Publications by authors named "Jenny Williams"

Article Synopsis
  • - This study examined pregnancy rates and outcomes among females treated for substance use disorders (SUDs) in Norway, comparing them to a matched group of non-treated females.
  • - Findings revealed higher annual pregnancy and elective termination rates in the SUD cohort (94.2 and 54.7 per 1000 females, respectively) compared to the non-treated group (71.3 and 17.8), while the birth rate was lower for the SUD cohort.
  • - The results suggest that SUD treatment is linked to increased odds of pregnancy and elective termination, highlighting the need for targeted reproductive health interventions for these individuals.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Tools to calculate human movement patterns can benefit musculoskeletal clinicians and researchers for rehabilitation assessments. The research objective of this study was to compare two human pose estimation models (HRNet, MediaPipe) against the laboratory marker-based reference standard for joint angles and range of motion (ROM) for several movement parameters. Twenty-two healthy volunteers (Female n = 16, Male n = 6), participated to compare outputs for knee and elbow kinematics.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • A study looked into why many high school students in Norway who were treated for drug use problems dropped out of school early.
  • It found that 89% of these students left school before graduating, while only 27% of their peers without drug issues did the same.
  • The research suggests that teens in substance use treatment are at a higher risk of not finishing school, highlighting the need for better health and education support for them.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Madagascar's unique biota is heavily affected by human activity and is under intense threat. Here, we review the current state of knowledge on the conservation status of Madagascar's terrestrial and freshwater biodiversity by presenting data and analyses on documented and predicted species-level conservation statuses, the most prevalent and relevant threats, ex situ collections and programs, and the coverage and comprehensiveness of protected areas. The existing terrestrial protected area network in Madagascar covers 10.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Madagascar is home to a hyperdiverse array of species, many of which are endemic, meaning they are found nowhere else in the world.
  • Recent research has led to the discovery of many new species, but significant gaps remain in our knowledge, especially concerning fungi and most invertebrates.
  • The island's humid forests are vital for biodiversity, but other ecosystems like the Central Highlands and spiny forest also hold important species, making ongoing research essential for conservation and understanding of Madagascar’s unique environment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The project reviews various validated technologies for collecting biomechanical and functional data from osteoarthritis patients outside traditional lab settings, focusing on a scoping review of articles since 2015.
  • Out of 5,164 articles screened, 75 were included, highlighting a variety of technologies that measure different parameters and their suitability for part-remote use, with few fully remote options primarily using smartphone software.
  • The findings show a growing range of inertial measurement systems and camera-based technologies, which are improving in sensitivity and usability, potentially leading to better insights into the movement patterns of OA patients and reducing costs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: The objective of this review was to provide an overview of technologies (devices, tools, or software applications) used to facilitate remote rehabilitation of adults with deconditioning, musculoskeletal conditions, stroke, or traumatic brain injury, and to summarize the quantitative evidence of their efficacy.

Introduction: Health care providers are considering how to meet longer-term rehabilitation needs of people whose health or level of activity and participation has been impacted directly or indirectly by the COVID-19 pandemic. Demands on rehabilitation services are increasing, driving a need for more services to be delivered in homes and communities.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: This study examines criminal charges amongst cannabis use disorder (CUD) patients and a matched sample in a setting of drug criminalization, and simulates the effect of policy changes on the proportion obtaining a criminal record and on the number of charges for those being charged.

Methods: All CUD patients entering specialist treatment in Norway in 2009-2010 (n=3,951) were included from the Norwegian Patient Registry and a random sample matched on age and gender drawn from the general population by Statistics Norway (n=7,902). Data were linked to the Norwegian Crime Registry (2009-2014).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The study examines how cannabis use affects young men's job search, focusing on the time to secure their first job and the wages they earn.
  • Early cannabis users tend to accept job offers faster but at lower wages than similar counterparts who do not use cannabis, especially those who have used it for over a year before job hunting.
  • Additionally, early cannabis users are less likely to pursue further education, resulting in lower overall educational achievement.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objectives: Resilience-building interventions have not yet targeted older adults, despite the importance of well-being for maintaining independence and health. The 'My Generation' programme aims to build resilience through greater access to social networks, well-being activities, and psycho-educational support; this paper examines service evaluation data from its pilot implementation to identify factors leading to positive outcomes.

