scholarly journals Sweet Talk: A Qualitative Study Exploring Attitudes towards Sugar, Sweeteners and Sweet-Tasting Foods in the United Kingdom

Foods ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 1172
Author(s):  
Claudia S. Tang ◽  
Monica Mars ◽  
Janet James ◽  
Kees de Graaf ◽  
Katherine M. Appleton

Worldwide initiatives currently aim to reduce free sugar intakes, but success will depend on consumer attitudes towards sugar and the alternatives. This work aimed to explore attitudes towards sugar, sweeteners and sweet-tasting foods, towards consumption and related policies, in a sample of the general public of the UK. Focus groups and interviews were conducted with 34 adults (7 males, ages: 18–65 years). Thematic analysis identified six themes: ‘Value’ (e.g., pleasure, emotions), ‘Angle’ (e.g., disinterest), ‘Personal Relevance’ (to be concerned and/or change one’s own behavior), ‘Personal Responsibility’ (one has an active relationship with these food items), ‘Understanding’ (the acquisition, comprehension and application of information) and ‘It’s Not Up to Me’ (a passive approach, because intake is subjected to other factors). Both positive and negative attitudes towards sugar, sweeteners and sweet-tasting foods were expressed in all themes. Participants also reported varied engagement with and motivations towards all food items, with implications for intakes. Suggested challenges and potential strategies for reducing free sugar intakes highlighted the need for differing approaches. Future work should assess associations between attitudes and intakes. For greatest population benefit, evidence of the dominant attitudes in those in greatest need of reduced free sugar intakes would be of value.

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. e000365 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fiona Rioja-Lang ◽  
Heather Bacon ◽  
Melanie Connor ◽  
Cathy Mary Dwyer

BackgroundCats are the most popular pets in the UK, yet relatively little research has been conducted into the welfare of cats living in a home environment. The purpose of this study was to determine and prioritise welfare issues for cats using a Delphi method.MethodsCat welfare experts (n=14) were asked to identify and rank welfare issues for cats in the UK. An initial list of 118 welfare issues was generated by an anonymous online discussion board of experts and thematic analysis using NVivo. Subsequently experts ranked the list of welfare issues according to severity, duration and prevalence using a 6-point Likert scale. All issues with a median score of 3 or above (n=43) were included in the second survey to determine agreement on the rankings of issues. Finally, a subsection of experts attended a two-day workshop to discuss the welfare rankings and determine the final prioritised list of welfare issues.ResultsThe issues considered to be the most severe and/or likely to cause prolonged cat suffering included social behaviour issues, diseases of old age, obesity, owners not seeking veterinary care and poor pain management. The welfare issues perceived to be most prevalent included neglect/hoarding, delayed euthanasia, inherited conformational defects/diseases, social or environmental restriction, and poor pain management.ConclusionsThe outcomes suggested that, although issues such as cat behaviour required further research, owner education was an important factor in improving cat welfare.


2020 ◽  
pp. 205943642098007
Author(s):  
Xiaoling Zhang ◽  
Gareth Shaw

This article addresses one question: how is the coronavirus outbreak and its management in China reported in the UK media in general, and on the Internet in particular? It does so by examining how the online versions of the BBC, the Guardian and the Daily Mail reported on the coronavirus outbreak in China, but more importantly, on how China handled it, over a 20-week timeframe. The sentiment analysis and thematic analysis show that although the selected media are of different types in the United Kingdom, the themes and topics are not substantially different from each other. This implies that the general media-consuming public in the United Kingdom would regard China’s handling of the virus as largely negative or neutral. However, the ways of discussing and presenting those topics were subject to variation between the publications, which in turn is reflected in the attitudes and perceptions of their readers.


