Background A healthy lifestyle is beneficial for everyone, including students and employees of universities of applied sciences (UAS). Although these groups experience high stress-levels and spent many hours sedentary, only few lifestyle interventions focus on these target groups that potentially could improve their well-being, and physical and mental health. Objective This study explores the lifestyle of students and employees at the Hague UAS using a narrative research method. The study aims to create personas, separate for students and employees, to inform future tailored lifestyle interventions. Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 employees (26+ years old; 4 males, 9 females), and 12 students (18-35 years old; 4 males, 6 females, 2 identified as other). Via the storytelling technique[1], participants were asked to describe past situations on lifestyle-related decisions. Two researchers independently extracted stories from the interviews and linked a theme to each story. Analysis involved a cyclic process of constant comparison. The themes were grouped in main themes to create a story web. Thereafter, personas were created for both students and employees. Results Although we are in the midst of analyzing, preliminary distinction can be made between several groups of people. For example, one group tends to be underweight and struggles to maintain a healthy lifestyle. A second group deals with allergies, food intolerances, physical limitations or chronical illnesses. A third group incorporated health in their lifestyle. And a fourth group does not care, has other priorities or has insufficient knowledge about a healthy lifestyle. Conclusion Lifestyle is personal and, therefore, a one-size-fits-all approach for all students and employees is inadequate. In more detail, some people will benefit from social interventions, e.g. setting up a sports competition, others from physical interventions, e.g. nudging the stairs. Our next step is developing tailored lifestyle interventions in co-creation with students and employees.
In response to globalisation and internationalisation of both higher education and the job market, The Hague University of Applied Sciences (THUAS) has seen a considerable increase in English-medium courses, i.e. non-language subjects taught through English. Internationally, the rise of English-medium instruction (EMI) has led to research on, and discussion about the possible side-effects of a change in instructional language. More specifically, whether using a foreign language as the medium of instruction has a negative impact on teaching and learning. This paper reports the findings of a pilot research project into the implications of English-medium instruction (EMI) as perceived by students and teachers of the bachelor program Commercial Economics at the Faculty of Business, Finance and Administration at THUAS. Research methods used to collect data include face-to-face interviews with both students and lecturers involved in EMI subject courses, a student questionnaire, and lesson observations. Despite regular exposure to English and an adequate self-perceived English proficiency, results show that a considerable number of students, as well as teaching staff are experiencing difficulties with English-medium instruction and that for many EMI is not as efficient in transferring academic content as instruction in the mother tongue.
The use of the biopsychosocial model in primary care physiotherapy for chronic pain is far from the recommendations given in research and current guidelines. To understand why physiotherapists have difficulty implementing a biopsychosocial approach, more insight is needed on the barriers and facilitators. This scoping review aimed to investigate and map these barriers and facilitators that physiotherapists working in primary care reportedly face when treating patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain from a biopsychosocial perspective. Four electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, CINAHL and ERIC) and the grey literature were searched. Studies were included if they investigated the experiences of physiotherapists in the treatment of chronic pain from a biopsychosocial perspective in primary care. Extracted data were discussed and sub grouped in themes following a qualitative content analysis approach. To align with current use of theories on behavior change, the resulting themes were compared to the Theoretical Domains Framework. After screening, twenty-four studies were included. Eight groups of barriers and facilitators were identified, thematically clustered in six themes: knowledge, skills, and attitudes; environmental context and resources; role clarity; confidence; therapeutic alliance; and patient expectations. The results of this review can be used to inform the development of implementation programs.
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Een op de vijf volwassenen krijgt te maken met chronische pijnklachten, waardoor de kwaliteit van leven vaak fors afneemt. Pijnrevalidatie richt zich op het verminderen van de ervaren beperkingen van deze groep patiënten; en wetenschappelijk onderzoek laat zien dat de effecten robuust, doch klein-tot-matig zijn. Net als overal in de gezondheidszorg is er binnen pijnrevalidatie de push om de zorg doelmatiger te maken; eHealth, bijv. Virtual Reality (VR), zou hierin veelbelovend kunnen zijn. Over het inzetten van VR binnen pijnrevalidatie-programma’s zoals deze door CIR en Adelante worden aangeboden is nog maar weinig bekend. SyncVR biedt SyncVR-FIT aan: een gebruiksvriendelijk platform waarmee patiënten zelfstandig kunnen oefenen en toch behandelaars-feedback krijgen. SyncVR-FIT zou bruikbaar kunnen zijn om de mogelijkheden tot bewegen binnen de revalidatiesetting te vergroten, patiënten te motiveren, hen feedback te geven over hun bewegingen en generalisatie te verbeteren. SyncVR, CIR en Adelante hebben de behoefte om samen met de Universiteit Maastricht uit te zoeken of SyncVR-FIT een waardevolle toevoeging is aan de bestaande pijnrevalidatie-programma's, in welke fase en voor welke patiënt. Om hier uitspraken over te kunnen doen, gaan binnen Adelante en CIR behandelaars de SyncVR-FIT applicatie gebruiken binnen hun programma’s, op verschillende momenten en bij patiënten met variërende kenmerken (bijv. ten aanzien van stemming, bewegingsangst, conditie). Ook gaan zij ervaring opdoen met het gebruiken van de aanvullende beweegdata die SyncVR-FIT genereert. Middels kwalitatief onderzoek (gestructureerde interviews onder zowel patiënten als behandelaars middels focusgroepen) zal de toegevoegde waarde van VR binnen pijnrevalidatie-programma’s beoordeeld worden, evenals identificatie van subgroepen van pijnpatiënten waarvoor SyncVR-FIT mogelijk zinvol is. De bevindingen worden gepresenteerd als een wetenschappelijke voordracht op een internationaal congres en een open access publicatie in internationaal tijdschrift. De bevindingen zullen vervolgens de basis vormen voor subsidie voor vervolgonderzoek om de effectiviteit van SyncVR-FIT te onderzoeken.
