with the MPPW. However, while the FTPW slightly underestimated the MPPW by a mean of—0.16 (-0.08; +0.39) kg, the EPPW overestimated it by a mean of + 0.43 (+0.20; +0.66) kg. Minor differences in these results were observed when the MPPW was assessed earlier or within three months before pregnancy, or according to the gestational age at the time of the proxy's measurement. In conclusion, in Southern Benin and up to 12–14 weeks of pregnancy, the FTPW appeared to be a good proxy of the MPPW while using Thomas' formula did not enhance pre-pregnancy weight estimation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Balneotherapy (BT) is a therapeutic approach that utilizes various forms of water-based treatments to promote health and well-being. BT possesses a rich historical heritage and has garnered recognition from esteemed institutions such as the World Health Organization (WHO). Recent scientific research enables the identification of relevant diseases (obesity, metabolic diseases, sleep disorders, mental health conditions, Long-COVID-19, and cancer rehabilitation) that could potentially benefit from balneo-therapeutic treatments, thereby presenting new avenues of opportunity for SPA ("Salus per Aquam") medicine. These conditions exemplify the potential benefits of BT for ailments beyond the traditional scope of treatment associated with BT (most commonly osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia, rheumatic back pain, and chronic inflammatory respiratory or skin disorders). Overall, the current scientific evidence suggests that BT holds significant potential for enhancing both individual wellbeing and public health. However, further high-quality clinical trials are essential to corroborate these preliminary findings and to provide critical insights into the therapeutic benefits of BT, paving the way for its broader integration into healthcare practices and public health initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The status of oral health research in the World Health Organization (WHO) African region is unclear, yet the need for such information is central to moving an oral health agenda forward. Such an agenda is essential for effectively translating research into actionable practices and supporting regional strategies. The aim of this scoping review was to provide data on the scope and output of oral health research in the WHO African region to be used as a starting point for establishing a research agenda that can affect oral health in the region. We conducted a systematic search in PubMed; EMBASE; Epistemonikos; Scopus; the International Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research General and Regional Sessions; ProQUEST; PROSPERO; and African regional databases such as Regional African Index Medicus and the African Journal Online. We included primary and secondary studies published in English, French, or Portuguese between January 1, 2011, and December 31, 2022, addressing oral health–related research having individuals, groups, or populations as units of analysis. These reports either addressed a topic relevant to the WHO African region assessed using the title and study objective or were conducted in a country in the region. We excluded in vitro and in vivo studies focusing on cells, biomarkers, or animals. We assessed 24,014 records, and 1,379 proved eligible. Our findings indicate a preference for particular research designs less suitable for evidence-informed practice guidelines and oral policies, a limited scope of oral health research topics, and important regional differences in research capacity. Furthermore, publications by researchers in the WHO African region tend to be published in journals with a limited readership. A discussion of our findings among oral health researchers at academic institutions in the WHO African region on how to create within- and across-country collaborations could potentially improve both health and oral health in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Featured Application: Featured Application: We have validated two clinical virtual reality environments, both with varying levels of threat, for use in future health research. There is an increasing need for virtual reality (VR) health applications. In the field of pain, VR has been used mainly as a distraction, with minimal use of VR to answer basic clinical questions. Pain is multifactorial and inherently threatening. Our lab recently designed two VR clinical environments with varying threat values; the present study sought to validate these environments. Subjects were randomly allocated into either the threatening or non-threatening VR consultation room and both subjective (threat questionnaire) and physiological (salivary cortisol) measurements were taken. As hypothesised, subjects in the threat condition recorded a higher threat score (p < 0.001; effect size = 0.76). There was a cortisol change across time in the threat condition (χ2(2) = 13.83, p < 0.001), but there were unexpected decreases at both 20 (p = 0.001) and 26 min (p = 0.03) following VR. While the physiological findings need further clarification, this study provides some validation of the threat value of our VR clinical tools. As such, these VR environments can potentially be used in pain experiments to help better our understanding of basic pain mechanisms. It is only with such understanding that we might offer new avenues for pain management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated the incidence and duration of morbidity symptoms among infants aged 6 to 9 months from a low socioeconomic community receiving one egg daily for 6 months. This was a secondary outcome of a randomised controlled trial (RCT) of 500 infants conducted in Jouberton, South Africa. The primary outcome was linear growth. Morbidity data were collected weekly using a symptoms diary and qualitative data with focus group discussions at the endpoint. Ethical approval was obtained from the North-West University Health Research Ethics Committee. The intervention group had a ~ 5% higher incidence of gastrointestinal morbidity (17.0%) compared to the control group (11.9%). Gastrointestinal morbidity without fever tended to be 1.4 times higher in the intervention group (OR: 1.43, 95% CI: 1.03, 1.93; P = 0.058) and tended to be 4 times higher with fever (OR: 4.07, 95% CI: 0.86, 19.23; P = 0.077). The duration of total gastrointestinal and respiratory morbidity was 1.5 days longer in the intervention group (β: 1.491; 95% CI 0.064, 2.918; P = 0.041). Complementary feeding with eggs may have contributed towards an increased risk for gastrointestinal morbidity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming systematic reviews (SRs) in health research by automating processes such as study screening, data extraction, and quality assessment. This perspective highlights recent advancements in AI tools that enhance efficiency and accuracy in SRs. It discusses the benefits, challenges, and future directions of AI integration, emphasising the need for human oversight to ensure the reliability of AI outputs in evidence synthesis and decision-making in healthcare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Nepal established the health partner coordination for COVID-19 response based on national and international plans and framework to support information-sharing for decision- making and course correction. This paper aims to assess the performance of COVID-19 Health Partner Coordination response in Nepal by adopting coordination best practices and tools from the international humanitarian cluster system. Methods: Secondary data from unpublished documents on health partner coordination for COVID-19 response in Nepal was collected and analysed from April 2023 to May 2023. The secondary data were from the review of the health partner coordination meetings conducted for COVID-19 response using a researcher-developed document review tool, responses of health partners on a survey tool adapted from the cluster coordination performance monitoring tool from the Global Health Cluster, and transcript of Focused Group Discussion among health partners. Descriptive analysis of quantitative information and thematic analysis with predefined themes of qualitative information were performed using MS Excel and MS Word respectively. A written approval from the Ministry of Health and Population and an ethical clearance from the Nepal Health Research Council was obtained before conducting the study. Results: More than three-fifths of the meetings showed good results in conduction, process, participation, and documentation of meeting action points with improvement required for follow-up (22.2%). Assessment of health partner coordination subfunctions resulted in either 'good' (>75.0%) or 'satisfactory' (50.1%-75.0%) except for prioritization based on analyses, which was 'unsatisfactory' (<50%). Partners admired good practices of health partner coordination, pointed out some issues, and provided recommendations. Conclusion: COVID-19 has highlighted the importance of effective coordination of health sector for response to a pandemic. Continuation of this practice after addressing the areas for improvement will contribute to health preparedness and readiness for future disasters or public health emergencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Few randomized trials of public health and social measures were carried out during the COVID-19 pandemic. We report on the major barriers we faced when we tried to run such trials. Methods: We reviewed all randomized trials proposed and initiated by the Centre for Epidemic Interventions Research in Norway during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: Of the 18 proposed trials, 11 trials were not implemented. One of the key legal and ethical barriers to conducting the trials was the Norwegian Health Research Act, which demands informed consent from all participants who are exposed to an intervention. A lack of sufficient political support was also a challenge, as was unpredictability, due to shifting disease incidence and changing recommendations from the authorities. Conclusion: Strengthening the evidence base for public health and social measures in pandemics will require political and public understanding and support and a legal framework that allows for the conduct of such trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the cyclical process of an action research project conducted by a group of academics, policy advocates, and humanization supporters under the aegis of Brazil’s Unified Health System Research Program. The project uses a qualitative approach, based on Institutional Analysis and Intervention Research principles. As nested cycles often pass through reflection-action moments, the findings are presented according to several such moments: method construction, participation type, search for theories, and cyclical action research process. They suggest that AR’s cyclical nature can enrich knowledge production and transform healthcare practices, and that well-qualified advocates and humanization supporters can contribute to this by understanding local health needs and providing valuable suggestions to enhance administrative and healthcare actions. These findings underscore the importance of the cyclical nature of action research, which constantly deepens and adds flexibility to participation, knowledge and data production, thereby providing a crucial element which enables research to continue, despite adverse conditions, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Research