Consensus in Action: Context-Specific Physical Activity Guidelines for Undergraduate Students at a South African University.

Physical inactivity among undergraduate university students has been considered a public health concern. To address this, researchers have utilized consensus workshop approaches to develop effective physical activity (PA) recommendations. However, the existing research has limitations: it is outdated, not context-specific to young adults, and does not account for psychosocial factors (such as mental health, motivation, and social support) that hinder or promote PA behavior, particularly in South Africa.

The effects of maternal flow on placental diffusion-weighted MRI and intravoxel incoherent motion parameters.

Purpose: To investigate and explain observed features of the placental DWI signal in healthy and compromised pregnancies using a mathematical model of maternal blood flow.

Methods: Thirteen healthy and nine compromised third trimester pregnancies underwent pulse gradient spin echo DWI MRI, with the results compared to MRI data simulated from a 2D mathematical model of maternal blood flow through the placenta. Both sets of data were fitted to an intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) model, and a rebound model (defined within text), which described voxels that did not decay monotonically.

Assessing the knowledge and attitudes of semi-professional netball players in the Western Cape district regarding netball injuries: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Netball, with its dynamic movements, poses a high injury risk, notably to the ankles and knees. This study examined the injury knowledge and attitudes of semi-professional netball players in the Western Cape, South Africa.

Methods: In this study 117 semi-professional female netball players from eight clubs in the Western Cape district were conveniently sampled.

Impact of work hours on sleep quality: a non-linear and gendered disparity.

Purpose: Quality sleep is vital for good health. Although it is known that workhours affect sleep quality, it is not known at what point workhours begin to compromise sleep. Few studies consider workhours in the 'other job' (domestic and care work) or address reverse causality between sleep quality and how long people work.

Incidence of injury among male Varsity Cup Young Guns rugby players in South Africa.

Background: The physical nature of the sport of rugby results in a high incidence of injury, even in university rugby, compared to other contact sport codes. Rugby Union lacks injury data focusing on university student-athletes, specifically in South Africa. The aim of the study was to determine the incidence of injury among male rugby players participating in the Varsity Cup Young Guns national rugby tournament.

Introducing BRAINOER: The Behavioral Research and Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Open Educational Repository.

Foundational textbooks for neuroscience courses can be cost-prohibitive for students and may omit recent advances in the field. Therefore, an Open Educational Resource (OER) repository was curated using existing OER materials for use in behavioral neuroscience and physiology courses. The Behavioral Research and Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Open Educational Repository (BRAINOER) contains 9 modules that include the following foundational topics: (1) The Brain and Nervous System, (2) Neurons, (3) The Endocrine System, (4) Neurotransmitters and Psychopharmacology, (5) Motor Processing, (6) Advanced Brain Functions, (7) Sensation and Perception, (8) Genetics and Evolution, (9) Research, Design, and Methods.

The risk factors and predictors of injury among collegiate rugby players under the age of 20.

Background: The risk of injury in rugby is high, due to the contact nature of the game. Players are constantly exposed to impact and collision during training and match-play. Rugby union consists of various risk factors that predispose players to injury.

Exploring student preferences for implementing a digital mental health intervention in a university setting: Qualitative study within a randomised controlled trial.

Objective: Digital interventions can be effective in preventing and treating common mental health conditions among university students. Incorporating student experiences and perspectives in the design and implementation of these programmes may improve uptake and engagement. This qualitative study explored university students' perspectives of a low-intensity video-based mental health intervention, their recommendations for implementing the programme in university settings, and their views and recommendations to address barriers to engagement.

School Refusal Behaviors: The Roles of Adolescent and Parental Factors.

School refusal behaviors in adolescents have deleterious immediate and long-term consequences and are associated with mental ill-health such as anxiety and depression. Understanding factors that place youth at higher risk of school refusal behavior may assist in developing effective management approaches. We investigated parental and adolescent factors that may be associated with school refusal behaviors by specifically focusing on the role of parental and adolescent emotion dysregulation, their anxiety and depression, and parental rearing style.

Examining the mental health services among people with mental disorders: a literature review.

Background: Mental disorders are a significant contributor to disease burden. However, there is a large treatment gap for common mental disorders worldwide. This systematic review summarizes the factors associated with mental health service use.

A Transdiagnostic Video-Based Internet Intervention (Uni Virtual Clinic-Lite) to Improve the Mental Health of University Students: Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Numerous studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of digital interventions for improving the mental health of university students. However, low rates of engagement with these interventions are an ongoing challenge and can compromise effectiveness. Brief, transdiagnostic, web-based video interventions are capable of targeting key mental health and related issues affecting university students and may be more engaging and accessible for this population.

Inclusivity and decolonisation of the post-graduate public health curriculum: Reflections from a student-led approach.

The future of successful public health practice requires public health students to be educated within a decolonised curriculum that challenges the historical biases and inequalities that are deeply embedded within global public health and society. In this commentary, we reflect on what it can mean and why it's important to decolonise and diversify a public health curriculum. We describe how we used a student-led approach to begin this process, and share recommendations that are applicable to national and international curricula.

Investigating the association between work family conflict (WFC) and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) in an Australian community-based cohort study.

Purpose: Difficulties managing work and family demands are common and have been found to be associated with stress and poor mental health. However, very few studies have examined Work Family Conflict (WFC) in connection with diagnosable anxiety disorders (and none with Australian representative data). The current study investigated whether high WFC was significantly associated with a diagnosis of Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) after controlling for a broad range of socio-demographic contextual factors, related psychosocial job, family and individual characteristics, and prior anxiety symptom history.

Relationship between Psychosocial Factors and Physical Activity among Undergraduate Students from a South African University.

Psychosocial factors such as mental health, motivation, and social support are key determinants of behavior that play a significant role in physical activity participation. Limited studies have investigated the relationship between psychosocial factors and physical activity among university students in Africa. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between psychosocial factors and physical activity participation among undergraduate university students at a historically disadvantaged university (HDU) in South Africa.

Perceived Workplace Discrimination on the Basis of Parent Status in Australia: Who Is Vulnerable and How Does It Link to Mothers' and Fathers' Mental Health?

This study focused on employees' perceived discrimination due to parenthood; and mental health, occupational stress and turnover intention. Methods: Survey (2016) of an Australian convenience sample of employed parents: women ( n = 2950) and men ( n = 1318). Results: Forty-two percent of all mothers reported missing out on promotion ( n = 1234/2950); one-third reported negative comments from managers ( n = 805/2950, 27%) or colleagues ( n = 832/2950, 28%).

Umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells from gestational diabetes show impaired ability to up-regulate paracellular permeability from sub-endothelial niche.

In vitro studies have shown that Wharton's jelly mesenchymal stem cells (WJ-MSCs) can cross umbilical and uterine endothelial barriers and up-regulate endothelial junctional integrity from sub-endothelial niches. This pericytic behaviour may be lost in pregnancies complicated by gestational diabetes (GDM), where increased vascular permeability and junctional disruption are reported. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether WJ-MSCs isolated from GDM pregnancies displayed any changes in morphology, proliferation, VEGF-A secretion, and their ability to influence paracellular junctional composition and permeability.

Evaluation of the relationship between occupational-specific task performance and measures of physical fitness, cardiovascular and musculoskeletal health in firefighters.

Introduction: Firefighters are required to perform physically strenuous tasks such as hose drags, victim rescues, forcible entries and stair climbs to complete their public safety mission. Occupational-specific tasks are often used to evaluate the ability of firefighters to adequately/safely perform their duties. Depending on the regions, occupational-specific tasks include six to eight individual tasks, which emphasize distinct aspects of their physical fitness, while also requiring different levels of cardiovascular (CVH) and musculoskeletal health (MSH).

Working longer hours and body weight: An Australian study using household panel data (with measures of paid and unpaid time) to provide gender-specific estimates.

Time is a resource for health, and when time is constrained, people have less opportunity to maintain good health. This study focuses on the relationship between paid work hours (with a focus on long hours) and body weight for Australian men and women. Time is conceptualised as a 24-hour system, including time in paid work, time in unpaid work, and discretionary time (available for health promoting activities).