Yoxas/statistical_literacy huggingface dataset:
Government-led, population-wide initiatives are crucial for advancing the management of hypertension - a leading cause of cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity and mortality. An urban population health initiative was conducted against this backdrop, focussing on hypertension in the primary health system in São Paulo, Brazil. Within the frame of the initiative and under the supervision and leadership of the municipal health authorities, a situational analysis was conducted on the needs in hypertension management, marking the first phase of a Design Thinking process. This article describes the situational analysis process and presents the identified elements to be strengthened considering hypertension diagnosis, treatment and control. First, a mixed-methods approach was used, starting with a literature review of municipal hypertension data followed by meetings (N = 20) with the local public health administration to assess health system level components. To investigate activities on hypertension diagnosis, treatment and control, nine primary healthcare units were selected from two districts of São Paulo city- Itaquera and Penha- which received an online form addressed to managers, participated in conversation circles of staff and patients, and underwent shadowing of community health agents. Data gave rise to two main outputs: (i) a patient care journey map; and (ii) a matrix summarizing the identified needs at patient, healthcare professional and health system level for diagnosis, treatment and control of hypertension. Patient awareness and knowledge of hypertension was found to be insufficient and its management needs to be improved. For health professionals, disease awareness, technical training, more time dedicated to patients, and simplified guidelines and clinical decision-making tools for hypertension management were identified as principal needs. The situational analysis found that the healthcare systems efficiency might be improved by establishing defined treatment and care delivery goals with a focus on outcomes and implemented through action plans. This situational analysis identified several needs related to hypertension control in São Paulo that are in line with global challenges to improve the control of CVD risk factors. Findings were also confirmed locally in an expansion phase of this situational analysis to additional primary care facilities. As a consequence, solutions were designed, promptly taken up and implemented by the municipal health secretariat.
Governments have implemented school closures and online learning as one of the main tools to reduce the spread of Covid-19. Despite the potential benefits in terms of containment of virus diffusion, the educational costs of these policies may be dramatic. This work identifies these costs, expressed as decrease in test scores, for the whole universe of Italian students attending the 5th, 8th and 13th grade of the school cycle during the 2021/22 school year. The analysis is based on a difference-in-difference model in relative time, where the control group is the closest generation before the Covid-19 pandemic. Results suggest a national average loss between 1.8-4.0% in Mathematics and Italian test scores. After collecting the precise number of school closure days for the universe of students in Sicily, this work also estimates that the average days of closure decrease the test score by 2.4%. In this context, parents appear to have a partial compensatory effect, but only when holding higher levels of education and when their children are attending low and middle schools. This is likely explained by the lower relevance of parental inputs and higher reliance on other inputs, such as peers, for the higher grades. Finally, the effects are also heterogeneous across class size, parents' country of birth and job conditions, pointing towards potential growing inequalities driven by the lack of frontal teaching.
Graceful healthy ageing and extended longevity is the most desired goal for human race. The process of ageing is inevitable and has a profound impact on the gradual deterioration of our physiology and health since it triggers the onset of many chronic conditions like dementia, osteoporosis, diabetes, arthritis, cancer, and cardiovascular disease. However, some people who lived/live more than 100 years called 'Centenarians" and how do they achieve their extended lifespans are not completely understood. Studying these unknown factors of longevity is important not only to establish a longer human lifespan but also to manage and treat people with shortened lifespans suffering from age-related morbidities. Furthermore, older adults who maintain strong cognitive function are referred to as "SuperAgers" and may be resistant to risk factors linked to cognitive decline. Investigating the mechanisms underlying their cognitive resilience may contribute to the development of therapeutic strategies that support the preservation of cognitive function as people age. The key to a long, physically, and cognitively healthy life has been a mystery to scientists for ages. Developments in the medical sciences helps us to a better understanding of human physiological function and greater access to medical care has led us to an increase in life expectancy. Moreover, inheriting favorable genetic traits and adopting a healthy lifestyle play pivotal roles in promoting longer and healthier lives. Engaging in regular physical activity, maintaining a balanced diet, and avoiding harmful habits such as smoking contribute to overall well-being. The synergy between positive lifestyle choices, access to education, socio-economic factors, environmental determinants and genetic supremacy enhances the potential for a longer and healthier life. Our article aims to examine the factors associated with healthy ageing, particularly focusing on cognitive health in centenarians. We will also be discussing different aspects of ageing including genomic instability, metabolic burden, oxidative stress and inflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, cellular senescence, immunosenescence, and sarcopenia.
