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The World Health Organization (WHO) promotes physical activity as a primary way to maintain health, but many individuals do not participate in this health-promoting behavior. Despite the potential for public service announcements (PSAs) to communicate health information and promote behavioral change, no prior research on developing video PSAs to promote physical activity was found. The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to examine how affective and information video PSAs for a public health campaign affect future levels of intention to engage in physical activity. The PSAs were developed and filmed specific for this study using the model of goal directed behavior (MGDB) as the foundation for PSA development. Participants were recruited to view PSAs with the message foci of empathy, fear, information, and combination messages to determine which focus area is perceived to be most persuasive for promoting physical activity. This research examined moderating effects of current physical activity habits related to the duration of physical activity and the covariance with stage of change readiness. Differences in perceived effectiveness between the different message foci were found with participants perceiving the empathy video as most effective, followed by combination, with fear and information being perceived as least effective. For participants who meet WHO recommendations for exercise activity, the PSA based on fear was most effective, with fear also being most effective for those participants right below that level of physical activity. Many participants (61%) had a positive affect while watching the four PSA videos. Social implications related to improving public health communication through video PSAs that effectively promote health behavior change.

There are many recognised forms of teacher professional development ranging from simply reflecting on a lesson recently taught to enrolling in a formal course at university. This study set out to examine the perceived effectiveness of one mode of professional development, a spaced learning activity(SLA). The SLA was selected for a number of reasons. Firstly, current government economic and industrial policy includes an emphasis on the training and retraining of the Australian workforce as an economic necessity. Within this policy, teacher professional development is considered to improve the quality of teaching and to raise professionalism. Secondly, the literature in the area suggests that professional development activities have the potential to improve the quality of teaching by enhancing teachers' knowledge and skills. Thirdly, an SLA appeared to incorporate many characteristics of effective professional development which are identified in the literature, for example, allowing time for critical reflection and for internalising concepts. This study sought to determine the effectiveness of an SLA as a training strategy and in enhancing teachers' knowledge, beliefs, classroom practice and students' learning outcomes and also to identify characteristics of an SLA which assisted and inhibited its effectiveness. Perceived costs and benefits of participation to the individual teacher were also evaluated.. The study was carried out at Marist College, Canberra , a Y7-12 single sex secondary school with an enrolment of approximately 1100 boys. The study involved twenty five teachers who participated voluntarily in a pilot collegial group programme at the school during 1993. The term "collegial group" is used for a small group of professionals who meet on a regular basis to learn together and to support one another in their on-going professional development. Adie (1988:4) explains that collegial groups are designed to assist in supporting, learning, problem solving, planning and performing. The twenty five volunteers were divided into three groups. Each group determined its own 'focus1 and met on an average of five occasions over six months, for meetings ranging from two to four hours. The foci selected by each group were: Increasing student motivation Increasing student responsibility for learning. Excellence in Teaching course. Meetings usually provided an opportunity for individual feedback on teaching changes tried, some input on the focus area, discussion of its practicality and a commitment to try something new and to report back at the next meeting. Some groups also included discussion of specific teaching and learning 'problems', where the group would offer solutions. A variety of data collection techniques were employed in the study. A questionnaire was conducted before the programme commenced to ascertain participants' expectations and concerns about the programme and anticipated effects of participation on their teaching knowledge, beliefs and practice and on their students' learning outcomes. A questionnaire was also administered at the end of the programme. The post-study questionnaire sought participants' perceptions about how well their expectations for the programme had been met, any differences participation had made to their teaching knowledge, beliefs and practice, and to their students' learning outcomes and whether these differences constituted improvements. Further questions covered: the benefits and costs to individuals of participation in the programme; the benefits participants perceived that other non-participatory colleagues could derive from a future programme; and the perceived value of the activity as a mode of professional development. The questionnaire also included a table covering organisational factors of the programme and elicited participants' responses about the degree to which each assisted and inhibited progress. In addition to the questionnaires, structured interviews were conducted with the participants after the completion of the programme asking similar questions about their perceptions of its success. Analysis of a variety of data collected through pre and post-programme questionnaires as well as interviews clearly indicates that this mode of delivery was perceived by the participants to be an effective form of professional development from the perspective of changing teaching knowledge, beliefs and practice, and as a refocussing or confirming activity by providing stimulus to an individual's professional development. Further data collected support the organisational characteristics of this SLA and provide some suggestions for changes. Finally, the findings clearly show that the benefits to individuals of participation are perceived to outweigh the costs, further supporting the effectiveness of this mode of professional development.

INTRODUCTION: Medical school curricula are shifting away from passive traditional lecture styles to a more engaging active learning style. This includes flipped-classroom and problem-based learning. While there is evidence that active learning promotes memory retention, critical thinking and self-directed learning, it is also met with resistance from both educators who lack the time or pedagogical training and students who have grown comfortable with passive lecture-based learning. In 2015, Boston University School of Medicine implemented an active learning online learning module, Softchalk, utilized by first year students in an integrated course, Principles Integrating Science and Medicine. Based on survey analysis, Softchalk was a successful learning tool and was once again used in 2016. Improvements were made to Softchalk for the upcoming 2016 class. These consisted of making the learning modules more condensed, consistent and Softchalk was no longer requiring them to be completed for a grade. OBJECTIVE: Assess and compare 2015 vs. 2016 survey results to gauge the student’s perceived effectiveness of Softchalk. METHODS: A mixed-methods survey analysis study was administered to first year medical students enrolled in the biochemistry course at Boston University School of Medicine (total of 180 matriculates). The survey was a voluntary and anonymous. It consisted of two open-ended free response questions and six Likert Scale questions. RESULTS: Softchalk has been incorporated into the curriculum for two years, 2015 and 2016 and thus student responses were compared. There was a significant difference in both student perception of Softchalk providing a foundation for the course (p= 0.001) and helping the students stay on track (p=0.024). However, there was no significant difference between the 2015 and 2016 cohorts in regards to Softchalk providing more effective questions (p= 0.08) or the use of Softchalk as a teaching tool (p=0.051). In the free-response questions, student responses were compared and showed that Softchalk was much more favorable in 2016 than 2015. CONCLUSION: Perceptions of Softchalk were much more favorable in 2016 in comparison to 2015. This thesis is arguing that the main factor in the increased perception of Softchalk was based on the fact that it was no longer required to complete. In 2015, Softchalk was presented as an optional tool for learning instead of another requirement to complete. Students who utilized Softchalk were more likely to have a favorable outlook because it conducive to their learning style. In addition, Softchalk allows students to develop self-directed learning skills by allowing them to be in control of their learning experience, which becomes increasingly important for the clinical clerkship learning and beyond.

This research investigated banner ads on the World Wide Web, specifically the types of messages used in those ads and the effectiveness of the ads as seen by their intended audience. The focus was on health-related banner advertisements targeting senior citizens. The study first sought to determine the frequency of appearance of those ads when classified into categories of compliance-gaining tactics provided by research scholars. Second, the study explored the relative perceived effectiveness among those categories. Two graduate students from a Central Texas university sorted text messages into predetermined compliance-gaining categories. Chi square tests looked for significant differences in the frequencies of banner ads in each category. Forty-five senior citizens from the Central Texas area completed surveys regarding the perceived effectiveness of a randomly ordered, randomly selected set of categorized banner ads. A repeated measures test attempted to determine whether some compliance-gaining strategies used in health-related banner ads were perceived as more effective than others. The hypothesis stated that there would be differences in frequencies of compliance-gaining strategies used among the compliance-gaining categories in health-related banner ads for senior citizens. The hypothesis was supported. The research question asked if some categories of compliance-gaining strategies used in health-related banner ads were perceived as more effective than others by senior citizens. There was no evidence that senior citizens perceived any compliance-gaining category as being more effective than any other. However, post hoc analyses revealed trends in the types of compliance-gaining messages senior citizens perceived as more effective. These trends provide a basis for directional predictions in future studies.