Method: The 'My Generation' programme comprises eight weekly 2-hour group sessions; each session includes both psychoeducation and a well-being activity.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Fetal anomaly screening at 18-21 weeks now routinely includes cleft lip. If detected, the manner in which the diagnosis is communicated can considerably influence prospective parents' decision-making in regard to further testing and termination of pregnancy (TOP). Given the known psychological impact of an antenatal diagnosis of cleft lip on prospective parents, this study aimed to explore the decision-making process from the parents' perspective, in order to evaluate how well current practice is meeting guidelines.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The decline in the working hours of general practitioners (GPs) is a key factor influencing access to health care in many countries. We investigate the effect of changes in hours worked by GPs on waiting times in primary care using the Medicine in Australia: Balancing Employment and Life longitudinal survey of Australian doctors. We estimate GP fixed effects models for waiting time and use family circumstances to instrument for GP's hours worked.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Stoma-forming surgery can raise a number of challenges for patients of any age, including psychosocial impact, altered body image and altered body function. Adolescents may experience additional challenges as they are already adapting to changes in body image and personal identity while striving for independence. Healthcare professionals supporting adolescents with stomas need to have awareness of specific issues that may be encountered and the support required to aid and promote coping and adjustment.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Coffee farming in Ethiopia supports about 15 million farmers and contributes 25% of the country's export earnings, highlighting its economic importance.
  • Climate change poses a serious threat, with projections indicating that 39-59% of current coffee-growing areas may become unsuitable without intervention.
  • However, relocating coffee cultivation and implementing forest conservation could increase suitable farming areas by over 400%, identifying regions that can adapt to climate changes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

In this paper, we investigate the relationship between cannabis use and attitudes to legalizing the use of cannabis. Predictions from theory provide a means of learning about the roles of information, self interest and regret in explaining differences in attitudes to legalization between those who currently use, those who have used in the past and those who have never used. Our empirical investigation suggests that users have a greater awareness of cannabis not being as harmful as abstainers think it is.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objectives: Although pregnant women are a high-priority group for seasonal influenza vaccination, vaccination rates in this population remain below target levels. Previous studies have identified sociodemographic predictors of vaccine choice, but relationships between preconception heath behaviors and seasonal influenza vaccination are poorly understood. This prospective cohort study followed pregnant women during the 2010-2011 influenza season to determine if certain health behaviors were associated with vaccination status.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: Prolonged periods of mechanical ventilation are associated with significant physical and psychosocial adverse effects. Despite increasing evidence supporting early rehabilitation strategies, uptake and delivery of such interventions in Europe have been variable. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of an early and enhanced rehabilitation program for mechanically ventilated patients in a large tertiary referral, mixed-population intensive care unit (ICU).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

A key question in the ongoing policy debate over cannabis' legal status is whether liberalizing cannabis laws leads to an increase in cannabis use. This paper provides new evidence on the impact of a specific type of liberalization, decriminalization, on initiation into cannabis use. Our identification strategy exploits variation in the timing of cannabis policy reforms and our estimation framework marries a difference-in-difference approach with a discrete time duration model.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Continuity of care, in the author's opinion, is synonymous with quality care. The benefits of developing relationship continuity are highlighted as beneficial to patient, department, trust and the NHS. An in-house audit revealed that the care provided in the author's stoma care department was fragmented and how a change in strategy was required to bring about the necessary changes.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Patients undergoing stoma formation encounter many challenges including psychosocial issues, relationship concerns and fear of leakage. Leakage, inappropriate product usage and poor patient adaptation post stoma formation has cost implications for the NHS. Developing good, practical stoma care skills has been identified as improving patient outcomes, promoting the provision of quality care and improving efficiency within the NHS.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Patients undergoing stoma formation encounter many challenges including psychosocial issues, relationship concerns and fear of leakage. Leakage, inappropriate product usage and poor patient adaptation post stoma formation has cost implications for the NHS. Developing good, practical stoma care skills has been identified as improving patient outcomes, promoting the provision of quality care and improving efficiency within the NHS.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

This paper investigates whether cannabis use affects physical and mental health. To do so, information on prime aged individuals living in Amsterdam in 1994 is used. Dutch data offer a clear advantage in estimating the health impacts of cannabis use because the legal status of cannabis in the Netherlands ensures that estimates are free from confounding with the physical and psychological effects of engaging in a criminal activity.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Over the past 3 decades, a wide range of studies in the United States and the United Kingdom has reported that white individuals are more likely to be diagnosed with bipolar and affective disorders, whereas black individuals appear to be at higher risk for schizophrenia spectrum diagnoses. Despite the pressing need for strategies aimed at eliminating racial and cultural disparities in diagnosis and treatment of bipolar disorder, no systematic review of the existing literature in this area has been done. This study draws together the disparate strands of information in a comprehensive overview of the research base in this area.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF