scholarly journals Empowerment: challenges in measurement

2017 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 93-96 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruth Cross ◽  
James Woodall ◽  
Louise Warwick-Booth
Keyword(s):  
Health Promotion ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Research And Practice ◽  
Theoretical Considerations

Empowerment is core to health promotion; however, there is a lack of consensus in the wider literature as to how to define it and at what level it may occur. Definitional inconsistency inevitably leads to challenges in measuring empowerment; yet if it is as important as is claimed, this must be addressed. This paper discusses the complexities of measuring empowerment and puts forward a number of recommendations for researchers and policy makers as to how this can be achieved noting some of the tensions that may arise between theoretical considerations, research and practice. We argue that empowerment is a culturally and socially defined construct and that this should be taken into account in attempts to measure it. Finally we conclude that, in order to build up the evidence base for empowerment, there is a need for research clearly defining what it is and how it is being measured.

scholarly journals Innovative strategies for the implementation of best practices

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽  
Author(s):  
D Van Dale ◽  
K Leenaars
Keyword(s):  
Health Promotion ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Local Context ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
What Works ◽  
Prevention Interventions ◽  
Health Promotion Interventions

Abstract The Netherlands’ best practice portal for health promotion interventions includes approximately 350 interventions. The aim of the portal is to support policy and practice with evidence based information. There are five different levels to indicate the strength of their evidence base. In 2014, a study on the implementation of the best practices included in the portal showed that health promotion practitioners often do not implement them. One of the arguments given to opt for other interventions than those listed in the portal was the assumption that the ‘standard interventions’ will not fit their particular local context, and that adjusting a best practice is not possible. We will present the criteria and procedure of the assessment of the quality, effectiveness and the feasibility of health promotion interventions. There after we present two strategies to increase and improve the take up of best practice implementation. The first strategy is to describe and present the core elements of the interventions. This strategy facilitates the possibility for the sound adjustments of a best practice. The second strategy is to identify the common effective elements of a group of interventions, and present that information in an accessible way to policy-makers and practitioners. Effective elements were identified through systematic reviews in combination with focus group interviews with health promotion practitioners. The result is a What works document (What works, What probably works, What doesn’t work and What’s unclear). An example of the second strategy is a synthesis of the effective elements of fall prevention interventions. These elements were translated into a practical user’s guide, and illustrated with best practice interventions from the portal. Policy-makers and health promotion practitioners appreciated the new way of presenting the best practices.

scholarly journals A more comprehensive approach offering instruments in one portal to facilitate higher uptake

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
C Rossmann ◽  
F De Bock
Keyword(s):  
Health Promotion ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Evidence Synthesis ◽  
Good Practice ◽  
Community Setting ◽  
Comprehensive Approach ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Assessment Instruments ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Activity Promotion

Abstract The good practice portal of the Federal Centre for Health Education (BZgA) consists of a nationwide collection of projects and interventions to promote the health of socially disadvantaged groups at community/setting level. An exchange platform (inforo) is also offered via the operating agency, although its use is still limited. The results of the evaluation of the platform suggest that the provision of practical projects and exchange of knowledge alone is not sufficient to support policy makers and practitioners who want to promote health in the community/setting. There is a need for advice on needs assessment, selection and appropriate implementation of health promotion measures. A comprehensive approach currently being tested in the field of activity promotion for older people is the provision of a web-based “toolbox” comprising the following tools: assessment instruments for analysing the need for health promotion measures, a user-friendly intervention/project database and broader evidence synthesis documents, as well as information on project management (organisational, legal, financial). Following the example of other best practice portals, a ranking methodology was developed to make the level of effectiveness of interventions visible and the evaluation requirements transparent. Evidence synthesis documents provide an entry point to learn more generally what works in a particular area of health promotion. In order to make the “toolbox” accessible to policy-makers and practitioners, information from previous studies was used in the development with regard to content and graphical presentation. BZgA is currently working on integrating evidence into the good practice portal. The evaluation of the toolbox in a small area of health promotion will provide initial insights into the inclusion of evidence and its added value. This presentation will conclude with a discussion of possibilities for improvement, challenges and limitations of this approach.

scholarly journals Artificial Intelligence in Education (AIEd): a high-level academic and industry note 2021

AI and Ethics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Ali Chaudhry ◽  
Emre Kazim
Keyword(s):  
Artificial Intelligence ◽  
Intelligent Tutoring Systems ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Tutoring Systems ◽  
Research And Practice ◽  
The Past ◽  
Artificial Intelligence In Education ◽  
Potential Impact ◽  
High Level ◽  
Contextualized Learning

AbstractIn the past few decades, technology has completely transformed the world around us. Indeed, experts believe that the next big digital transformation in how we live, communicate, work, trade and learn will be driven by Artificial Intelligence (AI) [83]. This paper presents a high-level industrial and academic overview of AI in Education (AIEd). It presents the focus of latest research in AIEd on reducing teachers’ workload, contextualized learning for students, revolutionizing assessments and developments in intelligent tutoring systems. It also discusses the ethical dimension of AIEd and the potential impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the future of AIEd’s research and practice. The intended readership of this article is policy makers and institutional leaders who are looking for an introductory state of play in AIEd.

scholarly journals Using Commercial Physical Activity Trackers for Health Promotion Research: Four Case Studies