Graduate education is the main approach to training high-level innovative elites. With the expansion of the scale of graduate education in China, it has gradually emerged that the lack of innovation ability of graduate students is recognized as the primary problem in graduate education. How to comprehensively improve the quality of postgraduate teaching has become the core task of educational reform and development. However, data about the current cultivation and development of the innovative ability of graduate students in China is limited. A questionnaire survey was conducted among medical postgraduate students. Descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis methods were used to analyze the data to describe the current innovation ability in advanced medical education and potential influence factors. A total of 1241 medical students were surveyed, according to the results of questionnaire data analysis. The proportion of subjects who participated in the College Student's Entrepreneurship and Innovation program or any other scientific research programs are fairly high which are 46.82% and 29.20% respectively. Most of the participants are observed with high levels of self-motivation and active learning and have good performance in creative thinking. However, only a small number of participants (16.6%) reported academic achievements such as publications. Most of the students are satisfied with the current scientific research environment and think that the current postgraduate training system is qualified for the cultivation of innovation ability, and expects the inclusion of course specialized in systemic medicine and medical informatics in the curricula. Multiple logistic regression results showed that among the factors studied, gender, medical specialties, and types of master's degrees are associated with cognition & skills, academic performance, and creativity. It will be important to incorporate more techniques for creating and improving creativity in the curricula of the current postgraduate education, especially for courses such as systemic medicine and informatics. Guidance in earlier school life can stimulate creativity and an early introduction to scientific research work will facilitate innovative thinking and behavior. Scientific research programs such as the National Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training for the universities of PRC have been widely implemented in the undergraduate education system throughout the country. However, the training effectiveness of the current scientific research programs is worth improving.
Graduate entry (GE) pharmacy students are trained in a shorter timeframe than undergraduate entry (UE) students. This study compares the academic performance of GE and UE pharmacy students at the course exit point. A retrospective analysis of final exam grades in written and objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) was performed between GE and UE students from three graduating cohorts. Final written examination contained clinical case study questions, whereas OSCE involved role play with simulated patients or doctors. Statistical analyses were performed by t-test and one-way analysis of variance at .05 significance level and Pearson's correlation coefficient. No significant difference in academic performance was seen between GE and UE groups at course exit (P > .05). There was a trend for GE students performing marginally better in OSCE than UE students. Females showed better performances in verbal communication than males. GE males showed significantly lower empathy scores than all other groups. No significant difference was seen in problem-solving scores amongst all groups. Both UE and GE groups scored significantly better in written examinations compared with OSCE. Graduate entry pharmacy students from accelerated learning pathway and UE students performed similarly at the course exit point, providing empirical support for non-traditional graduate entry pathway as a viable option.
Graduate medical education programs need leadership assessments and curricula to engage residents and advance their leadership skills. The Foundational Healthcare Leadership Self-assessment (FHLS) is a validated 21-item self-assessment of leadership skills residents need to be effective team leaders in health care settings. It generates a composite score along five foundational leadership domains: accountability, collaboration, communication, team management, and self-management. Our objective was to determine whether a leadership curriculum, using the FHLS as an educational tool to support self-assessment, self-directed learning, and reflective practice, promotes self-awareness and engagement in leadership development. We conducted a qualitative pilot study in the University of Utah Family Medicine Residency Program, integrating the FHLS into our residency's longitudinal leadership curriculum using coaching, self-directed learning, and reflective practice. Family medicine residents completed the FHLS prior to their leadership rotation. Faculty met with each resident during their rotation using a coaching paradigm based on data from the FHLS to inform leadership self-awareness. Residents identified a leadership domain for self-improvement, selected resources for self-study, and submitted a written reflection. We conducted qualitative content analysis on the reflections for evidence of self-awareness and engagement in leadership development. Residents completed 27 leadership rotations between May 2019 and April 2020, generating 21 reflections. Qualitative content analysis of resident reflections grouped by FHLS leadership domains identified evidence of impact on the residents' leadership development. This qualitative pilot study supports the usefulness of the FHLS within a residency leadership curriculum to promote self-awareness and engagement in leadership development.
