Search Results (29)

Famed lawyer Clarence Darrow (1857–1938) argued strongly for an early-life public health approach to crime prevention, one that focused on education, poverty reduction, and equity of resources. Due to his defense of marginalized persons and his positions that were often at odds with his legal colleagues and public opinion, he was known as the Big Minority Man. He argued that the assumption of free will—humans as free moral agents—justifies systems of inequity, retributive punishment, and “unadulterated brutality.” Here, the authors revisit Darrow’s views and expand upon them via contemporary research. We examine increasingly louder argumentation—from scholars across multiple disciplines—contending that prescientific notions of willpower, free will, blameworthiness, and moral responsibility, are contributing to social harms. We draw from biopsychosocial perspectives and recent scientific consensus papers calling for the dismantling of folk psychology ideas of willpower and blameworthiness in obesity. We scrutinize how the status quo of the legal system is justified and argue that outdated notions of ‘moral fiber’ need to be addressed at the root. The authors examine recent arguments for one of Darrow’s ideas—a public health quarantine model of public safety and carceral care that considers the ‘causes of the causes’ and risk assessments through a public health lens. In our view, public health needs to vigorously scrutinize the prescientific “normative” underpinnings of the criminal justice system. Full article

Planetary health is a transdisciplinary concept that erases the dividing lines between individual and community health, and the natural systems that support the wellbeing of humankind. Despite planetary health’s broad emphasis on justice, the promotion of science-based policies, and stated commitments to fairness, equity, and harm reduction, the criminal justice system has largely escaped scrutiny. This seems to be a major oversight, especially because the criminalization of mental illness is commonplace, and the system continues to be oriented around a prescientific compass of retribution and folk beliefs in willpower, moral fiber, and blameworthiness. Justice-involved juveniles and adults are funneled into landscapes of mass incarceration with ingrained prescientific assumptions. In non-criminal realms, such as obesity, there is a growing consensus that folk psychology ideas must be addressed at the root and branch. With this background, the Nova Institute for Health convened a transdisciplinary roundtable to explore the need for a ‘Copernican Revolution’ in the application of biopsychosocial sciences in law and criminal justice. This included discussions of scientific advances in neurobiology and omics technologies (e.g., the identification of metabolites and other biological molecules involved in behavior), the need for science education, ethical considerations, and the public health quarantine model of safety that abandons retribution. Full article

Background: Weight bias in healthcare can affect the quality of care and create health disparities. In nursing, the presence of weight-biassed attitudes influences the therapeutic relationship and clinical decision-making. However, in Spain, research on this phenomenon remains scarce, hindering the development of strategies to mitigate its impact. Objectives: This study aimed to assess the methodological feasibility of a study on weight bias in nursing, and to explore nurses’ attitudes towards being overweight and obesity and their association with sociodemographic and body image variables. Methods: A cross-sectional, quantitative pilot study was conducted with 22 primary care nurses. The Anti-Fat Attitudes (AFA) and Beliefs About Obese Persons (BAOP) scales, previously validated in Spanish-speaking populations, were applied. Response distribution, the internal consistency of the instruments, and the relationship between variables were analysed. Results: Difficulties were identified in the recruitment of participants and the reliability of certain items of the questionnaire, as well as in the internal consistency of the scales. A trend towards moderate weight-biassed attitudes was observed in the sample, with the highest scores in the AFA’s “Willpower” subscale. The BAOP scale showed a significant negative correlation with the AFA (r = −0.55, p = 0.009), indicating that a lower attribution of obesity to individual control is associated with less discriminatory attitudes. Conclusions: This pilot study helped identify methodological improvements and confirmed the presence of weight bias in nursing. It is recommended that the sample be expanded and the measuring instruments refined before performing the full study. Full article

Binge eating disorder (BED) has long been an overlooked mental health condition, making its recognition and treatment more challenging. This study examines the impacts of social stigma and fatphobia on individuals with BED, exploring how these factors influence their well-being and perpetuate cycles of exclusion and discrimination. Using a psychosocial approach, this research analyzes how societal misperceptions about BED foster harmful stereotypes, such as the belief that being overweight results from a lack of willpower or personal negligence. This study is based on a qualitative discourse analysis of 12 participants diagnosed with BED. The findings highlight the presence of compensatory behaviors, including fasting, excessive exercise, and laxative use, which challenge the conventional understanding of BED. The results reveal that BED affects not only individuals at a personal level, but also deeply impacts their social and family lives, reinforcing shame, guilt, and self-hatred. Diet culture and weight stigma contribute to social exclusion, further hindering access to proper treatment. This study provides a critical perspective on the need for a cultural shift in how society perceives weight and eating behaviors, advocating for a more inclusive health model that prioritizes mental well-being and body diversity over arbitrary aesthetic standards. These findings underscore the need for greater societal understanding, inclusive health narratives, and further qualitative research into the lived experiences of individuals with BED. Full article

In an ongoing series of interviews, Challenges Advisory Board member and Nova Institute for Health Fellow Alan C. Logan meets with thought leaders, scientists, scholars, healthcare professionals, artisans, and visionaries concerned about health at the scale of individuals, communities, and the planet. Here, Dr. Pragya Mishra responds to a set of questions posed by Challenges. Dr. Mishra, a legal academician and one of the few global scholars with a PhD specifically in neurolaw, is at the forefront of research examining the intersection of law and brain sciences. As a concept and developing field, the promise of neurolaw is that it will lead to a more equitable and less punitive justice system, one based on objective science rather than prescientific assumptions of blameworthiness and willpower. Here, Dr. Mishra reflects on the promises and pitfalls of neurolaw, the growing challenges to the free will assumptions held by the courts, and her work in a field that epitomizes a transdisciplinary effort. She discusses the place of contemplative practices within neurolaw, with special emphasis on the hope of rehabilitation. Dr. Mishra describes neurolaw through a holistic lens, one that embraces future possibilities and the shaping of evidence-based policy changes. While planetary health embraces justice as a broad term, it has paid little attention to the criminal justice system. Discussions of neurolaw are important to the ethical frameworks of planetary health. Neurolaw, as Dr. Mishra explains, is at the heart of the many interconnected challenges of our time. Full article

Background/Objectives: To date, the health effects of karate have not been identified. Therefore, the aim of this article is to learn more about the health effects of karate training based on a review of current research. Methods: The Scopus database was searched from 2000 onwards for available articles related only to karate. The following intermediate phrases were not included: combat sport, fighting art, hand-to-hand combat, martial art, and self-defence system. The filter used was desk review analysis. Only 14 scientific articles (research papers and review papers) strictly on karate were found. The method of source material analysis and critical analysis of the source text was then used. Results: It was shown that kumite appears to require significantly more metabolic power than kata. Furthermore, the greater skill of karatekas is associated with their greater physical fitness, and long-term karate training attenuates the decline in dynamic visual acuity (DVA). The role of modified and individualised forms of karate training is also highlighted as important for the health of practitioners. Furthermore, long-term karate practice is associated with extensive modulation of immunological parameters. Karate training can also significantly improve motor skills. It can also play an important role in the development of willpower and personality traits that contribute to the well-being of its practitioners. Furthermore, nutritional and psychological interventions combined with karate training may improve cardiometabolic parameters, oxidative stress and inflammation. Karate training may also contribute to the prevention of osteoporosis and strengthen the left ventricular myocardium. Conclusions: It was found that there is a paucity of contemporary research on the health effects of karate training. In addition, they are limited to the individuals studied, so that generalisations about these effects in the general population of karate practitioners cannot be made. Full article

Contemporary science and religion discourse (SRD) is a large field encompassing various topics, from creationism against evolution to theological anthropology and artificial intelligence, though historically, what is meant by “science” is Western science, and what is meant by “religion” is usually Christianity. Moreover, SRD has been driven mainly from the North American context. The scope of this paper will thus be more focused on Western science and North American Protestant Evangelical Christianity, which hereafter will be referred to as simply Christianity or religion. In this article, I argue that SRD often arises from conflict or intersections where such interdisciplinary dialogue is needed to better understand the topic. However, this also means that topics that seem to agree between religion and science are not discussed in SRD. It is as if the goal of SRD, consciously or unconsciously, is to attain some consensus. Topics that have achieved consensus are not worth interrogating using the interdisciplinary approach of SRD. In this article, I will raise the topic of the holy war on obesity as a case example. From the medical and scientific perspective, obesity is a significant epidemic and problem. Similarly, Christians also see obesity as a problem that their churches can help by reinforcing the need for self-control as a virtue. The alignment of the two fields leaves this subject primarily out of the radar of the academic SRD. Yet I argue here that this unholy alliance needs to be questioned because locating the solution to obesity simply on willpower to lose weight and battle gluttony is short-sighted at best, misleading perhaps, and harmful at worst. This paper calls for a transdisciplinary approach to the SRD on obesity, emphasizing the need to address the multifaceted nature of the problem, which spans physiology, psychology, sociology, economics, culture, and theology. In overlooking the complexity of the problem with its various intersectionalities, both science and religion in SRD have colonized bodies and health. Inherent within this transdisciplinary approach is the exercise of undisciplining SRD and decolonizing bodies. The concept of “undisciplining” involves re-evaluating the problem beyond mere weight loss, addressing interconnected issues such as food supply, government regulations, capitalism, discrimination, and mental health care. The narrative of gluttony as sin, the war metaphor, and the methodologies employed by both religious and scientific communities need to be deconstructed. In conclusion, recognizing the entangled system in which all are complicit, the paper advocates for a more nuanced and comprehensive approach, free from the constraints of traditional disciplinary boundaries and influenced narratives. Full article

Background: Identifying physical activity (PA) and its barriers among middle-aged women may aid in the development of age-specific health promotion interventions. In Egypt, women, particularly those in the workforce, typically face numerous barriers that result in low levels of PA. This research seeks to assess the prevalence of health-enhancing physical activity (HEPA) among working women at Mansoura University and identify the associated barriers. Methods: This cross-sectional study employs a quantitative methodology that includes an analytic component. We studied a non-random sample of 760 Egyptian women employed at Mansoura University. Sociodemographic data were collected, and the international physical activity questionnaire (IPAQ) short form was used to assess the level of PA. Additionally, the Barriers to Being Active Quiz (BBAQ) was used to assess barriers to PA. Results: One-fourth of women engage in HEPA; 44.9% are classified as minimally active, while 30.1% are inactive. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed the type of job is an independent predictor of HEPA, with ARR of 1.7 for manager and administrative roles. The total BBAQ score significantly predicts HEPA (ARR = 0.94). Social influences and lack of willpower scores are significant independent predictors of HEPA (ARR = 0.9 and 0.8, respectively). Most individuals encounter two to five barriers, with only 11.3% experiencing no PA barriers. The most frequently reported barrier is the lack of energy (80.4%), followed by the lack of resources, willpower, and time (74.04%, 69.6%, and 69.4%, respectively). Conclusions: The prevalence of HEPA is low among working women at Mansoura University. Policymakers can utilize findings to promote engagement with and adherence to physical activity. Full article

Background: In the crucible of disasters, civic engagement emerges as a dynamic force that channels individual strength and collective willpower toward the common good. Although it has been recognized as a necessary precondition for community resilience, studies on the motivators for citizens’ activities during disasters are relatively limited. This study underscores the interplay of personal resilience, risk perception, and coping strategies in the context of emergency-oriented civic engagement. It provides a robust framework for comprehending the cognitive and emotional processes that drive individuals’ responses to threats and risks to improve knowledge about public behavior, psychological conditions, and mental health during man-made disasters. Method: an online survey was conducted with a sample of 1514 citizens in Israel. A model incorporating both moderation and mediation effects was proposed. Results: The results reveal a consistent positive relationship between personal resilience and emergency-oriented civic engagement and point to the importance of both the intervening role of risk perception and the moderating role of coping strategies. Conclusions: discuss the importance of resilience-building programs and the promotion of positive coping strategies which can empower individuals to navigate the complexities of risk perception and engage actively in civic activities during disasters. Full article

