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Practice-based case studies that describe learning from implementation are a useful source of evidence for policy makers, practitioners and researchers. Despite the value of narratives developed in context as a form of experiential or applied evidence, little is known about appropriate qualitative review and synthesis methods to deal with multiple practice-based case studies. This paper reports on a methodological study to develop and pilot a synthesis method using a sample of community wellbeing case studies focused on interventions to improve community infrastructure. The study was conducted in four interlinked phases: (i) literature review to scope synthesis methods (ii) piloting search and selection methods to identify a sample of relevant practice-based case studies that reported experiential learning (iii) undertaking cross case analysis and qualitative synthesis based on framework analysis methods (iv) review and reflection to produce a summative account of the method and agreed definition. The main output from the study was a staged approach to qualitative synthesis of practice-based case studies based on seven steps, which move from identification of a conceptual framework through to producing a narrative report. The potential transferability of this approach and its application in research and policy are critically discussed. Synthesis of case studies derived from community-based interventions could address knowledge gaps in the formal evidence base. While further methodological development is warranted, it is argued that study results form a credible qualitative framework for synthesising practice-based evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper seeks to critically discuss the current state of health promotion, arguing that ambiguity remains in its conceptual foundation, practice and education, which is contributing to its decline in several parts of the world. Drawing on relevant literature, the paper re-examines the status of health promotion as a specialist discipline in its own right and suggests that the reaffirmation of this status can move health promotion from the margins to the mainstream of public health policy and practice. The paper briefly rehearses some common conceptualisations of health promotion before suggesting four tensions which, if resolved, could offer greater conceptual clarity and galvanise the contribution of the discipline in addressing individual and community health across the globe.

Background: Previous research has illustrated a drift in the fidelity of behaviour change techniques (BCTs) during the design of the pilot NHS England Low‐Calorie Diet (NHS‐LCD) Programme. This study evaluated a subsequent domain of fidelity, intervention delivery. Two research questions were addressed: (1) To what extent were BCTs delivered with fidelity to providers programme plans? (2) What were the observed barriers and facilitators to delivery? Methods: A mixed‐methods sequential explanatory design was employed. Remote delivery of one‐to‐one and group‐based programmes were observed. A BCT checklist was developed using the BCT Taxonomy v1; BCTs were coded as present, partially delivered, or absent during live sessions. Relational content analysis of field notes identified observed barriers and facilitators to fidelity. Results: Observations of 122 sessions across eight samples and two service providers were completed. Delivery of the complete NHS‐LCD was observed for five samples. Fidelity ranged from 33% to 70% across samples and was higher for group‐based delivery models (64%) compared with one‐to‐one models (46%). Barriers and facilitators included alignment with the programme's target behaviours and outcomes, session content, time availability and management, group‐based remote delivery, and deviation from the session plan. Conclusions: Overall, BCTs were delivered with low‐to‐moderate fidelity. Findings indicate a dilution in fidelity during the delivery of the NHS‐LCD and variation in the fidelity of programmes delivered across England. Staff training could provide opportunities to practice the delivery of BCTs. Programme‐level changes such as structured activities supported by participant materials and with sufficient allocated time, might improve the delivery of BCTs targeting self‐regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is renewed optimism about the development of policy and practices related to promoting health in prison settings, driven by the epidemiological data which suggests that the health of people in prison remains very poor. In England and Wales, the focus of this paper, independent prison inspections, conducted by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Prisons for England and Wales (HMIP), form a critical element in how prisons are assessed. This includes efforts within prisons to promote health and well-being. This paper, using content and thematic analysis, analyses one year (2018) of inspection reports in 38 male prisons. Analysis demonstrates that a 'whole-prison approach' to promoting health and well-being is poorly understood, with only 41% of prisons showing characteristics of this approach. Of the male prisons inspected in 2018, there was good availability of disease prevention activities and screening programmes (88%) and smoking cessation support (94%). The provision of peer support mechanisms, access to condoms and access to health information was highly variable across prisons. The paper makes several conclusions about the state of health promotion in prison and moreover the current criteria adopted by HMIP to assess health and well-being which seems to offer a very narrow biomedical perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper seeks to critically discuss the current state of health promotion, arguing that ambiguity remains in its conceptual foundation, practice and education, which is contributing to its decline in several parts of the world. Drawing on relevant literature, the paper re-examines the status of health promotion as a specialist discipline in its own right and suggests that the reaffirmation of this status can move health promotion from the margins to the mainstream of public health policy and practice. The paper briefly rehearses some common conceptualisations of health promotion before suggesting four tensions which, if resolved, could offer greater conceptual clarity and galvanise the contribution of the discipline in addressing individual and community health across the globe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Invasive plant species pose a threat to biodiversity worldwide. Ecological disturbances, such as those created by fallen trees, create conditions in which invasive plant species can establish and thrive. This study investigated whether treefall gaps have higher richness of invasive plant species than other areas within forests and potentially serve as a source for the spread of invasive species. A nine-hectare area of mature deciduous forest at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) near Edgewater, MD, was censused for invasive plant species during the summers of 2011 and 2012. The area was divided into 2m x 2m subplots, and the presence or absence of invasive plant species was recorded for each subplot. Gaps were defined as areas in which there was no canopy cover above 10m. The species richness of invasive plants in gap and non-gap areas was analyzed using ArcGIS. No significant association between invasive plant species richness and treefall gaps was found. However, there was a positive association between coarse woody debris cover and invasive plant species richness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a study of intergroup contact in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The contact hypothesis, presented in a Bosnian context, was used to expound on the nature of humans for reconciliation and its triggering factors. The author suggests three methods to improve interaction which consist of supporting interethnic interest groups, educating the youth, and creating intergroup workshops. Topics on intergroup contact includes its challenges, relevance, and applications.

Serum was collected from 128 patients ⩽18 years of age admitted to the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh with new-onset insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) and from 120 control-patients who were frequency-matched to case-patients for age, sex, and date of bleed. Serum was tested for IgM against 14 enterovirus serotypes: coxsackieviruses B1–B6 and A9, echoviruses 4, 6, 9, 11, 30, and 34, and enterovirus 71. Case-children 13–18 years of age were more likely than control-patients to be IgM-positive for 9 of 14 serotypes (P ⩽ .05 for each). In contrast, case-children 10–12 years of age and 1–9 years of age were each more likely than age-matched control-children to be IgM positive for 1 serotype (P ⩽ .05 for each). In addition, the association between IgM positivity and IDDM occurred earlier in girls than in boys. These data support an association between IDDM and enterovirus IgM positivity in older children. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]