Journal articles
Creese B (In Press). A Data-Driven Examination of Apathy and Depressive Symptoms in Dementia with Independent Replication. Alzheimer's & Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment & Disease Monitoring
Backhaus S, Leijten P, Jochim J, Melendez-Torres GJ, Gardner F (In Press). Effects over Time of Parenting Interventions to Reduce Physical and Emotional Violence Against Children – a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Allen K, Melendez-Torres GJ, Ford T, Bonell C, Finning K, Fredlund M, Gainsbury A, Berry V (In Press). Family focused interventions that address parental domestic violence and abuse, mental ill-health, and substance misuse in combination: a systematic review.
PLoS ONEAbstract:
Family focused interventions that address parental domestic violence and abuse, mental ill-health, and substance misuse in combination: a systematic review
Parental domestic violence and abuse (DVA), mental ill-health (MH), and substance misuse (SU) are three public health issues that tend to cluster within families, risking negative impacts for both parents and children. Despite this, service provision for these issues has been historically siloed, increasing the barriers families face to accessing support. Our review aimed to identify family focused interventions that have combined impacts on parental DVA, MH, and/or SU. We searched 10 databases (MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Embase, CINAHL, Education Research Information Centre, Sociological Abstracts, Applied Social Sciences Index & Abstracts, ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global, Web of Science Core Collection, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials) from inception to July 2021 for randomised controlled trials examining the effectiveness of family focused, psychosocial, preventive interventions targeting parents/carers at risk of, or experiencing, DVA, MH, and/or SU. Studies were included if they measured impacts on two or more of these issues. The Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool 2 was used to quality appraise studies, which were synthesised narratively, grouped in relation to the combination of DVA, MH, and/or SU outcomes measured. Harvest plots were used to illustrate the findings. Thirty-seven unique studies were identified for inclusion. of these, none had a combined positive impact on all three outcomes and only one study demonstrated a combined positive impact on two outcomes. We also found studies that had combined adverse, mixed, or singular impacts. Most studies were based in the U.S. targeted mothers, and were rated as ‘some concerns’ or ‘high risk’ of bias. The results highlight the distinct lack of evidence for, and no ‘best bet’, family focused interventions targeting these often-clustered risks. This may, in part, be due to the ways interventions are currently conceptualised or designed to influence the relationships between DVA, MH, and/or SU. PROSPERO registration: CRD42020210350.
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Sanders A, Gains H, Baer R, Ball S, Jones B, Banks H, Melendez-Torres GJ, Ukoumunne O (In Press). Investigation of the factor structure and differential item functioning of the Child and Adolescent Mindfulness Measure (CAMM): analysis of data from a school-based cluster randomised controlled trial. Mindfulness
Viner R, Waddington C, Mytton O, Booy R, Ladhani S, Panovska-Griffiths J, Bonell C, Melendez-Torres GJ (In Press). Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 by Children and Young People in Households and Schools: a Meta-Analysis of Population-Based and Contact-Tracing Studies.
MacDonald S, Trubey R, Noyes J, Vinnicombe S, Morgan HE, Willis S, Boffey M, Melendez-Torres GJ, Robling M, Wooders C, et al (2024). Mental health and wellbeing interventions for care-experienced children and young people: Systematic review and synthesis of process evaluations. Children and Youth Services Review, 156, 107266-107266.
Sim A, Jirapramukpitak T, Eagling-Peche S, Lwin KZ, Melendez-Torres GJ, Gonzalez A, Oo NN, Castello Mitjans I, Soan M, Punpuing S, et al (2023). A film-based intervention to reduce child maltreatment among migrant and displaced families from Myanmar: Protocol of a pragmatic cluster randomized controlled trial.
PLoS One,
18(10).
Abstract:
A film-based intervention to reduce child maltreatment among migrant and displaced families from Myanmar: Protocol of a pragmatic cluster randomized controlled trial.
BACKGROUND: Child maltreatment is a global public health crisis with negative consequences for physical and mental health. Children in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC)-particularly those affected by poverty, armed conflict, and forced migration-may be at increased risk of maltreatment due to heightened parental distress and disruptions to social support networks. Parenting interventions have been shown to reduce the risk of child maltreatment as well as improve a range of caregiver and child outcomes, yet large-scale implementation remains limited in low-resource displacement settings. This study will examine the impact of an entertainment-education narrative film intervention on reducing physical and emotional abuse and increasing positive parenting among migrant and displaced families from Myanmar living in Thailand. METHOD: the study is a pragmatic, superiority cluster randomized controlled trial with approximately 40 communities randomized to the intervention or treatment as usual arms in a 1:1 ratio. Participating families in the intervention arm will be invited to attend a community screening of the film intervention and a post-screening discussion, as well as receive a poster depicting key messages from the film. Primary outcomes are changes in physical abuse, emotional abuse, and positive parenting behaviour. Secondary outcomes include caregiver knowledge of positive parenting, caregiver attitudes towards harsh punishment, caregiver psychological distress, and family functioning. Outcomes will be assessed at 3 time points: baseline, 4 weeks post-intervention, and 4-month follow up. A mixed methods process evaluation will be embedded within the trial to assess intervention delivery, acceptability, perceived impacts, and potential mechanisms of change. DISCUSSION: to our knowledge, this study will be the first randomized controlled trial evaluation of a film-based intervention to reduce child maltreatment among migrant and displaced families in a LMIC. An integrated knowledge translation approach will inform uptake of study findings and application to potential scale up pending evaluation results. TRIAL REGISTRATION: the study was prospectively registered with the Thai Clinical Trials Registry on 22 February 2023 (TCTR20230222005).
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Abraham JM, Melendez-Torres GJ (2023). A realist review of interventions targeting maternal health in low- and middle-income countries.
Women's Health,
19Abstract:
A realist review of interventions targeting maternal health in low- and middle-income countries
Maternal mortality is disproportionately higher in low- and middle-income countries compared to other parts of the world. International research efforts are reflective of the urgency to improve global maternal outcomes. The existing literature of maternal health interventions in low- and middle-income countries targets a variety of populations and intervention types. However, there is a notable lack of systemic reviews that examine the wider contextual and mechanistic factors that have contributed to the outcomes produced by interventions. This article aims to use realist synthesis design to identify and examine the relationships between the contexts, mechanisms and outcomes of maternal health interventions conducted in low- and middle-income countries. This will inform evidence-based practice for future maternal health interventions. In May 2022, we searched four electronic databases for systematic reviews of maternal health interventions in low- and middle-income countries published in the last 5 years. We used open and axial coding of contexts, mechanisms and outcomes to develop an explanatory framework for intervention effectiveness. After eligibility screening and full-text analysis, 44 papers were included. The majority of effective interventions reported good healthcare system contexts, especially the importance of infrastructural capacity to implement and sustain the intervention. Most intervention designs used increasing knowledge and awareness at an individual and healthcare-provider level to produce intended outcomes. The majority of outcomes reported related to uptake of healthcare services by women. All mechanism themes had a relationship with this outcome. Health system infrastructure must be considered in interventions to ensure effective implementation and sustainability. Healthcare-seeking behaviours are embedded within social and cultural norms, environmental conditions, family influences and provider attitudes. Therefore, effective engagement with communities and families is important to create new norms surrounding pregnancy and delivery. Future research should explore community mobilization and involvement to enable tailored interventions with optimal contextual fit.
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Forbes C, Alderson H, Domoney J, Papamichail A, Berry V, McGovern R, Sevdalis N, Rankin J, Newburn M, Healey A, et al (2023). A survey and stakeholder consultation of Independent Domestic Violence Advisor (IDVA) programmes in English maternity services.
BMC Pregnancy Childbirth,
23(1).
Abstract:
A survey and stakeholder consultation of Independent Domestic Violence Advisor (IDVA) programmes in English maternity services.
BACKGROUND: Healthcare-based Independent Domestic Violence Advisors (hIDVA) are evidence-based programmes that provide emotional and practical support to service users experiencing domestic abuse. hIDVA programmes are found to improve health outcomes for service users and are increasingly delivered across a range of healthcare settings. However, it is unclear how hIDVA programmes are implemented across maternity services and the key facilitators and barriers to their implementation. The aim of this study was to identify; how many English National Health Service (NHS) Trusts with maternity services have a hIDVA programme; which departments within the Trust they operate in; what format, content, and variation in hIDVA programmes exist; and key facilitators and barriers of implementation in maternity services. METHODS: a national survey of safeguarding midwives (Midwives whose role specifically tasks them to protect pregnant women from harm including physical, emotional, sexual and financial harm and neglect) within all maternity services across England; descriptive statistics were used to summarise responses. A World Café event (a participatory method, which aims to create a café atmosphere to facilitate informal conversation) with 38 national key stakeholders to examine barriers and facilitators to hIDVA programme implementation. RESULTS: 86/124 Trusts (69%) with a maternity service responded to the survey; 59(69%) of respondents reported that they had a hIDVA programme, and 47(55%) of the hIDVA programmes operated within maternity services. Key facilitators to implementation of hIDVA programmes included training of NHS staff about the hIDVA role and regular communication between Trust staff and hIDVA staff; hIDVA staff working directly from the Trust; co-creation of hIDVA programmes with experts by experience; governance and middle- and senior-management support. Key barriers included hIDVA staff having a lack of access to a private space for their work, insecure funding for hIDVA programmes and issues with recruitment and retention of hIDVA staff. CONCLUSIONS: Despite hIDVA programmes role in improving the health outcomes of service users experiencing domestic abuse, increased funding and staff training is needed to successfully implement hIDVA staff in maternity services. Integrated Care Board commissioning of acute and mental health trust services would benefit from ensuring hIDVA programmes and clinician DVA training are prioritised.
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Amos N, Hill AO, Jones J, Melendez-Torres GJ, Carman M, Lyons A, Bourne A (2023). Affirming educational and workplace settings are associated with positive mental health and happiness outcomes for LGBTQA plus youth in Australia.
BMC PUBLIC HEALTH,
23(1).
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Rand LZ, Melendez-Torres GJ, Kesselheim AS (2023). Alternatives to the quality-adjusted life year: How well do they address common criticisms?.
Health Serv Res,
58(2), 433-444.
Abstract:
Alternatives to the quality-adjusted life year: How well do they address common criticisms?
OBJECTIVE: to analyze whether other outcome measures used in health technology assessment (HTA) address the criticisms of quality-adjusted life years (QALYs). DATA SOURCES AND STUDY SETTING: HTA methods guidance from 11 US comparator countries (the G10 and Australia) and six value frameworks from US organizations were reviewed to identify health outcome measures currently used to evaluate the benefits of a drug. STUDY DESIGN: the study involved a documentary analysis of guidelines to identify outcome measures used by the sampled HTA organizations. Similar outcomes were grouped together into outcome types. Each type was analyzed to determine the extent to which it replicates key advantages and responds to criticisms of QALYs extracted from the literature. EXTRACTION METHODS: Outcomes were included if guidance from at least one HTA organization identified the outcome as acceptable for HTA. Outcomes measuring or evaluating the benefit, clinical effect, or impact of a drug or health technology was included; methods of calculating costs were excluded. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Seven types of outcome measures were identified falling into three groups: preference-based, single-dimension outcomes, and outcomes using non-health perspectives. Among the seven QALY alternative outcome measures currently used for HTA by the sampled countries, no one outcome measure addresses all the QALY criticisms while retaining the advantageous features of the QALY. CONCLUSIONS: Proposals to adopt health technology assessment (HTA) to support value-based pricing of prescription drugs in the US have faced pushback over the use of the QALY. There is no single "right" outcome measure, and the criticisms of QALYs apply to other outcome measures used to evaluate health. The measures identified have different features and strengths, which may be appropriate for specific decision making goals, but the QALY remains the best option for decision making that requires comparisons of the overall societal value of health gains.
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Taylor DM, Nimmo AMS, Hole B, Melendez-Torres GJ (2023). An introduction to realist evaluation and synthesis for kidney research.
Kidney IntAbstract:
An introduction to realist evaluation and synthesis for kidney research.
Realist research describes a methodological approach that aims to explore how and why interventions work, for whom, and under what circumstances. Rather than quantifying how well an intervention works under specific conditions, realist theory explores the function of interventions in detail and specifically considers how the contexts in which interventional components are delivered influence the mechanisms that lead to outcomes. Realist methods can be applied to primary data (realist evaluation) or secondary data (realist synthesis). Although realist techniques are increasingly being used in the evaluation of complex interventions, there are relatively few published studies in the field of kidney care. In this review, we outline the theory and principles behind realist methods through discussion of a published realist synthesis describing complex interventions promoting delivery of optimal chronic kidney disease care. We discuss other kidney studies that have used realist methodology and situations where realist techniques could be applied to advance our understanding of how to best deliver care to patients with kidney disease.
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Melendez-Torres GJ, Bonell C, Shaw N, Orr N, Chollet A, Rizzo A, Rigby E, Hagell A, Young H, Berry V, et al (2023). Are school-based interventions to prevent dating and relationship violence and gender-based violence equally effective for all students? Systematic review and equity analysis of moderation analyses in randomised trials. Preventive Medicine Reports, 34, 102277-102277.
Baumbusch J, Kagan SH, Melendez-Torres GJ (2023). Celebrating and recollecting our impact: Announcing the 2022 IJOPN awards.
Int J Older People Nurs Author URL.
Salmon D, Melendez-Torres GJ (2023). Clinical effectiveness reporting of novel cancer drugs in the context of non-proportional hazards: a review of nice single technology appraisals.
International Journal of Technology Assessment in Health Care,
39(1).
Abstract:
Clinical effectiveness reporting of novel cancer drugs in the context of non-proportional hazards: a review of nice single technology appraisals
Objectives the hazard ratio (HR) is a commonly used summary statistic when comparing time to event (TTE) data between trial arms, but assumes the presence of proportional hazards (PH). Non-proportional hazards (NPH) are increasingly common in NICE technology appraisals (TAs) due to an abundance of novel cancer treatments, which have differing mechanisms of action compared with traditional chemotherapies. The goal of this study is to understand how pharmaceutical companies, evidence review groups (ERGs) and appraisal committees (ACs) test for PH and report clinical effectiveness in the context of NPH. Methods a thematic analysis of NICE TAs concerning novel cancer treatments published between 1 January 2020 and 31 December 2021 was undertaken. Data on PH testing and clinical effectiveness reporting for overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were obtained from company submissions, ERG reports, and final appraisal determinations (FADs). Results NPH were present for OS or PFS in 28/40 appraisals, with log-cumulative hazard plots the most common testing methodology (40/40), supplemented by Schoenfeld residuals (20/40) and/or other statistical methods (6/40). In the context of NPH, the HR was ubiquitously reported by companies, inconsistently critiqued by ERGs (10/28), and commonly reported in FADs (23/28). Conclusions There is inconsistency in PH testing methodology used in TAs. ERGs are inconsistent in critiquing use of the HR in the context of NPH, and even when critiqued it remains a commonly reported outcome measure in FADs. Other measures of clinical effectiveness should be considered, along with guidance on clinical effectiveness reporting when NPH are present.
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Lim G, Melendez-Torres GJ, Amos N, Anderson J, Norman T, Power J, Jones J, Bourne A (2023). Demographic predictors of experiences of homelessness among lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, gender-diverse and queer-identifying (LGBTIQ) young people in Australia. Journal of Youth Studies, 1-27.
Farmer C, OâToole B, Barnish MS, Trigg LA, Hayward S, Crathorne L, Kasten Z, Spoors J, Melendez-Torres GJ (2023). Early access schemes for innovative health technologies: the views of international stakeholders.
International Journal of Technology Assessment in Health Care,
39(1).
Abstract:
Early access schemes for innovative health technologies: the views of international stakeholders
Abstract
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. Objectives
. Early access schemes (EASs) are approaches used by payers to balance and facilitate earlier patient access to innovative health technologies while evidence generation is ongoing. Schemes require investment from payers and are associated with significant risk since not all technologies will be routinely reimbursed. The purpose of this study was to gain the perspectives of policy experts about the key challenges for EASs and potential solutions for their optimal design and implementation.
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. Two virtual workshops were convened including (i) UK-based policy experts (England, Wales, and Scotland) and (ii) representatives from multiple healthcare systems (England, France, Sweden, Canada, Poland, and Norway). Participants were encouraged to share their experiences with EASs in their healthcare system and highlight key challenges for policy makers. Discussions were transcribed and analyzed using framework analysis.
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. Results
. Participants agreed that EASs have value when targeted toward innovative technologies with the potential for significant clinical benefit in an area of high unmet need. Participants discussed potential solutions to the challenges faced by payers implementing EASs, including defining eligibility criteria, supporting evidence generation, and approaches to reimbursement.
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. Conclusions
. Participants agreed that EASs are one possible solution for their healthcare systems and have the potential to deliver significant clinical value to patients. However, widespread adoption of EASs is limited due to concerns about the risks for patients and healthcare budgets, further solutions are needed to deliver EASs for targeted therapies.
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Hunt X, Shakespeare T, Vilyte G, Melendez-Torres GJ, Henry J, Bradshaw M, Naidoo S, Mbuyamba R, Aljassem S, Suubi E, et al (2023). Effectiveness of Social Inclusion Interventions for Anxiety and Depression among Adolescents: a Systematic Review.
Int J Environ Res Public Health,
20(3).
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Effectiveness of Social Inclusion Interventions for Anxiety and Depression among Adolescents: a Systematic Review.
BACKGROUND: Adolescents who are socially excluded are at increased risk of mental health problems such as depression and anxiety. Promoting social inclusion could be an effective strategy for preventing and treating adolescent depression and anxiety. METHODS: We conducted a systematic review of intervention studies which aimed to prevent or treat adolescent depression and/or anxiety by promoting social inclusion. Throughout the review we engaged a youth advisory group of 13 young people (aged 21-24) from Uganda, Turkey, Syria, South Africa, and Egypt. RESULTS: We identified 12 studies relevant to our review. The interventions tested use a range of different strategies to increase social inclusion and reduce depression and anxiety, including social skills training, psychoeducation, teaching life skills training, and cash transfers. Pooled standardised mean differences (SMDs) based on random-effects models showed medium-to-large benefits of interventions on improving depression and anxiety symptoms (n = 8; SMD = -0.62; 95% CI, -1.23 to -0.01, p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Although there are not many studies, those which have been done show promising results that strongly suggest that social inclusion could be an important component of programmes to promote adolescent mental health.
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Villarreal-Zegarra D, ReĂĄtegui-Rivera CM, OtazĂş-Alfaro S, Yantas-Alcantara G, Soto-Becerra P, Melendez-Torres GJ (2023). Estimated impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the prevalence and treatment of depressive symptoms in Peru: an interrupted time series analysis in 2014–2021.
Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology,
58(9), 1375-1385.
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Estimated impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the prevalence and treatment of depressive symptoms in Peru: an interrupted time series analysis in 2014â2021
Purpose: the COVID-19 pandemic increased the burden of mental disorders worldwide. Peru has been one of the countries most affected by COVID-19, however, studies evaluating the medium and long-term consequences of the pandemic on Peruvians’ mental health are recent and represent a new field of study in proliferation. We aimed to estimate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the prevalence and treatment of depressive symptoms using nationally representative surveys in Peru. Methods: Our study is an analysis of secondary data. We carried out a time series cross-sectional analysis based on the National Demographic and Health Survey of Peru, collected using a complex sampling design. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 was used to measure mild (5–9 points), moderate (10–14 points), and severe (15 points or more) depressive symptoms. The participants were men and women aged 15 years and older, living in urban and rural areas of all regions of Peru. The main statistical analysis used segmented regression with Newey-West standard errors, taking into account that each year of the evaluation was divided into four measures (quarter measure). Results: We included 259,516 participants. An average quarterly increase of 0.17% (95% CI 0.03–0.32%) in the prevalence of moderate depressive symptoms was identified after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic (approximately an increase of 1583 new cases of moderate depressive symptoms by each quarter). The percentage of cases treated for mild depressive symptoms increased quarterly by an average of 0.46% (95% CI 0.20–0.71%) after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic (approximately an increase of 1242 new cases treated for mild depressive symptoms by each quarter). Conclusion: in Peru, increases in the prevalence of moderate depressive symptoms and the proportion of cases treated with mild depressive symptoms were found after the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, this study is a precedent for future research assessing the prevalence of depressive symptoms and the proportion of cases receiving treatment during the pandemic and post-pandemic years.
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Richards DA, Bollen J, Jones B, Melendez-Torres GJ, Hulme C, Cockcroft E, Cook H, Cooper J, Creanor S, Cruickshank S, et al (2023). Evaluation of a COVID-19 fundamental nursing care guideline versus usual care: the COVID-NURSE cluster randomized controlled trial.
J Adv NursAbstract:
Evaluation of a COVID-19 fundamental nursing care guideline versus usual care: the COVID-NURSE cluster randomized controlled trial.
AIM: to evaluate the impact of usual care plus a fundamental nursing care guideline compared to usual care only for patients in hospital with COVID-19 on patient experience, care quality, functional ability, treatment outcomes, nurses' moral distress, patient health-related quality of life and cost-effectiveness. DESIGN: Parallel two-arm, cluster-level randomized controlled trial. METHODS: Between 18th January and 20th December 2021, we recruited (i) adults aged 18 years and over with COVID-19, excluding those invasively ventilated, admitted for at least three days or nights in UK Hospital Trusts; (ii) nurses caring for them. We randomly assigned hospitals to use a fundamental nursing care guideline and usual care or usual care only. Our patient-reported co-primary outcomes were the Relational Aspects of Care Questionnaire and four scales from the Quality from the Patient Perspective Questionnaire. We undertook intention-to-treat analyses. RESULTS: We randomized 15 clusters and recruited 581 patient and 418 nurse participants. Primary outcome data were available for 570-572 (98.1%-98.5%) patient participants in 14 clusters. We found no evidence of between-group differences on any patient, nurse or economic outcomes. We found between-group differences over time, in favour of the intervention, for three of our five co-primary outcomes, and a significant interaction on one primary patient outcome for ethnicity (white British vs. other) and allocated group in favour of the intervention for the 'other' ethnicity subgroup. CONCLUSION: We did not detect an overall difference in patient experience for a fundamental nursing care guideline compared to usual care. We have indications the guideline may have aided sustaining good practice over time and had a more positive impact on non-white British patients' experience of care. IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PROFESSION AND/OR PATIENT CARE: We cannot recommend the wholescale implementation of our guideline into routine nursing practice. Further intervention development, feasibility, pilot and evaluation studies are required. IMPACT: Fundamental nursing care drives patient experience but is severely impacted in pandemics. Our guideline was not superior to usual care, albeit it may sustain good practice and have a positive impact on non-white British patients' experience of care. REPORTING METHOD: CONSORT and CONSERVE. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: Patients with experience of hospitalization with COVID-19 were involved in guideline development and writing, trial management and interpretation of findings.
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MelendezâTorres GJ, Crathorne L, Hepworth E, Sloane V, Jackson S, Nicholas R, Cohen CE (2023). Evaluation of an acute trust Domestic Abuse Coordinator role: Impact findings and a budget impact model.
The International Journal of Health Planning and ManagementAbstract:
Evaluation of an acute trust Domestic Abuse Coordinator role: Impact findings and a budget impact model
AbstractDomestic Abuse Coordinators (DACs) work strategically across National Health Service (NHS) hospital and other offâsite clinical settings to support clinical staff in domestic abuse enquiry and response, and to coâlead the development and implementation of effective clinical policies and procedures for the management of domestic abuse and the support of survivors. Drawing on data from a large NHS acute trust in central London, we analyse the impact of the DAC role in increasing the rate of referrals of highârisk domestic abuse cases, and generate plausible estimates of the budget impact of the DAC role in respect of costs accrued to NHS trusts. Using eight quarters of clinical data and an interrupted time series design, we find that evidence that implementation of a DAC role is linked with an increase in the rate of highârisk referrals of between 18% and 21% per quarter, indicating improved responses to victimâsurvivors at highest risk of imminent harm. Under a range of reasonable assumptions, initiation of the DAC role is shown to be costâsaving to an employing acute trust. Future work should seek to quantify the direct impacts to survivor health and wellbeing of the implementation of the DAC role.
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Comer C, Williamson E, McIlroy S, Srikesavan C, Dalton S, Melendez-Torres GJ, Lamb SE (2023). Exercise treatments for lumbar spinal stenosis: a systematic review and intervention component analysis of randomised controlled trials.
Clin RehabilAbstract:
Exercise treatments for lumbar spinal stenosis: a systematic review and intervention component analysis of randomised controlled trials.
OBJECTIVE: to analyse the components used in exercise interventions for people with symptoms of neurogenic claudication due to lumbar spinal stenosis and identify components associated with successful interventions. DATA SOURCES: Eligible papers published up to April 2023 from MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PEDro, CENTRAL, Web of Science, and trial registry websites. REVIEW METHODS: Literature searches were performed by an Information Specialist. We searched for randomised trials evaluating exercise interventions for people with neurogenic claudication symptoms (the primary symptom of lumbar spinal stenosis). Two authors independently performed study selection, data extraction, and quality assessments using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool Version 2 and the TIDieR checklist for intervention reporting. Details of intervention components were extracted, tabulated, and synthesised using an intervention component analysis approach. RESULTS: We found thirteen trials reporting 23 exercise interventions delivered to 1440 participants. These featured 60 different components. Most exercise interventions included supervision and flexion-based exercises. Balance exercises were rarely included. Exercise components featured more frequently in successful interventions included stretches, strength or trunk muscle exercises, fitness exercises, especially cycling, and psychologically informed approaches. Interpretation is limited by low study numbers and heterogeneity. No conclusions could be drawn about exercise supervision or dose. DISCUSSION: Exercise interventions for people with neurogenic claudication typically feature multiple components. Common features such as supervision, lumbar flexion, and aerobic fitness exercises and also less common features such as stretches, strengthening exercises, and psychologically informed approaches warrant consideration for inclusion when designing and optimising exercise interventions for people with lumbar spinal stenosis.
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Rizzo AJ, Orr N, Shaw N, Farmer C, Chollet A, Young H, Berry V, Rigby E, Hagell A, Bonell C, et al (2023). Exploring the Activities and Target Audiences of School-Based Violence Prevention Programs: Systematic Review and Intervention Component Analysis.
Trauma Violence Abuse,
24(5), 3593-3614.
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Exploring the Activities and Target Audiences of School-Based Violence Prevention Programs: Systematic Review and Intervention Component Analysis.
Adolescents are at an increased risk for experiencing dating and relationship violence (DRV) and gender-based violence (GBV). School-based interventions remain an important and frequently used method for DRV/GBV prevention. A clear understanding and description of the different components of school-based interventions specific to DRV/GBV is needed to organize and advance the array of prevention efforts being utilized in school settings. We conducted an intervention component analysis to create a taxonomy for school-based interventions addressing DRV and GBV. We searched 21 databases in July 2020 and updated searches in June 2021, alongside extensive supplementary search methods. We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in adolescents of compulsory school-age that were implemented within the school setting which partially or wholly focused on DRV and GBV topics. Our analysis included 68 studies describing 76 different school-based interventions. Through an iterative coding process we identified 40 intervention components organized within 13 activity categories, including both student-directed components and non-student-directed components such as activities for school personnel and family members of students. We also identified components addressing higher levels of the social-ecological model including structural-social and structural-environmental aspects of DRV/GBV which prior reviews have not considered. This taxonomy of components and synthesis of intervention efficacy for DRV/GBV school-based interventions provides a framework for comparing past intervention evaluations and constructing new interventions to address these issues at multiple levels within a community.
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Amos N, Hart B, Hill AO, Melendez-Torres GJ, McNair R, Carman M, Lyons A, Bourne A (2023). Health intervention experiences and associated mental health outcomes in a sample of LGBTQ people with intersex variations in Australia.
Cult Health Sex,
25(7), 833-846.
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Health intervention experiences and associated mental health outcomes in a sample of LGBTQ people with intersex variations in Australia.
People with intersex variation/s have sex characteristics determined by reproductive anatomy or chromosomal, gonadal, or hormonal expressions that are not typical of medical and societal norms for male or female bodies and are widely subjected to irreversible medical interventions at an early age to reinforce sex assignment. These interventions may be accompanied by experiences of lack of autonomy for the individual and, at times, lack of fully informed consent on the part of the individual or their parents/carers. People with intersex variations additionally experience high rates of mental health concerns relating to stigma, discrimination and poor healthcare experiences. The intersections between LGBTQ identities and intersex variations are poorly understood but are important given a high proportion of people with intersex variations identify as LGBTQ. This study explored associations between healthcare experiences and mental health outcomes among 46 LGBTQ people aged between 18 and 67 years old with intersex variations in Australia. Findings provide evidence of associations between suicidal thinking, suicidal attempts, depression or anxiety and negative healthcare experiences, including limited autonomy and consent, and challenges accessing psychological support. These highlight the need for further research and proactive intervention to advance human rights and improve health outcomes for this population.
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Smith J, Baker E, Hepworth E, Melendez-Torres GJ, Nicholas R, Cohen CE (2023). Identifying demographics of high risk male and LGBTQ+ survivors of domestic abuse from acute London hospital referrals - case review.
Int J STD AIDS,
34(1), 31-36.
Abstract:
Identifying demographics of high risk male and LGBTQ+ survivors of domestic abuse from acute London hospital referrals - case review.
BACKGROUND: Heterosexual men, and lesbians, gay men, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) people are under-described in research and resources relating to domestic abuse (DA), compared to heterosexual cisgender female survivors. Many of the identified DA cases within our hospital organisation that warrant onward multidisciplinary referral, due to ongoing high harm risk, are for male and LGBTQ+ survivors. We aimed to describe demographics and risk patterns of these cases, to inform and equip our specialist Independent Domestic Violence Advocacy (IDVA) service. METHOD: We performed a retrospective case-note review of all Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conferences (MARAC) referrals for DA, featuring male & LGBTQ+ subjects, across Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (CWFT), London, UK between April 2019 - December 2020. We recorded demographic data of referral subjects and perpetrators; the origin of referral; the nature of the initial presenting complaint and whether the DA was identified by the subject or by the healthcare provider on enquiry; and recorded rates of co-marginalising and harm risk factors (dependent children, disability, mental health comorbidity, HIV status, drug use, homelessness). RESULTS: We identified 33 cases: 10.2% of CWFT's total MARAC referrals were for men, and 6.7% for LGBTQ+ people (cf. national figures from the same period: 0.1% and 1.3% respectively). Nearly half (48.5%, 16) of the referrals came from sexual health services, just under half (45.5%, 15) from Emergency Departments. 42% (14) disclosures were elicited incidentally during routine enquiry. Six (18%) subjects were also known survivors of sexual violence in addition to DA. The majority (79%, 26) of perpetrators were current or ex-intimate partners. Eight (24%) of the subjects had children under 18. High rates of co-marginalisation factors were present, including use of recreational drugs (45.5%, 15), belonging to an ethnic minority (39.4%, 13), living with HIV (24.2%, 8), living with a disability (18%, 6), mental health comorbidity (27.3%, 9), and experience or risk of homelessness (9%, 3). CONCLUSIONS: Our trust reports a high rate of male and LGBTQ+ high-risk DA referrals, and amongst these there is a high rate of intersecting disadvantages and risk factors. This underlines a need for inclusivity for marginalised groups, inbuilt into domestic abuse health responses. The high rate of disclosure during routine enquiry for domestic abuse supports the use of DA routine enquiry in sexual health settings, and points towards the utility of selective enquiry in other settings (for example, heterosexual males presenting with injuries to emergency departments). We hope that by working with a specialised LGBTQ+ IDVA, we will improve both prompt identification and better outcomes for more GSM patients.
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Funnell S, Jull J, Mbuagbaw L, Welch V, Dewidar O, Wang X, Lesperance M, Ghogomu E, Rizvi A, Akl EA, et al (2023). Improving social justice in observational studies: protocol for the development of a global and Indigenous STROBE-equity reporting guideline.
Int J Equity Health,
22(1).
Abstract:
Improving social justice in observational studies: protocol for the development of a global and Indigenous STROBE-equity reporting guideline.
BACKGROUND: Addressing persistent and pervasive health inequities is a global moral imperative, which has been highlighted and magnified by the societal and health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Observational studies can aid our understanding of the impact of health and structural oppression based on the intersection of gender, race, ethnicity, age and other factors, as they frequently collect this data. However, the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) guideline, does not provide guidance related to reporting of health equity. The goal of this project is to develop a STROBE-Equity reporting guideline extension. METHODS: We assembled a diverse team across multiple domains, including gender, age, ethnicity, Indigenous background, disciplines, geographies, lived experience of health inequity and decision-making organizations. Using an inclusive, integrated knowledge translation approach, we will implement a five-phase plan which will include: (1) assessing the reporting of health equity in published observational studies, (2) seeking wide international feedback on items to improve reporting of health equity, (3) establishing consensus amongst knowledge users and researchers, (4) evaluating in partnership with Indigenous contributors the relevance to Indigenous peoples who have globally experienced the oppressive legacy of colonization, and (5) widely disseminating and seeking endorsement from relevant knowledge users. We will seek input from external collaborators using social media, mailing lists and other communication channels. DISCUSSION: Achieving global imperatives such as the Sustainable Development Goals (e.g. SDG 10 Reduced inequalities, SDG 3 Good health and wellbeing) requires advancing health equity in research. The implementation of the STROBE-Equity guidelines will enable a better awareness and understanding of health inequities through better reporting. We will broadly disseminate the reporting guideline with tools to enable adoption and use by journal editors, authors, and funding agencies, using diverse strategies tailored to specific audiences.
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Evans R, MacDonald S, Trubey R, Noyes J, Robling M, Willis S, Boffey M, Wooders C, Vinnicombe S, Melendez-Torres GJ, et al (2023). Interventions targeting the mental health and wellbeing of care-experienced children and young people in higher-income countries: Evidence map and systematic review.
Syst Rev,
12(1).
Abstract:
Interventions targeting the mental health and wellbeing of care-experienced children and young people in higher-income countries: Evidence map and systematic review.
BACKGROUND: the mental health and wellbeing of care-experienced children and young people (i.e. foster care, kinship care, residential care) is poorer than non-care-experienced populations. The Care-experienced cHildren and young people's Interventions to improve Mental health and wEll-being outcomes Systematic review (CHIMES) aimed to synthesise the international evidence base for interventions targeting subjective wellbeing, mental health and suicide amongst care-experienced young people aged ≤ 25 years. METHODS: for the first phase of the review, we constructed an evidence map identifying key clusters and gaps in interventions and evaluations. Studies were identified through 16 electronic databases and 22 health and social care websites, in addition to expert recommendations, citation tracking and screening of relevant systematic reviews. We charted interventions and evaluations with a summary narrative, tables and infographics. RESULTS: in total, 64 interventions with 124 associated study reports were eligible. The majority of study reports were from the USA (n = 77). Interventions primarily targeted children and young people's skills and competencies (n = 9 interventions), the parental functioning and practices of carers (n = 26), or a combination of the two (n = 15). While theoretically under-specified, interventions were largely informed by theories of Attachment, Positive Youth Development, and Social Learning Theory. Current evaluations prioritised outcomes (n = 86) and processes (n = 50), with a paucity of study reports including theoretical descriptions (n = 24) or economic evaluations (n = 1). Interventions most frequently targeted outcomes related to mental, behavioural or neurodevelopmental disorders, notably total social, emotional and behavioural problems (n = 48 interventions) and externalising problem behaviours (n = 26). There were a limited number of interventions targeting subjective wellbeing or suicide-related outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Future intervention development might focus on structural-level intervention theories and components, and target outcomes related to subjective wellbeing and suicide. In accordance with current methodological guidance for intervention development and evaluation, research needs to integrate theoretical, outcome, process and economic evaluation in order to strengthen the evidence base. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42020177478.
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Janowski R, Green O, Shenderovich Y, Stern D, Clements L, Wamoyi J, Wambura M, Lachman JM, Melendez-Torres GJ, Gardner F, et al (2023). Optimising engagement in a digital parenting intervention to prevent violence against adolescents in Tanzania: protocol for a cluster randomised factorial trial.
BMC Public Health,
23(1).
Abstract:
Optimising engagement in a digital parenting intervention to prevent violence against adolescents in Tanzania: protocol for a cluster randomised factorial trial
Background: Violence against adolescents is a universal reality, with severe individual and societal costs. There is a critical need for scalable and effective violence prevention strategies such as parenting programmes, particularly in low- and middle-income countries where rates of maltreatment are highest. Digital interventions may be a scalable and cost-effective alternative to in-person delivery, yet maximising caregiver engagement is a substantial challenge. This trial employs a cluster randomised factorial experiment and a novel mixed-methods analytic approach to assess the effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, and feasibility of intervention components designed to optimise engagement in an open-source parenting app, ParentApp for Teens. The app is based on the evidence-based Parenting for Lifelong Health for Teens programme, developed collaboratively by academic institutions in the Global South and North, the WHO, and UNICEF. Methods/design: Sixteen neighbourhoods, i.e. clusters, will be randomised to one of eight experimental conditions which consist of any combination of three components (Support: self-guided/moderated WhatsApp groups; App Design: sequential workshops/non-sequential modules; Digital Literacy Training: on/off). The study will be conducted in low-income communities in Tanzania, targeting socioeconomically vulnerable caregivers of adolescents aged 10 to 17 years (16 clusters, 8 conditions, 640 caregivers, 80 per condition). The primary objective of this trial is to estimate the main effects of the three components on engagement. Secondary objectives are to explore the interactions between components, the effects of the components on caregiver behavioural outcomes, moderators and mediators of programme engagement and impact, and the cost-effectiveness of components. The study will also assess enablers and barriers to engagement qualitatively via interviews with a subset of low, medium, and high engaging participants. We will combine quantitative and qualitative data to develop an optimised ParentApp for Teens delivery package. Discussion: This is the first known cluster randomised factorial trial for the optimisation of engagement in a digital parenting intervention in a low- and middle-income country. Findings will be used to inform the evaluation of the optimised app in a subsequent randomised controlled trial. Trial registration: Pan African Clinical Trial Registry, PACTR202210657553944. Registered 11 October 2022, https://pactr.samrc.ac.za/TrialDisplay.aspx?TrialID=24051.
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Shaw L, Nunns M, Briscoe S, Garside R, Turner M, Melendez-Torres GJ, Lawal HM, Coon JT (2023). Optimising the prescribing of drugs that may cause dependency: an evidence and gap map of systematic reviews.
J Health Serv Res Policy,
28(4), 271-281.
Abstract:
Optimising the prescribing of drugs that may cause dependency: an evidence and gap map of systematic reviews.
OBJECTIVES: We set out to map the quantitative and qualitative systematic review evidence available to inform the optimal prescribing of drugs that can cause dependency (benzodiazepines, opioids, non-benzodiazepine hypnotics, gabapentinoids and antidepressants). We also consider how this evidence can be used to inform decision-making in the patient care pathway for each type of medication. METHODS: Eight bibliographic databases were searched for the period 2010 to 2020. All included reviews were initially appraised using four items from the Collaboration for Environmental Evidence Synthesis Assessment Tool, with reviews that scored well on all items proceeding to full quality appraisal. Key characteristics of the reviews were tabulated, and each review was incorporated into an evidence and gap map based on a patient care pathway. The care pathway was based upon an amalgamation of existing NICE guidelines and feedback from clinical and patient stakeholders. RESULTS: We identified 80 relevant reviews and displayed them in an evidence and gap map. The evidence included in these reviews was predominantly of low overall quality. Areas where systematic reviews have been conducted include barriers and facilitators to the deprescribing of drugs that may cause dependency, although we identified little evidence exploring the experiences or evaluations of specific interventions to promote deprescribing. All medications of interest, apart from gabapentinoids, were included in at least one review. CONCLUSIONS: the evidence and gap map provides an interactive resource to support (i) policy developers and service commissioners to use evidence in the development and delivery of services for people receiving a prescription of drugs that may cause dependency, where withdrawal of medication may be appropriate, (ii) the clinical decision-making of prescribers and (iii) the commissioning of further research. The map can also be used to inform the commissioning of further systematic reviews. To address the concerns regarding the quality of the existing evidence based raised in this report, future reviews should be conducted according to best-practice guidelines. Systematic reviews focusing on evaluating interventions to promote deprescribing would be particularly beneficial, as would reviews focusing on addressing the paucity of evidence regarding the deprescription of gabapentinoids.
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Whear R, Campbell F, Rogers M, Sutton A, RobinsonâCarter E, Sharpe R, Cohen S, Fergy R, Garside R, Kneale D, et al (2023). PROTOCOL: What is the effect of intergenerational activities on the wellbeing and mental health of older people?. Campbell Systematic Reviews, 19(2).
Littlecott HJ, Moore GF, Evans RE, Melendez-Torres GJ, McCann M, Reed H, Mann M, Dobbie F, Jennings S, Donaldson C, et al (2023). Perceptions of friendship, peers and influence on adolescent smoking according to tobacco control context: a systematic review and meta-ethnography of qualitative research.
BMC Public Health,
23(1).
Abstract:
Perceptions of friendship, peers and influence on adolescent smoking according to tobacco control context: a systematic review and meta-ethnography of qualitative research.
BACKGROUND: a relationship between smoking and interpersonal influences has been well established within the literature. There have been cultural shifts in denormalisation and a reduction in tobacco smoking in many countries. Hence there is a need to understand social influences on adolescents' smoking across smoking normalisation contexts. METHODS: the search was conducted in July 2019 and updated in March 2022 within 11 databases and secondary sources. Search terms included schools, adolescents, smoking, peers, social norms and qualitative research. Screening was conducted by two researchers independently and in duplicate. Study quality was assessed using the eight-item Evidence for Policy and Practice Information and Co-ordinating Centre (EPPI-centre) tool for the appraisal of qualitative studies. Results were synthesised using a meta-narrative lens for meta-ethnography and compared across smoking normalisation contexts. RESULTS: Forty one studies were included and five themes were developed, mapping onto the socio ecological model. The social processes by which adolescents take up smoking differed according to a mixture of school type, peer group structure and the smoking culture within the school, as well as the wider cultural context. Data available from smoking denormalised contexts, described changes in social interactions around smoking to cope with its stigmatisation. This was manifested through i) direct peer influence, whereby subtle techniques were employed, ii) group belonging whereby smoking was less likely to be seen as a key determinant of group membership and smoking was less commonly reported to be used as a social tool, and iii) popularity and identity construction, whereby smoking was perceived more negatively in a denormalised context, compared with a normalised context. CONCLUSIONS: This meta-ethnography is the first study to demonstrate, drawing on international data, that peer processes in adolescent smoking may undergo changes as smoking norms within society change. Future research should focus on understanding differences across socioeconomic contexts, to inform the adaptation of interventions.
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Villarreal-Zegarra D, OtazĂş-Alfaro S, Segovia-Bacilio P, GarcĂa-Serna J, Reategui-Rivera CM, Melendez-Torres GJ (2023). Profiles of depressive symptoms in Peru: an 8-year analysis in population-based surveys. Journal of Affective Disorders, 333, 384-391.