impact assessment is already being institutionalized in health research and innovation systems. In developing countries, there are many different research assessment models which have focused more on research output in academic levels and less on impact. Objective: The aim of this study is designing an Iranian impact-oriented model of research and technology evaluation. Method: This is a mixed study. In the quantitative part, by reviewing the literature, a list of research impact indicators that existed were gathered, reviewed, and scored by participants on importance, relevance, and measurability via a 5-point Likert scale. All indicators with a mean score equal to or greater than 3.5 entered the qualitative part, which were discussed in depth by engaging key stakeholders regarding their validity and feasibility through focus groups, interviews, and expert panels. Results: The Iranian research impact evaluation model was developed with four main pillars (including input and process, output, outcome, and impact), four areas (stewardship, advancing knowledge and translation, technology, and impact), and 30 indicators through key stakeholders participation in the Iranian health research system. Conclusions: This model has been introduced as the first model designed to evaluate the impact of health research and can be one of the most important tools for allocating limited funding resources while maximizing the desired impact of research in the community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Issue Addressed: Effective dissemination of public health research and evidence‐based guidelines to Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) staff is critical for promoting research transfer and uptake and achieving positive outcomes for children. Methods: A cross‐sectional study was conducted during August 2021 to March 2022, with a sub‐sample of Australian ECEC services participating in a larger survey completed online and via Computer‐Assisted Telephone Interview. Survey items assessed: influential source for receiving research, type of content that would influence decisions to adopt research and preferred formats for receiving research. Results: Overall, 993 service managers or staff from 1984 (50.0%) invited and eligible services completed the larger survey. Of these, 463 randomly allocated services (46.7%) had staff complete the dissemination items. The Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority, ECEC agencies and Government Departments were most frequently selected as influential sources of research evidence. Staff were most interested in content providing evidence‐based recommendations for future actions and descriptions of health issues addressed. Workshops or conferences and webinars were the preferred format for receiving research. Conclusions: Findings highlight the importance of tailoring dissemination strategies to meet ECEC staff needs and engaging influential sources to disseminate research evidence. So What?: Understanding dissemination preferences of ECEC staff is crucial for supporting uptake of evidence‐based health promotion in this setting. By developing tailored strategies based on ECEC preferences, research transfer and evidence‐based decision making can be supported more effectively. These findings contribute to bridging the evidence‐practice gap and improving the quality of care and health outcomes for children in ECEC settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Policies aiming to prevent ill health and reduce health inequalities need to consider the full complexity of health systems, including environmental determinants. A learning health system that incorporates environmental factors needs healthcare, social care and non‐health data linkage at individual and small‐area levels. Our objective was to establish privacy‐preserving household record linkage for England to ensure person‐level data remain secure and private when linked with data from households or the wider environment. Methods: A stakeholder workshop with participants from our regional health board, together with the regional data processor, and the national data provider. The workshop discussed the risks and benefits of household linkages. This group then co‐designed actionable dataflows between national and local data controllers and processors. Results: A process was defined whereby the Personal Demographics Service, which includes the addresses of all patients of the National Health Service (NHS) in England, was used to match patients to a home identifier, for the time they are recorded as living at that address. Discussions with NHS England resulted in secure and quality‐assured data linkages and a plan to flow these pseudonymised data onwards into regional health boards. Methods were established, including the generation of matching algorithms, transfer processes and information governance approvals. Our collaboration accelerated the development of a new data governance application, facilitating future public health intervention evaluations. Conclusion: These activities have established a secure method for protecting the privacy of NHS patients in England, while allowing linkage of wider environmental data. This enables local health systems to learn from their data and improve health by optimizing non‐health factors. Proportionate governance of health and linked non‐health data is practical in England for incorporating key environmental factors into a learning health system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Data provided from blood donors have contributed to the understanding of public health epidemiology and policy decisions. A recent example was during the severe acute respiratory syndrome‐related coronavirus (SARS‐CoV‐2) pandemic when blood services monitored the seroprevalence in blood donors. Based on this experience, blood services have the opportunity to expand their role and participate in public health surveillance and research. The aim of this report is to share available resources to assist blood services in this area. Materials and Methods: The Surveillance, Risk Assessment and Policy (SRAP) Sub‐group of the International Society of Blood Transfusion (ISBT) Transfusion Transmitted Infectious Diseases (TTID) Working Party developed a Public Health Research Toolkit to assist blood services and researchers interested in expanding their role in public health research. Results: The ISBT Public Health Research Toolkit provides resources for what blood services can offer to public health, examples of donor research studies, the utility of donor data and website links to public health agencies. The toolkit includes a customizable template for those interested in establishing and managing a biobank. Conclusion: The ISBT Public Health Research Toolkit includes resources to increase the recognition of the role blood donors can play in public health and to help blood services gain commitment and funding from various agencies for new research and surveillance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Qualitative research is important to advance health equity as it offers nuanced insights into structural determinants of health inequities, amplifies the voices of communities directly affected by health inequities, and informs community-based interventions. The scale and frequency of public health crises have accelerated in recent years (e.g., pandemic, environmental disasters, climate change). The field of public health research and practice would benefit from timely and time-sensitive qualitative inquiries for which a practical approach to qualitative data analysis (QDA) is needed. One useful QDA approach stemming from sociology is flexible coding. We discuss our practical experience with a team-based approach using flexible coding for qualitative data analysis in public health, illustrating how this process can be applied to address multiple research questions simultaneously or asynchronously. We share lessons from this case study, while acknowledging that flexible coding has broader applicability across disciplines. Flexible coding provides an approachable step-by-step process that enables collaboration among coders of varying levels of experience to analyze large datasets. It also serves as a valuable training tool for novice coders, something urgently needed in public health. The structuring enabled through flexible coding allows for prioritizing urgent research questions, while preparing large datasets to be revisited many times, facilitating secondary analysis. We further discuss the benefit of flexible coding for increasing the reliability of results through active engagement with the data and the production of multiple analytical outputs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Addressing the upstream social determinants of health (e.g. built environment, education) can reduce the burden of non-communicable diseases. To do so effectively often requires system-wide collaboration. However, collaborating across multiple sectors, organizations and disciplines within a complex system can be challenging. ActEarly was a public health research consortium that aimed to improve child health by building an interdisciplinary, cross-city partnership to develop and/or evaluate upstream interventions, increase research capacity and improve collaboration between researchers, local authorities and communities. This paper explores ActEarly's experiences of navigating complexity to identify mechanisms that supported its implementation and proposes recommendations for future intersectoral and interdisciplinary population health research collaborations. Methods: We conducted a longitudinal qualitative study of ActEarly, integrating findings from inductive documentary analysis of internal documents (mainly meetings minutes and reports) (n = 114) and interviews (n = 70) with 45 consortium members at three different timepoints (2018, 2021, 2023). Participants worked across different organizations, cities, roles and levels of seniority in the consortium. Findings: Clarity, Unity, Flexibility and Feasibility were seen as the key mechanisms required to support ActEarly's implementation. Clear aims, governance structures and communication were necessary to manage the uncertainty of the complex system. A unified approach, characterized by strong relationships, having a shared vision and communal access to resources supported effective collaboration. Flexibility was required to adjust to different ways of working, respond to wider system events and manage the consortium. Establishing feasible aims that responded to the limitations of the system, the available resources and research infrastructure was required for teams to deliver the work. Conclusions: Implementing multi-faceted programmes in a complex system can be challenging. We recommend that future whole-systems consortia seeking to improve population health build Clarity, Unity, Flexibility and Feasibility into their programmes, noting the complex interrelationships between these factors. Iterative reflections from all parties should support delivery amidst the uncertainty that comes with running a population health research collaboration, and strong leadership and governance should play a key role in ensuring that these are built into foundations the programme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ebola disease (EBOD) in humans is a severe disease caused by at least four related viruses in the genus Orthoebolavirus, most often by the eponymous Ebola