Morning lark or night owl: Baylor researchers highlight the influence of behavior on the circadian preferences of college students

Peer-Reviewed Publication

BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

WACO, Texas (May 17, 2023) – Many people perceive that they are night owls or morning larks, and that can’t be changed. It’s called a chronotype – your body’s need for sleep at a certain time – and it is generally considered to be unchangeable. However, a new study from researchers with Baylor University’s Sleep Neuroscience and Cognition Laboratory shows that chronotypes are more flexible than originally thought.

The research team’s findings, “Chronotype in college science students is associated with behavioral choices and can fluctuate across a semester,” were recently published in the journal Chronobiology International.

While genetics may predispose an individual to prefer the morning or evening hours, being a night owl can also result from behavioral choices. Whether driven by biology, institutional factors or behavioral choices, being an evening chronotype can be a detriment to sleep health, alertness in class and academic success.

Baylor sleep researcher Michael K. Scullin, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology and neuroscience, and Blake Barley, doctoral candidate in psychology in Scullin’s sleep lab, examined how institutional factors, biological factors and behavioral choices play a role in sleep problems for college students and if chronotypes may more malleable than current theories suggest.

Through a series of questionaries given throughout the 2018-19 academic year, researchers asked 858 undergraduate students enrolled in demanding science courses to assess their sleep behaviors and quality, state their chronotype and rate their academic demands and stress levels, as well as the amount of their caffeine consumption and social media usage throughout the day.

FINDINGS

Evening- and morning-type students showed similar stress levels and academic demands, but evening chronotypes showed significantly worse sleep quality and duration. Evening types are disadvantaged when they have to wake up early for class or work.

The college students who identified as evening-types had several behaviors that are known to delay bedtimes, shorten sleep duration and worsen sleep quality. They used social media for 40 minutes while in bed, consumed caffeine later in the day and napped more than morning-types, which resulted in less night-time sleeping, worse sleep quality and greater sleepiness while in class. 

As the semester progressed, some students reported a switch in chronotype. This chrono-switching was linked to changes in behavior, which resulted in improved sleep health, less sleepiness and higher semester GPAs.

ACTIONS

“Engaging in healthier daytime behaviors can lead to better sleep that then feeds back into better daytime life,” Scullin said. “When your daytime life is better, you can often get to bed and fall asleep earlier, enjoy better sleep quality and get into a good cycle.”

Students who switched from evening- to morning-types or who had stayed morning-types showed significantly better semester GPAs than students who stayed evening-types or switched from morning-to-evening types. They also reported consuming less caffeine after 5 p.m. and showed significantly better sleep quantity and quality.

Barley said some simple changes can improve sleep quality.

• Avoid electronics near bedtime.
• Avoid caffeine and other stimulants at least six hours before bedtime.
• Avoid long daytime naps.
• Avoid exercising in the evenings.

Scullin emphasized that chronotype malleability is a new idea, and that not all night owls should try to become morning larks or vice versa. The focus for each individual should be on getting the quality sleep they need to be healthy and productive.

This study was supported by the National Science Foundation [1920730 and 1943323].

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Michael K. Scullin’s research investigates how sleep physiology impacts memory, cognition and health. He also is interested in how we use memory to fulfill our daily intentions (a special kind of memory called “prospective" memory), including whether reminder apps and other technological solutions can reduce prospective memory difficulties in older age and the early states of Alzheimer's disease. He completed his doctorate in the Behavior, Brain and Cognition program at Washington University in St. Louis and then a post-doctoral fellowship in the Neurology and Sleep Medicine program at Emory University School of Medicine. He is involved in service committees for the Sleep Research Society, i serves as a columnist for Teaching Current Directions in Psychological Science at APS and co-founded the APA journal Translational Issues in Psychological Science.

Blake Barley is a graduate student at Baylor University working with Dr. Scullin in the Sleep Neuroscience and Cognition Lab. His research interests include examining the impact of sleep on cognitive processes like learning, memory and creativity. He also is interested in studying the impact of poor sleep behaviors on cognitive and academic outcomes. Barley said studying sleep and these various factors can lead to the development of better interventions to not only help people learn more about why sleep is important, but also lead to lasting improvements in their sleep health and behaviors.

In addition to Scullin and Barley, the research team includes Chenlu Gao, Tayler Luster, Abbye Porro, Mojgan Parizi-Robinson, Dena Quigley and Paul Zinke.

ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked Research 1 institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 20,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 100 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions. 

