The aims of this project were to establish whether Talking Mats, a low tech communication framework, helps people with dementia to communicate and to examine how effective the Talking Mats framework is for people at different stages of dementia. Thirty‐one people at three stages of dementia were interviewed about their well‐being under three interview conditions ‐ an unstructured (ordinary) conversation, a structured conversation and using the Talking Mats framework.The results indicated that conversations using the Talking Mats framework improved communication for people at all stages of dementia but that not all people at late‐stage dementia could use the Talking Mats framework effectively.The researchers concluded that the Talking Mats framework may therefore play an important role in improving quality of care by providing a simple, low‐cost tool that family and staff can use to engage with people with dementia and help them express their views about a range of topics.

BackgroundRegular physical activity (PA) can be beneficial to pregnant women, however, many women do not adhere to current PA guidelines during the antenatal period. Patient and public involvement is essential when designing antenatal PA interventions in order to uncover the reasons for non-adherence and non-engagement with the behaviour, as well as determining what type of intervention would be acceptable. The aim of this research was to explore women’s experiences of PA during a recent pregnancy, understand the barriers and determinants of antenatal PA and explore the acceptability of antenatal walking groups for further development.MethodsSeven focus groups were undertaken with women who had given birth within the past five years. Focus groups were transcribed and analysed using a grounded theory approach. Relevant and related behaviour change techniques (BCTs), which could be applied to future interventions, were identified using the BCT taxonomy.ResultsWomen’s opinions and experiences of PA during pregnancy were categorised into biological/physical (including tiredness and morning sickness), psychological (fear of harm to baby and self-confidence) and social/environmental issues (including access to facilities). Although antenatal walking groups did not appear popular, women identified some factors which could encourage attendance (e.g. childcare provision) and some which could discourage attendance (e.g. walking being boring). It was clear that the personality of the walk leader would be extremely important in encouraging women to join a walking group and keep attending. Behaviour change technique categories identified as potential intervention components included social support and comparison of outcomes (e.g. considering pros and cons of behaviour).ConclusionsWomen’s experiences and views provided a range of considerations for future intervention development, including provision of childcare, involvement of a fun and engaging leader and a range of activities rather than just walking. These experiences and views relate closely to the Health Action Process Model which, along with BCTs, could be used to develop future interventions. The findings of this study emphasise the importance of involving the target population in intervention development and present the theoretical foundation for building an antenatal PA intervention to encourage women to be physically active throughout their pregnancies.

Amidst public health campaigns urging people to sit less as well as being more physically active, this paper investigates how older adults make sense of their sedentary behaviour. Using an accounts framework focusing on how people rationalise their sitting practices, we analysed data from 44 qualitative interviews with older adults. All interviewees had received information about sedentary behaviour and health, visual feedback on their own objectively measured sitting over a week and guidance on sitting less. Participants used accounts to position sitting as a moral practice, distinguishing between ‘good’ (active/‘busy’) and ‘bad’ (passive/‘not busy’) sitting. This allowed them to align themselves with acceptable (worthwhile) forms of sitting and distance themselves from other people whose sitting they viewed as less worthwhile. However, some participants also described needing to sit more as they got older. The findings suggest that some public health messaging may lead to stigmatisation around sitting. Future sedentary behaviour guidelines and public health campaigns should consider more relatable guidelines that consider the lived realities of ageing, and the individual and social factors that shape them. They should advocate finding a balance between sitting and moving that is appropriate for each person.

Compared to control, the injected placebo improved 3-km race time by 1.2%. This change is of clear sporting relevance but is smaller than the performance improvement elicited by recombinant human erythropoietin administration. Qualitative data suggest that placebo may have improved performance by both reducing perception of effort and increasing potential motivation, in accord with the psychobiological model for exercise performance, and that cognitive and noncognitive processes appear to have influenced placebo response.

Enabling people with dementia to continue to communicate their views, needs and preferences as their condition progresses is essential for development of person‐centred services and care facilities. This paper describes part of a 15‐month research project funded by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. It examined the effectiveness of Talking Mats, a low‐technology communication tool, to help people with dementia express their opinions, in comparison with usual communication methods. The study involved 31 people at different stages of dementia who were interviewed about their well‐being under three conditions: unstructured (ordinary) conversation, structured conversation and Talking Mats conversation. The study found that Talking Mats can improve the communication ability of many people at all stages of dementia in expressing their views about their well‐being.