DORA
DORA (De Montfort Open Research Archive) is De Montfort University's research repository. It forms the primary public and institutional record of DMU research outputs. The breadth of research at DMU means that these outputs include articles, conference papers, books, book chapters, and other material available in a digital form. The record for each item contains descriptive information as well as, where possible, a version of the final research output. DORA also provides access to DMU PhD theses. This includes most PhD produced from 2009 onwards.
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Recent Submissions
Experiences of face mask use during the COVID‐19 pandemic: A qualitative study
(Wiley, 2022-08-30) Hanna, Esmee; Martin, Graham; Campbell, Anne; Connolly, Paris; Fearon, Kriss; Markham, Kriss
The use of face masks and coverings has been a central component of efforts to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and has been legally mandated in some countries. Most academic studies to date, however, have focussed primarily on its effectiveness in reducing SARS-CoV-2 transmission, largely neglecting the social dimensions of mask mandates. In this narrative interview-based study, we consider experiences of face masks, with a particular focus on groups considered to be at a potential disadvantage from compulsory masking. Drawing on 40 telephone, video-call and e-mail interviews, we highlight the impact of inconsistent communication and the notion of mask wearing as an act of altruism on participants’ experiences. In particular, we show how intolerance towards individuals who did not wear masks could result in stigma and exclusion, regardless of the legitimacy of their reasons. We suggest that more is needed to mitigate the ‘dark side’ of discourses of collective effort and altruism at a time of societal stress and fracture, and to account for the needs and interests of groups for whom compulsory masking may result in further marginalisation.
The impacts and implications of the community face mask use during the Covid‐19 pandemic: A qualitative narrative interview study
(Wiley, 2023-03-21) Hanna, Esmee; Martin, Graham; Campbell, Anne; Connolly, Paris; Fearon, Kristine
Introduction
A range of nonpharmaceutical public health interventions has been introduced in many countries following the rapid spread of Covid-19 since 2020, including recommendations or mandates for the use of face masks or coverings in the community. While the effectiveness of face masks in reducing Covid-19 transmission has been extensively discussed, scant attention has been paid to the lived experience of those wearing face masks.
Method
Drawing on 40 narrative interviews with a purposive sample of people in the United Kingdom, with a particular focus on marginalised and minoritized groups, our paper explores experiences of face mask use during the pandemic.
Results
We find that face masks have a range of societal, health and safety impacts, and prompted positive and negative emotional responses for users. We map our findings onto Lorenc and Oliver's framework for intervention risks. We suggest that qualitative data offer particular insights into the experiences of public health interventions, allowing the potential downsides and risks of interventions to be more fully considered and informing public health policies that might avoid inadvertent harm, particularly towards marginalised groups.
Patient or Public Contribution
The study primarily involved members of the public in the conduct of the research, namely through participation in interviews (email and telephone). The conception for the study involved extensive discussions on social media with a range of people, and we received input and ideas from presentations we delivered on the preliminary analysis.
How people update their beliefs about climate change: An experimental investigation of the optimistic update bias and how to reduce it
(Wiley, 2023-08-16) Kube, Tobias; Wullenkord, Marlis; Rozenkrantz, Liron; Kramer, Peter; Lieb, Sophia; Menzel, Claudia
People usually update their beliefs selectively in response to good news and disregard bad news. Here, we investigated in two preregistered experiments (N = 278 and N = 306) (1) whether such valence-dependent belief updating also underlies information processing in the context of climate change and (2) whether it can be altered by interventions informing about different aspects of climate change. To this end, we adapted a well-established belief update task to the context of climate change. In multiple trials, participants were asked about their beliefs about adverse consequences of climate change; subsequently, they were asked to update their beliefs in light of new information. Both studies provided evidence against the hypothesis that people integrate good news about climate change more than bad news. After half of the trials, participants were randomized to one of four video-based interventions, each of which aimed at promoting a more accurate risk perception and increasing pro-environmental intentions. After the interventions, participants showed a more accurate risk perception, and women rather than men increased their intentions for pro-environmental behavior. The results provide implications for climate change communication, as they show that when facing the consequences of climate change, people adjust their risk perception accurately and increase their pro-environmental intentions.
