This study aimed to evaluate the children's usage and their physical activity levels at playgrounds with (N = 4) and without (N = 4) organized sports activities, following a quasi-experimental study design. Direct observations were used to assess the playground usage and estimate the playground users' age category, sex, and physical activity intensity level. The results indicated that playgrounds with sports activities were associated with 53% more users at the time of the activities. However, this increase was only seen in boys. Furthermore, playgrounds with sport activities were not associated with different physical activity levels in children as compared to children on regular playgrounds.
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Background: The shift in healthcare to extramural leads to more patients with complex health problems receiving nursing care at home. However, the interest of baccalaureate nursing students for community nursing is moderate, which contributes to widespread labour-market shortages. This study investigates the effect of a more ‘communitycare-oriented’ curriculum on nursing students’ perceptions of community care. Methods: A quasi-experimental quantitative survey study with a historic control group (n = 477; study cohorts graduating in 2015, 2016, and 2017; response rate 90%) and an intervention group (n = 170; graduating in 2018; response rate 93%) was performed in nursing students of a University of Applied Sciences in a large city in the Netherlands. The intervention group underwent a new curriculum containing extended elements of community care. The primary outcome was assessed with the Scale on Community Care Perceptions (SCOPE). The control and intervention group were compared on demographics, placement preferences and perceptions with a chi-square or T-test. Multiple regression was used to investigate the effect of the curriculum-redesign on nursing students’ perceptions of community care.Results: The comparison between the control and intervention group on students’ perceptions of community care shows no significant differences (mean 6.18 vs 6.21 [range 1–10], respectively), nor does the curriculum-redesign have a positive effect on students’ perceptions F (1,635) = .021, p = .884, R2 = < .001. The comparison on placement preferences also shows no significant differences and confirms the hospital’s popularity (72.7% vs 76.5%, respectively) while community care is less often preferred (9.2% vs 8.2%, respectively). The demographics ‘working in community care’ and ‘belonging to a church/religious group’ appear to be significant predictors of more positive perceptions of community care. Conclusions: Graduating students who experienced a more ‘community-care-oriented’ curriculum did not more often prefer community care placement, nor did their perceptions of community care change. Apparently, four years of education and placement experiences have only little impact and students’ perceptions are relatively static. It would be worth a try to conduct a large-scale approach in combination with a carefully thought out strategy, based on and tying in with the language and culture of younger people. Keywords: Community care, Nurse education, Curriculum design, Perceptions, Career choice
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Background: The worldwide increase in the rates of childhood overweight and physical inactivity requires successful prevention and intervention programs for children. The aim of the Active Living project is to increase physical activity and decrease sedentary behavior of Dutch primary school children by developing and implementing tailored, multicomponent interventions at and around schools. Methods/design: In this project, school-centered interventions have been developed at 10 schools in the south of the Netherlands, using a combined top-down and bottom-up approach in which a research unit and a practice unit continuously interact. The interventions consist of a combination of physical and social interventions tailored to local needs of intervention schools. The process and short- and long-term effectiveness of the interventions will be evaluated using a quasi-experimental study design in which 10 intervention schools are matched with 10 control schools. Baseline and follow-up measurements (after 12 and 24 months) have been conducted in grades 6 and 7 and included accelerometry, GPS, and questionnaires. Primary outcome of the Active Living study is the change in physical activity levels, i.e. sedentary behavior (SB), light physical activity (LPA), moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), and counts-per-minute (CPM). Multilevel regression analyses will be used to assess the effectiveness of isolated and combined physical and social interventions on children’s PA levels. Discussion: The current intervention study is unique in its combined approach of physical and social environmental PA interventions both at school(yard)s as well as in the local neighborhood around the schools. The strength of the study lies in the quasi-experimental design including objective measurement techniques, i.e. accelerometry and GPS, combined with more subjective techniques, i.e. questionnaires, implementation logbooks, and neighborhood observations. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanned/
