Allotment gardening has long been reputed to have health and well-being benefits, yet there has been little empirical research to date. Two premises were formulated for this research: allotment gardening results in health and well-being benefits and works as being an antidote to urban living. The fieldwork took place on eleven allotment sites in the environs of Manchester. Initial work established the allotment gardeners' demographic information, how they gardened, what they produced and its contribution to family diets. Further work then examined the well-being of allotment gardeners following a session on the allotment and demonstrated positive mood and higher self-esteem outcomes. There was no difference for gender for any of the well-being measures; there were however, significant differences according to occupation. The allotment session benefited the employed and retired allotment holders differently, with the post-test mood of the employed being significantly more positive and the self-esteem of the retired increasing significantly. A comparison between the well-being of the allotment gardeners and non-gardeners showed the better well-being of the allotment gardeners. Employed allotment gardeners had better physical well-being than the employed non-gardeners, and more positive mood and self-esteem following the allotment session. The difference between the well-being of the different populations increased over time. The second premise was also supported showing that the pre and post-test mood and self-esteem scores did not differ significantly between allotment sites or for ,"gender. The effect of the allotment session was to increase the overall positive mood t!.; ..• :' ~: ' ." \ . I • of the employed to a level that was not significantly different to the retired. This research has implications from 'cradle to grave'. It underlines the importance of teaching children future skills such as growing, cooking food and caring for things. It presents evidence which supports the well-being gains from allotment gardening which accrue into older age.

No description available.

This study aimed to establish the effect of two types of educational intervention on clinical practice involving 34 experimental = 14, control = 20 District Nurses from communities across South Wales who were actively engaged in the assessment and treatment of venous leg ulcer wounds. Experimental and control educational interventions were each designed around expert-ranked venous leg ulcer assessment and treatment key tasks. The experimental educational intervention incorporated added dimensions of identified training needs and preferred learning styles in the educational intervention following knowledge, skill and learning style assessments using valid and reliable measurement instruments. Measurement instruments used were: Royal College of Nursing Continuing Education Examination a specifically constructed Objective Structured Clinical Examination and Kolb's Learning Styles Inventory. Burnout and Previous Development as potential confounding variables were accounted for across each of the two groups using valid and reliable measurement instruments. Measurement Instruments used were: Maslach's Burnout Inventory and a specifically constructed previous development questionnaire. Post-intervention District Nurse clinical practice variation levels were recorded over a six-month period using a specifically constructed clinical practice variation questionnaire. Surprisingly, control group results demonstrated improved clinical practice levels of being better informed about clinical subjects contained within the clinical practice variation questionnaire +5.4% consciously changing the way clinical tasks were approached +3.8% and changing practice by undertaking clinical tasks differently +22.0% . No statistical difference existed between experimental and control groups for categories of: being better informed about clinical subjects and consciously changing the way clinical tasks were approached. However, statistical significance existed between experimental and control groups for the category of changing practice by undertaking clinical tasks differently. The main conclusion to be drawn from this study was that the hypothetical proposal of this type of educational intervention demonstrating improved experimental group District Nurse clinical practice over control group District Nurse clinical practice was, at a statistical level, not supported. However, clinical practice variation questionnaire results demonstrated improved control group clinical practice over experimental group clinical practice and that in such unexpected circumstances, this phenomenon required further investigation.

No description available.