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Malaysia, particularly In the information and communications technology (lCT) sector, are faced with an increasingly volatile environment. The Malaysian business scene has opened up their markets to the world where smaller businesses find themselves competing with newly launched multinational subsidiary and subdivision companies, along with the large local firms. The Malaysian Government has launched several campaigns and support for smaller local businesses to be more competitive and to continuously compete at par with these larger companies. This research project supports the Malaysian Government's objective of instilling a more structured approach towards a more competitive SME by focusing on the management of competitive information related to these companies. In recognising the rising need for competitive support, management and executives are increasingly relying on a concept called Competitive Intelligence (Cl), a systematic and ethical process for gathering, analysing, and managing information that can affect a company's plans, decisions, and operation. In managing competitive information, several companies have emerged especially to develop online tools and software that would enhance the Cl process and the value competitive intelligence brings to organisations. The success of these Cl software tools depends, however, on the sophistication of an organisation's understanding of the Cl process and scope of usage. Different companies derive different values from different approaches to competitive intelligence, and therefore require a flexible tool that is very specific to the company's needs. Therefore, this research investigated the structures and contexts of Malaysian Small and Mediumsized Enterprises (SMEs) based on competitive intelligence (Cl) concepts to derive a more customised approach to the use of Cl for SMEs in the ICT sector, as well as in the selection of appropriate Cl software. Mintzberg's approaches to analysing organisational structures and contexts, Bouthillier and Shearer's Intelligence Cycle, Herring's Key Intelligence Topics, and Davis' concept of effectiveness were used in two main stages. The first stage involved identifying the nature and range of SMEs, which exist under Malaysia's Multimedia Super Corridor, a government benchmarking body for local businesses. This gives an account, on the basis of cluster analysis, of a taxonomy of SME categories consisted of ten clusters. The relationships between the categories were also examined in the first stage of the research. The relationships and clusters found in the first part of the research offered the basis for the second part of the research, which constructs the criteria for evaluating online tools and software for competitive intelligence. The evaluation criteria are then used to evaluate eight Cl-ready software packages in finding suitable tools for the different categories of SMEs. Finally, the research concludes with a study of the prospective users' perceptions of effectiveness in SMEs drawn from the identified clusters. This 'multiple constituency' approach to understanding effectiveness evaluates both Davis' concept of effectiveness (usefulness), as well as the differential evaluations of perceived effectiveness. The research findings provide evidence of a range of SME structures in a variety of contexts. Levels of importance placed on different levels in the Cl process are identified, as well as aspects that need support, automation and/or augmentation. The software evaluation in the second part of the research provided ten recommendations of suitable software package(s) for each SME cluster. However, an initial review by SME managers of perceived effectiveness mostly did not reveal results that were parallel to the findings from the software evaluation study. All in all, the research confirms that SMEs can be analysed by clusters but further research would be necessary to confirm the effectiveness of using the recommended Cl software over a longer period of time.

In the light of the current patient-centred approach to healthcare delivery, this research investigated the effectiveness and safety of paediatric complementary and alternative medicines (CAMs) from the users' perspective in order to generate suitable data to inform healthcare policy and planning. The research was in three parts: a systematic review (SR), a database analysis and a survey. The SR of papers published on the topic from 2000 to July 2011 identified 46 eligible studies conducted predominantly in the USA (14; 30%); with only 5 UK studies (11%), of which 2 were Scottish. Generally, their findings indicated a high report of positive health outcomes by CAM users, and a low report of adverse outcomes. Critical appraisal, however, highlighted the low methodological quality of most studies; with an overall quality rating of 45%, and only 9 studies (20%) possessing up to 8 of 12 quality indices. A tendency towards selective outcome reporting bias was also observed. The database research explored the suspected adverse reactions (ADRs) associated with paediatric use of natural health products (NHPs) as reported on the Yellow Card Scheme (YCS) from its inception until July 2012. The YCS data was mined to estimate the frequency and seriousness of the ADRs reported. NHPs were found to have contributed < 1% of ADR reports within the period, with paediatric subjects contributing 8.6% of NHP reports (192 reports). These profiled 332 specific ADRs, 30% of which were described as serious. Female subjects contributed marginally more ADRs than males (51.5%). Rash and other skin and subcutaneous disorders were the most common ADRs. Herb-drug combination products were found to generate the most ADRs, with the senna-piperazine combination being the most frequently reported (89 ADRs). The product most associated with fatalities was soybean oil (5 reports). Generally, however, NHP-related ADRs reported for paediatric subjects in the YCS were found to be relatively few, and of low severity (6%) and fatality (2%); with over 75% resolution, and mostly within 3 days (68%). The survey component of the research was a bi-modal analytic cross-sectional survey of parents in Aberdeen, and aimed to determine the nature and demography of the use and user-reported outcomes of CAM among children in Aberdeen. Consenting parents recruited from the general population were invited to complete online or paper versions of a validated questionnaire. 212 parents of 391 children completed the survey, of which 143 reported CAM use in their children (67.5%). Participants were mainly mothers (73.6%); Caucasian (84.4%); aged 30-44 years (59.7%); and educated beyond secondary level (85.3%). 213 children had ever used CAM, 64.3% of which had always used CAM; while 21.1% had only used CAM within the last 12 months, and 14.6% had used it only previously. 53.1% of child CAM users were female. Parental self CAM use was found to be the strongest predictor of paediatric CAM use. 102 of the 123 parents that rated their children's CAM use (82.9%) perceived them as helpful; 76 of which said they helped 'a lot'. Finding personal CAM use helpful was the only factor found to significantly predict perceived effectiveness for paediatric CAM use. 9 parents reported adverse outcomes, mainly allergic skin reactions. In all, this research featured the first SR of user-perceived effectiveness and safety outcomes of paediatric CAMs; the first analysis of NHP-associated ADR reports on the YCS; and the first population-based Scottish study of paediatric CAM use. A triangulation of the results from these three strands validated the key finding that CAM is used widely among children, with high perceived effectiveness and safety outcomes. The implications of this finding for healthcare policy and planning were highlighted.

This master thesis analyzes the influence of psychological barriers of consumers from Germany, Sweden, and Iran for using sustainable transportation modes. Climate change has started to change the way people travel. Yet prior research has shown that consumers from all over the world lack consistency between their behavioral intention and their actual behavior. In the case of traveling, this means that a significant number of consumers intends to use sustainable transportation modes, but fails to use them in the end. The reasons for this so-called intention-behavior gap in consumers' minds have been researched successfully and frequently in the past two decades. The novelty of this present thesis is the international comparison of travelers from three different countries and the explicit focus on voluntary travel. The according research questions are: RQ 1:  To what extent is there a gap between the intention and behavior of leisure travelers          regarding choosing sustainable transportation vehicles? RQ 2:  Which group of consumers (inclined abstainers or disinclined actors[1]) plays the bigger      role in creating this gap? RQ 3:  What are the determinants and barriers of using more sustainable transportation     vehicles in leisure transportation? RQ 4:  How is the sustainable behavior of leisure travelers in Sweden, Germany, and Iran            different? To answer the research questions, an online survey in Swedish (n1 = 130), German (n2 = 128), and Persian (n3 = 127) language was carried out ( ∑ n = 385) in April 2020 with a convenience sampling method and analyzed in May 2020. The results show that there is a slightly positive intention-behavior gap in the Swedish sample and a slightly negative intention-behavior gap in the Iranian sample. In the German sample, no significant intention-behavior gap has been found. Moreover, a higher level of environmental attitude, a higher level of environmental knowledge, a higher level of perceived effectiveness (of the consumers' own actions), and a higher level of social norms increases the intention of leisure travelers in Sweden, Germany, and Iran to use sustainable vehicles for leisure traveling - both for short and for long trips. The impact of perceived value and perceived price of sustainable transportation modes, as well as the impact of consumers' sustainable lifestyle on the on the travel intention are not supported in all three countries. Additionally, distance between origin and destination has been found to moderate the impact of determinants on intention. The moderating role of distance also varies in different countries. [1] See the literature review chapter for an explanation

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Contexte : Les enfants atteints de maladies chroniques utilisent souvent des médecines complémentaires. Plusieurs études traitent de l’utilisation de ces traitements et des facteurs qui y sont associés chez les enfants atteints d’arthrite juvénile mais aucune étude n’est longitudinale. De plus, aucune n’a documenté l’utilisation de ces traitements chez les enfants ayant des incapacités physiques en attente de services publics de réadaptation. Objectifs : Les objectifs de cette étude étaient de déterminer la fréquence d’utilisation des médecines complémentaires chez les enfants atteints d’arthrite juvénile et d’incapacités physiques, d’évaluer leur efficacité telle que perçue par les parents et d’explorer les facteurs associés à leur utilisation. Méthodes : Une cohorte d’enfants atteints d’arthrite juvénile idiopathique (n=182, âge moyen : 10,2 ans) qui fréquentent des cliniques d’arthrite et une cohorte d’enfants ayant des incapacités physiques en attente de services de réadaptation publics (n=224, âge moyen : 2,6 ans) ont été suivis durant une période d’un an. L’utilisation des médecines complémentaires et la perception de leur efficacité d’après les parents ont été évaluées à l’aide de statistiques descriptives à chaque trois mois pour la cohorte d’enfants atteints d’arthrite et au début de l’étude pour la cohorte d’enfants ayant des incapacités physiques. Les facteurs associés à l’utilisation de ces traitements ont été explorés par des analyses de type GEE (« Generalized estimating equations ») et des régressions polytomique et logistique. Résultats : L’utilisation antérieure de ces médecines était de 51,1% pour les enfants atteints d’arthrite et de 15% pour les enfants ayant des incapacités physiques. Les médecines complémentaires