Price A, Smith JR, Mughal F, Salimi A, Melendez-Torres GJ, Newlove-Delgado T (2023). Protocol for the mixed methods, Managing young people (aged 16–25) with Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in Primary care (MAP) study: mapping current practice and co-producing guidance to improve healthcare in an underserved population.
BMJ Open,
13(7), e068184-e068184.
Abstract:
Protocol for the mixed methods, Managing young people (aged 16â25) with Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in Primary care (MAP) study: mapping current practice and co-producing guidance to improve healthcare in an underserved population
IntroductionAttention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most common neurodevelopmental disorder in children and adolescents, with an average worldwide prevalence of 5%. Up to 40% of young people continue to experience symptoms into adulthood. Young people with ADHD experience poorer outcomes than their peers across multiple domains, with treatment shown to reduce these risks. Primary care practitioners play an important role in healthcare provision for this group in the UK. However, many feel unsure about how best to provide support, reporting prescribing concerns and need for more evidence-based guidance. A lack of national data on primary care provision hinders efforts to improve access to care and optimise outcomes. This mixed-methods study aims to provide evidence that may be used to improve primary care services for young people aged 16–25 years with ADHD.Methods and analysisThere are three interlinked work packages: (a) a mapping study including a survey of stakeholders (healthcare professionals, people with ADHD and commissioners) will map ADHD prescribing practice, shared-care arrangements, available support and practitioner roles by geographic locations across England for different respondent groups; (b) a qualitative study involving semi-structured interviews with stakeholders (10–15 healthcare professionals and 10–15 people with ADHD) will explore experiences of ‘what works’ and ‘what is needed’ in terms of service provision and synthesise findings; (c) workshops will integrate findings from (a) and (b) and work with stakeholders to use this evidence to codevelop key messages and guidance to improve care.Ethics and disseminationThe protocol has been approved by Yorkshire and the Humber—Bradford Leeds Research Ethics Committee. Recruitment commenced in September 2022. Findings will be disseminated via research articles in peer-reviewed journals, conference presentations, public involvement events, patient groups and media releases. A summary of study findings will be shared with participants at the end of the study.Trial registration numberNCT05518435.
Abstract.
Villarreal-Zegarra D, Copez-Lonzoy A, Cabrera-Alva M, Torres-Puente R, Melendez-Torres GJ (2023). Psychometric Adaptation of a Brief Scale of Child-to-Parent Violence and Intrafamily Violence in Peruvian Adolescents.
Violence Vict,
38(5), 627-644.
Abstract:
Psychometric Adaptation of a Brief Scale of Child-to-Parent Violence and Intrafamily Violence in Peruvian Adolescents.
Family violence is a critical public health problem in Latin America. In Peru, family violence continues to be difficult to detect and prevent, with child-to-parent violence (CPV) arising as a key issue. This study aimed to do a psychometric adaptation of a brief scale of evaluation of CPV and intrafamily violence in a sample of Peruvian adolescents. Our study analyzed internal structure, internal consistency (with depression, family satisfaction, and anxiety), convergent validity, and measurement invariance. The study population included 570 adolescents living with both parents (50.2% women). Adequate goodness-of-fit indices were found for the full version of CPV and intrafamily violence of nine items (CFI = 0.991; RMSEA = 0.053) and the version with only CPV of six items (CFI = 0.995; RMSEA = 0.074). The latent correlations between CPV with depressive symptoms and anxiety symptoms were greater than 0.40. Our study found that the full version of CPV and intrafamily violence (nine items) and the CPV-only version (six items) were invariant by sex. Reliability was adequate in all cases (ω > 0.70). The scale presents evidence of validity and reliability in Peruvian adolescents. It is suitable for epidemiological research on family violence.
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Bonell C, Taylor B, Berry V, Filho SRP, Rizzo A, Farmer C, Hagell A, Young H, Orr N, Shaw N, et al (2023). Re-orientating systematic reviews to rigorously examine what works, for whom and how: Example of a realist systematic review of school-based prevention of dating and gender violence.
Res Synth Methods,
14(4), 582-595.
Abstract:
Re-orientating systematic reviews to rigorously examine what works, for whom and how: Example of a realist systematic review of school-based prevention of dating and gender violence.
Conventional systematic reviews offer few insights into for whom and how interventions work. 'Realist reviews' examine such questions via examining 'context-mechanism-outcome configurations' (CMOCs) but are insufficiently rigorous in how evidence is identified, assessed and synthesised. We developed 'realist systematic reviews', addressing similar questions to realist reviews but using rigorous methods. We applied this to synthesising evidence on school-based prevention of dating and relationship violence (DRV) and gender-based violence (GBV). This paper reflects on overall methods and findings, drawing on papers reporting each analysis. Drawing on intervention descriptions, theories of change and process evaluations, we developed initial CMOC hypotheses: interventions triggering 'school-transformation' mechanisms (preventing violence by changing school environments) will achieve larger effects than those triggering 'basic-safety' (stopping violence by emphasising its unacceptability) or 'positive-development' (developing students' broader skills and relationships) mechanisms; however, school transformation would only work in schools with high organisational capacity. We used various innovative analyses, some of which aimed to test these hypotheses and some of which were inductive, drawing on available findings to augment and refine the CMOCs. Overall, interventions were effective in reducing long-term DRV but not GBV or short-term DRV. DRV prevention occurred most effectively via the 'basic-safety' mechanism. 'School-transformation' mechanisms were more effective in preventing GBV but only in high-income countries. Impacts on long-term DRV victimisation were greater when working with a critical mass of participating girls. Impacts on long-term DRV perpetration were greater for boys. Interventions were more effective when focusing on skills, attitudes and relationships, or lacking parental involvement or victim stories. Our method provided novel insights and should be useful to policy-makers seeking the best interventions for their contexts and the most information to inform implementation.
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Kjøbli J, Melendez-Torres GJ, Gardner F, Backhaus S, Linnerud S, Leijten P (2023). Research review: Effects of parenting programs for children's conduct problems on children's emotional problems - a network meta-analysis.
J Child Psychol Psychiatry,
64(3), 348-356.
Abstract:
Research review: Effects of parenting programs for children's conduct problems on children's emotional problems - a network meta-analysis.
BACKGROUND: Specific programs are often implemented for specific child mental health problems, while many children suffer from comorbid problems. Ideally, programs reduce a wider range of mental health problems. The present study tested whether parenting programs for children's conduct problems, and which individual and clusters of program elements, have additional effects on children's emotional problems. METHODS: We updated the search of a previous systematic review in 11 databases (e.g. PsycINFO and MEDLINE) and included studies published until July 2020 with keywords relating to 'parenting', 'program', and 'child behavioral problems'. Also, we searched for recent trials in four trial registries and contacted protocol authors. Studies were eligible for inclusion if they used a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effects of a parenting program for children aged 2-10 years which was based on social learning theory and included a measure of children's emotional problems postintervention. RESULTS: We identified 69 eligible trials (159 effect sizes; 6,240 families). Robust variance estimation showed that parenting programs had small significant parent-reported additional effects on emotional problems immediately postintervention (Cohen's d = -0.14; 95% CI, -0.21, -0.07), but these effects faded over time. Teachers and children did not report significant effects. Additional effects on emotional problems were larger in samples with clinical baseline levels of such problems. No individual program elements predicted larger additional effects. of the clusters of elements, combining behavior management and relationship enhancement elements was most likely to yield the strongest additional effects. CONCLUSIONS: the additional effects on emotional problems of parenting programs designed to reduce conduct problems are limited, but some clusters of elements predict larger effects. Our findings may contribute to realistic expectations of the benefits of parenting programs for children's conduct problems and inform the development of programs with wider benefits across mental health problems.
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Farmer C, Shaw N, Rizzo AJ, Orr N, Chollet A, Hagell A, Rigby E, Young H, Berry V, Bonell C, et al (2023). School-Based Interventions to Prevent Dating and Relationship Violence and Gender-Based Violence: Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis.
Am J Public Health,
113(3), 320-330.
Abstract:
School-Based Interventions to Prevent Dating and Relationship Violence and Gender-Based Violence: Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis.
Background. Schools are sites of dating and relationship violence (DRV) and of gender-based violence (GBV) victimization and perpetration. School-based interventions can reach a broad range of students, targeting both individual and group processes that may underpin DRV and GBV. Considering DRV and GBV jointly is important because of their shared etiologies. Comparing the effectiveness of interventions using network meta-analysis (NMA) can support decision-making on optimal resource use. Objectives. To evaluate the comparative effectiveness of school-based interventions for children aged 5 to 18 years on DRV and GBV victimization, perpetration, and related mediators. Search Methods. We searched 21 databases in July 2020 and June 2021, alongside extensive supplementary search methods, including gray literature searches, forward and backward citation chasing, and searches on first and last author names. Selection Criteria. We included randomized-controlled trials of interventions for children of compulsory school age implemented within the school setting, and either partially or wholly aimed at changing DRV or GBV outcomes. Data Collection and Analysis. Pairwise meta-analyses using random-effects robust variance estimation considered intervention effectiveness on DRV and GBV victimization and perpetration using odds ratios, and on mediators (e.g. knowledge and attitudes) using standardized mean differences. Effects were divided into short-term (
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Lee YY, Skeen S, Melendez-Torres GJ, Laurenzi CA, Van Ommeren M, Fleischmann A, Servili C, Mihalopoulos C, Chisholm D (2023). School-based socio-emotional learning programs to prevent depression, anxiety and suicide among adolescents: a global cost-effectiveness analysis.
Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences,
32Abstract:
School-based socio-emotional learning programs to prevent depression, anxiety and suicide among adolescents: a global cost-effectiveness analysis
Aims Preventing the occurrence of depression/anxiety and suicide during adolescence can lead to substantive health gains over the course of an individual person's life. This study set out to identify the expected population-level costs and health impacts of implementing universal and indicated school-based socio-emotional learning (SEL) programs in different country contexts. Methods a Markov model was developed to examine the effectiveness of delivering universal and indicated school-based SEL programs to prevent the onset of depression/anxiety and suicide deaths among adolescents. Intervention health impacts were measured in healthy life years gained (HLYGs) over a 100-year time horizon. Country-specific intervention costs were calculated and denominated in 2017 international dollars (2017 I$) under a health systems perspective. Cost-effectiveness findings were subsequently expressed in terms of I$ per HLYG. Analyses were conducted on a group of 20 countries from different regions and income levels, with final results aggregated and presented by country income group - that is, low and lower middle income countries (LLMICs) and upper middle and high-income countries (UMHICs). Uncertainty and sensitivity analyses were conducted to test model assumptions. Results Implementation costs ranged from an annual per capita investment of I$0.10 in LLMICs to I$0.16 in UMHICs for the universal SEL program and I$0.06 in LLMICs to I$0.09 in UMHICs for the indicated SEL program. The universal SEL program generated 100 HLYGs per 1 million population compared to 5 for the indicated SEL program in LLMICs. The cost per HLYG was I$958 in LLMICS and I$2,006 in UMHICs for the universal SEL program and I$11,123 in LLMICs and I$18,473 in UMHICs for the indicated SEL program. Cost-effectiveness findings were highly sensitive to variations around input parameter values involving the intervention effect sizes and the disability weight used to estimate HLYGs. Conclusions the results of this analysis suggest that universal and indicated SEL programs require a low level of investment (in the range of I$0.05 to I$0.20 per head of population) but that universal SEL programs produce significantly greater health benefits at a population level and therefore better value for money (e.g. less than I$1,000 per HLYG in LLMICs). Despite producing fewer population-level health benefits, the implementation of indicated SEL programs may be justified as a means of reducing population inequalities that affect high-risk populations who would benefit from a more tailored intervention approach.
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Meiksin R, Bonell C, Bhatia A, Melendez-Torres GJ, Kyegombe N, Kohli A (2023). Social Norms About Dating and Relationship Violence and Gender Among Adolescents: Systematic Review of Measures Used in Dating and Relationship Violence Research.
Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 152483802311555-152483802311555.
Abstract:
Social Norms About Dating and Relationship Violence and Gender Among Adolescents: Systematic Review of Measures Used in Dating and Relationship Violence Research
Adolescent dating and relationship violence (DRV) is widespread and associated with increased risk of subsequent poor mental health outcomes and partner violence. Shifting social norms (i.e. descriptive norms of perceived behavior and injunctive norms of acceptable behavior among a reference group of important others) may be important for reducing DRV. However, few DRV studies assess norms, measurement varies, and evidence on measure quality is diffuse. We aimed to map and assess how studies examining DRV measured social norms concerning DRV and gender. We conducted a systematic review of DRV literature reporting on the use and validity of such measures among participants aged 10–18 years. Searches included English peer-reviewed and grey literature identified via nine databases; Google Scholar; organization websites; reference checking; known studies; and expert requests. We identified 24 eligible studies from the Americas ( N = 15), Africa ( N = 4), and Europe ( N = 5) using 40 eligible measures of DRV norms (descriptive: N = 19; injunctive: N = 14) and gender norms (descriptive: N = 1; injunctive: N = 6). No measure was shared across studies. Most measures were significantly associated with DRV outcomes and most had a defined reference group. Other evidence of quality was mixed. DRV norms measures sometimes specified heterosexual relationships but rarely separated norms governing DRV perpetrated by girls and boys. None specified sexual-minority relationships. Gender norms measures tended to focus on violence, but missed broader gendered expectations underpinning DRV. Future research should develop valid, reliable DRV norms and gender norms measures, and assess whether interventions’ impact on norms mediates impact on DRV.
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Melendez-Torres GJ, Dowdell EB, Kelley SJ, Lewis-O'Connor A (2023). Strategies for Identification of Intimate Partner Violence in Healthcare Settings: Overview of Reviews and Realist Synthesis.
JOURNAL OF FAMILY VIOLENCE,
38(7), 1457-1468.
Author URL.
Melendez-Torres GJ, Ponsford R, Meiksin R, Tilouche N, Sundaram N, Sturgess J, Allen E, Lohan M, Young H, Hadley A, et al (2023). Student-reported relationships and sex education coverage and knowledge among a diverse population of early adolescents: a cross-sectional survey of students in England.
SEX EDUCATION-SEXUALITY SOCIETY AND LEARNING Author URL.
Laas Sigurðardóttir LB, Melendez-Torres GJ, Backhaus S, Gardner F, Scott S, Leijten P, Bodenmann G, Canårio AC, de Jong S, Kjøbli J, et al (2023). Study Preregistration: Individual Participant Data Meta-Analysis: Individual Differences in Mediators of Parenting Program Effects on Disruptive Behavior. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
Kiff F, Shaw N, Orr N, Rizzo AJ, Chollet A, Young H, Rigby E, Hagell A, Berry V, Bonell C, et al (2023). Systematic Review of the Economics of School-Based Interventions for Dating Violence and Gender-Based Violence.
Health Educ Behav,
50(3), 339-346.
Abstract:
Systematic Review of the Economics of School-Based Interventions for Dating Violence and Gender-Based Violence.
Dating and relationship violence (DRV) and gender-based violence (GBV) among children and young people incur a high cost to individuals and society. School-based interventions present an opportunity to prevent DRV and GBV early in individuals' lives. However, with school resources under pressure, policymakers require guidance on the economics of implementing interventions. As part of a large systematic review funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), we searched for economic evaluations and costing studies of school-based interventions for DRV and GBV. No formal economic evaluations were identified. Seven studies reporting costs, cost savings, or resource use for eight interventions were identified. The largest costs of implementing interventions were related to staff training and salaries but savings could be made by implementing interventions on a large scale. The potential cost savings of avoided DRV and GBV far outweighed the costs of implementation.
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Baumbusch J, Blakey EP, Kagan SH, Melendez-Torres GJ, Montayre J, Munsterman E, Omisore T (2023). Taking the bad news with the good: the climate crisis and care for older people.
Int J Older People Nurs,
18(3).
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Bonell C, Ponsford R, Meiksin R, Melendez-Torres GJ (2023). Testing and refining middle-range theory in evaluations of public-health interventions: evidence from recent systematic reviews and trials.
J Epidemiol Community Health,
77(3), 147-151.
Abstract:
Testing and refining middle-range theory in evaluations of public-health interventions: evidence from recent systematic reviews and trials.
Evaluations of public-health interventions might potentially be used to test and refine middle-range theory (ie, theory about the mechanisms, which generate outcomes that is analytically generalisable enough to span a range of contexts, interventions or outcomes, but specific enough to be salient in a given application). This approach has been suggested as one means of developing more informed assessments of how different interventions work and whether mechanisms might transfer across contexts. However, we have noticed that studies included in some of our recent systematic reviews are not oriented towards helping test middle-range theory because interventions draw on multiple middle-range theories (so that it is difficult to draw any conclusions about each middle-range theory based on their results) and these middle-range theories are insufficiently clear (with vague constructs) or parsimonious (with too many constructs) to be readily testable. Some studies might in future better contribute to testing and refining middle-range theory via focusing on interventions informed by one middle-range theory and focused on one mechanism at a time. Such 'proof-of-principle' studies should draw on middle-range theory that is sufficiently clear and parsimonious to allow such testing. These evaluations might facilitate more rigorous testing of middle-range theory and hence refinement of scientific knowledge. They might inform broader assessments of how mechanisms transfer across contexts aiding the development of future public-health interventions. Such studies would be a complement not an alternative to pragmatic studies of scalable complex interventions, often informed by more than one middle-range theory.
Abstract.
Author URL.
Steele B, Martin M, Sciarra A, Melendez-Torres GJ, Degli Esposti M, Humphreys DK (2023). The Prevalence of Sexual Assault Among Higher Education Students: a Systematic Review with Meta-Analyses.
Trauma Violence AbuseAbstract:
The Prevalence of Sexual Assault Among Higher Education Students: a Systematic Review with Meta-Analyses.
Sexual assault among higher education students has detrimental impacts on the health and educational outcomes of survivors. This systematic review aims to describe and synthesize the available quantitative evidence on sexual assault prevalence among this population. We searched Medline, EMBASE, Global Health, PsycINFO, Web of Science, ERIC, and CINAHL for studies published in English, French, Italian, and Spanish from database inception to August 2020 (updated May 2022). We screened studies using prespecified inclusion criteria for the population and context (registered higher education students), condition (self-reported sexual assault), and study design (quantitative survey). The Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist was used to assess study quality. Prevalence estimates disaggregated by type of sexual assault, gender identity, and world region were meta-analyzed using a random-effects model and reported following PRISMA guidance. We identified 131 articles, from 21 different countries. The meta-analyzed prevalence of sexual assault was 17.5% for women, 7.8% for men, and 18.1% for transgender and gender diverse people. Four types of sexual assault were identified: rape, attempted rape, forced sexual touching, and coercive sex. Forced sexual touching was the most common act experienced. The African Region had the highest prevalence estimates for women's sexual assault, and the Western Pacific region had the highest prevalence estimates for men's sexual assault. Higher education institutions, especially those outside of the United States, should commit to the implementation of surveys to monitor sexual assault prevalence and dedicate increased resources to supporting student survivors of sexual assault.
Abstract.
Author URL.
Bonell C, Melendez-Torres GJ (2023). Using Habermas’ theory of communicative action to transform sociological analyses of evidence-based policy. Critical Public Health, 33(4), 495-502.
Skeen S, Marlow M, du Toit S, Melendez-Torres GJ, Mudekunye L, Mapalala E, Ngoma K, Ntanda BM, Maketha M, Grieve C, et al (2023). Using WhatsApp support groups to promote responsive caregiving, caregiver mental health and child development in the COVID-19 era: a randomised controlled trial of a fully digital parenting intervention.
Digit Health,
9Abstract:
Using WhatsApp support groups to promote responsive caregiving, caregiver mental health and child development in the COVID-19 era: a randomised controlled trial of a fully digital parenting intervention.
OBJECTIVE: Digital interventions hold important potential for supporting parents when face-to-face interventions are unavailable. We assessed the feasibility and effectiveness of a digital parenting intervention in Zambia and Tanzania. METHODS: Using a randomised controlled trial, we evaluated the Sharing Stories digital parenting intervention for caregivers of children aged 9-32 months with access to a smartphone in their household. Caregivers were stratified based on child age and randomly assigned to the intervention or waitlist control arm. The intervention was delivered via facilitated WhatsApp groups over 6 weeks to promote caregiver wellbeing and responsive caregiving through shared reading activities. Primary outcomes were caregiver-reported responsive caregiving, child language and socio-emotional development. Secondary outcomes were caregiver mental health and parental stress. Masked assessors conducted assessments at baseline and immediate follow-up. RESULTS: Between October 2020 and March 2021, we randomly assigned 494 caregiver-child dyads to the intervention (n = 248) or waitlist control (n = 246) arm. Caregivers in the intervention group reported more responsive caregiving (OR = 2.55, 95% CI: 1.15-5.66, p = 0.02), time reading or looking at books (β = 0.45, p = 0.04) and telling stories (β = 0.72, p = 0.002). Intervention caregivers reported significantly lower symptoms of depression (β = -0.64, p = 0.05) and anxiety (β = -0.65, p = 0.02). Child development and parental stress did not differ significantly between groups. CONCLUSIONS: Digital parenting interventions using WhatsApp can effectively promote responsive caregiving and caregiver mental health in low-resource settings, with great potential for scalability. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN database, ISRCTN77689525.
Abstract.
Author URL.
Whear R, Campbell F, Rogers M, Sutton A, Robinson-Carter E, Sharpe R, Cohen S, Fergy R, Garside R, Kneale D, et al (2023). What is the effect of intergenerational activities on the wellbeing and mental health of older people?: a systematic review.
Campbell Syst Rev,
19(4).
Abstract:
What is the effect of intergenerational activities on the wellbeing and mental health of older people?: a systematic review.
BACKGROUND: Opportunities for social connection between generations have diminished over the last few decades around the world as a result of changes in the way that we live and work. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated loneliness for many with young and old being kept apart for safety. The Public Health England prevention concordat for better mental health (Office for Health Improvement and Disparities) aims to bring a prevention-focused approach to improving public mental health. The concordat promotes evidence-based planning and commissioning to increase the impact on reducing health inequalities using sustainable and cost-effective interventions that impact on the wider determinants of mental health and wellbeing for children and young people and older people. Intergenerational activities could provide an opportunity to support both populations. In 2023, we produced an evidence and gap map to illustrate the amount and variety of research on intergenerational interventions and the gaps in research that still exist in this area. The review conducted here is based on the evidence in that map. OBJECTIVES: This systematic review examines the impact of intergenerational interventions on the wellbeing and mental health of older people and identifies areas for future research as well as key messages for service commissioners. SEARCH METHODS: We searched an evidence and gap map published in 2022 (comprehensive searches conducted July 2021 and updated June 2023) to identify randomised controlled trials of intergenerational interventions that report mental health and wellbeing outcomes for older people. SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomised controlled trials of intergenerational interventions that involved unrelated younger and older people with at least one skipped generation between them and reported mental health or wellbeing outcomes for older people were included in this review. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: We used standard methodological procedures expected by the Campbell Collaboration. We conducted data extraction and Cochrane risk of bias assessments in EPPI reviewer. Where data allowed meta-analyses were conducted in STATA. MAIN RESULTS: This review includes 14 trials from six different countries. The trials had some important methodological weaknesses. Interventions were mainly delivered in-person and often in groups. They included visiting programmes, school volunteering programmes, music-based interventions and task-oriented interventions such as activities set in a multigenerational park, reminiscing activities, aggression management programmes, learning a language, making local environmental changes and in-school project work. Intergenerational interventions showed a small positive trend towards improving self-esteem (effect size [ES]: 0.33, 95% confidence interval [CI]: -0.35, 1.01) and depression (ES: 0.19, 95% CI: -0.23, 0.60) for older people participating. However, due to the small study sizes and low number of studies available, we cannot be confident about any effects. The results for other mental health and wellbeing outcomes are reported but due to little overlap in similar assessments across the studies, we could not combine them to assess the strength of evidence. There were no data about social isolation, spiritual health or sense of community. There are no long-term studies and no data on equity. We still know very little about what works and how or why. Whilst some interventions do use theories and logic to inform their development others do not. More exploration of this is needed. AUTHORS’ CONCLUSIONS: Commissioners and intervention developers should ensure interventions provide sufficient theoretical evidence for the logic behind the proposed intervention and should improve their consideration of equity within the interventions Research on intergenerational interventions need more consistent and agreed measures for reporting outcomes including community outcomes (core outcome sets). More understanding is needed on how best to measure 'community' outcomes. Research on intergenerational interventions should measure outcomes for BOTH the older and younger population engaged in the intervention-these may or may not be the same outcomes reflected in both populations. Further research is needed on the long-term impact of interventions on outcomes (whether participants need to keep being involved in an 'intervention' to continue to benefit) and sustainability of interventions beyond the initial funding of the research project. Supporting this our stakeholders highlighted that interventions that are initiated for research and then end (usually within a year) are not helpful.
Abstract.
Author URL.
Melendez-Torres GJ, Ponsford R, Falconer J, Bonell C (2023). Whole-school interventions promoting student commitment to school to prevent substance use and violence: a systematic review. Public Health, 221, 190-197.
Hannon E, Anselimus SM, Bardikoff N, Bulc B, Germann S, Gonsalves PP, Melendez-Torres GJ, Ospina-Pinillos L, Sinha M, Wanjiru M, et al (2023). Why cities matter for adolescent mental health and wellbeing.
Lancet Author URL.
Platt E, Hepworth E, Rayment M, Melendez-Torres GJ, Duff F, Cohen C (2022). Acceptability of routine domestic abuse enquiry within sexual health services.
Int J STD AIDS,
33(6), 608-612.
Abstract:
Acceptability of routine domestic abuse enquiry within sexual health services.
BACKGROUND: Our sexual health services (SHS) introduced routine domestic abuse (DA) enquiry in April 2018 following targeted staff training. A survey was undertaken to ascertain attitudes towards the initiative. METHODS: Between October 2019 and March 2020, patients were invited to respond to an anonymous questionnaire by SMS. Clinical staff were emailed a separate survey. RESULTS: the patient response rate was 40% (226/562): 72% (161/226) female, 80% (179/226) heterosexual, 19% (42) LGBT, 47% (106) aged 25-34 and 25% (57) aged 18-24. Almost all (97%, 220) recalled routine enquiry at their clinic appointment; 91% (206) felt comfortable when asked, and 95% (214) found this acceptable. Fifty-one staff responded (36% response rate), 67% (34) female, 55% (28) heterosexual, 35% (18) LGBT. 43% (22) were nurses, 31% (16) doctors, 12% (6) health advisers and 8% (4) healthcare assistants. The majority of staff 96% (49) were confident with conducting routine enquiry, 92% (47) agreed patients found it acceptable; 92% (47) felt routine enquiry was appropriate and 92% (47) had received targeted training. CONCLUSION: Respondents were overwhelmingly in favour of routine DA enquiry within SHS, and this initiative could be easily adapted in other specialties alongside staff training.
Abstract.
Author URL.
Bourne A, Melendez-Torres GJ, Thanh Ly A, Kidd P, Cogle A, Brown G, Lyons A, Carman M, Rulee J, Power J, et al (2022). Anxiety about HIV criminalisation among people living with HIV in Australia.
AIDS Care,
34(7), 942-948.
Abstract:
Anxiety about HIV criminalisation among people living with HIV in Australia.
Many countries, including Australia, have laws that enable criminal prosecution of an individual based on reckless or intentional transmission of HIV to another person. Previous research has suggested that criminalisation of HIV may serve to hamper public health efforts by inhibiting HIV status disclosure or testing. Limited research to date has sought to examine the broader impact of criminalisation on the health and wellbeing of people living with HIV, which this paper aims to address. Drawing on cross-sectional data from 895 people living with HIV in Australia, this paper describes associations between standard measures of mental health and resilience with a newly devised scale measuring anxiety about HIV criminalisation. Findings suggest that laws criminalising HIV transmission have a broadly negative impact on wellbeing of people living with HIV, a situation that is exacerbated for gay and bisexual men, and other people living with HIV who may face intersecting forms of marginalisation based on race, gender or class. There is little justification for these laws being applied in Australia and the findings add weight to advocacy seeking to overturn criminalisation across the world.
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Author URL.
Warren EA, Melendez-Torres GJ, Bonell C (2022). Are realist randomised controlled trials possible? a reflection on the INCLUSIVE evaluation of a whole-school, bullying-prevention intervention.
Trials,
23(1).
Abstract:
Are realist randomised controlled trials possible? a reflection on the INCLUSIVE evaluation of a whole-school, bullying-prevention intervention.
We previously proposed that realist randomised controlled trials could be used to evaluate how, for whom and under what conditions complex interventions can be used to activate mechanisms to improve health. While this idea was accepted by some, it was also met with resistance, particularly from some realist evaluators who believe that trials are inextricably positivist and dependent on constant conjunctions to understand causation, and that realist trials are unfeasible because participants and contexts will be insufficiently diverse to enable the testing of context-mechanism-outcome configurations. In this paper, we reflect on analyses of qualitative and quantitative data from the Initiating Change Locally in Bullying and Aggression through the School Environment (INCLSUIVE) trial, and whether these are useful and aligned with realism. We summarise the concerns expressed by realists and reflect on the philosophical and practical challenges that we encountered and whether or not they are related to the trial's design. Finally, we reflect on the trial's weaknesses and highlight areas that future researchers might consider when running realist trials. We conclude that realist randomised controlled trials are philosophically coherent, practically feasible, and can produce nuanced findings.
Abstract.
Author URL.
Ranu J, Kalebic N, Melendez-Torres GJ, Taylor PJ (2022). Association Between Adverse Childhood Experiences and a Combination of Psychosis and Violence Among Adults: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Trauma, Violence, & Abuse,
24(5), 2997-3013.
Abstract:
Association Between Adverse Childhood Experiences and a Combination of Psychosis and Violence Among Adults: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Relationships have been well established between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and later psychosis (29 systematic reviews) or violence (4 systematic reviews). To date, just one review has explored childhood maltreatment, specifically, and violence risk with psychosis. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analyses of a wider range of ACEs and later psychosis with actual violence compared with psychosis alone, violence alone or neither, completing searches in January 2021. In all, 15 studies met inclusion criteria, but only six included all four groups of interest. Two substantial studies recorded ACEs from sources independent of those affected and probably before emergent psychosis or violence; others relied on retrospective recall. Meta-analyses were possible only for within-psychosis-group comparisons; histories of physical abuse, sexual abuse, and having a criminal/violent parent or living with family alcohol/drug use were each associated with around twice the odds of psychosis with violence as psychosis alone. Although ACE measures in the four-way comparisons were too divergent for firm conclusions, abuse histories, and parental criminality emerged as likely antecedents, one study evidencing psychosis as mediating between ACEs and violence. Without longitudinal prospective study, pathways between ACEs and later problems remain unclear. Our findings add weight to the case for exploring ACEs in addition to abuse as possible indicators of later violence among people with psychosis and for trauma-informed interventions, which is important because some people are reluctant to disclose abuse histories.
Abstract.
Mistry H, Enderby J, Court R, Al-Khudairy L, Nduka C, Melendez-Torres GJ, Taylor-Phillips S, Clarke A, Uthman OA (2022). Determining optimal strategies for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease: systematic review of cost-effectiveness analyses in the United Kingdom.
Health Technology Assessment, 1-50.
Abstract:
Determining optimal strategies for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease: systematic review of cost-effectiveness analyses in the United Kingdom
. Background
. Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The aim of the study was to guide researchers and commissioners of cardiovascular disease preventative services towards possible cost-effective interventions by reviewing published economic analyses of interventions for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease, conducted for or within the UK NHS.
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. Methods
. In January 2021, electronic searches of MEDLINE and Embase were carried out to find economic evaluations of cardiovascular disease preventative services. We included fully published economic evaluations (including economic models) conducted alongside randomised controlled trials of any form of intervention that was aimed at the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease, including, but not limited to, drugs, diet, physical activity and public health. Full systematic review methods were used with predetermined inclusion/exclusion criteria, data extraction and formal quality appraisal [using the Consolidated Health Economic Evaluation Reporting Standards checklist and the framework for the quality assessment of decision analytic modelling by Philips et al. (Philips Z, Ginnelly L, Sculpher M, Claxton K, Golder S, Riemsma R, et al. Review of guidelines for good practice in decision-analytic modelling in health technology assessment. Health Technol Assess 2004;8(36)].
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. Results
. of 4351 non-duplicate citations, eight articles met the review’s inclusion criteria. The eight articles focused on health promotion (n = 3), lipid-lowering medicine (n = 4) and blood pressure-lowering medication (n = 1). The majority of the populations in each study had at least one risk factor for cardiovascular disease or were at high risk of cardiovascular disease. For the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease, all strategies were cost-effective at a threshold of £25,000 per quality-adjusted life-year, except increasing motivational interviewing in addition to other behaviour change strategies. Where the cost per quality-adjusted life-year gained was reported, interventions varied from dominant (i.e. less expensive and more effective than the comparator intervention) to £55,000 per quality-adjusted life-year gained.
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. Future work and limitations
. We found few health economic analyses of interventions for primary cardiovascular disease prevention conducted within the last decade. Future economic assessments should be undertaken and presented in accordance with best practices so that future reviews may make clear recommendations to improve health policy.
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. Conclusions
. It is difficult to establish direct comparisons or draw firm conclusions because of the uncertainty and heterogeneity among studies. However, interventions conducted for or within the UK NHS were likely to be cost-effective in people at increased risk of cardiovascular disease when compared with usual care or no intervention.
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. Funding
. This project was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment programme and will be published in Health Technology Assessment. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.
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Abstract.
Villarreal-Zegarra D, Alarcon-Ruiz CA, Melendez-Torres GJ, Torres-Puente R, Navarro-Flores A, Cavero V, Ambrosio-Melgarejo J, Rojas-Vargas J, Almeida G, Albitres-Flores L, et al (2022). Development of a Framework for the Implementation of Synchronous Digital Mental Health: Realist Synthesis of Systematic Reviews.
JMIR Mental Health,
9(3), e34760-e34760.
Abstract:
Development of a Framework for the Implementation of Synchronous Digital Mental Health: Realist Synthesis of Systematic Reviews
. Background
. The use of technologies has served to reduce gaps in access to treatment, and digital health interventions show promise in the care of mental health problems. However, to understand what and how these interventions work, it is imperative to document the aspects related to their challenging implementation.
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. Objective
. The aim of this study was to determine what evidence is available for synchronous digital mental health implementation and to develop a framework, informed by a realist review, to explain what makes digital mental health interventions work for people with mental health problems.
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. Methods
. The SPIDER (Sample, Phenomenon of Interest, Design, Evaluation, and Research type) framework was used to develop the following review question: What makes digital mental health interventions with a synchronous component work on people with mental health problems, including depression, anxiety, or stress, based on implementation, economic, quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods studies? the MEDLINE, EBM Reviews, PsycINFO, EMBASE, SCOPUS, CINAHL Complete, and Web of Science databases were searched from January 1, 2015, to September 2020 with no language restriction. A Measurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews-2 (AMSTAR-2) was used to assess the risk of bias and Confidence in Evidence from Reviews of Qualitative Research (CERQual) was used to assess the confidence in cumulative evidence. Realist synthesis analysis allowed for developing a framework on the implementation of synchronous digital mental health using a grounded-theory approach with an emergent approach.
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. Results
. A total of 21 systematic reviews were included in the study. Among these, 90% (n=19) presented a critically low confidence level as assessed with AMSTAR-2. The realist synthesis allowed for the development of three hypotheses to identify the context and mechanisms in which these interventions achieve these outcomes: (1) these interventions reach populations otherwise unable to have access because they do not require the physical presence of the therapist nor the patient, thereby tackling geographic barriers posed by in-person therapy; (2) these interventions reach populations otherwise unable to have access because they can be successfully delivered by nonspecialists, which makes them more cost-effective to implement in health services; and (3) these interventions are acceptable and show good results in satisfaction because they require less need of disclosure and provide more privacy, comfortability, and participation, enabling the establishment of rapport with the therapist.
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. Conclusions
. We developed a framework with three hypotheses that explain what makes digital mental health interventions with a synchronous component work on people with mental health problems. Each hypothesis represents essential outcomes in the implementation process.
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. Trial Registration
. PROSPERO International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews CRD42020203811; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42020203811
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.
. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)
. RR2-10.12688/f1000research.27150.2
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Abstract.
Berry V, Melendez-Torres GJ, Axford N, Axberg U, de Castro BO, Gardner F, Gaspar MF, HandegĂĽrd BH, Hutchings J, Menting A, et al (2022). Does Social and Economic Disadvantage Predict Lower Engagement with Parenting Interventions? an Integrative Analysis Using Individual Participant Data.
Prevention ScienceAbstract:
Does Social and Economic Disadvantage Predict Lower Engagement with Parenting Interventions? an Integrative Analysis Using Individual Participant Data
Abstract
There is a social gradient to the determinants of health; low socioeconomic status (SES) has been linked to reduced educational attainment and employment prospects, which in turn affect physical and mental wellbeing. One goal of preventive interventions, such as parenting programs, is to reduce these health inequalities by supporting families with difficulties that are often patterned by SES. Despite these intentions, a recent individual participant data (IPD) meta-analysis of the Incredible Years (IY) parenting program found no evidence for differential benefit by socioeconomic disadvantage (Gardner et al. in Public Health Resesearch 5, 1–144, 2017). However, it did not examine whether this was influenced by engagement in the intervention. Using intervention arm data from this pooled dataset (13 trials; N = 1078), we examined whether there was an SES gradient to intervention attendance (an indicator of engagement). We ran mixed-effects Poisson regression models to estimate incidence rate ratios (IRRs) for program attendance for each of five (binary) markers of SES: low income; unemployment; low education status; teen parent; and lone parent status. The multilevel structure of the data allowed for comparison of within-trial and between-trial effects, including tests for contextual effects. We found evidence that low SES was associated with reduced attendance at parenting programs—an 8–19% reduction depending on the SES marker. However, there was no evidence that this association is impacted by differences in SES composition between trials or by the attendance levels of higher-SES families. The findings underscore the importance of developing and prioritizing strategies that enable engagement in parenting interventions and encourage program attendance by low-SES families.
Abstract.
Meiksin R, Melendez-Torres GJ, Miners A, Falconer J, Witzel TC, Weatherburn P, Bonell C (2022). E-health interventions targeting STIs, sexual risk, substance use and mental health among men who have sex with men: four systematic reviews.
Public Health Research,
10(4), 1-322.
Abstract:
E-health interventions targeting STIs, sexual risk, substance use and mental health among men who have sex with men: four systematic reviews
BackgroundHuman immunodeficiency virus/sexually transmitted infections, sexual risk, substance (alcohol and other legal and illegal drugs) use and mental ill health constitute a ‘syndemic’ of mutually reinforcing epidemics among men who have sex with men. Electronic health (e-health) interventions addressing these epidemics among men who have sex with men might have multiplicative effects. To our knowledge, no systematic review has examined the effectiveness of such interventions on these epidemics among men who have sex with men.ObjectiveThe objective was to synthesise evidence addressing the following: (1) What approaches and theories of change do existing e-health interventions employ to prevent human immunodeficiency virus/sexually transmitted infections, sexual risk, alcohol/drug use or mental ill health among men who have sex with men? (2) What factors influence implementation? (3) What are the effects of such interventions on the aforementioned epidemics? (4) Are such interventions cost-effective?Data sourcesA total of 24 information sources were searched initially (October–November 2018) [the following sources were searched: ProQuest Applied Social Sciences Index and Abstracts; Campbell Library; EBSCO Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature Plus, Wiley Online Library the Cochrane Library; Centre for Reviews and Dissemination databases (the Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects and the NHS Economic Evaluation Database); the Health Technology Assessment database; Evidence for Policy and Practice Information and Co-ordinating Centre (EPPI-Centre) database of health promotion research (Bibliomap); ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global; OvidSP EconLit; OvidSP EMBASE; OvidSP Global Health; OvidSP Health Management Information Consortium; ProQuest International Bibliography of the Social Sciences; Ovid MEDLINE ALL; OvidSP PsycINFO; Web of Science Science Citation Index Expanded; Elsevier Scopus; OvidSP Social Policy & Practice; Web of Science Social Sciences Citation Index Expanded; ProQuest Sociological Abstracts; ClinicalTrials.gov; World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform; EPPI-Centre Trials Register of Promoting Health Interventions; and the OpenGrey database], and an updated search of 19 of these was conducted in April 2020. Reference lists of included reports were searched and experts were contacted.Review methodsEligible reports presented theories of change and/or process, outcome and/or economic evaluations of e-health interventions offering ongoing support to men who have sex with men to prevent human immunodeficiency virus/sexually transmitted infections, sexual risk behaviour, alcohol/drug use and/or common mental illnesses. References were screened by title/abstract, then by full text. Data extraction and quality assessments used existing tools. Theory and process reports were synthesised using qualitative methods. Outcome and economic data were synthesised narratively; outcome data were meta-analysed.ResultsOriginal searches retrieved 27 eligible reports. Updated searches retrieved 10 eligible reports. Thirty-seven reports on 28 studies of 23 interventions were included: 33 on theories of change, 12 on process evaluations, 16 on outcome evaluations and one on an economic evaluation. Research question 1: five intervention types were identified – ‘online modular’, ‘computer games’ and ‘non-interactive’ time-limited/modular interventions, and open-ended interventions with ‘content organised by assessment’ and ‘general content’. Three broad types of intervention theories of change were identified, focusing on ‘cognitive/skills’, ‘self-monitoring’ and ‘cognitive therapy’. Research question 2: individual tailoring based on participant characteristics was particularly acceptable, and participants valued intervention content reflecting their experiences. Research question 3: little evidence was available of effects on human immunodeficiency virus or sexually transmitted infections. The analysis did not suggest that interventions were effective in reducing instances of human immunodeficiency virus or sexually transmitted infections. The overall meta-analysis for sexually transmitted infections reported a small non-significant increase in sexually transmitted infections in the intervention group, compared with the control group. Meta-analyses found a significant impact on sexual risk behaviour. The findings for drug use could not be meta-analysed because of study heterogeneity. Studies addressing this outcome did not present consistent evidence of effectiveness. Trials did not report effects on alcohol use or mental health. Research question 4: evidence on cost-effectiveness was limited.LimitationsThe quality of the eligible reports was variable and the economic synthesis was limited to one eligible study.ConclusionsThere is commonality in intervention theories of change and factors affecting receipt of e-health interventions. Evidence on effectiveness is limited.Future workFuture trials should assess the impact of interventions on multiple syndemic factors, among them sexual risk, substance use and mental health; incorporate sufficient follow-up and sample sizes to detect the impact on human immunodeficiency virus/sexually transmitted infections; and incorporate rigorous process and economic evaluations.Study registrationThis study is registered as PROSPERO CRD42018110317.FundingThis project was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Public Health Research programme and will be published in full inPublic Health Research; Vol. 10, No. 4. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.
Abstract.
Melendez-Torres GJ, Allen E, Viner R, Bonell C (2022). Effects of a Whole-School Health Intervention on Clustered Adolescent Health Risks: Latent Transition Analysis of Data from the INCLUSIVE Trial.
Prev Sci,
23(1), 1-9.
