scholarly journals Engagement With a Behavior Change App for Alcohol Reduction: Data Visualization for Longitudinal Observational Study (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren Bell ◽  
Claire Garnett ◽  
Tianchen Qian ◽  
Olga Perski ◽  
Elizabeth Williamson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United Kingdom ◽  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Behavior Change ◽  
Causal Effect ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
Behavioral Engagement ◽  
Self Monitoring ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
General Adult Population ◽  
Over Time

BACKGROUND Behavior change apps can develop iteratively, where the app evolves into a complex, dynamic, or personalized intervention through cycles of research, development, and implementation. Understanding how existing users engage with an app (eg, frequency, amount, depth, and duration of use) can help guide further incremental improvements. We aim to explore how simple visualizations can provide a good understanding of temporal patterns of engagement, as usage data are often longitudinal and rich. OBJECTIVE This study aims to visualize behavioral engagement with <i>Drink Less</i>, a behavior change app to help reduce hazardous and harmful alcohol consumption in the general adult population of the United Kingdom. METHODS We explored behavioral engagement among 19,233 existing users of <i>Drink Less</i>. Users were included in the sample if they were from the United Kingdom; were 18 years or older; were interested in reducing their alcohol consumption; had a baseline Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test score of 8 or above, indicative of excessive drinking; and had downloaded the app between May 17, 2017, and January 22, 2019 (615 days). Measures of when sessions begin, length of sessions, time to disengagement, and patterns of use were visualized with heat maps, timeline plots, k-modes clustering analyses, and Kaplan-Meier plots. RESULTS The daily 11 AM notification is strongly associated with a change in engagement in the following hour; reduction in behavioral engagement over time, with 50.00% (9617/19,233) of users disengaging (defined as no use for 7 or more consecutive days) 22 days after download; identification of 3 distinct trajectories of use, namely engagers (4651/19,233, 24.18% of users), slow disengagers (3679/19,233, 19.13% of users), and fast disengagers (10,903/19,233, 56.68% of users); and limited depth of engagement with 85.076% (7,095,348/8,340,005) of screen views occurring within the <i>Self-monitoring and Feedback</i> module. In addition, a peak of both frequency and amount of time spent per session was observed in the evenings. CONCLUSIONS Visualizations play an important role in understanding engagement with behavior change apps. Here, we discuss how simple visualizations helped identify important patterns of engagement with <i>Drink Less</i>. Our visualizations of behavioral engagement suggest that the daily notification substantially impacts engagement. Furthermore, the visualizations suggest that a fixed notification policy can be effective for maintaining engagement for some users but ineffective for others. We conclude that optimizing the notification policy to target both effectiveness and engagement is a worthwhile investment. Our future goal is to both understand the causal effect of the notification on engagement and further optimize the notification policy within <i>Drink Less</i> by tailoring to contextual circumstances of individuals over time. Such tailoring will be informed from the findings of our micro-randomized trial (MRT), and these visualizations were useful in both gaining a better understanding of engagement and designing the MRT.

scholarly journals Engagement With a Behavior Change App for Alcohol Reduction: Data Visualization for Longitudinal Observational Study

10.2196/23369 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (12) ◽  
pp. e23369
Author(s):  
Lauren Bell ◽  
Claire Garnett ◽  
Tianchen Qian ◽  
Olga Perski ◽  
Elizabeth Williamson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United Kingdom ◽  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Behavior Change ◽  
Causal Effect ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
Behavioral Engagement ◽  
Self Monitoring ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
General Adult Population ◽  
Over Time