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AIM: The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of a more 'community-oriented' baccalaureate nursing curriculum on students' intervention choice in community care.BACKGROUND: Following a healthcare shift with increased chronic diseases in an ageing patient population receiving care at home, nursing education is revising its curricula with new themes (e.g., self-management) on community care. Although it seems obvious that students incorporate these themes in their nursing care interventions, this is unclear. This study investigates the effect of a redesigned curriculum on students' care intervention choice in community nursing.DESIGN: A quasi-experimental quantitative study.METHODS: This study with an historic control group (n = 328; study cohorts graduating in 2016 and 2017; response rate 83 %) and an intervention group n = 152; graduating in 2018; response rate 80 %) was performed at a University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands. The intervention group experienced a curriculum-redesign containing five new themes related to community care (e.g., enhancing self-management, collaboration with the patients' social network, shared decision making, using health technology and care allocation). The primary outcome 'intervention choice in community nursing' was assessed with a specially developed vignette instrument 'Assessment of Intervention choice in Community Nursing' (AICN). Through multiple regression analyses we investigated the effect of the curriculum-redesign on students' intervention choice (more 'traditional' interventions versus interventions related to the five new themes). The control and intervention groups were compared on the number of interventions per theme and on the number of students choosing a theme, with a chi-square or T-test.RESULTS: Students who studied under the more community-oriented curriculum chose interventions related to the new themes significantly more often, F(1461) = 14.827, p = <0.001, R2 = .031. However, more traditional interventions are still favourite (although less in the intervention group): 74.5 % of the chosen interventions in the historic control group had no relation with the new curriculum-themes, vs. 71.3 % in the intervention group; p = .055).CONCLUSIONS: Students who experienced a more 'community-oriented' curriculum were more likely, albeit to a limited extent, to choose the new community care themes in their caregiving. Seeing this shift in choices as a step in the right direction, it can be expected that the community care field in the longer term will benefit from these better skilled graduates.
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Objectives: Aiming to reduce distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks by alerting the consciences of Internet users, this paper evaluates the effectiveness of four warning banners displayed as online ads (deterrent—control, social, informative, and reorienting) and the contents of their two linked landing pages. Methods: We implement a 4 x 2 quasi-experimental design on a self-selected sample of Internet users to measure the engagement generated by the ads and the pages. Engagement is measured on the ads as the ratio of clicks to impressions, and on the pages as percentage of page scrolled, average session duration, video interaction rate, and URLs click rate. Results: Social ads generate significantly more engagement than the rest with low to medium effect sizes. Data reveal no differences in engagement between both landing page designs. Conclusions: Social messages may be a better alternative for engaging with potential cyber offenders than the traditional deterrent messages. Correspondence: Netherlands Institute for the Study of Crime and Law Enforcement (NSCR), De Boelelaan 1077, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Email: AMoneva@nscr.n This is a post-peer-review, pre-copyedit version of an article published in Journal of Experimental Criminology. The final authenticated version is available online at: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11292-022-09504-2
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Background: Impaired upper extremity function due to muscle paresis or paralysis has a major impact on independent living and quality of life (QoL). Assistive technology (AT) for upper extremity function (i.e. dynamic arm supports and robotic arms) can increase a client’s independence. Previous studies revealed that clients often use AT not to their full potential, due to suboptimal provision of these devices in usual care. Objective: To optimize the process of providing AT for impaired upper extremity function and to evaluate its (cost-)effectiveness compared with care as usual. Methods: Development of a protocol to guide the AT provision process in an optimized way according to generic Dutch guidelines; a quasi-experimental study with non-randomized, consecutive inclusion of a control group (n = 48) receiving care as usual and of an intervention group (optimized provision process) (n = 48); and a cost-effectiveness and cost-utility analysis from societal perspective will be performed. The primary outcome is clients’ satisfaction with the AT and related services, measured with the Quebec User Evaluation of Satisfaction with AT (Dutch version; D-QUEST). Secondary outcomes comprise complaints of the upper extremity, restrictions in activities, QoL, medical consumption and societal cost. Measurements are taken at baseline and at 3, 6 and 9 months follow-up.