virus. Due to human‐to‐human transmission and incomplete success in treating cases despite promising therapeutic development, EBOD is a high priority in public health research. Yet despite almost 50 years since EBOD was first described, the sources of these viruses remain undefined and much remains to be understood about the disease epidemiology and virus emergence and spread. One important approach to improve our understanding is detection of antibodies that can reveal past human infections. However, serosurveys routinely describe seroprevalences that imply infection rates much higher than those clinically observed. Proposed hypotheses to explain this difference include existence of common but less pathogenic strains or relatives of these viruses, misidentification of EBOD as something else, and a higher proportion of subclinical infections than currently appreciated. The work presented here maps B‐cell epitopes in the spike protein of Ebola virus and describes a single epitope that is cross‐reactive with an antigen seemingly unrelated to orthoebolaviruses. Antibodies against this epitope appear to explain most of the unexpected reactivity towards the spike, arguing against common but unidentified infections in the population. Importantly, antibodies of cross‐reactive donors from within and outside the known EBOD geographic range bound the same epitope. In light of this finding, it is plausible that epitope mapping enables broadly applicable specificity improvements in the field of serology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adequate and transparent reporting is necessary for critically appraising published research. Yet, ample evidence suggests that the design, conduct, analysis, interpretation, and reporting of oral health research could be greatly improved. Accordingly, the Task Force on Design and Analysis in Oral Health Research—statisticians and trialists from academia and industry—identified the minimum information needed to report and evaluate observational studies and clinical trials in oral health: the OHStat Guidelines. Drafts were circulated to the editors of 85 oral health journals and to Task Force members and sponsors and discussed at a December 2020 workshop attended by 49 researchers. The guidelines were subsequently revised by the Task Force's writing group. The guidelines draw heavily from the Consolidated Standards for Reporting Trials (CONSORT), Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE), and CONSORT harms guidelines and incorporate the SAMPL guidelines for reporting statistics, the CLIP principles for documenting images, and the GRADE indicating the quality of evidence. The guidelines also recommend reporting estimates in clinically meaningful units using confidence intervals, rather than relying on P values. In addition, OHStat introduces 7 new guidelines that concern the text itself, such as checking the congruence between abstract and text, structuring the discussion, and listing conclusions to make them more specific. OHStat does not replace other reporting guidelines; it incorporates those most relevant to dental research into a single document. Manuscripts using the OHStat guidelines will provide more information specific to oral health research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Co-creation is a participatory design approach that leverages the experiential knowledge of non-academic actors. It is increasingly adopted in public health research to enhance the relevance, acceptability, and impact of interventions. This perspective article provides a practical introduction to co-creation, its application, and benefits and considerations for public health researchers. Based on the authors’ experiences with co-creation in public health, four key considerations for co-creation are outlined: 1) the selection of collaborators (those participating in the co-creation process) and their power dynamics and interests; 2) frameworks and guidelines for the co-creation process; 3) capacities needed to successfully apply a co-creation approach, such as emotional intelligence and adaptability; and 4) practical matters, such as resources and ethics approval. These insights serve as a practical introduction for public health researchers considering the application of co-creation in their projects to facilitate more effective and impactful, user-centered research designs and interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Most studies do not produce their intended outcomes on time or within budget. However, it is challenging to identify the facilitators and barriers to successful study management when the "behind the scenes action" of especially digitally enabled health research studies are akin to a black box. Therefore, it is necessary to explore first-hand experience of the facilitators and barriers to managing digitally enabled health studies. The goal of such studies is to produce new knowledge and/or develop tools that can be translated to real-world benefits for the health and care sector, individuals, and other stakeholders. These studies now exist in a time that encourages collaborative research activities with interdisciplinary research partnerships, industry collaboration, end-user involvement and insights for policy. These expectations require teams with different work cultures, methodologies, technologies, and approaches to work together, resulting in significant benefits but also challenges. Objectives: To explore the relationship between the dynamics and needs of research teams and the technology used to manage digitally enabled studies through the experience of those who worked on such studies. Methods: We used an interpretive phenomenological approach to explore research team members' experiences and perceptions of study management in the field of digitally enabled health research. We interviewed 15 research team members from eight studies. A semi-structured interview guide was used to explore concepts related to study activity management, team dynamics, resources and technologies used to manage research activities, and reflections of personal experiences. An adductive thematic analysis was performed on the transcripts. Results: Five main themes were identified: 1) Project Team, 2) Study management, which included management technologies, 3) Study plan, 4) Intervention, 5) Participants. This paper focuses on the first two main themes. Sub-themes included: Roles and responsibilities, Methods, Changes, Challenges and solutions and Expectations vs. reality. Sub-themes were applicable to all main themes. Therefore, results were presented as knowledge gained from the interaction between sub-themes within each theme, i.e. referred to as "comprehensive insights" in the results section of this paper. Conclusion: This interview study provides new knowledge about the realities of working in collaborative, digitally enabled health research studies and demonstrates several opportunities for improved understanding of study management. More realistic and thorough understanding of the complex system in which digitally enabled health research exists can be applied to better prepare experienced researchers and newly graduated students entering the field, as well as improve existing strategies for management. Highlights: 1. Research team members with developed skills from other fields can add value to research projects by contributing relevant yet different perspectives and solutions, regardless of a lack of experience in digitally enabled health studies. 2. Working together while having different approaches to science, e.g. building knowledge subjectively via experience (constructivism) vs. gaining knowledge objectively via observation and structured study (positivism), requires us all to understand the purpose of each approach and openly acknowledge one another's contributions. 3. Researchers are eternal learners – given the speed of technology development and work cultures of collaborating non-scientific research-based partners, we need to expand our knowledge of methodologies and research approaches to keep pace and relevance. 4. The use of study management technologies was largely unplanned. Research team members chose and used systems and programs that they were familiar with and available at the time. 5. The multitude of study management technologies mentioned were individually focused on a study stage or task, largely siloed, and subsequently challenging for collaborative tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adapting indigenous qualitative research methods to an online platform was essential for indigenous qualitative research to continue during the COVID-19 pandemic. Online qualitative data collection is a new method supporting health and other research. During the pandemic, shifting to online qualitative data collection was largely driven by impacts of COVID-19 restrictions where in-person data collection could not be undertaken. Recent research has evaluated online focus groups compared to the in-person focus group approach. However, less is understood about how Māori, Pacific and other Indigenous cultural protocols translate to an online approach. This article is based on a study that undertook an Indigenous approach to online data collection during a period of COVID-19 restrictions in 2022. The study was based in Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand, focused on gaining Māori, Samoan, Tongan and Cook Island Māori perspectives of streptococcus isolate use for rheumatic fever surveillance and research. In Aotearoa New Zealand, rheumatic fever inequitably affects Māori and Pacific children aged 5–15 years. The project used Kaupapa Māori and Pacific centred research methodologies that included online wānanga and fono methods to collect qualitative data from Māori, Tongan, Samoan and Cook Island Māori participants. This article critically reflects on the strengths and challenges of using these methodologies and Māori and Pacific cultural practices in an online health research. The article demonstrates how Indigenous methodologies can effectively be undertaken in online contexts and still maintain cultural integrity and provide rich qualitative data compared to in-person and western informed online qualitative data collection methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our scoping review sought to describe how Etuaptmumk or Two-Eyed Seeing is used and reported on in Indigenous health research. Using the JBI scoping review methodology, we extracted uses of Etuaptmumk/Two-Eyed Seeing from 83 articles and then categorized the reported uses of Etuaptmumk/Two-Eyed Seeing according to Huria et al.'s eight CONSIDER statement domains (governance, prioritization, relationships, methodologies, participation, capacity, analysis and interpretation, and dissemination). We found that while authors used Etuaptmumk/Two-Eyed Seeing in varied ways and at different stages of their research projects, characterizations of the guiding principle were often insufficiently described or overly simplified. This scoping review intends to contribute to a greater dialogue about how Etuaptmumk/Two-Eyed Seeing is conceptualized and used in Indigenous health research with the goal of encouraging more intentional reporting of the guiding principle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sex workers' risk of violence and ill-health is shaped by their work environments, community and structural factors, including criminalisation. Aim: We evaluated the impact of removing police enforcement on sex workers' safety, health