bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Competency framework on simulation model-based decision-making for Master of Public Health students
Authors: Hrzic R , Cade M V , Wong BLH , McCreesh N , Simon J , Czabanowska K 
Published: October 2023

Abstract

Background
Simulation models support decision-making by helping public health practitioners evaluate the potential effects of interventions in complex systems and their ultimate health impacts. However, many public health professionals remain unfamiliar with constructing simulation models and how best to use their outputs for decision-making due to a lack of training. This study developed a competency framework on simulation model-supported decision-making targeting Master of Public Health students.

Methods
The study was conducted in three phases: a literature review, a two-stage online Delphi survey, and an online consensus workshop. A draft competency framework was developed based on 28 peer-reviewed publications. A two-stage online Delphi survey involving experts in simulation modelling, health policy, and public health education was conducted to validate the domains and competencies in the framework. Finally, an online consensus workshop was held to evaluate the competency framework and discuss its implementation in education.

Results
The literature-based draft framework included twenty competencies related to project planning, stakeholder engagement, problem definition, evidence identification, participatory system mapping, model calibration, and the interpretation and dissemination of model results. The Delphi surveys included four and twelve European experts each and identified additional competencies in assessing uncertainty and generalisability. The online consensus workshop included six experts and recommended expertise and profile differentiation to enhance the framework's utility for public health training.

Conclusions
The competency framework developed in this study is critical to including simulation model-supported decision-making in public health training. Developing self-assessment tools will refine the competency framework through expertise and profile differentiation and support developing appropriate educational interventions.

Key messages
• Public health professionals need training in simulation model-supported decision-making to evaluate the health impact of various interventions more effectively.
• The developed competency framework is critical to including simulation model-supported decision-making in public health training but needs expertise and profile differentiation for implementation.
Deafness and Communicative Barriers with reference to University Courses in the Rehabilitation area
Authors: Sabato M , Sandroni S , Marceca M 
Published: October 2023

Abstract

Introduction
Deafness frustrates communication. It creates a communication deficit/barrier between the deaf person and the hearing community. Without appropriate training of Healthcare staff in effective communication strategies, this gap can marginalize/exclude the Deaf Community by denying them access to necessary Healthcare provision with adverse outcome for diagnostic and therapeutic success. This study highlights the pressing need for and desire of Healthcare staff for training in effective communication strategies, the willingness of University Healthcare Degree Course Directors to explore this, and the perspective of the Deaf community itself, entitled to equal access to Healthcare

Material and Methods
Using the Google forms platform, online questionnaires were given to the 3 stakeholders all over Italy: Deaf people DP; Rehabilitation Healthcare Staff RHS; University Degree Course Directors in Rehabilitation UDCDR. Data Analysis was carried out using the Google Forms program, SPSS program Windows7 Excel Spreadsheet.

Results
252 RHS (89% women) participated, (92.9%) interested in Courses about Communication with Deaf People (57% of these had deaf patients, but only 45% had specific training). 39 DCHR took part (39,4% Heads of Speech Therapy courses and 35,3% Heads of Developmental Neuro-Psychomotricity Therapy courses). These Heads do not foresee training courses on the subject, even though 92% of them consider it quite/ very important for their students’ formation. 23 DP participated (69% aged 18-45); 56% report having received simplistic communications solely because they are deaf; 78% had problems in establishing a relationship of trust with health staff, due to communication barriers.

Conclusions
Both health workers and deaf people identify significant training needs to overcome communication barriers. Apropos, the UDCDR involved show their willingness to pursue further study of this.

Key messages
• This study highlights the need to train health workers in essential communication strategies with deaf people, to reduce the significant barriers that prevent their access to appropriate therapy.
• There is a need for training in effective communication strategies between deaf people and Rehabilitation Health Professionals. Training should be duly adapted to provide all inclusive Healthcare.
Do the future health professionals feel prepared to care for the increasingly diverse population?
Authors: Sorensen J , Lykke Hindhede A , Maheswaran S , Norredam M , de Montgomery C , Krasnik A 
Published: October 2023

Abstract

Background
Migrant and ethnic minority populations in Europe are growing, leading to a demand for health systems and health educations to accommodate the growing diversity. However, many medical educations in Europe, including Denmark, have not yet incorporated diversity competence training into their curriculum. The aim of the study is to investigate whether Danish medical students feel adequately prepared to provide care and address the needs of the increasingly diverse population.

Methods
An online survey was conducted by email to 5234 students in four medical Master programs in Denmark or were undergoing clinical internship. Reminders were distributed by email, shared in Facebook groups and were presented during lectures where cards with QR codes for the survey were distributed. Data collection took place during spring 2023. The survey questions were adapted from the validated Recidency Training In Cross-Cultural Care questionnaire (University of Boston and Harvard University), with adjustments from the University of Hawaii.

