Closer to the body. The urban female body and its perception in the Sokol and gymnastics movement in Prague and Dresden in the period prior to the First World War. The creation of modern cities and new urban forms brought with it new aspects of the perception of the female body. City boulevards offered women, on the one hand, greater freedom of movement and anonymity, and on the other, modified the discourse on discipline so that the moral integrity of women out on their own in the city was subject to constant scrutiny by passers-by; frequently, mere trivialities could bring a woman's image into question in the eyes of those around her. The image of women thus became strongly sexualised, wavering from that of the prostitute to that of girls on advertising boards. Photography, which developed into a mass medium in the second half of the 19th century, brought with it, too, new aspects in the perception of the female body. Photographic images, including portraits, represent an interesting avenue for discussion of the perception of the female body in historical research. Photographs allow the researcher to determine the qualities ascribed to the female body in the contemporary social discourse and how these were conveyed to viewers. This applies all the more to the gymnastics movement, in which the...

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Depression is predicted to be one of the largest global health burdens in the future. As such, it is important to expand the current understanding of this disorder, so as to develop more effective treatments. While somatic symptoms are being increasingly recognised as important, one area that has received little attention, is that of the lived somatic experiences in depression and the psychological meanings behind these. This study aimed to contribute to this by utilising a qualitative approach. Interviews were conducted with individuals who had recovered from depression. These interviews focused on experiences at the time of depression, with an emphasis on day-to-day physical aspects. Thematic content analysis of participants' narratives revealed central themes of disconnection from the body, and a sense of lack and deprivation in relation to the body. These themes were evident in both emotional and physical experiences of depression, indicating a link between these two aspects of self. The psychological meanings behind physical experiences were explored utilising psychodynamic etiological theories of depression. These theories included Freud's theory of object loss, the theory of unmet oral dependency needs, as well as Winnicott's understanding of psyche-soma indwelling. Finally, the possibility of the body as symbolic of etiological processes in depression, was discussed in relation to existing psychodynamic literature on the mind-body relationship. The results of this research imply that there may be a relevant relationship between the experiences of the mind and the body in depression, and that physical experiences during depression may potentially be understood as symbolic of underlying etiological processes.

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Paper 1: Study one investigates the relationship between the ages of children and young people in years 5-9 and their levels of body esteem, perceived pressure from family, friends and the media, internalisation of societal standards of attractiveness and social comparison.169 participants aged 9-14 years completed four questionnaires: the Body Esteem Scale for Children, the Perceived Sociocultural Pressure Scale, the general internalisation subscale of the Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Scale-3 and the Physical Appearance Comparison Scale. Results indicated that relationships existed between the age of participants and their scores on these questionnaires, but only for girls. For girls, a significant negative correlation was found between age in months and scores on the Body Esteem Scale for Children, and a significant positive correlation was found between age in months and scores on the Perceived Sociocultural Pressure Scale, the general internalisation subscale of the Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Scale-3 and the Physical Appearance Comparison Scale. No relationship between age in months and scores on the questionnaires were found for boys. Boys also had significantly higher body esteem than girls and there were significant correlations between scores on the Perceived Sociocultural Pressure Scale, the general internalisation subscale of the Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Scale-3, the Physical Appearance Comparison Scale and the Body Esteem Scale for Children. Results are discussed with reference to the gender differences, as well as the role of pressure, internalisation and social comparison in the development of body esteem in children and young people. Paper 2: Study two has a positive psychology focus and is a qualitative study of children and young people with positive body esteem. 10 participants from the initial sample of 169 participants from study one with the highest levels of body esteem were selected for interview. The aim of the research was to discover what children with positive body esteem say about their own appearance, exercise, the influence of family, friends and school, and also about appearance ideals. Thematic analysis revealed that children and young people with positive body esteem have a sense of global satisfaction with their appearance but did not place great importance on appearance. Appearance was rarely discussed with significant others in their lives, although many participants described receiving compliments about their appearance. Where negative comments had been received, these were dismissed as jokes or not important. When asked about appearance ideals, the children and young people in the current study discussed controllable aspects of appearance such as clothes and hairstyles; however, they often rejected appearance ideals and instead defined beauty more widely. Finally, exercise and sport were an important part of these children and young people’s lives, with a number of participants competing at a high level. Findings are discussed with particular reference to previous work with Swedish adolescents by Frisén and Holmqvist (2010) and Holmqvist and Frisén (2012).

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Several recent high profile incidents involving law enforcement officers have resulted in the death of a citizen. In some of these cases, the use of deadly force by police was ruled as justified only to learn later that one or more officers were not truthful about what occurred. These incidents have called into question law enforcement's legitimacy and created a demand for greater transparency by equipping officers with body-worn cameras. Body cameras can act as independent, reliable witnesses with no bias or agenda. Federal, state, and local governments have pledged millions of taxpayer dollars to implement body-worn camera programs in police departments across the world, but research has revealed mixed results on the effectiveness of body-worn cameras. Effectiveness can be defined as a reduction in use of force incidents, citizen complaints, and offender and officer injuries during apprehension situations. Data were obtained from a large police department in the Southeastern United States that began using body-worn cameras in January 2015. A purposeful sample of 3 years of data before body cameras were introduced and 3 years of data after body cameras were introduced was analyzed using an interrupted time-series design. There was a statistically significant increase in use of force incidents and offender injuries during apprehension situations. There was no statistically significant change in citizen complaints or officer injuries. This research can assist police executives and program evaluators with providing expectations and setting goals for body camera programs.

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Blood pressure (BP) measurement reliability, year-to-year BP tracking, distinguishing characteristics of upper quintile (UQ) vs lower four quintiles' (LQ) systolic BP (SBP) tracking and the relationships of fat distribution and body composition to SBP were examined in 57 youth. Subjects were measured on two occasions approximately one year apart. Longitudinal measures included auscultatory BPs, height, weight, body circumferences, skeletal widths, bioelectrical impedance and skinfolds. Inter-trial reliability of right/left arm averaged BP (RLBP) exceeded that of either limb alone; tracking magnitude was likewise greater with RLBP. Greater total body mass and fatness as well as larger anthropometric dimensions distinguished UQ from LQ SBP trackers. Fat distribution and SBP were not consistently associated with each other across study years. Irrespective of gender differences, fatness and fat free mass per unit height2 were independently related to within year SBP, yet only initial fatness was independently predictive of future SBP.