Inte Gloerich and Gabriele Ferri investigate the impacts of Covid-related datafication on marginalized urban communities, emphasizing the importance of creativity and imagination in fostering resilience and agency in the face of ongoing and future crises.
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BACKGROUND: Improvement of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is an important goal in preventive cardiology. HRQOL is also related to depressive symptoms, which represent a common co-morbidity and risk factor in patients with an acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Comprehensive nurse-coordinated prevention programmes (NCPP) in secondary care have been shown to reduce cardiovascular risk, however their effects on HRQOL and depressive symptoms have not been evaluated. We therefore investigated HRQOL and depressive symptoms in a secondary analysis in the RESPONSE trial, evaluating the effect of a NCPP on cardiovascular risk.METHODS: RESPONSE was a multicentre (n = 11) randomised controlled trial in ACS-patients in secondary and tertiary healthcare settings evaluating a NCPP. The intervention consisted of four outpatient nurse clinic visits in the first 6 months after the index event, focusing on healthy lifestyles, biometric risk factors and medication adherence, in addition to usual care. The control group received usual care only. The outcome was change in HRQOL as measured by the MacNew questionnaire and change in depressive symptoms as measured by Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI) questionnaire at 12-months follow-up relative to baseline.RESULTS: Of 754 patients randomised, 615 were analysed for HRQOL; 120 for depressive symptoms. At baseline, HRQOL was 5.17 (SD 1.09) and 5.20 (SD1.04) (scale range 1.0 to 7.0) in the intervention and control group, respectively. At 12 months follow-up, HRQOL increased by 0.57 (SD 0.89) in the intervention group as compared with 0.42 (SD 0.90) in the control group (p = 0.03). This increase was observed across all relevant subscales. The BDI decreased by 1.9 in the intervention group as compared with 0.03 in the control group (p = 0.03) (scale range 1.0 to 63).CONCLUSION: Participation in a NCPP is associated with a modest but statistically significant increase in HRQOL, and a decrease of depressive symptoms, both of which are highly relevant to patients. A reduction in depressive symptoms may in addition contribute to a reduction in the overall risk of recurrent events.TRIAL REGISTRATION: Dutch trials register: NTR1290 . Registered 24 April 2008.
The increasing concentration of people in urban environments in an era of globalisation means that social, economic, and environmental resources for living and working are under pressure. Urban communities experience increased stress levels due to inadequate and overburdened infrastructure and services, challenges due to ethnic and cultural diversity, socio-economic inequalities as well as the impact of environmental degradation. For these communities to build resilience under these circumstances therefore requires a multipronged approach. The underlying question this project will answer is: “What are the key characteristics of experiencescapes that contribute to resilience-building in communities?” The project will dive into the identification of building blocks of experiencescapes and roles of relevant actors that can support communities in building resilience. Within the context of a multidisciplinary approach, this project applies a range of qualitative research methods, such as in-depth interviews, focus groups, participant observation, storytelling techniques, life stories, as well as various biometric quantitative methods, available through the experience lab of BUas. The outcome of the project will enable practitioners and researchers alike in various sectors to understand what and how they can contribute to creating an environment in which people can meaningfully interact in a way that builds resilience in communities. This outcome is communicated not only through academic publications and conference contributions, but also through public reports and a handbook for practitioners and students. These reports and handbooks support identification and application of building blocks of experiencescapes that support building resilience in communities. Finally, the knowledge generated in the project will contribute to the development of curricula of various educational programmes at Breda University of Applied Sciences by expanding the scope of experience design into the area of people-to-people relationships.