Current evidence indicates that workplace health and wellness programmes provide numerous benefits concerning altering cardiovascular risk factor profiles. Implementing health programmes at workplaces provide an opportunity to engage adults towards positive and sustainable lifestyle choices. The first step in designing lifestyle interventions for the workplace is understanding the barriers and facilitators to implementing interventions in these settings. The barriers and facilitators to implementing lifestyle interventions in the workplace environment was qualitatively explored at two multinational consumer goods companies among seven workplaces in South Africa. Semi-structured in-depth interviews (IDIs) were conducted with ten workplace managers. Five focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted among workplace employees. The IDI findings revealed that the main facilitators for participation in a lifestyle intervention programme were incentives and rewards, educational tools, workplace support, and engaging lessons. In contrast, the main facilitator of the FGDs was health and longevity. The main barriers from the IDIs included scheduling time for lifestyle interventions within production schedules at manufacturing sites, whereas time limitations, a lack of willpower and self-discipline were the main barriers identified from the FGDs. The findings of this study add to literature on the barriers and facilitators of implementing healthy lifestyle interventions at workplaces and suggest that there is a potential for successfully implementing intervention programmes to improve health outcomes, provided that such efforts are informed and guided through the engagement of workplace stakeholders, an assessment of the physical and food environment, and the availability of workplace resources. Full article

Background: Obesity is linked to chronic diseases in adults and children. Its prevalence continues to grow in the United States, necessitating the need for healthcare provider training and presenting an opportunity for the education of future medical providers. Despite this need, effectively implementing obesity education into medical school curricula has been challenging. Anti-obesity bias amongst healthcare providers and trainees represents a significant obstacle to the care of patients with obesity. Obesity bias may affect up to 1/3 of medical students. Methods: This study describes the development and preliminary testing of a brief, 2.5 h multi-modality teaching intervention consisting of online, interactive, and independent learning modules for first-year medical students and a patient panel focused on obesity, obesity bias, and motivational interviewing. The participants took Crandall’s anti-fat attitude (AFA) questionnaire before and after an online independent learning module on motivational interviewing and obesity bias. The AFA consists of three subscales (“dislike”, “fear of fat”, and “willpower”). Individual responses were measured using a nine-point Likert-type response format (0 = very strongly disagree; 9 = very strongly agree). An average composite score was calculated for each subscale. Results: Data were analyzed from 103 first-year medical students enrolled at a college of medicine in the southwestern United States in 2022. The AFA mean composite scores decreased significantly, indicating a decrease in explicit anti-obesity attitude bias after completing the online module. This decrease was present in all three domains of fear (4.63 vs. 3.72, p < 0.001), dislike (1.25 vs. 0.88, p < 0.001) and willpower (3.23 vs. 2.31, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Relatively brief educational interventions can positively impact students’ anti-obesity attitudes. Full article

Individuals with vision impairment (VI) are less physically active than their sighted peers, heightening their risk of chronic illness. This study aimed to explore real and perceived barriers and promoters of an active lifestyle among adults with VI. We used mixed-methods, including a quantitative analysis of spatial data and a qualitative analysis of input from focus groups. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, graphical and thematic analysis. The spatial analysis highlighted frequent impediments, including high proportions of inaccessible crosswalks and stairs, a high density of obstacles (12/km) and almost inexistent guidance markings (0.1/km). Factors influencing active lifestyle of individuals with VI reported in the focus groups included: VI severity and self-confidence; accessibility of the physical environment as well as support and consideration of the society; use of behavioral strategies, striving for good health and willpower. Combined psychosocial, behavioral and infrastructural modifications could enhance active lifestyles among adults with VI. Consideration of the needs of individuals with VI is critical among environmental planners. Sustainable solutions for improving accessibility and mobility in the city for individuals with VI will influence not only their social integration but will enable them to adopt an active lifestyle and reduce their risk of chronic illness. Full article