ABOUT THE COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES AT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

The College of Arts & Sciences is Baylor University’s largest academic division, consisting of 25 academic departments in the sciences, humanities, fine arts and social sciences, as well as 11 academic centers and institutes. The more than 5,000 courses taught in the College span topics from art and theatre to religion, philosophy, sociology and the natural sciences. The College’s undergraduate Unified Core Curriculum, which routinely receives top grades in national assessments, emphasizes a liberal education characterized by critical thinking, communication, civic engagement and Christian commitment. Arts & Sciences faculty conduct research around the world, and research on the undergraduate and graduate level is prevalent throughout all disciplines. Visit the College of Arts & Sciences website.

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JOURNAL

Chronobiology International

DOI

10.1080/07420528.2023.2203251 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Data/statistical analysis

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

People

ARTICLE TITLE

Chronotype in college science students is associated with behavioral choices and can fluctuate across a semester

Treatment naïve transgender youth exhibit unhealthy lifestyle behaviours that may have gender-specific effects on body weight

Study finds over three-quarters of transgender and gender diverse (TGD) youth who have not had gender-affirming therapies report avoiding physical activity, almost two-thirds eat an unhealthily diet, and around half report not getting enough sleep.

Reports and Proceedings

EUROPEAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE STUDY OF OBESITY

New research being presented at this year’s European Congress on Obesity (ECO) in Dublin, Ireland (17-20 May) suggests that transgender and gender diverse (TGD) young people who have not had gender-affirming hormone therapies often lead unhealthy lifestyles that may result in gender-specific changes in body weight and composition.

The study by Ophir Borger, clinical dietician and Professor Yael Lebenthal, Director of the Paediatric Endocrinology and Metabolic Disease Unit at Dana-Dwek Children’s Hospital in Tel Aviv, Israel and colleagues, highlights the need for individualised medical and nutrition interventions in this unique group of individuals to protect their long-term metabolic and cardiovascular health.

“We hope this research creates awareness about the challenges gender diverse young people face, and how this may affect their lifestyle choices and in turn their weight status and future health,” says Professor Lebenthal. “We hope our findings can help individuals, families and health care providers better understand and make a tangible difference to their health and wellbeing.”

Research suggests that TGD adolescents are at a greater risk for overweight and obesity than their peers in the general population. Current guidelines for the diagnosis and management of gender diverse children and youth focus on mental health and medical interventions, but provide little information on lifestyle habits, body composition, and cardiometabolic risk factors of this unique population.

Research has consistently shown that sexual minorities often exhibit unfavorable lifestyle habits, including an unhealthy diet, lower physical activity, inadequate sleep, and high use of prescribed medications for associated conditions, all of which may contribute to an unhealthy metabolic profile [1].

To find out more about lifestyle habits and weight status in treatment-naïve TGD children and adolescents, researchers recruited 153 TGD young people (average age 16 years; 94 TGD males [61%] designated female at birth) who attended the national referral gender clinic in Tel Aviv between January 2021 and December 2022. These young people are all in the initial stages of their transitioning journey – none have had gender reassignment surgery (which normally would not take place until at least age 18 years) or begun any kind of gender affirming treatment. Such therapy would only be prescribed after a comprehensive multidisciplinary assessment and consultation process. The young people in this study report gender incongruence (gender identity that is not aligned with the sex designated at birth) and decided to consult the National Children and Adolescents Gender Clinic.

All participants completed comprehensive interviews about their lifestyle habits, and researchers measured body composition and BMI according to designated sex at birth and age using US CDC growth charts.

The analysis also examined whether participants met healthy lifestyle recommendations to undertake at least 60 minutes of exercise every day [2]; eat a healthy diet low in processed food and sugary drinks and high in fibre [3], and to get adequate sleep for their age [4].

The study found that nearly two-thirds (64%) of the cohort reported eating an unhealthy diet, over three-quarters (78%) did not take part in physical activity, and half (49%) reported inadequate sleep.

The research team also found that 21 (36%) of TGD females and 29 (31%) of TGD males did not meet any of the three lifestyle recommendations. Worse still, only 16 (11%) of the TGD youth in the cohort [5 TGD females and 11 TGD males] met all three recommendations.

Interestingly, TGD males were twice as likely to be living with overweight, obesity, or severe obesity than TGD females (39% vs 20%); and TGD females were three times more likely to be underweight (15% vs 4%).