étaient considérées comme étant efficaces dans 72% des cas par les parents d’enfants atteints d’arthrite et dans 83% des cas par les parents d’enfants ayant des incapacités physiques. Les facteurs associés à l’utilisation des médecines complémentaires chez les enfants atteints d’arthrite étaient l’utilisation antérieure des médecines complémentaires par les parents et la perception des parents que les médicaments prescrits ne sont pas utiles pour leur enfant. Chez les enfants ayant des incapacités physiques, les facteurs associés à l’utilisation des médecines complémentaires étaient l’origine culturelle canadienne, un niveau de scolarité plus élevé que le diplôme d’études secondaires et une moins bonne qualité de vie reliée à la santé. Finalement, l’utilisation des médecines complémentaires semblait associée à de moins bons résultats chez les enfants atteints d’arthrite. Conclusion: Une proportion non-négligeable des enfants participant à la présente étude ont utilisé des médecines complémentaires. Leur utilisation était plus fréquente chez les enfants atteints d’arthrite juvénile idiopathique, surtout chez ceux dont les parents avaient déjà utilisé les médecines complémentaires par le passé et chez ceux qui trouvaient la médication peu efficace. Chez les enfants ayant des incapacités physiques, l’utilisation des médecines complémentaires était associée à des facteurs socio-démographiques et à des besoins plus élevés en matière de santé. Les médecines complémentaires étaient considérées comme étant efficaces dans les deux cohortes mais leur utilisation était associée à de faibles résultats chez les enfants atteints d’arthrite. Ces résultats démontrent l’importance d’évaluer l’utilisation des médecines complémentaires afin de mieux renseigner les parents et de les aider à prendre les meilleures décisions possibles concernant le traitement de leur enfant. / Background: Children with chronic diseases often use complementary and alternative health care (CAHC). Several studies described the use of these treatments and the factors associated with it. However, no longitudinal studies were conducted to determine the use of these treatments over time. Furthermore, no study has evaluated CAHC use in children who were waiting for public rehabilitation services. Objective: The aim was to determine the frequency of CAHC use in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) and children with various physical disabilities (PD), to evaluate its effectiveness from the parents’ points of view and to explore the factors associated with their utilization. Methods: A cohort of children with JIA (n=182, mean age: 10.2 years) who attended arthritis clinics and a cohort of children with physical disabilities (n=224, mean age: 2.6 years) waiting for public rehabilitation services were followed for one year. We evaluated the use of CAHC and its effectiveness from the parents’ points of view at three month intervals for children with JIA and at the beginning of the study for children with PD, using descriptive statistics. We explored factors associated with their utilization, using GEE (“Generalized estimating equations »), polytomous and logistic regression. Results : Previous use of CAHC was 51.1% for children with JIA and 15% for children with PD. CAHC was considered beneficial in 72% of the cases by parents of children with JIA and in 83% of the cases by parents of children with PD. Factors associated with higher use of CAHC in children with JIA were previous use of CAHC by parents and lower perceived helpfulness of prescribed medications (p<0.05). In children with PD, factors associated with higher use of CAHC were Canadian cultural background, mother’s level of education higher than high school and lower health-related quality of life. Finally, in children with JIA, CAHC use was associated with worse outcomes. Conclusions: Many children in our study used CAHC. Its use was more common in children with JIA, particularly among those whose parents used it previously and found medications to be less helpful. For children with PD, use of CAHC was associated with socio-demographic factors as well as higher children’s health needs. CAHC were perceived to be beneficial in both cohorts but its use was associated with worse outcomes for children with JIA. This underlines the importance for health professionals to evaluate CAHC use in order to better inform parents, which may help them make the best decisions regarding their child’s treatment.