Graduate nurses are set to face complex global challenges in their future careers. Yet, current pedagogical practices fall short in preparing the future workforce for what lies ahead. There is, thus, an urgent need to disrupt traditional nursing education methods in order to transform our society. Transformation includes ensuring our students are educated on their responsibility toward social, economic and environmental sustainability. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a set of global targets developed by the United Nations, offer a framework for engaging in higher education that promotes a better future; however, to date there are few examples of how the goals have been embedded into nursing curriculum. This article showcases a case study of how the SDGs can be integrated and taught in nursing higher education through the principles of critical pedagogy. Through significant course re-development in an Australian undergraduate nursing course, students engaged with the SDGs along a transformative continuum of enlightenment and empowerment to awaken critical consciousness. While this article offers some findings in relation to student development, the article's key contribution is in detailing the methodology and framework for embedding SDGs in nursing curricula and to encourage other nursing academics to take up the challenge to empower their students' to take action toward addressing global sustainability challenges.
Graduate nursing education plays an important role in the development of an innovative nation. Such education benefits the health of the community by cultivating competent and highly skilled nurses who can provide safe and quality nursing care. The number of students pursuing nursing degrees in China is insufficient, to meet the social demand for advanced practice nurses. The part-time Master of Nursing Specialist program for students offers flexible learning options for working nurses. However, the relatively low level of learning engagement exhibited by this group has raised concerns among policy-makers and nursing educators. An in-depth study of the factors affecting the learning engagement of part-time Master of Nursing Specialist postgraduates, especially with regard to their combined effect, is expected to provide a basis for improving the level of learning engagement among such students. This study used ability-motivation-opportunity-theory and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis to analyze the relationships between five conditions (i.e., supportive campus environment, supportive work environment, student-faculty interaction, research motivation and time management ability) and learning engagement by reference to data collected from a sample of 225 part-time Master of Nursing Specialist students who were enrolled in China. The fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis results indicated that individual examples of these antecedent conditions were insufficient to influence learning engagement. In contrast, three combinations of the five conditions led to high levels of learning engagement, and substitutability and complementarity were observed among the various elements in the configuration. Research motivation, student-faculty interaction, a supportive work environment and time management are factors that can influence part-time postgraduates' learning engagement. Supervisors can enhance their research skills and expertise, hospitals can establish supportive environments for students, and students can strengthen their research motivation and time management abilities.
Graduate programs in the biomedical sciences dedicate considerable resources to recruiting students from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups. However, students from these minoritized groups have decreased access to the 'hidden curriculum' that must be navigated in order to be successful in graduate school. Here, we describe a student-led initiative at Johns Hopkins University, the Hidden Curriculum Symposium, that is organized to help prepare new students from underrepresented groups for graduate school. Preliminary evidence from surveys suggests that the initiative does increase the preparedness of minoritized students, and we believe this approach could also prove useful at other academic institutions.
Graduates of industrial hygiene training (IH) programs must be able to meet continuously evolving health and safety needs in a wide variety of occupational settings. Therefore, academic IH graduate programs must regularly evaluate their curricula and solicit input from industry professionals to make curricular changes that will better prepare their students for professional roles in industry. The purpose of this study was to identify the training gaps that existed between industry needs and the current curriculum for a United States-accredited IH graduate training program. The research team facilitated two group interviews with the IH program advisory board, collected alumni survey data, and performed a qualitative analysis to identify skills gaps/needs for the IH Program graduates. The research team identified 3 themes from participant interviews and alumni surveys (technical, applied, and essential skills) and selected several skills within each theme that interview participants thought were necessary proficiencies for junior IH professionals. The skills identified in the qualitative interview and survey data can be incorporated into the curriculum to improve the training of IH graduate students. Additionally, by using qualitative analysis, the researchers uncovered essential skills previously unidentified in IH needs assessments, providing valuable information for all IH graduate programs.