Abstract:
Effects of a Whole-School Health Intervention on Clustered Adolescent Health Risks: Latent Transition Analysis of Data from the INCLUSIVE Trial.
Whole-school interventions are a promising approach to preventing bullying and aggression while promoting broader health. The main analyses from a trial of the INCLUSIVE whole-school intervention reported reductions in bullying victimisation but not aggression and improved mental well-being. Latent transition analysis can examine how interventions 'move' people between classes defined by multiple outcomes over time. We examined at baseline what classes best defined individuals' bullying, aggression and mental well-being and what effects did the intervention have on movement between classes over time? INCLUSIVE was a two-arm cluster-randomised trial with 20 high schools per arm, with 24-month and 36-month follow-ups. We estimated sequential latent class solutions on baseline data. We then estimated a latent transition model including baseline, 24-month and 36-month follow-up measurements. Our sample comprised 8179 students (4082 control, 4097 intervention arms). At baseline, classes were (1) bullying victims, (2) aggression perpetrators, (3) extreme perpetrators and (4) neither victims nor perpetrators. Control students who were extreme perpetrators were equally likely to stay in this class (27.0% probability) or move to aggression perpetrators (25.0% probability) at 24 months. In the intervention group, fewer extreme perpetrators students remained (5.4%), with more moving to aggression perpetrators (65.1%). More control than intervention extreme perpetrators moved to neither victims nor perpetrators (35.2% vs 17.8%). Between 24 and 36 months, more intervention students moved from aggression perpetrators to neither victims nor perpetrators than controls (30.1% vs 22.3%). Our findings suggest that the intervention had important effects in transitioning students to lower-risk classes.
Abstract.
Author URL.
Bragg S, Ponsford R, Meiksin R, Lohan M, Melendez-Torres GJ, Hadley A, Young H, Barter CA, Taylor B, Bonell C, et al (2022). Enacting whole-school relationships and sexuality education in England: Context matters.
BRITISH EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH JOURNAL,
48(4), 665-683.
Author URL.
Copez-Lonzoy A, Vilela-Estrada AL, MelĂŠndez-Torres GJ (2022). Ethical implications in the evaluation of complex contexts related to COVID-19.
Interacciones, e314-e314.
Abstract:
Ethical implications in the evaluation of complex contexts related to COVID-19
Background: The pandemic caused by Sars-cov-2 has generated multiple sustained efforts for its identification, characteristics and mobility of the disease that to date has repercussions worldwide. Given this need, it is necessary to have updated information considering transparent research processes. Method: a critical review of the current literature on COVID-19 research. Conclusions: It is essential to have ethical procedures in the different phases of research that can go beyond personal interests and that guarantee the preservation of people's welfare in the reduction of possible damage to health globally, adequate procedures in the collection of information that is not built to the measure of the researchers, to avoid involuntary segregation of the participants and that this leads to a reduction of significant damage due to implicit biases that are generated by poor planning that pursues the scoop instead of social good.
Abstract.
Briscoe S, Abbott R, MelendezâTorres GJ (2022). Expert searchers identified time, team, technology and tension as challenges when carrying out supplementary searches for systematic reviews: a thematic network analysis.
Health Information & Libraries JournalAbstract:
Expert searchers identified time, team, technology and tension as challenges when carrying out supplementary searches for systematic reviews: a thematic network analysis
AbstractBackgroundSystematic reviews require detailed planning of complex processes which can present logistical challenges. Understanding these logistical challenges can help with planning and execution of tasksObjectivesTo describe the perspectives of expert searchers on the main logistical challenges when carrying out supplementary searches for systematic reviews, in particular, forward citation searching and web searching.MethodsQualitative interviews were undertaken with 15 experts on searching for studies for systematic reviews (e.g. information specialists) working in health and social care research settings. Interviews were undertaken by videoâcall between September 2020 and June 2021. Data analysis used thematic network analysis.ResultsWe identified three logistical challenges of using forward citation searching and web searching which were organised under the global theme of ‘tension’: time, team and technology. Several subthemes were identified which supported the organising themes, including allocating time, justifying time and keeping to time; reviewer expectations and contact with review teams; and access to resources and reference management.ConclusionForward citation searching and web searching are logistically challenging search methods for a systematic review. An understanding of these challenges should encourage expert searchers and review teams to maintain open channels of communication, which should also facilitate improved working relationships.
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Littlecott HJ, Moore GF, McCann M, Melendez-Torres GJ, Mercken L, Reed H, Mann M, Dobbie F, Hawkins J (2022). Exploring the association between school-based peer networks and smoking according to socioeconomic status and tobacco control context: a systematic review.
BMC Public Health,
22(1).
Abstract:
Exploring the association between school-based peer networks and smoking according to socioeconomic status and tobacco control context: a systematic review.
BACKGROUND: Whilst prevalence of youth smoking in middle and high income countries has decreased, inequality has prevailed. The introduction of legislation regulating tobacco use in public spaces varies across countries, impacting the tobacco control context. Thus reviewing our knowledge of how social networks may influence smoking differently within different contexts is required to facilitate the development of context-specific interventions. METHODS: the search, conducted on 31st May 2019, included the following smoking-related terms; schools, adolescents, peers and social networks. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied throughout the title and abstract screening and full text screening. Quality assessment and synthesis followed. Studies were narratively synthesised to identify changes according to legislative context. This synthesis was conducted separately for findings relating to three categories: socioeconomic status; social selection and influence; and network position. RESULTS: Thirty studies were included. Differences in the relationship between network characteristics and smoking according to socioeconomic status were measured in five out of fifteen studies in Europe. Results varied across studies, with differences in network characteristics and their association with smoking varying both between schools of a differing and those of a similar socioeconomic composition. For studies conducted both before and after the introduction of comprehensive smoking legislation, the evidence for selection processes was more consistent than influence, which varied according to reciprocity. Findings showed that isolates were more likely to smoke and in-degree and out-degree centrality were related to smoking both before and after the introduction of legislation. The relationship between popularity and smoking was contingent on school level smoking prevalence in studies conducted before the introduction of legislation, but not after. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, effects according to socioeconomic status were underreported in the included studies and no consistent evidence of change after the introduction of a comprehensive smoking ban was observed. Further network analyses are required using more recent data to obtain a comprehensive understanding of how network processes may influence smoking differently according to socioeconomic status, and how adaptation could be used to enhance intervention effectiveness. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) registration number: CRD42019137358.
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Tomlinson M, Skeen S, Melendez-Torres GJ, Hunt X, Desmond C, Morgan B, Murray L, Cooper PJ, Rathod SD, Marlow M, et al (2022). First 1,000 days: enough for mothers but not for children? Long-term outcomes of an early intervention on maternal depressed mood and child cognitive development: follow-up of a randomised controlled trial.
J Child Psychol Psychiatry,
63(3), 261-272.
Abstract:
First 1,000 days: enough for mothers but not for children? Long-term outcomes of an early intervention on maternal depressed mood and child cognitive development: follow-up of a randomised controlled trial.
BACKGROUND: Child cognitive development is often compromised in contexts of poverty and adversity, and these deficits tend to endure and affect the child across the life course. In the conditions of poverty and violence that characterise many low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), the capacity of parents to provide the kind of care that promotes good child development may be severely compromised, especially where caregivers suffer from depression. One avenue of early intervention focuses on the quality of the early mother-infant relationship. The aim of this study was to examine the long-term impact of an early intervention to improve the mother-infant relationship quality on child cognitive outcomes at 13 years of age. We also estimated the current costs to replicate the intervention. METHOD: We re-recruited 333 children from an early childhood maternal-infant attachment intervention, 'Thula Sana', when the children were 13 years old, to assess whether there were impacts of the intervention on child cognitive outcomes, and maternal mood. We used the Kaufman Assessment Battery to assess the child cognitive development and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and the Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-20) to assess maternal mental health. RESULTS: Effect estimates indicated a pattern of null findings for the impact of the intervention on child cognitive development. However, the intervention had an effect on caregiver psychological distress (PHQ-9, ES = -0.17 [CI: -1.95, 0.05] and SRQ-20, ES = -0.30 [CI: -2.41, -0.19]), but not anxiety. The annual cost per mother-child pair to replicate the Thula Sana intervention in 2019 was estimated at ZAR13,365 ($780). CONCLUSION: in a socio-economically deprived peri-urban settlement in South Africa, a home visiting intervention, delivered by community workers to mothers in pregnancy and the first six postpartum months, had no overall effect on child cognitive development at 13 years of age. However, those caregivers who were part of the original intervention showed lasting improvements in depressed mood. Despite the fact that there was no intervention effect on long-term child outcomes, the improvements in maternal mood are important.
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Melendez-Torres GJ, Kagan SH, Baumbusch J (2022). From strength to impact: Announcing the International Journal of Older People Nursing 2021 awards. International Journal of Older People Nursing, 17(6).
Power J, Lea T, Melendez-Torres GJ, Lyons A, Norman T, Hill AO, Bourne A (2022). Health literacy, financial insecurity and health outcomes among people living with HIV in Australia.
HEALTH PROMOTION INTERNATIONAL,
37(6).
Author URL.
Laurenzi CA, Melendez-Torres GJ, Page DT, Vogel LS, Kara T, Sam-Agudu NA, Willis N, Ameyan W, Toska E, Ross DA, et al (2022). How Do Psychosocial Interventions for Adolescents and Young People Living with HIV Improve Adherence and Viral Load? a Realist Review.
J Adolesc Health,
71(3), 254-269.
Abstract:
How Do Psychosocial Interventions for Adolescents and Young People Living with HIV Improve Adherence and Viral Load? a Realist Review.
PURPOSE: Psychosocial interventions have the potential to support adolescents and young people living with HIV (AYPLHIV) to achieve better HIV outcomes. However, more evidence is needed to understand which interventions are most effective, and the mechanisms driving how they work in practice. METHODS: We used realist methodologies to generate statements based on evidence from intervention studies and linked evidence included in a systematic review of psychosocial interventions for AYPLHIV. Key data were extracted from available sources to generate cases, including context-mechanism-outcome pathways. Higher level themes were refined iteratively to create a mid-range theory of how these interventions may work. RESULTS: from 26 resulting cases, 8 statements were crafted, grouped into 3 overarching categories, to describe how these interventions worked. Interventions were overall found to set off mechanisms to improve adherence when (1) responding to individual-level factors to support AYPLHIV (via incorporating agency and empowerment, personalized and/or contextualized approaches, and self-care skills); (2) tailoring delivery strategies to address specific needs (via diverse strategies, longer duration, and digital delivery); and (3) providing supportive resources (via peer and broader support, and structural support and integration into existing services). DISCUSSION: a collection of diverse mechanisms may individually or collectively drive improved outcomes for AYPLHIV engaged in psychosocial interventions. Recommendations for integrating our findings into practice are discussed.
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Whear R, Abbott RA, Bethel A, Richards DA, Garside R, Cockcroft E, Iles-Smith H, Logan PA, Rafferty AM, Shepherd M, et al (2022). Impact of COVID-19 and other infectious conditions requiring isolation on the provision of and adaptations to fundamental nursing care in hospital in terms of overall patient experience, care quality, functional ability, and treatment outcomes: systematic review.
Journal of Advanced Nursing,
78(1), 78-108.
Abstract:
Impact of COVID-19 and other infectious conditions requiring isolation on the provision of and adaptations to fundamental nursing care in hospital in terms of overall patient experience, care quality, functional ability, and treatment outcomes: systematic review
Aim: This systematic review identifies, appraises and synthesizes the evidence on the provision of fundamental nursing care to hospitalized patients with a highly infectious virus and the effectiveness of adaptations to overcome barriers to care. Design: Systematic review. Data Sources: in July 2020, we searched Medline, PsycINFO (OvidSP), CINAHL (EBSCOhost), BNI (ProQuest), WHO COVID-19 Database (https://search.bvsalud.org/) MedRxiv (https://www.medrxiv.org/), bioRxiv (https://www.biorxiv.org/) and also Google Scholar, TRIP database and NICE Evidence, forwards citation searching and reference checking of included papers, from 2016 onwards. Review Methods: We included quantitative and qualitative research reporting (i) the views, perceptions and experiences of patients who have received fundamental nursing care whilst in hospital with COVID-19, MERS, SARS, H1N1 or EVD or (ii) the views, perceptions and experiences of professional nurses and non-professionally registered care workers who have provided that care. We included review articles, commentaries, protocols and guidance documents. One reviewer performed data extraction and quality appraisal and was checked by another person. Results: of 3086 references, we included 64 articles; 19 empirical research and 45 review articles, commentaries, protocols and guidance documents spanning five pandemics. Four main themes (and 11 sub-themes) were identified. Barriers to delivering fundamental care were wearing personal protective equipment, adequate staffing, infection control procedures and emotional challenges of care. These barriers were addressed by multiple adaptations to communication, organization of care, staff support and leadership. Conclusion: to prepare for continuation of the COVID-19 pandemic and future pandemics, evaluative studies of adaptations to fundamental healthcare delivery must be prioritized to enable evidence-based care to be provided in future. Impact: Our review identifies the barriers nurses experience in providing fundamental care during a pandemic, highlights potential adaptations that address barriers and ensure positive healthcare experiences and draws attention to the need for evaluative research on fundamental care practices during pandemics.
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Uthman OA, Court R, Enderby J, Al-Khudairy L, Nduka C, Mistry H, Melendez-Torres GJ, Taylor-Phillips S, Clarke A (2022). Increasing comprehensiveness and reducing workload in a systematic review of complex interventions using automated machine learning.
Health Technology Assessment, 1-18.
Abstract:
Increasing comprehensiveness and reducing workload in a systematic review of complex interventions using automated machine learning
. Background
. As part of our ongoing systematic review of complex interventions for the primary prevention of cardiovascular diseases, we have developed and evaluated automated machine-learning classifiers for title and abstract screening. The aim was to develop a high-performing algorithm comparable to human screening.
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. Methods
. We followed a three-phase process to develop and test an automated machine learning-based classifier for screening potential studies on interventions for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease. We labelled a total of 16,611 articles during the first phase of the project. In the second phase, we used the labelled articles to develop a machine learning-based classifier. After that, we examined the performance of the classifiers in correctly labelling the papers. We evaluated the performance of the five deep-learning models [i.e. parallel convolutional neural network (CNN), stacked CNN, parallel-stacked CNN, recurrent neural network (RNN) and CNN–RNN]. The models were evaluated using recall, precision and work saved over sampling at no less than 95% recall.
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. Results
. We labelled a total of 16,611 articles, of which 676 (4.0%) were tagged as ‘relevant’ and 15,935 (96%) were tagged as ‘irrelevant’. The recall ranged from 51.9% to 96.6%. The precision ranged from 64.6% to 99.1%. The work saved over sampling ranged from 8.9% to as high as 92.1%. The best-performing model was parallel CNN, yielding a 96.4% recall, as well as 99.1% precision, and a potential workload reduction of 89.9%.
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. Future work and limitations
. We used words from the title and the abstract only. More work needs to be done to look into possible changes in performance, such as adding features such as full document text. The approach might also not be able to be used for other complex systematic reviews on different topics.
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. Conclusion
. Our study shows that machine learning has the potential to significantly aid the labour-intensive screening of abstracts in systematic reviews of complex interventions. Future research should concentrate on enhancing the classifier system and determining how it can be integrated into the systematic review workflow.
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. Funding
. This project was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment programme and will be published in Health Technology Assessment. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.
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Abstract.
Melendez-Torres GJ, Warren E, Ukoumunne OC, Viner R, Bonell C (2022). Locating and testing the healthy context paradox: examples from the INCLUSIVE trial.
BMC Med Res Methodol,
22(1).
Abstract:
Locating and testing the healthy context paradox: examples from the INCLUSIVE trial.
BACKGROUND: the healthy context paradox, originally described with respect to school-level bullying interventions, refers to the generation of differences in mental wellbeing amongst those who continue to experience bullying even after interventions successfully reduce victimisation. Using data from the INCLUSIVE trial of restorative practice in schools, we relate this paradox to the need to theorise potential harms when developing interventions; formulate the healthy context paradox in a more general form defined by mediational relationships and cluster-level interventions; and propose two statistical models for testing the healthy context paradox informed by multilevel mediation methods, with relevance to structural and individual explanations for this paradox. METHODS: We estimated two multilevel mediation models with bullying victimisation as the mediator and mental wellbeing as the outcome: one with a school-level interaction between intervention assignment and the mediator; and one with a random slope component for the student-level mediator-outcome relationship predicted by school-level assignment. We relate each of these models to contextual or individual-level explanations for the healthy context paradox. RESULTS: Neither model suggested that the INCLUSIVE trial represented an example of the healthy context paradox. However, each model has different interpretations which relate to a multilevel understanding of the healthy context paradox. CONCLUSIONS: Greater exploration of intervention harms, especially when those accrue to population subgroups, is an essential step in better understanding how interventions work and for whom. Our proposed tests for the presence of a healthy context paradox provide the analytic tools to better understand how to support development and implementation of interventions that work for all groups in a population. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Current Controlled Trials, ISRCTN10751359.
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Finning K, White J, Toth K, Golden S, Melendez-Torres GJ, Ford T (2022). Longer-term effects of school-based counselling in UK primary schools.
Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry,
31(10), 1591-1599.
Abstract:
Longer-term effects of school-based counselling in UK primary schools.
Children's mental health is deteriorating while access to child and adolescent mental health services is decreasing. Recent UK policy has focused on schools as a setting for the provision of mental health services, and counselling is the most common type of school-based mental health provision. This study examined the longer-term effectiveness of one-to-one school-based counselling delivered to children in UK primary schools. Data were drawn from a sample of children who received school-based counselling in the UK in the 2015/16 academic year, delivered by a national charitable organisation. Mental health was assessed at baseline, immediately post-intervention, and approximately 1 year post-intervention, using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) completed by teachers and parents. Paired t tests compared post-intervention and follow-up SDQ total difficulties scores with baseline values. Propensity score matching was then used to identify a comparator group of children from a national population survey, and linear mixed effects models compared trajectories of SDQ scores in the two groups. In the intervention group, teacher and parent SDQ total difficulties scores were lower at post-intervention and longer-term follow-up compared to baseline (teacher: baseline 14.42 (SD 7.18); post-intervention 11.09 (6.93), t(739) = 13.78, p
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Anthony R, Moore G, Page N, Hewitt G, Murphy S, Melendez-Torres GJ (2022). Measurement invariance of the short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale and latent mean differences (SWEMWBS) in young people by current care status.
QUALITY OF LIFE RESEARCH,
31(1), 205-213.
Author URL.
Bonell C, Warren E, Melendez-Torres GJ (2022). Methodological reflections on using qualitative research to explore the causal mechanisms of complex health interventions.
EVALUATION,
28(2), 166-181.
Author URL.
Melendez-Torres GJ (2022). Next-Generation Meta-analysis for Next-Generation Questions: Introducing the Prevention Science Special Issue on Modern Meta-analytic Methods.
Prev Sci,
23(3), 467-471.
Abstract:
Next-Generation Meta-analysis for Next-Generation Questions: Introducing the Prevention Science Special Issue on Modern Meta-analytic Methods.
This commentary accompanies the special issue of Prevention Science on modern meta-analytic methods. The papers that comprise this special issue are considered in terms of the next-generation meta-analytic questions they support: questions about multivariate relationships, drawing on real-life data structures, with improved usability, and answered openly. The contributions to this special issue illustrate a range of methods to address these questions, including meta-analytic structural equation modelling; robust variance estimation and network meta-analysis methods; transportability and causal inference; Bayesian methods; and open science. This special issue collectively represents a step forward in the field's ability to address questions of use to improving human welfare through preventing ill health, supporting uptake of these next-generation methods by applied researchers in prevention science. Future methodological developments in meta-analysis should be synergistic with the questions prevention scientists seek to answer, both creating new possibilities and meeting the challenges of improving human health and wellbeing.
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Baumbusch J, Blakey EP, Carapellotti A, Dohmen M, Fick DM, Kagan SH, Melendez-Torres GJ, Morgan BE, Munsterman E, Resnick B, et al (2022). Nurses and the Decade of Healthy Ageing: an Unprecedented Opportunity.
J Gerontol Nurs,
48(6), 3-6.
Author URL.
Baumbusch J, Blakey EP, Carapellotti A, Dohmen M, Fick DM, Kagan SH, Melendez-Torres GJ, Morgan BE, Munsterman E, Resnick B, et al (2022). Nurses and the Decade of Healthy Ageing: an Unprecedented Opportunity.
Res Gerontol Nurs,
15(3), 110-113.
Author URL.
Baumbusch J, Blakey EP, Carapellotti AM, Dohmen M, Fick DM, Kagan SH, Melendez-Torres GJ, Morgan BE, Munsterman E, Resnick B, et al (2022). Nurses and the decade of healthy ageing: an unprecedented opportunity. International Journal of Older People Nursing, 17(3).
Baumbusch J, Blakey EP, Carapellotti AM, Dohmen M, Fick DM, Kagan SH, Melendez-Torres GJ, Morgan BE, Munsterman E, Resnick B, et al (2022). Nurses and the decade of healthy ageing: an unprecedented opportunity.
Geriatr Nurs,
47, A1-A3.
Author URL.
Dewidar O, Rader T, Waddington H, Nicholls SG, Little J, Hardy BJ, Horsley T, Young T, Cuervo LG, Sharp MK, et al (2022). Reporting of health equity considerations in equity-relevant observational studies: Protocol for a systematic assessment.
F1000Research,
11Abstract:
Reporting of health equity considerations in equity-relevant observational studies: Protocol for a systematic assessment
Background: the mitigation of unfair and avoidable differences in health is an increasing global priority. Observational studies including cohort, cross-sectional and case-control studies tend to report social determinants of health which could inform evidence syntheses on health equity and social justice. However, the extent of reporting and analysis of equity in equity-relevant observational studies is unknown. Methods: We define studies which report outcomes for populations at risk of experiencing inequities as “equity-relevant”. Using a random sampling technique we will identify 320 equity-relevant observational studies published between 1 January 2020 to 27 April 2022 by searching the MEDLINE database. We will stratify sampling by 1) studies in high-income countries (HIC) and low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) according to the World Bank classification, 2) studies focused on COVID and those which are not, 3) studies focused on populations at risk of experiencing inequities and those on general populations that stratify their analyses. We will use the PROGRESS framework which stands for place of residence, race or ethnicity, occupation, gender or sex, religion, education, socioeconomic status, social capital, to identify dimensions where inequities may exist. Using a previously developed data extraction form we will pilot-test on eligible studies and revise as applicable. Conclusions: the proposed methodological assessment of reporting will allow us to systematically understand the current reporting and analysis practices for health equity in observational studies. The findings of this study will help inform the development of the equity extension for the STROBE (Strengthening the Reporting of Observational studies in Epidemiology) reporting guidelines.
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Orr N, Chollet A, Rizzo AJ, Shaw N, Farmer C, Young H, Rigby E, Berry V, Bonell C, MelendezâTorres GJ, et al (2022). Schoolâbased interventions for preventing dating and relationship violence and genderâbased violence: a systematic review and synthesis of theories of change. Review of Education, 10(3).
Meiksin R, Bonell C, Bhatia A, Melendez-Torres GJ, Kyegombe N, Kohli A (2022). Social norms concerning dating and relationship violence and gender among adolescents: a systematic review of survey measures used in dating and relationship violence research.
Lancet,
400 Suppl 1Abstract:
Social norms concerning dating and relationship violence and gender among adolescents: a systematic review of survey measures used in dating and relationship violence research.
BACKGROUND: Adolescent dating and relationship violence (DRV) is widespread and associated with increased risk of subsequent poor mental health outcomes and partner violence in adulthood. Shifting social norms could be important for reducing DRV. We aimed to map and evaluate measures of social norms concerning DRV and gender reported in DRV research. METHODS: We did a systematic review of global peer-reviewed and grey DRV literature in English, reporting on content and validity of measures used with individuals aged 10-18 years in four domains: descriptive DRV norms, injunctive DRV norms, descriptive gender norms, and injunctive gender norms. Searches included nine databases and Google Scholar (original search up to June, 2019; updated March, 2022), organisation websites (June, 2020), reference checking and known studies (June, 2019-May, 2022), and expert requests (September, 2019-April, 2022). Search terms included three concepts linked by "AND": "social norms concerning DRV and/or gender", "DRV", and "adolescents". Results were screened by title and abstract and then full text. After data extraction we summarised measure characteristics within each domain and assessed measures against seven quality criteria: participatory development, defined reference group, reliability (internal consistency, test-retest reliability, or split-half reliability), content validity, construct validity (association with DRV behaviour), other evidence of construct validity (association with theoretically related constructs) or convergent validity (factor analysis), and statistically desirable properties (responsiveness, absence of floor or ceiling effects, or data available on measures of central tendency and distribution of total score). FINDINGS: 24 reports were included (14 North America, four Africa, four Europe, one Middle East, one Latin America) containing 40 measures assessing DRV (n=33) and gender (n=7) norms. No measure was shared across studies. 36 (90%) measures were significantly associated with DRV outcomes, 24 (60%) showed good reliability, and 38 (95%) had a defined reference group. Other evidence of quality was mixed. Several DRV norm measures specified heterosexual relationships, but measures rarely separated norms governing DRV by girls and boys. No measures specified same-sex relationships. Gender norm measures focused on violence, but missed broader gendered expectations underpinning DRV. INTERPRETATION: Valid, reliable measures of social norms associated with DRV exist, but measurement methods are inconsistent. Researchers should report on development and quality of such measures, which should be gender-specific when norms exert gendered influence, consider sexual minority relationships, and assess gender norms beyond gendered violence. Evaluators should draw on such measures to assess whether changes to norms mediate effect on DRV. FUNDING: US Agency for International Development (agreement number AID-OAA-A-15-00042).
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Leijten P, Melendez-Torres GJ, Eradus M, Overbeek G (2022). Specificity of Parenting Program Component Effects: Relational, Behavioral, and Cognitive Approaches to Children’s Conduct Problems. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 61(3), 458-460.
Heskin J, Wyatt R, Hepworth E, Cassidy S, Melendez-Torres GJ, Cohen C (2022). Survivors of domestic abuse and sexual violence within sexual health services, how we responded, who is missing and what should be done?.
Int J STD AIDS,
33(3), 311-314.
Abstract:
Survivors of domestic abuse and sexual violence within sexual health services, how we responded, who is missing and what should be done?
BACKGROUND: Reports of domestic abuse (DA) and sexual violence (SV) continue to rise across the UK, and sexual health services are well situated to offer a safe setting for disclosure. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of all safeguarding proformas completed between April and September 2019 across three sexual health clinics in London. RESULTS: 158 patients reported current and/or historical DA and/or SV during the collection period. 70% of cohort identified as female, 28% as male and 2% as transgender. 25% of the cohort identified as gay men. Black and Asian attendees were disproportionately represented in the survivor cohort. 86% were offered a same-day appointment with the health advisor team and assessment for onward referral to specialist services. Almost half of the cohort were asymptomatic at the time of attendance and disclosure. DISCUSSION: with changes to access due to ongoing COVID-19 restrictions, asymptomatic survivors may not receive opportunities to disclose as they are directed to online platforms. Healthcare services must adapt routine enquiry practices to ensure safe disclosure is possible to make all contacts count and expand these practices into other healthcare specialities to provide further disclosure opportunities for survivors not attending sexual health services.
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Briscoe S, Abbott R, Melendez-Torres GJ (2022). The <i>phronesis</i> of expert searchers on using forward citation searching and web searching to search for studies for systematic reviews: a hermeneutic phenomenological analysis.
Journal of Information Science, 016555152211302-016555152211302.
Abstract:
The phronesis of expert searchers on using forward citation searching and web searching to search for studies for systematic reviews: a hermeneutic phenomenological analysis
Systematic reviews aim to use formalised and explicitly described methods. However, studies show that systematic reviews pose challenges which can only be resolved using expert judgement that is resistant to explicit formulation. The expertise required to make such judgements can be understood as practical knowledge or phronesis, and is based on lived experiences rather than following clearly defined rules. This study used qualitative methods to investigate the phronesis of expert searchers in the development and conduct of searches for studies for systematic reviews. In particular, the study focused on two ‘supplementary’ search methods: forward citation searching and web searching. Data collection used semi-structured interviews with 15 expert searchers and the analysis used a hermeneutic phenomenological approach. The findings describe five habits of phronesis when searching for studies: Outcome-oriented; persistent; adaptive; critically engaged and holistic. The study brings attention to the use of expert judgement when searching for studies for systematic reviews.
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Ponsford R, Meiksin R, Allen E, Melendez-Torres GJ, Morris S, Mercer C, Campbell R, Young H, Lohan M, Coyle K, et al (2022). The Positive Choices trial: update to study protocol for a phase-III RCT trial of a whole-school social-marketing intervention to promote sexual health and reduce health inequalities.
Trials,
23(1).
Abstract:
The Positive Choices trial: update to study protocol for a phase-III RCT trial of a whole-school social-marketing intervention to promote sexual health and reduce health inequalities.
BACKGROUND: Positive Choices is a whole-school social-marketing intervention to promote sexual health among secondary school students. Intervention comprises the following: school health promotion council involving staff and students coordinating delivery, student survey to inform local tailoring, teacher-delivered classroom curriculum, student-run campaigns, parent information and review of sexual/reproductive health services to inform improvements. This trial builds on an optimisation/pilot-RCT study which met progression criteria, plus findings from another pilot RCT of the Project Respect school-based intervention to prevent dating and relationship violence which concluded such work should be integrated within Positive Choices. Young people carry a disproportionate burden of adverse sexual health; most do not report competence at first sex. Relationships and sex education in schools can contribute to promoting sexual health but effects are small, inconsistent and not sustained. Such work needs to be supplemented by 'whole-school' (e.g. student campaigns, sexual health services) and 'social marketing' (harnessing commercial marketing to social ends) approaches for which there is good review-level evidence but not from the UK. METHODS: We will conduct a cluster RCT across 50 schools (minimum 6440, maximum 8500 students) allocated 1:1 to intervention/control assessing outcomes at 33 months. Our primary outcome is non-competent first sex. Secondary outcomes are non-competent last sex, age at sexual debut, non-use of contraception at first and last sex among those reporting heterosexual intercourse, number of sexual partners, dating and relationship violence, sexually transmitted infections and pregnancy and unintended pregnancy for girls and initiation of pregnancy for boys. We will recruit 50 school and undertake baseline surveys by March 2022, implement the intervention over the 2022-2024 school years and conduct the economic and process evaluations by July 2024; undertake follow-up surveys by December 2024; complete analyses, all patient and policy involvement and draft the study report by March 2025 and engage in knowledge exchange from December 2024. DISCUSSION: This trial is one of a growing number focused on whole-school approaches to public health in schools. The key scientific output will be evidence about the effectiveness, costs and potential scalability and transferability of Positive Choices. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN No: ISRCTN16723909. Registered on 3 September 2021.
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Warren E, Melendez-Torres GJ, Bonell C (2022). Using fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis to explore causal pathways to reduced bullying in a whole-school intervention in a randomized controlled trial.
JOURNAL OF SCHOOL VIOLENCE,
21(4), 381-396.
Author URL.
Hemady CL, Speyer LG, Kwok J, Meinck F, Melendez-Torres GJ, Fry D, Auyeung B, Murray AL (2022). Using network analysis to illuminate the intergenerational transmission of adversity.
Eur J Psychotraumatol,
13(2).
Abstract:
Using network analysis to illuminate the intergenerational transmission of adversity.
UNLABELLED: Objective: the effects of maternal exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) may be transmitted to subsequent generations through various biopsychosocial mechanisms. However, studies tend to focus on exploring one or two focal pathways with less attention paid to links between different pathways. Using a network approach, this paper explores a range of core prenatal risk factors that may link maternal ACEs to infant preterm birth (PTB) and low birthweight (LBW). Methods: We used data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) (n = 8379) to estimate two mixed graphical network models: Model 1 was constructed using adverse infant outcomes, biopsychosocial and environmental risk factors, forms of ACEs, and sociodemographic factors. In Model 2, ACEs were combined to represent a threshold ACEs score (≥4). Network indices (i.e. shortest path and bridge expected influence [1-step & 2-step]) were estimated to determine the shortest pathway from ACEs to infant outcomes, and to identify the risk factors that are vital in activating other risk factors and adverse outcomes. Results: Network analyses estimated a mutually reinforcing web of childhood and prenatal risk factors, with each risk connected to at least two other risks. Bridge influence indices suggested that childhood physical and sexual abuse and multiple ACEs were highly interconnected to others risks. Overall, risky health behaviours during pregnancy (i.e. smoking & illicit drug use) were identified as 'active' risk factors capable of affecting (directly and indirectly) other risk factors and contributing to the persistent activation of the global risk network. These risks may be considered priority candidate targets for interventions to disrupt intergenerational risk transmission. Our study demonstrates the promise of network analysis as an approach for illuminating the intergenerational transmission of adversity in its full complexity. HIGHLIGHTS: We took a network approach to assessing links between ACEs and birth outcomes.ACEs, other prenatal risk factors, and birth outcomes had complex inter-connectionsHealth behaviours in pregnancy were indicated as optimal intervention targets.
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Ponsford R, Falconer J, Melendez-Torres GJ, Bonell C (2022). What factors influence implementation of whole-school interventions aiming to promote student commitment to school to prevent substance use and violence? Systematic review and synthesis of process evaluations.
BMC Public Health,
22(1).
Abstract:
What factors influence implementation of whole-school interventions aiming to promote student commitment to school to prevent substance use and violence? Systematic review and synthesis of process evaluations.
BACKGROUND: Whole-school interventions go beyond classroom health education to modify the school environment to promote health. A sub-set aim to promote student commitment to school to reduce substance use and violence (outcomes associated with low commitment). It is unclear what factors influence implementation of such interventions. METHODS: We conducted a systematic review including synthesis of evidence from process evaluations examining what factors affect implementation. Meta-ethnographic synthesis was informed by May's General Theory of Implementation. RESULTS: Sixteen reports, covering 13 studies and 10 interventions were included in our synthesis. In terms of May's concept of 'sense-making', we found that school staff were more likely to understand what was required in implementing an intervention when provided with good-quality materials and support. Staff could sometimes wilfully or unintentionally misinterpret interventions. In terms of May's concept of 'cognitive participation', whereby staff commit to implementation, we found that lack of intervention adaptability could in particular undermine implementation of whole-school elements. Interventions providing local data were reported as helping build staff commitment. School leaders were more likely to commit to an intervention addressing an issue they already intended to tackle. Collaborative planning groups were reported as useful in ensuring staff 'collective action' (May's term for working together) to enact interventions. Collective action was also promoted by the presence of sufficient time, leadership and relationships. Implementation of whole-school interventions took time to build. Considering May's concept of 'reflexive monitoring' (formal or informal review of progress), this was important in assessing and enhancing implementation. 'Quick wins' could help maintain collective impetus to implement further intervention activities. CONCLUSION: We identified novel factors influencing implementation of whole-school elements such as: local adaptability of interventions; providing local data to build commitment; interventions addressing an issue already on school leaders' agenda; collaborative planning groups; and 'reflexive monitoring' as an explicit intervention component.
Abstract.
Author URL.
Ponsford R, Falconer J, Melendez-Torres GJ, Bonell C (2022). Whole-school interventions promoting student commitment to school to prevent substance use and violence: Synthesis of theories of change.
HEALTH EDUCATION JOURNAL,
81(5), 614-637.
Author URL.
Janes E, Forrester D, Reed H, Melendez-Torres GJ (2022). Young carers, mental health and psychosocial wellbeing: a realist synthesis.
Child Care Health Dev,
48(2), 190-202.
Abstract:
Young carers, mental health and psychosocial wellbeing: a realist synthesis.
Growing evidence demonstrates that the mental and psychosocial health impacts of caring vary significantly for individual children, depending on who they are, the person that they care for, their responsibilities and the wider family situation. Although individual studies have made progress in identifying the range of impacts, there is a lack of clarity around which impacts affect who and in what circumstances. This synthesis, based on RAMESES realist protocols, aims to increase clarity concerning how and why the mental and psychosocial health impacts of caring for a family member vary for different children. There were 12 391 unique search results screened at title, abstract and full-paper levels. Forty-four retained studies were analysed, resulting in the development of a model with 17 context-mechanism-outcome configurations. The model divides the configurations into three interlinking domains. The caregiving responsibilities domain considers how the impacts of caring vary with the circumstances of the individual young carer, the person they care for and their family. The identity domain details the development of a caring identity that potentially mitigates the negative effects of caring and enables positive benefits. The support domain concerns the support provided from family, community and services that, depending on quality, can mitigate or exacerbate the impacts of caring. Support also moderates the care identity by affecting self-perception of the caring role. The model has the potential to inform the development of interventions that target particular mechanisms to enable positive change for young carers. This potential can be enhanced by further research to test the model, with a focus on refining configurations where less evidence is available. There is a particular need to focus on identification which is under-represented in the model as both a mechanism and a contextual factor due to unidentified young carers being largely absent from past research.
Abstract.
Author URL.
Melendez-Torres GJ, Meiksin R, Charles Witzel T, Weatherburn P, Falconer J, Bonell C (2022). eHealth Interventions to Address HIV and Other Sexually Transmitted Infections, Sexual Risk Behavior, Substance Use, and Mental Ill-health in Men Who Have Sex with Men: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.
JMIR Public Health and Surveillance,
8(4).
Abstract:
eHealth Interventions to Address HIV and Other Sexually Transmitted Infections, Sexual Risk Behavior, Substance Use, and Mental Ill-health in Men Who Have Sex with Men: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Background: Men who have sex with men experience disproportionately high levels of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), sexual risk behavior, substance use, and mental ill-health. These experiences are interrelated, and these interrelations are potentiated by structural conditions of discrimination, stigma, and unequal access to appropriate health services, and they magnify each other and have intersecting causal pathways, worsening both risk for each condition and risk for the negative sequelae of each condition. eHealth interventions could address these issues simultaneously and thus have wide-ranging and greater effects than would be for any 1 outcome alone. Objective: We systematically reviewed the evidence for the effectiveness of eHealth interventions in addressing these outcomes separately or together. Methods: We searched 19 databases for randomized trials of interactive or noninteractive eHealth interventions delivered via mobile phone apps, internet, or other electronic media to populations consisting entirely or principally of men who have sex with men to prevent HIV, STIs, sexual risk behavior, alcohol and drug use, or common mental illnesses. We extracted data and appraised each study, estimated meta-analyses where possible by using random effects and robust variance estimation, and assessed the certainty of our findings (closeness of the estimated effect to the true effect) by using GRADE (Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations). Results: We included 14 trials, of which 13 included active versus control comparisons; none reported mental health outcomes, and all drew from 12 months or less of follow-up postintervention. Findings for STIs drew on low numbers of studies and did not suggest consistent short-term (
Abstract.
Baumbusch J, Kagan SH, Melendez-Torres GJ (2021). 2020 International Journal of Older People Nursing awards: Celebrating excellence and innovation in gerontological nursing.
Int J Older People Nurs,
16(6).
Author URL.
Kletter M, Melendez-Torres GJ, Lilford R, Taylor C (2021). A Library of Logic Models to Explain How Interventions to Reduce Diagnostic Errors Work.
JOURNAL OF PATIENT SAFETY,
17(8), E1223-E1233.
Author URL.
Ponsford R, Bragg S, Allen E, Tilouche N, Meiksin R, Emmerson L, Van Dyck L, Opondo C, Morris S, Sturgess J, et al (2021). A school-based social-marketing intervention to promote sexual health in English secondary schools: the Positive Choices pilot cluster RCT.
Abstract:
A school-based social-marketing intervention to promote sexual health in English secondary schools: the Positive Choices pilot cluster RCT
BackgroundThe UK still has the highest rate of teenage births in western Europe. Teenagers are also the age group most likely to experience unplanned pregnancy, with around half of conceptions in those aged
Abstract.
Aventin Ă, Gordon S, Laurenzi C, Rabie S, Tomlinson M, Lohan M, Stewart J, Thurston A, Lohfeld L, Melendez-Torres GJ, et al (2021). Adolescent condom use in Southern Africa: narrative systematic review and conceptual model of multilevel barriers and facilitators.
BMC Public Health,
21(1).
Abstract:
Adolescent condom use in Southern Africa: narrative systematic review and conceptual model of multilevel barriers and facilitators
Background: Adolescent HIV and pregnancy rates in Southern Africa are amongst the highest in the world. Despite decades of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) programming targeting adolescents, recent trends suggest there is a continued need for interventions targeting condom use for this age group. Methods: This review synthesises evidence from qualitative studies that describe the determinants of condom use among adolescents in Southern Africa. We conducted systematic searches in four databases. Data were extracted, appraised for quality and analysed using a ‘best-fit’ framework synthesis approach. Results: We coded deductively findings from 23 original studies using an a priori framework and subsequently conducted thematic analysis. Synthesised findings produced six key themes relating to: 1) pervasive unequal gender norms and restrictive masculinities favouring male sexual decision-making and stigmatising condom use in committed relationships; 2) other social norms reflecting negative constructions of adolescent sexuality and non-traditional family planning; 3) economic and political barriers including poverty and a lack of policy support for condom use; 4) service-level barriers including a lack of youth-friendly SRH services and comprehensive sex education in schools; 5) interpersonal barriers and facilitators including unequal power dynamics in sexual partnerships, peer influences and encouraging condoning condom use, and inadequate communication about SRH from parents/caregivers; and 6) negative attitudes and beliefs about condoms and condom use among adolescents. A conceptual model was generated to describe determinants of condom use, illustrating individual-, interpersonal- and structural-level barriers and facilitating factors. Conclusion: SRH programming targeting barriers and facilitators of condom use at multiple levels is recommended in Southern Africa. We present a multilevel integrated model of barriers and facilitators to guide adolescent SRH decision-making, programme planning and evaluation. Given the existence of multilevel barriers and facilitators, interventions should, likewise, take a multilevel approach that incorporates locally relevant understanding of the individual-, interpersonal- and structural-level barriers and facilitators to condom use among adolescents in the region.
Abstract.
Richards DA, Sugg HVR, Cockcroft E, Cooper J, Cruickshank S, Doris F, Hulme C, Logan P, Iles-Smith H, Melendez-Torres GJ, et al (2021). COVID-NURSE: evaluation of a fundamental nursing care protocol compared with care as usual on experience of care for noninvasively ventilated patients in hospital with the SARS-CoV-2 virus—protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial.
BMJ Open,
11(5), e046436-e046436.
