Keeping Healthy
Type II Diabetes and Physical Exercise on Brain and Cognitive Responses
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Shyam Seetharaman
Type II Diabetes is a major source of health risk and mortality worldwide, and has broad health implications in aging populations. Although the physical outcomes arising from this disease is fairly well recognized by the general public (e.g. Heart Disease), the body of evidence suggesting that Type II Diabetes is a significant predictor of cognitive and neurobiological dysfunction is less understood. Dietary sugar is a major risk factor for developing Type II Diabetes. Here, research on the effects of blood sugar, dietary sugar, as well as Type II Diabetes on cognitive dysfunction, accelerated cognitive aging and the development of progressive neurocognitive disease is presented. Additionally, the influences of physical activity on mitigating cognitive deficits especially as we age are elucidated.
A Photovoice Exploration of Water and Related Health Outcomes: Scarcity Risks in Open Urban Spaces
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Firoza Haffejee
In urban economic spaces, the scarcity of water presents multifaceted challenges, often manifested as water collected in drums due to inadequate supply. Water scarcity disrupts daily activities and also poses significant health risks on urban communities. The purpose of the study was to allow students registered for a module in Public Health to engage with local communities to ascertain how the scarcity of water is involved in causing disease. A photovoice method was used; students were tasked with an assignment which required exploring local communities, to obtain photographic evidence of environmental conditions related to water scarcity and to explore how these were involved in causing disease. Focus group discussions were held to explore the photographic evidence in relation to ill health. Water scarcity in low and middle income countries occurs in rural areas, semi-urban slum developments as well as urban economic spaces. The study outlines the adverse health outcomes stemming from inadequate water access, including the heightened risk of waterborne diseases due to the reliance on makeshift water storage solutions. The interconnected nature of water scarcity and health is emphasized, shedding light on the disproportionate impact on vulnerable populations in both rural and urban economic landscapes. The reliance on makeshift solutions such as drum collection exacerbates the vulnerability of these spaces to water-related crises. Water scarcity must be addressed to improve health outcomes within low socio-economic communities. Resilient and sustainable environments that fosters the well-being of its residents are required.
Featured Cultural, Physical and Psychological Wellbeing In Museums: Preliminary Results of the Anxiety, Stress, Brain-friendly Museum Approach Project
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Claudio Lucchiari, Annalisa Banzi, Vincenza Ferrara, Raffaella Folgieri, Maria Elide Vanutelli
The ASBA (Anxiety, Stress, Brain-friendly Museum Approach) project focuses on studying museums as spaces that promote cultural, physical, and psychological wellbeing. Since 2022, we have been collecting data thanks to the collaboration of several Italian museums, and the participation of 390 volunteers (aged 18 - 83, M = 45.55; Female = 300). We employed standardised questionnaires, analogue scales, and qualitative items to gather both quantitative and qualitative data on perceived stress, state anxiety, mood, and subjective experience. Our research protocol includes several methods aimed at eliciting wellbeing in museum contexts, particularly mindfulness, art therapy, Visual Thinking Strategies, Nature+Art, and guided tours. Using a pre-post research design, we assessed the impact of each technique on personal wellbeing. Additionally, we gathered data on trait parameters, such as trait anxiety and personality. All the treatments employed achieved the primary goal of reducing state anxiety. Mindfulness produced the most significant effect, with a reduction of nearly 25% between pre- and post-intervention. This decrease was especially notable in participants with high levels of state anxiety and stress. Art therapy also showed significant results, although to a slightly lesser extent (approximately 20%). A notable finding concerns guided tours, which not only reduced anxiety to a degree slightly below that of art therapy, like Nature+Art, but also proved effective regardless of participants’ initial levels of stress and anxiety. Thanks to this broad set of data, we can support the hypothesis that museums may be considered privileged spaces for fostering wellbeing.
Improving Health Literacy in Hand Hygiene Skills Using Virtual Reality
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Carolina Villalba Toquica, Mery Gonzalez Delgado
Hand hygiene is a critical strategy for preventing healthcare-associated infections, adherence remains low, particularly among auxiliary nurses and informal caregivers who often lack formal training, technologies like virtual reality (VR) have shown promise for improving hand hygiene skills through active learning and real-time feedback. This quasi-experimental, one-group pretest-posttest study evaluated the effectiveness of a VR hand hygiene training program for auxiliary nurses and informal caregivers in Colombia. A total of 215 participants (94 auxiliary nurses, 121 informal caregivers) completed the intervention, which included three 15-minute VR training sessions with real-time feedback on hand hygiene technique. Data were collected at baseline (PRE) and immediately after the VR intervention (POST), which included three 15-minute training sessions. Variables assessed included hand hygiene performance, error rates, and knowledge assessment. Linear mixed-effects models were used to assess changes over time. Correct hand hygiene performance increased from 26.6% to 97.9% among auxiliary nurses (p < 0.001) and from 9.9% to 95.9% among informal caregivers (p < 0.001). Knowledge scores also improved significantly in both groups, and most participants rated the VR training as 'very useful' or 'extremely useful' for skill acquisition. VR training significantly improved hand hygiene technique and knowledge among auxiliary nurses and informal caregivers. The high acceptance rates observed suggest that these technologies can effectively enhance infection prevention skills in undertrained populations, supporting broader adoption in healthcare education.
