Grace Wood | University of Birmingham (original) (raw)

Papers by Grace Wood

European journal of public health, Aug 27, 2022

Background Incorporating age-friendly elements across urban environments can promote active and h... more Background Incorporating age-friendly elements across urban environments can promote active and healthy ageing by facilitating opportunities to improve health and well-being among older residents. However, developing inclusive and supportive age-friendly environments remains a key gap for governance and public policy. Community-engaged citizen science recognises older adults as key stakeholders in designing and implementing age-friendly initiatives. The aim of this study was to employ the Our Voice citizen science for healthy equity framework to engage older adults and community stakeholders to: a) identify local urban characteristics that influence active and healthy ageing, and b) co-produce recommendations to develop actionable urban changes. Methods Older adults (n = 17; Mean age= 72(7.5 SD); 11 women) and community stakeholders (n = 23; 14 women) in urban planning and ageing-well services were recruited from Birmingham, UK. Six online discussion groups (n = 16 older adults, 11 stakeholders), 12 Discovery Tool walks (n = 14 older adults), 3 in-person discussions (n = 12 older adults), 2 online individual discussions (n = 2 older adults) and 2 workshop events (n = 15 older adults, 17 stakeholders) were conducted. Audio transcripts and co-produced data were member checked and thematically analysed to identify urban barrier and facilitator themes and co-produce recommendations. Results A range of interconnected urban features were identified as influential of active and healthy ageing, including presence or absence of community facilities, suitable outdoor spaces, and the impact of Covid-19. Six collective and 12 individual recommendations were co-produced proposing feasible ways to enhance urban environments. These included public toilets schemes, maintenance of green and public spaces, car parking enforcement, provision of local information, and integrating communities across all ages. Conclusion Employing citizen science developed a network of older adults and stakeholders that shared local knowledge and experiences to co-produce a strong vision for shaping urban environments in Birmingham. This approach facilitated older adults to: drive research processes and solution-building; identify local urban influences; and advocate these findings to a network of actors who can disseminate and activate change in urban domains. To enhance citizen science further, increased time and resources to embed older adults into scientific processes, including data analysis and interpretation, is required.

Health Promotion International, Aug 1, 2022

Urban age-friendly initiatives strive to promote active and healthy ageing by addressing urban in... more Urban age-friendly initiatives strive to promote active and healthy ageing by addressing urban influences that impact individuals as they age. Collaborative community partnerships with multi-level stakeholders are crucial for fostering age-friendly initiatives that can transform urban community health. Employing a citizen social science (CSS) approach, this study aimed to engage older adults and stakeholders in Birmingham, UK, to (i) identify key urban barriers and facilitators to active and healthy ageing, and (ii) facilitate collaboration and knowledge production to lay the groundwork for a citizen science project. Older adults (n = 16; mean age = 72(7.5 SD); 11 female) and community stakeholders (n = 11; 7 female) were engaged in six online group discussions, with audio recordings transcribed and thematically analysed to present key urban barrier and facilitator themes. Ageism, winter, technology and safety were barriers identified by both groups. Outdoor spaces and infrastructure, transportation, community facilities, and Covid-19 pandemic were identified as barriers and/or facilitators. Older adults identified the ageing process as a barrier and diversity of the city, health and mobility and technology as facilitators. For stakeholders, barriers were deprivation and poverty, gender differences, and ethnicity, whereas age-inclusive activities were a facilitator. Organic and active opportunities for older adults and stakeholders to connect, co-produce knowledge on urban environments and share resources presented foundations of solution-building and future collaboration. CSS effectively facilitated a range of stakeholders across local urban spaces to collaborate and co-produce ideas and solutions for enhancing local urban environments to promote active and healthy ageing.

BMJ Open, Jul 1, 2022

To cite: Daw P, Wood GER, Harrison A, et al. Barriers and facilitators to implementation of a hom... more To cite: Daw P, Wood GER, Harrison A, et al. Barriers and facilitators to implementation of a home-based cardiac rehabilitation programme for patients with heart failure in the NHS: a mixedmethods study. BMJ Open 2022;12:e060221.