2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 381-389 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabrielle Turner-McGrievy ◽  
Danielle E. Jake-Schoffman ◽  
Camelia Singletary ◽  
Marquivieus Wright ◽  
Anthony Crimarco ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Health Promotion ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Sensewear Armband ◽  
Research And Practice ◽  
Activity Trackers ◽  
Tracking Devices

Background. Wearable physical activity (PA) trackers are becoming increasingly popular for intervention and assessment in health promotion research and practice. The purpose of this article is to present lessons learned from four studies that used commercial PA tracking devices for PA intervention or assessment, present issues encountered with their use, and provide guidelines for determining which tools to use. Method. Four case studies are presented that used PA tracking devices (iBitz, Zamzee, FitBit Flex and Zip, Omron Digital Pedometer, Sensewear Armband, and MisFit Flash) in the field—two used the tools for intervention and two used the tools as assessment methods. Results. The four studies presented had varying levels of success with using PA devices and experienced several issues that impacted their studies, such as companies that went out of business, missing data, and lost devices. Percentage ranges for devices that were lost were 0% to 29% and was 0% to 87% for those devices that malfunctioned or lost data. Conclusions. There is a need for low-cost, easy-to-use, accurate PA tracking devices to use as both intervention and assessment tools in health promotion research related to PA.

scholarly journals Exploring Agenda-Setting for Healthy Border 2010

2006 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 141-161 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles T. Kozel ◽  
Anne P. Hubbell ◽  
James Dearing ◽  
William M. Kane ◽  
Sharon Thompson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Promotion ◽  
Agenda Setting ◽  
Border Health ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
The Public ◽  
Mexico Border ◽  
Paso Del Norte ◽  
Policy Agendas ◽  
The U.S

Policy makers take action largely on issues that attain the pinnacle of the policy agenda (Pertschuck, 2001). As a result, how decision makers choose which issues are important has been the subject of much research. Agenda-setting conceptualizes the process of how issues move from relative unimportance to the forefront of policymakers’ thoughts (Dearing & Rogers, 1996). An area within agenda-setting research, Health Promotion Agenda-Setting, provides Health Promotion practitioners with an innovative framework and strategy to set agendas for sustained courses of action (Kozel, Kane, Rogers, & Hammes, 1995). In this interdisciplinary and bi-national exploratory study, funded by the Center for Border Health Research of the Paso del Norte Health Foundation, we examine agenda-setting processes in the Paso del Norte Region and evaluates how the public health agenda is determined within the U.S.-Mexico border population. Integrating both quantitative and qualitative data collection methods, the current research is focused on identifying deficiencies in the public health infrastructure in the U.S.-Mexico border area, and identifying channels that exist for working toward the bi-national goals presented in Healthy Border 2010 (U.S.-Mexico Border Health Commission, 2003). Research directions, design, and methodologies for exploring health promotion agenda-setting in applied settings, such as Healthy Border 2010, provide health practitioners and policy makers the potential to improve public health leadership by influencing the public health and policy agendas.

scholarly journals Evidence to Action: Research to Address Illegal Wildlife Trade

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
E.J. Milner-Gulland ◽  
Laure Cugniere ◽  
Amy Hinsley ◽  
Jacob Phelps ◽  
Michael 't Sas Rolfe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Action Research ◽  
Wildlife Conservation ◽  
Research Capacity ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Wildlife Trade ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Illegal Wildlife Trade ◽  
Research Collaborations ◽  
Development Goals

Tools and expertise to improve the evidence base for national and international Illegal Wildlife Trade policy already exist but are underutilised. Tapping into these resources would produce substantive benefits for wildlife conservation and associated sectors, enabling governments to better meet their obligations under the Sustainable Development Goals and international biodiversity conventions. This can be achieved through enhanced funding support for inter-sectoral research collaborations, engaging researchers in priority setting and programme design, increasing developing country research capacity and engaging researchers and community voices in policy processes. This briefing, addressed to policy makers and practitioners, is part of the 2018 Evidence to Action: Research to Address Illegal Wildlife Trade event programme, organised by five of the UK’s most active IWT research institutions, to support the London 2018 IWT Conference.

scholarly journals The economics of mental health in the workplace: what do we know and where do we go?

2007 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 294-298 ◽  
Author(s):  
David McDaid
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Poor Mental Health ◽  
Health Interventions ◽  
Economic Evaluations ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Productivity Losses ◽  
Mental Health Interventions

AbstractTo provide an overview of the economic impact of poor mental health in the workplace and assess the extent to which economic evaluation has been used to further the case for investment in workplace based mental health programmes. Rapid scoping review of published and grey literature. The socio-economic costs of poor mental health in the workplace are substantial but conservative, as few studies have included productivity losses from work cutback, as well as absenteeism. While few economic evaluations of workplace based mental health interventions were identified, the available evidence base suggests that they have the potential to be highly cost effective. Much of this evidence may be from the US and be less applicable elsewhere; it may also have been solely published in company documents making assessment of methodological quality difficult. The potential economic case for workplace based mental health interventions appears good. More collaboration between policy makers and the private sector would help facilitate rigorous and transparent economic evaluations. A number of evaluations are planned. The challenge is to build on these initiatives, in order to address what remains a major gap in our knowledge on the economics of mental health.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document