In addition, compared to TGD females, TGD males had much higher average BMI z-scores (a measure of body weight based on height for each age group by gender; 0.62 vs -0.25) and lower median muscle-to-fat ratio z-scores (low MFR z-score can predict cardiovascular risk factors; -0.86 vs -0.31).

“Our findings underscore the need for comprehensive metabolic evaluation and tailored interventions for this unique group of individuals. Further studies are needed to determine the most beneficial programme to promote future positive health outcomes,” says Professor Lebenthal.
 

For interviews with article author Professor Yael Lebenthal, Dana-Dwek Children’s Hospital, Tel Aviv, Israel please contact E) yaelleb@tlvmc.gov.il  T) +972-54-4642167

Alternative contact in the ECO Press Room: Tony Kirby T) + 44(0)7834 385827 E) tony@tonykirby.com

Notes to editors:

[1] Diet and Physical Activity Behaviors Among Adolescent Transgender Students: School Survey Results - Journal of Adolescent Health (jahonline.org);  Sleep Deprivation and Chronic Health Conditions Among Sexual Minority Adults: Behavioral Sleep Medicine: Vol 17, No 3 (tandfonline.com);  Weight Status, Medication Use, and Recreational Activities of Treatment-Naïve Transgender Youth (liebertpub.com)
[2] Physical activity level categorised by WHO recommendations:
Children and adolescents aged 5–18 years: at least an average of 60 minutes per day of moderate-to vigorous-intensity, mostly aerobic, physical activity, across the week.
[3] Nutritional intake (by registered dietician) – Favourable: low consumption of sweetened beverages/fast foods/saturated fats/processed food/red meat; high in dietary fibre. Unfavourable: High consumption of sweetened beverages/fast foods/saturated fats/processed food/red meat; low in dietary fibre.
[4] AAP and AASM sleep recommendations: those aged 6–12 years should get 9–12 hours of sleep per 24 hours; and 13–18-year-olds should get 8–10 hours per 24 hours.

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

This press release is based on oral presentation AD06.03 at the European Congress on Obesity (ECO). All accepted abstracts have been extensively peer reviewed by the congress selection committee. There is no full paper at this stage, but the authors are happy to answer your questions. The research has not yet been submitted to a medical journal for publication. As it is an oral presentation, there is no poster.

Professor Lebanthal will present this study at an embargoed press conference at 1200H Noon Dublin Time on Weds 17 May. An audio of the embargoed press conference plus a link to the slide presentation will be circulated after the press conference.

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ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

17-May-2023

Nearly half of adolescents using semaglutide in trial dropped below the clinical cut-off for obesity

Peer-Reviewed Publication

THE OBESITY SOCIETY

DUBLIN—A new secondary analysis of the STEP TEENS trial presented at this year’s European Congress on Obesity (ECO 2023, Dublin 17-20 May) and published in the journal Obesity shows that almost half (45%) of the adolescents assigned to semaglutide in the trial managed to lose enough weight to drop below the clinical cutoff for obesity.

The study, led by Aaron S. Kelly, PhD, co-director of the Center for Pediatric Obesity Medicine at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, and colleagues, also showed almost three quarters (74%) moved down by at least one weight category.

The full STEP TEENS trial, published in 2022 in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), showed the efficacy of semaglutide in helping adolescents lose weight. In this secondary analysis of the STEP TEENS trial, the authors examined the effect of semaglutide treatment on improvement in body mass index (BMI) categories.

Adolescents aged 12 to under 18 years with BMI in the highest 5% were included in this analysis. Participants were randomized 2:1 to once-weekly subcutaneous semaglutide 2.4 mg (n=134) or placebo (n=67) for 68 weeks; both groups received matching lifestyle counseling. The proportion of participants who achieved an improvement in BMI category from baseline to week 68 was assessed using on-treatment data.

BMI categories, based on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention BMI charts, were: normal weight (BMI ≥5th to <85th percentile); overweight (BMI ≥85th to <95th percentile); and obesity class I (OCI; BMI ≥95th percentile). Severe obesity class II (OCII) and class III (OCIII) are based on a percentage above the 95th percentile cutoff for obesity – OCII is defined as ≥20% above this cutoff and OCIII is defined as ≥40% above this cutoff. 

Of 201 adolescents randomized, 62 (31%), 69 (34%) and 69 (34%) were in OCIII, OCII and OCI, respectively; only one participant (0.5%) had overweight and was excluded from this secondary analysis. At randomization, mean body weight was 107.5 kg and mean BMI was 37.0 kg/m2  (OCII).

