Translating research to practice, one blog post at a time
By Theresa Marteau, University of Cambridge, UK
Many of us struggle to eat more healthily, drink less alcohol, quit smoking, or walk instead of driving. This is true even when we know these changes would benefit our health and the planet. It applies to psychologists and behavioural scientists as well as the people we’re trying to help.
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By Zofia Szczuka, SWPS University, Poland and Deakin University, Australia
Sedentary behaviors: more than just “not being active”
The health benefits of increasing physical activity are widely known. But do we give the same attention to so-called ‘sedentary behaviors’?
Sedentary behaviors are any waking activities we do while sitting or lying down during the day that require very little energy from our bodies. Importantly, sedentary behaviors are NOT the same as low physical activity. You may spend your mornings jogging for 30 minutes each day, yet still spend the rest of the day sitting for prolonged periods at work or at home. This is sometimes described as the “active couch potato” phenomenon, where regular exercise coexists with long hours of sitting. Reducing sedentary behavior and increasing physical activity are complementary goals in current World Health Organization guidelines.
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By Dawn Holford, University of Bristol, UK, Linda Karlsson, University of Turku, Finland, Frederike Taubert, Erfurt University, Germany, Emma C. Anderson, University of Bristol, UK, Virginia C. Gould, University of Bristol, UK
Correcting misconceptions about vaccination
Vaccination is one of the most successful tools of public health—they have been estimated to save 6 lives every minute. But vaccines have also faced public resistance, with persistent disinformation undermining public trust in vaccination, and posing a challenge for health workers with vaccination roles. How do health workers keep up with the flood of false narratives about vaccines? What can they say to patients who cite these narratives as reasons not to vaccinate themselves or their children?
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By Aïna Chalabaev, Grenoble Alpes University, France
As outlined in a previous post, the health benefits of regular physical activity are well established for people aged 65 and over. Clear guidelines have been set by the World Health Organization on the amount and type of activity associated with health gains. However, older people remain among the most inactive segment of the population worldwide.
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By Dr Stephanie Kılınç, Teesside University, UK and Jo Cole, the Tees Valley, Durham and North Yorkshire Neurological Alliance, UK
Long-term conditions are a major concern for global health care systems given their high prevalence and disease burden, including their significant impact on disability-adjusted life years. They also have a significant negative impact on health-related quality of life and are associated with higher rates of anxiety and depression than the general population.
MyLifeTool is a self-management tool for people living with any long-term condition (e.g. diabetes, multiple sclerosis, chronic pain, asthma, anxiety, neurodevelopmental conditions, Acquired Brain Injury, Fibromyalgia). It was developed in partnership with people with long-term conditions, members of Neuro Key and psychologists from Teesside University. It is underpinned by our self-management framework which takes a person-centred, non-instructive perspective on self-management. People with long-term conditions were at the heart of the project, forging the decisions on what MyLifeTool would become and choosing the name. (more…)
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By Kyra Hamilton, Griffith University, Australia and Amy Peden, University of New South Wales, Australia
Drowning is a leading, yet largely preventable, cause of death and injury that remains underrecognized. One common myth: drowning isn’t always fatal. The definition of drowning was revised to clarify that drowning is a process, not an outcome. The outcomes of the drowning process can be death (fatal drowning) or survival with or without persisting injury such as cerebral palsy and other neurological disorders caused by a lack of oxygen to the brain (non-fatal drowning). Terms like “dry drowning”, “secondary drowning”, or “near-drowning” are often used in the media, but they’re outdated and medically inaccurate, so it’s time to stop using them. (more…)
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By Annabel Stone and Phillippa Lally, University of Surrey, UK
The New Year is often a time where we aim for change, determined to form new habits and to leave our bad habits behind as the clock strikes midnight. Dusting off our running trainers, filling our shopping trollies with fresh fruit and veg… who hasn’t thought “New Year, New Me”? But a month down the line, why is it our trainers have only seen daylight twice, and that fresh fruit is starting to fur? It seems our bad habits have followed us into the New Year. (more…)
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By Amanda Daley, Loughborough University, UK
영국과 아일랜드에서는 “Making Every Contact Count (MECC) initiative”를 통해 의료 전문가와 환자 사이에 매일 이루어지는 수천 건의 상담을 건강한 행동 변화를 촉진하는 기회로 활용하고자 합니다. 구체적으로, MECC initiative는 의료진이 일상적인 진료 과정에서 자연스럽게 발생하는 기회를 활용하여 환자에게 짧지만 효과적인 건강 행동 변화 개입을 제공하도록 돕고 장려하는 것을 목표로 합니다. 이러한 접근 방식이 성공하려면 의료진이 매일 상담에서 적극적으로 이러한 대화를 나누려는 의지가 있어야 합니다. MECC는 특정 의료진, 의료 서비스 또는 환자에게만 국한되지 않고 누구나 실천할 수 있는 전략입니다. 이러한 포괄적인 접근 방식 덕분에, MECC는 모든 환자가 상담 과정에서 건강한 삶을 위한 지원을 받을 수 있도록 하여 건강 불평등을 완화하는 데 기여할 수 있습니다.
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By Gozde Ozakinci, University of Stirling
Cancer is very much associated with scary statistics. For instance, like the one ‘1 in 2 people will develop some form of cancer in their lifetime’. But there are encouraging developments too that suggests that cancer survival rates are improving. The last count in 2018 suggests that there are nearly 44 million people who survived the cancer diagnosis and treatment in the world. This is welcome news to those who have experienced cancer diagnosis and treatment.
The improvement in survival rates also means that more and more people live with the consequences of cancer treatment. One of these consequences is experiencing fears about cancer coming back. In the literature, it is defined as “fear, worry, or concern relating to the possibility that cancer will come back or progress” and recognised widely as one of the most significant issues that impact on the quality of life of those living after a cancer diagnosis. (more…)
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By Dr Lee Shepherd, Northumbria University, UK and Professor Ronan E. O’Carroll, University of Stirling, UK and Professor Eamonn Ferguson, University of Nottingham, UK
There are numerous stories of how deceased organ transplantation has offered a lifeline for people. Indeed, each deceased organ donor can change the lives of up to nine people. However, there are too few organs available for transplantation. This shortage results in large waiting lists and people dying before they receive an organ. Therefore, we need to understand what factors influence the likelihood that someone will donate their organs when they die.
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