and access to services. Design: Mixed-methods participatory study comprising qualitative research, a prospective cohort study, mathematical modelling and routine data collation. Setting: Three boroughs in London, UK. Participants: People aged = 18 years, who provided in-person sexual services. Interventions: Simulated removal of police enforcement. Outcomes: Primary - recent or past experience of sexual, physical or emotional violence. Secondary - depression/anxiety symptoms, physical health, chlamydia/gonorrhoea, and service access. Results: A combination of enforcement by police, local authorities and immigration, being denied justice when reporting violence, and linked cuts to specialist health and support services created harmful conditions for sex workers. This disproportionately affected cisgender and transgender women who work on the streets, use drugs, are migrants and/or women of colour. Among women (n = 197), street-based sex workers experienced higher levels than indoor sex workers of recent violence from clients (73% vs. 36%), police (42% vs. 7%) and others (67% vs. 17%); homelessness (65% vs. 7%); anxiety and depression (71% vs 35%); physical ill-health (57% vs 31%); and recent law enforcement (87% vs. 9%). For street-based sex workers, recent arrest was associated with violence from others (adjusted odds ratio (AOR)) 2.77, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.11 to 6.94). Displacement by police was associated with client violence (AOR 4.35; 95% CI 1.36 to 13.90) as were financial difficulties (AOR 4.66; CI 1.64 to 13.24). Among indoor sex workers, unstable residency (AOR 3.19; 95% CI 1.36 to 7.49) and financial difficulties (AOR 3.66; 95% CI 1.64 to 8.18) contributed to risk of client violence. Among all genders (n = 288), ethnically and racially minoritised sex workers (26.4%) reported more police encounters than white sex workers, partly linked to increased representation in street settings (51.4% vs. 30.7%; p = 0.002) but associations remained after adjusting for work setting. Simulated removal of police displacement and homelessness was associated with a 71% reduction in violence (95% credible interval 55% to 83%). Participants called for a redirection of funds from enforcement towards respectful, peer-led services. Limitations: Restriction to one urban locality prevents generalisability of findings. More interviews with under-represented participants (e.g. trans/non-binary sex workers) may have yielded further insights into inequities. Correlation between different risk factors restricted outcomes of interest for the modelling analyses, which were largely limited to experience of violence. Conclusion: Our research adds to international evidence on the harms of criminalisation and enforcement, particularly for women who work on street and/or are racially or ethnically minoritised. Findings add weight to calls to decriminalise sex work, tackle institutionally racist, misogynist and otherwise discriminatory practices against sex workers in police and other agencies, and to (re) commission experience-based, peer-led services by and for sex workers particularly benefiting the most marginalised communities. Future work: Realist informed trials, co-produced with sex workers, would provide rigorous evidence on effective approaches to protect sex workers' health, safety and rights. Funding: This synopsis presents independent research funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Public Health Research programme as award number 15/55/58. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Organizational adoption is a key but understudied step in translating evidence-based interventions into practice. The purpose of this study was to report recruitment strategies and factors associated with church enrollment and intervention adoption in a national implementation study of the Faith, Activity, and Nutrition (FAN) program. Methods: We worked with partners using multiple strategies to disseminate intervention availability. Interested churches completed an online form. To enroll, the church coordinator (FAN coordinator) and pastor completed baseline surveys and then received intervention online training access. We compared enrolled vs. non-enrolled churches on how they heard about the study and church characteristics. We compared intervention-adopting vs. non-adopting churches on Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) constructs using Fisher's exact tests, χ2, or independent sample t-tests and reported differences where p < 0.10, d≥|0.35|, or the difference in percentage points was ≥ 10. Results: We received 226 interest forms; 107 churches enrolled, and 85 churches adopted the intervention. Faith-based sources were the most, and paid media the least, effective in reaching churches, which were largely from the southeast with a Methodist or Baptist tradition (no differences by enrollment status). Enrolled churches were less likely to have 500 + worshipers and more likely to have attended a study information session than non-enrolled churches. Church (CFIR inner setting) and FAN coordinator characteristics, but not intervention characteristics, were related to intervention adoption. Conclusion: Partnerships, relationships, and "face time" are important for enrolling churches in evidence-based interventions. Church and church coordinator characteristics are related to intervention adoption. Further work on adoption conceptualization and operationalization is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Translational research is seemingly ubiquitous, yet complex and difficult to concretely define. We contribute to this conversation by reflectively and critically evaluating a collaborative, multidisciplinary program called the Photographs of Meaning (POM) for pediatric palliative caregivers. The POM program brings together the public health issue of caregiving with community-based-art methodology and engagement. Following four stages for public health research; assessment, design, implementation, and evaluation, we focus on photovoice as a valuable methodological tool that can be integral to translational work in communication. The program evaluation illustrates the main points of translation from the first iteration of POM to the second, as we challenge the traditional 'bench to bedside' notion of translational research and offer a more relational approach where communication scholars can engage participants and community networks through photographs. We end with implications and recommendations for scholars working with pediatric palliative caregivers and public health research more generally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A complex network of ethico‐legal rules makes it difficult for health researchers in South Africa to lawfully recruit adolescents to the kinds of sensitive studies where it may be ethically appropriate to proceed without notifying parents or obtaining parental consent. This article responds to a recent proposal to amend the blanket requirement for mandatory parental consent presently contained in section 71 the South African National Health Act 61 of 2003 [NHA]. The proposed amendment is intended to bring the NHA into alignment with South Africa's 2015 Department of Health Guidelines on Ethics in Health Research by permitting greater flexibility for a health research ethics committee to waive parental consent, and permit adolescents to consent independently. A lacuna in this proposal is highlighted with reference to the requirements of South Africa's Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 [POPIA]: Even if the NHA is amended as proposed, the goal of aligning South African law with prevailing ethics norms in South Africa would not necessarily be attained, as parental consent may still be required by POPIA. This article investigates whether this goal (of aligning the law with ethics) can be attained in a way that is compliant with POPIA. It is concluded that this is indeed possible in a number of ways, and that the best way to attain this goal is by requesting the South African Information Regulator to issue a guidance note to the effect that all health research projects that are approved by institutional health research ethics committees are to be regarded as being in the public interest, which would qualify such health research projects to be exempted from POPIA's consent requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Given the high and growing prevalence of obesity among adults in the United States, obesity treatment and prevention are important topics in biomedical and public health research. Although researchers recognize the significance of this problem, much remains unknown about safe and effective prevention and treatment of obesity in adults. In response to the worsening obesity epidemic and the many unknowns regarding the disease, a group of key scientific and program staff members of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other federal and non‐government agencies gathered virtually in September 2021 to discuss the current state of obesity research, research gaps, and opportunities for future research in adult obesity prevention and treatment. The current article synthesizes presentations given by attendees and shares their organizations' current initiatives and identified gaps and opportunities. By integrating the information discussed in the meeting and current initiatives, we identify potential targets and overlapping priorities for future research, including health equity and disparities in obesity, the heterogeneity of obesity, and the use of technological and innovative approaches in interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

All qualitative researchers are familiar with the idea of saturation: that researchers should continue to collect and/or analyze data until nothing new is being added to their arguments or conclusions. Saturation is, however, used and understood in a variety of ways, often appearing as an unevidenced and dogmatic statement seeking to justify that a piece of research is complete. This article explores the application of the idea of saturation in qualitative research, noting its association with grounded theory and the particular interest taken in it by health researchers. It concludes that it is both a misunderstood and an overworked concept. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Black men in the United States face disproportionately high rates of firearm violence, leading to death and disability more often than males of other racial/ethnic groups. Managing life after such injuries involves significant challenges in daily activities, employment, and pain management. Despite the critical impacts of firearm-related disabilities on Black men, their experiences remain largely unexplored by disability scholars, public health researchers, and practitioners. This oversight is alarming, as Black men with firearm-acquired disabilities encounter considerable structural barriers to achieving health and social objectives. Our team focuses on: (a) the experiences of Black men with firearm-acquired disabilities, (b) the lack of literature on their lived realities, and (c) new pathways for disability and public health research. Recognizing and addressing the invisibility of violently injured Black men in research is crucial for advancing equity, social justice, and representation across society. We argue that disability justice is a vital starting point for acknowledging the social experiences of gunshot wound survivors. More research is needed to understand the experiences of these young Black men who have been largely ignored in public health and disability narratives. It is essential for clinicians and policymakers to grasp how this neglect affects conventional views on health, accessibility, and well-being, underscoring the need for a more inclusive and equitable approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Underserved communities have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Project Promoting Engagement and COVID-19 Testing for Health (PEACH) study was designed to understand the attitudes, beliefs, and infrastructure associated with COVID-19 risk, testing, and prevention behaviors in people living with, caring for, or at risk for type 2 diabetes. The purpose of this joint community–academic partnered manuscript is to share lessons learned for maintaining community partnerships through the challenging times of a pandemic. New and existing community partners were invited to share their perceptions about the facilitators and barriers of partnering with academia during the COVID-19 public health crisis. Key facilitators included those partners felt heard and their input valued. And the changing nature and demands in response to the pandemic on the partners' responsibilities were among the key challenges. Successful maintenance of the partnerships required flexibility, creativity, and a willingness to adapt engagement as community partners responded to the needs of their communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The global research on pandemics or epidemics and mental health has been growing exponentially recently, which cannot be integrated through traditional systematic review. Our study aims to systematically synthesize the evidence using natural language processing (NLP) techniques. Methods: Multiple databases were searched using titles, abstracts, and keywords. We systematically identified relevant literature published prior to Dec 31, 2023, using NLP techniques such as text classification, topic modelling and geoparsing methods. Relevant articles were categorized by content, date, and geographic location, outputting evidence heat maps, geographical maps, and narrative synthesis of trends in related publications. Results: Our NLP analysis identified 77,915 studies in the area of pandemics or epidemics and mental health published before Dec 31, 2023. The Covid pandemic was the most common, followed by SARS and HIV/AIDS; Anxiety and stress were the most frequently studied mental health outcomes; Social support and healthcare were the most common way of coping. Geographically, the evidence base was dominated by studies from high-income countries, with scant evidence from low-income counties. Co-occurrence of pandemics or epidemics and fear, depression, stress was common. Anxiety was one of the three most common topics in all continents except North America. Conclusion: Our findings suggest the importance and feasibility of using NLP to comprehensively map pandemics or epidemics and mental health in the age of big literature. The review identifies clear themes for future clinical and public health research, and is critical for designing evidence-based approaches to reduce the negative mental health impacts of pandemics or epidemics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Qualitative Longitudinal Research (QLR) is a dynamic and evolving methodology using time as a lens to inform study design, data collection and analysis. A key feature of QLR is the collection of data on more than one occasion, often described as waves or time points. Thus, researchers embarking on designing a new study need to consider several key features including the study duration (timeframe) and the frequency and intensity of data collection (tempo). Yet, how to embed these features in practice is not well described. Leveraging the intensive-extensive temporal plane of time, we explore research approaches employing both shorter and longer timeframes, as well as intensive and extensive tempos. Drawing on six studies that we have conducted, we discuss four pivotal aspects including: (i) crafting intensive-extensive tempo and timeframes; (ii) defining baseline and closure points; (iii) planning for flexibility; and (iv) working ethically within a temporal lens. By examining and critically analysing these case studies through the lens of the intensive-extensive plane of time, this article aspires to offer insights for researchers interested in using the QLR design in healthcare. We thus aim to prepare researchers for embedding these features during the research process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Currently, literature on spiritual health remains limited. Even more so, literature on spiritual health remains limited in Canada. This is exacerbated by the fact that spiritual health is a term that remains widely contested with no concrete definition. Meanwhile, the semantic connection between "religion" and "spirituality" remains ambiguous in the West and scholars hold different positions. In this paper, we outline our scoping review protocol to describe the current landscape of spiritual health and spirituality (in relation to health) research in Canada, including the meaning and understanding behind these two concepts. Methods and analysis: This protocol for our scoping review is documented in accordance with the PRISMA-P reporting guidelines and adheres to Arksey and O'Malley's scoping review methodology. We will conduct a search strategy across select electronic databases and review the reference lists of chosen papers. Two reviewers, HMB and MM, will independently and blindly screen all title/abstracts and full-text studies for eligibility. Any Canadian-situated studies that centrally mention and focus on "spirituality" or "spiritual health" will be included. Relevant variables will be extracted through an iterative process, with the data charting being continuously reviewed and refined. Findings from this scoping review will support the future of health research and conceptual expansion of health beyond the mental, physical and social. Approval from a research ethics board is not required, nor has it been obtained, as the data is derived from journal articles and academic publications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Inclusion in public health research of young people from low-income households and those from minority ethnic groups remains low. It is recognised that there is a need to change the way in which research is conducted so that it becomes more inclusive. The aim of this work was to identify novel and innovative ways to maximise recruitment and inclusion of diverse participants when doing co-production within very short time frames for emergency responses. Method: We conducted interviews with young people from low-income and minority ethnic backgrounds, and members or leaders of groups or organisations supporting or representing young people from underserved communities. Results: A total of 42 participants took part in an interview. This included 30 young people from low income or minority ethnic backgrounds and 12 community leaders/service providers. Of the 30 young people, 26 participants identified as female and 12 participants identified as being from a minority ethnic background. Participants discussed a number of interrelated barriers to research involvement and identified ways in which barriers may be reduced. Prejudice and discrimination experienced by young people from underserved communities has led to substantial mistrust of educational and governmental establishments. Rigid and unfamiliar research practices further limit the involvement of young people. Four themes were identified as ways of supporting involvement, including: making opportunities available for young people, adaptations to research governance, understanding and acknowledging challenges faced by young people, and ensuring reciprocal benefits. Conclusion: This research explored barriers to engagement in rapid public health co-production. Working with communities to co-produce rapid recruitment and research procedures to suit the needs and the context in which young people live is necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This paper explores the feasibility of establishing a large-scale population-based cohort and biobank in Switzerland by assessing potential participants' needs, expectations, and concerns about such an infrastructure providing information on health, lifestyle, and exposure trajectories, the development of disease, and risk factors over time. Methods: We utilized a scenario-based questionnaire in the Swiss Health Study pilot phase (2020–2021), involving 1349 adults aged 20–69 from the cantons Vaud and Bern. We conducted descriptive statistics supported by R and qualitative content analysis of n = 374 open responses related to attitudes towards research. Results: We highlight the benefits and challenges of the scenario-based approach, discuss the sample represented in the pilot phase, and present implications for building a full cohort. We also report on participants' attitudes towards and previous experience with health research. We analyze references regarding informed consent and feedback, attitudes towards the Swiss Health Study, and recommendations on improving its scope, design, and instruments. Results indicate a high interest (90%) in participating in a national health study, with 85% of a random population sample willing to join a long-term cohort. Only 43% were familiar with biobanks, and 44% preferred general consent. Trust was high for Swiss-based public research but lower for researchers from other countries or private sector. Over 95% expressed willingness to complete online questionnaires, undergo physical examination, and donate biosamples. Almost all participants wanted to know the outcomes of the medical tests (99.5%) and the exposure to environmental stressors (95%) from their study center visit. Preferred tools for monitoring sleep, physical activity, and diet were known smartphone apps with automatic data management. Conclusion: Overall, the study reveals a positive attitude towards personalized health research, with a strong willingness to share data and samples. Key insights focus the meaning of informed consent for participation, the relevance of sampling and representativeness, as well as the significance and challenges of personalized feedback, especially regarding environmental health concerns. Findings emphasize participants' supportive yet reflexive stances, underscoring the importance of aligning research values with individual values in personalized health research. These insights contribute valuable considerations for refining the scope, design, and instruments of future cohort studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A larger percentage of social housing tenants have poorer physical and mental health outcomes compared to private renters and homeowners. They are also at a greater risk of respiratory conditions, cardiovascular disease, communicable disease transmission and mortality. One approach that aims to reduce health inequalities is to create research partnerships with underserved local communities. Our primary aim was to develop a research partnership with social housing tenants in Nottingham and our secondary aim was to explore the health priorities of these social housing tenants to inform future research applications. We also hope to provide a descriptive process of PPI within