Abstract:
COVID-NURSE: evaluation of a fundamental nursing care protocol compared with care as usual on experience of care for noninvasively ventilated patients in hospital with the SARS-CoV-2 virusâprotocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial
IntroductionPatient experience of nursing care is correlated with safety, clinical effectiveness, care quality, treatment outcomes and service use. Effective nursing care includes actions to develop nurse–patient relationships and deliver physical and psychosocial care to patients. The high risk of transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus compromises nursing care. No evidence-based nursing guidelines exist for patients infected with SARS-CoV-2, leading to potential variations in patient experience, outcomes, quality and costs.Methods and analysiswe aim to recruit 840 in-patient participants treated for infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus from 14 UK hospitals, to a cluster randomised controlled trial, with embedded process and economic evaluations, of care as usual and a fundamental nursing care protocol addressing specific areas of physical, relational and psychosocial nursing care where potential variation may occur, compared with care as usual. Our coprimary outcomes are patient-reported experience (Quality from the Patients’ Perspective; Relational Aspects of Care Questionnaire); secondary outcomes include care quality (pressure injuries, falls, medication errors); functional ability (Barthell Index); treatment outcomes (WHO Clinical Progression Scale); depression Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2), anxiety General Anxiety Disorder-2 (GAD-2), health utility (EQ5D) and nurse-reported outcomes (Measure of Moral Distress for Health Care Professionals). For our primary analysis, we will use a standard generalised linear mixed-effect model adjusting for ethnicity of the patient sample and research intensity at cluster level. We will also undertake a planned subgroup analysis to compare the impact of patient-level ethnicity on our primary and secondary outcomes and will undertake process and economic evaluations.Ethics and disseminationResearch governance and ethical approvals are from the UK National Health Service Health Research Authority Research Ethics Service. Dissemination will be open access through peer-reviewed scientific journals, study website, press and online media, including free online training materials on the Open University’s FutureLearn web platform.Trial registration numberISRCTN13177364; Pre-results.
Abstract.
Evans R, Boffey M, MacDonald S, Noyes J, Melendez-Torres GJ, Morgan HE, Trubey R, Robling M, Willis S, Wooders C, et al (2021). Care-experienced cHildren and young people's Interventions to improve Mental health and wEll-being outcomes: Systematic review (CHIMES) protocol.
BMJ Open,
11(1).
Abstract:
Care-experienced cHildren and young people's Interventions to improve Mental health and wEll-being outcomes: Systematic review (CHIMES) protocol.
INTRODUCTION: the mental health and well-being of children and young people who have been in care (ie, care-experienced) are a priority. There are a range of interventions aimed at addressing these outcomes, but the international evidence-base remains ambiguous. There is a paucity of methodologically robust systematic reviews of intervention effectiveness, with few considering the contextual conditions under which evaluations were conducted. This is important in understanding the potential transferability of the evidence-base across contexts. The present systematic review will adopt a complex systems perspective to synthesise evidence reporting evaluations of mental health and well-being interventions for care-experienced children and young people. It will address impact, equity, cost-effectiveness, context, implementation and acceptability. Stakeholder consultation will prioritise a programme theory, and associated intervention, that may progress to further development and evaluation in the UK. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: We will search 16 bibliographic databases from 1990 to June 2020. Supplementary searching will include citation tracking, author recommendation, and identification of evidence clusters relevant to included evaluations. The eligible population is children and young people (aged ≤25 years) with experience of being in care. Outcomes are (1) mental, behavioural or neurodevelopmental disorders; (2) subjective well-being; (3) self-harm; suicidal ideation; suicide. Study quality will be appraised with methodologically appropriate tools. We will construct a taxonomy of programme theories and intervention types. Thematic synthesis will be used for qualitative data reporting context, implementation and acceptability. If appropriate, meta-analysis will be conducted with outcome and economic data. Convergent synthesis will be used to integrate syntheses of qualitative and quantitative data. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: We have a comprehensive strategy for engagement with care-experienced children and young people, carers and social care professionals. Dissemination will include academic and non-academic publications and conference presentations. Ethical approval from Cardiff University's School of Social Sciences REC will be obtained if necessary. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42020177478.
Abstract.
Author URL.
Giommoni L, Berlusconi G, Melendez-Torres GJ (2021). Characterising the structure of the largest online commercial sex network in the UK: observational study with implications for STI prevention.
Culture, Health and Sexuality,
23(12), 1608-1625.
Abstract:
Characterising the structure of the largest online commercial sex network in the UK: observational study with implications for STI prevention
This study analyses large-scale online data to examine the characteristics of a national commercial sex network of off-street female sex workers and their male clients to identify implications for public health policy and practice. We collected sexual contact information from the largest online community dedicated to reviewing sex workers’ services in the UK. We built the sexual network using reviews reported between January 2014 and December 2017. We then quantified network parameters using social network analysis measures. The network is composed of 6477 vertices with 59% of them concentred in a giant component clustered around London and Milton Keynes. We found minimal disassortative mixing by degree between sex workers and their clients, and that a few clients and sex workers are highly connected whilst the majority only have one or few sexual contacts. Finally, our simulation models suggested that prevention strategies targeting both sex workers and clients with high centrality scores are the most effective in reducing network connectedness and average closeness centrality scores, thus limiting the transmission of STIs.
Abstract.
Reed H, Couturiaux D, Davis M, Edwards A, Janes E, Kim HS, Melendez-Torres GJ, Murphy S, Rotevatn TA, Smith J, et al (2021). Co-production as an Emerging Methodology for Developing School-Based Health Interventions with Students Aged 11-16: Systematic Review of Intervention Types, Theories and Processes and Thematic Synthesis of Stakeholders' Experiences.
Prev Sci,
22(4), 475-491.
Abstract:
Co-production as an Emerging Methodology for Developing School-Based Health Interventions with Students Aged 11-16: Systematic Review of Intervention Types, Theories and Processes and Thematic Synthesis of Stakeholders' Experiences.
Co-production affords an intervention's target population the opportunity to participate in intervention theory decision-making during the development process. This addresses the over-reliance on developing interventions through academic theories which can be devoid of contextual understanding and result in challenges to implementing school-based health programmes. There is an emergent empirical literature on co-producing school-based health interventions, but an understanding of appropriate theoretical types and processes and stakeholders' experiences is lacking. Through the conduct of a systematic review, this study seeks to understand the types and underlying theories and processes for co-production in school-based health interventions with students aged 11-16. A thematic synthesis explored stakeholders' experiences of the different types of co-production. A systematic search of five electronic bibliographic databases, citation tracking of included studies, and consultation with an expert international panel were employed. of 27,433 unique papers, 30 papers representing 22 studies were retained to describe types, and 23 papers of 18 studies used to synthesise stakeholders' experiences. Three types were identified: external, individual-level, and system-level capacity-building. Whilst this review showed variability in co-production types, stakeholders involved and processes, shared functions were identified. Students', school staff, facilitators' and researchers' experiences in terms of acceptability, feasibility and undertaking decision-making are discussed. Recommendations for conceptualising and reporting co-production and process evaluations of co-produced school-based health interventions are highlighted.
Abstract.
Author URL.
Young H, Long SJ, Melendez-Torres GJ, Kim HS, Hewitt G, Murphy S, Moore GF (2021). Dating and relationship violence victimization and perpetration among 11-16 year olds in Wales: a cross-sectional analysis of the School Health Research Network (SHRN) survey.
J Public Health (Oxf),
43(1), 111-122.
Abstract:
Dating and relationship violence victimization and perpetration among 11-16 year olds in Wales: a cross-sectional analysis of the School Health Research Network (SHRN) survey.
BACKGROUND: This study examines the prevalence of dating and relationship violence (DRV) victimization, perpetration and joint victimization and perpetration, and associations between DRV and socio-demographic characteristics. METHODS: Cross-sectional self-report data from 74 908 students aged 11-16 from 193 schools across Wales were collected and analysed using generalized estimating equations to examine prevalence and predictors of emotional and physical DRV victimization, perpetration and joint victimization and perpetration. RESULTS: More girls reported emotional victimization (28%) and perpetration (18%) than boys (20% and 16%, respectively). More girls (8%) than boys (7%) reported physical perpetration. However, boys (17%) reported more physical victimization than girls (12%). Age-related trajectories of DRV victimization and perpetration were stronger in girls than in boys. Students from single or step parent homes, those in care, and certain ethnic minority groups had increased odds of DRV. No association was found between socioeconomic status and DRV. CONCLUSIONS: Age-related trajectories and the lack of social patterning by socioeconomic status point to the value of early, universal interventions, while some evidence of ethnic patterning and family structure-related risk factors suggest areas for further research and targeted interventions. DRV continues to be a major public health problem for which little UK-specific intervention evidence exists.
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Author URL.
Alarcon-Ruiz CA, Villarreal-Zegarra D, Melendez-Torres GJ, Torres-Puente R, Ambrosio-Melgarejo J, Romero-Cabrera AB, Navarro-Flores A, Albitres-Flores L, Lindo-Cavero A, Huarcaya-Victoria J, et al (2021). Development of a framework for the implementation of synchronous e-mental health: a protocol for a realist synthesis of systematic reviews.
F1000Research,
9Abstract:
Development of a framework for the implementation of synchronous e-mental health: a protocol for a realist synthesis of systematic reviews
Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been necessary to deliver mental health care using technologies (e-mental health). But there have been difficulties in its application. Quantitative systematic reviews such as meta-analysis doesn't allow us to fully identify and properly describe this subject. Thus, our study has two main objectives: a) "to determine what evidence is available for synchronous e-mental health implementation"; and b) "to develop a framework informed by a realist analysis for the implementation of synchronous e-mental health". Methods: We will search MEDLINE, EBM Reviews, PsycINFO, EMBASE, SCOPUS, CINAHL Complete, and Web of Science databases from 1st January 2015 to September 2020, with no language restriction. A systematic review with a narrative description and a realist synthesis will be conducted. Primary studies relating to adults with common mental health problems using any type of mobile mental health intervention that includes a synchronic component and communication with a mental health professional will be included. For the analysis, we will make a realist synthesis of the systematic reviews, using a grounded theory approach with an emergent approach to synthesize the information, prioritizing the systematic reviews with a lower risk of bias in the AMSTAR-2 tool. The realist synthesis will be based on the interpretation, integration, and inference of the evaluated elements and the generation of hypotheses to better understand the implementation process of synchronous e-mental health. Finally, we will present the overall assessment in a Summary of Qualitative Findings table. Conclusion: Our results will allow a better understanding of the facilitator and limitations in implementing e-mental health.
Abstract.
Yakubovich AR, Esposti MD, Lange BCL, Melendez-Torres GJ, Parmar A, Wiebe DJ, Humphreys DK (2021). Effects of Laws Expanding Civilian Rights to Use Deadly Force in Self-Defense on Violence and Crime: a Systematic Review.
Am J Public Health,
111(4), e1-e14.
Abstract:
Effects of Laws Expanding Civilian Rights to Use Deadly Force in Self-Defense on Violence and Crime: a Systematic Review.
Background. Since 2005, most US states have expanded civilian rights to use deadly force in self-defense outside the home. In most cases, legislation has included removing the duty to retreat anywhere one may legally be, commonly known as stand-your-ground laws. The extent to which these laws affect public health and safety is widely debated in public and policy discourse.Objectives. To synthesize the available evidence on the impacts and social inequities associated with changing civilian rights to use deadly force in self-defense on violence, injury, crime, and firearm-related outcomes.Search Methods. We searched MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, Scopus, Web of Science, Sociological Abstracts, National Criminal Justice Reference Service Abstracts, Education Resources Information Center, International Bibliography of the Social Sciences, ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, Google Scholar, National Bureau of Economic Research working papers, and SocArXiv; harvested references of included studies; and consulted with experts to identify studies until April 2020.Selection Criteria. Eligible studies quantitatively estimated the association between laws that expanded or restricted the right to use deadly force in self-defense and population or subgroup outcomes among civilians with a comparator.Data Collection and Analysis. Two reviewers extracted study data using a common form. We assessed study quality using the Risk of Bias in Nonrandomized Studies of Interventions tools adapted for (controlled) before-after studies. To account for data dependencies, we conducted graphical syntheses (forest plots and harvest plots) to summarize the evidence on impacts and inequities associated with changing self-defense laws.Main Results. We identified 25 studies that estimated population-level impacts of laws expanding civilian rights to use deadly force in self-defense, all of which focused on stand-your-ground or other expansions to self-defense laws in the United States. Studies were scored as having serious or critical risk of bias attributable to confounding. Risk of bias was low across most other domains (i.e. selection, missing data, outcome, and reporting biases). Stand-your-ground laws were associated with no change to small increases in violent crime (total and firearm homicide, aggravated assault, robbery) on average across states. Florida-based studies showed robust increases (24% to 45%) in firearm and total homicide while self-defense claims under stand-your-ground law were more often denied when victims were White, especially when claimants were racial minorities.Author's Conclusions. The existing evidence contradicts claims that expanding self-defense laws deters violent crime across the United States. In at least some contexts, including Florida, stand-your-ground laws are associated with increases in violence, and there are racial inequities in the application of these laws.Public Health Implications. In some US states, most notably Florida, stand-your-ground laws may have harmed public health and safety and exacerbated social inequities. Our findings highlight the need for scientific evidence on both population and equity impacts of self-defense laws to guide legislative action that promotes public health and safety for all.Trial Registration. Open Science Framework (https://osf.io/uz68e).
Abstract.
Author URL.
Roberts A, Rogers J, Sharman S, Melendez-Torres GJ, Cowlishaw S (2021). Gambling problems in primary care: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
ADDICTION RESEARCH & THEORY,
29(6), 454-468.
Author URL.
Nielsen JH, Melendez-Torres GJ, Rotevatn TA, Peven K, Fonager K, Overgaard C (2021). How do reminder systems in follow-up screening for women with previous gestational diabetes work? - a realist review.
BMC Health Serv Res,
21(1).
Abstract:
How do reminder systems in follow-up screening for women with previous gestational diabetes work? - a realist review.
BACKGROUND: Women with previous gestational diabetes have an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life. Recommendations therefore urge these women to participate in follow-up screening, 4-12 weeks postpartum and every 1-3 years thereafter. We sought to theorize how reminder interventions to support early detection of diabetes work, for whom, and in what circumstances. METHODS: We used a method informed by realist review and synthesis. A systematic, iterative search in six electronic databases (PubMed, MEDLINE Ovid, the Cochrane Library, CINAHL, EMBASE) had a primary focus on experimental intervention studies and included additional information in relation to identified intervention studies. Analysis inductively identified context-mechanism-outcome configurations present in the evidence. RESULTS: We located 16 articles eligible for inclusion. A cross-case comparison identified seven grouped context-mechanism-outcome configurations leading to intervention mechanisms relating to changes in women's reasoning and behavior. Configurations were thematically ordered in relation to Systems Resources, Women's Circumstances, and Continuity of Care. These were mapped onto a socio-ecological model and discussed according to identified middle-range theories. CONCLUSION: Our findings adds to the body of evidence, that reminders have the potential to be effective in increasing participation in the recommended follow-up screening. Our study may assist researchers and policy and decision makers to analyze and judge if reminders are feasible and/or likely to succeed in their specific context. Further research into the perspective of socially disadvantaged and overweight women is needed to avoid unintended consequences such as social inequality in service use and stigmatization in future programs.
Abstract.
Author URL.
Shannon AK, Melendez-Torres GJ, Hennegan J (2021). How do women and girls experience menstrual health interventions in low- and middle-income countries? Insights from a systematic review and qualitative metasynthesis.
Cult Health Sex,
23(5), 624-643.
Abstract:
How do women and girls experience menstrual health interventions in low- and middle-income countries? Insights from a systematic review and qualitative metasynthesis.
Increasing recognition of the difficulties women and adolescent girls face during menstruation has the prompted rapid implementation of menstrual health programmes and policies. Yet, there remains limited understanding of the influence of these interventions on individuals' menstrual experiences. We systematically reviewed and synthesised qualitative studies of participant experiences of menstrual health interventions. Included studies were undertaken in 6 countries (India, Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, South Africa) and involved over 900 participants. Interventions focused on menstrual product or education provision. Only 6 of the 12 included studies were rated as high or medium trustworthiness. Exposure to new menstrual products led to changes in women's and girls' expectations of what a menstrual material should offer, with recipients highly valuing reduced fears of leakage and improved freedom of movement. After learning how to use new products or receiving educational materials, women and girls reported feeling more empowered and aware of the physiological process of menstruation, and in some cases wanted to share this knowledge with others in their communities. For each intervention, the process of introduction, trial and error, and acceptance of the new technologies or information was influenced by the sociocultural environment including parents, peers and teachers.
Abstract.
Author URL.
Barnish MS, Tan SY, Taeihagh A, Tørnes M, Nelson-Horne RVH, Melendez-Torres GJ (2021). Linking political exposures to child and maternal health outcomes: a realist review.
BMC Public Health,
21(1).
Abstract:
Linking political exposures to child and maternal health outcomes: a realist review
Background: Conceptual and theoretical links between politics and public health are longstanding. Internationally comparative systematic review evidence has shown links between four key political exposures – the welfare state, political tradition, democracy and globalisation – on population health outcomes. However, the pathways through which these influences may operate have not been systematically appraised. Therefore, focusing on child and maternal health outcomes, we present a realist re-analysis of the dataset from a recent systematic review. Methods: the database from a recent systematic review on the political determinants of health was used as the data source for this realist review. Included studies from the systematic review were re-evaluated and those relating to child and/or maternal health outcomes were included in the realist synthesis. Initial programme theories were generated through realist engagement with the prior systematic review. These programme theories were adjudicated and refined through detailed engagement with the evidence base using a realist re-synthesis involving two independent reviewers. The revised theories that best corresponded to the evidence base formed the final programme theories. Results: Out of the 176 included studies from the systematic review, a total of 67 included child and/or maternal health outcomes and were included in the realist re-analysis. Sixty-three of these studies were ecological and data were collected between 1950 and 2014. Six initial programme theories were generated. Following theory adjudication, three theories in revised form were supported and formed the final programme theories. These related to a more generous welfare state leading to better child and maternal health especially in developed countries through progressive social welfare policies, left-of-centre political tradition leading to lower child mortality and low birth weight especially in developed countries through greater focus on welfare measures, and increased globalisation leading to greater child and infant mortality and youth smoking rates in LMECs through greater influence of multinational corporations and neoliberal trade organisations. Conclusion: We present a realist re-analysis of a large systematically identified body of evidence on how four key political exposures – the welfare state, democracy, political tradition and globalisation – relate to child and maternal health outcomes. Three final programme theories were supported.
Abstract.
Melendez-Torres GJ, Warren E, Viner R, Allen E, Bonell C (2021). Moderated mediation analyses to assess intervention mechanisms for impacts on victimisation, psycho-social problems and mental wellbeing: Evidence from the INCLUSIVE realist randomized trial.
Soc Sci Med,
279Abstract:
Moderated mediation analyses to assess intervention mechanisms for impacts on victimisation, psycho-social problems and mental wellbeing: Evidence from the INCLUSIVE realist randomized trial.
Realist evaluations aim to evaluate interventions by understanding the mechanisms they trigger, assessing not merely what works but what works for whom, under what conditions, and how. Significant disagreement in the literature exists as to whether randomized trials can be used as a tool for realist evaluation. INCLUSIVE, which was the first realist randomized trial explicitly designed as such, evaluated the impact of Learning Together, a school-based intervention for students aged 12-15 that included restorative practice, on bullying victimisation, mental wellbeing and psychological problems. Drawing on hypotheses generated through qualitative research, this analysis tested if school belonging was a mediator of intervention effects, and in which contexts. We estimated a series of fully longitudinal multilevel moderated mediation models including intervention allocation, student reports of school belonging at 24 months and victimisation and wellbeing outcomes at 36 months, and stratified on the basis of whether, at baseline, schools were: a) rated 'outstanding' for leadership, b) below the median for average levels of victimisation, and c) above the median on school inclusivity. Findings suggested that in unstratified models, belonging was not a mediator for any outcome; but in each of the strata defined above, belonging was a significant mediator at the student level. However, in the strata where belonging was not a mediator, the intervention still had a significant effect on each outcome. Analyses point to a strong but conditional role for belonging as a mediator of intervention pathways; in schools where belonging was not a mediator (e.g. above-median victimisation levels), other mechanisms may have been activated. This is consistent with a realist understanding of context-mechanism linkages generating outcomes. Our analyses suggest that realist evaluations can be pursued within randomized trials and that such analyses can offer more nuanced evidence regarding in which contexts interventions might effectively be implemented.
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Author URL.
Baumbusch J, Blakey E, Carapellotti A, Dohmen M, Kagan SH, Melendez-Torres GJ (2021). Our tips for you: Ideas for authors from the IJOPN Editorial Team.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OLDER PEOPLE NURSING,
16(3).
Author URL.
Wilson MG, Oliver S, Melendez-Torres GJ, Lavis JN, Waddell K, Dickson K (2021). Paper 3: Selecting rapid review methods for complex questions related to health policy and system issues.
SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS,
10(1).
Author URL.
Leijten P, Melendez-Torres GJ, Oliver BR (2021). Parenting programs to improve sibling interactions: a meta-analysis. Journal of Family Psychology, 35(5), 703-708.
Jones HM, Oyebode O, Melendez-Torres GJ, Al-Khudairy L (2021). Professional stakeholder's views of adolescent weight management programmes: a qualitative study.
BMC Res Notes,
14(1).
Abstract:
Professional stakeholder's views of adolescent weight management programmes: a qualitative study.
OBJECTIVE: Family-based multi-component weight management programmes are recommended for adolescents with obesity in England and Wales, however, these programmes suffer from poor uptake and high attrition rates. This study aimed to gather the views of professional stakeholders in a UK weight management programme to identify potential areas to target to improve engagement and success for such programmes. RESULTS: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with those involved in the commissioning, referral, coordination or delivery of a weight management programme (n = 11). Interviews were analysed using qualitative content analysis. Three main categories developed: professional support, tailoring and intervention content. Participants recognised the importance of support from experienced professionals, as well as family and peers. There was agreement that longer-term support was needed for adolescents with obesity; suggestions included integrating follow-up support with schools and leisure services. Emotional and psychological support must be prioritised. Having a variety of delivery modes, such as group and one to one, particularly in the home environment, were recommended. Stakeholders agreed that weight management programmes for adolescents need to be more proactive at incorporating technology. By acting on the views of those that work closely with adolescents, engagement with weight management programmes may be improved.
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Author URL.
Laurenzi CA, du Toit S, Ameyan W, Melendez-Torres GJ, Kara T, Brand A, Chideya Y, Abrahams N, Bradshaw M, Page DT, et al (2021). Psychosocial interventions for improving engagement in care and health and behavioural outcomes for adolescents and young people living with HIV: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
J Int AIDS Soc,
24(8).
Abstract:
Psychosocial interventions for improving engagement in care and health and behavioural outcomes for adolescents and young people living with HIV: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
INTRODUCTION: Adolescents and young people comprise a growing proportion of new HIV infections globally, yet current approaches do not effectively engage this group, and adolescent HIV-related outcomes are the poorest among all age groups. Providing psychosocial interventions incorporating psychological, social, and/or behavioural approaches offer a potential pathway to improve engagement in care and health and behavioural outcomes among adolescents and young people living with HIV (AYPLHIV). METHODS: a systematic search of all peer-reviewed papers published between January 2000 and July 2020 was conducted through four electronic databases (Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, PubMed and Scopus). We included randomized controlled trials evaluating psychosocial interventions aimed at improving engagement in care and health and behavioural outcomes of AYPLHIV aged 10 to 24 years. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Thirty relevant studies were identified. Studies took place in the United States (n = 18, 60%), sub-Saharan Africa (Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe) and Southeast Asia (Thailand). Outcomes of interest included adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART), ART knowledge, viral load data, sexual risk behaviours, sexual risk knowledge, retention in care and linkage to care. Overall, psychosocial interventions for AYPLHIV showed important, small-to-moderate effects on adherence to ART (SMD = 0.3907, 95% CI: 0.1059 to 0.6754, 21 studies, n = 2647) and viral load (SMD = -0.2607, 95% CI -04518 to -0.0696, 12 studies, n = 1566). The psychosocial interventions reviewed did not demonstrate significant impacts on retention in care (n = 8), sexual risk behaviours and knowledge (n = 13), viral suppression (n = 4), undetectable viral load (n = 5) or linkage to care (n = 1) among AYPLHIV. No studies measured transition to adult services. Effective interventions employed various approaches, including digital and lay health worker delivery, which hold promise for scaling interventions in the context of COVID-19. CONCLUSIONS: This review highlights the potential of psychosocial interventions in improving health outcomes in AYPLHIV. However, more research needs to be conducted on interventions that can effectively reduce sexual risk behaviours of AYPLHIV, as well as those that can strengthen engagement in care. Further investment is needed to ensure that these interventions are cost-effective, sustainable and resilient in the face of resource constraints and global challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Author URL.
Bergstein RS, King K, Melendez-Torres GJ, Latimore AD (2021). Refusal to accept emergency medical transport following opioid overdose, and conditions that may promote connections to care.
International Journal of Drug Policy,
97Abstract:
Refusal to accept emergency medical transport following opioid overdose, and conditions that may promote connections to care
Background: Opioid overdose is a leading cause of death in the United States. Emergency medical services (EMS) encounters following overdose may serve as a critical linkage to care for people who use drugs (PWUD). However, many overdose survivors refuse EMS transport to hospitals, where they would presumably receive appropriate follow-up services and referrals. This study aims to (1) identify reasons for refusal of EMS transport after opioid overdose reversal; (2) identify conditions under which overdose survivors might be more likely to accept these services; and (3) describe solutions proposed by both PWUD and EMS providers to improve post-overdose care. Methods: the study comprised 20 semi-structured, qualitative in-depth interviews with PWUD, followed by two semi-structured focus groups with eight EMS providers. Results: PWUD cited intolerable withdrawal symptoms; anticipation of inadequate care upon arrival at the hospital; and stigmatizing treatment by EMS and hospital providers as main reasons for refusal to accept EMS transport. EMS providers corroborated these descriptions and offered solutions such as titration of naloxone to avoid harsh withdrawal symptoms; peer outreach or community paramedicine; and addressing provider burnout. PWUD stated they might accept EMS transport after overdose reversal if they were offered ease for withdrawal symptoms, at either a hospital or non-hospital facility, and treated with respect and empathy. Conclusion: Standard of care by EMS and hospital providers following overdose reversal should include treatment for withdrawal symptoms, including buprenorphine induction; patient-centered communication; and effective linkage to prevention, treatment, and harm reduction services.
Abstract.
Leijten P, MelendezâTorres GJ, Gardner F (2021). Research Review: the most effective parenting program content for disruptive child behavior – a network metaâanalysis.
Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry,
63(2), 132-142.
Abstract:
Research Review: the most effective parenting program content for disruptive child behavior â a network metaâanalysis
BackgroundPrograms to support parents are the recommended strategy to reduce disruptive child behavior problems. Efforts have been made to demonstrate which program components (i.e. clusters of techniques taught) increase program effects, but these methods fail to account for the fact that components rarely operate in isolation. We examine how combinations of components cluster together to form program types and use network metaâanalysis to estimate the relative effects of these program types.MethodsWe updated an existing systematic review of parenting programs for disruptive child behavior and identified 197 randomized trials. We modeled clusters of components in each trial arm and chose the bestâfitting model. We subsequently took 20 draws from the probability distribution of the latent class for each arm, entered each draw into a network metaâanalysis model and combined findings using Rubin’s rules. Combined estimates were bootstrapped to rank the clusters. We estimated main models and separate models for prevention and treatment settings.ResultsA fiveâclass solution fit the data best: (1) behavior management; (2) behavior management with parental selfâmanagement; (3) behavior management with psychoeducation and relationship enhancement; (4) maximal component loading and (5) no/minimal component loading (i.e. control). In the main model and in treatment settings, all four program types were effective compared to no/minimal components. In prevention settings, only behavior management and behavior management with parental selfâmanagement were effective compared to no/minimal components. Probabilistic ranking showed that overall and in treatment settings, behavior management had the largest chance, and in prevention settings, behavior management with selfâmanagement had the largest chance, of being most effective compared to no/minimal components.ConclusionsPrograms with more focused content seem more likely to yield stronger effects, and different foci may be needed in treatment versus prevention settings. Next steps include identifying individual family differences in optimal program content.
Abstract.
Couturiaux DVR, Young H, Anthony RE, Page N, Lowthian E, Melendez-Torres GJ, Hewitt G, Moore GF (2021). Risk behaviours associated with dating and relationship violence among 11–16 year olds in wales: Results from the 2019 student health and wellbeing survey.
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health,
18(3), 1-16.
Abstract:
Risk behaviours associated with dating and relationship violence among 11â16 year olds in wales: Results from the 2019 student health and wellbeing survey
(1) Background: This study examines the associations between risk behaviours and adolescent emotional and physical dating and relationship violence (DRV) victimisation and perpetration, and how these vary by gender. The risk behaviours explored include bullying, cyberbullying, sexting, alcohol, and cannabis use; (2) Methods: Cross-sectional self-report data from the School Health Research Network (SHRN) 2019 Student Health Wellbeing (SHW) survey of 48,397 students aged 11–16 from 149 schools across Wales were analysed using single and multiple-behaviour logistic regression models to explore the associations between each risk behaviour and emotional and physical DRV victimisation and perpetration; (3) Results: Bivariate analyses revealed a statistically significant association between DRV and all risk behaviours. In multivariate analyses, students who reported bullying, cyberbullying, sexting, and substance use, compared to those that had not, had significantly higher odds of experiencing and perpetrating emotional and physical DRV; and (4) Conclusions: Future studies on DRV should consider a mixed-methods approach to explore the context in which DRV and risk behaviours interrelate. Results from this study indicate the possibility that prevention and intervention programmes in school settings that seek to develop healthy school environments and peer-to-peer relationships, could inadvertently reduce the occurrence of future DRV and associated risk behaviours.
Abstract.
Ponsford R, Meiksin R, Allen E, Melendez-Torres GJ, Morris S, Mercer C, Campbell R, Young H, Lohan M, Coyle K, et al (2021). The Positive Choices trial: study protocol for a Phase-III RCT trial of a whole-school social marketing intervention to promote sexual health and reduce health inequalities.
Trials,
22(1).
Abstract:
The Positive Choices trial: study protocol for a Phase-III RCT trial of a whole-school social marketing intervention to promote sexual health and reduce health inequalities.
BACKGROUND: Positive Choices is a whole-school social marketing intervention to promote sexual health among secondary school students. Intervention comprises school health promotion council involving staff and students coordinating delivery; student survey to inform local tailoring; teacher-delivered classroom curriculum; student-run campaigns; parent information; and review of sexual/reproductive health services to inform improvements. This trial builds on an optimisation/pilot RCT study which met progression criteria, plus findings from another pilot RCT of the Project Respect school-based intervention to prevent dating and relationship violence which concluded such work should be integrated within Positive Choices. Young people carry a disproportionate burden of adverse sexual health; most do not report competence at first sex. Relationships and sex education in schools can contribute to promoting sexual health but effects are small, inconsistent and not sustained. Such work needs to be supplemented by 'whole-school' (e.g. student campaigns, sexual health services) and 'social marketing' (harnessing commercial marketing to social ends) approaches for which there is good review-level evidence but not from the UK. METHODS: We will conduct a cluster RCT across 50 schools (minimum 6440, maximum 8500 students) allocated 1:1 to intervention/control assessing outcomes at 33 months. Our primary outcome is non-competent first sex. Secondary outcomes are non-competent last sex, age at sexual debut, non-use of contraception at first and last sex among those reporting heterosexual intercourse, number of sexual partners, dating and relationship violence, sexually transmitted infections, and pregnancy and unintended pregnancy for girls and initiation of pregnancy for boys. We will recruit 50 school and undertake baseline surveys by March 2022; implement the intervention over the 2022-2024 school years and conduct the economic and process evaluations by July 2024; undertake follow-up surveys by December 2024; complete analyses, all patient and policy involvement and draft the study report by March 2025; and engage in knowledge exchange from December 2024. DISCUSSION: This trial is one of a growing number focused on whole-school approaches to public health in schools. The key scientific output will be evidence about the effectiveness, costs and potential scalability and transferability of Positive Choices. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN No: ISRCTN16723909. Trial registration summary: Date:. Funded by: National Institute for Health Research Public Health Research Programme (NIHR131487). SPONSOR: LSHTM. Public/scientific contact: Chris Bonell. Public title: Positive Choices trial. Scientific title: Phase-III RCT of Positive Choices: a whole-school social marketing intervention to promote sexual health and reduce health inequalities. Countries of recruitment: UK. INTERVENTION: Positive Choices. INCLUSION CRITERIA: Students in year 8 (age 12-13 years) at baseline deemed competent by schools to participate in secondary schools excluding pupil referral units, schools for those with special educational needs and disabilities, and schools with 'inadequate' Ofsted inspections. STUDY TYPE: interventional study with superiority phase III cluster RCT design. Enrollment: 1/9/21-31/3/22. SAMPLE SIZE: 50 schools and 6440-8500 students. Recruitment status: pending. PRIMARY OUTCOME: binary measure of non-competent first sex. SECONDARY OUTCOMES: non-competent last sex; age at sexual debut; non-use of contraception at first and last sex; number of sexual partners; dating and relationship violence (DRV) victimisation; sexually transmitted infections; pregnancy and unintended pregnancy for girls and initiation of pregnancy for boys using adapted versions of the RIPPLE measures. Ethics review: LSHTM research ethics committee (reference 26411). Completion data: 1/3/25. Sharing statement: Data will be made available after the main trial analyses have been completed on reasonable request from researchers with ethics approval and a clear protocol. Amendments to the protocol will be communicated to the investigators, sponsor, funder, research ethics committee, trial registration and the journal publishing the protocol. Amendments affecting participants' experience of the intervention or important amendments affecting the overall design and conduct of the trial will be communicated to participants.
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Meiksin R, Melendez-Torres GJ, Falconer J, Witzel TC, Weatherburn P, Bonell C (2021). Theories of change for e-health interventions targeting HIV/STIs and sexual risk, substance use and mental ill health amongst men who have sex with men: systematic review and synthesis.
Systematic Reviews,
10(1).
Abstract:
Theories of change for e-health interventions targeting HIV/STIs and sexual risk, substance use and mental ill health amongst men who have sex with men: systematic review and synthesis
Background: Sexual risk, substance use, and mental ill health constitute a syndemic of co-occurring, mutually reinforcing epidemics amongst men who have sex with men (MSM). Developed since 1995, e-health interventions offer accessible, anonymous support and can be effective in addressing these outcomes, suggesting the potential value of developing e-health interventions that address these simultaneously amongst MSM. We conducted a systematic review of e-health interventions addressing one or more of these outcomes amongst MSM and in this paper describe the theories of change underpinning relevant interventions, what these offer and how they might complement each other. Methods: We identified eligible reports via expert requests, reference-checking and database and Google searches. Results were screened for reports published in 1995 or later; focused on MSM; reporting on e-health interventions providing ongoing support to prevent HIV/STIs, sexual risk behaviour, substance use, anxiety or depression; and describing intervention theories of change. Reviewers assessed report quality, extracted intervention and theory of change data, and developed a novel method of synthesis using diagrammatic representations of theories of change. Results: Thirty-three reports on 22 intervention theories of change were included, largely of low/medium-quality. Inductively grouping these theories according to their core constructs, we identified three distinct groupings of theorised pathways. In the largest, the ‘cognitive/skills’ grouping, interventions provide information and activities which are theorised to influence behaviour via motivation/intention and self-efficacy/perceived control. In the ‘self-monitoring’ grouping, interventions are theorised to trigger reflection, self-reward/critique and self-regulation. In the ‘cognitive therapy’ grouping, the theory of change is rooted in cognitive therapy techniques, aiming to reframe negative emotions to improve mental health. Conclusions: the synthesised theories of change provide a framework for developing e-health interventions that might holistically address syndemic health problems amongst MSM. Improving reporting on theories of change in primary studies of e-health interventions would enable a better understanding of how they are intended to work and the evidence supporting this. The novel diagrammatic method of theory of change synthesis used here could be used for future reviews where interventions are driven by existing well-defined behaviour and behaviour change theories. Systematic review registration: PROSPERO CRD42018110317
Abstract.
Baumbusch J, Blakey E, Carapellotti A, Dohmen M, Kagan SH, Melendez-Torres GJ (2021). This alarm is not a drill: We call gerontological nurses to act on climate change. International Journal of Older People Nursing, 16(5).
Lowthian E, Page N, Melendez-Torres GJ, Murphy S, Hewitt G, Moore G (2021). Using Latent Class Analysis to Explore Complex Associations Between Socioeconomic Status and Adolescent Health and Well-Being.
J Adolesc Health,
69(5), 774-781.
Abstract:
Using Latent Class Analysis to Explore Complex Associations Between Socioeconomic Status and Adolescent Health and Well-Being.
PURPOSE: Research demonstrates a strong socioeconomic gradient in health and well-being. However, many studies rely on unidimensional measures of socioeconomic status (SES) (e.g. educational qualifications, household income), and there is often a more limited consideration of how facets of SES combine to impact well-being. This paper develops a multidimensional measure of SES, drawing on family and school-level factors, to provide more nuanced understandings of socioeconomic patterns in adolescent substance use and mental well-being. METHODS: Data from the Student Health and Wellbeing Survey from Wales, UK was employed. The sample compromised 22,372 students and we used latent class analysis to identify distinct groups using three measures of SES. These classes were then used to estimate mental well-being, internalizing symptoms, and substance use. RESULTS: the five-class solution offered the best fit. Findings indicated distinct classes of families as follows: "nonworking," "deprived working families," "affluent families in deprived schools," "lower affluence," and "higher affluence." There was a clear relationship among the classes and mental well-being, internalizing symptoms, smoking, and cannabis use; alcohol was the exception to this. CONCLUSIONS: the identification of these classes led to a fuller understanding of the health and well-being effects of SES, showing clearer patterning in health behaviors that often is not captured in research. The implications for adolescent health and well-being are discussed, including considerations for future research.
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Author URL.
Bonell C, Prost A, Melendez-Torres GJ, Davey C, Hargreaves JR (2021). Will it work here? a realist approach to local decisions about implementing interventions evaluated as effective elsewhere.
J Epidemiol Community Health,
75(1), 46-50.
Abstract:
Will it work here? a realist approach to local decisions about implementing interventions evaluated as effective elsewhere.
There is increasing interest in what evidence is needed to inform decisions about transporting interventions evaluated as effective to new settings. There has been less attention to how local decision-makers decide whether to implement such interventions immediately or subject to further evaluation. Using the example of school-based social and emotional learning, we consider this drawing on realist methods. We suggest decisions need to assess existing evaluations not merely in terms of whether the intervention was effective but also: how the intervention was implemented and what contextual factors affected this (drawing on process evaluation); and for whom the intervention was effective and through what mechanisms (drawing on mediation, moderation and qualitative comparative analyses from primary studies and/or systematic reviews). We contribute new insights to local needs assessments, suggesting that these should assess: the potential, capability, contribution and capacity present in the new setting for implementation; and whether similar 'aetiological mechanisms' underlie adverse outcomes locally as in previous evaluations. We recommend that where there is uncertainty concerning whether an intervention can feasibly be implemented this indicates the need for piloting of implementation. Where there is uncertainty concerning whether implementation of the intervention will trigger intended mechanisms, this suggests the need for a new effectiveness trial. Where there is uncertainty concerning whether intervention mechanisms, even if triggered, will generate the intended outcomes, this suggests that decision-makers may need to look to other types of intervention as being needed for their setting instead.
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Author URL.
Meiksin R, Melendez-Torres GJ, Falconer J, Witzel TC, Weatherburn P, Bonell C (2021). eHealth Interventions to Address Sexual Health, Substance Use, and Mental Health Among Men Who Have Sex with Men: Systematic Review and Synthesis of Process Evaluations.
Journal of Medical Internet Research,
23(4), e22477-e22477.
Abstract:
eHealth Interventions to Address Sexual Health, Substance Use, and Mental Health Among Men Who Have Sex with Men: Systematic Review and Synthesis of Process Evaluations
. Background
. Men who have sex with men (MSM) face disproportionate risks concerning HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, substance use, and mental health. These outcomes constitute an interacting syndemic among MSM; interventions addressing all 3 together could have multiplicative effects. eHealth interventions can be accessed privately, and evidence from general populations suggests these can effectively address all 3 health outcomes. However, it is unclear how useable, accessible, or acceptable eHealth interventions are for MSM and what factors affect this.
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.
. Objective
. We undertook a systematic review of eHealth interventions addressing sexual risk, substance use, and common mental illnesses among MSM and synthesized evidence from process evaluations.
.
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. Methods
. We searched 19 databases, 3 trials registers, OpenGrey, and Google, and supplemented this by reference checks and requests to experts. Eligible reports were those that discussed eHealth interventions offering ongoing support to MSM aiming to prevent sexual risk, substance use, anxiety or depression; and assessed how intervention delivery or receipt varied with characteristics of interventions, providers, participants, or context. Reviewers screened citations on titles, abstracts, and then full text. Reviewers assessed quality of eligible studies, and extracted data on intervention, study characteristics, and process evaluation findings. The analysis used thematic synthesis.
.
.
. Results
. A total of 12 reports, addressing 10 studies of 8 interventions, were eligible for process synthesis. Most addressed sexual risk alone or with other outcomes. Studies were assessed as medium and high reliability (reflecting the trustworthiness of overall findings) but tended to lack depth and breadth in terms of the process issues explored. Intervention acceptability was enhanced by ease of use; privacy protection; use of diverse media; opportunities for self-reflection and to gain knowledge and skills; and content that was clear, interactive, tailored, reflective of MSM’s experiences, and affirming of sexual-minority identity. Technical issues and interventions that were too long detracted from acceptability. Some evidence suggested that acceptability varied by race or ethnicity and educational level; findings on variation by socioeconomic status were mixed. No studies explored how intervention delivery or receipt varied by provider characteristics.
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. Conclusions
. Findings suggest that eHealth interventions targeting sexual risk, substance use, and mental health are acceptable for MSM across sociodemographic groups. We identified the factors shaping MSM’s receipt of such interventions, highlighting the importance of tailored content reflecting MSM’s experiences and of language affirming sexual-minority identities. Intervention developers can draw on these findings to increase the usability and acceptability of integrated eHealth interventions to address the syndemic of sexual risk, substance use, and mental ill health among MSM. Evaluators of these interventions can draw on our findings to plan evaluations that explore the factors shaping usability and acceptability.
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Abstract.
Meiksin R, Crichton J, Dodd M, Morgan GS, Williams P, Willmott M, Allen E, Tilouche N, Sturgess J, Morris S, et al (2020). A school intervention for 13- to 15-year-olds to prevent dating and relationship violence: the Project Respect pilot cluster RCT.