Background Behavior change apps can develop iteratively, where the app evolves into a complex, dynamic, or personalized intervention through cycles of research, development, and implementation. Understanding how existing users engage with an app (eg, frequency, amount, depth, and duration of use) can help guide further incremental improvements. We aim to explore how simple visualizations can provide a good understanding of temporal patterns of engagement, as usage data are often longitudinal and rich. Objective This study aims to visualize behavioral engagement with Drink Less, a behavior change app to help reduce hazardous and harmful alcohol consumption in the general adult population of the United Kingdom. Methods We explored behavioral engagement among 19,233 existing users of Drink Less. Users were included in the sample if they were from the United Kingdom; were 18 years or older; were interested in reducing their alcohol consumption; had a baseline Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test score of 8 or above, indicative of excessive drinking; and had downloaded the app between May 17, 2017, and January 22, 2019 (615 days). Measures of when sessions begin, length of sessions, time to disengagement, and patterns of use were visualized with heat maps, timeline plots, k-modes clustering analyses, and Kaplan-Meier plots. Results The daily 11 AM notification is strongly associated with a change in engagement in the following hour; reduction in behavioral engagement over time, with 50.00% (9617/19,233) of users disengaging (defined as no use for 7 or more consecutive days) 22 days after download; identification of 3 distinct trajectories of use, namely engagers (4651/19,233, 24.18% of users), slow disengagers (3679/19,233, 19.13% of users), and fast disengagers (10,903/19,233, 56.68% of users); and limited depth of engagement with 85.076% (7,095,348/8,340,005) of screen views occurring within the Self-monitoring and Feedback module. In addition, a peak of both frequency and amount of time spent per session was observed in the evenings. Conclusions Visualizations play an important role in understanding engagement with behavior change apps. Here, we discuss how simple visualizations helped identify important patterns of engagement with Drink Less. Our visualizations of behavioral engagement suggest that the daily notification substantially impacts engagement. Furthermore, the visualizations suggest that a fixed notification policy can be effective for maintaining engagement for some users but ineffective for others. We conclude that optimizing the notification policy to target both effectiveness and engagement is a worthwhile investment. Our future goal is to both understand the causal effect of the notification on engagement and further optimize the notification policy within Drink Less by tailoring to contextual circumstances of individuals over time. Such tailoring will be informed from the findings of our micro-randomized trial (MRT), and these visualizations were useful in both gaining a better understanding of engagement and designing the MRT.

The Migration-Crime Nexus and the Press in France, Germany, and the United Kingdom

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 167-181
Author(s):  
Alexander A Caviedes
Keyword(s):  
United Kingdom ◽  
Human Trafficking ◽  
Organized Crime ◽  
Steady Increase ◽  
Press Coverage ◽  
Individual Country ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
The Press ◽  
And Migration ◽  
Over Time

This article explores the link between migrants and crime as portrayed in the European press. Examining conservative newspapers from France, Germany, and the United Kingdom from 2007 to 2016, the study situates the press coverage in each individual country within a comparative perspective that contrasts the frequency of the crime narrative to that of other prominent narratives, as well as to that in the other countries. The article also charts the prevalence of this narrative over time, followed by a discussion of which particular aspects of crime are most commonly referenced in each country. The findings suggest that while there has been no steady increase in the coverage of crime and migration, the press securitizes migration by focusing on crime through a shared emphasis on human trafficking and the non-European background of the perpetrators. However, other frames advanced in these newspapers, such as fraud or organized crime, comprise nationally distinctive characteristics.

scholarly journals Resource and waste quantification scenarios for wind turbine decommissioning in the United Kingdom

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kiran Tota-Maharaj ◽  
Alexander McMahon
Keyword(s):  
United Kingdom ◽  
Waste Management ◽  
Wind Turbine ◽  
End Of Life ◽  
Wind Turbines ◽  
Rapid Rise ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Management Procedures ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Over Time

AbstractWind power produces more electricity than any other form of renewable energy in the United Kingdom (UK) and plays a key role in decarbonisation of the grid. Although wind energy is seen as a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels, there are still several environmental impacts associated with all stages of the lifecycle of a wind farm. This study determined the material composition for wind turbines for various sizes and designs and the prevalence of such turbines over time, to accurately quantify waste generation following wind turbine decommissioning in the UK. The end of life stage is becoming increasingly important as a rapid rise in installation rates suggests an equally rapid rise in decommissioning rates can be expected as wind turbines reach the end of their 20–25-year operational lifetime. Waste data analytics were applied in this study for the UK in 5-year intervals, stemming from 2000 to 2039. Current practices for end of life waste management procedures have been analysed to create baseline scenarios. These scenarios have been used to explore potential waste management mitigation options for various materials and components such as reuse, remanufacture, recycling, and heat recovery from incineration. Six scenarios were then developed based on these waste management options, which have demonstrated the significant environmental benefits of such practices through quantification of waste reduction and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions savings. For the 2015–2019 time period, over 35 kilotonnes of waste are expected to be generated annually. Overall waste is expected to increase over time to more than 1200 kilotonnes annually by 2039. Concrete is expected to account for the majority of waste associated with wind turbine decommissioning initially due to foundations for onshore turbines accounting for approximately 80% of their total weight. By 2035–2039, steel waste is expected to account for almost 50% of overall waste due to the emergence of offshore turbines, the foundations of which are predominantly made of steel.

scholarly journals Notifications to Improve Engagement With an Alcohol Reduction App: Protocol for a Micro-Randomized Trial