Results
Across universities 64% - 80% of the participating medical students and young physicians reported that they felt very or somewhat unprepared when it comes to care for patients who are new immigrants. Additionally, 57%-83% of the participants felt very or somewhat unprepared in providing care for patients with a distrust of the Danish health care system. In total, 31% reported feeling helpless at times or often in the last year when providing care to patients from a culture different from their own.

Conclusions
Our findings indicate that many Danish medical students and young physicians feel challenged and unprepared when it comes to providing care to migrants and ethnic minority patients. The variation between universities may reflect differences in curriculum and patient composition.

Key messages
• The increasing diversity of European populations is a challenge to the medical profession and not yet sufficiently reflected in Danish medical training.
• Medical schools need to ensure development and integration of diversity competence training in the medical programs in order to support inclusive health care services.
EUREST-RISE: An innovative networking and training project on European Tobacco Control
Authors: Vardavas C , Plyta Z , Lagou I , Aslanoglou K , Marou V , Papathanasaki K , Vardavas A , Vogiatzidaki S ,   on behalf of the EUREST-RISE Consortium
Published: October 2023

Abstract

Aim and objective
The world's leading contributor to avoidable illness and premature death is thought to be smoking and other tobacco use. An integrated set of research projects are suggested as part of EUREST-RISE to aid in the training of researchers in the analysis of tobacco product systems, their processes and functions, and the relationships between important design elements and their evaluation in user populations.

Methods
Currently in its first phase of execution, EUREST-RISE is a Marie Sklodowska Curie Action (MSCA) funded under Grant Agreement (Number:101008139). In the framework of particular research objectives addressed within tasks of each WP, interdisciplinary knowledge transfer will be achieved through the intersectoral secondment of researchers and their reintegration to their home institution.

Results
By offering a special framework for collaboration on joint research and innovation projects in three areas, EUREST-RISE expects to achieve its goal of developing a cohort of scholars with cutting-edge practical training in European tobacco product regulatory science. A) Exchange of information about the use of big data bases to address tobacco control concerns from a product-level or population-level viewpoint, including EU Common Entry Gate product-level data and European secondary population-based databases B) offer research and training on the application of sensory and chemical analyses for the evaluation of flavors in heated tobacco products, e-cigarettes, and tobacco products C) train researchers in advocacy activities and policy integration, facilitate training in peer to peer communication, and training on communication to media and the general public.

Conclusions
A network of excellence in European tobacco product regulation science is anticipated to be created via the EUREST-RISE initiative.

Key messages
• Conflicts of Interest: None.
• Funding: The EUREST-RISE Project takes place with the financial support of the European Union, under a Grant Agreement (Number:101008139, PI: Dr Vardavas).
Psychosocial literacy at work: The role of digital data
Authors: Fernandes C , Cotrim T , Pereira A 
Published: October 2023

Abstract

The burden caused by poor psychosocial working environments on the working population, organizations, societies, and economies are a major challenge to occupational health, and fair work. A key enabler for accelerating the promotion of healthy and safe workplaces is the enhancement of psychosocial health literacy at work, to support not only workers and organizations but also communities and countries to understand, recognize and take effective actions to protect and promote their own psychosocial health and sustainability. Digitalization, on the other hand has been an enabler for knowledge creation and added value to information. The present work proposes a methodology that combines digital big data on psychosocial health of the Portuguese working population (PWP), allied with quantitative and qualitive approaches to the design of psychosocial literacy at work tailored interventions. In the promotion of psychosocial safe working environments collaborative co-design models are often recognized has effective because the process undertakes meaningful engagement with workers, enlarged community, health and safety professionals and decision makers, to uncover specific wisdom and ensure tailored psychosocial work literacy interventions. Each organization is unique and undertakes its own “personality”, so individualized interventions for dealing with the organization individual psychosocial profile are the most effective way to design such interventions. The digital data from the PWP are allied with a qualitative tailored approach admitting results maximization by using digital big data and algorithm calculation for several values and cluster identification incorporating individual and organizational specificities, using the data from the Portuguese Observatory on Occupational Factors (Popsy@Work). Its intended to raise awareness on the need to democratize the access to psychosocial health at work.

Key messages
• Digital big data on psychosocial health monitoring, reporting and foresight, allows the promotion of robust metrics and reference values for the Portuguese working population.
• Psychosocial literacy at work is potentiated by collaborative co-design models – aligning digital big data and qualitative individualized approaches.
Subjective and objective measurements of nurses’ stress and recovery
Authors: Rantanen N , Sanmark E , Oksanen L-M , Lieslehto J , Myllymäki T , Geneid A , Lallukka T 
Published: October 2023

Abstract

Objectives
High workloads and stress of healthcare workforce are global phenomena. We aimed to study work related stress and recovery of nurses with both subjective and objective methods, also aiming to examine if associations exist between subjective high work stress and need for recovery, and objectively measured stress and recovery.