Abstract:
A school intervention for 13- to 15-year-olds to prevent dating and relationship violence: the Project Respect pilot cluster RCT
Background‘Dating and relationship violence’ is intimate partner violence during adolescence. Among dating adolescents in England, 66–75% of girls and 32–50% of boys report victimisation. Multicomponent school-based interventions might reduce dating and relationship violence. We optimised and piloted Project Respect, a new intervention in secondary schools in England, and study methods, to assess the value of a Phase III randomised controlled trial.ObjectivesTo optimise Project Respect and to then conduct a pilot randomised controlled trial in southern England, addressing whether or not progression to a Phase III trial is justified in terms of prespecified criteria. To assess which of two dating and relationship violence scales is optimal, to assess response rates and to consider any necessary refinements.DesignOptimisation activities aimed at intervention development and a pilot randomised controlled trial.SettingOptimisation in four secondary schools across southern England, varying by region and local deprivation. A pilot cluster randomised controlled trial in six other such schools (four intervention schools and two control schools), varying by region, attainment and local deprivation.ParticipantsSchool students in years 8–10 at baseline and staff.InterventionsSchools were randomised to the intervention or control arm in a 2 : 1 ratio; intervention comprised staff training, mapping ‘hotspots’ in school for dating and relationship violence, modifying staff patrols, school policy review, informing parents and carers, an application supporting student help-seeking, and a classroom curriculum for students in years 9 and 10 (including student-led campaigns).Main outcome measuresPrespecified criteria for progression to Phase III of the trial, concerning acceptability, feasibility, fidelity and response rates. Primary health outcomes were assessed using the Safe Dates and short Conflicts in Adolescent Dating Relationships Inventory measures collected and analysed by individuals who were masked to allocation. Feasibility of economic analysis was assessed.Data sourcesBaseline and follow-up student and staff surveys, interviews, observations and logbooks.ResultsThe intervention was optimised and approved by the Study Steering Committee. The student response rates in intervention and control groups were 1057 (84.8%) and 369 (76.6%) at baseline, and 1177 (76.8%) and 352 (83.4%) at follow-up, respectively. Safe Dates and the short Conflicts in Adolescent Dating Relationships Inventory had high levels of completion and reliability. At follow-up, prevalence of past-year dating and relationship violence victimisation was around 35% (Safe Dates scale and short Conflicts in Adolescent Dating Relationships Inventory). Staff response rates were very low. Training occurred in all four schools, with suboptimal fidelity. The curriculum was delivered with optimal fidelity in three schools. Other components were delivered inconsistently. Dating and relationship violence was addressed in control schools via violence prevention and responses, but not systematically. Intervention acceptability among students and staff was mixed. An economic evaluation would be feasible.LimitationsOne school did not undertake baseline surveys. Staff survey response rates were low and completion of the logbook was patchy.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that progression to a Phase III trial of this intervention is not indicated because of limited fidelity and acceptability.Future workHigh prevalence of dating and relationship violence highlights the ongoing need for effective intervention. Potential intervention refinements would include more external support for schools and enhanced curriculum materials. Any future randomised controlled trials could consider having a longer lead-in from randomisation to intervention commencement, using the short Conflicts in Adolescent Dating Relationships Inventory as the primary outcome and not relying on staff surveys.Trial registrationCurrent Controlled Trials ISRCTN65324176.FundingThis project was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Public Health Research programme and will be published in full in Public Health Research; Vol. 8, No. 5. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.
Abstract.
Bonell C, Melendez-Torres GJ, Viner RM, Rogers MB, Whitworth M, Rutter H, Rubin GJ, Patton G (2020). An evidence-based theory of change for reducing SARS-CoV-2 transmission in reopened schools.
Health and Place,
64Abstract:
An evidence-based theory of change for reducing SARS-CoV-2 transmission in reopened schools
Schools have closed worldwide as part of measures to prevent SARS-CoV-2 transmission but are beginning to reopen in some countries. Various measures are being pursued to minimise transmission but existing guidance has not developed a comprehensive framework or theory of change. We present a framework informed by the occupational health hierarchy of control and a theory of change informed by realist approaches. We present measures focused on elimination, substitution, engineering, administration, education and personal protective equipment. We theorise that such measures offer a means of disrupting SARS-CoV-2 transmission via routes involving fomites, faeco-oral routes, droplets and aerosols.
Abstract.
Warren E, Melendez-Torres GJ, Viner R, Bonell C (2020). Correction to: Using qualitative research to explore intervention mechanisms: findings from the trial of the learning together whole-school health intervention.
Trials,
21(1).
Abstract:
Correction to: Using qualitative research to explore intervention mechanisms: findings from the trial of the learning together whole-school health intervention.
An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.
Abstract.
Author URL.
Melendez-Torres GJ, Noori T, Pharris A, Spiteri G, Garner A, Alba B, Bourne A (2020). Country level homophobia and protective sexual health behaviours among HIV negative or untested men who have sex with men in 45 countries.
AIDS Care,
32(12), 1589-1593.
Abstract:
Country level homophobia and protective sexual health behaviours among HIV negative or untested men who have sex with men in 45 countries.
Despite new, effective biomedical technologies to prevent the transmission of HIV, social and structural factors still impact the opportunity for gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) to access safe sexual health services. Within this paper we describe findings of a pilot analysis that seeks to identify relationships between country level homophobia, individual-level sexualised drug use and key sexual health protective behaviours in a sample of HIV negative men from 45 countries recruited via a large online survey. Responses to questions relating to HIV and STI testing history, use of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) and engagement in sexualised drug use were treated as dependent variables within generalised linear mixed-effects model with logit link analysis, with country level homophobia (drawn from a recently published international index) operating as the dependent variable. In total, data from 9,356 respondents were included for analysis. Overall, uptake of behaviours known to be protective of sexual health overall was significantly lower in countries with high levels of homophobia. This paper is unique in linking a robust measure of country-level homophobia to engagement in health protective behaviours on a large-scale, multi-country level basis.
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Uthman OA, Al-Khudairy L, Nduka CU, Court R, Mistry H, Melendez-Torres GJ, Taylor-Phillips S, Clarke A (2020). Determining optimal strategies for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease: systematic review, cost-effectiveness review and network meta-analysis protocol.
Syst Rev,
9(1).
Abstract:
Determining optimal strategies for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease: systematic review, cost-effectiveness review and network meta-analysis protocol.
BACKGROUND: Despite recent improvements in the burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in the UK, deaths from CVD are relatively high compared with other high-income countries. An estimated 7 million people in the UK are living with CVD, and the healthcare cost is approximately £11 billion annually. In more than 90% of cases, the risk of a first heart attack is thought to be related to modifiable risk factors including smoking, poor diet, lipidemia, high blood pressure, inactivity, obesity and excess alcohol consumption. The aim of the study is to synthesise evidence for the comparative effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of different interventions for the primary prevention of CVD. METHODS: We will systematically search databases (for example, MEDLINE (Ovid), Embase (Ovid), Cochrane Library) and the reference lists of previous systematic reviews for randomised controlled trials that assess the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of any form of intervention aimed at adult populations for the primary prevention of CVD, including but not limited to lipid lowering medications, blood pressure lowering medications, antiplatelet agents, nutritional supplements, dietary interventions, health promotion programmes, physical activity interventions or structural and policy interventions. Interventions may or may not be targeted at high-risk groups. Publications from any year will be considered for inclusion. The primary outcome will be all cause mortality. Secondary outcomes will be cardiovascular diseases related mortality, major cardiovascular events, coronary heart disease, incremental costs per quality-adjusted life years gained. If data permits, we will use network meta-analysis to compare and rank effectiveness of different interventions, and test effect modification of intervention effectiveness using subgroup analyses and meta-regression analyses. DISCUSSION: the results will be important for policymakers when making decisions between multiple possible alternative strategies to prevent CVD. Compared to results from existing multiple separate pairwise meta-analyses, this overarching synthesis of all relevant work will enhance decision-making. The findings will be crucial to inform evidence-based priorities and guidelines for policies and planning prevention strategies of CVD. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42019123940.
Abstract.
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Megnin-Viggars O, Carter P, Melendez-Torres GJ, Weston D, Rubin GJ (2020). Facilitators and barriers to engagement with contact tracing during infectious disease outbreaks: a rapid review of the evidence.
PLoS One,
15(10).
Abstract:
Facilitators and barriers to engagement with contact tracing during infectious disease outbreaks: a rapid review of the evidence.
BACKGROUND: Until a vaccine is developed, a test, trace and isolate strategy is the most effective method of controlling the COVID-19 outbreak. Contact tracing and case isolation are common methods for controlling infectious disease outbreaks. However, the effectiveness of any contact tracing system rests on public engagement. Numerous factors may influence an individual's willingness to engage with a contact tracing system. Understanding these factors has become urgent during the COVID-19 pandemic. OBJECTIVE: to identify facilitators and barriers to uptake of, and engagement with, contact tracing during infectious disease outbreaks. METHOD: a rapid systematic review was conducted to identify papers based on primary research, written in English, and that assessed facilitators, barriers, and other factors associated with the uptake of, and engagement with, a contact tracing system. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Four themes were identified as facilitators to the uptake of, and engagement with, contact tracing: collective responsibility; personal benefit; co-production of contact tracing systems; and the perception of the system as efficient, rigorous and reliable. Five themes were identified as barriers to the uptake of, and engagement with, contact tracing: privacy concerns; mistrust and/or apprehension; unmet need for more information and support; fear of stigmatization; and mode-specific challenges. CONCLUSIONS: By focusing on the factors that have been identified, contact tracing services are more likely to get people to engage with them, identify more potentially ill contacts, and reduce transmission.
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Author URL.
Kagan SH, Melendez-Torres GJ, OâConnor S (2020). From excellence to eminence: Announcing IJOPN’s 2020 awards. International Journal of Older People Nursing, 15(3).
Meiksin R, Campbell R, Crichton J, Morgan GS, Williams P, Willmott M, Tilouche N, Ponsford R, Barter CA, Sweeting H, et al (2020). Implementing a whole-school relationships and sex education intervention to prevent dating and relationship violence: evidence from a pilot trial in English secondary schools.
Sex Education,
20(6), 658-674.
Abstract:
Implementing a whole-school relationships and sex education intervention to prevent dating and relationship violence: evidence from a pilot trial in English secondary schools
Adolescent dating and relationship violence is associated with health harms and is an important topic for sex education. School-based interventions addressing this have been effective in the USA, but schools in England confront pressures that might hinder implementation. We assessed the feasibility of, and contextual enablers/barriers to implementing Project Respect, a whole-school intervention. We conducted a pilot trial with process evaluation in six English secondary schools. Intervention comprised: training; policy-review; mapping and patrolling ‘hotspots’; parent information; help-seeking app; and a curriculum (including student-led campaigns) targeting dating violence. Process evaluation included assessments of fidelity and interviews with the trainer and school staff. Schools delivered training and lessons partially or completely and made parent and app information available. Two schools conducted policy reviews; none patrolled hotspots or implemented campaigns. Implementation was strengthened where staff saw dating violence as a priority. Delivery was undermined where staff were insufficiently involved, lacked time for planning or struggled to timetable lessons, and where new school challenges undermined engagement. School-based health interventions must work to build staff buy-in and ensure they do not overburden schools. Dating and relationship violence might best be addressed in this context as a broader aspect of sex education.
Abstract.
Rubin GJ, Smith LE, Melendez-Torres GJ, Yardley L (2020). Improving adherence to 'test, trace and isolate'.
J R Soc Med,
113(9), 335-338.
Author URL.
Aagaard K, MelĂŠndez-Torres GJ, Overgaard C (2020). Improving oral health in nursing home residents: a process evaluation of a shared oral care intervention.
J Clin Nurs,
29(17-18), 3392-3402.
Abstract:
Improving oral health in nursing home residents: a process evaluation of a shared oral care intervention.
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: to evaluate the process of implementing an oral care intervention in nursing homes in a Danish municipality. BACKGROUND: Older people with aged natural dentition require preventive and curative oral health care. An intervention based on principles of situated learning was implemented to establish closer cooperation between dental and nursing staff in nursing homes, leading to improved oral hygiene in nursing home residents. DESIGN: an embedded multiple-case study combined with principles of realist evaluation unfolded in three phases: Formulation of initial programme theory, Testing and Refining the programme theory. The COREQ checklist is followed in reporting. METHODS: Observations, six group interviews and 22 face-to-face interviews with dentists, dental practitioners, nursing home managers, care professionals and residents were conducted in three nursing homes (n = 41). RESULTS: Three main outcomes of a programme theory were identified, relating to (a) residents, in the form of new oral care routines; (b) interdisciplinary working, in the form of professional pride in performing sufficient oral care; (c) organisational level changes, in the form of increased interdisciplinary knowledge sharing. The overarching supportive mechanisms were the creation of relationships between residents, dental practitioners and care professionals as well as nursing home management taking responsibility for structure, planning and knowledge sharing. CONCLUSION: the situated learning perspective supported residents and care professionals' competencies in performing sufficient oral care. The shared oral care intervention supports an individual and multidisciplinary assessment of nursing home residents' ability to self-care concerning oral care. Contextual factors, supportive and restraining mechanisms influence the intervention's success. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Understanding the complexity within interdisciplinary cooperation in primary nursing and unravelling the necessary properties to enhance nursing home residents' oral health care are areas of improvement for care service in nursing homes.
Abstract.
Author URL.
Hennegan J, Brooks DJ, Schwab KJ, Melendez-Torres GJ (2020). Measurement in the study of menstrual health and hygiene: a systematic review and audit.
PLoS One,
15(6).
Abstract:
Measurement in the study of menstrual health and hygiene: a systematic review and audit.
BACKGROUND: the lack of established measurement tools in the study of menstrual health and hygiene has been a significant limitation of quantitative studies to date. However, there has been limited exploration of existing measurement to identify avenues for improvement. METHODS: We undertook two linked systematic reviews of (1) trials of menstrual health interventions and their nested studies in low- and middle-income countries, (2) studies developing or validating measures of menstrual experiences from any location. Systematic searching was undertaken in 12 databases, together with handsearching. We iteratively grouped and audited concepts measured across included studies and extracted and compared measures of each concept. RESULTS: a total of 23 trials, 9 nested studies and 22 measure development studies were included. Trials measured a range of outcomes including menstrual knowledge, attitudes, and practices, school absenteeism, and health. Most measure validation studies focused on assessing attitudes towards menstruation, while a group of five studies assessed the accuracy of women's recall of their menstrual characteristics such as timing and cycle length. Measures of menstrual knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and restrictions were inconsistent and frequently overlapped. No two studies measured the same menstrual or hygiene practices, with 44 different practices assessed. This audit provides a summary of current measures and extant efforts to pilot or test their performance. CONCLUSIONS: Inconsistencies in both the definition and operationalisation of concepts measured in menstrual health and hygiene research should be addressed. To improve measurement, authors should clearly define the constructs they aim to measure and outline how these were operationalised for measurement. Results of this audit indicate the need for the development and validation of new measures, and the evaluation of the performance of existing measures across contexts. In particular, the definition and measurement of menstrual practices, knowledge, attitudes, norms and restrictions should be addressed. REVIEW PROTOCOL REGISTRATION: CRD42018089884.
Abstract.
Author URL.
Thongseiratch T, Leijten P, Melendez-Torres GJ (2020). Online parent programs for children's behavioral problems: a meta-analytic review.
Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry,
29(11), 1555-1568.
Abstract:
Online parent programs for children's behavioral problems: a meta-analytic review.
A recent increase in the development of online parent programs calls for the need to understand how effective these strategies are for improving children's mental health. We meta-analyzed the effects of online parent programs on children's behavioral problems. Moreover, we explored the combinations of program components to yield stronger program effects. Medline, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library were searched. We included peer-reviewed randomized studies evaluating the effect of an online parent program. Effect sizes (Hedges' g) were calculated from post intervention means and standard deviations. We used Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) to identify pathways to effectiveness and individual content and delivery components that seem sufficient or necessary for yielding high effectiveness. of 2941 articles, 12 articles with a total of 2025 participants met the inclusion criteria. Online parent programs have significant effects on children's behavioral problems (g = - 0.32; 95% CI, - 0.47 to - 0.17), emotional problems (g = - 0.22; 95% CI, - 0.31 to - 0.13), and parental mental health problems (g = - 0.30; 95% CI, - 0.42 to - 0.17). In the QCA, sending parents reminders to work on the program was the only one sufficient component. In conclusion, online support programs reduce children's behavioral and emotional problems and improve parental mental health. Sending parents reminders to work on the program seems to contribute to high effectiveness. Review Registration This study was registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42017080051.
Abstract.
Author URL.
IJOPN Team, Blakey E, Carapellotti A, Chilvers D, Kagan SH, Melendez-Torres GJ, O'Connosr S (2020). Our Gratitude and a Reminder to Pivot, Not Jump.
Int J Older People Nurs,
15(2).
Author URL.
McCoy A, Melendez-Torres GJ, Gardner F (2020). Parenting interventions to prevent violence against children in low- and middle-income countries in East and Southeast Asia: a systematic review and multi-level meta-analysis.
Child Abuse Negl,
103Abstract:
Parenting interventions to prevent violence against children in low- and middle-income countries in East and Southeast Asia: a systematic review and multi-level meta-analysis.
BACKGROUND: Currently, the strongest evidence for preventing violence against children lies with social learning theory-based parenting interventions. An increasing number of experimental studies on such interventions have been conducted in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) in East and Southeast Asia. OBJECTIVE: to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis on the effectiveness of parenting interventions in preventing violence against children. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: Parents and primary caregivers living in LMICs in East and Southeast Asia. METHODS: Eleven studies were retrieved through electronic databases, expert contacts, and the reference sections of previous reviews. Studies were appraised for risk of bias and effect estimates pooled using random effects multilevel meta-analysis. RESULTS: Forty-four effect estimates were meta-analyzed based on five outcome category models, finding a small effect on abusive, harsh, or negative parenting (n = 3, d = -0.42, 95 % CI [- 0.81, -0.02], p
Abstract.
Author URL.
Melendez-Torres GJ, Anthony RE, Hewitt G, Murphy S, Moore GF (2020). Prevalence of gambling behaviours and their associations with socioemotional harm among 11-16 year olds in Wales: findings from the School Health Research Network survey (vol 30, pg 432, 2020).
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH,
30(3), 611-611.
Author URL.
Melendez-Torres GJ, Anthony RE, Hewitt G, Murphy S, Moore GF (2020). Prevalence of gambling behaviours and their associations with socioemotional harm among 11-16 year olds in Wales: findings from the School Health Research Network survey.
Eur J Public Health,
30(3), 432-438.
Abstract:
Prevalence of gambling behaviours and their associations with socioemotional harm among 11-16 year olds in Wales: findings from the School Health Research Network survey.
BACKGROUND: Gambling opportunities are increasingly available and acceptable to many adolescents. Adolescent problem gambling has been associated with poor outcomes, such as lower reported physical and mental health. While much research has focussed on 'problem' gambling, analysing the distribution and determinants of experimentation with gambling is important in order to understand its normalization and population level consequences. This study describes the distribution of inequalities and socioemotional harms associated with adolescent gambling. METHODS: Data were drawn from a subsample of students (N = 37 363) who completed gambling questions as part of the 2017 School Health Research Network Student Health and Wellbeing Survey, representing 193 secondary schools in Wales. Using imputations, we estimated a series of single-predictor and multi-predictor regressions for count of gambling behaviours, any gambling in the past 12 months and socioemotional harms of gambling. RESULTS: Approximately two-fifths (41.0%) of respondents reported gambling in the past 12 months, of whom 16.2% reported feeling bad as a result of their own gambling. We found significant sex differences in gambling, with boys gambling more frequently than girls. Adolescents from more affluent families reported a higher count of gambling behaviours and socioemotional harms, although paradoxically, increasing affluence was also associated with lower prevalence of gambling in the last year. Non-White British ethnicities and students who felt less connected to school were more likely to engage in gambling and experience socioemotional harms. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings provide important new insights regarding risk factors in adolescence associated with gambling behaviours and socioemotional harms.
Abstract.
Author URL.
Laurenzi CA, Skeen S, Gordon S, Akin-Olugbade O, Abrahams N, Bradshaw M, Brand A, du Toit S, Melendez-Torres GJ, Tomlinson M, et al (2020). Preventing mental health conditions in adolescents living with HIV: an urgent need for evidence.
J Int AIDS Soc,
23 Suppl 5(Suppl 5).
Abstract:
Preventing mental health conditions in adolescents living with HIV: an urgent need for evidence.
INTRODUCTION: As adolescents transition from childhood to adulthood, they experience major physical, social and psychological changes, and are at heightened risk for developing mental health conditions and engaging in health-related risk behaviours. For adolescents living with HIV (ALHIV), these risks may be even more pronounced. Research shows that this population may face additional mental health challenges related to the biological impact of the disease and its treatment, the psychosocial burdens of living with HIV and HIV-related social and environmental stressors. DISCUSSION: Psychosocial interventions delivered to adolescents can promote positive mental health, prevent mental health problems and strengthen young people's capacity to navigate challenges and protect themselves from risk. It is likely that these interventions can also benefit at-risk populations, such as ALHIV, yet there is little research on this. There is an urgent need for more research evaluating the effects of interventions designed to improve the mental health of ALHIV. We highlight four priorities moving forward. These include: generating more evidence about preventive mental health interventions for ALHIV; including mental health outcomes in research on psychosocial interventions for ALHIV; conducting intervention research that is sensitive to differences among ALHIV populations and involving adolescents in intervention design and testing. CONCLUSIONS: More robust research on promotive and preventive mental health interventions is needed for ALHIV. Programmes should be informed by adolescent priorities and preferences and responsive to the specific needs of these groups.
Abstract.
Author URL.
Laurenzi CA, Gordon S, Abrahams N, du Toit S, Bradshaw M, Brand A, Melendez-Torres GJ, Tomlinson M, Ross DA, Servili C, et al (2020). Psychosocial interventions targeting mental health in pregnant adolescents and adolescent parents: a systematic review.
Reprod Health,
17(1).
Abstract:
Psychosocial interventions targeting mental health in pregnant adolescents and adolescent parents: a systematic review.
BACKGROUND: Pregnancy and parenthood are known to be high-risk times for mental health. However, less is known about the mental health of pregnant adolescents or adolescent parents. Despite the substantial literature on the risks associated with adolescent pregnancy, there is limited evidence on best practices for preventing poor mental health in this vulnerable group. This systematic review therefore aimed to identify whether psychosocial interventions can effectively promote positive mental health and prevent mental health conditions in pregnant and parenting adolescents. METHODS: We used the standardized systematic review methodology based on the process outlined in the World Health Organization's Handbook for Guidelines Development. This review focused on randomized controlled trials of preventive psychosocial interventions to promote the mental health of pregnant and parenting adolescents, as compared to treatment as usual. We searched PubMed/Medline, PsycINFO, ERIC, EMBASE and ASSIA databases, as well as reference lists of relevant articles, grey literature, and consultation with experts in the field. GRADE was used to assess the quality of evidence. RESULTS: We included 17 eligible studies (n = 3245 participants). Interventions had small to moderate, beneficial effects on positive mental health (SMD = 0.35, very low quality evidence), and moderate beneficial effects on school attendance (SMD = 0.64, high quality evidence). There was limited evidence for the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions on mental health disorders including depression and anxiety, substance use, risky sexual and reproductive health behaviors, adherence to antenatal and postnatal care, and parenting skills. There were no available data for outcomes on self-harm and suicide; aggressive, disruptive, and oppositional behaviors; or exposure to intimate partner violence. Only two studies included adolescent fathers. No studies were based in low- or middle-income countries. CONCLUSION: Despite the encouraging findings in terms of effects on positive mental health and school attendance outcomes, there is a critical evidence gap related to the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions for improving mental health, preventing disorders, self-harm, and other risk behaviors among pregnant and parenting adolescents. There is an urgent need to adapt and design new psychosocial interventions that can be pilot-tested and scaled with pregnant adolescents and adolescent parents and their extended networks, particularly in low-income settings.
Abstract.
Author URL.
Melendez-Torres GJ, Spencer T, Ingram LD, Zimmerman RS, Pettengill R, Mullman M, Otterbein M, Stein R, Kilburn C (2020). Quasi-Experimental Evaluation of the Grassroot Project, a Sport-Based Sexual Health Promotion Program for Urban Middle School Students.
American Journal of Sexuality Education,
15(4), 465-475.
Abstract:
Quasi-Experimental Evaluation of the Grassroot Project, a Sport-Based Sexual Health Promotion Program for Urban Middle School Students
This study evaluated the Grassroot Project, a middle school sexual health promotion program in Washington, DC that uses university-level athlete role models and sports-based games. Seven schools were allocated to immediate (n = 160) or delayed intervention (n = 166). Students were tested before and immediately after the intervention on attitudes and self-efficacy to avoid sexual risk, intentions to avoid or engage in sexual intercourse, HIV stigma, and endorsement of violent behaviors. There was no evidence of differences between groups; however, the intervention has promise in respect of key outcome domains. This research justifies future longitudinal evaluation to assess behavioral and biomedical outcomes.
Abstract.
Dowdall N, Melendez-Torres GJ, Murray L, Gardner F, Hartford L, Cooper PJ (2020). Shared Picture Book Reading Interventions for Child Language Development: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Child Dev,
91(2), e383-e399.
Abstract:
Shared Picture Book Reading Interventions for Child Language Development: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Interventions that train parents to share picture books with children are seen as a strategy for supporting child language development. We conducted meta-analyses using robust variance estimation modeling on results from 19 RCTs (Ntotal = 2,594; Mchildage = 1-6 years). Overall, book-sharing interventions had a small sized effect on both expressive language (d = 0.41) and receptive language (d = 0.26). They had a large effect on caregiver book-sharing competence (d = 1.01). The impact of the intervention on child language was moderated by intervention dosage, with lower dosage associated with a minimal impact. Child age and caregiver education level were unrelated to child outcome. This review and meta-analysis confirms the promise of book-sharing interventions for enhancing and accelerating child language development.
Abstract.
Author URL.
Moore GF, Anthony RE, Hawkins J, Van Godwin J, Murphy S, Hewitt G, Melendez-Torres GJ (2020). Socioeconomic status, mental wellbeing and transition to secondary school: Analysis of the School Health Research Network/Health Behaviour in School-aged Children survey in Wales.
British Educational Research Journal,
46(5), 1111-1130.
Abstract:
Socioeconomic status, mental wellbeing and transition to secondary school: Analysis of the School Health Research Network/Health Behaviour in School-aged Children survey in Wales
Young people's wellbeing is often lowest where they assume a relatively low position within their school's socioeconomic hierarchy, for example, among poorer children attending more affluent schools. Transition to secondary school is a period during which young people typically enter an environment which is more socioeconomically diverse than their primary school. Young people joining a school with a higher socioeconomic status intake relative to their primary school may assume a relatively lowered position within their school’s socioeconomic hierarchy, experiencing a detriment to their wellbeing as a consequence. This article draws on data from 45,055 pupils in Years 7 and 8, from 193 secondary schools in Wales, who completed the 2017 Student Health Research Network (SHRN) Student Health and Wellbeing (SHW) survey. Pupils reported which primary school they previously attended, and survey data on wellbeing were linked to publicly available data on the free school meal entitlement of schools attended. In cross-classified linear mixed-effects models, with primary and secondary school as levels, mental wellbeing varied significantly according to both primary and secondary school attended. A higher school-level deprivation was associated with worse mental wellbeing in both cases. Mental wellbeing was significantly predicted by the relative affluence of a child's primary and secondary school, with movement to a secondary school of higher overall socioeconomic status associated with lowered wellbeing. These findings highlight transition to secondary school as a key point in which socioeconomic inequality in wellbeing may widen, and thus as an important focal point for intervention to reduce health inequalities.
Abstract.
Viner RM, Mytton OT, Bonell C, Melendez-Torres GJ, Ward J, Hudson L, Waddington C, Thomas J, Russell S, Van Der Klis F, et al (2020). Susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 Infection among Children and Adolescents Compared with Adults: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.
JAMA Pediatrics,
175(2), 143-156.
Abstract:
Susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 Infection among Children and Adolescents Compared with Adults: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
© 2020 American Medical Association. All rights reserved. Importance: the degree to which children and adolescents are infected by and transmit severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is unclear. The role of children and adolescents in transmission of SARS-CoV-2 is dependent on susceptibility, symptoms, viral load, social contact patterns, and behavior. Objective: to systematically review the susceptibility to and transmission of SARS-CoV-2 among children and adolescents compared with adults. Data Sources: PubMed and medRxiv were searched from database inception to July 28, 2020, and a total of 13926 studies were identified, with additional studies identified through hand searching of cited references and professional contacts. Study Selection: Studies that provided data on the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in children and adolescents (younger than 20 years) compared with adults (20 years and older) derived from contact tracing or population screening were included. Single-household studies were excluded. Data Extraction and Synthesis: PRISMA guidelines for abstracting data were followed, which was performed independently by 2 reviewers. Quality was assessed using a critical appraisal checklist for prevalence studies. Random-effects meta-analysis was undertaken. Main Outcomes and Measures: Secondary infection rate (contact-tracing studies) or prevalence or seroprevalence (population screening studies) among children and adolescents compared with adults. Results: a total of 32 studies comprising 41640 children and adolescents and 268945 adults met inclusion criteria, including 18 contact-tracing studies and 14 population screening studies. The pooled odds ratio of being an infected contact in children compared with adults was 0.56 (95% CI, 0.37-0.85), with substantial heterogeneity (I2= 94.6%). Three school-based contact-tracing studies found minimal transmission from child or teacher index cases. Findings from population screening studies were heterogenous and were not suitable for meta-analysis. Most studies were consistent with lower seroprevalence in children compared with adults, although seroprevalence in adolescents appeared similar to adults. Conclusions and Relevance: in this meta-analysis, there is preliminary evidence that children and adolescents have lower susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2, with an odds ratio of 0.56 for being an infected contact compared with adults. There is weak evidence that children and adolescents play a lesser role than adults in transmission of SARS-CoV-2 at a population level. This study provides no information on the infectivity of children.
Abstract.
Elswick RK, Kagan SH, Melendez-Torres GJ (2020). The Evidence Synthesis Imperative.
Cancer Nurs,
43(3), 171-172.
Author URL.
Rotevatn TA, Melendez-Torres GJ, Overgaard C, Peven K, Hyldgaard Nilsen J, Bøggild H, Høstgaard AMB (2020). Understanding rapid infant weight gain prevention: a systematic review of quantitative and qualitative evidence.
Eur J Public Health,
30(4), 703-712.
Abstract:
Understanding rapid infant weight gain prevention: a systematic review of quantitative and qualitative evidence.
BACKGROUND: Rapid infant weight gain (RIWG) is strongly related to childhood overweight and obesity, and prevention of RIWG is an approach to early years obesity prevention. This systematic review aimed to explore effectiveness, deliverers' and recipients' experiences of involvement, and key intervention components and processes of such prevention activities. METHODS: Key databases and websites were searched systematically for quantitative and qualitative studies covering intervention effectiveness, experiences with intervention involvement or process outcomes. After duplicate screening and quality assessment, papers were analyzed through narrative synthesis, thematic synthesis and intervention component analysis. RESULTS: Seven quantitative and seven qualitative studies were eligible for inclusion. Most intervention studies reported small, but significant results on infant weight gain. More significant results were measured on weight gain during the first compared with the second year of life. A weak evidence base made elaboration of the relationship between intervention effectiveness and content challenging. Home-delivered interventions may be more relevant for parents. Contextual factors, such as social norms, beliefs and professional identity should be considered during intervention development. Stakeholder involvement can be key to increase intervention acceptability and feasibility. CONCLUSIONS: the field of RIWG prevention is new and evolving, but more research is needed before further conclusions about intervention effectiveness and intervention content can be drawn. Future interventions should take parents, health professionals and other contextual needs into account to improve chances of success. More research on long-term effects on overweight and obesity is needed.
Abstract.
Author URL.
Warren E, Melendez-Torres GJ, Viner R, Bonell C (2020). Using qualitative research to explore intervention mechanisms: findings from the trial of the Learning Together whole-school health intervention.
Trials,
21(1).
Abstract:
Using qualitative research to explore intervention mechanisms: findings from the trial of the Learning Together whole-school health intervention.
BACKGROUND: This study reports on qualitative research conducted within a randomised controlled trial to explore possible intervention mechanisms. It focuses on the 'Learning Together' whole-school intervention delivered in secondary schools in England from 2014 to 2017 aiming to prevent bullying and aggression and improve student health. Intervention schools received staff training in restorative practice, a social and emotional learning curriculum, and an external facilitator and manual to convene and run a student/staff action group tasked with coordinating the intervention, focusing this on local needs. METHODS: Informed by realist approaches to evaluation, we analysed qualitative data to explore intervention mechanisms and how these might interact with school contexts to generate outcomes. Qualitative analysis drew on 45 interviews and 21 focus groups across three case-study schools and employed thematic content analysis to explore how intervention resources were taken up and used by local actors, how participants described the intervention mechanisms that then ensued, and how these might have generated beneficial outcomes. RESULTS: the thematic content analysis identified three social mechanisms that recurred in participant accounts: (1) building student commitment to the school community, (2) building healthy relationships by modelling and teaching pro-social skills, and (3) de-escalating bullying and aggression and enabling re-integration within the school community. CONCLUSIONS: Our analysis provides in-depth exploration of possible mechanisms and the contextual contingencies associated with these, allowing refinement of the initial intervention theory of change. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN registry 10751359. Registered on 11 March 2014.
Abstract.
Author URL.
Farmer C, Bullement A, Packman D, Long L, Robinson S, Nikram E, Hatswell AJ, Melendez-Torres GJ, Crathorne L (2020). Voretigene Neparvovec for Treating Inherited Retinal Dystrophies Caused by RPE65 Gene Mutations: an Evidence Review Group Perspective of a NICE Highly Specialised Technology Appraisal.
Pharmacoeconomics,
38(12), 1309-1318.
Abstract:
Voretigene Neparvovec for Treating Inherited Retinal Dystrophies Caused by RPE65 Gene Mutations: an Evidence Review Group Perspective of a NICE Highly Specialised Technology Appraisal.
The UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) considered evidence for voretigene neparvovec (VN; Luxturna®) for the treatment of RPE65-mediated inherited retinal dystrophies (IRD) within its highly specialised technology programme. This paper summarises the evidence provided by the company; the appraisal of the evidence by the Peninsula Technology Appraisal Group, who were commissioned to act as the independent evidence review group (ERG); and the development of the NICE guidance by the appraisal committee. The evidence presented by the company highlighted the significant lifelong burden of IRD for patients and carers. Evidence to support the effectiveness of VN was lacking, but the available evidence showed a modest, sustained improvement across a variety of vision-related outcomes. While patients would remain visually impaired, the committee considered that VN would prevent further deterioration in vision. The modelling approach used by the company had a number of limitations and relied heavily upon a large volume of clinical expert input to produce cost-effectiveness estimates with large uncertainty around long-term effectiveness. The ERG's main concerns revolved around these long-term outcomes and the plausibility of utility values. The NICE committee were convinced that the clinical benefits of VN were important and an appropriate use of national health service resources within a specialised service. The committee concluded that a high unmet need existed in patients with RPE65-mediated IRD and that VN represents a step change in the management of this condition.
Abstract.
Author URL.
Meiksin R, Melendez-Torres GJ, Falconer J, Witzel TC, Weatherburn P, Bonell C (2020). eHealth Interventions to Address Sexual Health, Substance Use, and Mental Health Among Men Who Have Sex with Men: Systematic Review and Synthesis of Process Evaluations (Preprint).
Abstract:
eHealth Interventions to Address Sexual Health, Substance Use, and Mental Health Among Men Who Have Sex with Men: Systematic Review and Synthesis of Process Evaluations (Preprint)
. BACKGROUND
. Men who have sex with men (MSM) face disproportionate risks concerning HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, substance use, and mental health. These outcomes constitute an interacting syndemic among MSM; interventions addressing all 3 together could have multiplicative effects. eHealth interventions can be accessed privately, and evidence from general populations suggests these can effectively address all 3 health outcomes. However, it is unclear how useable, accessible, or acceptable eHealth interventions are for MSM and what factors affect this.
.
.
. OBJECTIVE
. We undertook a systematic review of eHealth interventions addressing sexual risk, substance use, and common mental illnesses among MSM and synthesized evidence from process evaluations.
.
.
. METHODS
. We searched 19 databases, 3 trials registers, OpenGrey, and Google, and supplemented this by reference checks and requests to experts. Eligible reports were those that discussed eHealth interventions offering ongoing support to MSM aiming to prevent sexual risk, substance use, anxiety or depression; and assessed how intervention delivery or receipt varied with characteristics of interventions, providers, participants, or context. Reviewers screened citations on titles, abstracts, and then full text. Reviewers assessed quality of eligible studies, and extracted data on intervention, study characteristics, and process evaluation findings. The analysis used thematic synthesis.
.
.
. RESULTS
. A total of 12 reports, addressing 10 studies of 8 interventions, were eligible for process synthesis. Most addressed sexual risk alone or with other outcomes. Studies were assessed as medium and high reliability (reflecting the trustworthiness of overall findings) but tended to lack depth and breadth in terms of the process issues explored. Intervention acceptability was enhanced by ease of use; privacy protection; use of diverse media; opportunities for self-reflection and to gain knowledge and skills; and content that was clear, interactive, tailored, reflective of MSM’s experiences, and affirming of sexual-minority identity. Technical issues and interventions that were too long detracted from acceptability. Some evidence suggested that acceptability varied by race or ethnicity and educational level; findings on variation by socioeconomic status were mixed. No studies explored how intervention delivery or receipt varied by provider characteristics.
.
.
. CONCLUSIONS
. Findings suggest that eHealth interventions targeting sexual risk, substance use, and mental health are acceptable for MSM across sociodemographic groups. We identified the factors shaping MSM’s receipt of such interventions, highlighting the importance of tailored content reflecting MSM’s experiences and of language affirming sexual-minority identities. Intervention developers can draw on these findings to increase the usability and acceptability of integrated eHealth interventions to address the syndemic of sexual risk, substance use, and mental ill health among MSM. Evaluators of these interventions can draw on our findings to plan evaluations that explore the factors shaping usability and acceptability.
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Abstract.
Melendez-Torres GJ, Kagan SH (2019). Achieving excellence and acknowledging contribution: the 2018 International Journal of Older People Nursing Awards.
Int J Older People Nurs,
14(3).
Author URL.
Skeen S, Laurenzi CA, Gordon SL, Du Toit S, Tomlinson M, Dua T, Fleischmann A, Kohl K, Ross D, Servili C, et al (2019). Adolescent mental health program components and behavior risk reduction: a Meta-analysis.
Pediatrics,
144(2).
Abstract:
Adolescent mental health program components and behavior risk reduction: a Meta-analysis
© 2019 American Academy of Pediatrics. All rights reserved. CONTEXT: Although adolescent mental health interventions are widely implemented, little consensus exists about elements comprising successful models. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to identify effective program components of interventions to promote mental health and prevent mental disorders and risk behaviors during adolescence and to match these components across these key health outcomes to inform future multicomponent intervention development. DATA SOURCES: a total of 14 600 records were identified, and 158 studies were included. STUDY SELECTION: Studies included universally delivered psychosocial interventions administered to adolescents ages 10 to 19. We included studies published between 2000 and 2018, using PubMed, Medline, PsycINFO, Scopus, Embase, and Applied Social Sciences Index Abstracts databases. We included randomized controlled, cluster randomized controlled, factorial, and crossover trials. Outcomes included positive mental health, depressive and anxious symptomatology, violence perpetration and bullying, and alcohol and other substance use. DATA EXTRACTION: Data were extracted by 3 researchers who identified core components and relevant outcomes. Interventions were separated by modality; data were analyzed by using a robust variance estimation meta-analysis model, and we estimated a series of single-predictor meta-regression models using random effects. RESULTS: Universally delivered interventions can improve adolescent mental health and reduce risk behavior. of 7 components with consistent signals of effectiveness, 3 had significant effects over multiple outcomes (interpersonal skills, emotional regulation, and alcohol and drug education). LIMITATIONS: Most included studies were from high-income settings, limiting the applicability of these findings to low- and middle-income countries. Our sample included only trials. CONCLUSIONS: Three program components emerged as consistently effective across different outcomes, providing a basis for developing future multioutcome intervention programs.
Abstract.
Littlecott HJ, Hawkins J, Mann M, Melendez-Torres GJ, Dobbie F, Moore G (2019). Associations between school-based peer networks and smoking according to socioeconomic status and tobacco control context: protocol for a mixed method systematic review.
Syst Rev,
8(1).
Abstract:
Associations between school-based peer networks and smoking according to socioeconomic status and tobacco control context: protocol for a mixed method systematic review.
BACKGROUND: Smoking remains a major public health concern. School-based social networks influence uptake of smoking among peers. During the past two decades, the UK macro-systemic context within which schools are nested and interact with has changed, with anti-smoking norms having become set at a more macro-systemic level. Whilst the overall prevalence of smoking in the UK has decreased, inequality has prevailed. It is plausible that the influence of school-based social networks on smoking uptake may vary according to socioeconomic status. Therefore, this study aims to understand how social influence on smoking among adolescents has changed in line with variance within and between contexts according to time and geography. METHODS: the following databases will be searched: Medline, PsycINFO, Embase, Applied Social Sciences Index and Abstracts (ASSIA), British Education Index, Sociological abstracts, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Education Resources Information Center (ERIC) and Scopus. Additional searches will include reference checking of key papers, citation tracking, word of mouth and grey literature searches. The search strategies will incorporate terms relating to smoking, adolescents, schools, peers, network analysis and qualitative research. Titles and abstracts and full texts will be independently screened and assessed for quality by at least two researchers. Included studies will be assessed for quality, and data will be extracted for synthesis, including participant characteristics, setting and tobacco control context, study design and methods, analysis and results and conclusions. Quantitative findings will be narratively synthesised, whilst a lines of argument synthesis combined with refutational analysis will be employed to synthesise qualitative data. Both sets of findings will be charted on a timeline to add context to network findings and obtain an enhanced understanding of changes over time. DISCUSSION: This protocol is for a mixed methods synthesis of both social network findings, to investigate social structures and qualitative studies, to elicit contextual information. The review will synthesise changes in the context of social influence on adolescent smoking over time and geographically. As context is increasingly recognised as a key source of complexity, this enhanced understanding will help to inform future interventions targeting smoking through social influence. This will help to enhance their relevance to context, subsequent effectiveness and targeting of inequalities. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42019137358.
Abstract.
Author URL.
Leijten P, Gardner F, Melendez-Torres GJ, Weeland J, Hutchings J, Landau S, McGilloway S, Overbeek G, van Aar J, Menting A, et al (2019). Co-occurring change in children's conduct problems and maternal depression: Latent class individual participant data meta-analysis of the Incredible Years parenting program.
Dev Psychopathol,
31(5), 1851-1862.
Abstract:
Co-occurring change in children's conduct problems and maternal depression: Latent class individual participant data meta-analysis of the Incredible Years parenting program.
Children vary in the extent to which they benefit from parenting programs for conduct problems. How does parental mental health change if children benefit less or more? We assessed whether changes in conduct problems and maternal depressive symptoms co-occur following participation in the Incredible Years parenting program. We integrated individual participant data from 10 randomized trials (N = 1280; children aged 2-10 years) and distinguished latent classes based on families' baseline and post-test conduct problems and maternal depressive symptoms, using repeated measures latent class analysis (RMLCA) and latent transition analysis (LTA). Classes differed mainly in severity of conduct problems and depression (RMLCA; 4 classes). Conduct problems reduced in all classes. Depressive symptoms did not change in most classes, except in a class of families where conduct problems and depression were particularly severe. Incredible Years led to a greater likelihood of families with particularly severe conduct problems and depression moving to a class with mild problems (LTA; 3 classes). Our findings suggest that for the majority of families, children's conduct problems reduce, but maternal depressive symptoms do not, suggesting relative independence, with the exception of families with severe depression and severe conduct problems where changes for the better do co-occur.