International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, Jun 5, 2021

Background: The objectives of this systematic review were to update the evidence base on social m... more Background: The objectives of this systematic review were to update the evidence base on social media interventions for physical activity and diet since 2014, analyse the characteristics of interventions that resulted in changes to physical activity and diet-related behaviours, and assess differences in outcomes across different population groups. Methods: A systematic search of the literature was conducted across 5 databases (Medline, Embase, EBSCO Education, Wiley and Scopus) using key words related to social media, physical activity, diet, and age. The inclusion criteria were: participants age 13+ years in the general population; an intervention that used commercial social media platform(s); outcomes related to changes to diet/eating or physical activity behaviours; and quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods studies. Quality appraisal tools that aligned with the study designs were used. A mixed methods approach was used to analyse and synthesise all evidence. Results: Eighteen studies were included: randomised control trials (n = 4), non-controlled trials (n = 3), mixed methods studies (n = 3), non-randomised controlled trials (n = 5) and cross-sectional studies (n = 3). The target population of most studies was young female adults (aged 18-35) attending college/university. The interventions reported on positive changes to physical activity and diet-related behaviours through increases in physical activity levels and modifications to food intake, body composition and/or body weight. The use of Facebook, Facebook groups and the accessibility of information and interaction were the main characteristics of social media interventions. Studies also reported on Instagram, Reddit, WeChat and Twitter and the use of photo sharing and editing, groups and subgroups and gamification.

Health Promotion International

Summary Urban age-friendly initiatives strive to promote active and healthy ageing by addressing ... more Summary Urban age-friendly initiatives strive to promote active and healthy ageing by addressing urban influences that impact individuals as they age. Collaborative community partnerships with multi-level stakeholders are crucial for fostering age-friendly initiatives that can transform urban community health. Employing a citizen social science (CSS) approach, this study aimed to engage older adults and stakeholders in Birmingham, UK, to (i) identify key urban barriers and facilitators to active and healthy ageing, and (ii) facilitate collaboration and knowledge production to lay the groundwork for a citizen science project. Older adults (n = 16; mean age = 72(7.5 SD); 11 female) and community stakeholders (n = 11; 7 female) were engaged in six online group discussions, with audio recordings transcribed and thematically analysed to present key urban barrier and facilitator themes. Ageism, winter, technology and safety were barriers identified by both groups. Outdoor spaces and infra...

BMJ Open

ObjectivesThis study aimed to identify barriers to, and facilitators of, implementation of the Re... more ObjectivesThis study aimed to identify barriers to, and facilitators of, implementation of the Rehabilitation EnAblement in CHronic Heart Failure (REACH-HF) programme within existing cardiac rehabilitation services, and develop and refine the REACH-HF Service Delivery Guide (an implementation guide cocreated with healthcare professionals). REACH-HF is an effective and cost-effective 12-week home-based cardiac rehabilitation programme for patients with heart failure.Setting/participantsIn 2019, four early adopter ‘Beacon Sites’ were set up to deliver REACH-HF to 200 patients. In 2020, 5 online REACH-HF training events were attended by 85 healthcare professionals from 45 National Health Service (NHS) teams across the UK and Ireland.DesignOur mixed-methods study used in-depth semi-structured interviews and an online survey. Interviews were conducted with staff trained specifically for the Beacon Site project, identified by opportunity and snowball sampling. The online survey was later ...

BMJ open, Feb 1, 2024

Mental disorders are prevalent during adolescence. Selfharm and suicide are more common in adoles... more Mental disorders are prevalent during adolescence. Selfharm and suicide are more common in adolescents with a probable mental disorder, with one in four reporting to have attempted self-harm. Research involving adolescents is, therefore, likely to include participants experiencing mental ill health, even if mental health is not the primary focus. Researchers should adopt procedures and principles that safeguard adolescent mental health in their research practice. Yet there are gaps between theory and practice of research with adolescents in relation to their mental health, and limited guidance is available. We discuss emerging safeguarding dilemmas and procedures in adolescent mental health research. Our experiences of safeguarding adolescent mental health are grounded in the UK National Institute for Health and Care Research-funded SMART Schools Study. Drawing from this secondary school-based study, we focus on how our research team encountered and addressed a high prevalence of participants (aged 12-13 and 14-15 years) reporting thoughts and behaviours related to self-harm or suicide (24% of participants). This included reviewing our existing risk mitigation processes and consulting with several committees including young people with lived experiences of mental health. We present the SMART Schools study safeguarding approach for adolescent mental health. This encompasses key safeguarding principles, study procedures and relevant justifications. We address school and university roles and responsibilities, pupil understanding, and efficient, effective and secure communication pathways. We embed guidance throughout this article for researchers working with adolescents in the context of mental health. Lastly, we present five key recommendations to safeguard the mental health of adolescents participating in research, including (1) appointing a safeguarding lead within the research team; (2) codesigning a bespoke study safeguarding approach; (3) adopting a responsive approach to mental health safeguarding; (4) being transparent about the study mental health safeguarding approach and (5) report the implementation and outcomes of safeguarding approaches. Trial registration number ISRCTN77948572.