At week 68, 74% of participants on semaglutide had an improvement of one or more BMI categories versus 19% on placebo. An improvement of ≥2 BMI categories occurred in 45% of participants treated with semaglutide versus 3% with placebo. Overall, treatment with semaglutide reduced the proportion of participants with the most severe degree of obesity (OCIII) from 37% to 14% after 68 weeks.

By week 68, a total of 45% participants in the semaglutide arm experienced a reduction in BMI below the clinical cutoff point for obesity (i.e., reached normal weight or overweight) versus 12% of participants in the placebo arm.

The authors concluded, “Once-weekly semaglutide was associated with clinically meaningful improvements in BMI categories versus PBO across all BMI classes in adolescents with obesity.”

“These results underscore the high degree of clinical effectiveness of semaglutide in adolescents with obesity,” said Kelly. “In a practical sense, we see that semaglutide reduced weight to a level below what is defined as clinical obesity in nearly 50% of the teens in our trial, which is historically unprecedented with treatments other than bariatric surgery.” 

Aaron S. Kelly, PhD, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis. Please e-mail to arrange an interview. kelly105@umn.edu Twitter: @AaronKelly_PhD

Note to Editors:

Kelly will present this study at an embargoed press conference at 1200H Noon Dublin Time on Wednesday, May 17, 2023. An audio of the embargoed press conference plus a link to the slide presentation will be circulated after the press conference.

This press release is based on oral presentation AD06.04 at the European Congress on Obesity, and the study will be published at the above embargo time in the journal Obesity. The material has also been peer reviewed by the congress selection committee.

For a link to full embargoed paper (including all conflict of interest disclosures), click here

For a post-embargo paper link to use in your stories, click here  

For STEP TEENS trial published in NEJM in 2022, click here

#  #  #

The Obesity Society (TOS) is the leading organization of scientists and health professionals devoted to understanding and reversing the epidemic of obesity and its adverse health, economic and societal effects. Combining the perspective of researchers, clinicians, policymakers and patients, TOS promotes innovative research, education and evidence-based clinical care to improve the health and well-being of all people with obesity. For more information, visit www.obesity.org.

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JOURNAL

Obesity

Women and non-white groups still missing out on top US research prize

Among Lasker award winners of last 70 years, only 8% have been women and only 4% have been non-white individuals; Researchers call for more transparency around the entire awards process

BMJ

The number of women and non-white people in academic medicine and biomedical research continues to increase, yet the proportion of women among Lasker Award recipients has not changed in more than 70 years, finds a study published by The BMJ today.

And only one non-white woman was identified as having received a Lasker Award over the course of seven decades, the findings show.

The researchers say these results are difficult to reconcile given the ever increasing number of qualified scientists from diverse backgrounds, and they call for more transparency around the entire awards process to help address this issue.

The prestigious Lasker Awards, often referred to as “America's Nobels” have been awarded annually since 1945 to people who have made important contributions to, or public service on behalf of medicine.

Since 2014, the Lasker Foundation has publicly emphasised the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and advocated for women in science and medicine. Yet studies assessing the proportion of women among prestigious award recipients have shown that women are underrepresented among Nobel laureates and recipients of various international research awards.

To find out whether gender and racial inequities exist among Lasker Award recipients, a team of US researchers examined inequities in the gender and ethnic group of Lasker Award winners from 1946 to 2022.

They found that, among 397 Lasker Award recipients since 1946, 92.2% (366 of 397) were men and 7.8% (31 of 397) were women. Most award recipients were categorised as white (95.7%, 380 of 397) while 4.3% (17 of 397) were categorised as non-white.

They also found that the proportion of women receiving an award did not change significantly between the first and the last decade (15.6% in 2013-22 compared with 12.9% in 1946-55).

And since 2014, when the first diversity, equity, and inclusion initiative was published by the Lasker Foundation, more men (86.8%) than women (13.2%) have received an award, and most award recipients have been white (94.7%).

The researchers also point out that time from receiving a terminal degree (the highest degree available in any academic discipline) to winning a Lasker Award does not appear to fully account for these inequities.

The average time from terminal degree to Lasker Award receipt is 30 years, they explain. Yet from 2019 to 2022, women have comprised a smaller proportion of basic and clinical research award recipients (7.1%) than would be expected based on the proportion earning life science doctoral degrees 30 years previously in 1989 (38.1%).

This is an observational study so can’t establish cause and the researchers point to several limitations, such as possible misclassification of personal characteristics and challenges in identifying the population from which award recipients are selected. 