Methods
Study sample comprised 65 nurses employed in the City of Helsinki. Heart rate variability (HRV) measurements were conducted for 3 consecutive days with ECG-based device in real-life setting, including 2 workdays and 1 day off. Objective stress and recovery were assessed from HRV and HRV-based stress and recovery variables. Participants filled out an electronic survey, where work stress was measured with Effort-reward imbalance scale and recovery after work with Need for recovery scale.

Results
Proportion of nurses with effort-reward ratio &gt;1, indicating work stress, was high (84.6%), as was proportion of those with high need for recovery (64.6%). High need for recovery (score ≥54.5) was associated with lower RMSSD during sleep (p = 0.014) and higher absolute stress index (p = 0.009) on workdays. In high need for recovery group, stress balance (p = 0.040) and relaxation percentage (p = 0.033) were significantly lower on workdays than day off. In moderate work stress group, stress balance (p = 0.042), relaxation percentage (p = 0.041) and absolute relaxation index (p = 0.035) were lower on workdays than day off. No significant differences were observed within other groups.

Conclusions
Majority of participants suffered from work stress or high need for recovery. Based on our results, nurses’ high need for recovery is reflected in lower sleep time HRV, indicating worse physiological recovery. In those with high need for recovery, physiological recovery was also worse on workdays when compared with day off. Our findings highlight the importance of recovery, and in the future, nurses’ recovery and work stress should be increasingly monitored.

Key messages
• Nurses’ high need for recovery is reflected in lower sleep time heart rate variability.
• Nurses’ recovery and work stress should be increasingly monitored.
Embedding physical activity into the undergraduate curricula of a Portuguese medical school
Authors: Mendes R , Barbosa A , Caldas Afonso A , Beirão I , Barros H 
Published: October 2023

Abstract

Background
One of the strategies endorsed by the World Health Organization and the European Commission to promote physical activity (PA) is to incorporate PA content into the curricula of healthcare professionals.

Objectives
As part of the VANGUARD project (supported by the European Union Erasmus+ Programme), we aimed to analyse the acceptability of a course on PA and health among undergraduate medical students. The School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences of the University of Porto (ICBAS) was invited to participate. An online survey was administered in June-July 2022 to solicit the input of the students regarding the importance and the operational procedures of implementing a PA and health course into their curricula.

Results
A total of 77 students answered the survey (median age of 21.0 years [interquartile range, P25-P75, 20-24], 75.3% female). Students rated the importance of incorporating PA content in their medical degree program with a median (P25-P75) of 5 (4-5) on a scale of 1 to 5. Most students expressed an interest in PA and mental health (88.3%), cancer (75.3%), cardiovascular disease (75.3%), diabetes (68.8%), and pregnancy (68.8%). In terms of the operational aspects, students expressed their preference for a course offered in the second year (33.8%); as part of the epidemiology and public health discipline (27.3%); optional (58.4%); through a hybrid learning system (49.4% [face-to-face activities + online live sessions + online self-paced learning]); taught in Portuguese (66.2%); with face-to-face assessments (55.8%); with continuous evaluation (77.9%); and using quantitative grading (62.3%).

Conclusions
Medical students showed considerable acknowledgement regarding the importance of incorporating PA and health into their curricula. Additionally, they provided guidance on developing and implementing a course on this topic. A course is going to be offered to the students and proposed to the Council of Portuguese Medical Schools to be scaled up nationally.

Key messages
• Medical students considered PA and health as a very important topic for curricula.
• Medical students have specific preferences for embedding new courses in their curricula.
Promoting healthy learning: A participatory health promotion project with healthcare students
Authors: Schloemer T , Domenik L , Dreyer A-C , Scheu L 
Published: October 2023

Abstract

Background
Health promotion is of great importance during education to prepare future health professionals for their work. Students need to cope with long periods of sitting, stress and high workload through practical training in the healthcare sector. Based on students’ experiences, we developed a project to promote healthy learning at a University of applied Sciences for Health in Germany.

Objectives
The project is part of an ongoing quality improvement in education initiative. Our aim was to inform students about health promotion in everyday study life. Based on a participatory approach, 3 employed occupational therapy students designed two videos with their peers. For evaluation, we sent three e-mails and conducted a survey among all 1730 students from 17 to 30 April 2023. Questions related to three aspects: how much students like the videos, whether they find them helpful, and whether they intend to use them in their everyday studies.