Abstract.
Author URL.
Connock M, Armoiry X, Tsertsvadze A, Melendez-Torres GJ, Royle P, Andronis L, Clarke A (2019). Comparative survival benefit of currently licensed second or third line treatments for epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) negative advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer: a systematic review and secondary analysis of trials.
BMC Cancer,
19(1).
Abstract:
Comparative survival benefit of currently licensed second or third line treatments for epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) negative advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer: a systematic review and secondary analysis of trials.
BACKGROUND: a review of therapies for advanced cancers licenced by the EMA between 2009 and 2013 concluded that for more than half of these drugs there was little evidence of overall survival or quality of life benefit. Recent years have witnessed a growing number of licensed second-line pharmacotherapies for advanced/metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). With the aim of gauging patient survival benefit, we conducted a systematic review of randomised controlled trials (RCT) and compared survival outcomes from available licensed treatments for patients with advanced/metastatic NSCLC. METHODS: RCTs of second/third line treatments in participants with advanced/metastatic NSCLC and negative/low expression of Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase (ALK) and of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) were included. We searched electronic databases (MEDLINE; EMBASE; Web of Science) from January, 2000 up to July, 2017. Two or more independent reviewers screened bibliographic records, extracted data, and assessed risk of bias of studies. Published Kaplan Meier plots for OS and PFS along with restricted-mean-survival methods and parametric modelling were used to estimate the survival outcomes as mean number of months of survival. Network meta-analysis was undertaken to rank interventions and to make indirect comparisons. RESULTS: We included 11 RCTs with data for 7581 participants that compared nine different drugs. In studies of patients regardless of histology groups, targeted drugs (ramucirumab and nintedanib) yielded small overall survival gains of
Abstract.
Author URL.
Nye E, Melendez-Torres GJ, Gardner F (2019). Context and Implications Document for: Mixed methods systematic review on effectiveness and experiences of the Incredible Years Teacher Classroom Management programme. Review of Education, 7(3), 670-674.
Melendez-Torres GJ, Sutcliffe K, Burchett HED, Rees R, Thomas J (2019). Developing and testing intervention theory by incorporating a views synthesis into a qualitative comparative analysis of intervention effectiveness.
Res Synth Methods,
10(3), 389-397.
Abstract:
Developing and testing intervention theory by incorporating a views synthesis into a qualitative comparative analysis of intervention effectiveness.
Qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) was originally developed as a tool for cross-national comparisons in macrosociology, but its use in evaluation and evidence synthesis of complex interventions is rapidly developing. QCA is theory-driven and relies on Boolean logic to identify pathways to an outcome (eg, is the intervention effective or not?). We use the example of two linked systematic reviews on weight management programs (WMPs) for adults-one focusing on user views (a "views synthesis") and one focusing on the effectiveness of WMPs incorporating dietary and physical activity-to demonstrate how a synthesis of user views can supply a working theory to structure a QCA. We discuss how a views synthesis is especially apt to supply this working theory because user views can (a) represent a "middle-range theory" of the intervention; (b) bring a participatory, democratic perspective; and (c) provide an idiographic understanding of how the intervention works that external taxonomies may not be able to furnish. We then discuss the practical role that the views synthesis played in our QCA examining pathways to effectiveness: (a) by suggesting specific intervention features and sharpening the focus on the most salient features to be examined, (b) by supporting interpretation of findings, and (c) by bounding data analysis to prevent data dredging.
Abstract.
Author URL.
Thompson Coon J, GwernanâJones R, Garside R, Nunns M, Shaw L, MelendezâTorres GJ, Moore D (2019). Developing methods for the overarching synthesis of quantitative and qualitative evidence: the interweave synthesis approach.
Research Synthesis Methods,
11(4), 507-521.
Abstract:
Developing methods for the overarching synthesis of quantitative and qualitative evidence: the interweave synthesis approach
The incorporation of evidence derived from multiple research designs into one single synthesis can enhance the utility of systematic reviews making them more worthwhile, useful, and insightful. Methodological guidance for mixedâmethods synthesis continues to emerge and evolve but broadly involves a sequential, parallel, or convergent approach according to the degree of independence between individual syntheses before they are combined.We present two case studies in which we used novel and innovative methods to draw together the findings from individual but related quantitative and qualitative syntheses to aid interpretation of the overall evidence base. Our approach moved beyond making a choice between parallel, sequential, or convergent methods to interweave the findings of individual reviews and offers three key innovations to mixedâmethods synthesis methods:
The use of intersubjective questions to understand the findings of the individual reviews through different lenses,
Immersion of key reviewers in the entirety of the evidence base, and
Commencing the process during the final stages of the synthesis of individual reviews, at a point where reviewers are developing an understanding of initial findings.
Underlying our approach is the process of exploration and identification of links between and across review findings, an approach that is fundamental to all evidence syntheses but usually occurs at the level of the study. Adapting existing methods for exploring and identifying patterns and links between and across studies to interweave the findings between and across reviews may prove valuable.
Abstract.
Moore GF, Evans RE, Hawkins J, Littlecott H, Melendez-Torres GJ, Bonell C, Murphy S (2019). From complex social interventions to interventions in complex social systems: Future directions and unresolved questions for intervention development and evaluation.
Evaluation (Lond),
25(1), 23-45.
Abstract:
From complex social interventions to interventions in complex social systems: Future directions and unresolved questions for intervention development and evaluation.
Complex systems approaches to social intervention research are increasingly advocated. However, there have been few attempts to consider how models of intervention science, such as the UK's Medical Research Council complex interventions framework, might be reframed through a complex systems lens. This article identifies some key areas in which this framework might be reconceptualized, and a number of priority areas where further development is needed if alignment with a systems perspective is to be achieved. We argue that a complex systems perspective broadens the parameters of 'relevant' evidence and theory for intervention development, before discussing challenges in defining feasibility in dynamic terms. We argue that whole systems evaluations may be neither attainable, nor necessary; acknowledgment of complexity does not mean that evaluations must be complex, or investigate all facets of complexity. However, a systems lens may add value to evaluation design through guiding identification of key uncertainties, and informing decisions such as timings of follow-up assessments.
Abstract.
Author URL.
Tan SY, Melendez-Torres GJ, Pang T (2019). Implementation of provider payment system reforms in the age of universal health coverage: a realist review of evidence from Asian developing countries.
J Health Serv Res Policy,
24(4), 279-287.
Author URL.
Rotevatn TA, Overgaard C, Melendez-Torres GJ, Mortensen RN, Ullits LR, Høstgaard AMB, Torp-Pedersen C, Bøggild H (2019). Infancy weight gain, parental socioeconomic position, and childhood overweight and obesity: a Danish register-based cohort study.
BMC Public Health,
19(1).
Abstract:
Infancy weight gain, parental socioeconomic position, and childhood overweight and obesity: a Danish register-based cohort study.
BACKGROUND: Rapid infant weight gain (RIWG) is a very strong predictor of childhood overweight and obesity (COO). Socioeconomic position (SEP) is also related to the risk of COO and parents of different SEP may differ in their reaction to accelerated infant weight gain. Together this could lead to differences in how weight gain and COO risk relate across SEP. This study aimed to analyse possible interaction of SEP and RIWG on COO risk. METHODS: a register-based longitudinal cohort study followed 19,894 healthy, term infants, born in Denmark between December 2011 and May 2015. Logistic regression models were used to estimate odds ratios (OR) of COO risk at 2 years (22-26 months) of age with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) for categories of infancy weight gain based on changes in weight-for-age z-scores between 0 and 8-10 months of age (slow ( 0.67-1.34) and very rapid (> 1.34)). Possible multiplicative and additive interaction of SEP (based on household income and maternal education) on the relationship between infancy weight gain and COO were analysed. RESULTS: in total, 19.1 and 15.1% experienced rapid or very rapid weight gain, respectively, and 1497 (7.5%) children were classified with COO at follow-up. These prevalences were higher in those with lower levels of SEP. Adjusted OR for COO were 3.09 (95% CI [2.66-3.59]) and 7.58 (95% CI [6.51-8.83]) for rapid and very rapid weight gain, respectively, when household income was included in the model. Results were similar in the model including maternal education. No signs of interactions were detected on a multiplicative scale. Weak signs of additive interaction were present, but these values did not reach significance. CONCLUSION: Both rapid and very rapid weight gain were associated with substantially higher risks of COO but these associations were not modified by SEP. This indicates that promotion of healthy weight gain should take place in all population groups irrespective of their SEP.
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Author URL.
Tancred T, Melendez-Torres GJ, Paparini S, Fletcher A, Stansfield C, Thomas J, Campbell R, Taylor S, Bonell C (2019). Interventions integrating health and academic education in schools to prevent substance misuse and violence: a systematic review.
Public Health Research,
7(17), 1-244.
Abstract:
Interventions integrating health and academic education in schools to prevent substance misuse and violence: a systematic review
. Background
. Schools struggle to timetable health education. Interventions integrating academic and health education to reduce substance use and violence offer promise. No current systematic reviews examine such interventions.
.
.
. Objectives
. To review evidence to explore the following questions: (1) what types of interventions integrating health and academic education in schools serving those aged 4–18 years have been evaluated? (2) What theories of change inform these interventions? (3) What factors facilitate or limit the successful implementation and receipt of such interventions, and what are the implications for the delivery of such implementations in the UK? (4) How effective are such interventions in reducing smoking and violence and the use of alcohol and drugs, and at increasing attainment? Does this vary by students’ sociodemographic characteristics? (5) What factors appear to influence the effectiveness of such interventions?
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.
. Data sources
. In total, 19 databases were searched from 18 November to 22 December 2015, updating searches for outcome evaluations for violence on 28 February 2018 and for substance use on 14 May 2018. References were extracted from included studies and authors contacted.
.
.
. Review methods
. Included studies reported on theories of change, and process or outcome evaluations of interventions that integrated academic and health education to reduce substance use and/or violence. References were screened on the title/abstract and then on the full report. Data extraction and appraisal used Cochrane, Evidence for Policy and Practice Information Centre and other established tools. Theories of change and process data were qualitatively synthesised. Outcome evaluations were synthesised narratively and meta-analytically.
.
.
. Results
. In total, 78,451 unique references were originally identified and 62 reports included. Search updates on 28 February and 14 May 2018 retrieved a further 2355 and 1945 references, respectively, resulting in the inclusion of six additional reports. Thirty-nine reports described theories, 16 reports (15 studies) evaluated process and 41 reports (16 studies) evaluated outcomes. Multicomponent interventions are theorised to erode ‘boundaries’ (strengthen relationships) between academic and health education, teachers and students, behaviour in classrooms and in the wider school, and schools and families. Teachers, pro-social peers and parents are theorised to act as role models and reinforcers of healthy behaviours learnt in lessons. There was clear evidence that interventions are facilitated by supportive senior management and alignment with the schools’ ethos, collaborative and supportive teaching environments, and positive pre-existing student, teacher and parent attitudes towards interventions. The barriers were overburdened teachers who had little time to both learn and implement integrated curricula. The strongest evidence for effectiveness was found for the reduction of substance use in school key stages (KSs) 2 and 3. For example, a meta-analysis for substance use at KS3 reported a mean difference of –0.09 (95% confidence interval –0.17 to –0.01). A meta-analysis for effectiveness in reducing violence victimisation in KS2 found no effect. There was mixed evidence for effects on academic outcomes, with meta-analysis precluded by methodological heterogeneity.
.
.
. Limitations
. Study quality was variable. Integration was sometimes not emphasised in theories of change.
.
.
. Conclusions
. These interventions are undertheorised but involve multiple forms of boundary erosion. There is clear evidence of characteristics affecting implementation. Interventions are likely to have the greatest impact on substance use. These programmes may be effective in reducing substance use but do not appear to reduce violence and findings on educational impacts are mixed.
.
.
. Future work
. Future evaluations should assess interventions with clearer theories of change and examine academic outcomes alongside violence and substance use outcomes.
.
.
. Study registration
. This study is registered as PROSPERO CRD42015026464.
.
.
. Funding
. The National Institute for Health Research Public Health Research programme.
.
Abstract.
Melendez-Torres GJ, Hewitt G, Hallingberg B, Anthony R, Collishaw S, Hall J, Murphy S, Moore G (2019). Measurement invariance properties and external construct validity of the short Warwick-Edinburgh mental wellbeing scale in a large national sample of secondary school students in Wales.
Health Qual Life Outcomes,
17(1).
Abstract:
Measurement invariance properties and external construct validity of the short Warwick-Edinburgh mental wellbeing scale in a large national sample of secondary school students in Wales.
PURPOSE: the study of mental wellbeing requires reliable, valid, and practical measurement tools. One of the most widely used measures of mental wellbeing is the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS). Our aim was to examine the psychometric properties of SWEMWBS (a brief seven-item version) in a 'real-world' population sample of young people. METHODS: We used data from the 2017 School Health Research Network Student Health and Wellbeing Survey, completed by 103,971 students in years 7 to 11 from 193 secondary schools in Wales. We first estimated polychoric correlation matrices for the whole sample and by school year, and undertook a principal components analysis to check for configural invariance. Subsequently, we used a multiple-groups structural equation model with successively greater constraints to test measurement invariance. To examine external construct validity, we calculated correlations between the SWEMWBS score and four covariates: life satisfaction, somatisation, school pressure and bullying victimisation. RESULTS: Parallel analysis suggested that extraction of one factor was appropriate both overall and in each year group. Inspection of standardised loadings suggested that four items had progressively stronger correlations with the factor as students are older, but change in fit indices between models suggested that loadings and thresholds, but not residual variances, were invariant by age group. SWEMWBS scores were moderately correlated with measures of life satisfaction and somatisation, and weakly to moderately correlated with school pressure and bullying victimisation. CONCLUSIONS: This study adds to the growing evidence that SWEMWBS is appropriate for measuring mental wellbeing in young people and suggests that SWEMWBS is appropriate for tracking the development of wellbeing across adolescence.
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Author URL.
Leijten P, Gardner F, Melendez-Torres GJ, van Aar J, Hutchings J, Schulz S, Knerr W, Overbeek G (2019). Meta-Analyses: Key Parenting Program Components for Disruptive Child Behavior.
J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry,
58(2), 180-190.
Abstract:
Meta-Analyses: Key Parenting Program Components for Disruptive Child Behavior.
OBJECTIVE: Parenting programs are the recommended strategy for the prevention and treatment of disruptive child behavior. Similar to most psychosocial interventions, it is unknown which components of parenting programs (ie, parenting techniques taught) actually contribute to program effects. Identifying what parents need to be taught to reduce disruptive child behavior can optimize intervention strategies, and refine theories on how parenting shapes disruptive child behavior. METHOD: in two meta-analyses, we updated the evidence-base for effectiveness of parenting programs delivered at various levels of prevention and treatment of disruptive behavior. We searched six databases (eg, PsycINFO, MEDLINE) for randomized trials and coded the parenting techniques taught in each program. We identified the techniques associated with program effects in general, and for prevention versus treatment, and immediate versus longer-term effects, specifically. RESULTS: Parenting program effects on disruptive behavior gradually increased per level of prevention (universal d = -0.21, selective d = -0.27, indicated d = -0.55) and treatment (d = -0.69) (Meta-Analysis 1: 154 trials, 398 effect sizes). Three of 26 parenting techniques were associated with stronger program effects: positive reinforcement, praise in particular, and natural/logical consequences. Several additional techniques (eg, relationship building and parental self-management) were associated with stronger effects in treatment but weaker effects in prevention. No techniques were associated with stronger longer-term effects (Meta-Analysis 2: 42 trials, 157 effect sizes). CONCLUSION: Positive reinforcement and nonviolent discipline techniques (eg, applying natural/logical consequences) seem to be key parenting program techniques to reduce disruptive child behavior. Additional techniques (eg, parental self-management skills) might improve program effects in treatment, but not in prevention.
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Author URL.
Meiksin R, Allen E, Crichton J, Morgan GS, Barter C, Elbourne D, Hunt K, Melendez-Torres GJ, Morris S, Reyes HLMN, et al (2019). Protocol for pilot cluster RCT of project respect: a school-based intervention to prevent dating and relationship violence and address health inequalities among young people.
Pilot Feasibility Stud,
5Abstract:
Protocol for pilot cluster RCT of project respect: a school-based intervention to prevent dating and relationship violence and address health inequalities among young people.
BACKGROUND: Dating and relationship violence (DRV)-intimate partner violence during adolescence-encompasses physical, sexual and emotional abuse. DRV is associated with a range of adverse health outcomes including injuries, sexually transmitted infections, adolescent pregnancy and mental health issues. Experiencing DRV also predicts both victimisation and perpetration of partner violence in adulthood.Prevention targeting early adolescence is important because this is when dating behaviours begin, behavioural norms become established and DRV starts to manifest. Despite high rates of DRV victimisation in England, from 22 to 48% among girls and 12 to 27% among boys ages 14-17 who report intimate relationships, no RCTs of DRV prevention programmes have taken place in the UK. Informed by two school-based interventions that have shown promising results in RCTs in the USA-Safe Dates and Shifting Boundaries-Project Respect aims to optimise and pilot a DRV prevention programme for secondary schools in England. METHODS: Design: optimisation and pilot cluster RCT. Trial will include a process evaluation and assess the feasibility of conducting a phase III RCT with embedded economic evaluation. Cognitive interviewing will inform survey development.Participants: optimisation involves four schools and pilot RCT involves six (four intervention, two control). All are secondary schools in England. Baseline surveys conducted with students in years 8 and 9 (ages 12-14). Follow-up surveys conducted with the same cohort, 16 months post-baseline. Optimisation sessions to inform intervention and research methods will involve consultations with stakeholders, including young people.Intervention: school staff training, including guidance on reviewing school policies and addressing 'hotspots' for DRV and gender-based harassment; information for parents; informing students of a help-seeking app; and a classroom curriculum for students in years 9 and 10, including a student-led campaign.Primary outcome: the primary outcome of the pilot RCT will be whether progression to a phase III RCT is justified. Testing within the pilot will also determine which of two existing scales is optimal for assessing DRV victimisation and perpetration in a phase III RCT. DISCUSSION: This will be the first RCT of an intervention to prevent DRV in the UK. If findings indicate feasibility and acceptability, we will undertake planning for a phase III RCT of effectiveness. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN, ISRCTN 65324176. Registered 8 June 2017.
Abstract.
Author URL.
Morgan K, Melendez-Torres GJ, Bond A, Hawkins J, Hewitt G, Murphy S, Moore G (2019). Socio-Economic Inequalities in Adolescent Summer Holiday Experiences, and Mental Wellbeing on Return to School: Analysis of the School Health Research Network/Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children Survey in Wales.
Int J Environ Res Public Health,
16(7).
Abstract:
Socio-Economic Inequalities in Adolescent Summer Holiday Experiences, and Mental Wellbeing on Return to School: Analysis of the School Health Research Network/Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children Survey in Wales.
The socioeconomic inequalities found in child and adolescent mental wellbeing are increasingly acknowledged. Although interventions increasingly focus on school holidays as a critical period for intervention to reduce inequalities, no studies have modelled the role of summer holiday experiences in explaining socioeconomic inequalities in wellbeing. For this study, we analysed survey data of 103,971 adolescents from 193 secondary schools in Wales, United Kingdom, which included measures of family affluence, experiences during the summer holidays (hunger, loneliness, time with friends and physical activity) and mental wellbeing and internalising symptoms on return to school. Structural equation modelling was used to analyse the data. Although family affluence retained a direct inverse association with student mental wellbeing (r = -0.04, p < 0.001), 65.2% of its association with mental wellbeing was mediated by the experiences over the summer holidays. FAS score was not directly associated with the student's self-reports of internalising symptoms (r = 0.00, p > 0.05). of all summer holiday experiences, the strongest mediational pathway was observed for reports of loneliness. Although more structural solutions to poverty remain essential, school holiday interventions may have significant potential for reducing socioeconomic inequalities in mental health and wellbeing on young people's return to school through reducing loneliness, providing nutritious food and opportunities for social interaction.
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Author URL.
Gardner F, Leijten P, Melendez-Torres GJ, Landau S, Harris V, Mann J, Beecham J, Hutchings J, Scott S (2019). The Earlier the Better? Individual Participant Data and Traditional Meta-analysis of Age Effects of Parenting Interventions.
Child Dev,
90(1), 7-19.
Abstract:
The Earlier the Better? Individual Participant Data and Traditional Meta-analysis of Age Effects of Parenting Interventions.
Strong arguments have been made for early intervention for child problems, stating that early is more effective than later, as the brain is more malleable, and costs are lower. However, there is scant evidence from trials to support this hypothesis, which we therefore tested in two well-powered, state-of-the-art meta-analyses with complementary strengths: (a) Individual participant data (IPD) meta-analysis of European trials of Incredible Years parenting intervention (k = 13, n = 1696; age = 2-11); (b) Larger, trial-level robust variance estimation meta-analysis of a wider range of parenting programs (k = 156, n = 13,378, Mage = 2-10) for reducing disruptive behavior. Both analyses found no evidence that intervention earlier in childhood was more effective; programs targeted at a narrower age range were no more effective than general ones.
Abstract.
Author URL.
Tweed EJ, Aldridge RW, Capewell S, Davies L, Luchenski S, Lyons R, McKee M, Mair F, Melendez-Torres GJ, Rutter H, et al (2019). UK Public Health Science 2019: a call for abstracts.
LANCET,
393(10184), 1920-1921.
Author URL.
Villarreal-Zegarra D, Copez-Lonzoy A, BernabĂŠ-Ortiz A, Melendez-Torres GJ, Bazo-Alvarez JC (2019). Valid group comparisons can be made with the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9): a measurement invariance study across groups by demographic characteristics.
PLoS One,
14(9).
Abstract:
Valid group comparisons can be made with the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9): a measurement invariance study across groups by demographic characteristics.
OBJECTIVE: Analyze the measurement invariance and the factor structure of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) in the Peruvian population. METHOD: Secondary data analysis performed using cross-sectional data from the Health Questionnaire of the Demographic and Health Survey in Peru. Variables of interest were the PHQ-9 and demographic characteristics (sex, age group, level of education, socioeconomic status, marital status, and area of residence). Factor structure was evaluated by standard confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and measurement invariance by multi-group CFA, using standard goodness-of-fit indices criteria for interpreting results from both CFAs. Analysis of the internal consistency (α and ω) was also pursued. RESULTS: Data from 30,449 study participants were analyzed, 56.7% were women, average age was 40.5 years (standard deviation (SD) = 16.3), 65.9% lived in urban areas, 74.6% were married, and had 9 years of education on average (SD = 4.6). From standard CFA, a one-dimensional model presented the best fit (CFI = 0.936; RMSEA = 0.089; SRMR = 0.039). From multi-group CFA, all progressively restricted models had ΔCFI
Abstract.
Author URL.
Jones HM, Al-Khudairy L, Melendez-Torres GJ, Oyebode O (2019). Viewpoints of adolescents with overweight and obesity attending lifestyle obesity treatment interventions: a qualitative systematic review.
Obes Rev,
20(1), 156-169.
Abstract:
Viewpoints of adolescents with overweight and obesity attending lifestyle obesity treatment interventions: a qualitative systematic review.
BACKGROUND: Current UK guidance recommends that adolescents with obesity attend a family-based multi-component obesity intervention. However, these programmes suffer from low recruitment and high rates of attrition. Understanding the views of adolescents is necessary for developing future interventions. The aim of this systematic review was to synthesize and explore the views of adolescents who have attended an obesity intervention. METHODS: Published literature was identified by searching six databases. Studies of adolescents (12-17 years) who attended an obesity intervention were examined. Only studies that collected and analysed data qualitatively were included. Full texts were analysed using thematic synthesis. RESULTS: Twenty-eight studies were included. Thirty-five analytical themes were developed that were broadly divided into seven domains. Key themes included ensuring adolescents receive a 'tailored intervention' that involves 'active engagement'. Support from professionals, family and peers were valued highly. Adolescents expressed 'prior fears of attending interventions' and wanted 'longer term support'. 'Enjoyment of sport and physical activity' was evident, and adolescents were strongly motivated by improving body image and social desirability. DISCUSSION: Considering the views of adolescents attending obesity interventions may help to inform policy makers in the development of future interventions. This may lead to an improvement in recruitment and attrition rates.
Abstract.
Author URL.
Melendez-Torres GJ, Leijten P, Gardner F (2019). What are the Optimal Combinations of Parenting Intervention Components to Reduce Physical Child Abuse Recurrence? Reanalysis of a Systematic Review using Qualitative Comparative Analysis.
Child Abuse Review,
28(3), 181-197.
Abstract:
What are the Optimal Combinations of Parenting Intervention Components to Reduce Physical Child Abuse Recurrence? Reanalysis of a Systematic Review using Qualitative Comparative Analysis
Parenting interventions are widely used to reduce physical child abuse, but evidence for their effectiveness is mixed, partly because standard methods for synthesising the effectiveness of interventions do not address complex causation. We addressed this by using qualitative comparative analysis to understand pathways to effectiveness in social learning theory-based parenting interventions. After a systematic search of nine databases and independent and duplicate study selection, we included 14 interventions from ten evaluations. We categorised nine as most effective and five as least effective. We labelled interventions as to the presence or absence of parental self-management, attachment-based, alternative punishment or proactive parenting components. We examined how these combined in the most effective and least effective interventions, and identified common pathways to most effectiveness and least effectiveness. The final pathways revealed the importance of two components: alternative punishment strategies and parental self-management strategies. It was not clear that adding more components to an intervention necessarily translated to more effectiveness; indeed, this could backfire, as many of the least effective interventions combined multiple strategies without teaching parental self-management. Our findings may be useful to intervention developers and implementers when considering new interventions. Future research should seek to test combinations of components for differential effectiveness between the most effective pathways. ‘[A] qualitative comparative analysis to understand pathways to effectiveness in social learning theory-based parenting interventions’. Key Practitioner Messages: the effectiveness of social learning theory-based parenting interventions for physical child abuse is variable. We identified two key, but not necessary, components: alternative punishment strategies and parental self-management strategies. Adding more components did not necessarily lead to high effectiveness, and in some cases this could backfire when parental self-management was not included.
Abstract.
Hennegan J, Shannon AK, Rubli J, Schwab KJ, Melendez-Torres GJ (2019). Women's and girls' experiences of menstruation in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review and qualitative metasynthesis.
PLoS Med,
16(5).
Abstract:
Women's and girls' experiences of menstruation in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review and qualitative metasynthesis.
BACKGROUND: Attention to women's and girls' menstrual needs is critical for global health and gender equality. The importance of this neglected experience has been elucidated by a growing body of qualitative research, which we systematically reviewed and synthesised. METHODS AND FINDINGS: We undertook systematic searching to identify qualitative studies of women's and girls' experiences of menstruation in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). of 6,892 citations screened, 76 studies reported in 87 citations were included. Studies captured the experiences of over 6,000 participants from 35 countries. This included 45 studies from sub-Saharan Africa (with the greatest number of studies from Kenya [n = 7], Uganda [n = 6], and Ethiopia [n = 5]), 21 from South Asia (including India [n = 12] and Nepal [n = 5]), 8 from East Asia and the Pacific, 5 from Latin America and the Caribbean, 5 from the Middle East and North Africa, and 1 study from Europe and Central Asia. Through synthesis, we identified overarching themes and their relationships to develop a directional model of menstrual experience. This model maps distal and proximal antecedents of menstrual experience through to the impacts of this experience on health and well-being. The sociocultural context, including menstrual stigma and gender norms, influenced experiences by limiting knowledge about menstruation, limiting social support, and shaping internalised and externally enforced behavioural expectations. Resource limitations underlay inadequate physical infrastructure to support menstruation, as well as an economic environment restricting access to affordable menstrual materials. Menstrual experience included multiple themes: menstrual practices, perceptions of practices and environments, confidence, shame and distress, and containment of bleeding and odour. These components of experience were interlinked and contributed to negative impacts on women's and girls' lives. Impacts included harms to physical and psychological health as well as education and social engagement. Our review is limited by the available studies. Study quality was varied, with 18 studies rated as high, 35 medium, and 23 low trustworthiness. Sampling and analysis tended to be untrustworthy in lower-quality studies. Studies focused on the experiences of adolescent girls were most strongly represented, and we achieved early saturation for this group. Reflecting the focus of menstrual health research globally, there was an absence of studies focused on adult women and those from certain geographical areas. CONCLUSIONS: Through synthesis of extant qualitative studies of menstrual experience, we highlight consistent challenges and developed an integrated model of menstrual experience. This model hypothesises directional pathways that could be tested by future studies and may serve as a framework for program and policy development by highlighting critical antecedents and pathways through which interventions could improve women's and girls' health and well-being. REVIEW PROTOCOL REGISTRATION: the review protocol registration is PROSPERO: CRD42018089581.
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Tancred T, Paparini S, Melendez-Torres GJ, Thomas J, Fletcher A, Campbell R, Bonell C (2018). A systematic review and synthesis of theories of change of school-based interventions integrating health and academic education as a novel means of preventing violence and substance use among students.
Syst Rev,
7(1).
Abstract:
A systematic review and synthesis of theories of change of school-based interventions integrating health and academic education as a novel means of preventing violence and substance use among students.
BACKGROUND: Schools can play an important role in promoting health. However, many education policies and institutions are increasingly emphasising academic attainment targets, which appear to be diminishing the time available for health education lessons. Interventions that integrate both health and academic learning may present an ideal solution, simultaneously addressing health education and academic development. The theories of change underlying these interventions are therefore of interest, but are poorly studied. METHODS: a systematic review of evaluations of interventions that integrate academic and health education for reduced substance use and/or violence was carried out. As part of this, reports describing theory were assessed for quality and data extracted. Theoretical data were synthesised within and across individual interventions using reciprocal translation and meta-ethnographic line of argument synthesis to produce an overall theory of change for interventions that integrate health and academic education to prevent substance use and violence. RESULTS: Forty-eight reports provided theoretical descriptions of 18 interventions. An overarching theory that emerged was that eroding 'boundaries' at multiple and mutually reinforcing levels-by integrating academic and health education, by transforming relationships between teachers and students, by generalising learning from classrooms to the wider school environment and by ensuring consistent messages from schools and families-is intended to lead to the development of a community of engaged students oriented towards pro-social behaviour and away from substance use, violence and other risk behaviours. CONCLUSIONS: Eroding 'boundaries' between health and academic education, teachers and students, classrooms and the wider school and schools and families were seen to be the most critical to establishing new frameworks of family, classroom or school organisation that are conducive to promoting both academic and social-emotional outcomes. Whether such interventions are feasible to implement and effective in reducing risk behaviours will be examined in other reports arising from the review.
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Leijten P, Melendez-Torres GJ, Gardner F, van Aar J, Schulz S, Overbeek G (2018). Are Relationship Enhancement and Behavior Management "The Golden Couple" for Disruptive Child Behavior? Two Meta-analyses.
Child Dev,
89(6), 1970-1982.
Abstract:
Are Relationship Enhancement and Behavior Management "The Golden Couple" for Disruptive Child Behavior? Two Meta-analyses.
Parenting programs for reducing disruptive child behavior are built on two main perspectives: relationship enhancement (i.e. unconditional sensitivity diminishes disruptiveness) and behavior management (i.e. conditional rewards diminish disruptiveness). Two meta-analyses (156 and 41 RCTs; Ntotal = 15,768; Mchildage = 1-11 years) tested the theoretical model that integrating relationship enhancement with behavior management is superior to behavior management alone. The integrative approach showed no overall superiority. Relative to behavior management, the integrative approach was superior in treatment settings, but inferior in prevention settings (Meta-analysis 1). The integrative approach and behavior management approach did not have differential sustained effects up to 3 years after the program (Meta-analysis 2). Findings argue against current practice to implement the same parenting programs in treatment and prevention settings.
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Verboom B, Melendez-Torres G, Bonell CP (2018). Combination methods for HIV prevention in men who have sex with men (MSM).
Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews,
2018(4).
Abstract:
Combination methods for HIV prevention in men who have sex with men (MSM)
This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (Intervention). The objectives are as follows: This review seeks to identify and synthesise studies that evaluate the effectiveness of prevention interventions for MSM that combine at least two of the three categories of intervention modality (biomedical, behavioural and structural) compared either to other HIV prevention interventions or to minimal/no HIV prevention. Below, descriptions of the criteria that will be used to categorise intervention components are provided under the heading 'Types of interventions' and the full list of outcomes of interest are provided in the section 'Types of outcome measures'. All planned comparisons are detailed in the section 'Data synthesis', followed by the planned variables of interest for subgroup and meta-regression analyses.
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Melendez-Torres GJ, Armoiry X, Court R, Patterson J, Kan A, Auguste P, Madan J, Counsell C, Ciccarelli O, Clarke A, et al (2018). Comparative effectiveness of beta-interferons and glatiramer acetate for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis: systematic review and network meta-analysis of trials including recommended dosages.
BMC Neurol,
18(1).
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Comparative effectiveness of beta-interferons and glatiramer acetate for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis: systematic review and network meta-analysis of trials including recommended dosages.
BACKGROUND: We systematically reviewed the comparative effectiveness of injectable beta-interferons (IFN-β) and glatiramer acetate (GA) on annualised relapse rate (ARR), progression and discontinuation due to adverse events (AEs) in RRMS, using evidence from within the drugs' recommended dosages. METHODS: We updated prior comprehensive reviews, checked references of included studies, contacted experts in the field, and screened websites for relevant publications to locate randomised trials of IFN-β and GA with recommended dosages in RRMS populations, compared against placebo or other recommended dosages. Abstracts were screened and assessed for inclusion in duplicate and independently. Studies were appraised using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. Rate ratios for ARR, hazard ratios for time to progression, and risk ratios for discontinuation due to AEs were synthesised in separate models using random effects network meta-analysis. RESULTS: We identified 24 studies reported in 42 publications. Most studies were at high risk of bias in at least one domain. All drugs had a beneficial effect on ARR as compared to placebo, but not compared to each other, and findings were robust to sensitivity analysis. We considered time to progression confirmed at 3 months and confirmed at 6 months in separate models; while both models suggested that the included drugs were effective, findings were not consistent between models. Discontinuation due to AEs did not appear to be different between drugs. CONCLUSIONS: Meta-analyses confirmed that IFN-β and GA reduce ARR and generally delay progression as defined in these trials, though there was no clear 'winner' across outcomes. Findings are additionally tempered by the high risk of bias across studies, and the use of an impairment/mobility scale to measure disease progression. Future research should consider more relevant measures of disability and, given that most trials have been short-term, consider a longitudinal approach to comparative effectiveness. REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42016043278.
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Armoiry X, Tsertsvadze A, Connock M, Royle P, Melendez-Torres GJ, Souquet P-J, Clarke A (2018). Comparative efficacy and safety of licensed treatments for previously treated non-small cell lung cancer: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.
PLoS One,
13(7).
Abstract:
Comparative efficacy and safety of licensed treatments for previously treated non-small cell lung cancer: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.
PURPOSE: This systematic review with network meta-analysis compared the efficacy and safety of currently licensed second-line treatments in patients with late stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS: Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of participants with advanced/metastatic NSCLC receiving second/third line treatments were screened. We searched electronic databases (MEDLINE; EMBASE; Web of Science) from January, 2000 to July, 2017. Two reviewers screened bibliographic records, extracted data, and assessed risk of bias of included studies. The outcomes were overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and drug-related grade 3-5 adverse-events (AEs). We pooled study-specific hazard ratios (HR; for OS and PFS) and risk ratios (RR; for AEs) using conventional and network-meta-analyses, and ranked interventions by the surface under the cumulative ranking curve. FINDINGS: We included 11 RCTs (7,581 participants) comparing nine drugs. All drugs except for erlotinib significantly improved OS compared to docetaxel. Nivolumab was the highest ranking drug followed by atezolizumab and pembrolizumab. There was no significant difference in OS across these three drugs (HR = 0.98, 95% CI 0.79, 1.21 for nivolumab vs atezolizumab; HR = 0.98, 95% CI 0.77, 1.25 for nivolumab vs pembrolizumab). For PFS, ramucirumab + docetaxel and nivolumab were the drugs with the highest ranking. All interventions except ramucirumab + docetaxel had a reduced risk for severe drug-related AEs vs. docetaxel. of the drugs with the highest ranking on AEs, nivolumab was significantly safer compared to atezolizumab (RR = 0.55, 95% CI 0.38, 0.79) or pembrolizumab (RR = 0.52, 95% CI 0.34, 0.81). IMPLICATIONS: Nivolumab, pembrolizumab and atezolizumab exhibited superior benefit/risk balance compared to other licensed drugs used late stage NSCLC. Our results indicate that the use of immunotherapies in people diagnosed with non-specific late stage NSCLC should be promoted. The use of docetaxel may now be judged irrelevant as a comparator intervention for approval of new drugs for second line treatment of NSCLC. STUDY REGISTRATION NUMBER: PROSPERO CRD42017065928.
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Melendez-Torres GJ, Bourne A, Hickson F, Reid D, Weatherburn P (2018). Correlates and subgroups of injecting drug use in UK gay and bisexual men: Findings from the 2014 Gay Men's Sex Survey.
Drug Alcohol Depend,
187, 292-295.
Abstract:
Correlates and subgroups of injecting drug use in UK gay and bisexual men: Findings from the 2014 Gay Men's Sex Survey.
BACKGROUND: Evidence to understand which gay and bisexual men (GBM) inject drugs remains scant, especially in the UK. We describe correlates of last-year injecting in UK GBM, and characterise subgroups of GBM who inject drugs by types of drugs used. METHODS: Using data from the 2014 Gay Men's Sex Survey, an opportunistic internet-based survey conducted of GBM living in the UK, we examined via logistic regression correlates with any injecting of six drugs (amphetamine/speed, crystal methamphetamine, heroin, mephedrone, GHB/GBL, and ketamine) in the last year. We estimated latent class models to understand underlying subgroups of injecting drug use among GBM reporting injecting drug use in the last year. RESULTS: Injecting was most common in GBM who were of middle age, who were HIV seropositive, and who lived in London, and was significantly associated with sexual risk with multiple partners in the last year, whether steady or non-steady. Most GBM who engaged in injecting either injected crystal methamphetamine, mephedrone or both (class 1, chemsex, 88.6% of injectors), whereas a smaller group had a focus on opiates (class 2, opiate, 7.9%). A small but identifiable subgroup (class 3, eclectic, 3.5%) engaged in injecting across the range of drugs examined. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first epidemiological analysis to describe subgroups of injecting, and to describe correlates of injecting drug use, in UK GBM. Implications for design of harm reduction services include a need to focus on injecting drug use beyond opiates, currently the focus of most harm reduction services.
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Tan SY, Melendez-Torres GJ (2018). Do prospective payment systems (PPSs) lead to desirable providers' incentives and patients' outcomes? a systematic review of evidence from developing countries.
Health Policy Plan,
33(1), 137-153.
Abstract:
Do prospective payment systems (PPSs) lead to desirable providers' incentives and patients' outcomes? a systematic review of evidence from developing countries.
The reform of provider payment systems, from retrospective to prospective payment, has been heralded as the right move to contain costs in the light of rising health expenditures in many countries. However, there are concerns on quality trade-off. The heightened attention given to prospective payment system (PPS) reforms and the rise of empirical evidence regarding PPS interventions among developing countries suggest that a systematic review is necessary to understand the effects of PPS reforms in developing countries. A systematic search of 14 databases and a hand search of health policy journals and grey literature from October to November 2016 were carried out, guided by a set of inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data were extracted based on the Consolidated Health Economics Evaluation Reporting Standards checklist. Drummond's 10-item checklist for economic evaluation, Cochrane Collaboration's tool in assessing risk of bias for randomized trials, and Risk of Bias in Non-randomized Studies of Interventions were used to critically appraise the evidence. A total of 12 studies reported in China, Thailand and Vietnam were included in this review. Substantial heterogeneity was present in PPS policy design across different localities. PPS interventions were found to have reduced health expenditures on both the supply and demand side, as well as length of stay and readmission rates. In addition, PPS generally improved service quality outcomes by reducing the likelihood or percentage of physicians prescribing unnecessary drugs and diagnostic procedures. PPS is a promising policy tool for middle-income countries to achieve reasonable health policy objectives in terms of cost containment without necessarily compromising the quality of care. More evaluations of PPS will need to be conducted in the future in order to broaden the evidence base beyond middle-income countries.
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Melendez-Torres GJ, Tancred T, Fletcher A, Thomas J, Campbell R, Bonell C (2018). Does integrated academic and health education prevent substance use? Systematic review and meta-analyses.
Child Care Health Dev,
44(4), 516-530.
Abstract:
Does integrated academic and health education prevent substance use? Systematic review and meta-analyses.
BACKGROUND: Prevention of substance (alcohol, tobacco, illegal/legal drug) use in adolescents is a public health priority. As the scope for school-based health education is constrained in school timetables, interventions integrating academic and health education have gained traction in the UK and elsewhere, though evidence for their effectiveness remains unclear. We sought to synthesize the effectiveness of interventions integrating academic and health education for the prevention of substance use. METHODS: We searched 19 databases between November and December 2015, among other methods. We included randomized trials of interventions integrating academic and health education targeting school students aged 4-18 and reporting substance use outcomes. We excluded interventions for specific health-related subpopulations (e.g. children with behavioural difficulties). Data were extracted independently in duplicate. Outcomes were synthesized by school key stage (KS) using multilevel meta-analyses, for substance use, overall and by type. RESULTS: We identified 7 trials reporting substance use. Interventions reduced substance use generally in years 7-9 (KS3) based on 5 evaluations (d = -0.09, 95% CI [-0.17, -0.01], I2 = 35%), as well as in years 10-11 (KS4) based on 3 evaluations (-0.06, [-0.09, -0.02]; I2 = 0%). Interventions were broadly effective for reducing specific alcohol, tobacco, and drug use in both KS groups. CONCLUSIONS: Evidence quality was highly variable. Findings for years 3-6 and 12-13 could not be meta-analysed, and we could not assess publication bias. Interventions appear to have a small but significant effect reducing substance use. Specific methods of integrating academic and health education remain poorly understood.
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Dickson K, Melendez-Torres GJ, Fletcher A, Hinds K, Thomas J, Stansfield C, Murphy S, Campbell R, Bonell C (2018). How Do Contextual Factors Influence Implementation and Receipt of Positive Youth Development Programs Addressing Substance Use and Violence? a Qualitative Meta-Synthesis of Process Evaluations.
Am J Health Promot,
32(4), 1110-1121.
Abstract:
How Do Contextual Factors Influence Implementation and Receipt of Positive Youth Development Programs Addressing Substance Use and Violence? a Qualitative Meta-Synthesis of Process Evaluations.
