Shelina Visram

Background: Men in high-income countries tend to live shorter lives than women and are far more likely to die by suicide. This study examined the BoroManCan campaign, which was implemented in Middlesbrough, northern England, to improve men’s health and well-being. The key components included a website and podcast to share men’s stories, Men’s Health Champions training, and funding for grassroots interventions. Methods: Semi-structured interviews with 18 BoroManCan stakeholders (staff/volunteers, partner organisations, and intervention deliverers) were conducted by academic researchers, while local men trained as peer researchers interviewed 23 community members (22 men and 1 woman). The transcripts were analysed thematically. Results: Five themes were developed from the data: the need for gender-specific, place-based approaches; mobilizing available resources; responding to the COVID-19 pandemic; early impact of BoroManCan; and suggested areas for improvement. The BoroManCan approach was perceived as successful in delivering and supporting activities tailored to the needs of local men. However, the campaign relied heavily on goodwill, raising questions about sustainability. Conclusions: This study adds to the evidence base around developing complex, place-based approaches to improving men’s health in disadvantaged areas. Further research is needed to examine the effectiveness of gender-sensitive approaches which actively seek to address masculine norms.

Background: The prescribing rate of opioids is increasing and is a main contributor to opioid misuse. Community pharmacists can help reduce opioid misuse rates by carrying out prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) opioid misuse prevention services. Understanding the barriers and facilitators to community pharmacists’ involvement has the potential to improve these services. Objective: To review the literature on the barriers and facilitators of community pharmacists’ involvement in prescription and OTC opioid misuse prevention. Methods: A systematic review of primary research was carried out in MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, CINAHL, and APA PsycINFO from January 2022 to March 2022. Narrative synthesis underpinned by the COM-B model was used to analyse findings from the included articles. Studies were included if they used qualitative or mixed methods; published in English and focussed on OTC or prescription opioids. Results: Ten studies were included in the review. Barriers and facilitators were grouped into individual, environmental, and system-level factors. Based on the COM-B model, these factors were classified as capabilities (knowledge and skill), opportunities (e.g. relationship with prescribers, time), and motivation (pharmacists’ attitude). Conclusion: Improving pharmacists’ capabilities and opportunities might improve pharmacists’ motivation to offer opioid misuse services. This could improve pharmacists’ behaviour, that is, their role in preventing prescription and OTC opioid misuse. The findings of this review were based on information obtained from primary evidence from qualitative studies; However. further empirical work is needed to identify how pharmacists can be supported.

Within the context of Lebanon, certain youth-led and grassroots organizations are fertile spaces of social innovation. Through a participatory action research (PAR) approach and using participatory design (PD) methods, we explore the possibility of creating the conditions for technology-supported social innovation within such a contested context. We present the case of our long-term engagement with “4-all-causes,” a youth-led group that aims to challenge existing hierarchical organizational structures and redefine health service provision in the country. Our observations and participatory workshops led to insights concerning the application of PD in such contested and uncertain spaces. In addition, we discuss the roles that we, as design researchers and digital technologists, can play in creating conditions for social transformation and a new health narrative through the infrastructuring of social innovation.

Summary: Two thirds of women report experiencing weight stigma during pregnancy. Newspaper media is powerful in framing health issues. This review synthesized UK newspaper media portrayal of maternal obesity. NexisUni was searched to identify newspaper articles, published January 2010 to May 2021, reporting content on obesity during pregnancy. Framework synthesis integrated quantitative and qualitative analysis of the content of articles. There were 442 articles included (59% tabloids and 41% broadsheets). Three overarching themes with interacting sub‐themes were as follows: (1) Women were blamed for their weight, risks, and NHS impact. (2) Women were solely responsible for solving obesity, gendered from school age. (3) Women with obesity were a burden on individuals (e.g., themselves, their children, and health professionals), to society, and the NHS. Catastrophizing language framed the “problem,” “scale,” and “public health concern” of maternal obesity, emphasizing risk, and danger and was alarmist, aggressive, and violent as to elicit fear or devalue women. Articles platformed ‘expert’ voices rather than women's lived experiences. This review identified that UK newspaper media negatively frames and oversimplifies the topic of maternal obesity. Exposure to blaming and alarmist messaging could increase women's guilt, stigma, and internalized weight bias. The newspaper media should be harnessed to de‐stigmatize maternal obesity and promote maternal well‐being.

