scholarly journals Evaluation of a Healthy Relationship Smartphone App With Indigenous Young People: Protocol for a Co-designed Stepped Wedge Randomized Trial

10.2196/24792 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. e24792
Author(s):  
Jane Koziol-McLain ◽  
Denise Wilson ◽  
Alain C Vandal ◽  
Moana Eruera ◽  
Shyamala Nada-Raja ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Young People ◽  
Secondary Schools ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
General Health ◽  
Primary Outcome ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Smartphone App ◽  
Stepped Wedge ◽  
Partner Relationship

Background We co-designed a smartphone app, Harmonised, with taitamariki (young people aged 13-17 years) to promote healthy intimate partner relationships. The app also provides a pathway for friends and family, or whānau (indigenous Māori extended family networks), to learn how to offer better support to taitamariki. Objective The aim of our taitamariki- and Māori-centered study is to evaluate the implementation of the app in secondary schools. The study tests the effectiveness of the app in promoting taitamariki partner relationship self-efficacy (primary outcome). Methods We co-designed a pragmatic, randomized, stepped wedge trial (retrospectively registered on September 12, 2019) for 8 Aotearoa, New Zealand, secondary schools (years 9 through 13). The schools were randomly assigned to implement the app in 1 of the 2 school terms. A well-established evaluation framework (RE-AIM [Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, Maintenance]) guided the selection of mixed data collection methods. Our target sample size is 600 taitamariki enrolled across the 8 schools. Taitamariki will participate by completing 5 web-based surveys over a 15-month trial period. Taitamariki partner relationship self-efficacy (primary outcome) and well-being, general health, cybersafety management, and connectedness (secondary outcomes) will be assessed with each survey. The general effectiveness hypotheses will be tested by using a linear mixed model with nested participant, year-group, and school random effects. The primary analysis will also include testing effectiveness in the Māori subgroup. Results The study was funded by the New Zealand Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment in October 2015 and approved by the Auckland University of Technology Ethics Committee on May 3, 2017 (application number: 17/71). Conclusions This study will generate robust evidence evaluating the impact of introducing a healthy relationship app in secondary schools on taitamariki partner relationship self-efficacy, well-being, general health, cybersafety management, and connectedness. This taitamariki- and indigenous Māori–centered research fills an important gap in developing and testing strengths-based mobile health interventions in secondary schools. Trial Registration Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12619001262190; https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=377584 International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) RR1-10.2196/24792

scholarly journals Evaluation of a Healthy Relationship Smartphone App With Indigenous Young People: Protocol for a Co-designed Stepped Wedge Randomized Trial (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jane Koziol-McLain ◽  
Denise Wilson ◽  
Alain C Vandal ◽  
Moana Eruera ◽  
Shyamala Nada-Raja ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Young People ◽  
Secondary Schools ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
General Health ◽  
Primary Outcome ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Smartphone App ◽  
Stepped Wedge ◽  
Partner Relationship

BACKGROUND We co-designed a smartphone app, Harmonised, with taitamariki (young people aged 13-17 years) to promote healthy intimate partner relationships. The app also provides a pathway for friends and family, or whānau (indigenous Māori extended family networks), to learn how to offer better support to taitamariki. OBJECTIVE The aim of our taitamariki- and Māori-centered study is to evaluate the implementation of the app in secondary schools. The study tests the effectiveness of the app in promoting taitamariki partner relationship self-efficacy (primary outcome). METHODS We co-designed a pragmatic, randomized, stepped wedge trial (retrospectively registered on September 12, 2019) for 8 Aotearoa, New Zealand, secondary schools (years 9 through 13). The schools were randomly assigned to implement the app in 1 of the 2 school terms. A well-established evaluation framework (RE-AIM [Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, Maintenance]) guided the selection of mixed data collection methods. Our target sample size is 600 taitamariki enrolled across the 8 schools. Taitamariki will participate by completing 5 web-based surveys over a 15-month trial period. Taitamariki partner relationship self-efficacy (primary outcome) and well-being, general health, cybersafety management, and connectedness (secondary outcomes) will be assessed with each survey. The general effectiveness hypotheses will be tested by using a linear mixed model with nested participant, year-group, and school random effects. The primary analysis will also include testing effectiveness in the Māori subgroup. RESULTS The study was funded by the New Zealand Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment in October 2015 and approved by the Auckland University of Technology Ethics Committee on May 3, 2017 (application number: 17/71). CONCLUSIONS This study will generate robust evidence evaluating the impact of introducing a healthy relationship app in secondary schools on taitamariki partner relationship self-efficacy, well-being, general health, cybersafety management, and connectedness. This taitamariki- and indigenous Māori–centered research fills an important gap in developing and testing strengths-based mobile health interventions in secondary schools. CLINICALTRIAL Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12619001262190; https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=377584 INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT RR1-10.2196/24792

scholarly journals Self-efficacy as a mediator of the relationship between subjective well-being and general health of military cadets

2014 ◽  
Vol 30 (11) ◽  
pp. 2309-2319 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luciane Albuquerque Sá de Souza ◽  
Ana Raquel Rosas Torres ◽  
Genário Alves Barbosa ◽  
Tiago Jessé Souza de Lima ◽  
Luana Elayne Cunha de Souza
Keyword(s):  
Self Efficacy ◽  
General Health ◽  
Professional Training ◽  
Multiple Scales ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Mediation Analyses ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
General Self Efficacy

The objective of this study is to investigate the role of self-efficacy beliefs as a mediator of the relationship between the subjective well-being and general health of military cadets (police and firefighters). For this study, 228 cadets participated, the majority being Military Police officer candidates (65%), male (79%), between 17 and 34 years of age (99%), and unmarried (74%). They responded to questionnaires on general health (GHQ-12), perceived general self-efficacy, to the multiple scales that cover subjective well-being, and demographic questions. Initial regression analyses indicate the predictive power of subject well-being regarding general health. Subsequently, the mediation analyses provide satisfactory evidence for the role of perceived self-efficacy as a mediator of the relationship between the subjective well-being variables and the overall health of military cadets. The implications of these results for the professional training of the cadets are discussed.

Health and well-being of young people who attend secondary school in Aotearoa, New Zealand: What has changed from 2001 to 2007?

2011 ◽  
Vol 47 (4) ◽  
pp. 191-197 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon J Denny ◽  
Sue Grant ◽  
Jennifer Utter ◽  
Elizabeth M Robinson ◽  
Theresa M Fleming ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Young People ◽  
Secondary School ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Aotearoa New Zealand ◽  
Health And Well Being

scholarly journals Implementing the MY FRIENDS Youth programme in a New Zealand secondary school: The experiences of staff and Year 9 students

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Laurence Fay
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Young People ◽  
Secondary School ◽  
Secondary Schools ◽  
School Context ◽  
Anxiety And Depression ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Youth Resilience

<p>Increasing rates of young people’s anxiety and depression is a concern for New Zealand secondary schools and this results in issues for students such as decreased wellbeing and school attendance, health difficulties and social isolation. In 2013 the Ministry of Education introduced a pilot of the MY FRIENDS Youth Resilience programme into secondary schools for students in Year 9. This thesis reports on the experiences of teachers and students of the MY FRIENDS Youth programme in one secondary school context. This programme is based on cognitive behavioural therapy principles and has been developed to support young people build their understanding and skills in resilience to enhance their wellbeing. The programme has been implemented and evaluated with young people in a number of countries. Research has shown it to have beneficial effects in promoting emotional resilience and in reducing anxiety and depression in students. The findings of this school case study are explored, and the impact of the programme for the students and their school community is presented. A case study methodological approach was used that enabled the collection of rich data to explore the deep meaning from teachers and students. This involved an in-depth instrumental case study within one secondary school involving teachers, students, the counsellor, the principal and students’ parents. Observations, document analysis and interviews took place to build a comprehensive understanding of how teachers and students learned through the programme. Findings suggest the students see the MY FRIENDS Youth Resilience programme as a positive, useful programme that has enabled them to learn various strategies to deal with challenging scenarios in their life. The findings also address barriers to implementation and possible implications for the future. Several suggestions for the programme are discussed along with certain adaptations of the programme to make it more relevant to the New Zealand context.</p>

scholarly journals Empowering Pasifika Students to Express their Identities through Visual Arts in New Zealand Secondary Schools: The Role of Euro-descendent Teachers

2016 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 85 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jill Elizabeth Smith
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Young People ◽  
Secondary Schools ◽  
Ethnic Group ◽  
Visual Arts ◽  
Art Teachers ◽  
European Research ◽  
Art Works ◽  
Pasifika Students

The greatest numbers of young people in New Zealand are from Pasifika peoples’ ethnic groups. In contrast, art teachers in secondary schools are predominantly European. Research conducted in 2015, which investigated how art teachers are responding to the increasing diversity of students, uncovered important insights. This article provides “snapshots” of how four European-New Zealand art teachers, who work in schools where Pasifika students comprise the largest ethnic group, are empowering them to express themselves within their cultural milieu. Articulated through the voices of the art teachers, the stories of these students are visualized through examples of their art works.

scholarly journals Correlation between breastfeeding and maternal health status

2013 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 180-185 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos Zubaran ◽  
Katia Foresti
Keyword(s):  
Health Status ◽  
Maternal Health ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
General Health ◽  
General Health Questionnaire ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Southern Brazil ◽  
Scale Scores ◽  
Bivariate Regression ◽  
Health And Well Being

OBJECTIVE: To examine the relation between breastfeeding efficacy and health status in a sample of 88 mothers from Southern Brazil. METHODS: Research participants completed the Portuguese version of the General Health Questionnaire and the Personal Health Scale. Breastfeeding efficacy was evaluated using the Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale. Correlations between breastfeeding and health status scores were examined using Pearson's correlation coefficient. RESULTS: The results of this study revealed significant correlations between the scores of the two general health and well-being questionnaires and the Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale. Bivariate regression analyses revealed that both health status instruments significantly predicted Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale scores. CONCLUSION: Breastfeeding efficacy is significantly related to maternal health status in Southern Brazil.

Pilot study of a well-being app to support New Zealand young people during the COVID-19 pandemic (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Serlachius ◽  
Anna Boggiss ◽  
David Lim ◽  
Kiralee Schache ◽  
Kate Wallace-Boyd ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Young People ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Post Intervention ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Self Compassion ◽  
Qualitative Feedback ◽  
The Look

BACKGROUND Well-being apps represent a promising and scalable approach for improving mental health outcomes in youth, especially during a global pandemic when access to face-to-face interventions may be limited. Whitu (seven in the New Zealand Māori language Te Reo) is a newly developed well-being app with seven modules that support young people to learn and practice evidence-based coping skills, including relaxation, mindfulness, self-compassion, healthy eating, and goal-setting. OBJECTIVE During this pilot, we explored the acceptability, usability, and preliminary efficacy of Whitu before refining the app for a randomized controlled trial (RCT). METHODS We recruited 20 New Zealand young people aged 16-25 years via social media to trial the first prototype of the Whitu app over 6 weeks. Within-group differences from baseline to 2- and 6-weeks post intervention in self-reported well-being, depression, anxiety, stress, self-compassion, and optimism were evaluated using repeated-measures ANOVA. A further 21 participants aged 16-30 years were recruited to participate in 4 focus groups to give feedback on the app’s usability and cultural acceptability. Feedback was analyzed using directed content analysis. RESULTS Statistically significant improvements in anxiety (p=.024) and stress (p=.017) were observed from baseline to 2-weeks post intervention. Improvements in well-being (p=.021), depression (p=.031), anxiety (p=.005), and stress (p=.004) were also observed from baseline to 6-weeks. No statistically significant changes were seen in self-compassion, optimism, or sleep. Qualitative feedback comprised of five key themes, namely: factors affecting engagement, issues with functionality, preferences regarding aesthetics, effectiveness and adverse effects, and cultural acceptability. CONCLUSIONS Our preliminary results suggest that Whitu may be an effective app for improving multiple dimensions of young people’s well-being. Modifications to the look and feel, cultural content, and onboarding have been undertaken based on the qualitative feedback, and an RCT is currently underway.

An Open Trial of Immersive Reality Experiences (IRE) Technology for Reducing Social Isolation and Improving the Social Connectedness and Well-Being of Hospitalized Children and Young People (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiran Thabrew ◽  
Christa Fouché ◽  
Laura Ann Chubb ◽  
Stacey Yates ◽  
Harshali Kumar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Young People ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
Social Inclusion ◽  
Social Connectedness ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Hospitalized Children ◽  
Post Intervention ◽  
Children And Young People ◽  
The Social

BACKGROUND Hospitalized children and young people can feel disconnected from their peers and families, which can in turn predispose them to psychological problems including anxiety and depression. Immersive Reality Experiences (IRE) technology, recently developed by the New Zealand Patience Project Charitable Trust may help to overcome these issues. IRE technology uses immersive 360-degree live-streaming and a virtual reality (VR) headset to enable hospitalized children and young people to connect with cameras located in either their school or home environment. OBJECTIVE This trial was undertaken to 1) quantitatively evaluate the effectiveness of IRE technology in reducing social isolation and improving social connectedness and wellbeing using validated outcome measures and 2) expand qualitative findings from a previous smaller ‘proof of concept’ trial to ascertain the views of hospitalized New Zealand children and young people, their caregivers and teachers regarding IRE technology. METHODS An open trial of IRE technology was conducted between December 2019 and December 2020 and included 19 New Zealand children and young people aged 13-18, who had been hospitalized at Starship Hospital, a specialist pediatric hospital in Auckland, for at least 2-weeks. All participants completed the Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (SWEMWBS), an abbreviated version of the Social Connectedness Scale (SCS) and the Social Inclusion Scale (SIS) and at baseline. Ten participants used IRE technology as often as they wished over a 6-week period and completed post-intervention measures. Semi-structured interviews with a subset of participants, caregivers and teachers were conducted immediately post-intervention. RESULTS Participants reported improvements in social inclusion (mean change 3.9, SD 2.8, p 0.057), social connectedness (mean change 14.2, SD 10.0, p 0.002) and well-being (mean change 5.7, SD 4.0, p 0.003). Key themes from interviews with participants, caregivers and teachers were: the importance of support for using IRE technology, connecting vs connectedness, choice and connection, and the value of setting it up and getting it right. A number of recommendations for improving connectedness via IRE and related technology were also provided. CONCLUSIONS IRE technology can improve the social inclusion, social connectedness and well-being of hospitalized New Zealand children and young people. With some technological modifications and simplified implementation, IRE technology could become part of standard care and support hospitalized children and young people in New Zealand and elsewhere to sustain family and peer cohesion, experience fewer psychological problems and more easily return to normal life following completion of treatment. CLINICALTRIAL This study has been registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Network Registry: ACTRN12619000252112p

From vulnerability to risk: Consolidating state interventions towards Māori children and young people in New Zealand

2020 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 526-545
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Stanley ◽  
Sarah Monod de Froideville
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Young People ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Best Interests ◽  
The Political ◽  
Children And Families ◽  
Children And Young People ◽  
Policy Interventions ◽  
Progressive Policy ◽  
State Interventions

Vulnerability has been a guiding narrative to state interventions towards children and their families in New Zealand. This article shows how this progressive notion has been systematically managed to fit pre-established political and policy priorities. These processes have emphasised: (i) categorisations of risk to those who demonstrate vulnerabilities; (ii) pre-emptive, multi-agency involvement in the lives of those deemed potentially ‘vulnerable’; and (iii) a responsibilising expectation that children and families will avoid vulnerable situations and comply with interventions. This individualising logic of vulnerability has solidified policy interventions towards Māori, and re-emphasised colonial practices of viewing Māori children and young people as deficit-laden risks to be managed. With a late 2017 change in government, the political dalliance with vulnerability appears to be in decline. A new progressive policy discourse – of child ‘well-being’ and ‘best interests’ – is being engaged. Yet, the emphasis on risk, and its corresponding elements of pre-emption and responsibility, persist. These discursive and institutional arrangements will ensure that Māori remain perilously entrenched in welfare and justice systems.

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