Background Physical literacy is a multidimensional concept that describes a holistic foundation for physical activity engagement. Understanding the utilization and effectiveness of physical literacy in the context of health and the health care setting will support clinical and population health programming. The purpose of this rapid scoping review was to: 1) map the conceptualization of physical literacy as it relates to health; 2) identify and describe the utilization of physical literacy in the context of health and engagement of health care providers; and 3) better understand the relationship between physical literacy, physical activity, and health. Methods Following established scoping review methods adapted for a rapid review approach, we searched electronic databases Medline OVID, CINAHL Ebsco, PsycInfo Ebsco, Web of Science ISI, and ERIC Ebsco from conception until September 2019. Tabulation coding was used to identify the key themes across included articles and synthesize findings. The review follows an integrated knowledge translation approach based on a partnership between the health system, community organizations, and researchers. Results Following removal of duplicates, our search identified 475 articles for title and abstract screening. After full text review, 17 articles were included (12 original research papers and five conceptual or review papers). There was near consensus among included papers with 16 of 17 using the Whiteheadian definition of physical literacy. There was limited involvement of health care providers in the concept of physical literacy. Physical literacy was connected to the following health indicators: BMI and body weight, waist circumference, cardiorespiratory fitness, physical activity, and sedentary behaviour. The primary demographic focus of included studies was children and there was a conceptual focus on the physical domain of physical literacy. Conclusions Despite growing popularity, the empirical evidence base linking physical literacy and health outcomes is limited and the relationship remains theoretical. Physical literacy may present a novel and holistic framework for health-enhancing physical activity interventions that consider factors vital to sustained participation in physical activity across the life course. Future work should continue to explore the nature and direction of the relationship between physical activity and physical literacy to identify appropriate focused approaches for health promotion.
Ambulance personnel, including paramedics, emergency medical technicians, and others, are exposed to potentially distressing situations frequently as a function of their duties. The present systematic review evaluated the prevalence of trauma-related mental disorders, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety in ambulance personnel with best-evidence narrative synthesis across an international dataset of 24 eligible studies to determine whether prevalence is elevated in this occupational group relative to the general population. In addition, we integrate and synthesize findings related to predictive factors for the prevalence of these disorders across the literature, broadly grouping predictive factors into three categories: individual-difference factors (e.g., sociodemographics), exposure-related factors (e.g., frequency), and organizational factors (e.g., support from supervisors). The relationship between exposure-related factors and depression/anxiety symptoms is of special interest because both disorders may occur outside the context of traumatic stress but are also highly comorbid with PTSD. We report strong evidence that prevalence rates of probable PTSD, depression, and anxiety disorder are elevated in ambulance personnel. The strongest predictive associations for PTSD symptoms concerned exposure-related and organizational factors, whereas individual-difference factors bore weak or inconsistent associations with symptoms. Importantly, there is a concerning lack of data regarding the impact of workplace traumatic exposure on depression and anxiety in ambulance personnel, and as such it is not possible at present to differentiate between manifestation of symptoms following exposure compared with ongoing symptoms unrelated to the workplace. Addressing this gap in the literature is of critical importance for guiding organizational response to these disorders in ambulance service.
Background: The prevalence of PTSD in police officers has been the subject of a large and highly variable empirical literature. The present systematic review evaluates the extant literature on PTSD in police officers using an international dataset. Methods:We employed best-evidence narrative synthesis to evaluate whether PTSD prevalence in police is elevated in comparison to the general population of Canada (8%), which itself has a higher lifetime PTSD prevalence than many other regions and thus serves as a conservative standard of comparison.Results: PTSD prevalence in police varied considerably across studies from 0% -44% (M = 14.87%, Median = 9.2%). Despite this variability, strong evidence exists to suggest PTSD prevalence is elevated in police officers. Examination of possible sources of variability in prevalence outcomes highlighted substantial variability in outcomes due to the selection of measurement tool for assessing PTSD (e.g., DSM vs. IES). Examination of commonly-assessed predictive factors for PTSD risk across the literature showed that individual-difference factors (e.g., age, years of service) bear weak-to-nonexistent relationships with PTSD risk, while incidentspecific factors (e.g., severity of exposure) are more strongly and consistently associated with PTSD prevalence. Organizational factors (e.g., low support from supervisor) are at present understudied but important possible contributors to PTSD risk. Conclusions: PTSD prevalence is elevated in police officers and appears most strongly related to workplace exposure. Measurement variability remains a critical source of inconsistencies across the literature with drastic implications for accurate detection of officers in need of mental health intervention. K E Y W O R D S epidemiology, occupational exposure, police personnel, posttraumatic stress disorder, trauma Institution at which the work was performed: University of Northern British Columbia
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