2018 ◽  
Vol 17 (5) ◽  
pp. 585-602 ◽  
Author(s):  
Imran Awan ◽  
Irene Zempi

Existing research on Islamophobic hate crime has examined in detail the verbal, physical and emotional attacks against Muslims. However, the experiences of non-Muslim men who suffer Islamophobic hate crime because they look Muslim remain ‘invisible’ in both official statistics and empirical research. Drawing on data from qualitative interviews with 20 non-Muslim men based in the United Kingdom, we examined their lived experiences of Islamophobic hate crime. Interviews were transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis. A deductive approach to thematic analysis was adopted to analyse participants’ narratives, and six overarching themes were developed: (1) nature of Islamophobic hate crime; (2) triggers of Islamophobic hate crime; (3) impact of Islamophobic hate crime; (4) reporting incidents, responses and barriers to Islamophobic hate; (5) victims’ coping strategies; and (6) recommendations on tackling the problem. Our findings show that participants experienced Islamophobic hate crime because of ‘trigger’ events, namely the Brexit vote, Donald Trump’s presidency and ISIS-inspired terrorist attacks in European countries such as France, Germany, Sweden and the UK. Participants described being verbally and physically attacked, threatened and harassed as well as their property being damaged. The impacts upon victims included physical, emotional, psychological and economic damage. These experiences were also damaging to community cohesion and led to polarization between different communities in the UK.


Author(s):  
Andrea Stöckl ◽  
Anna Smajdor

This chapter discusses the MMR vaccination controversy in the UK following the publication of a paper in Lancet which linked the MMR triple jab to childhood autism. We discuss the response of the British media to the paper’s claims, and its subsequent retraction, and the way that the actions of the then Prime Minister contributed to the debates. We analysed media reports from that time and draw on policy papers on science communication in order to show how a combination of events before and after the publication of Wakefield’s paper influenced public debates on science, trust and personal responsibility for health protection, and thus also had an impact on public health policy making. We follow a historical thread on actions of public figures on health policy issues and situate the debate in the context of British science policy in general to better understand vaccine controversies and debates in the British context.


Author(s):  
Catherine M. Millman ◽  
Belinda Winder ◽  
Mark D. Griffiths

Within the UK, cyber-harassment is a criminal act and perpetrators can be prosecuted if the crime is reported to the police. Cyber-harassment has a detrimental impact and causes psychological distress to victims but due to its online nature, complaints made may not be taken seriously and the impact may not be fully acknowledged. Police officers' perceptions of this crime and its victims are crucial as this will impact on how the crime is investigated and whether perpetrators are prosecuted. The present exploratory study aimed to gain insight into how cyber-harassment is investigated and identify issues and barriers. Eight police officers based in the United Kingdom were recruited using a snowball technique to participate in semi-structured interviews. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis and three themes were identified: online accessibility, threat, and the unhelpful victim. Each theme is discussed in relation to theory, policy and legislation within the UK.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yong Zhu ◽  
Neha Jain ◽  
Norton Holschuh ◽  
Jessica Smith

Abstract Little is known on the association between frequency of yogurt consumption and dietary intake in the United Kingdom (UK). The aim of the present study was to examine associations between frequency of yogurt consumption and dietary outcomes in children (n 1912, age 9⋅6 ± 0⋅1 years, 51 % boys) and adults (n 2064, age 48⋅7 ± 0⋅5 years, 49 % men) using cross-sectional data from the National Diet and Nutrition Survey rolling programme year 7 to year 9 (2014/15–2016/17). The frequency of yogurt consumption was determined by the number of days with yogurt reported in 4-d food diaries and participants were classified as non-eaters, occasional eaters (1–2 d of consumption) or regular eaters (3–4 d of consumption). Dietary outcomes were estimated from food diaries. The frequency of yogurt consumption was positively associated with intake of key vitamins and minerals such as thiamin, riboflavin, vitamin C, potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and iodine in both children and adults (all P < 0⋅0018), as well as higher intake of total dairy (P < 0⋅0001 for both children and adults). Regular yogurt eaters were more likely to meet or exceed nutrient recommendations for vitamins and minerals such as vitamin A, riboflavin, folate, potassium, calcium, magnesium, zinc and iodine (all P < 0⋅001). Diet quality was positively associated with frequency of yogurt consumption in children (P = 0⋅045) and adults (P < 0⋅001). No association between yogurt consumption and free sugar intake was found (P = 0⋅49 for children and P = 0⋅29 for adults). The study suggests that frequency of yogurt consumption is associated with better dietary intake and diet quality in children and adults in the UK.


2019 ◽  
pp. 290-307
Author(s):  
Catherine M. Millman ◽  
Belinda Winder ◽  
Mark D. Griffiths

Within the UK, cyber-harassment is a criminal act and perpetrators can be prosecuted if the crime is reported to the police. Cyber-harassment has a detrimental impact and causes psychological distress to victims but due to its online nature, complaints made may not be taken seriously and the impact may not be fully acknowledged. Police officers' perceptions of this crime and its victims are crucial as this will impact on how the crime is investigated and whether perpetrators are prosecuted. The present exploratory study aimed to gain insight into how cyber-harassment is investigated and identify issues and barriers. Eight police officers based in the United Kingdom were recruited using a snowball technique to participate in semi-structured interviews. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis and three themes were identified: online accessibility, threat, and the unhelpful victim. Each theme is discussed in relation to theory, policy and legislation within the UK.


2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 87-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine M Millman ◽  
Belinda Winder ◽  
Mark D. Griffiths

Within the UK, cyber-harassment is a criminal act and perpetrators can be prosecuted if the crime is reported to the police. Cyber-harassment has a detrimental impact and causes psychological distress to victims but due to its online nature, complaints made may not be taken seriously and the impact may not be fully acknowledged. Police officers' perceptions of this crime and its victims are crucial as this will impact on how the crime is investigated and whether perpetrators are prosecuted. The present exploratory study aimed to gain insight into how cyber-harassment is investigated and identify issues and barriers. Eight police officers based in the United Kingdom were recruited using a snowball technique to participate in semi-structured interviews. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis and three themes were identified: online accessibility, threat, and the unhelpful victim. Each theme is discussed in relation to theory, policy and legislation within the UK.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mayuri Gogoi ◽  
Ruby Reed-Berendt ◽  
Amani Al-Oraibi ◽  
Osama Hassan ◽  
Fatimah Wobi ◽  
...  

Introduction: As the world continues to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic, emerging evidence suggests that individuals from ethnic minority backgrounds may be disproportionately affected. The UK-REACH project has been initiated to understand ethnic differentials in COVID-19 outcomes among healthcare workers (HCWs) in the United Kingdom (UK) through five inter-linked work packages. The ethico-legal work package (Work Package 3) aims to understand and address legal, ethical and acceptability issues around big data research; the healthcare workers' experiences work package (Work Package 4) is a qualitative study exploring healthcare workers' experiences during COVID-19 and; the stakeholder engagement work package (Work Package 5) aims to provide feedback and support with the formulation and dissemination of the project recommendations. Methods and Analysis: Work Package 3 has two different research strands: (a) desk-based doctrinal research; and (b) empirical qualitative research with key opinion leaders. For the empirical research, in-depth interviews will be conducted digitally and recorded with participants' permission. Recordings will be transcribed, coded and analysed using thematic analysis. In Work Package 4, online in-depth interviews and focus groups will be conducted with approximately 150 HCWs, from across the UK, and these will be recorded with participants' consent. The recordings will be transcribed, coded and data will be analysed using thematic analysis. Work Package 5 will achieve its objectives through regular group meetings and in-group discussions. Ethics and Dissemination: Ethical approval has been received from the London - Brighton & Sussex Research Ethics Committee of the Health Research Authority (Ref No. 20/HRA/4718). Results of the study will be published in open access journals, and disseminated through conference presentations, project website, stakeholder organisations, media and scientific advisory groups.


Author(s):  
Jiah Seo

The purpose of this article is to examine the Initial Teacher Education (ITE) in relation to Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) in South Korea and in the UK in order to suggest relocation of ITE of Korean inclusive education. Research has identified effective ITE as a significant contributor to the inclusive education context of both countries. This article examines current conceptualizations and trends in ITE related to SEND. Specifically, this study conducts a review of the literature that discusses Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) in South Korea and in the UK by presenting the reasons why people have negative attitudes towards people with disabilities and to consider expanding the effective ITE, and more directly, its impact on Korean inclusive education. This article concludes with implications for the Korean ITE.


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