Graphical materials can be effective communication tools, and maps in particular are a potentially powerful means of conveying spatial information. Previous reviews have provided insights on the application of cartographic best practices, pitfalls to avoid, and considerations related to risk perception and communication, but none has reviewed primary studies of the effectiveness or utility of maps to users, nor have they addressed the issue from the perspective of health literacy, environmental health literacy, or public health ethics. To systematically identify and review the literature pertaining to evaluation of maps in general, or specific map features, as environmental exposure and health risk communication tools; to formulate best-practice recommendations; and to identify future research priorities. A health science librarian searched the literature for commentaries, reviews, and primary studies. Titles, abstracts, and full-text papers were screened for inclusion, and details of methods and results were extracted from 4 reviews and commentaries and 18 primary studies. This was supplemented by one additional review and 13 additional primary studies pertaining to use of maps for communication about wildfires and floods. One additional paper was identified by reviewing reference lists of all relevant papers. and Discussion: While there are significant gaps in the evidence, we formulated best practice recommendations highlighting the perspectives of health literacy and environmental health literacy. Key recommendations include: understanding the map developer's societal role and mental model underlying map design; defining, understanding and iteratively engaging with map users; informing map design using key theoretical constructs; accounting for factors affecting risk perception; adhering to risk communication principles and cartographic best practices; and considering environmental justice and public health ethics implications. Recommendations for future research are also provided.
Graphical perception studies typically measure visualization encoding effectiveness using the error of an "average observer", leading to canonical rankings of encodings for numerical attributes: e.g., position area angle volume. Yet different people may vary in their ability to read different visualization types, leading to variance in this ranking across individuals not captured by population-level metrics using "average observer" models. One way we can bridge this gap is by recasting classic visual perception tasks as tools for assessing individual performance, in addition to overall visualization performance. In this article we replicate and extend Cleveland and McGill's graphical comparison experiment using Bayesian multilevel regression, using these models to explore individual differences in visualization skill from multiple perspectives. The results from experiments and modeling indicate that some people show patterns of accuracy that credibly deviate from the canonical rankings of visualization effectiveness. We discuss implications of these findings, such as a need for new ways to communicate visualization effectiveness to designers, how patterns in individuals' responses may show systematic biases and strategies in visualization judgment, and how recasting classic visual perception tasks as tools for assessing individual performance may offer new ways to quantify aspects of visualization literacy. Experiment data, source code, and analysis scripts are available at the following repository: https://osf.io/8ub7t/?view_only=9be4798797404a4397be3c6fc2a68cc0.
Graphical representation formats (e.g., icon arrays) have been shown to lead to better understanding of the benefits and risks of treatments compared to numbers. We investigate the cognitive processes underlying the effects of format on understanding: how much cognitive effort is required to process numerical and graphical representations, how people process inconsistent representations, and how numeracy and graph literacy affect information processing. In a preregistered between-participants experiment, 665 participants answered questions about the relative frequencies of benefits and side effects of 6 medications. First, we manipulated whether the medical information was represented numerically, graphically (as icon arrays), or inconsistently (numerically for 3 medications and graphically for the other 3). Second, to examine cognitive effort, we manipulated whether there was time pressure or not. In an additional intervention condition, participants translated graphical information into numerical information before answering questions. We also assessed numeracy and graph literacy. Processing icon arrays was more strongly affected by time pressure than processing numbers, suggesting that graphical formats required more cognitive effort. Understanding was lower when information was represented inconsistently (v. consistently) but not if there was a preceding intervention. Decisions based on inconsistent representations were biased toward graphically represented options. People with higher numeracy processed quantitative information more efficiently than people with lower numeracy did. Graph literacy was not related to processing efficiency. Our study was conducted with a nonpatient sample, and the medical information was hypothetical. Although graphical (v. numerical) formats have previously been found to lead to better understanding, they may require more cognitive effort. Therefore, the goal of risk communication may play an important role when choosing how to communicate medical information. This article investigates the cognitive processes underlying the effects of representation format on the understanding of statistical information and individual differences therein.Processing icon arrays required more cognitive effort than processing numbers did.When information was represented inconsistently (i.e., partly numerically and partly graphically), understanding was lower than with consistent representation, and decisions were biased toward the graphically represented options.People with higher numeracy processed quantitative information more efficiently than people with lower numeracy did.