Current health policy in England emphasises the environmental determinants of health and well-being and the care of chronically sick and vulnerable people in and by the community. A recent resurgence of research interest into the complex links between housing and health provides evidence of the detrimental effect of poor housing design, condition and location on occupants' physical health and mental well-being as well as on their access to care and social support. A new, less documented, line of research argues that the observed relationship between housing and health might also reflect the effect of health status on opportunities in the housing system. In this light it is argued here that the success of national health policy depends both on the availability of 'healthy' homes and on the effective use of housing provision to meet health and care needs. Historically, the only part of the housing system that has actively attempted to operationalise the concept of housing for health has been the social - largely council - rented sector. For the past 25 years this has been achieved through the mechanism of medical priority for rehousing (MPR) - the process of assigning priority in the housing queues on the grounds of medical need. There is evidence, however, that just as health gain has become a legitimate objective for housing policy and practice, the system of medical priority rehousing is under increasing pressure in many areas of the country. The most important challenge comes from the privatisation of the social housing system and its changed character, size and quality, as well as its spatial unevenness. In order to explore the current capacity and future potential of a restructured social housing system to secure health gains through housing interventions, this study includes the ESRC-funded secondary analysis of data collected in the early 1990s as part of a national study into social housing provision for people with health and mobility needs in England. My analysis highlights geographical differences in the operation of medical rehousing and documents the inequitable outcomes that occur both within and between local areas as housing managers implement a range of different rationing methods in the attempt to regulate demand for rehousing. Complementing a large existing literature on the problems of access to council housing for the most marginalised groups in society, I explore the difficulties experienced by those with health needs - a relatively privileged group among the benefit-dependent poor - in mobilising the system of medical priority rehousing and of securing a suitable home through the process of matching applicants to stock. While on the one hand the study shows that medical priority rehousing can secure favourable housing (and health) outcomes for some of those with health needs, an important point to emerge is that the system is increasingly failing to cater for the majority of those in medical need, albeit more so in some areas than others, in most parts of the country. This raises important questions - that are also briefly explored - about how those with health problems fare in the market sector of the housing system. I conclude that, in order to harness housing policy and practice to health aims more effectively, a more tenure-neutral healthy housing policy is required. Thus my recommendations include a number of administrative changes to the operation of medical priority rehousing as well as an increased social investment in all housing sectors.

During the past decade or so, the construct of ambivalence has proven to be a significant factor in furthering our understanding of people's health behaviours. Despite this recent interest, there are still considerable gaps in knowledge with respect to its origins and the effects that various forms of ambivalence may exert upon the intention-behaviour relationship. The objective of the present piece of research was to address some of these issues. This thesis is comprised of three studies. The first study investigated whether there is evidence of a generalised ambivalence trait running across the health behaviour domain, producing ambivalence towards specific behaviours. This model though was not supported by the findings. This study also looked at the role of a collection of personality predispositions as generalised ambivalence elicitors. However, the associations between ambivalence and the various personality predispositions were low, and deemed as inadequate to support causality. Looking at both potential and felt ambivalence, the second study concluded that it is more meaningful to examine the various forms of ambivalence in the context of the specific behaviours. Additionally, this study employed a prospective design with a one week follow-up to examine the double moderating effect of the various types of ambivalence and personality upon the intention-behaviour relationship. A number of significant effects were revealed, varying for particular ambivalence forms, personality types and behaviours. The third study employed a prospective, three month follow-up design, and replicated the findings from the previous study in the context of physical activity in a fitness centre. It was proposed that ambivalence, in combination with the characteristics of the individual, may determine the value of the outcomes of the behaviour for the person, which in turn may regulate the route of information processing that will be followed (systematic vs. heuristic), and thus the degree of intention formation. Overall, these findings suggest that the contribution of ambivalence in its own right in explaining the predictability of behaviour from intentions may be weak, and the inconclusive literature in the field may be attributed in failing to account for the impact of additional variables, such as people's personality predispositions. The need for further research is highlighted, as well as the importance of examining various forms of direct and indirect ambivalence, in comparison to global ambivalence.

The development of advanced practice nursing (APN) roles has become a worldwide trend as healthcare planners explore innovative options for the provision of healthcare services. The integration of these new nursing roles presents a dynamic change for healthcare professionals and the systems in which they practice. Suitable policies should ideally support the inclusion of APN roles and their practice potential, however, a review of the literature found no evidence that demonstrated relevant policymaking, these policy processes and subsequent implementation of the intent of policy. The aim of the research was to investigate APN policy development from the beginning periods of discussion through various stages of decision making to realisation in practice. An ethnographic design with an instrumental case study approach selecting Singapore as the case was chosen to examine policy development associated with the processes of integrating APN roles into the healthcare workforce. The study consisted of four phases. The first phase involved a review of Singapore documents associated with APN development (N=47). The second phase consisted of interviews with government officials, university dignitaries and academic staff (N=12) who had knowledge of the APN initiative. The third phase included interviews with nursing managers, medical directors and medical consultants (N=11) who were associated with APN implementation. The fourth phase was comprised of interviews and participant observation with APNs (N=15) to ascertain the realities of putting the intent of policy into practice. A systematic approach using NVIVO computer-assisted qualitative data software for coding the data and organizing the coded data led to a classification of categories and subcategories. Identification of relationships between the categories resulted in an account of policy development and implementation. The findings of the ethnography present a comprehensive and in-depth account of the complexities of policy decision making and the challenges of introducing a new healthcare professional such as an APN. Based on study findings it is argued that an understanding of pivotal stages in policy making could lead to a strategic and coordinated approach supportive of APN development and implementation. Knowledge gained from this research led to the creation of an innovative conceptual policy framework. Critical points to consider when launching an APN initiative emerged from the research and are included in the framework. Although the research was conducted in Singapore the study contributes to a wider understanding of the development of APN roles and relevant policies.

The current advice for a sports analyst when filming a large performance area is to use multiple fixed cameras or a single panning one. Neither of these options is ideal: multiple cameras must be positioned, have their shutters synchronised and their footage combined for analysis; a panning camera makes it difficult to determine an athlete’s movement relative to an external frame of reference. The aim of this study was to establish a process that enabled the confident, accurate and precise use of a wide field of view for measuring distance and speed in large performance areas. Swimming was used as an example sport as it had a large performance area, which measured 50 m by 25 m. A process for determining the accuracy and precision with which distance and speed could be reconstructed from a wide field of view was developed. A nonlinear calibration procedure was used to account for radial distortion. The Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) of reconstructed distances for a wide field of view was 16 x 10-3 m. This compared favourably with a three camera system reported in the literature, which had an RMSE of 46 x 10-3 m. In addition, it was shown that a wide field of view could be used to identify a 1% enhancement in speed when it was measured over 10 m or more. A wide field of view was used to capture video footage of a swimming competition. This was used to track swimmers using two methods: manual and automated. The two methods showed good agreement for mean speed, but the automated one had higher variability in instantaneous speed than did the manual.

This thesis investigates the features of common health risk behaviours (HRBs), namely, violent behaviours, sexual behaviours, smoking, drug use and unhealthy dietary behaviours, and patterns of engagement with these HRBs, among students at a Saudi university. The study includes a literature review covering the underlying reasons and consequences of HRBs, and explores existing theoretical models of HRBs in order to construct an appropriate theoretical model which underpins and guides this investigation. A mixed methods research methodology was used; quantitative data was collected using a questionnaire-based survey administered to 722 respondents, and qualitative data was collected using a series of interviews with 17 students. The elaborated theoretical model developed from the findings of the study may offer a more accurate understanding of HRBs amongst students at this Saudi university. In addition, the theoretical model may help to inform HRB-related research more widely across universities in Saudi Arabia and beyond. Key findings point to high levels of smoking, risky driving and violent behaviours, moderate levels of alcohol and illegal drug consumption, and physical inactivity and unhealthy diet. Students did not report serious sexual risk behaviours. Furthermore, such HRBs are influenced by traditional practices, gender, age, influence of other HRBs, the current legal system, globalisation, and lack of awareness. These practices are well-aligned to three major levels of influence: the intra-personal, public engagement and socio-cultural. Policy and practice implications arising from the findings are discussed.

Background: Globally, HIV epidemics continue to expand in men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women (TGW) for whom unprotected receptive anal intercourse is the primary HIV risk factor. An efficacious rectal microbicide could play a role in reducing incident infections in MSM/TGW; however, its real-world effectiveness will rely on correct and consistent use. Acceptability of rectal microbicides among these populations will dictate their use, and this must be understood within specific sexual, social, behavioural, and cultural contexts. MSM/TGW in Peru and Ecuador could benefit from a rectal microbicide, but acceptability of the technology is unknown. Methods: Mixed qualitative and quantitative methods were used to understand the barriers and facilitators of rectal microbicide use among 140 MSM/TGW in Lima and Iquitos, Peru and Guayaquil, Ecuador. Conjoint analysis assessed the relative and overall acceptability of eight different hypothetical rectal microbicides as well as the individual impact of specific product characteristics. Twelve focus group discussions and 36 in-depth interviews explored the sociocultural issues affecting rectal microbicide acceptability. Results: Conjoint analysis found that overall rectal microbicide acceptability was high (86.7 on a 0–100 scale) and that the product’s effectiveness had the single greatest impact on acceptability; other product characteristics (cost, side effects, frequency of use, formulation, dosage, prescription need) varied in influence by study city. Qualitative data were sorted into four domains: individual, product, interpersonal, and cultural-societal-structural. Key issues identified that could affect product acceptability were: limited product knowledge, concerns regarding prevention plausibility, side effects, and effectiveness; impact on condom use; target user; and, product access. Conclusion: Rectal microbicides for HIV prevention are acceptable to MSM/TGW in Peru and Ecuador but heavily influenced by product effectiveness. Real-world use will face multiple sociocultural issues, especially regarding access concerns, that must be accounted and planned for during development and eventual deployment of a commercial product.