Nevertheless, they say these findings “establish the need for further investigation of possible factors that could hinder women and non-white people from entering the pool of eligible award recipients.” 

They also show that simply publicising commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives does not necessarily guarantee change or equitable practice, they add.

This study illustrates deep and persistent problems in academia that extend beyond prestigious awards to inequity in salaries, recognition, and academic promotion in higher education institutions, argue BMJ editors Elizabeth Loder and Nazrul Islam, in a linked editorial.

Drawing on their own experiences and observations of these problems in their academic careers, they explain that the causes of inequity are complex and multidimensional and must be addressed through the creation of safe and inclusive environments, accessible and appropriate mentoring, and measures to improve our understanding of unconscious bias, systemic racism, and homophily (greater attraction for “people like us”).

And they urge awarding authorities to make data on nominations and the composition of selection committees publicly available in a timely manner for independent review and scrutiny.

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DOI

10.1136/bmj-2023-074968 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Observational study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

People

ARTICLE TITLE

Women and non-white people among Lasker Award recipients from 1946 to 2022: cross sectional study

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

17-May-2023

COI STATEMENT

All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form at https://www.icmje.org/disclosure-of-interest/ and declare: no support from any organization for the submitted work; no financial relationships with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work in the previous three years; no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work.

Prostate cancer ‘test by request’ policies drive overdiagnosis and inequity with minimal benefit, argue experts

Peer-Reviewed Publication

BMJ

Most high income countries, including the UK, do not have a national prostate cancer screening programme, but instead allow men without symptoms to get a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test if they wish, after talking to their doctor.

But experts writing in The BMJ today argue that these shared decision policies have led to high rates of PSA testing and clear medical harm, with minimal benefit and inequity.

Andrew Vickers and an international group of colleagues argue that high income countries should either implement a comprehensive risk based approach to PSA testing - designed to reduce overdiagnosis and overtreatment - or discourage PSA testing through a clear recommendation against screening, along with policies that make it hard to obtain a test without specific symptoms.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men, and the third leading cause of cancer death in men in Europe. 

But it’s still not clear whether the benefits of PSA screening, as currently practiced, outweigh the harms of overdiagnosis and overtreatment - when low risk tumours that would never cause symptoms or shorten life are detected and treated unnecessarily.

In the UK, for example, it is estimated that about 10,000 men are overdiagnosed with prostate cancer every year, exposing them to potential side effects of treatment without receiving any benefit.

Given this uncertainty, almost all high income countries have opted for PSA testing based on shared decision making.

But the authors argue that relying on shared decision making to guide PSA testing has led to high rates of PSA testing particularly in older men, who are most likely to be harmed by screening and least likely to benefit. The shared decision making approach also reflects and reproduces health inequities. For example, in Canada and the US, PSA testing is less common in people from ethnic minorities, while in the UK and Switzerland, rates of PSA testing are lower in economically deprived areas.

In contrast, they say implementing a comprehensive, risk based prostate cancer early detection programme that carefully manages not just testing, but also biopsy and subsequent treatment, could substantially reduce the harms of overdiagnosis and overtreatment that have accompanied PSA-based screening.

Alternatively, they suggest restricting PSA testing to men with symptoms, with possible exceptions for a small number of men at high risk, but they acknowledge that such policies are largely untested and would require further research.

“Although we believe that early detection of prostate cancer should involve shared decision making, the current approach of determining testing by shared decision making has resulted in the worst possible practical outcome of high levels of PSA testing and medical harm, with minimal benefit and inequity,” they write.

“To make better use of PSA testing, policy makers should choose between a comprehensive, risk adapted approach that is specifically designed to reduce overdiagnosis and overtreatment, or restricting PSA testing to people referred to urologists with symptoms,” they explain.

“That choice will need to take into account wider patient and public perspective, as well as health economic concerns,” they conclude.

Is the UK really ready to roll out prostate cancer screening, asks a linked feature? It describes how proponents and positive news coverage suggest a national programme is “in pipeline” – but finds uncertainty, controversy, and a need for more evidence.

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JOURNAL

The BMJ

DOI

10.1136/bmj-2022-071082 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Data/statistical analysis

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

People

ARTICLE TITLE

Analysis: Current policies on early detection of prostate cancer create overdiagnosis and inequity with minimal benefit

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

17-May-2023

COI STATEMENT

WehavereadandunderstoodBMJpolicyondeclarationofinterestsanddeclare thefollowing:AVisaco-inventorofthe4kscore,acommercialtestforpredictingprostatebiopsy outcome.Hereceivesroyaltiesfromsalesofthetest.HeownsstockoptionsinOpko,whichoffersthe test.JChasreceivedreimbursementforconsultancyfromAstraZeneca,Ferring,Roche,andJanssen; speakerfeesfromBMS,MSD,Janssen,Astellas,NucleixandRoche;honorariaformembershipof advisoryboardsforFerring,Roche,Gilead,Photocure,BMS,QEDtherapeuticsandJanssen;andresearch fundingfromRoche.

PRISONER RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS

New analysis of prisoner healthcare highlights risks to patient safety

SAGE

Substantive changes are needed to improve patient safety in prisons, according to a new study published by the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine (JRSM) and funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Practical changes such as timely access to healthcare services and better processes to mitigate medication-related harm should be prioritised, according to the researchers.

In the first nationwide analysis of patient safety incidents in prisons in England, researchers found that security, staffing constraints and the high turnover of prisoners are among the main barriers to the safe delivery of healthcare in prisons. They made several recommendations for how prison and healthcare leaders can work together in the interests of better coordinated and safer care.

The authors, from Cardiff University, the University of Manchester and the University of Nottingham, reviewed more than 4,000 reports from prisons across a whole year, where a patient could have, or did, come to harm.

A third of cases were related to medication – for example, patients missing doses of prescribed medication or given the wrong treatment. Staff mistakes, such as mixing up similar patient names, were the most common reasons cited, and over 20% of medication-related reports were discovered and mitigated by staff, preventing any harm to patients.

In three out of 20 reports, prisoners were delayed in accessing or unable to access healthcare, including appointments at external hospitals. Security barriers, such as when prison wings are on lockdown, and lack of staff were the biggest causes identified by the researchers, with changes to escalation policies required to prevent this and more support needed for prisons to maintain safe staffing levels.

They noted that prisoners use healthcare services three times more frequently than the general population, with poorer health outcomes. “Healthcare priorities are often overshadowed by a prison’s main objective of securing detained individuals,” the authors wrote. The risk of this is that the healthcare and criminal justice systems are out-of-sync to “adequately consider prisoner needs and responsibility of care”.

The researchers suggested that reviewing staff rotas, improving training and rethinking prison layouts could help improve access to in-house care. For external hospital appointments, they recommended revised escalation policies and plans to ensure staff escorts are put in place, and increased use of remote appointments and ‘in-reach’ clinics. Standard handover practices, policies to ensure the safe transfer of medication and prescription information, and appropriate discharge planning could help to ensure continuity of care when people transfer in or out of a prison.

The study was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Policy Research Programme (PR-R20-0318-21001). The views expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care.

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JOURNAL

Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine

DOI

10.1177/01410768231166138 

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

People

ARTICLE TITLE

Patient safety in prisons: a multi-method analysis of reported incidents in England

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

18-May-2023

Hamilton inmate behind growing hunger strike says 'broken system' to blame for poor jail conditions

Story by Bobby Hristova • CBC

 Apr 20, 2023

The inmate who started a hunger strike at Hamilton's Barton Street jail this week said staffing issues and a broken system are behind deteriorating conditions at the detention centre.

"It's sickening ... lives are at stake," Jesse Bull told CBC Hamilton in a phone interview Thursday.

The strike started Wednesday morning amid what inmates say are constant lockdowns, a lack of outdoor time and the fear they may lose access to specialty TV channels.

The maximum-security jail's official name is the Hamilton-Wentworth Detention Centre.

Cedar Hopperton, a volunteer with the Barton Prisoner Solidarity Project, said Thursday the number of inmates striking is now roughly 180.

 
'No extra guards at all:' inmate

Bull said that in the last two months, he's only been able to access the yard and breathe fresh air once, due to a lack of staff.

"If one guard doesn't show up that day for work ... we get no yard," he said.

"There are no extra guards at all."

Andrew Morrison, a spokesperson for the Ontario Ministry of the Solicitor General, told CBC Hamilton that a maintenance project in the yard limited time outside, but a "regular yard schedule" has resumed.

However, Bull said, outdoor time was an issue even before the construction work began.

Bull said lockdowns are another issue. He said they result in three people being held together in a cell, despite there only being enough room for one.

Hopperton previously said some lockdowns have lasted three days.

While in lockdown, inmates aren't given access to hot water or jugs to urinate in either, according to Bull.