10.2196/18690 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. e18690 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren Bell ◽  
Claire Garnett ◽  
Tianchen Qian ◽  
Olga Perski ◽  
Henry W W Potts ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Behavior Change ◽  
Randomized Trial ◽  
Research Ethics ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
Ethics Committee ◽  
Perceived Usefulness ◽  
Self Report ◽  
London School ◽  
Research Ethics Committee

Background Drink Less is a behavior change app that aims to help users in the general adult population reduce hazardous and harmful alcohol consumption. The app includes a daily push notification, delivered at 11 am, asking users to “Please complete your mood and drinking diaries.” Previous analysis of Drink Less engagement data suggests the current notification strongly influences how users engage with the app in the subsequent hour. To exploit a potential increase of vulnerability of excess drinking and opportunity to engage with the app in the evenings, we changed the delivery time from 11 am to 8 pm. We now aim to further optimise the content and sequence of notifications, testing 30 new evidence-informed notifications targeting the user’s perceived usefulness of the app. Objective The primary objective is to assess whether sending a notification at 8 pm increases behavioral engagement (opening the app) in the subsequent hour. Secondary objectives include comparing the effect of the new bank of messages with the standard message and effect moderation over time. We also aim to more generally understand the role notifications have on the overall duration, depth, and frequency of engagement with Drink Less over the first 30 days after download. Methods This is a protocol for a micro-randomized trial with two additional parallel arms. Inclusion criteria are Drink Less users who (1) consent to participate in the trial; (2) self-report a baseline Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test score of 8 or above; (3) reside in the United Kingdom; (4) age ≥18 years and; (5) report interest in drinking less alcohol. In the micro-randomized trial, participants will be randomized daily at 8 pm to receive no notification, a notification with text from the new message bank, or the standard message. The primary outcome is the time-varying, binary outcome of “Did the user open the app in the hour from 8 pm to 9 pm?”. The primary analysis will estimate the marginal relative risk for the notifications using an estimator developed for micro-randomized trials with binary outcomes. Participants randomized to the parallel arms will receive no notifications (Secondary Arm A), or the standard notification delivered daily at 11 am (Secondary Arm B) over 30 days, allowing the comparison of overall engagement between different notification delivery strategies. Results Approval was granted by the University College of London’s Departmental Research Ethics Committee (CEHP/2016/556) on October 11, 2019, and The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine Interventions Research Ethics Committee (17929) on November 27, 2019. Recruitment began on January 2, 2020, and is ongoing. Conclusions Understanding how push notifications may impact engagement with a behavior change app can lead to further improvements in engagement, and ultimately help users reduce their alcohol consumption. This understanding may also be generalizable to other apps that target a variety of behavior changes. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) DERR1-10.2196/18690

Union and its Challengers in the United Kingdom

2021 ◽  
pp. 21-36
Author(s):  
Michael Keating
Keyword(s):  
Twentieth Century ◽  
United Kingdom ◽  
The State ◽  
Clear Distinction ◽  
World War Two ◽  
World War ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Parliamentary Sovereignty ◽  
Nineteenth And Twentieth Centuries ◽  
Over Time

The United Kingdom was created over time without a clear plan. Creation of the state largely coincided with the creation of the Empire so that there was not a clear distinction between the two. The union preserved many of the elements of the pre-union component parts, but was kept together by the principle of unitary parliamentary sovereignty. Within the union, the distinct nationalities developed in the modern period and produced nationalist movements. Most of these aimed at devolution within the state, but some demanded separation. Management of these demands was a key task of statecraft in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. In the post-World War Two era, the nationalities question appeared to have gone away but it returned in the 1970s. Devolution settlements at the end of the twentieth century represented a move to stabilize the union on new terms.

scholarly journals Where Does Multinational Investment Go with Territorial Taxation? Evidence from the United Kingdom

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 325-358
Author(s):  
Li Liu
Keyword(s):  
United Kingdom ◽  
Causal Effect ◽  
European Countries ◽  
Difference In Differences ◽  
Tax System ◽  
Investment Rate ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Percentage Points ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Unique Dataset

In 2009, the United Kingdom changed from a worldwide to a territorial tax system, abolishing dividend taxes on foreign repatriation from many low-tax countries. This paper assesses the causal effect of territorial taxation on real investments, using a unique dataset for multinational affiliates in 27 European countries and employing the difference-in-differences approach. It finds that the territorial reform has increased the investment rate of UK multinationals by 16.7 percentage points in low-tax countries. In the absence of any significant investment reduction elsewhere, the findings represent a likely increase in total outbound investment by UK multinationals. (JEL F23, G31, H25, H32, H87)

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