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Public Health Pedagogy, Border Crossings and Physical Activity at Every Size

2026-10-17T17:09:21Z

Title: Public Health Pedagogy, Border Crossings and Physical Activity at Every Size Authors: Mansfield, Louise; Rich, Emma Abstract: This paper examines the current weight-centric approach to the promotion and practice of physical activity for health. We argue that examining the assumptions and belief systems that drive physical activity promotion may provide a foundation for considering and pursuing appropriate forms of social change in the policy, prescription and practice fields. Counter perspectives and critical voices offering alternative health paradigms are systematically marginalised or silenced in this discourse. We outline the significance of a public pedagogy approach in developing alternative ways of promoting, representing and experiencing physical activity beyond weight focused perspectives. We advocate that physical activity policy makers and practitioners, including those promoting a non weight-centric approach to health need to undertake ‘border crossing’ and work across ‘artificial’ institutional barriers. The paper discusses the principles of a non-weight based, cross-disciplinary Health at Every Size (HAES) approach. It presents a critical examination of the potentials of harnessing a HAES paradigm as an alternative to a weight-loss focused physical activity intervention. At the same time, it argues that even this approach needs to better address the complexities of weight rather than search for singular, universal responses to the problems of healthism.

Roles of Self‐Stigma and Meaning in the Relationship Between Age and Loneliness: A Perspective From Gerotranscendence

2026-10-16T02:01:20Z

Title: Roles of Self‐Stigma and Meaning in the Relationship Between Age and Loneliness: A Perspective From Gerotranscendence Authors: Xiao, Han; Malli, Melina; Qualter, Pamela; Barreto, Manuela; Victor, Christina; Cosco, Theodore D; Zhou, Guangyu Abstract: Drawing on the theory of gerotranscendence, this research aimed to gain a more comprehensive and nuanced understanding of the age-loneliness relationship and underlying factors. Data from the BBC Loneliness Experiment (⁢𝑛 = 6875, 67.80% female, M_age = 49.26, Range_age 16–94) were analyzed using polynomial regression and Multi-Group Structural Equation Modeling (MG-SEM) for the quantitative data, and complemented by Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) for free-text data. The results showed: (1) there was a non-linear, inverted 𝑈-shaped relationship between age and loneliness, with an inflection point at 39.2 years of age; (2) in the older age group, loneliness self-stigma and the meaning of loneliness played parallel mediating roles between age and loneliness, whereas no mediating effect was observed in the younger age group; (3) these mediating effects primarily attenuated the loneliness frequency and loneliness intensity rather than loneliness duration; (4) two overarching topics of loneliness (i.e., Limited Social Functions and Unsatisfactory Social Relationships) were identified, with differences between the two age groups. This study further enriches the understanding of gerotranscendence in the loneliness domain and provides suggestions for tailoring precision interventions (i.e., self-stigma, meaning-making) to distinct life stages and specific loneliness dimensions. Description: Data Availability Statement: Access to the dataset is available from the authors upon reasonable request.

ESIC Series: Paper 9 Estimating initial costs of Evidence Synthesis Infrastructure Collaborative solutions: assumptions and overall results

2026-10-16T02:01:19Z

Title: ESIC Series: Paper 9 Estimating initial costs of Evidence Synthesis Infrastructure Collaborative solutions: assumptions and overall results Authors: Pokhrel, Subhash; Hanney, Stephen Abstract: Aim: To estimate the initial costs of implementing the Evidence Synthesis Infrastructure Collaborative (ESIC) solutions and therefore provide funders with a costed menu of options for strengthening global evidence synthesis systems. Background: ESIC was established to enhance the timeliness, relevance, and affordability of evidence synthesis worldwide. Five Working Groups and a Governance Planning Group were tasked with identifying priority solutions to address systemic gaps in infrastructure, capacity, and governance. We were tasked with costing these solutions from a funder’s perspective to inform strategic investment decisions. Methods: We followed a structured approach with planning of the costing occurring concurrently with the solutions being identified by the groups. We identified resource requirements, measured quantities, and applied unit costs. Inputs included personnel, tools, and system requirements, with indirect costs set at 20% of direct costs and an additional 5% for monitoring, evaluation, and learning. Data were gathered through resource-use questionnaires, literature reviews, and consultations with ESIC groups. Salary costs were estimated using a 3×3 matrix of seniority and geographic bands (Global North; Global South—high/upper-middle income; Global South—low/lower-middle income). Sensitivity analyses addressed uncertainties, particularly in salary assumptions. A separate costing exercise was conducted for a Vanguard Suite, a prioritised collection of 100 living evidence syntheses. Results: The total estimated cost for all 40 solutions identified by the groups was US$278.3 million (range: US$257.2–299 million). Employment costs accounted for the largest share, with 80% of staff time and 78% of senior roles allocated to the Global South, reflecting ESIC’s equity goals. Individual group costs ranged from US$9.1 million (Governance) to US$70.5 million (Data solutions). The suite of living evidence syntheses was costed at US$19.2 million. Conclusion This costing exercise provides transparent, equity-focused information to assist funders when selecting scalable solutions aligned with ESIC’s mission. While estimates involve assumptions, they offer a pragmatic basis for investment planning and demonstrate ESIC’s commitment to affordability, inclusivity, and global impact.

Implicit core belief adaptation integrated cognitive behavioural therapy

2026-10-15T02:01:21Z

Title: Implicit core belief adaptation integrated cognitive behavioural therapy Authors: Dalton, Stefan Daniel Paul Abstract: Emotions have been at the forefront of philosophers’ and theoreticians’ curiosities for millennia. A great deal of influential research has described how emotions are defined, generated, and regulated, and many theoretical models have further described the processes underlying the maintenance of psychiatric disorders. Although implicit mechanisms are frequently documented, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) practices largely rely on explicit techniques such as cognitive reappraisal. Given the large body of evidence suggesting emotion generation, emotion regulation, and emotional disorders largely operate via implicit mechanisms, the present PhD thesis investigated implicit emotion processing and potential techniques for utilising implicit emotion regulation strategies within brief CBT interventions. This thesis adopted several methodological approaches, including meta-analyses, behavioural studies, and intervention studies. Several novel findings were reported. First, behavioural and fMRI meta-analyses reported maladaptive implicit emotion regulation in mood and anxiety disorder samples compared to healthy controls, further highlighting dysfunctional neural activation in patients within the medial prefrontal cortex. Second, implicit cognitive reappraisal was reported to be effective across symptom measures related to the cognitive model of emotional disorders, particularly at reducing maladaptive core beliefs. Third, the development of a standardised digital single-session cognitive behavioural therapy intervention for a presenting emotional complaint was effective on symptom measures, including GAD-7 scores, negative automatic thoughts, avoidance, and maladaptive core beliefs. Finally, the newly introduced implicit facial stimuli exposure integrated single-session CBT was reported to be increasingly effective on equivalent symptom measures. The findings are discussed within the context of influential theories and models of emotion generation, emotion regulation, emotional disorders, and goal-directed behaviours. From this, the emerging theory of implicit core belief adaptation is presented, which is hypothesised to be the implicit activation of adaptive core beliefs surrounding safety, acceptance, and connection via implicit exposure to facial stimuli. In conclusion, harnessing evolutionary mechanisms in response to facial stimuli may have important implications for adaptive cognitive, emotional, and behavioural responses, further highlighting their importance in both research, and potentially, psychiatric practice. Description: This thesis was submitted for the award of Doctor of Philosophy and was awarded by Brunel University London