A retrospective propensity-score-matched cohort study of the impact of procalcitonin testing on antibiotic use in hospitalized patients during the first wave of COVID-19
(Oxford Academic, 2024-09-09) Sandoe, Jonathan; Grozeva, Deletina; Albur, Mahableshwar; Bond, Stuart E.; Brookes-Howell, Lucy; Dark, Paul; Euden, Joanne; Hamilton, Ryan A.; Hellyer, Thomas; Henley, Josie; Hopkins, Susan; Howard, Philip; Howdon, Daniel; Knox-Macaulay, Chikezie; Llewelyn, Martin; Maboshe, Wakunyambo; McCullagh, Iain; Ogden, Margaret; Parsons, Helena K; Partridge, David; Powell, Neil; Prestwich, Graham; Shaw, Dominick; Shinkins, Bethany; Szakmany, Tamas; Thomas-Jones, Emma; Todd, Stacy; West, Robert M; Carrol, Enitan D.; Pallmann, Philip
Background
Procalcitonin (PCT) is a blood marker used to help diagnose bacterial infections and guide antibiotic treatment. PCT testing was widely used/adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK.
Objectives
Primary: to measure the difference in length of early (during first 7 days) antibiotic prescribing between patients with COVID-19 who did/did not have baseline PCT testing during the first wave of the pandemic. Secondary: to measure differences in length of hospital/ICU stay, mortality, total days of antibiotic prescribing and resistant bacterial infections between these groups.
Methods
Multi-centre, retrospective, observational, cohort study using patient-level clinical data from acute hospital Trusts/Health Boards in England/Wales. Inclusion: patients ≥16 years, admitted to participating Trusts/Health Boards and with a confirmed positive COVID-19 test between 1 February 2020 and 30 June 2020.
Results
Data from 5960 patients were analysed: 1548 (26.0%) had a baseline PCT test and 4412 (74.0%) did not. Using propensity-score matching, baseline PCT testing was associated with an average reduction in early antibiotic prescribing of 0.43 days [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.22–0.64 days, P < 0.001) and of 0.72 days (95% CI: 0.06–1.38 days, P = 0.03] in total antibiotic prescribing. Baseline PCT testing was not associated with increased mortality or hospital/ICU length of stay or with the rate of antimicrobial-resistant secondary bacterial infections.
Conclusions
Baseline PCT testing appears to have been an effective antimicrobial stewardship tool early in the pandemic: it reduced antibiotic prescribing without evidence of harm. Our study highlights the need for embedded, rapid evaluations of infection diagnostics in the National Health Service so that even in challenging circumstances, introduction into clinical practice is supported by evidence for clinical utility.
The Birds That Wouldn't Sing
(Open Book Publishers, 2024-12-15) Smith, Justin
This compelling book offers a unique perspective on D-Day and its aftermath through the personal testimonies of the Wrens who worked for Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsay during Operation Overlord. Drawing on public and private archives, it reveals the untold stories of the women serving in the Women’s Royal Naval Service (WRNS), balancing their wartime contributions with the strictures of secrecy and censorship. The narrative is framed by letters from these Wrens, which provide intimate glimpses into both the personal and professional challenges they faced during World War II.
The book captures the atmosphere of war as experienced by British auxiliaries. It highlights the Wrens' vital but often overlooked role in the D-Day planning effort and beyond, revealing the surreal coexistence of the ordinary and extraordinary in wartime. Focusing in particular on the wartime archive of one of the Wrens, Joan Prior, the author brings to life the contribution of these women to the war effort, while also offering insights into British, French, and German morale and culture. This thoughtful and moving account adds depth to the broader historical narrative of World War II, making it a valuable addition for both the general reader and the professional historian.