a social housing context for other researchers to learn from. Methods: We used Public and Patient Involvement (PPI) as the foundation of this work, as we believed that people with lived experience of social housing, also end-users of the research, were best placed to inform us of the areas with the greatest research need. Through online and in-person focus groups, we discussed with tenants, collectively named a Social Advisory Group (SAG), their health concerns and priorities. Together they raised 26 health issues, which were combined with 22 funding opportunity themes being offered by the NIHR (National Institute for Health and Care Research). This was with the purpose of investigating whether there was alignment between the health needs of Nottingham's social housing tenants and the NIHR's research priorities. A prioritisation technique (Diamond Nine) was used to sort in total, 48 areas of health and wellbeing, into three top priorities. Tenants were provided the opportunity to be involved in public health research in other ways too, such as reviewing this paper and also an NIHR Programme Development Grant application to expand and continue this work. One was also offered the opportunity to be a public co-applicant. Results: The group prioritised improvements in the quality of social housing, mental health and healthcare services. There was only some alignment between these and the NIHR funding themes. Other factors, such as age and race, also determined individual health priorities.. The diversity and reach of the current project were limited, however this is something we hope to improve in the future with more funding. We learned that tenants have varying degrees of mobility and technological abilities, requiring both online and in-person meetings. Plain English summary: Social housing is offered to people who cannot afford to buy or rent in the open market, and a larger percentage of social housing tenants have poorer physical and mental health outcomes compared to the general population. One approach that aims to reduce health inequalities is to create sustainable research partnerships with underserved local communities. Our primary aim was to involve social housing tenants in public health research, as they are best placed to tell us the type of research they would benefit from. The secondary aim was to explore the health priorities of social housing tenants to inform future research applications. We also hope to describe the process of PPI within a social housing context for other researchers to learn from. To achieve these aims, we established a research partnership with a group of social housing tenants in Nottingham and spoke to them about the areas of their health they wanted to improve (i.e., their priorities). The topics that were discussed the most were the need for improved mental health, quality of social housing and healthcare services, however this varied between individuals according to race and age. We learned several things throughout this process. Firstly, the combination of mobility and technological abilities amongst tenants meant that meetings must be held both in-person and online. This ensured they remained accessible and convenient. Secondly, we learnt that in-person meetings should be held in a neutral space to encourage different members of the group to attend. Finally, in general, people were very enthusiastic about this partnership and were committed to seeing improvements in public health. We therefore provided more opportunities for the group to be involved in research. For example, they were offered the opportunity to write and edit a lay summary for a future research application, which was based on the priorities identified in this paper. One member of the group was nominated to be the public co-applicant , which would allow us to increase the reach of this housing work across the East Midlands. It would also allow us to increase the diversity of the group, as currently it is made up of mostly retired females of British origin. Involving the public in health research has been central to this process and continues to be important in the production of accessible and relevant research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the associations and possible mechanisms between Cardiorespiratory Fitness (CRF) and residential location is an important focus of public health research. This is a cross-sectional study carried out with 2250 students (6–17 years), from southern Brazil. In addition to age, sex, and body size measurements, we also recorded hemoglobin and platelet count measurements using venous blood samples (10 ml). The CRF was measured using the 6-minute run/walk test, with predictors explored via allometry. Results identified a novel and independent association between the hemoglobin-to-platelet count ratio and children’s CRF, after controlling for confounders. We also provide evidence of a possible mechanism for this association, having identified reduced measures of hemoglobin and increased platelet counts observed in children living in urban (vs rural) areas. These results suggest the need for more effective public health practices and policies addressing the built enviroment´s health effects in Brazil and potentially other congested ciries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The National Institute of Health and Social Care Research (NIHR) Health Informatics Collaborative (HIC) for Hearing Health has been established in the UK to curate routinely collected hearing health data to address research questions. This study defines priority research areas, outlines its aims, governance structure and demonstrates how hearing health data have been integrated into a common data model using pure tone audiometry (PTA) as a case study. Methods: After identifying key research aims in hearing health, the governance structure for the NIHR HIC for Hearing Health is described. The Observational Medical Outcomes Partnership (OMOP) was chosen as our common data model to provide a case study example. Results: The NIHR HIC Hearing Health theme have developed a data architecture outlying the flow of data from all of the various siloed electronic patient record systems to allow the effective linkage of data from electronic patient record systems to research systems. Using PTAs as an example, OMOPification of hearing health data successfully collated a rich breadth of datapoints across multiple centres. Conclusion: This study identified priority research areas where routinely collected hearing health data could be useful. It demonstrates integration and standardisation of such data into a common data model from multiple centres. By describing the process of data sharing across the HIC, we hope to invite more centres to contribute and utilise data to address research questions in hearing health. This national initiative has the power to transform UK hearing research and hearing care using routinely collected clinical data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In rare diseases, limited access to services and rare disease experts may force families to act as medical advocates for their child; they can volunteer to support clinician-initiated research or initiate and lead research themselves. Ketotic Hypoglycemia International (KHI) is a new, global organization for families affected by idiopathic ketotic hypoglycemia (IKH) and is run solely by volunteers. Doing research together, families and international experts in a collaborative process such as at KHI, also referred to as patient and public involvement and engagement (PPIE) or extreme citizen science, is often praised for its positive effects on the research and the stakeholders involved. Methods: We used auto-ethnographic narratives from parents and medical professionals in KHI to report on their experiences with co-produced health research. All co-authors wrote down their experiences in relation to three topics: time invested, work invested and power dynamics. Results: Whilst the parents and health care professionals felt a new hope for (their) children with IKH, they also felt pressure to contribute time or to be flexible in how and when they dedicated time towards the organization. The power dynamics were characterised by a change in the relationship between the parents and medical experts; the parent being taught by the expert shifted to the expert learning from the lived experience of the parent. Both parents and medical experts struggled with maintaining boundaries and safeguarding their mental health. Conclusion: Our findings call for the need to secure and prioritize funding for patient organizations, to enable them to create the sustainable architecture required for meaningful PPIE within these organizations. The morals and often deeply personal reasons for engaging with voluntary work in health research, can lead to overstepping of boundaries. As a result of our research, we call for the development of ethics of care guidelines within collaborative health research. Plain English Summary: When confronted with a rare disease it is often hard to access information and or medical experts for help. Parents of children affected by idiopathic ketotic hypoglycemia (IKH) have joined in a patient-led organisation to initiate and lead research that could give answers to their medical questions and worries. Medical experts have been invited to join the organisation as members of the Scientific Advisory Board (SAB). When people report on health research conducted in collaboration with patients and or members of the public, they mostly mention positive outcomes. At KHI, some people had left the organisation and we had to deal with some difficult situations; so, we wanted to document and understand these challenges. Nine members of KHI, parents and medical experts, wrote down their stories, using three topics to guide their narrative: time invested, work invested and power dynamics at KHI. Parents and medical experts felt a new hope for (their) children with IKH when working for KHI but they also felt pressured to work at all hours and at the cost of time with their families or their own health. The stories revealed that parents felt less important compared to medical experts, but also that the relationship between parents and experts changed from the parent being taught by the expert, to the expert starting to learn from the lived experience of the parent. To make these collaborations successful we plead for funding for patient-led organisation and ethical guidelines to safeguard volunteers (both medical and lay people). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Participatory health research (PHR) as a research paradigm, guides the research process and strives to achieve positive change in society in the interest of people's health. In this scoping review, PHR will be used as an umbrella term considering a wide range of collaborative research approaches in the health context. PHR is conducted 'with' or 'by' those it intends to benefit, as opposed to 'on' and 'for' them. Their involvement throughout the research process seeks to shift power and decision-making from where they traditionally lay within academia toward community, patient and public end-users. Research cannot be truly participatory without concurrently addressing power dynamics within the partnership and power imbalances in decision making. Therefore, power sharing can be defined as a major factor in building effective academic-community collaborations. This scoping review aims to identify, clarify, and map existing literature on power and power sharing in PHR from both theoretical and practical perspectives. Specifically, we will explore how power is conceptualised throughout the literature, and how power and power sharing are applied and addressed in real-life PHR partnerships. Materials and methods: This scoping review will be conducted in accordance with the guidelines outlined in the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Reviewer's Manual. This scoping review will consider both empirical and non-empirical research that report on understanding power and power sharing in participatory health research partnerships. All appropriate studies will be retrieved from the following five electronic databases: PubMed, Scopus, Embase, PsycINFO, SocIndex. This review will be limited to articles published in English and from January 1998 to March 2024. As the scoping review aims to capture more than peer-reviewed and published literature, it will also include grey literature such as theses and dissertations, reports, conference proceedings, and editorials. Data from the included literature will be extracted based on the data extraction tool, defined in advance. Ethics and dissemination: As primary data will not be collected, ethical approval is not required to conduct the scoping review. The findings of this study will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IoT sensors offer a wide range of sensing capabilities, many of which have potential health applications. Existing solutions for IoT in healthcare have notable limitations, such as closed-source, limited I/O protocols, limited cloud platform support, and missing specific functionality for health use cases. Developing an open-source internet of things (IoT) gateway solution that addresses these limitations and provides reliability, broad applicability, and utility is highly desirable. Combining a wide range of sensor data streams from IoT devices with ambulatory mHealth data would open up the potential to provide a detailed 360-degree view of the relationship between patient physiology, behavior, and environment. We have developed RADAR-IoT as an open-source IoT gateway framework, to harness this potential. It aims to connect multiple IoT devices at the edge, perform limited on-device data processing and analysis, and integrate with cloud-based mobile health platforms, such as RADAR-base, enabling real-time data processing. We also present a proof-of-concept data collection from this framework, using prototype hardware in two locations. The RADAR-IoT framework, combined with the RADAR-base mHealth platform, provides a comprehensive view of a user's health and environment by integrating static IoT sensors and wearable devices. Despite its current limitations, it offers a promising open-source solution for health research, with potential applications in managing infection control, monitoring chronic pulmonary disorders, and assisting patients with impaired motor control or cognitive ability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Translation of health research findings into policy contributes to improvement of health systems. Generally, in sub-Saharan Africa policymakers rarely use research evidence and hence policies are often not informed by research evidence. Unless published or in the case of commissioned research, doctoral health research is often not used for health policy formulation. This paper analysed the potential and utilization of doctoral research from the School of Nursing and Public Health by KwaZulu-Natal Health Department of Health. The study adopted a mixed methods approach that combined elements of qualitative and quantitative research aspects. Qualitative data was collected through content analysis of 29 theses produced in the School of Nursing and Public Health, University of KwaZulu-Natal between 2014 and 2021 and interviews held with four Department of Health personnel as policymakers. When researchers could not get information on how research questions were formulated from content analysis, they checked the student questionnaire for answers. Quantitative data was collected from 79 participants through structured questionnaires. Participants included 47 PhD graduates, 11 final year PhD students and 21 PhD supervisors. Data from content analysis and interviews was analyzed thematically while data from questionnaires was analyzed quantitatively. Eleven (52%) PhD supervisors reported that findings from 22 studies were being considered for policy development and adoption while some had resulted in policy guidelines and frameworks that can be used to formulate policies. Factors such as failure to involve the Department of Health during the formulation of research questions, inappropriate packaging of research findings, policymakers not aware of the availability of research findings, lack of commitment to the dissemination of research results by students and poor demand for research evidence by policymakers hindered the translation of PhD research findings into policy. From the 29 theses reviewed, sixteen (28%) of PhD respondents highlighted that they involved the Department of Health to formulate research questions while forty-two (72%) did not. The theses review also revealed limited identifiable information related to policy formulation. The study confirms the use of PhD research findings for policy formulation. Additionally, it highlights the factors that hinder utilization of PhD work by policymakers. Further research to understand the perspectives of policymakers on factors that contribute to utilization of PhD work as well as how the findings have contributed to policy formulation is recommended since there was not sufficient data collected from policymakers due to Covid-19 restrictions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Scientific research and innovation can generate societal impact via different pathways. Productive interactions, such as collaboration between researchers and relevant stakeholders, play an important role and have increasingly gained interest of health funders around the globe. What works, how and why in research partnerships to generate societal impact in terms of knowledge utilisation is still not well-known. To explore these issues, the Netherlands Organization for Health Research and Development (ZonMw) initiated an exploratory research-on-research study with a focus on participatory knowledge infrastructures (PKIs) that they fund in the field of public health and healthcare. PKIs are sustainable infrastructures in which knowledge production, dissemination and utilisation takes place via committed collaboration between researchers and stakeholders from policy, practice and/or education. Examples are learning networks, academic collaborative centres, care networks and living labs. The aim of the study was twofold: to gain insights in what constitutes effective collaboration in PKIs; and to learn and improve the research governance, particularly of ZonMw as part of their dissemination and implementation activities. Methods: During 2020–2022, we conducted a literature review on long-term research partnerships, analysed available documentation of twenty ZonMw-funded PKIs, surveyed participants of the 2021 European Implementation Event, interviewed steering committee members, organized a Group Decision Room with lecturers, and validated the findings with key experts. Results: We identified eight mechanisms ('how and why') that are conditional for effective collaboration in PKIs: transdisciplinary collaboration; defining a shared ambition; doing justice to everyone's interests; investing in personal relationships; a professional organisation or structure; a meaningful collaborative process; mutual trust, sufficient time for and continuity of collaboration. Several factors ('what') may hinder (e.g., lack of ownership or structural funding) or facilitate (e.g., stakeholder commitment, embeddedness in an organisation or policy) effective collaboration in research partnerships. Conclusion: To use the study results in policy, practice, education, and/or (further) research, cultural and behavioural change of all stakeholders is needed. To facilitate this, we provide recommendations for funding organisations, particularly ZonMw and its partners within the relevant knowledge ecosystem. It is meant as a roadmap towards the realisation and demonstration of societal impact of (health) research and innovation in the upcoming years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Consumer involvement in health research is when patients, their families and caregivers work with researchers on research projects. Despite the growing expectation for health services to facilitate the involvement of consumers in research, the practical integration of this approach is an ongoing process, with limited research conducted into how Australian health services can support this practice. This study explored consumer perspectives on the barriers and solutions to enabling consumer involvement in research within an Australian tertiary hospital and health service, and staff perspectives on the solutions to facilitating consumer involvement. A prior survey had identified barriers to consumer involvement from the staff perspective. The broad aim was to inform the development of a framework to help promote consumer involvement in research within the health service. Methods: A Nominal Group Technique (NGT) was utilised with groups comprised of health service consumers and staff. Three health consumers were co-researchers in the full life-cycle of this study and are included as authors. Results: Ten consumers and 14 staff participated across three sessions ranging from one to three hours. For consumers, barriers to their involvement were grouped into seven domains: (1) lack of connection with researchers/research projects, (2) low research literacy, (3) structural barriers, (4) lack of acknowledgement, (5) implementation challenges, (6) inadequate information provision, and (7) representation concerns. Solutions to enabling involvement were grouped into five domains: (1) support to connect with researchers/research projects, (2) adequate information provision, (3) incentive for involvement, (4) acknowledgement, and (5) balanced representation. Staff ideas for solutions were grouped into five domains: (1) support to connect with consumers, (2) support to involve consumers, (3) access to funds to remunerate consumers, (4) more time to involve consumers, and (5) staff training. Conclusion: Through an NGT methodology, this study delivered a nuanced comprehension of perspectives on involving consumers in research from both health service consumers and staff. These findings serve as a foundation for identifying strategies that foster enhanced and refined relationships between consumers and researchers, advancing the collaborative landscape in health research. The findings from this project offer valuable strategies for researchers to better engage consumers in research and for consumer groups to enhance their involvement. Additionally, these insights could be used by other health services to advocate for essential resources. Plain English Summary: Consumer involvement in health research is when patients, their families, and caregivers work with researchers on research projects. While there is a growing expectation for health services to promote the involvement of consumers in health service research, it is still a work in progress, especially in Australia, where there hasn't been much research done on this topic. This