"Whenever we get locked down, it's just a staffing issue ... it's not because we're fighting or drinking," he said.

"To be three in a cell, eating where you use the bathroom, being locked down in a hot cell in the middle of summer — no."

Morrison said there were lockdowns at the jail over the past week, but he did not confirm their length of time or whether they have become more frequent.

He said lockdowns are done for multiple reasons, including security incidents, searches, infectious disease control, staff absences, maintenance and other issues.

"Where possible, partial lockdowns are always preferred to continue visitations, showers and inmate programs," the Ministry of the Solicitor General spokesperson said.

Inmate blames system, not staff

Access to mail has also been an issue, and administration is restricting who inmates can write to, according to Bull.

"It's against our rights," said Bull, adding he has been in jail for 20 months for drug-related charges.

He said he was told that administration would look into those issues.

Morrison said inmate mail is "routinely screened for security purposes" and delivered to inmates after clearing security protocols.

Bull said that during his time in jail, he's only been able to exchange his blanket to be cleaned only and gets new sheets once a month if he's lucky.

He said the workers themselves aren't at fault. In fact, Bull said, they're "great." Instead, he blames the broader system.

"There are solutions to this and everybody just doesn't give a f--k," Bull said.

"I just feel like this is one of those situations that will never get solved ... it's a broken system."

Morrison said ministry staff work hard daily to provide care to the inmates.

"The ministry has confidence in the staff and management at the Hamilton-Wentworth Detention Centre to continue to provide support and secure custody to inmates during their incarceration."



An inmate says staffing is causing issues at the jail.

© Adam Carter/CBC

Bull also said he has a message for people who say the inmates deserve to stay in deteriorating conditions — don't make snap judgments about prisoners.

"There are so many guys in here that have so much talent, who are highly intelligent, artistic, who have families and jobs and made a wrong turn somewhere," he said.

"People are forgetting humanity ... I really feel with every fibre in my being this needs to be taken care of at a higher level than just jail administration ... we're people too."

Accelerated Christian Education textbooks used in UK schools deny human-caused climate change

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON

UCL Press Release
Thursday 18th May,

Peer reviewed | Literature review | People

One of the world’s largest fundamentalist Christian education groups is teaching its students climate change denial as fact, and still presents the theory of evolution as an ‘absurd and discredited’ conspiracy theory, finds a report by UCL researchers.

Accelerated Christian Education (ACE) is one of the world’s biggest providers of creationist science materials, consisting of reading programmes and a core curriculum, for thousands of affiliated schools worldwide, including dozens across the UK and Europe.

There are currently 11 schools in England and Northern Ireland officially affiliated with ACE, although experts expect there to be many more as the schools are notoriously isolationist, conservative and don’t advertise themselves widely.

In the report, published in Cultural Studies of Science Education, researchers found that its latest edition, which has been released to year groups from Key stages 1 to 3 gradually over the last few years, now claims to show ‘evidence’ that human-caused climate change is not real and still presents evolution as a conspiracy theory. This is despite claims by the curriculum’s developers that its materials allow students to make up their own minds about evolution.

The addition of climate change denial as a proof point for creationism follows on from previous editions which claimed the existence of a ‘vapour canopy’ that surrounded Earth until it burst, causing Noah’s flood. Although the most recent edition doesn’t include this and the claim has largely been dropped by the group, space within the material previously given over to the theory now covers climate change, specifically to deny a human link between rising temperatures and to reassure students of God’s plan in preparing a new heaven and Earth with a better climate.

Lead author Dr Jenna Scaramanga (IOE, UCL's Faculty of Education and Society) said: “It is worrying that the most recent edition of this material not only still promotes creationism as a valid scientific theory, but adds climate change denial to its increasingly anti-science agenda. Students studying at ACE schools or using ACE materials move into mainstream further or higher education ill-equipped to study advanced science or to make informed judgements about scientific discoveries.

“Presenting creationism and evolution in this way is a conspiracy theory, as the providers and teachers argue that mainstream scientists are colluding to promote false ideas. Teaching children in this way means they are more likely to easily accept and believe other conspiracy theories.”

The authors found through analysing the third and fourth editions of the material that younger primary / elementary school children are not exposed to any ideas contrary to ACE’s literal interpretation of the Bible until Year 9, or the eighth grade in the US, around age 13. Researchers say this is contrary to Ofsted education guidance, which stipulates that primary school children must be exposed to a broad and balanced science education.