OBJECTIVE: Positive youth development (PYD) often aims to prevent tobacco, alcohol, and drugs use and violence. We systematically reviewed PYD interventions, synthesizing process, and outcomes evidence. Synthesis of outcomes, published elsewhere, found no overall evidence of reducing substance use or violence but notable variability of fidelity. Our synthesis of process evaluations examined how implementation varied and was influenced by context. DATA SOURCE: Process evaluations of PYD aiming to reduce substance use and violence. Study Inclusion Criteria: Overall review published since 1985; written in English; focused on youth aged 11 to 18 years; focused on interventions addressing multiple positive assets; reported on theory, process, or outcomes; and concerned with reducing substance use or violence. Synthesis of process evaluations examined how implementation varies with or is influenced by context. DATA EXTRACTION: Two reviewers in parallel. DATA SYNTHESIS: Thematic synthesis. RESULTS: We identified 12 reports. Community engagement enhanced program appeal. Collaboration with other agencies could broaden the activities offered. Calm but authoritative staff increased acceptability. Staff continuity underpinned diverse activities and durable relationships. Empowering participants were sometimes in tension with requiring them to engage in diverse activities. CONCLUSION: Our systematic review identified factors that might help improve the fidelity and acceptability of PYD interventions. Addressing these might enable PYD to fulfill its potential as a means of promoting health.
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Melendez-Torres GJ, Tancred T, Fletcher A, Campbell R, Thomas J, Bonell C (2018). Integration of academic and health education for the prevention of physical aggression and violence in young people: systematic review, narrative synthesis and intervention components analysis.
BMJ Open,
8(9).
Abstract:
Integration of academic and health education for the prevention of physical aggression and violence in young people: systematic review, narrative synthesis and intervention components analysis.
OBJECTIVES: to systematically review evidence on the effectiveness of interventions including integration of academic and health education for reducing physical aggression and violence, and describe the content of these interventions. DATA SOURCES: Between November and December 2015, we searched 19 databases and 32 websites and consulted key experts in the field. We updated our search in February 2018. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: We included randomised trials of school-based interventions integrating academic and health education in students aged 4-18 and not targeted at health-related subpopulations (eg, learning or developmental difficulties). We included evaluations reporting a measure of interpersonal violence or aggression. DATA EXTRACTION AND ANALYSIS: Data were extracted independently in duplicate, interventions were analysed to understand similarities and differences and outcomes were narratively synthesised by key stage (KS). RESULTS: We included 13 evaluations of 10 interventions reported in 20 papers. Interventions included either full or partial integration, incorporated a variety of domains beyond the classroom, and used literature, local development or linking of study skills and health promoting skills. Evidence was concentrated in KS2, with few evaluations in KS3 or KS4, and evaluations had few consistent effects; evaluations in KS3 and KS4 did not suggest effectiveness. DISCUSSION: Integration of academic and health education may be a promising approach, but more evidence is needed. Future research should consider the 'lifecourse' aspects of these interventions; that is, do they have a longitudinal effect? Evaluations did not shed light on the value of different approaches to integration.
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Tancred T, Paparini S, Melendez-Torres GJ, Fletcher A, Thomas J, Campbell R, Bonell C (2018). Interventions integrating health and academic interventions to prevent substance use and violence: a systematic review and synthesis of process evaluations.
Syst Rev,
7(1).
Abstract:
Interventions integrating health and academic interventions to prevent substance use and violence: a systematic review and synthesis of process evaluations.
BACKGROUND: Within increasingly constrained school timetables, interventions that integrate academic and health education to reduce substance use and violence may hold promise as a category of intervention that can positively affect both academic and health outcomes. There are no current systematic reviews exploring the effectiveness of such interventions or factors that affect their implementation. METHODS: a total of 19 bibliographic databases and 32 websites were searched. References were also extracted from the reference lists of included studies, and experts and authors were contacted to identify relevant studies. We included reports with no restrictions on language or date. References were screened on title/abstract and those not thus excluded were screened on full report. Data extraction and appraisal followed the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme, Evidence for Policy and Practice Information and Co-ordinating Centre and Cochrane tools. Extracted process data were qualitatively meta-synthesised for common themes. RESULTS: Seventy-eight thousand four hundred fifty-one unique references were identified, and 62 reports were included. A total of 16 reports (reporting on 15 studies of 12 interventions) evaluated process. Key facilitators of integrated academic and health curricula were supportive senior management and alignment of the intervention with school ethos; a positive teaching environment, including positive perceptions around the ability to be flexible in the adaptation and delivery of integrated academic and health curricula; positive pre-existing student and teacher attitudes towards intervention content; and parental support of interventions, largely through reinforcement of messaging at home. Important barriers were over-burdened teachers, with little time to learn and implement integrated curricula. CONCLUSION: Several useful facilitating and inhibiting factors linked to the implementation of interventions that integrate academic and health education for reduced substance use and/or violence were identified, providing tentative but insightful evidence of context-specific issues that may impact intervention success. However, overall, there is still a considerable gap in our understanding of how to achieve the successful implementation of these interventions.
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Armoiry X, Connock M, Tsertsvadze A, Cummins E, Melendez-Torres GJ, Royle P, Clarke A (2018). Ixazomib for Relapsed or Refractory Multiple Myeloma: Review from an Evidence Review Group on a NICE Single Technology Appraisal.
Pharmacoeconomics,
36(9), 1073-1081.
Abstract:
Ixazomib for Relapsed or Refractory Multiple Myeloma: Review from an Evidence Review Group on a NICE Single Technology Appraisal.
Ixazomib is an oral proteasome inhibitor used in combination with lenalidomide plus dexamethasone (IXA-LEN-DEX) and licensed for relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. As part of a single technology appraisal (ID807) undertaken by the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence, the Evidence Review Group, Warwick Evidence was invited to independently review the evidence submitted by the manufacturer of ixazomib, Takeda UK Ltd. The main source of clinical effectiveness data about IXA-LEN-DEX came from the Tourmaline-MM1 randomized controlled trial in which 771 patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma received either IXA-LEN-DEX or placebo-LEN-DEX as their second-, third-, or fourth-line treatment. Takeda estimated the cost effectiveness of IXA-LEN-DEX using a de-novo partitioned-survival model with three health states (pre-progression, post-progression, and dead). In their first submission, this model was used to estimate the cost effectiveness of IXA-LEN-DEX vs. bortezomib plus dexamethasone (BORT-DEX) in second-line treatment, and of IXA-LEN-DEX vs. LEN-DEX in third-line treatment. To estimate the relative clinical performance of IXA-LEN-DEX vs. BORT-DEX, Takeda conducted network meta-analyses for important outcomes. The network meta-analysis for overall survival was found to be flawed in several respects, but mainly because a hazard ratio input for one of the studies in the network had been inverted, resulting in a large inflation of the claimed superiority of IXA-LEN-DEX over BORT-DEX and a considerable overestimation of its cost effectiveness. In subsequent submissions, Takeda withdrew second-line treatment as an option for IXA-LEN-DEX. The manufacturer's first submission comparing IXA-LEN-DEX with LEN-DEX for third-line therapy employed Tourmaline-MM1 data from third- and fourth-line patients as proxy for a third-line population. The appraisal committee did not consider this reasonable because randomization in Tourmaline-MM1 was stratified according to one previous treatment and two or more previous treatments. A further deficiency was considered to be the manufacturer's use of interim survival data rather than the most mature data available. A second submission from the company focussed on IXA-LEN-DEX vs. LEN-DEX as third- or fourth-line treatment (the two or more previous lines population) and a new patient access scheme was introduced. Covariate modeling of survival outcomes was proposed using the most mature survival data. The Evidence Review Group's main criticisms of the new evidence included: the utility associated with the pre-progression health state was overestimated, treatment costs of ixazomib were underestimated, survival models were still associated with great uncertainty, leading to clinically implausible anomalies and highly variable incremental cost-effectiveness ratio estimates, and the company had not explored a strong assumption that the survival benefit of IXA-LEN-DEX over LEN-DEX would be fully maintained for a further 22 years beyond the observed data, which encompassed only approximately 2.5 years of observation. The appraisal committee remained unconvinced that ixazomib represented a cost-effective use of National Health Service resources. Takeda's third submission offered new base-case parametric models for survival outcomes, a new analysis of utilities, and proposed a commercial access agreement. In a brief critique of the third submission, the Evidence Review Group agreed that the selection of appropriate survival models was problematic and at the request of the National Institute for Health Care and Excellence investigated external sources of evidence regarding survival outcomes. The Evidence Review Group considered that some cost and utility estimates in the submission may have remained biased in favor of ixazomib. As a result of their third appraisal meeting, the committee judged that for the two to three prior therapies population, and at the price agreed in a commercial access agreement, ixazomib had the potential to be cost effective. It was referred to the Cancer Drugs Fund so that further data could accrue with the aim of diminishing the clinical uncertainties.
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Melendez-Torres GJ, Thomas J, Lorenc T, O'Mara-Eves A, Petticrew M (2018). Just how plain are plain tobacco packs: re-analysis of a systematic review using multilevel meta-analysis suggests lessons about the comparative benefits of synthesis methods.
Syst Rev,
7(1).
Abstract:
Just how plain are plain tobacco packs: re-analysis of a systematic review using multilevel meta-analysis suggests lessons about the comparative benefits of synthesis methods.
BACKGROUND: Comparisons between narrative synthesis and meta-analysis as synthesis methods in systematic reviews are uncommon within the same systematic review. We re-analysed a systematic review on the effects of plain packaging of tobacco on attractiveness. We sought to compare different synthesis approaches within the same systematic review and shed light on the comparative benefits of each approach. METHODS: in our re-analysis, we included results relating to attractiveness in included reports. We extracted findings from studies and converted all estimates of differences in attractiveness to Cohen's d. We used multilevel meta-analysis to account for clustering of effect sizes within studies. RESULTS: of the 19 studies reporting results on attractiveness, seven studies that included between-subjects analyses could be included in the meta-analysis. Plain packs were less attractive than branded packs (d = - 0.59, 95% CI [- 0.71, - 0.47]), with negligible but uncertain between-studies heterogeneity (I2 = 0%, 95% CI [0.00, 70.81]) and high within-study heterogeneity (I2 = 92.6%, 95% CI [91.04, 93.90]). CONCLUSIONS: the meta-analysis found, similar to the narrative synthesis, that respondents typically rated plain packaging as less attractive than alternative (e.g. branded) tobacco packs. However, there were several trade-offs between analysis methods in the types and bodies of evidence each one contained and in the difference between partial precision and breadth of conclusions. Analysis methods were different in respect of the role of judgement and contextual variation and in terms of estimation and unexpected effect modification. In addition, we noted that analysis methods were different in how they accounted for heterogeneity and consistency.
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Burchett HED, Sutcliffe K, Melendez-Torres GJ, Rees R, Thomas J (2018). Lifestyle weight management programmes for children: a systematic review using Qualitative Comparative Analysis to identify critical pathways to effectiveness.
Prev Med,
106, 1-12.
Abstract:
Lifestyle weight management programmes for children: a systematic review using Qualitative Comparative Analysis to identify critical pathways to effectiveness.
This study aimed to identify critical features of successful lifestyle weight management interventions for overweight children (0-11years). Eleven qualitative UK-based studies examining children's, parents' and providers' perspectives and experiences of programmes were synthesised to identify components felt to be critical. Studies for this views synthesis were identified from existing reviews and an update of one review's search, which was run in December 2015. The identified components were then explored in a synthesis of intervention evaluations (five 'most effective' and 15 'least effective') conducted in western Europe, North America, Australia or New Zealand. The intervention evaluations were identified from existing reviews and an update of one review's search, which was run in March 2016. This evaluation synthesis was carried out using Qualitative Comparative Analysis. Three important mechanisms were present in all the most effective interventions but absent in all the least effective: 1/ showing families how to change: a) providing child physical activity sessions, b) delivering practical behaviour change strategy sessions, c) providing calorie intake advice; 2/ ensuring all the family are on board: a) delivering discussion/education sessions for both children and parents, b) delivering child-friendly sessions, c) aiming to change behaviours across the whole family; 3/ enabling social support for both parents and children by delivering both child group sessions and parent group sessions. To conclude, programmes should ensure the whole family is on board the programme, that parents and children can receive social support and are not just told what to change, but shown how.
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Nye E, MelendezâTorres GJ, Gardner F (2018). Mixed methods systematic review on effectiveness and experiences of the Incredible Years Teacher Classroom Management programme.
Review of Education,
7(3), 631-669.
Abstract:
Mixed methods systematic review on effectiveness and experiences of the Incredible Years Teacher Classroom Management programme
Children's early problematic behaviour correlates with later deviant behaviour. The Incredible Years Teacher Classroom Management (IY TCM) programme trains teachers in proactive strategies to disrupt patterns of negative child behaviour. This mixed methods systematic review applies multilevel metaâanalysis and qualitative metaâsynthesis to answer: What is known about the effectiveness of IY TCM, and how do people experience the programme and its effects? We included RCTs comparing IY TCM against treatmentâasâusual/waitâlist controls and interview/focus group studies with stakeholders. We pooled effect sizes using multilevel metaâanalysis and applied grounded theory analysis to qualitative data. We used framework analysis and integrative grids for crossâsynthesis. Nine studies from England, Ireland, Jamaica, the United States and Wales were included. IY TCM significantly reduced teachers’ use of negative classroom management strategies and reduced conduct problems among highârisk children. No significant effects were found for improving child prosocial behaviours. Qualitative findings illuminated iterative learning processes between the individual and group and identified a wider range of perceived benefits than was measured in trials. Crossâsynthesis demonstrates both harmonious overlap and gaps from differing research priorities. IY TCM presents an opportunity to lessen violence in schools, leading to improved learning environments for all. It reduced teachers’ negative classroom management practices and highârisk children's aggressive/nonâcompliant behaviours. Experiential data mirrors these findings and expands upon them with a wide range of perceived benefits, demonstrating IY TCM is acceptable and enjoyable. Future quantitative research should seek to test the processes produced in the qualitative metaâsynthesis, to better understand mechanisms of change.
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Steinert JI, Cluver LD, Melendez-Torres GJ, Vollmer S (2018). One Size Fits All? the Validity of a Composite Poverty Index Across Urban and Rural Households in South Africa.
Soc Indic Res,
136(1), 51-72.
Abstract:
One Size Fits All? the Validity of a Composite Poverty Index Across Urban and Rural Households in South Africa.
Composite indices have been prominently used in poverty research. However, validity of these indices remains subject to debate. This paper examines the validity of a common type of composite poverty indices using data from a cross-sectional survey of 2477 households in urban and rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Multiple-group comparisons in structural equation modelling were employed for testing differences in the measurement model across urban and rural groups. The analysis revealed substantial variations between urban and rural respondents both in the conceptualisation of poverty as well as in the weights and importance assigned to individual poverty indicators. The validity of a 'one size fits all' measurement model can therefore not be confirmed. In consequence, it becomes virtually impossible to determine a household's poverty level relative to the full sample. Findings from our analysis have important practical implications in nuancing how we can sensitively use composite poverty indices to identify poor people.
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Leijten P, Gardner F, Melendez-Torres GJ, Knerr W, Overbeek G (2018). Parenting behaviors that shape child compliance: a multilevel meta-analysis.
PLoS One,
13(10).
Abstract:
Parenting behaviors that shape child compliance: a multilevel meta-analysis.
BACKGROUND: What are the parenting behaviors that shape child compliance? Most research on parent-child interactions relies on correlational research or evaluations of "package deal" interventions that manipulate many aspects of parenting at the same time. Neither approach allows for identifying the specific parenting behaviors that shape child compliance. To overcome this, we systematically reviewed and meta-analyzed available evidence on the effects of experimentally manipulated, discrete parenting behaviors-a niche in parent-child interaction research that contributes unique information on the specific parenting behaviors that shape child behavior. METHODS: We identified studies by systematically searching databases and through contacting experts. Nineteen studies (75 effect sizes) on four discrete parenting behaviors were included: praise, verbal reprimands, time-out, and ignore. In multilevel models, we tested for each parenting behavior whether it increased child compliance, including both observed and parent-reported measures of child compliance. RESULTS: Providing "time-out" for noncompliance robustly increased both observed and parent-reported child compliance (ds = 0.84-1.72; 95% CI 0.30 to 2.54). The same holds for briefly ignoring the child after non-compliance (ds = 0.36-1.77; 95% CI 0.04 to 2.90). When observed and parent-reported outcomes were combined, but not when they were examined separately, verbal reprimands also increased child compliance (d = 0.72; 95% CI 0.26 to 1.19). Praise did not increase child compliance (ds = -0.27-1.19; 95% CI -2.04 to 1.59). CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that of the discrete parenting behaviors that are experimentally studied in multiple trials, especially time-out and ignore, and to some extent verbal reprimands, shape child compliance.
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Yakubovich AR, StĂśckl H, Murray J, Melendez-Torres GJ, Steinert JI, Glavin CEY, Humphreys DK (2018). Risk and Protective Factors for Intimate Partner Violence Against Women: Systematic Review and Meta-analyses of Prospective-Longitudinal Studies.
Am J Public Health,
108(7), e1-e11.
Abstract:
Risk and Protective Factors for Intimate Partner Violence Against Women: Systematic Review and Meta-analyses of Prospective-Longitudinal Studies.
BACKGROUND: the estimated lifetime prevalence of physical or sexual intimate partner violence (IPV) is 30% among women worldwide. Understanding risk and protective factors is essential for designing effective prevention strategies. OBJECTIVES: to quantify the associations between prospective-longitudinal risk and protective factors and IPV and identify evidence gaps. SEARCH METHODS: We conducted systematic searches in 16 databases including MEDLINE and PsycINFO from inception to June 2016. The study protocol is registered with PROSPERO (CRD42016039213). SELECTION CRITERIA: We included published and unpublished studies available in English that prospectively analyzed any risk or protective factor(s) for self-reported IPV victimization among women and controlled for at least 1 other variable. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Three reviewers were involved in study screening. One reviewer extracted estimates of association and study characteristics from each study and 2 reviewers independently checked a random subset of extractions. We assessed study quality with the Cambridge Quality Checklists. When studies investigated the same risk or protective factor using similar measures, we computed pooled odds ratios (ORs) by using random-effects meta-analyses. We summarized heterogeneity with I2 and τ2. We synthesized all estimates of association, including those not meta-analyzed, by using harvest plots to illustrate evidence gaps and trends toward negative or positive associations. MAIN RESULTS: of 18 608 studies identified, 60 were included and 35 meta-analyzed. Most studies were based in the United States. The strongest evidence for modifiable risk factors for IPV against women were unplanned pregnancy (OR = 1.66; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.20, 1.31) and having parents with less than a high-school education (OR = 1.55; 95% CI = 1.10, 2.17). Being older (OR = 0.96; 95% CI = 0.93, 0.98) or married (OR = 0.93; 95% CI = 0.87, 0.99) were protective. CONCLUSIONS: to our knowledge, this is the first systematic, meta-analytic review of all risk and protective factors for IPV against women without location, time, or publication restrictions. Unplanned pregnancy and having parents with less than a high-school education, which may indicate lower socioeconomic status, were shown to be risk factors, and being older or married were protective. However, no prospective-longitudinal study investigated the associations between IPV against women and any community or structural factor outside the United States, and more studies investigated risk factors related to women as opposed to their partners. Public health implications. This review highlights that prospective evidence for perpetrator- and context-related risk and protective factors for women's experiences of IPV outside of the United States is lacking and urgently needed to inform global policy recommendations. The current evidence base of prospective studies suggests that, at least in the United States, education and sexual health interventions may be effective targets for preventing IPV against women, with young, unmarried women at greatest risk.
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Armoiry X, Kan A, Melendez-Torres GJ, Court R, Sutcliffe P, Auguste P, Madan J, Counsell C, Clarke A (2018). Short- and long-term clinical outcomes of use of beta-interferon or glatiramer acetate for people with clinically isolated syndrome: a systematic review of randomised controlled trials and network meta-analysis.
J Neurol,
265(5), 999-1009.
Abstract:
Short- and long-term clinical outcomes of use of beta-interferon or glatiramer acetate for people with clinically isolated syndrome: a systematic review of randomised controlled trials and network meta-analysis.
BACKGROUND: Beta-interferon (IFN-β) and glatiramer acetate (GA) have been evaluated in people with clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) with the aim to delay a second clinical attack and a diagnosis of clinically definite multiple sclerosis (CDMS). We systematically reviewed trials evaluating the short- and long-term clinical effectiveness of these drugs in CIS. METHODS: We searched multiple electronic databases. We selected randomised controlled studies (RCTs) conducted in CIS patients and where the interventions were IFN-β and GA. Main outcomes were time to CDMS, and discontinuation due to adverse events (AE). We compared interventions using random-effect network meta-analyses (NMA). We also reported outcomes from long-term open-label extension (OLE) studies. RESULTS: We identified five primary studies. Four had open-label extensions following double-blind periods comparing outcomes between early vs delayed DMT. Short-term clinical results (double-blind period) showed that all drugs delayed CDMS compared to placebo. Indirect comparisons did not suggest superiority of any one active drug over another. We could not undertake a NMA for discontinuation due to AE. Long-term clinical results (OLE studies) showed that the risk of developing CDMS was consistently reduced across studies after early DMT treatment compared to delayed DMT (HR = 0.64, 95% CI 0.55, 0.74). No data supported the benefit of DMTs in reducing the time to, and magnitude of, disability progression. CONCLUSIONS: Meta-analyses confirmed that IFN-β and GA delay time to CDMS compared to placebo. In the absence of evidence that early DMTs can reduce disability progression, future research is needed to better identify patients most likely to benefit from long-term DMTs.
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Ponsford R, Allen E, Campbell R, Elbourne D, Hadley A, Lohan M, Melendez-Torres GJ, Mercer CH, Morris S, Young H, et al (2018). Study protocol for the optimisation, feasibility testing and pilot cluster randomised trial of Positive Choices: a school-based social marketing intervention to promote sexual health, prevent unintended teenage pregnancies and address health inequalities in England.
Pilot Feasibility Stud,
4Abstract:
Study protocol for the optimisation, feasibility testing and pilot cluster randomised trial of Positive Choices: a school-based social marketing intervention to promote sexual health, prevent unintended teenage pregnancies and address health inequalities in England.
BACKGROUND: Since the introduction of the Teenage Pregnancy Strategy (TPS), England's under-18 conception rate has fallen by 55%, but a continued focus on prevention is needed to maintain and accelerate progress. The teenage birth rate remains higher in the UK than comparable Western European countries. Previous trials indicate that school-based social marketing interventions are a promising approach to addressing teenage pregnancy and improving sexual health. Such interventions are yet to be trialled in the UK. This study aims to optimise and establish the feasibility and acceptability of one such intervention: Positive Choices. METHODS: Design: Optimisation, feasibility testing and pilot cluster randomised trial.Interventions: the Positive Choices intervention comprises a student needs survey, a student/staff led School Health Promotion Council (SHPC), a classroom curriculum for year nine students covering social and emotional skills and sex education, student-led social marketing activities, parent information and a review of school sexual health services.Systematic optimisation of Positive Choices will be carried out with the National Children's Bureau Sex Education Forum (NCB SEF), one state secondary school in England and other youth and policy stakeholders.Feasibility testing will involve the same state secondary school and will assess progression criteria to advance to the pilot cluster RCT.Pilot cluster RCT with integral process evaluation will involve six different state secondary schools (four interventions and two controls) and will assess the feasibility and utility of progressing to a full effectiveness trial.The following outcome measures will be trialled as part of the pilot:Self-reported pregnancy and unintended pregnancy (initiation of pregnancy for boys) and sexually transmitted infections,Age of sexual debut, number of sexual partners, use of contraception at first and last sex and non-volitional sexEducational attainmentThe feasibility of linking administrative data on births and termination to self-report survey data to measure our primary outcome (unintended teenage pregnancy) will also be tested. DISCUSSION: This will be the first UK-based pilot trial of a school-wide social marketing intervention to reduce unintended teenage pregnancy and improve sexual health. If this study indicates feasibility and acceptability of the optimised Positive Choices intervention in English secondary schools, plans will be initiated for a phase III trial and economic evaluation of the intervention. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN registry (ISCTN12524938. Registered 03/07/2017).
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Sutcliffe K, Melendez-Torres GJ, Burchett HED, Richardson M, Rees R, Thomas J (2018). The importance of service-users' perspectives: a systematic review of qualitative evidence reveals overlooked critical features of weight management programmes.
Health Expect,
21(3), 563-573.
Abstract:
The importance of service-users' perspectives: a systematic review of qualitative evidence reveals overlooked critical features of weight management programmes.
BACKGROUND: Extensive research effort shows that weight management programmes (WMPs) targeting both diet and exercise are broadly effective. However, the critical features of WMPs remain unclear. OBJECTIVE: to develop a deeper understanding of WMPs critical features, we undertook a systematic review of qualitative evidence. We sought to understand from a service-user perspective how programmes are experienced, and may be effective, on the ground. SEARCH STRATEGY: We identified qualitative studies from existing reviews and updated the searches of one review. INCLUSION CRITERIA: We included UK studies capturing the views of adult WMP users. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS: Thematic analysis was used inductively to code and synthesize the evidence. MAIN RESULTS: Service users were emphatic that supportive relationships, with service providers or WMP peers, are the most critical aspect of WMPs. Supportive relationships were described as providing an extrinsic motivator or "hook" which helped to overcome barriers such as scepticism about dietary advice or a lack confidence to engage in physical activity. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: the evidence revealed that service-users' understandings of the critical features of WMPs differ from the focus of health promotion guidance or descriptions of evaluated programmes which largely emphasize educational or goal setting aspects of WMPs. Existing programme guidance may not therefore fully address the needs of service users. The study illustrates that the perspectives of service users can reveal unanticipated intervention mechanisms or underemphasized critical features and underscores the value of a holistic understanding about "what happens" in complex psychosocial interventions such as WMPs.
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Bonell C, Melendez-Torres GJ, Quilley S (2018). The potential role for sociologists in designing RCTs and of RCTs in refining sociological theory: a commentary on Deaton and Cartwright.
Soc Sci Med,
210, 29-31.
Author URL.
Melendez-Torres GJ, Bourne A, Reid D, Hickson F, Bonell C, Weatherburn P (2018). Typology of drug use in United Kingdom men who have sex with men and associations with socio-sexual characteristics.
Int J Drug Policy,
55, 159-164.
Abstract:
Typology of drug use in United Kingdom men who have sex with men and associations with socio-sexual characteristics.
BACKGROUND: Analysis of specific drug use patterns in men who have sex with men (MSM) is important in targeting HIV prevention and harm reduction interventions and in developing a fuller picture of drug use in context beyond consideration of use of specific drugs in isolation. OBJECTIVES: We sought to develop a typology of recent drug use in MSM, and to explore how distribution of MSM across the classes in this typology differs by socio-sexual characteristics. METHODS: We examined last-year drug use reported by 16,814 MSM as part of a cross-sectional, internet-based survey of MSM living in the UK for which data were collected in late summer 2014. We tested models with between two and six classes for types of specific drug use, and related socio-sexual covariates to the classes in the best model using multinomial regression. RESULTS: Our five-class model described a range of drug use patterns, including minimal users, low-threshold users, old-skool users, chemsex-plus users and diverse users. MSM identifying as gay were more likely to not be minimal users. HIV-positive MSM were more likely to be chemsex-plus users than HIV-negative MSM. Number and type of non-steady partners, ethnicity and education were each related to class membership, though trends were complex. CONCLUSIONS: Findings from associations between correlates and latent classes suggest avenues for service development beyond current attention to opiates or chemsex drugs. Our findings draw attention to heterogeneity in drug use patterns in MSM beyond what current discourse on chemsex drugs would suggest.
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Melendez-Torres GJ, Sutcliffe K, Burchett HED, Rees R, Richardson M, Thomas J (2018). Weight management programmes: Re-analysis of a systematic review to identify pathways to effectiveness.
Health Expect,
21(3), 574-584.
Abstract:
Weight management programmes: Re-analysis of a systematic review to identify pathways to effectiveness.
BACKGROUND: Previous systematic reviews of weight management programmes (WMPs) have not been able to account for heterogeneity of effectiveness within programmes using top-down behavioural change taxonomies. This could be due to overlapping causal pathways to effectiveness (or lack of effectiveness) in these complex interventions. Qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) can help identify these overlapping pathways. METHODS: Using trials of adult WMPs with dietary and physical activity components identified from a previous systematic review, we selected the 10 most and 10 least effective interventions by amount of weight loss at 12 months compared to minimal treatment. Using intervention components suggested by synthesis of studies of programme user views, we labelled interventions as to the presence of these components and, using qualitative comparative analysis, developed pathways of component combinations that created the conditions sufficient for interventions to be most effective and least effective. RESULTS: Informed by the synthesis of views studies, we constructed 3 truth tables relating to quality of the user-provider relationship; perceived high need for guidance from providers; and quality of the relationship between peers in weight management programmes. We found effective interventions were characterized by opportunities to develop supportive relationships with providers or peers, directive provider-led goal setting and components perceived to foster self-regulation. CONCLUSIONS: Although QCA is an inductive method, this innovative approach has enabled the identification of potentially critical aspects of WMPs, such as the nature of relationships within them, which were previously not considered to be as important as more concrete content such as dietary focus.
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Melendez-Torres GJ, Kagan SH (2018). World Class Excellence in an International Gerontological Nursing Journal: Announcing Our 2017 IJOPN Author and Reviewer Awards.
Int J Older People Nurs,
13(3).
Author URL.
Tam SY, Houlihan S, Melendez-Torres GJ (2017). A Systematic Review of Longitudinal Risk and Protective Factors and Correlates for Posttraumatic Stress and its Natural History in Forcibly Displaced Children.
Trauma Violence Abuse,
18(4), 377-395.
Abstract:
A Systematic Review of Longitudinal Risk and Protective Factors and Correlates for Posttraumatic Stress and its Natural History in Forcibly Displaced Children.
BACKGROUND: Posttraumatic stress (PTS) results in significant distress or functional impairment. Prevalence studies report higher rates of PTS in forcibly displaced children (FDC). Current evidence deriving mainly from cross-sectional studies is unable to make causal attributions. Given rising rates of forcible displacement reported by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in 2014, there is increasing need to determine the best policies and practice for engaging mental health needs of FDC. METHODS: This systematic review identifies (1) longitudinal risk and protective factors and correlates for PTS and (2) its natural history in FDC, contributing to research identifying vulnerable subgroups and malleable factors for PTS and understanding its natural history. No meta-analysis was conducted due to heterogeneity; results were analyzed through narrative synthesis. RESULTS: Eleven longitudinal studies were identified. All but one were prospective cohort designs. They identified prevalence rates between 20% and 48.7% at baseline, 10% and 48.3% at 1 year ( k = 7), 18% and 48% at 2-3 years ( k = 2), 8% and 38% at 6 years ( k = 2), and 35% at 12 years using nine measurement methods in seven independent samples. Evidence from multiple associations supported the following risk factors: exposure to traumatic stressors or other stress, older age, and prior psychopathology. Evidence predominantly supported the stability of PTS with some decline. CONCLUSION: While results should be interpreted with caution given small or unrepresentative samples, they suggest regular mental health screenings should be conducted for FDC, who are a vulnerable subgroup with variable onset and remission. Risk associations with prior psychopathology also suggest that screening upon arrival may be advisable for early intervention and prevention.
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Petticrew M, Shemilt I, Lorenc T, Marteau TM, Melendez-Torres GJ, O'Mara-Eves A, Stautz K, Thomas J (2017). Alcohol advertising and public health: systems perspectives versus narrow perspectives.
J Epidemiol Community Health,
71(3), 308-312.
Abstract:
Alcohol advertising and public health: systems perspectives versus narrow perspectives.
BACKGROUND: Alcohol consumption is influenced by a complex causal system of interconnected psychological, behavioural, social, economic, legal and environmental factors. These factors are shaped by governments (eg, licensing laws and taxation), by consumers (eg, patterns of alcohol consumption drive demand) and by alcohol industry practices, such as advertising. The marketing and advertising of alcoholic products contributes to an 'alcogenic environment' and is a modifiable influence on alcohol consumption and harm. The public health perspective is that there is sufficient evidence that alcohol advertising influences consumption. The alcohol industry disputes this, asserting that advertising only aims to help consumers choose between brands. METHODS: We review the evidence from recent systematic reviews, including their theoretical and methodological assumptions, to help understand what conclusions can be drawn about the relationships between alcohol advertising, advertising restrictions and alcohol consumption. CONCLUSIONS: a wide evidence base needs to be drawn on to provide a system-level overview of the relationship between alcohol advertising, advertising restrictions and consumption. Advertising aims to influence not just consumption, but also to influence awareness, attitudes and social norms; this is because advertising is a system-level intervention with multiple objectives. Given this, assessments of the effects of advertising restrictions which focus only on sales or consumption are insufficient and may be misleading. For this reason, previous systematic reviews, such as the 2014 Cochrane review on advertising restrictions (Siegfried et al) contribute important, but incomplete representations of 'the evidence' needed to inform the public health case for policy decisions on alcohol advertising. We conclude that an unintended consequence of narrow, linear framings of complex system-level issues is that they can produce misleading answers. Systems problems require systems perspectives.
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Author URL.
Melendez-Torres GJ, Auguste P, Armoiry X, Maheswaran H, Court R, Madan J, Kan A, Lin S, Counsell C, Patterson J, et al (2017). Clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of beta-interferon and glatiramer acetate for treating multiple sclerosis: systematic review and economic evaluation.
Health Technol Assess,
21(52), 1-352.
Abstract:
Clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of beta-interferon and glatiramer acetate for treating multiple sclerosis: systematic review and economic evaluation.
BACKGROUND: at the time of publication of the most recent National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance [technology appraisal (TA) 32] in 2002 on beta-interferon (IFN-β) and glatiramer acetate (GA) for multiple sclerosis, there was insufficient evidence of their clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness. OBJECTIVES: to undertake (1) systematic reviews of the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of IFN-β and GA in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) and clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) compared with best supportive care (BSC) and each other, investigating annualised relapse rate (ARR) and time to disability progression confirmed at 3 months and 6 months and (2) cost-effectiveness assessments of disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) for CIS and RRMS compared with BSC and each other. REVIEW METHODS: Searches were undertaken in January and February 2016 in databases including the Cochrane Library, MEDLINE and the Science Citation Index. We limited some database searches to specific start dates based on previous, relevant systematic reviews. Two reviewers screened titles and abstracts with recourse to a third when needed. The Cochrane tool and the Consolidated Health Economic Evaluation Reporting Standards (CHEERS) and Philips checklists were used for appraisal. Narrative synthesis and, when possible, random-effects meta-analysis and network meta-analysis (NMA) were performed. Cost-effectiveness analysis used published literature, findings from the Department of Health's risk-sharing scheme (RSS) and expert opinion. A de novo economic model was built for CIS. The base case used updated RSS data, a NHS and Personal Social Services perspective, a 50-year time horizon, 2014/15 prices and a discount rate of 3.5%. Outcomes are reported as incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs). We undertook probabilistic sensitivity analysis. RESULTS: in total, 6420 publications were identified, of which 63 relating to 35 randomised controlled trials (RCTs) were included. In total, 86% had a high risk of bias. There was very little difference between drugs in reducing moderate or severe relapse rates in RRMS. All were beneficial compared with BSC, giving a pooled rate ratio of 0.65 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.56 to 0.76] for ARR and a hazard ratio of 0.70 (95% CI, 0.55 to 0.87) for time to disability progression confirmed at 3 months. NMA suggested that 20 mg of GA given subcutaneously had the highest probability of being the best at reducing ARR. Three separate cost-effectiveness searches identified > 2500 publications, with 26 included studies informing the narrative synthesis and model inputs. In the base case using a modified RSS the mean incremental cost was £31,900 for pooled DMTs compared with BSC and the mean incremental quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) were 0.943, giving an ICER of £33,800 per QALY gained for people with RRMS. In probabilistic sensitivity analysis the ICER was £34,000 per QALY gained. In sensitivity analysis, using the assessment group inputs gave an ICER of £12,800 per QALY gained for pooled DMTs compared with BSC. Pegylated IFN-β-1 (125 µg) was the most cost-effective option of the individual DMTs compared with BSC (ICER £7000 per QALY gained); GA (20 mg) was the most cost-effective treatment for CIS (ICER £16,500 per QALY gained). LIMITATIONS: Although we built a de novo model for CIS that incorporated evidence from our systematic review of clinical effectiveness, our findings relied on a population diagnosed with CIS before implementation of the revised 2010 McDonald criteria. CONCLUSIONS: DMTs were clinically effective for RRMS and CIS but cost-effective only for CIS. Both RCT evidence and RSS data are at high risk of bias. Research priorities include comparative studies with longer follow-up and systematic review and meta-synthesis of qualitative studies. STUDY REGISTRATION: This study is registered as PROSPERO CRD42016043278. FUNDING: the National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment programme.
Abstract.
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Lin S, Melendez-Torres GJ (2017). Critical interpretive synthesis of barriers and facilitators to TB treatment in immigrant populations.
Trop Med Int Health,
22(10), 1206-1222.
Abstract:
Critical interpretive synthesis of barriers and facilitators to TB treatment in immigrant populations.
OBJECTIVE: to systematically review studies of TB treatment experiences in immigrant populations, using Critical Interpretive Synthesis (CIS). METHODS: on 26 October 2014, MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase, LILACS, and PsycINFO were systematically searched. Grey literature and reference lists were hand-searched. Initial papers included were restricted to studies of immigrant patient perspectives; after a model was developed, a second set of papers was included to test the emerging theory. RESULTS: of 1761 studies identified in the search, a total of 29 were included in the synthesis. Using those studies, we developed a model that suggested treatment experiences were strongly related to the way both individuals and societies adjusted to immigration ('acculturation strategies'). Relationships with healthcare workers and immigration policies played particularly significant roles in TB treatment. CONCLUSIONS: This review emphasised the roles of repatriation policy and healthcare workers in forming experiences of TB treatment in immigrant populations.
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Vlahovicova K, Melendez-Torres GJ, Leijten P, Knerr W, Gardner F (2017). Erratum to: Parenting Programs for the Prevention of Child Physical Abuse Recurrence: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Clin Child Fam Psychol Rev,
20(3).
Author URL.
Melendez-Torres GJ, Hickson F, Reid D, Weatherburn P, Bonell C (2017). Findings from within-subjects comparisons of drug use and sexual risk behaviour in men who have sex with men in England.
Int J STD AIDS,
28(3), 250-258.
Abstract:
Findings from within-subjects comparisons of drug use and sexual risk behaviour in men who have sex with men in England.
Epidemiological evidence for the encounter-level association between sexualised drug use and unprotected anal intercourse in men who have sex with men is unclear and has not examined men who have sex with men in England. To estimate this association, we compared dyadic sexual encounters within respondents. We used encounter-level data from a longitudinal online survey of men who have sex with men living in England and multilevel models to test univariate and multivariate associations between any respondent or partner drug use, specific respondent drug use, additional situational characteristics and unprotected anal intercourse. Based on 6742 encounters from 2142 men who have sex with men, respondent drug use and respondent use of certain specific drugs were associated with increased unprotected anal intercourse odds. In univariate models, partner drug use was associated with increased unprotected anal intercourse odds, but in multivariate models, only non-specific knowledge of partner drug use was associated with the same. Encounters with non-regular-and-steady partners or that were not HIV-seroconcordant were associated with decreased unprotected anal intercourse odds. This is the first within-subjects comparison of drug use and unprotected anal intercourse conducted on a sample from England, and the largest of its kind. Findings are consistent with other studies, though associations between drug use and unprotected anal intercourse are shaped by social contexts that may change over time.
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Hickson F, Melendez-Torres GJ, Reid D, Weatherburn P (2017). HIV, sexual risk and ethnicity among gay and bisexual men in England: survey evidence for persisting health inequalities.
Sex Transm Infect,
93(7), 508-513.
Abstract:
HIV, sexual risk and ethnicity among gay and bisexual men in England: survey evidence for persisting health inequalities.
OBJECTIVES: to examine ethnic group differences in HIV testing and sexual behaviours among a large sample of gay and bisexual men (GBM), 13â
years after similar observations were made, assess national HIV prevention responses and inform planning priorities. METHODS: Cross-sectional convenience self-completion online survey in summer 2014, designed and recruited in collaboration with community-based health promoters and gay internet services; comparison with earlier findings reporting on similarly designed survey in 2001. RESULTS: We recruited 15â
388 GBM living in England who self-reported as follows: 18.5% from ethnic minorities; 9.0% tested HIV positive (cf. 17.0% and 5.4% in 2001). Compared with the white British, Asian men were no longer less likely to report diagnosed HIV but had an equal probability of doing so (2001 OR=0.32, 95% CI 0.13 to 0.79; 2014 OR=1.04, 95% CI 0.71 to 1.54); black men remained significantly more likely to report diagnosed HIV (2001 OR=2.06, 95% CI 1.56 to 3.29; 2014 OR=1.62, 95% CI 1.10 to 2.36) as did men in the other white group (2001 OR=1.54, 95% CI 1.23 to 1.93; 2014 OR=1.31, 95% CI 1.10 to 1.55). Overall annual incidence of reported HIV diagnoses in 2014 was 1.1%. Black men were significantly more likely to report diagnosis with HIV in the last 12â
months than the white British (adjusted odds ratios (AOR) 2.57, 95% CI 1.22 to 5.39). No minority ethnic group was more or less likely to report condom unprotected anal intercourse (CUAI) in the last year but men in the Asian, black and all others groups were more likely than the white British to report CUAI with more than one non-steady partners. CONCLUSIONS: Among GBM in England, HIV prevalence continues to be higher among black men and other white men compared with the white British. The protective effect of being from an Asian background appears no longer to pertain. Sexual risk behaviours may account for some of these differences.
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Lilford RJ, Oyebode O, Satterthwaite D, Melendez-Torres GJ, Chen Y-F, Mberu B, Watson SI, Sartori J, Ndugwa R, Caiaffa W, et al (2017). Improving the health and welfare of people who live in slums.
Lancet,
389(10068), 559-570.
Abstract:
Improving the health and welfare of people who live in slums.
In the first paper in this Series we assessed theoretical and empirical evidence and concluded that the health of people living in slums is a function not only of poverty but of intimately shared physical and social environments. In this paper we extend the theory of so-called neighbourhood effects. Slums offer high returns on investment because beneficial effects are shared across many people in densely populated neighbourhoods. Neighbourhood effects also help explain how and why the benefits of interventions vary between slum and non-slum spaces and between slums. We build on this spatial concept of slums to argue that, in all low-income and-middle-income countries, census tracts should henceforth be designated slum or non-slum both to inform local policy and as the basis for research surveys that build on censuses. We argue that slum health should be promoted as a topic of enquiry alongside poverty and health.
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Tancred T, Fletcher A, Melendez-Torres GJ, Thomas J, Campbell R, Bonell C (2017). Integrating Health Education in Academic Lessons: is This the Future of Health Education in Schools?.
J Sch Health,
87(11), 807-810.
Author URL.
Melendez-Torres GJ, O'Mara-Eves A, Thomas J, Brunton G, Caird J, Petticrew M (2017). Interpretive analysis of 85 systematic reviews suggests that narrative syntheses and meta-analyses are incommensurate in argumentation.