Children and young people risk being ‘disproportionately harmed’ by the COVID-19 pandemic. Whilst an evolving body of literature focuses on the impact of the pandemic on the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people, less attention has been paid to the collection of qualitative, exploratory data. The aim of this study was to examine young people in North East England’s experiences of COVID-19 and associated control measures. Flexible, qualitative diaries were collected with 31 young people aged 13–17 for six weeks between July and October 2020. Diary extracts were curated using Instagram Direct Messaging (DM), email and text messaging. At the end of this study, participants took part in a follow-up interview (conducted by telephone or Zoom), asking them to reflect on their diary entries. Thematic analysis of diaries and interviews yielded three central themes: (1) impacts upon mental health and emotional wellbeing; (2) disruptions and changes to education and school life; and (3) frustration, burden and responsibility. These findings highlight acute mental health impacts (loneliness, isolation, anxiety) as well as longer-term repercussions from disrupted education (missed parts of curriculum, home schooling, cancelled exams, periods of isolation) on young people aged 13–17 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Health and wellbeing Boards (HWBs) were established in England in 2013, bringing together partners from local government, health services and consumer champions, to ensure strategic planning based on local needs. Similar partnership-working arrangements have achieved limited success, particularly in terms of engaging members of the public in decision-making. Drawing on data collected in five heterogeneous case study sites, we examined the role of HWBs in enhancing local democracy and accountability. Interviews, focus groups and observations were used to explore relationships and interactions between HWB members and the public or their representatives. A dramaturgical perspective was then applied in analysing the data. HWBs were generally not perceived to have achieved their well-intentioned aims; instead, meetings represented carefully staged and scripted performances that tended to inhibit rather than enhance democratic accountability. Our dramaturgical analysis highlights key deficits in the governance of HWBs, which are explored in the paper.

Background: Energy drinks (EDs) are popular beverages with young people, particularly in the UK. There is an emerging evidence base on the negative health impacts in children and adolescents, largely relating to the high caffeine and sugar contents of these drinks. However, no studies have been conducted to date focusing on university students in the UK. The purpose of this study was to investigate factors underpinning ED consumption, as well as health effects reported by students. Methods: An online survey was conducted with a non-representative sample of 900 students from the five universities in the North East of England. This included questions on ED consumption, perceived stress (10-item PSS), general health status, personal wellbeing (ONS4), lifestyle and use of other substances such as alcohol. Responses were analysed using SPSS. Results: 84% of respondents (n = 756) had consumed EDs at least once, mainly while partying or during revision. Of these ED consumers, 542 (71.7%) reported experiencing symptoms following intake, with the most common being elevation of heart rate and palpitations. No associations were found between ED consumption and perceived stress or wellbeing, but an inverse U-shaped association was observed with self-reported health (i.e. lowest consumption among those who rated their health as either “very good” or “bad”). Consumers were more likely to be male, White, from the UK, less affluent backgrounds, and report having no religion. Co-consumption with alcohol was common in the cohort (46.2%). Those who used substances such as cigarettes, e-cigarettes and cannabis were also more likely to be ED consumers. Conclusions: ED consumption is highly prevalent in the student population, linked to socioeconomic and cultural factors rather than perceived stress or wellbeing. Prevention campaigns targeting students should aim to raise awareness of the consequences of chronic and acute ED consumption, particularly in conjunction with other substances. Key messages: ED consumption is highly prevalent in the student population, often in conjunction with alcohol. Consumption is linked to socioeconomic and cultural factors rather than perceived stress or personal wellbeing.