Current scientific developments have reached the stage where human aspirations of space exploration are not science fiction but a reality involving travelling to the Earth’s orbit, the Moon and Mars. In the second half of the twentieth century, international space agencies (like NASA, European Space Agency, and Russia) witnessed the professional experiments of official and commercial space projects, gradually unveiling the universe’s secrets. Astronautical research has predominantly been developed within the context of advanced materialism. The astronauts’ physical health has been protected by the technology of space medicine, while the socio-cultural aspect of psychological well-being was less regarded. As space-travel time is getting longer and more solitary, the evaluation of the mental environment of the astronauts during space travel or in technical crisis is necessary. Also, can the private sphere of astronauts help the public sphere of space safety or security? When and how can religious behaviour (or psycho-religious potentiality) be effective in the space community of long-term missions? This paper explores the sacred experiences of past astronauts in the non-scientific aspects of fearlessness, courage, stability, and confidence. It argues a new hypothesis that while the space team can theoretically depend on the visual and systematic data of the latest information technology (IT) and artificial intelligence (AI), the success of deep space missions (including Mars exploration), in terms of human risk management, is not always irrelevant to the strength of individual spirituality as an internal countermeasure of self-positivity in absolute hope. Furthermore, this aspect can be proved in the case studies of the American Christians’ willpower, Papal support, spontaneous Jewish astronauts, the institutional cooperation of the Russian Orthodox Church and its government, and the commitments of Asian and Islamic astronauts. Full article

The spirituality of stakeholders in cases of drought has gained significant attention in the field of integrated risk governance of agricultural drought. In this paper, based on a field survey and 30 drought response actions in China, we established an indicator system and quantitative model based on concentration and willpower (spirituality, abbreviated as S), considering the aspects of responsibility (R), enterprise (E), and devotion (D) to evaluate the spirituality of the village committee of Xindu District, Hebei Province. We aimed to develop a new method for the quantitative research of multi-stakeholders’ concentration and willpower and to provide a more scientific reference for the formation of consilience in the process of improving risk governance capability. The main conclusions are as follows: (1) Condensed connotations of spirituality focus on expressing the spirit state of each stakeholder, which is the embodiment of the stakeholder’s concentration and willpower in the consilience system. (2) An evaluation framework of “deeds information excavating → stakeholder-oriented survey → grading and classification” is formed. Based on Chinese traditional cultural backgrounds and administrative system characteristics, the evaluation indicator system and model of spirituality are constructed and will further promote the visualization and quantification of spirituality research. (3) The spirituality index (S) of village committees on integrated risk governance of drought presents a trend of normal distribution, and the average value of all secondary indices is R > E > D. The mean value of R is 0.93 and the sample range is 0.49. D has the lowest mean value, with a range of 0.37. (4) There is a regional difference in the average values of spirituality index (S) as follows: “plain area > mountain area > hilly area”, from the perspective of geomorphic units, and “high-income area > middle-income area > low-income area”, from the perspective of the regional economy. Full article

Sport and exercise can be boring. In the general population, thinking of sports as boring has been linked to exercising less. However, less is known about the role of boredom in people who participate in ultra-endurance competitions: Do these athletes also associate their sports with boredom, and does boredom pose a self-regulatory challenge that predicts if they encounter a crisis during an ultra-endurance competition? Here, we investigate these questions with a sample of N = 113 (n = 34 female) competitors of a 24 h hour running competition, aged M = 37.6 ± 13.8 years. In this study, n = 23 very extreme athletes competed as single starters or in a relay team of 2, and n = 84 less extreme athletes competed in relay teams of 4 or 6. Before the run, athletes completed self-report measures on sport-specific trait boredom, as well as the degree to which they expected boredom, pain, effort, and willpower to constitute self-regulatory challenges they would have to cope with. After the run, athletes reported the degree to which they actually had to deal with these self-regulatory challenges and if they had faced an action crisis during the competition. Analyses revealed that very extreme athletes displayed a significantly lower sport-specific trait boredom than less extreme athletes (p = 0.024, $d=-0.48$). With respect to self-regulatory challenges, willpower, pain, and effort were expected and reported at a much higher rate than boredom. However, only boredom was as a significant predictor of experiencing a crisis during the competition (odds ratio = 12.5, p = 0.02). Our results show that boredom also matters for highly active athletes. The fact that the experience of boredom—and not more prototypical competition-induced challenges, such as pain or effort—were linked to having an action crisis highlights the relevance of incorporating boredom into the preparation for a race and to the performance management during competition. Full article