Exploring the use of digital technology to deliver healthcare services with explicit consideration of health inequalities in UK settings: A scoping review.

Objective: To map and explore existing evidence on the use of digital technology to deliver healthcare services with explicit consideration of health inequalities in UK settings. Methods: We searched six bibliographic databases, and the National Health Service (NHS) websites of each UK nation (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland). Restrictions were applied on publication date (2013-2021) and publication language (English). Records were independently screened against eligibility criteria by pairs of reviewers from the team. Articles reporting relevant qualitative and/or quantitative research were included. Data were synthesised narratively. Results: Eleven articles, reporting data from nine interventions, were included. Articles reported findings from quantitative (n = 5), qualitative (n = 5), and mixed-methods (n = 1) studies. Study settings were mainly community based, with only one hospital based. Two interventions targeted service users, and seven interventions targeted healthcare providers. Two studies were explicitly and directly aimed at (and designed for) addressing health inequalities, with the remaining studies addressing them indirectly (e.g. study population can be classed as disadvantaged). Seven articles reported data on implementation outcomes (acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility) and four articles reported data on effectiveness outcomes, with only one intervention demonstrating cost-effectiveness. Conclusions: It is not yet clear if digital health interventions/services in the UK work for those most at risk of health inequalities. The current evidence base is significantly underdeveloped, and research/intervention efforts have been largely driven by healthcare provider/system needs, rather than those of service users. Digital health interventions can help address health inequalities, but a range of barriers persist, alongside a potential for exacerbation of health inequalities.

Enhancing Community Participation through Age-Friendly Ecosystems: A Rapid Realist Review.

This rapid realist review explored the key components of age-friendly ecosystems that promote community participation among older adults. The study (undertaken in 2021 and updated in 2023) synthesized evidence from 10 peer-reviewed and grey literature databases to identify the underlying mechanisms and contextual factors that shape why, under what circumstances, and for whom an age-friendly ecosystems might be effective as well as the intervention outcomes. A total of 2823 records were initially identified after deduplication. Title and abstract screening produced a potential dataset of 126 articles, reducing to 14 articles after full text screening. Data extraction focused on the contexts, mechanisms, and outcomes of ecosystems for older adults' community participation. Analysis suggested that age-friendly ecosystems that aim to promote community participation are characterized by the provision of accessible and inclusive physical environments, the availability of supportive social networks and services, and the creation of opportunities for meaningful engagement in community life. The review also highlighted the importance of recognizing the diverse needs and preferences of older adults and involving them in the design and implementation of age-friendly ecosystems. Overall, the study has provided valuable insights into the mechanisms and contextual factors that contribute to the success of age-friendly ecosystems. Ecosystem outcomes were not well discussed in the literature. The analysis has important implications for policy and practice, emphasizing the need to develop interventions that are tailored to the specific needs and contexts of older adults, and that promote community participation as a means of enhancing health, wellbeing, and quality of life in later life.

Cross-National Perspectives on Aging and Place: Implications for Age-Friendly Cities and Communities.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The age-friendly cities and communities (AFCC) agenda has led to a range of policy initiatives aimed at supporting aging in place for older people. While there is case study evidence of how people age across urban contexts, there has been little research exploring cross-national understandings of age-friendly places among older people. The objective of this article is to identify the place experiences of older people living across cities and communities in India, Brazil, and the United Kingdom and to discuss implications for the AFCC agenda. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: A total of 300 semistructured interviews were undertaken with older people across 9 cities and 27 communities in India, Brazil, and the United Kingdom. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis undertaken by each national team and then discussed and revised at collaborative workshops with researchers from each of the 3 country teams. RESULTS: The data capture the ways in which place is constructed from the perspective of older people drawing upon social, community, and cultural dimensions of aging across diverse urban environments. We explore how older people negotiate place in the context of their everyday life and identify the relational and interconnected ways in which place attachment, belonging, and identity are constructed. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS: Age-friendly interventions need to attend to the changing physical, social and cultural dimensions of aging and place. Integrated place-making practices are required to support older people to age in the right place across rapidly transforming urban contexts globally.

Indicativos de Burnout e estratégias de Coping de professores universitários / Burnout Signs and University Professor’s coping strategies

Este estudo transversal investigou os indicativos de burnout e as estratégias de coping de 200 professores de uma universidade federal. Os instrumentos foram o Questionário para avaliação da Síndrome do Burnout no trabalho e a Escala de Modos de Enfrentamento de Problemas. A análise dos dados foi conduzida por meio dos testes de Kolmogorov-Smirnov, Mann-Whitney, Kruskal-Wallise correlação de Spearman(p<0,05). As mulheres presentaram mais desgaste psíquico e culpa, utilizaram mais estratégias voltadas para o problema e buscaram mais apoio social e práticas religiosas para enfrentamento das adversidades do que os homens. Os professores de Programas de Pós-Graduação apresentaram maior “ilusão para o trabalho”. Os docentes da área da saúde utilizam mais estratégias relacionadas às práticas religiosas do que os docentes dos cursos de sociais/ humanas, e buscam mais suporte social do que os docentes de exatas e sociais/ humanas. As correlações significativas encontradas foram: ilusão pelo trabalho com focalização no problema (r = 0,44), busca de práticas religiosas (r = 0,22) e busca de suporte social (r = 0,31); desgaste psíquico com focalização no problema (r = -0,28) e focalização na emoção (r = 0,31); indolência com focalização no problema (r = -0,24) e focalização na emoção (r = 0,37); culpa com focalização no problema (r = -0,26) e focalização na emoção (r = 0,53). Concluiu-se que as professoras apresentam maiores indicativos de Burnout quando comparados com os homens, mas as professoras e docentes da área de saúde apresentam maiores estratégias de enfrentamento quando comparado aos seus pares. Além disso, os professores de pós-graduação apresentam maiores indicativos de Burnout.(AU)

This cross-sectional study investigated the burnout indications and coping strategies of 200 professors at a federal university. The instruments were the Questionnaire for the assessment of Burnout Syndrome at work and the Scale for Coping with Problems. Data analysis was conducted using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov, Mann-Whitney, Kruskal-Wallis tests and Spearman correlation (p <0.05). Women showed more psychological wear and guilt, used more strategies focused on the problem and sought more social support and religious practices to face adversity than men. Graduate Program professors showed a greater “illusion for work”. Teachers in the health field use more strategies related to religious practices than teachers in social/human courses, and seek more social support than teachers in exact and social/human courses. The significant correlations found were: illusion through work focusing on the problem (r = 0.44), search for religious practices (r = 0.22) and search for social support (r = 0.31); psychological wear with a focus on the problem (r = -0.28) and a focus on emotion (r = 0.31); indolence with a focus on the problem (r = -0.24) and a focus on emotion (r = 0.37); guilt with focus on the problem (r = -0.26) and focus on emotion (r = 0.53). It was concluded that teachers have higher indications of Burnout when compared to men, but teachers and professors in the health area have greater coping strategies when compared to their peers. In addition, graduate teachers have higher indications of Burnout.(AU)

Physisorbed water layer formation on fully hydroxylated mesoporous silicas.

Kinetic adsorption isotherms were obtained by gravimetric determination of water adsorption into fully hydroxylated mesoporous silicas using samples exposed to controlled humidity air at 22+/-2 degrees C. Twenty kinetic isotherms at several relative humidities (11, 33, 43, 51, 75, and 85%) were obtained with 11 different batches of silica using this simple procedure to obtain quantitative information on the formation of H2O adsorbates. The H2O surface concentrations obtained from the plateau data of individual kinetic adsorption isotherms at 43 and 51% RH, typically precise to about +/-1%, show that a complete monolayer is formed with negligible second-layer adsorption at these relative humidities. This monolayer has a surface concentration of 7.68+/-0.30 micromol H2O/m2, which is lower than the quasi-equilibrium concentration at these relative humidities obtained by the conventional equilibrium-isotherm procedure. Comparison with the Kiselev-Zhuravlev concentration of silanol groups on fully hydroxylated silicas (7.6+/-0.8 micromol SiOH/m2) confirms 1:1 H2O:SiOH stoichiometry of this monolayer. The presence of partial-layer structures at 2.85+/-0.1 and 5.7+/-0.1 micromol H2O/m2 is suggested by isotherms at 11 and 33% RH, respectively, while a bilayer at approximately 14+/-1 micromol H2O/m2 is suggested by kinetic isotherms at 75 and 85% RH.