study looked at what consumers and staff at an Australian hospital thought would hinder or help consumers to become involved in health research. The study used a method called the Nominal Group Technique (NGT), where groups of staff and consumers met for sessions ranging from one to three hours to share and prioritise their ideas. Consumers thought that barriers to their involvement included difficulty connecting with researchers or projects, not knowing much about research, and personal barriers to involvement (such as lack of childcare). They believed that better connection with researchers, information, incentives for involvement, and ensuring everyone's voices are heard were possible solutions. Staff also had ideas for solutions, like providing support to connect with consumers and more time for research activities. Overall, this study describes what consumers and staff think about working together on research. These findings can help develop strategies for building relationships between consumers and researchers, advancing collaborative efforts in health research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Safely managed drinking water is critical to prevent diarrhoeal diseases, including cholera, but evidence on the effectiveness of piped water supply in reducing these diseases in low-income and complex emergency settings remains scarce. Methods: We conducted a trial of water supply infrastructure improvements in Uvira (DRC). Our primary objective was to estimate the relationship between a composite index of water service quality and the monthly number of suspected cholera cases admitted to treatment facilities and, as a secondary analysis, the number of cases confirmed by rapid diagnostic tests. Other exposures included the quantity of supplied water and service continuity. We used Poisson generalised linear models with generalised estimating equations to estimate incidence rate ratios. Findings: Associations between suspected cholera incidence and water service quality (RR 0·86, 95% CI 0·73–1·01), quantity (RR 0·80, 95% CI 0·62–1·02) and continuity (RR 0·81, 95% CI 0·77–0·86) were estimated. The magnitudes of the associations were similar between confirmed cholera incidence and water service quality (RR 0·84, 95% CI 0·73–0·97), quantity (RR 0·76, 95% CI 0·61–0·94) and continuity (RR 0·75, 95% CI 0·69–0·81). These results suggest that an additional 5 L/user/day or 1.2 hour per day of water production could reduce confirmed cholera by 24% (95% CI 6–39%) and 25% (95% CI 19–31%), respectively. Interpretation: Ensuring a sufficient and continuous piped water supply may substantially reduce the burden of endemic cholera and diarrhoeal diseases but evaluating this rigorously is challenging. Pragmatic strategies are needed for public health research on complex interventions in protracted emergency settings. Trial registration: The trial is registered in ClinicalTrials.gov ID NCT02928341. https://classic.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02928341. Author summary: Diarrhoeal diseases including cholera remain a leading cause of mortality and morbidity, especially in areas with limited access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH). However, evidence for the effect of piped water supply in reducing diarrhoeal diseases and cholera in complex emergency settings remains scarce. We evaluated a large-scale infrastructure programme to improve and expand the piped drinking water supply service in the town of Uvira (South Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo), an area with a high burden of cholera and diarrhoeal diseases. We used five years of data from clinical surveillance and systematic cholera confirmation by rapid diagnostic tests in order to estimate associations between water supply infrastructure interventions and the incidence of diarrhoeal diseases and cholera. Our findings are consistent with existing evidence that a high-quality (or "safely managed") water service can be effective in reducing the burden of diarrhoeal diseases and cholera in low-income urban settings. Beyond overall service quality, the quantity of water supplied to the household and the continuity of the drinking water supply were both associated with a reduced risk of cholera. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To provide a guide on using the SWOT analysis in health research and scientific studies. This theoretical study focused on health innovation using the design thinking tool. In the inspiration step, the challenges were identified based on the literature review. Then, the ideation step explored strategies to adapt SWOT analysis using insights from other fields. SWOT analysis adapted to health research evaluated strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Strengthening research maximized the expertise, clinical resources, and collaborations to increase quality and impact. Addressing weaknesses was crucial to achieving progress. Identifying opportunities highlighted the productive collaboration and technological advancements, improving significance and innovation. However, facing threats requires mitigation strategies. SWOT analysis may help to understand the internal strengths and external opportunities, resulting in more relevant and innovative research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Around half of the population of Suriname, who are mainly of African and South Asian descent, migrated to the Netherlands at the end of the previous century, where they face higher perinatal and maternal mortality and up to 5 years lower life expectancy than European-Dutch. Analyses by ancestry are needed to address these inequalities, but the law prohibits registration by ancestry. Therefore, a list of Surinamese surnames was compiled and validated to identify the largest groups, African-Surinamese or South Asian-Surinamese ancestry in health research. A complete database of Surinamese surnames was provided by the National Population Registry of Suriname. Surname recognition by researchers of Surinamese ancestry was used. Disagreement was resolved using historical registers and through discussion. The list was further validated against contemporary lists of Surinamese surnames with self-defined ancestry, obtained during population and clinical studies in Suriname and the Netherlands. All 71,529 Surinamese surnames were encoded, as African-Surinamese (34%), South Asian-Surinamese (18%), Brazilian or other Iberian (17%), Indonesian-Surinamese (13%), Chinese-Surinamese (5%), First Nation (2%), and other (10%). Compared to self-defined ancestry, South Asian-Surinamese surname coding had 100% sensitivity, 99.8% specificity, and 99.9% accuracy. For African-Surinamese, who may have Dutch surnames, these values depended on geocoding. With a known Surinamese origin, sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were, respectively, 97.3%, 100%, and 98.6%, but without this information, there was interference of African-Surinamese with European-Dutch surnames in the Dutch validation sample. In conclusion, the Surinamese Surname List has a high accuracy in identifying persons of Surinamese ancestry. This quick, inexpensive, and nonintrusive method, which is unaffected by response bias, might be a valuable tool in public health research to help address the profound health disparities by ancestry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we developed a mathematical model for the dynamics of coronavirus disease (COVID‐19) transmission. The model embraces the notion of contact tracing and contaminated surfaces which are vital for disease control and contribute to disease transmission, respectively. We analyzed the model properties such as the positivity of the solution, invariant region, existence, and stability nature of equilibria. Besides, we computed the basic reproduction number R0. The local stability and the global stability of disease‐free equilibrium (DFE) points are proved by using the Routh–Hurwitz criteria and the Castillo‐Chavez and Song approach, respectively. LaSalle's invariant principle is applied to prove the stability of an endemic equilibrium (EE) point. The possibility of bifurcation is discussed using the center manifold theory. We used real data on the spread and control of COVID‐19 disease in Ethiopia. Based on the data reported, we estimated the values of the parameters using the least squares method together with the fmin function in the MATLAB optimization toolbox. The sensitivity analysis of the model is explored numerically to illustrate the impact of the parameters on disease transmission. The study addressed that contact tracing is especially important because COVID‐19 often has asymptomatic carriers, and there are many asymptomatic individuals unaware in Ethiopia. The new infections would decrease in the communities by detecting and isolating COVID‐19 cases before they could spread the virus to others. Moreover, the study endorsed that the contaminated surface has contributed to disease transmission. The sensitivity analysis shows that if the rate of disinfected contaminated objects (ϕ) rises, then the transmission of the disease is reduced. Consequently, this study will aid in the fight against COVID‐19 policymakers and NGOs. It can also be used as a policy input for different countries under this crisis. Because of the mathematical modeling of this global pandemic, there is another point of view rather than public health research outputs. Additionally, with the concept of contact tracing and contaminated surfaces incorporated into the model, the result provides insight for disease prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Issue Addressed: There is increasing interest across public health research, policy, and practice in place‐based approaches to improve health outcomes. Practice‐focused resources, such as grey literature, courses and websites, are utilised by practitioners to support the implementation of place‐based approaches. Methods: A detailed search of two search engines: Google and DuckDuckGo to identify free practice‐focused resources was conducted. Results: Forty‐one resources met inclusion criteria, including 26 publications, 13 web‐based resources and two courses. They were mainly focused on collaboration, developed by not‐for‐profit organisations, focused on a broad target audience, and supported people living with disadvantage. The publications we reviewed generally: clearly stated important information, such as the author of the publication; used their own evaluations, professional experience and other grey literature as supporting evidence; included specific, practical implementation strategies; and were easy to read. Conclusions: Based on findings, we recommend that: (1) the development of resources to support evidence‐informed practice and governance be prioritised; (2) resources clearly state their target audience and tailor communication to this audience; (3) resources draw on evidence from a range of sources; (4) resources continue to include practical implementation strategies supported by examples and (5) resource content be adaptable to different contexts (e.g., different settings and/or target populations). So What?: This is the first review of practice‐focused resources to support the implementation of place‐based approaches and the findings can be used to reduce duplication of efforts and inform future research, policy, and practice, particularly the refinement of existing resources and the development of future resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]