Results
Students identified two video topics: 1. Ergonomic adjustment of the desk with tips for improvement at no or low cost; 2. A short exercise programme to take part in, tailor-made for breaks between lectures or learning phases. 193 students opened the survey, 92 completed the questionnaire. The ergonomics video was rated good to very good by 83 (90%) of the participants; 83 (90%) found it helpful to optimize their workplace. 62 students (67%) wanted to adapt their workplace, 30 (33%) did not, already had an optimal workplace or abstained. The exercise video was rated good to very good by 76 (83%); 78 (85%) of the participants found it helpful. While 61 (66%) wanted to use it in their daily student life, 34% did not, used other exercises or abstained.

Conclusions
A consultation with the students in the project revealed that the survey's low response rate reflects the general burden of e-mail floods and study workload. Tailored videos were rated by most participants as helpful in promoting health in everyday study life.

Key messages
• Tailored health promotion is of great importance for healthcare students. Measures need to be affordable and easy to integrate in everyday student life.
• Participatory approaches to health promotion for students are essential, because students’ expertise for student life leads to measures that best suit their needs.
Romanian students’ knowledge on radiation protection
Authors: Prejbeanu I M , Purcaru S , Cara M L , Prejbeanu D F 
Published: October 2023

Abstract

Since March 2022, Romania has become a country in the vicinity of a military conflict (there are 649 km border between Romania and Ukraine). As the Russian Federation threatens with using its nuclear arsenal against Ukraine or NATO member states, the risk the Romanian population to be exposed to high radioactivity levels (including radioactive iodine) has to be taken into consideration. In this context, in April 2022 the Romanian Ministry of Health decided to provide iodine tablets to all people under the age of 40; it also launched a public information campaign aimed to advise people on how to avoid radiation exposure, including how to take iodine tablets. One year after this campaign, we evaluated the students’ knowledge on potassium iodide (KI) administration. A number of 828 students (in Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing, Pharmacy, Sciences, Electronics, and Philology), 68% females, aged 20-24 years, answered a 12-item questionnaire on KI administration. The results show 78.3% of the subjects associated KI administration with a nuclear accident/use of nuclear weapons; about 70% knew they can have KI from the pharmacist's using a prescription from the general practitioner. Only 38.6 % of the students correctly mentioned the age of KI administration; 41.1% knew a single dose administration is necessary. About 63% of the respondents knew KI is necessary to protect the thyroid; 53.1% mentioned thyroid cancer as the risk of KI non-administration. As expected, most correct answers were given by students in health-care specialties, while the less correct - by students in Philology (p &lt; 0.001). Surprisingly, best informed medical students were respondents from Nursing, followed by those in Medicine, Pharmacy, and Dentistry (p &lt; 0.01). Even students are considered a well-informed population group, the results indicate more than half of the subjects miss important information concerning radiation exposure attitude.

Key messages
• Nowadays nuclear weapons use is a threat everybody should be aware of.
• Information is an essential tool to make people able to protect themselves against radiation exposure.
Mothers’ perceptions of barriers and opportunities for health-promoting lifestyle one year postpartum
Authors: Fuchs-Neuhold B , Holasek S 
Published: October 2023

Abstract

Background
Pregnancy is often seen as an opportunity for women to transition to a health-promoting lifestyle but maintaining healthy habits can be challenging in the postpartum period. This study aims to explore women's experiences with lifestyle changes related to diet, physical activity, mental health, and social health one year after delivery.

Methods
Semi-structured face-to-face interviews with women one year postpartum (n = 24; mean age 33.58 ± 0.88; mean BMI (kg/m2) 23.18 ± 3.09) recruited through a longitudinal study in Austria were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Qualitative content analysis with an inductive approach was used to analyze the data.

Results
Five overarching themes related to the research question emerged, including ‘social relationships and partnership,’ ‘responsibilities, stressors, and time,’ ‘diet, exercise, and sleep patterns,’ ‘mental illness,’ and ‘family and external support.’ Women's views on lifestyle changes reflect the diversity of different personalities and life circumstances. However, the results suggest that women find it difficult to transfer their good intentions from pregnancy to postpartum behavior, regardless of their initial motivation.

Conclusions
This study highlights the need for individualized health supports that provide flexibility, such as telehealth, to address nutrition, psychological and physiological changes, feelings of distress, and lack of support. Health professionals and support systems can provide targeted, evidence-based interventions and support for this population by understanding how the transition to motherhood affects mothers’ lifestyles and health habits. Overall, the study provides valuable insight into the challenges and opportunities that mothers face postpartum and can inform the development of evidence-based interventions to promote their health and well-being.

Key messages
• There is a need for individualized health support (e.g. telehealth) that provides flexibility in the postpartum period for maintaining a health-promoting lifestyle.
• Understanding postpartum transition enables health professionals and support systems to provide evidence-based interventions for maternal well-being.