Journal of Urban Health-bulletin of The New York Academy of Medicine, May 19, 2022

against the World Health Organization (WHO) Checklist of Essential Features of Age-Friendly Citie... more against the World Health Organization (WHO) Checklist of Essential Features of Age-Friendly Cities. A new Citizen Science Appraisal Tool (CSAT) was developed to evaluate the quality of CS and other participatory approaches included in the reviewed articles. A range of interconnected urban barriers and facilitators was generated by residents across the personal (e.g. perceived safety), environmental (e.g. unmaintained infrastructure), socio-cultural (e.g. cross-cultural activities), economic (e.g. affordable housing) and political (e.g. governmental support to migrant communities) domains. Mapping the barriers and facilitators to the WHO agefriendly checklist underscored the checklist's relevance and elucidated the need to explore barriers for migrant and cross-cultural communities and neighborhood development and alterations. The CSAT demonstrated strengths related to active engagement of residents and study outcomes leading to real-world implications. To advance the potential of CS to enrich our understanding of age-friendly environments, employing co-production to enhance relevance and sustainability of outcomes is an important strategy. Overall, employing CS highlighted the value of systematically capturing the experiences of older adults within studies aimed at promoting active and healthy aging.

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

Citizen science research that more fully engages the community can systematically involve people ... more Citizen science research that more fully engages the community can systematically involve people from under-resourced groups to create practical health-enhancing improvements across physical, social and food environments. Exemplary health equity-focused outcomes include key health behaviors (e.g., healthy eating or physical activity) and community-level changes (e.g., public transit to food shops) that are central to health promotion while being demonstrably impacted by local environmental contexts. Yet, few examples of this approach are readily available for application within complex, community-based settings. In this paper, we present the Our Voice (OV) four-step method to demonstrate an integrated participatory citizen science approach and its usability for action-focused researchers and community health practitioners. In addition, we present a summary of the major research, processes, and community outcomes, with examples drawn from nutrition and healthy food access areas, amon...

This report provides evidence-based guidelines on how social media use can positively influence b... more This report provides evidence-based guidelines on how social media use can positively influence behaviours related to physical activity, diet, and overall quality of life. Researchers from the University of Birmingham worked with young people and adults (aged 16-88) to understand if and how social media use informs health-related behaviour change. Data were collected during the initial COVID-19 lockdown period of 2020 to better understand the key factors that drive social media use for behaviour change.

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2021

Objective: Loneliness and social isolation are associated with higher risk of morbidity and morta... more Objective: Loneliness and social isolation are associated with higher risk of morbidity and mortality and physical inactivity in older age. This study explored the socioecological context in which both physically active and inactive older adults experience loneliness and/or social isolation in a UK rural setting. Design: A mixed-methods design employed semi structured interviews and accelerometer-measured moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Interviews explored the personal, social and environmental factors influencing engagement with physical activities, guided by an adapted-socioecological model of physical activity behaviour. Findings: Twenty-four older adults (Mean Age = 73 (5.8 SD); 12 women) were interviewed. Transcripts were thematically analysed and seven profiles of physical activity, social isolation and loneliness were identified. The high-MVPA group had established PA habits, reported several sources of social contact and evaluated their physical environment as...

European Journal of Public Health

Background: Community-engaged citizen science recognises older adults as key stakeholders in desi... more Background: Community-engaged citizen science recognises older adults as key stakeholders in designing, implementing, and evaluating initiatives that support age-friendly urban environments. Purpose: To engage older adults and other stakeholders in identifying actionable urban characteristics influencing active ageing in Birmingham, UK. Methods: Participants aged 60 and over were recruited via local community organisations and services. Experts in urban planning and ageing-well services were recruited via targeted e-mail invitations. Online group discussions were conducted. Data was thematically analysed and checked by interviewees. Results: Four older adult (n=17; Mean age= 72(7.5 SD); 11 women) and two stakeholder (n=11; 7 women) online group discussions identified 13 barrier and 8 facilitator themes. Ageism, winter, and safety were identified as barriers by both groups whereas outdoor spaces and infrastructure, transportation, community facilities, and the Covid-19 pandemic were ...

The International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 2021

Background The objectives of this systematic review were to update the evidence base on social me... more Background The objectives of this systematic review were to update the evidence base on social media interventions for physical activity and diet since 2014, analyse the characteristics of interventions that resulted in changes to physical activity and diet-related behaviours, and assess differences in outcomes across different population groups. Methods A systematic search of the literature was conducted across 5 databases (Medline, Embase, EBSCO Education, Wiley and Scopus) using key words related to social media, physical activity, diet, and age. The inclusion criteria were: participants age 13+ years in the general population; an intervention that used commercial social media platform(s); outcomes related to changes to diet/eating or physical activity behaviours; and quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods studies. Quality appraisal tools that aligned with the study designs were used. A mixed methods approach was used to analyse and synthesise all evidence. Results Eighteen ...