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Financially vulnerable consumers are often associated with suboptimal financial behaviors. Evaluated financial education programs so far show difficulties to effectively reach this target population. In our attempt to solve this problem, we built a behaviorally informed financial education program incorporating insights from both motivational and behavioral change theories. In a quasi-experimental field study among Dutch financially vulnerable people, we compared this program with both a control group and a traditional program group. In comparison with the control group, we found robust positive effects of the behaviorally informed program on financial skills and knowledge and self-reported financial behavior, but not on other outcomes. Additionally, we did not find evidence that the behaviorally informed program performed better than the traditional program. Finally, we discuss the findings and limitations of this study in light of the financial education literature and provide implications for policymaking and directions for future research.
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A reflective goal-setting intervention could help students adjust to higher education, and improve their performance and well-being, as has been shown by small-scale and quasi-experimental studies conducted so far. However, a large experimental study found no effects, highlighting the importance of replication, and a better understanding of the mechanisms that explain when and why the intervention works. This replication study tested the effects of such a goal-setting intervention on the academic performance of 1,134 first-year business and teacher education students, with a randomized control trial. The treatment group earned significantly more course credits, and had a 15% lower risk of dropping out of college, compared to the control group. Contrary to the findings of previous studies, this study found no evidence that these effects are larger for men, or ethnic minorities. Additionally, we found no effect of the intervention on self-regulated learning, resilience, grit, engagement, or well-being.
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Orthography is considered to be a major problem in Dutch education, since many pupils don’t seem to be able to master orthographic rules, even after years of education. In educational literature it is argued that the problems related to spelling are caused by approaches that focus more on rules of thumb than on linguistic insights. This is somewhat remarkable, since a good understanding of the Dutch orthographic system requires a fair amount of morphological knowledge. In order to effectively implement this knowledge, the development of a morphological awareness (MA) seems to be required. Therefore, a short intervention was designed for the upper levels of secondary schools (4 havo) which aimed to foster MA and, subsequently, improve orthographic skills. Results of this quasi-experimental study indicate that a short intervention can significantly boost MA, but that students don’t seem to be able to use MA effectively to enhance spelling performance.
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Studies among people with dementia demonstrated that the sleep quality and rhythm improves significantly when people are exposed to ambient bright light. Since almost half of the healthy older people also indicate to suffer from chronic sleep disorders, the question arises whether ambient bright light can be beneficial to healthy older people. Particularly the effect on sleep/wake rhythm in relation to the exposure to natural light is the focus. It was hypothesised that the sleep quality would be worse in winter due to a lower daylight dose than in summer due to the lower illuminance and exposure duration. A field study was conducted to examine the relationship between daylight exposure and sleep quality in 14 healthy older adults living independently in their own dwellings in the Netherlands. All participants were asked to take part of the study both during the summer period as well as during the winter period. Therefore, they had to wear an actigraph for five consecutive days which measured sleep, activity and light exposure. Results confirmed that people were significantly longer exposed to high illumination levels (>1000 lx) in summer than in winter. Sleep quality measures, however, did not differ significantly between summer and winter. A significant, positive correlation was found between exposure duration to high illuminance from daylight during the day and the sleep efficiency the following night in summer, implying that being exposed to high illuminance for a longer time period has a positive effect on sleep efficiency for the individual data. There was also a tendency of less frequent napping in case of longer exposure duration to light for both seasons. Sleep quality does not differ between summer and winter but is related to the duration of the exposure to bright light the day prior to the night. CC-BY Original article at http://solarlits.com/jd/5-14 http://dx.doi.org/10.15627/jd.2018.2 https://www.dehaagsehogeschool.nl/onderzoek/lectoraten/details/urban-ageing#over-het-lectoraat
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