Res Synth Methods,
8(1), 109-118.
Abstract:
Interpretive analysis of 85 systematic reviews suggests that narrative syntheses and meta-analyses are incommensurate in argumentation.
Using Toulmin's argumentation theory, we analysed the texts of systematic reviews in the area of workplace health promotion to explore differences in the modes of reasoning embedded in reports of narrative synthesis as compared with reports of meta-analysis. We used framework synthesis, grounded theory and cross-case analysis methods to analyse 85 systematic reviews addressing intervention effectiveness in workplace health promotion. Two core categories, or 'modes of reasoning', emerged to frame the contrast between narrative synthesis and meta-analysis: practical-configurational reasoning in narrative synthesis ('what is going on here? What picture emerges?') and inferential-predictive reasoning in meta-analysis ('does it work, and how well? Will it work again?'). Modes of reasoning examined quality and consistency of the included evidence differently. Meta-analyses clearly distinguished between warrant and claim, whereas narrative syntheses often presented joint warrant-claims. Narrative syntheses and meta-analyses represent different modes of reasoning. Systematic reviewers are likely to be addressing research questions in different ways with each method. It is important to consider narrative synthesis in its own right as a method and to develop specific quality criteria and understandings of how it is carried out, not merely as a complement to, or second-best option for, meta-analysis. © 2016 the Authors. Research Synthesis Methods published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
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Melendez-Torres GJ, Bonell C (2017). Littoral Spaces of Performance: Findings from a Systematic Review and Re-analysis of Qualitative Studies on Men Who Have Sex with Men, Substance Use and Social Venues.
SEXUALITY RESEARCH AND SOCIAL POLICY,
14(3), 259-269.
Author URL.
Kagan SH, Melendez-Torres GJ (2017). Marking excellence in contributions to the gerontological nursing literature.
Int J Older People Nurs,
12(3).
Author URL.
Vlahovicova K, Melendez-Torres GJ, Leijten P, Knerr W, Gardner F (2017). Parenting Programs for the Prevention of Child Physical Abuse Recurrence: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Clin Child Fam Psychol Rev,
20(3), 351-365.
Abstract:
Parenting Programs for the Prevention of Child Physical Abuse Recurrence: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Child physical abuse is an issue of global concern. Conservative estimates set global prevalence of this type of maltreatment at 25%, its consequences and cost to society escalating with increasing frequency and severity of episodes. Syntheses of the evidence on parenting programs for reducing rates of physical abuse recidivism have, to date, not been able to establish effectiveness. Paucity of data and inconsistent inclusion criteria in past reviews made meta-analysis often impossible or uninformative. The current systematic review updates prior reviews and overcomes some of the methodological issues they encountered by pooling trial-level data from a well-defined scope of trials of parenting interventions aimed at preventing the re-abuse of children by parents with substantiated or suspected physical abuse history. Randomized controlled trials and rigorous non-randomized designs were sought via nine online databases, two trial registries, several clearinghouses and contact with experts. A total of fourteen studies of variable quality were included in this review, four of which had outcomes that enabled meta-analysis. Overall, this review presents evidence supporting the effectiveness of parenting behavioral programs based on social learning theory for reducing hard markers of child physical abuse recidivism. Meta-analysis found that the absolute risk reduction in risk of recidivism was 11 percentage points less for maltreating parents who undergo parenting programs (RD = -0.11, 95% CI [-0.22, -0.004], p = 0.043, I 2 = 28.9%). However, the pooled effect size was not statistically significant when calculated as a risk ratio (0.76, 95% CI [0.54, 1.07], I 2 = 38.4%). Policy makers and practitioners should be made aware that this intervention method is backed by promising evidence featuring modest yet significant reductions in hard markers of child physical abuse, even though the methodological robustness of these findings should be further explored in future research.
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Steinert JI, Cluver L, Melendez-Torres GJ, Herrero Romero R (2017). Relationships between poverty and AIDS Illness in South Africa: an investigation of urban and rural households in KwaZulu-Natal.
Glob Public Health,
12(9), 1183-1199.
Abstract:
Relationships between poverty and AIDS Illness in South Africa: an investigation of urban and rural households in KwaZulu-Natal.
The association between poverty and HIV/AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa remains contested. A better understanding of the relationship between the prevalence of poverty and the disease is essential for addressing prevention, treatment, and care. The present study interrogates this relationship, using a cross-sectional survey of 2477 households in urban and rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Structural equation modelling was employed to estimate the correlations between poverty and AIDS illness. The analysis revealed a correlation of rpb = 0.23, denoting that a higher level of household poverty was associated with a higher likelihood of being AIDS-unwell. Post hoc t-test showed that receipt of a disability grant by AIDS-affected households was associated with significantly lower poverty, compared to AIDS-affected households not receiving the grant, t(654) = 3.67, p
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Armoiry X, Tsertsvadze A, Connock M, Melendez-Torres GJ, Clarke A (2017). Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis of Treatment Outcomes for Multiple Myeloma.
J Clin Oncol,
35(25), 2975-2976.
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Zhong CS, Melendez-Torres GJ (2017). The effect of peer-led self-management education programmes for adolescents with asthma: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
HEALTH EDUCATION JOURNAL,
76(6), 676-694.
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Ezeh A, Oyebode O, Satterthwaite D, Chen Y-F, Ndugwa R, Sartori J, Mberu B, Melendez-Torres GJ, Haregu T, Watson SI, et al (2017). The history, geography, and sociology of slums and the health problems of people who live in slums.
Lancet,
389(10068), 547-558.
Abstract:
The history, geography, and sociology of slums and the health problems of people who live in slums.
Massive slums have become major features of cities in many low-income and middle-income countries. Here, in the first in a Series of two papers, we discuss why slums are unhealthy places with especially high risks of infection and injury. We show that children are especially vulnerable, and that the combination of malnutrition and recurrent diarrhoea leads to stunted growth and longer-term effects on cognitive development. We find that the scientific literature on slum health is underdeveloped in comparison to urban health, and poverty and health. This shortcoming is important because health is affected by factors arising from the shared physical and social environment, which have effects beyond those of poverty alone. In the second paper we will consider what can be done to improve health and make recommendations for the development of slum health as a field of study.
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Movsisyan A, Melendez-Torres GJ, Montgomery P (2016). A harmonized guidance is needed on how to "properly" frame review questions to make the best use of all available evidence in the assessment of effectiveness of complex interventions.
J Clin Epidemiol,
77, 139-141.
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Tan SY, Melendez-Torres GJ (2016). A systematic review and metasynthesis of barriers and facilitators to negotiating consistent condom use among sex workers in Asia.
Cult Health Sex,
18(3), 249-264.
Abstract:
A systematic review and metasynthesis of barriers and facilitators to negotiating consistent condom use among sex workers in Asia.
Female sex work accounts for about 15% of the global HIV burden in women. Asia is the region with the second highest attributable fraction of the HIV epidemic after sub-Saharan Africa. This review synthesises studies that depict the barriers and facilitators encountered by sex workers in Asia when negotiating consistent condom use. A total of 18 studies published between January 1989 and May 2015 were included in the review. Data were extracted, critically appraised and analysed using a thematic analysis approach. Individual-level factors related to sex workers' knowledge, perception and power, as well as interpersonal-level factors that encompassed dynamics with clients and peer-related factors, presented as both barriers and facilitators to sex workers' condom negotiation process. In addition, the structural environment of sex work, access to resources, poverty, stigma, the legal environment and the role of media were also identified as factors in influencing the condom negotiation process of sex workers. A multisectoral interventional approach that addresses the multilevel barriers encountered by sex workers in condom negotiation is needed. Awareness of safe-sex practice should be collectively enhanced among sex workers, clients and brothel managers.
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Melendez-Torres GJ, Hickson F, Reid D, Weatherburn P, Bonell C (2016). An initial typology of contexts of dyadic sexual encounters between men and associations with sexual risk and pleasure: findings from an observational study.
Sex Health,
13(3), 221-227.
Abstract:
An initial typology of contexts of dyadic sexual encounters between men and associations with sexual risk and pleasure: findings from an observational study.
UNLABELLED: Background Although many within-subjects comparisons conducted on samples of men who have sex with men have sought to understand the association between specific situational characteristics (e.g. drug use or location of sex) and sexual risk behaviour, none have considered the 'clustering' of patterns of situational characteristics. An initial typology of sexual encounters is derived and the relationship of this typology to condomless anal intercourse (CAI) and pleasure is tested. METHODS: Data from a longitudinal survey of men who have sex with men living in England were used. Multilevel latent class analyses were estimated to determine an optimal class solution on the situational characteristics, and then pseudo-imputation was used to estimate the association between class and both CAI and pleasure. RESULTS: a three-class solution fit the data best, with a scaled relative entropy of 92.4%. Classes were characterised as featuring: regular steady partners in private locations with low drug use (class 1), casual partners with increased probability of sex occurring in a sex-on-premises venue (class 2), and high levels of polydrug use together with increased probability of casual partners (class 3). Encounters were different both in pairwise comparisons and overall on probability of CAI. They were different overall but not necessarily pairwise on pleasure. CONCLUSIONS: These initial findings demonstrate the possibility of understanding sexual encounters in terms of the contexts, or classes, within which they occur. This may have implications for tailoring HIV prevention to specific encounter types. Future research should seek to extend encounter-level typologies to specific drug use variables.
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Melendez-Torres GJ, Kagan SH (2016). Celebrating excellence and innovation in gerontological nursing.
Int J Older People Nurs,
11(2), 83-84.
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Melendez-Torres GJ, Hickson F, Reid D, Weatherburn P, Bonell C (2016). Drug use moderates associations between location of sex and unprotected anal intercourse in men who have sex with men: nested cross-sectional study of dyadic encounters with new partners.
Sex Transm Infect,
92(1), 39-43.
Abstract:
Drug use moderates associations between location of sex and unprotected anal intercourse in men who have sex with men: nested cross-sectional study of dyadic encounters with new partners.
OBJECTIVES: This nested cross-sectional study of dyadic sexual encounters with new male partners reported by men living in England who have sex with men tested moderation between drug use and location of sex in associations with unprotected anal intercourse (UAI). METHODS: Data were drawn from two waves of a longitudinal monthly internet survey of men living in England who have sex with men conducted in 2011. Using generalised estimating equations and logit link, we tested the relationship with UAI of any respondent drug use before sex, specific respondent drug use before sex, location of sex (distinguishing private, sex-on-premises venue and cruising locations) and location-drug use interactions. RESULTS: Any respondent drug use (OR 1.57, 95% CI 1.31 to 1.88) was associated with increased odds of UAI. Relative to encounters in private locations, encounters in sex-on-premises venues (0.69, 95% CI 0.52 to 0.91), but not cruising locations, were associated with decreased odds of UAI. Any respondent drug use, respondent use of poppers and respondent use of alcohol were each associated with increased UAI in sex-on-premises venues. DISCUSSION: This analysis presents evidence of moderation between drug use and location of sex in associations with UAI. Though this analysis used a large sample, it relied on community-recruited respondents. Our findings may reflect either 'totalising' effects of drug use across venues or site-specific use of drugs as a mechanism for cognitive escape. Additional qualitative research is necessary to understand these findings in context.
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Witzel TC, Melendez-Torres GJ, Hickson F, Weatherburn P (2016). HIV testing history and preferences for future tests among gay men, bisexual men and other MSM in England: results from a cross-sectional study.
BMJ Open,
6(9).
Abstract:
HIV testing history and preferences for future tests among gay men, bisexual men and other MSM in England: results from a cross-sectional study.
OBJECTIVES: the British HIV Association's (BHIVA) testing guidelines recommend men who have sex with men (MSM) test annually or more frequently if ongoing risk is present. We identify which groups of MSM in England are less likely to have tested for HIV and their preferences for future tests by testing model, in order to inform health promotion programmes. METHODS: Data come from the Gay Men's Sex Survey 2014, a cross-sectional survey of MSM, aged 16â
years or older and living in the UK. Only men who did not have diagnosed HIV and were living in England were included in this analysis. We used logistic regression models to understand how social determinants of health were associated with not testing for HIV in the past 12â
months, and never having tested. We then cross-tabulated preferred testing location by demographic characteristics. RESULTS: Younger men, older men and men who were not gay identified were least likely to have tested for HIV. Higher educational attainment, migrancy, Black ethnicity and being at higher of risk were associated with greater levels of HIV testing. Men who were less likely to have tested for HIV preferred a wider range of options for future HIV testing. CONCLUSIONS: If the BHIVA's HIV testing policy of 2008 was used to guide testing priorities among MSM focus would be on increasing the rate of annual testing among MSM at less risk of HIV (ie, younger men, older men and non-gay identified MSM). Instead the promotion of more frequent testing among the groups most at risk of infection should be prioritised in order to reduce the time between infection and diagnosis.
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Platt L, Melendez-Torres GJ, O'Donnell A, Bradley J, Newbury-Birch D, Kaner E, Ashton C (2016). How effective are brief interventions in reducing alcohol consumption: do the setting, practitioner group and content matter? Findings from a systematic review and metaregression analysis.
BMJ Open,
6(8).
Abstract:
How effective are brief interventions in reducing alcohol consumption: do the setting, practitioner group and content matter? Findings from a systematic review and metaregression analysis.
BACKGROUND: While the efficacy and effectiveness of brief interventions for alcohol (ABI) have been demonstrated in primary care, there is weaker evidence in other settings and reviews do not consider differences in content. We conducted a systematic review to measure the effect of ABIs on alcohol consumption and how it differs by the setting, practitioner group and content of intervention. METHODS: We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO; CINAHL, Social Science Citation Index, Cochrane Library and Global Health up to January 2015 for randomised controlled trials that measured effectiveness of ABIs on alcohol consumption. We grouped outcomes into measures of quantity and frequency indices. We used multilevel meta-analysis to estimate pooled effect sizes and tested for the effect of moderators through a multiparameter Wald test. Stratified analysis of a subset of quantity and frequency outcomes was conducted as a sensitivity check. RESULTS: 52 trials were included contributing data on 29â
891 individuals. ABIs reduced the quantity of alcohol consumed by 0.15 SDs. While neither the setting nor content appeared to significantly moderate intervention effectiveness, the provider did in some analyses. Interventions delivered by nurses had the most effect in reducing quantity (d=-0.23, 95% CI (-0.33 to -0.13)) but not frequency of alcohol consumption. All content groups had statistically significant mean effects, brief advice was the most effective in reducing quantity consumed (d=-0.20, 95% CI (-0.30 to -0.09)). Effects were maintained in the stratified sensitivity analysis at the first and last assessment time. CONCLUSIONS: ABIs play a small but significant role in reducing alcohol consumption. Findings show the positive role of nurses in delivering interventions. The lack of evidence on the impact of content of intervention reinforces advice that services should select the ABI tool that best suits their needs.
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Melendez-Torres GJ, Bourne A (2016). Illicit drug use and its association with sexual risk behaviour among MSM: more questions than answers?.
Curr Opin Infect Dis,
29(1), 58-63.
Abstract:
Illicit drug use and its association with sexual risk behaviour among MSM: more questions than answers?
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Illicit drug use before or during sex - known as sexualized drug use (colloquially 'chemsex' or 'party and play') - has evolved as novel psychoactive substances have entered the market in many parts of the world. Here, we review key conceptual issues in associations between illicit drug use and sexual risk-behaviour in MSM. RECENT FINDINGS: Although many studies have confirmed that MSM use drugs with greater prevalence than the general population, evidence is of variable quality and a sampling frame is difficult to establish. Moreover, psychosocial hypotheses linking drug use and sexual risk, including cognitive escape and sensation seeking, are unsatisfactory and generally ignore strategic use of drugs for sexual aims. Person-level associations between drug use history and both sexual risk behaviour and HIV infection tend to be consistent around the world, but evidence comparing encounters within subjects is generally unclear and out of date. SUMMARY: There is a need for interventions for harm reduction targeted at MSM that account specifically for the social and cultural contexts of sexualized drug use. Expanded attention to surveillance of emerging drug use trends can help clinicians in sexual health and infectious diseases best anticipate the needs of their service users.
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Melendez-Torres GJ, Nye E, Bonell C (2016). Is Location of Sex Associated with Sexual Risk Behaviour in Men Who Have Sex with Men? Systematic Review of Within-Subjects Studies.
AIDS Behav,
20(6), 1219-1227.
Abstract:
Is Location of Sex Associated with Sexual Risk Behaviour in Men Who Have Sex with Men? Systematic Review of Within-Subjects Studies.
To understand associations between location of sex and sexual risk, it is most helpful to compare sexual encounters within persons. We systematically reviewed within-subjects comparisons of sexual encounters reported by men who have sex with men (MSM) with respect to location of sex. Within-subjects comparisons of sexual risk and location of sex were eligible if they collected data post-1996 from samples of MSM. We independently screened results and full-text records in duplicate. of 6,336 deduplicated records, we assessed 138 full-text studies and included six, most of which compared unprotected anal intercourse against other anal intercourse. This small, but high quality, body of evidence suggests that associations between attendance at sex-on-premises venues and person-level sexual risk may be due to overall propensity towards unprotected sex. However, there may be some location factors that promote or are associated with serononconcordant unprotected anal intercourse. Health promoters may wish to focus on person-level characteristics.
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Lorenc T, Felix L, Petticrew M, Melendez-Torres GJ, Thomas J, Thomas S, O'Mara-Eves A, Richardson M (2016). Meta-analysis, complexity, and heterogeneity: a qualitative interview study of researchers' methodological values and practices.
Syst Rev,
5(1).
Abstract:
Meta-analysis, complexity, and heterogeneity: a qualitative interview study of researchers' methodological values and practices.
BACKGROUND: Complex or heterogeneous data pose challenges for systematic review and meta-analysis. In recent years, a number of new methods have been developed to meet these challenges. This qualitative interview study aimed to understand researchers' understanding of complexity and heterogeneity and the factors which may influence the choices researchers make in synthesising complex data. METHODS: We conducted interviews with a purposive sample of researchers (N = 19) working in systematic review or meta-analysis across a range of disciplines. We analysed data thematically using a framework approach. RESULTS: Participants reported using a broader range of methods and data types in complex reviews than in traditional reviews. A range of techniques are used to explore heterogeneity, but there is some debate about their validity, particularly when applied post hoc. CONCLUSIONS: Technical considerations of how to synthesise complex evidence cannot be isolated from questions of the goals and contexts of research. However, decisions about how to analyse data appear to be made in a largely informal way, drawing on tacit expertise, and their relation to these broader questions remains unclear.
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Melendez-Torres GJ, Hickson F, Reid D, Weatherburn P, Bonell C (2016). Nested Event-Level Case-Control Study of Drug Use and Sexual Outcomes in Multipartner Encounters Reported by Men Who Have Sex with Men.
AIDS Behav,
20(3), 646-654.
Abstract:
Nested Event-Level Case-Control Study of Drug Use and Sexual Outcomes in Multipartner Encounters Reported by Men Who Have Sex with Men.
Previous event-level analyses have often, but not always, found significant associations between drug use and sexual risk behaviour in men who have sex with men (MSM), but these analyses have rarely considered either multipartner encounters specifically, or other sexual outcomes such as pleasure and control. Using data from an internet-based longitudinal survey of MSM, we tested the association between drug use by respondent and by partners and unprotected anal intercourse (UAI), pleasure and control over sexual activity. Overall respondent substance use was significantly associated with increased odds of UAI, though not with pleasure or control. Respondent use of crystal methamphetamine was significantly associated with both increased odds of UAI and decreased odds of control over sexual activity. This analysis agrees with previous studies of dyadic encounters, and specifically suggests that the association between crystal methamphetamine and sexual risk behaviour may be mediated by loss of control.
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Movsisyan A, Melendez-Torres GJ, Montgomery P (2016). Outcomes in systematic reviews of complex interventions never reached "high" GRADE ratings when compared with those of simple interventions.
J Clin Epidemiol,
78, 22-33.
Abstract:
Outcomes in systematic reviews of complex interventions never reached "high" GRADE ratings when compared with those of simple interventions.
OBJECTIVES: to investigate the application of the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) approach and the quality of evidence ratings in systematic reviews of complex interventions. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: This study examined all 40 systematic reviews published in three Cochrane Review Groups from 2013 to May 2014: Cochrane Developmental, Psychosocial and Learning Problems Group (CDPLPG); Cochrane Public Health Group (CPHG); and Cochrane Depression, Anxiety, and Neurosis Group (CCDAN). The reviews were coded and classified into "complex" (n = 24) and "simple" (n = 16) intervention review groups based on the predefined complexity dimensions from the extant literature mapped into the PICOTS framework. All the data were analyzed in these two groups to help identify specific patterns of the GRADE ratings in the reviews of complex interventions. RESULTS: Outcomes of complex intervention reviews had higher proportions of "very low" quality of evidence ratings compared with those of simple intervention reviews (37.5% vs. 9.1% for the primary benefit outcomes) and were more frequently downgraded for inconsistency, performance bias, and study design. None of the outcomes of complex intervention reviews (0%) were given "high" GRADE ratings. CONCLUSION: Results suggest that the GRADE assessment may not adequately describe the evidence base of complex interventions.
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Melendez-Torres GJ, Dickson K, Fletcher A, Thomas J, Hinds K, Campbell R, Murphy S, Bonell C (2016). Positive youth development programmes to reduce substance use in young people: Systematic review.
Int J Drug Policy,
36, 95-103.
Abstract:
Positive youth development programmes to reduce substance use in young people: Systematic review.
BACKGROUND: Substance use has detrimental short-term and long-term consequences for young people. Positive youth development (PYD) interventions, which favour promotion of positive assets over traditional risk reduction, have received attention recently as a possible intervention to prevent adolescent substance use. We aimed to synthesise the evidence on PYD interventions for reduction in substance use in young people. METHODS: We searched 21 databases, including MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL and CENTRAL, and hand-searched key journals and websites. We included studies with more than half of participants aged 11-18 years where interventions meeting a pre-specified definition of PYD were delivered in community settings outside of normal school hours and did not target parents or young people with pre-defined conditions. Two reviewers screened records, assessed full-text studies for inclusion, and extracted data. A modified Cochrane risk of bias tool was used for quality assessment. RESULTS: Ten studies reported in 13 reports were included in our synthesis. PYD interventions did not have an effect of statistical or public health significance on any substance use, illicit drug use or alcohol outcomes in young people. CONCLUSIONS: Interventions were diverse in content and delivery. Our review suggests that existing PYD interventions subject to evaluation do not appear to have produced reductions in substance use of public health significance. However, these interventions may not be the best exemplars of a PYD approach. Therefore, our findings should not be taken as evidence for the ineffectiveness of PYD as a theory of change for reducing substance use among young people. Additional rigorous evaluation of PYD interventions is key before further investment. Evaluations were of highly variable quality. Though searches were extensive, we were unable to test for publication bias.
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Melendez-Torres GJ, Bonell C, Hickson F, Bourne A, Reid D, Weatherburn P (2016). Predictors of crystal methamphetamine use in a community-based sample of UK men who have sex with men.
Int J Drug Policy,
36, 43-46.
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Melendez-Torres GJ, Dickson K, Fletcher A, Thomas J, Hinds K, Campbell R, Murphy S, Bonell C (2016). Systematic review and meta-analysis of effects of community-delivered positive youth development interventions on violence outcomes.
J Epidemiol Community Health,
70(12), 1171-1177.
Abstract:
Systematic review and meta-analysis of effects of community-delivered positive youth development interventions on violence outcomes.
BACKGROUND: We systematically reviewed and meta-analysed evaluations testing the effectiveness of positive youth development (PYD) interventions for reducing violence in young people. METHODS: Two reviewers working independently screened records, assessed full-text studies for inclusion and extracted data. Outcomes were transformed to Cohen's d. Quality assessment of included evaluations was undertaken using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. Effect sizes were combined using multilevel meta-analysis. We searched 21 databases, including MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL and CENTRAL, and hand-searched key journals and websites. We included studies where the majority of participants were aged 11-18â
years and where interventions were delivered in community (not clinical or judicial) settings outside of normal school hours. We excluded studies targeting predefined physical and mental health conditions or parents/carers alongside young people. We defined violence as perpetration or victimisation of physical violence including violent crime. RESULTS: Three randomised trials were included in this systematic review. Included evaluations each had design flaws. Meta-analyses suggested that PYD interventions did not have a statistically significant effect on violence outcomes across all time points (d=0.021, 95% CI -0.050 to 0.093), though interventions did have a statistically significant short-term effect (d=0.076, 95% CI 0.013 to 0.140). CONCLUSIONS: Our meta-analyses do not offer evidence of PYD interventions in general having effects of public health significance in reducing violence among young people. Evaluations did not consistently report theories of change or implementation fidelity, so it is unclear if our meta-analyses provide evidence that the PYD theory of change is ineffective in reducing violence among young people.
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Lin S, Melendez-Torres GJ (2016). Systematic review of risk factors for nonadherence to TB treatment in immigrant populations.
Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg,
110(5), 268-280.
Abstract:
Systematic review of risk factors for nonadherence to TB treatment in immigrant populations.
BACKGROUND: Foreign-born populations carry a significant TB burden in low-prevalence countries, composing over half of all cases in parts of Europe and North America. This study systematically reviewed evidence of risk factors for nonadherence to TB drug therapy in this group. METHODS: on 28 October 2013 MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase, PsychINFO and ProQuest were systematically searched for studies examining adherence in foreign-born populations with TB. Grey literature and reference lists were hand-searched. Risk factor studies were selected for inclusion if they consisted of at least 95% foreign-born populations. RESULTS: of 1761 studies identified in the search, 20 were included in the risk factor review. Undocumented immigration status, older age, and social risk factors were consistently correlated with nonadherence; gender, ethnicity, immigration time, education level, adverse side effects, and HIV status were inconsistently correlated; and behavioural risk factors and marital status were consistently not correlated. CONCLUSIONS: This review emphasizes documentation status as a risk factor candidate for further investigation.
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Leijten P, Melendez-Torres GJ, Knerr W, Gardner F (2016). Transported Versus Homegrown Parenting Interventions for Reducing Disruptive Child Behavior: a Multilevel Meta-Regression Study.
J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry,
55(7), 610-617.
Abstract:
Transported Versus Homegrown Parenting Interventions for Reducing Disruptive Child Behavior: a Multilevel Meta-Regression Study.
OBJECTIVE: Children's disruptive behavior problems place children at high risk for oppositional defiant disorder and conduct disorder, and carry a high burden for individuals and society. Policy makers and service providers aiming to reduce children's disruptive behavior problems must often choose between importing an intervention developed abroad or instead developing or using a "homegrown" (i.e. local) intervention. No comprehensive comparison of these interventions exists. METHOD: We performed a multilevel meta-regression of 129 randomized trials (374 effect sizes) of transported and homegrown parenting interventions. We identified trials by searching the included trials lists of systematic reviews, found through searches in 6 databases (e.g. MEDLINE, EMBASE). Trials that had not yet been reviewed were found by searching the same databases. Primary outcome was the mean difference in effectiveness between transported and homegrown interventions to reduce disruptive child behavior. We also compared this differential effectiveness for various intervention "brands" (e.g. Incredible Years and Triple P Positive Parenting Program) and geographical regions (e.g. North America and Europe). RESULTS: Transported and homegrown interventions did not differ in their effectiveness to reduce disruptive child behavior (d = 0.10, not significant). Results were robust across intervention brands and geographical regions. Six trials on transported interventions in Hong Kong, Iran, and Panama suggest promising results for transporting interventions to "nonwestern" countries, whereas one trial in Indonesia does not. CONCLUSION: Parenting interventions based on the same principles led to similar outcomes, whether transported or homegrown. This finding supports the selection of interventions based on their evidence base rather than on cultural specificity.
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Movsisyan A, Melendez-Torres GJ, Montgomery P (2016). Users identified challenges in applying GRADE to complex interventions and suggested an extension to GRADE.
J Clin Epidemiol,
70, 191-199.
Abstract:
Users identified challenges in applying GRADE to complex interventions and suggested an extension to GRADE.
OBJECTIVES: to explore user perspectives on applying the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) to systematic reviews of complex interventions. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: Thirty-three authors of recent (2013 onward) systematic reviews were contacted regarding their perspectives on using GRADE from three Cochrane review groups: Cochrane Developmental, Psychosocial, and Learning Problems Group; Cochrane Public Health Group; and Cochrane Depression, Anxiety, and Neurosis Group. Framework Analysis was applied to the data to identify the challenges in applying GRADE and suggestions for its extension, that is, adaptation. These two themes were cross-compared between the groups of answers from "simple" vs. "complex" intervention review authors to identify the specific perspectives on using GRADE in reviews of complex interventions. RESULTS: Specific challenges were identified in applying GRADE to reviews of complex interventions. These were related to the assessment of nonrandomized studies and performance bias in GRADE. Authors perceived these challenges to contribute to frequent downgrading of the "best evidence possible" for complex interventions. Meanwhile, GRADE was found to lack an analytic approach to enable adequate evidence synthesis and assessment of intervention implementation elements. CONCLUSION: Users suggest that the GRADE guidance be extended to address-specific considerations for complex interventions.
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Bonell C, Hinds K, Dickson K, Thomas J, Fletcher A, Murphy S, Melendez-Torres GJ, Bonell C, Campbell R (2016). What is positive youth development and how might it reduce substance use and violence? a systematic review and synthesis of theoretical literature.
BMC Public Health,
16Abstract:
What is positive youth development and how might it reduce substance use and violence? a systematic review and synthesis of theoretical literature.
BACKGROUND: Preventing adolescent substance use and youth violence are public health priorities. Positive youth development interventions are widely deployed often with the aim of preventing both. However, the theorised mechanisms by which PYD is intended to reduce substance use and violence are not clear and existing evaluated interventions are under-theorised. Using innovative methods, we systematically searched for and synthesised published theoretical literature describing what is meant by positive youth development and how it might reduce substance use and violence, as part of a broader systematic review examining process and outcomes of PYD interventions. METHODS: We searched 19 electronic databases, review topic websites, and contacted experts between October 2013 and January 2014. We included studies written in English, published since 1985 that reported a theory of change for positive youth development focused on prevention of smoking, alcohol consumption, drug use or violence in out-of-school settings. Studies were independently coded and quality-assessed by two reviewers. RESULTS: We identified 16 studies that met our inclusion criteria. Our synthesis suggests that positive youth development aims to provide youth with affective relationships and diverse experiences which enable their development of intentional self-regulation and multiple positive assets. These in turn buffer against or compensate for involvement in substance use and violence. Existing literature is not clear on how intentional self-regulation is developed and which specific positive assets buffer against substance use or violence. CONCLUSIONS: Our synthesis provides: an example of a rigorous systematic synthesis of theory literature innovatively applying methods of qualitative synthesis to theoretical literature; a clearer understanding of how PYD might reduce substance use and violence to inform future interventions and empirical evaluations.
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Bonell C, Jamal F, Melendez-Torres GJ, Cummins S (2015). 'Dark logic': theorising the harmful consequences of public health interventions.
J Epidemiol Community Health,
69(1), 95-98.
Abstract:
'Dark logic': theorising the harmful consequences of public health interventions.
Although it might be assumed that most public health programmes involving social or behavioural rather than clinical interventions are unlikely to be iatrogenic, it is well established that they can sometimes cause serious harms. However, the assessment of adverse effects remains a neglected topic in evaluations of public health interventions. In this paper, we first argue for the importance of evaluations of public health interventions not only aiming to examine potential harms but also the mechanisms that might underlie these harms so that they might be avoided in the future. Second, we examine empirically whether protocols for the evaluation of public health interventions do examine harmful outcomes and underlying mechanisms and, if so, how. Third, we suggest a new process by which evaluators might develop 'dark logic models' to guide the evaluation of potential harms and underlying mechanisms, which includes: theorisation of agency-structure interactions; building comparative understanding across similar interventions via reciprocal and refutational translation; and consultation with local actors to identify how mechanisms might be derailed, leading to harmful consequences. We refer to the evaluation of a youth work intervention which unexpectedly appeared to increase the rate of teenage pregnancy it was aiming to reduce, and apply our proposed process retrospectively to see how this might have strengthened the evaluation. We conclude that the theorisation of dark logic models is critical to prevent replication of harms. It is not intended to replace but rather to inform empirical evaluation.
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Melendez-Torres GJ, Grant S, Bonell C (2015). A systematic review and critical appraisal of qualitative metasynthetic practice in public health to develop a taxonomy of operations of reciprocal translation.
Res Synth Methods,
6(4), 357-371.
Abstract:
A systematic review and critical appraisal of qualitative metasynthetic practice in public health to develop a taxonomy of operations of reciprocal translation.
INTRODUCTION: Reciprocal translation, the understanding of one study's findings in terms of another's, is the foundation of most qualitative metasynthetic methods. In light of the proliferation of metasynthesis methods, the current review sought to create a taxonomy of operations of reciprocal translation using recently published qualitative metasyntheses. METHODS: on 19 August 2013, MEDLINE, Embase and PsycINFO were searched. Included articles were full reports of metasyntheses of qualitative studies published in 2012 in English-language peer-reviewed journals. Two reviewers, working independently, screened records, assessed full texts for inclusion and extracted data on methods from each included metasynthesis. Systematic review methods used were summarised, and metasynthetic methods were inductively analysed to develop the taxonomy. RESULTS: of 61 included metasyntheses, 21 (34%) reported fully replicable search strategies and 51 (84%) critically appraised included studies. Based on methods in these metasyntheses, we developed a taxonomy of reciprocal translation with four overlapping categories: visual representation; key paper integration; data reduction and thematic extraction; and line-by-line coding. DISCUSSION: This systematic review presents an update on methods and reporting currently used in qualitative metasynthesis. It also goes beyond the proliferation of approaches to offer a parsimonious approach to understanding how reciprocal translations are accomplished across metasynthetis methods.
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Kagan SH, Melendez-Torres GJ (2015). Ageism in nursing.
J Nurs Manag,
23(5), 644-650.
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Ageism in nursing.
AIM: Ageism in health care delivery and nursing poses a fundamental threat to health and society. In this commentary, implications of age discrimination are presented to generate an agenda for action in nursing management. BACKGROUND: in nations like the United States and the United Kingdom, nursing is an ageing profession caring for an ageing society where age discrimination takes many forms and has broad impact. EVALUATION: This commentary critically synthesizes the literature on ageism and relevant data on ageing societies for nurse managers and other leaders. KEY ISSUES: Investigations of ageism suggest that discrimination negatively affects health and results in poor health care experiences. Age discrimination is present in nursing, exacerbating workforce shortages and limiting the use of expertise within the profession. CONCLUSION: Nursing faces a future for which understanding ageing societies and ageism is essential. An agenda for the future is proposed. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: Nurse managers possess the power to enact an agenda for combating ageism in health care and nursing.
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Melendez-Torres GJ, Bonell C, Thomas J (2015). Emergent approaches to the meta-analysis of multiple heterogeneous complex interventions.
BMC Med Res Methodol,
15Abstract:
Emergent approaches to the meta-analysis of multiple heterogeneous complex interventions.
BACKGROUND: Multiple interventions meta-analysis has been recommended in the methodological literature as a tool for evidence synthesis when a heterogeneous set of interventions is included in the same review—and, more recently, when a heterogeneous set of complex interventions is included. However, there is little guidance on the use of this method with complex interventions. This article suggests two approaches to model complexity and heterogeneity through this method. DISCUSSION: 'Clinically meaningful units' groups interventions by modality or similar theory of change, whereas 'components and dismantling' separates out interventions into combinations of components and either groups interventions by the combination of components they demonstrate or extracts effects for each identified component and, possibly, interactions between components. Future work in systematic review methodology should aim to understand how to develop taxonomies of components or theories of change that are internally relevant to the studies in these multiple interventions meta-analyses. SUMMARY: Despite little meaningful prior guidance to its use in this context, multiple interventions meta-analysis has the potential to be a useful tool for synthesising heterogeneous sets of complex interventions. Researchers should choose an approach in accordance with their specific aims in their systematic review.
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Melendez-Torres GJ, Nye E, Bonell C (2015). Internet sex-seeking is inconsistently linked with sexual risk in men who have sex with men: systematic review of within-subjects comparisons.
Sex Health,
12(3), 183-187.
Abstract:
Internet sex-seeking is inconsistently linked with sexual risk in men who have sex with men: systematic review of within-subjects comparisons.
UNLABELLED: Background Internet sex-seeking has been associated at the person level with sexual risk. However, the most robust method of encounter-level inference to determine associations between internet sex-seeking and sexual risk is to compare encounters against each other. We systematically reviewed within-subjects comparisons of sexual encounters that tested associations between internet sex-seeking and sexual risk in men who have sex with men. METHODS: We systematically searched databases on 9 July 2013, then screened records and full-text articles in duplicate and independently. Studies were synthesised narratively. RESULTS: Four studies were included. Although studies were generally of high quality, the findings were inconsistent and did not show clear evidence of a relationship between internet sex-seeking and sexual risk. CONCLUSIONS: Further research in internet sex-seeking among men who have sex with men is required, particularly as internet-enabled sexual sociality continues to evolve. Internet-based health promotion may wish to target person-level features instead of encounter-specific characteristics.
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Verboom B, Melendez-Torres G, Bonell CP (2014). Combination methods for HIV prevention in men who have sex with men (MSM).
Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews,
2014(1).
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Combination methods for HIV prevention in men who have sex with men (MSM)
This is the protocol for a review and there is no abstract. The objectives are as follows: This review seeks to examine the effectiveness of prevention interventions for MSM that combine at least two of the three categories of intervention modality (biomedical, behavioural and structural) compared either to other HIV prevention interventions or to minimal/no HIV prevention. Below, descriptions of the criteria that will be used to categorise intervention components are provided under the heading Types of interventions' and the full list of outcomes of interest are provided in the section Types of outcome measures'. All planned comparisons are detailed in the section Data synthesis', followed by the planned variables of interest for subgroup and meta-regression analyses.
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Kutney-Lee A, Melendez-Torres GJ, McHugh MD, Wall BM (2014). Distinct enough? a national examination of Catholic hospital affiliation and patient perceptions of care.
Health Care Manage Rev,
39(2), 134-144.
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Distinct enough? a national examination of Catholic hospital affiliation and patient perceptions of care.
BACKGROUND: Catholic hospitals play a critical role in the provision of health care in the United States; yet, empirical evidence of patient outcomes in these institutions is practically absent in the literature. PURPOSE: the purpose of this study was to determine whether patient perceptions of care are more favorable in Catholic hospitals as compared with non-Catholic hospitals in a national sample of hospitals. METHODOLOGY: This cross-sectional secondary analysis used linked data from the 2008 American Hospital Association Annual Survey, the 2008 Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey, the 2008 Medicare Case Mix Index file, and the 2010 Religious Congregations and Membership Study. The study included over 3,400 hospitals nationwide, including 494 Catholic hospitals. Propensity score matching and ordinary least-squares regression models were used to examine the relationship between Catholic affiliation and various HCAHPS measures. FINDINGS: Our findings revealed that patients treated in Catholic hospitals appear to rate their hospital experience similar to patients treated in non-Catholic hospitals. Catholic hospitals maintain a very slight advantage above their non-Catholic peers on five HCAHPS measures related to nurse communication, receipt of discharge information, quietness of the room at night, overall rating, and recommendation of the hospital; yet, these differences were minimal. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: If the survival of Catholic health care services is contingent upon how its provision of care is distinct, administrators of Catholic hospitals must show differences more clearly. Given the great importance of Catholic hospitals to the health of millions of patients in the United States, this study provides Catholic hospitals with a set of targeted areas on which to focus improvement efforts, especially in light of current pay-for-performance initiatives.
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Melendez-Torres GJ, Bonell C (2014). Systematic review of cognitive behavioural interventions for HIV risk reduction in substance-using men who have sex with men.
Int J STD AIDS,
25(9), 627-635.
Abstract:
Systematic review of cognitive behavioural interventions for HIV risk reduction in substance-using men who have sex with men.
Men who have sex with men (MSM) experience disproportionately high rates of HIV and substance use. Though interventions based on cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) are effective for many psychiatric disorders, systematic reviews of CBT for substance use present mixed results and CBT has not been systematically reviewed for HIV risk reduction in MSM. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of non-pharmacological CBT for substance-using MSM were systematically reviewed to assess the evidence for these interventions' impact on unprotected anal intercourse (UAI). We searched 20 databases on 22 September 2012. of the 2801 records identified, both authors separately assessed 70 full-text articles for inclusion. In three included RCTs, one RCT compared CBT against non-treatment control and two RCTs compared CBT against CBT variants. Across studies, CBT led to UAI reductions, though at one-year follow-up, these reductions were generally not greater than in other trial arms. This evidence of moderate quality indicates that while CBT may reduce UAI in substance-using MSM, it is unclear if CBT is more effective than mere assessment. All RCTs tested intensive, clinic-based interventions requiring sustained participant commitment, indicating a need for research into briefer interventions, with particular focus on episodic substance use and effectiveness trials.
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Grant SP, Mayo-Wilson E, Melendez-Torres GJ, Montgomery P (2013). Reporting quality of social and psychological intervention trials: a systematic review of reporting guidelines and trial publications.
PLoS One,
8(5).
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Reporting quality of social and psychological intervention trials: a systematic review of reporting guidelines and trial publications.
BACKGROUND: Previous reviews show that reporting guidelines have improved the quality of trial reports in medicine, yet existing guidelines may not be fully suited for social and psychological intervention trials. OBJECTIVE/DESIGN: We conducted a two-part study that reviewed (1) reporting guidelines for and (2) the reporting quality of social and psychological intervention trials. DATA SOURCES: (1) to identify reporting guidelines, we systematically searched multiple electronic databases and reporting guideline registries. (2) to identify trials, we hand-searched 40 journals with the 10 highest impact factors in clinical psychology, criminology, education, and social work. ELIGIBILITY: (1) Reporting guidelines consisted of articles introducing a checklist of reporting standards relevant to social and psychological intervention trials. (2) Trials reported randomised experiments of complex interventions with psychological, social, or health outcomes. RESULTS: (1) We identified 19 reporting guidelines that yielded 147 reporting standards relevant to social and psychological interventions. Social and behavioural science guidelines included 89 standards not found in CONSORT guidelines. However, CONSORT guidelines used more recommended techniques for development and dissemination compared to other guidelines. (2) Our review of trials (nâ=â239) revealed that many standards were poorly reported, such as identification as a randomised trial in titles (20% reported the information) and abstracts (55%); information about blinding (15%), sequence generation (23%), and allocation concealment (17%); and details about actual delivery of experimental (43%) and control interventions (34%), participant uptake (25%), and service environment (28%). Only 11 of 40 journals referenced reporting guidelines in "Instructions to Authors." CONCLUSION: Existing reporting guidelines have important limitations in content, development, and/or dissemination. Important details are routinely missing from trial publications; most leading journals in social and behavioural sciences do not ask authors to follow reporting standards. Findings demonstrate a need to develop a CONSORT extension with updated standards for social and psychological intervention trials.
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Sochalski J, Melendez-Torres GJ (2013). What is a nurse? "A missioner of health".
Acad Med,
88(11).
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