The fourth edition of ACE’s material was first released for the youngest age group, five- to six-year-olds, in 2009, with subsequent grades following gradually. Material for 12- to 14-year-olds was released in 2016 and 2020 respectively.

Overall, the only substantial difference between the third and fourth editions were two new arguments, which have both been widely discredited by scientists. One is the claim of tiny amounts of polonium found in granite rocks as evidence that Earth formed instantaneously, while the other is that traces of blood vessels and soft tissue found in some dinosaur fossils prove they must have died comparatively recently, suggesting that Earth is a young planet.  

ACE has previously been criticised for relying on rote memorisation over other learning styles and presenting misleading or distorted information. The curriculum delivered within ACE schools regularly includes creationism within non-science lessons and depicts those who believe in evolution as making an immoral choice.

The material has also been previously criticised for supporting white supremacism and defending South African apartheid. In its first 20 years ACE was involved in over 150 lawsuits, mostly relating to accreditation, with subsequent court cases. The company believes that Christian schools should not be regulated, and schools using its curriculum have defended this belief through litigation.

Dr Scaramanga added: “Questions need to be asked about how these schools and those which rely heavily on ACE publications pass Ofsted checks when their curricula and materials clearly fail to provide a broad and balanced science education and fail in the requirement of teaching respect for different beliefs.”

Jenna Scaramanga, Michael Reiss ‘Evolutionary stasis: creationism, evolution and climate change in the Accelerated Christian Education curriculum’ will be published in Cultural Studies of Science Education 

The DOI for this paper will be 10.1007/s11422-023-10187-y  

Additional material

PDFs of educational material available here.

File 1108 includes some climate change denial content.

1096 is an excerpt from the fourth edition for 13-14 years, although students work through ACE material at their own speed so may be older / younger.

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JOURNAL

Cultural Studies of Science Education

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Literature review

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

People

ARTICLE TITLE

Evolutionary stasis: creationism, evolution and climate change in the Accelerated Christian Education curriculum

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

17-May-2023

GREAT BARRIER REEF GETS STD

Chlamydia-like bacteria discovered in Great Barrier Reef

UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE

New research, published in Sciences Advances, has discovered a Chlamydia-like bacteria in corals of the Great Barrier Reef that could help scientists understand the coral microbiome and its potential impact on coral reef health. Led by the University of Melbourne in collaboration with the Australian Institute of Marine Science (Townsville) and the University of Vienna, the research found two kinds of bacterial clusters inside the tissues of coral, including a close relative of the chlamydia-causing bacteria (Chlamydiales), and Endozoicomonas. The study, funded by an ARC Laureate Fellowship, adds another layer of complexity to the understanding of coral reef health. Lead researcher from the Faculty of Science at the University of Melbourne, Dr Justin Maire, said Chlamydiales – a bacterial order that contains the pathogens responsible for chlamydia infections in mammals – has never been described before in corals. “We worked with Chlamydiales specialists Dr Astrid Collingro and Professor Matthias Horn from the University of Vienna, and found that these bacteria steal nutrients and energy from their hosts to survive,” Dr Maire said. “The novel Chlamydiales exhibit many similarities with mammalian pathogens, but we are unsure if they are detrimental or beneficial to corals. There is a possibility that this bacterium gets nutrients and energy from other coral-associated bacteria, and for those of us working to understand coral biology, the possibility that the bacteria living inside coral tissues are interacting with each other is quite thrilling.” Senior author of the study, University of Melbourne Professor Madeleine van Oppen, said the other bacterium discovery, Endozoicomonas is known to be widespread in corals, and is generally considered beneficial due to its ability to produce B vitamins and antimicrobial compounds. “One of the focus areas in my lab is the development of bacterial probiotics for corals, helping to improve their resistance to thermal stress and survival rates caused by climate warming,” Professor van Oppen said. “We still know very little about the functions of coral-associated bacteria, and this new study will help us to figure out whether probiotics are a feasible solution and if bacteria such as Endozoicomonas are best placed to do the job.”

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JOURNAL

Science Advances

DOI

10.1126/sciadv.adg0773 

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Cells

ARTICLE TITLE

Colocalization and potential interactions of Endozoicomonas and chlamydiae in microbial aggregates of the coral Pocillopora acuta

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

17-May-2023

https://www.cdc.gov/std/chlamydia/stdfact-chlamydia-detailed.htm

Detailed STD Facts - Chlamydia 

Chlamydia is a common STD caused by infection with Chlamydia trachomatis. It can cause cervicitis, urethritis, and proctitis.