Titel Promotor Affiliaties "Korte inhoud" "International epidemiology, biostatistics and qualitative research models (I-EBQ)." "Jean-Pierre Van geertruyden" "Instituut voor Globale Gezondheid (GHI)" "Deze cursus biedt een grondige opleiding van 6 weken over de basisprincipes en methodes van epidemiologie. Een grondige studie van de medische statistiek met aangepaste statistische methodes zal geïntegreerd worden met de belangrijkste epidemiologische inhoud. Basisprincipes van kwalitatieve methoden zullen worden uitgelegd. Inleidende lezingen over systematische reviews, gezondheidseconomie en kosteneffectiviteit zijn geprogrammeerd. Gedurende de gehele cursus zal elke deelnemer de gelegenheid hebben om met zijn/haar eigen dataset te werken (of met die van de organisatoren indien niet beschikbaar) onder begeleiding van ervaren docenten. Elke deelnemer ontvangt een reader met het nodige didactische materiaal (handouts, power point slides, artikels, enz.). Het aanbieden van een diepgaande opleiding van zes weken in onderzoeksmethoden - over de basisbeginselen en -methoden van de epidemiologie. - Een diepgaande studie van de medische statistiek met passende statistische methoden geïntegreerd in de belangrijkste epidemiologische inhoud. - Basisbeginselen van kwalitatieve methoden - Inleidende colleges over systematische reviews, gezondheidseconomie en kosteneffectiviteit" "International epidemiology, biostatistics and qualitative research models (I-EBQ)" "Jean-Pierre Van geertruyden" "Laboratorium voor Medische Microbiologie (LMM), Eerstelijns - en interdisciplinaire zorg Antwerpen (ELIZA), Instituut voor Globale Gezondheid (GHI)" "Deze cursus biedt een grondige opleiding van 6 weken over de basisprincipes en methodes van epidemiologie. Een grondige studie van de medische statistiek met aangepaste statistische methodes zal geïntegreerd worden met de belangrijkste epidemiologische inhoud. Basisprincipes van kwalitatieve methoden zullen worden uitgelegd. Inleidende lezingen over systematische reviews, gezondheidseconomie en kosteneffectiviteit zijn geprogrammeerd. Gedurende de gehele cursus zal elke deelnemer de gelegenheid hebben om met zijn/haar eigen dataset te werken (of met die van de organisatoren indien niet beschikbaar) onder begeleiding van ervaren docenten. Elke deelnemer ontvangt een reader met het nodige didactische materiaal (handouts, power point slides, artikels, enz.). Het aanbieden van een diepgaande opleiding van zes weken in onderzoeksmethoden - over de basisbeginselen en -methoden van de epidemiologie. - Een diepgaande studie van de medische statistiek met passende statistische methoden geïntegreerd in de belangrijkste epidemiologische inhoud. - Basisbeginselen van kwalitatieve methoden - Inleidende colleges over systematische reviews, gezondheidseconomie en kosteneffectiviteit" "A quantitative and qualitative risk assessment of pig-related parasitic zoonoses in Burundi" "Jean Bosco Ntirandekura, Sarah Gabriël, Anastasie Gasogo, Chiara Trevisan, Koen Peeters" "Sociaalecologisch Gezondheidsonderzoek" "De ResQ methode: Een combinatie van 'realist synthesis' en 'qualitative comparative analysis' Ontwikkeling van een theorie omtrent prestatie-gebaseerde financiering." "Nathalie Holvoet" "Instituut voor Tropische Geneeskunde Antwerpen (ITG), University of Notre Dame, Ontwikkeling: processen, actoren en beleid" "De internationale donorgemeenschap heeft in de afgelopen twee decennia miljarden dollars geïnvesteerd in 'performance-based financing' (PBF). PBF is een financieringsmechanisme dat gezondheidswerkers en/of centra fondsen geeft op basis van hun prestaties gecombineerd met andere componenten zoals meer autonomie, meer supervisie, meer fondsen etc.. Doordat het in zeer verschillende contexten wordt geïmplementeerd en dit volgens zeer verschillende modaliteiten is het een uiterst complex onderzoeksthema waardoor we nog steeds niet weten hoe PBF exact werkt. Om hier achter te komen hebben we nood aan aangepaste methodologieën. In dit onderzoek ontwikkelen we een combinatie van twee zulke methodologieën: 'realist synthesis' (RS) en 'qualitative comparative analysis' (QCA). RS is een methode om een systematische literatuurstudie uit te voeren die specifiek gericht is op de mechanismes die in gang worden gezet door een bepaalde interventie. Deze methode focust niet enkel op de vraag of de interventie heeft gewerkt, maar kijkt vooral in welke context, voor wie en hoe de interventie werkt. QCA, vervolgens, is een techniek die steunt op 'fuzzy logica' om te onderzoeken welke condities voldoende en/of noodzakelijk zijn om tot een bepaalde uitkomst te komen. In dit geval het in gang zetten van een bepaald mechanisme. In dit onderzoek zullen we deze combinatie van methodologieën verder ontwikkelen en tegelijkertijd gebruiken om de mechanismes van PBF te onderzoeken en begrijpen." "Safe and qualitative dry aging of beef" "Jessica Devos" "Flanders' FOOD" "Dry aged beef is a high-quality and highly priced product with a strongly increasing production rate. This trend will be pushed forward by a change in consumer demand towards high-quality products. The meat and associated supply industry of which the majority is SME´s, will be supported by this proposal to address this demand and to take advantage of this.    - Due to this project the machine builders will gain more knowledge about the influence of production parameters on safety and quality of the end product and can therefore better advice there customers and set an efficient working regime for their dry aging chambers.  - The beef/meat producers can use the information, to optimize the production process to achieve a more economical process, or to start the production of dry aged beef or meat in general.   - Furthermore, this project will contribute to a better image for the whole meat industry, since a more tender meat product with an exclusive aroma can be produced if the dry aging process is applied correctly.This project aims at providing a comprehensive review of the dry aging process. Thereby, critical process conditions will be laid down within which it is possible to produce a safe, tasty and economical dry aged product.    - For this purpose, a variety of dry aging processes will be carried out by the participating partners. Within these experiments, the parameters of dry aging chambers (relative humidity, temperature), the duration of aging and choice of the raw materials (e.g. type of animal, fat cover) will be varied.  - In addition to the recording of all process parameters, microbiological and sensory monitoring of the meat during the dry aging process will be carried out. The likelihood of pathogens (Salmonella, Shigatoxin-producing E. coli (STEC) and Listeria monocytogenes) to survive and/or grow during the dry aging process and in consumer packaging will be determined for evaluating the safety of the process.  - Furthermore, for this purpose, the hygienic status of the dry aging chambers will be characterized. To get more profound insights on the impact of dry-aging on aroma formation potential, taste panel analyses will be supported by chemical- analytical measurements of meat composition and quality, and detailed GC-MS analyses of the aroma profile will be conducted.  - In addition to optimizing the process, further processing of crust is examined to improve the economics of the process.    The overall expected outcome of the present project is to provide the participating companies and the European food sector with data supporting the production of high-quality and safe dry aged meat products.  OPTIDRYBEEF is an interdisciplinary project which will focus on process innovation and translation in the development of a specific food processing technology, with the potential to impact a broad range of stakeholders in the meat chain both on a national and international level: safe and qualitative dry aging of meat.    Several questions have arisen in the meat industry regarding dry aging of beef in recent years. These questions generally refer to gaining more insight into the characteristics of dry aged beef, more specifically:    - the sensory quality,   - safety,   - the ideal process conditions     All in order to bring a high quality and safe product into the market. OPTIDRYBEEF focuses on a comprehensive and integrated evaluation of the dry aging process to introduce dry aged beef as a high-quality product into the meat producing chain to strengthen the meat industry at the level of butchers, restaurants, caterers and supplying industry." "A qualitative study to investigate the use of complex perspectives in policy evaluation in public health" "Mark Petticrew, Bruno Marchal" "Complexiteit en Gezondheid" "Background Several, complex public health problems, such as obesity, are failing to respond to current public health interventions 1 . A different approach is required to tackle such issues: complexity science offers a holistic approach involving a more comprehensive framework than traditional, reductionist methods 2 . Taking such an approach can offer insights and pointers towards interventions that may lead to effective, beneficial change. There is an increasing interest in elucidating how the application of complexity can help public health practice 3 and how to shift from theory to practical implementation of this approach 4-6 . There is a growing attention to the application of complexity in evaluation. Some authors suggest that the value of applying complexity to evaluation lies on its contribution with ‘sensitizing concepts’ and the implications for methods used in evaluation 7 . This project aims to investigate how complex perspectives are being used to conceptualise evaluations of public health policies and the methodological implications. As well as the barriers and opportunities which key stakeholders perceive.Expected research contribution This project contributes towards overcoming the communication difficulties among practitioners, commissioners of evaluations, policymakers, and academics studying the use and understanding of the application of complexity in evaluation of public health policies. It aims to advance in the standardisation of the terminology in order to facilitate a common and consistent understanding and ease communication and appraisal of complexity in evaluation among stakeholders. This project explores how complexity and its tenets are used to conceptualise evaluations of public health policies firstly. Secondly, it aims to offer further insight of the use and perception of the complexity perspective by key stakeholders through interviews. Thirdly, it aims to clarify the terminological confusion by defining and reaching certain consensus in the definition and use of terms in the application of complex perspectives to public health policy evaluation. And fourthly, it offers a practical example of the application of complexity perspectives to a particular public health policy evaluation." "Knowledge, attitude and practices toward maternal dietary habits, food taboos, and cultural beliefs associated with metabolic syndrome during pregnancy - Qualitative study" "Stefaan De Henauw" "Vakgroep Volksgezondheid en Eerstelijnszorg" "geen abstract" "la PrEP comme nouvel outil pour la prévention du VIH combinéune étude qualitative complémentaire d'un projet de démonstration de la PrEP en cours chez les HSH en Afriquede l'Ouest" "Thijs Reyniers, Renilde Everaert, M Laga" "Departement Volksgezondheid, Beheer, Seksuele Gezondheid inclusief Hiv" "Anthropological research and community participation to facilitate mass drug administration of iverctmetin and dyhidroartemisin-piperaquine as an additional intervention for malaria elimination" "Umberto D'Alessandro" "Departement Volksgezondheid, Beheer, Sociaalecologisch Gezondheidsonderzoek" "We propose to evaluate a novel approach to decrease and possibly stop residual malaria transmission; it consists of mass drug administration (MDA) with an artemisinin-based combination treatment, dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine (DP), and a systemic endectocidal drug, ivermectin (IVM), toxic to Anopheles mosquitoes when biting treated individuals. This intervention will be tested through a community-based, cluster-randomized trial to be implemented in the Upper River Region of The Gambia where there is still residual malaria transmission despite high coverage of standard malaria control activities. Thirty two villages (clusters) at least 3-4 km apart and with 200-600 inhabitants will be randomized to either the intervention or the control arm. MDA with IVM and DP will be implemented in 16 intervention villages and a buffer zone of 2 km around each of them, and will consist of 3-monthly rounds per year during the malaria transmission season for two years.At the peak of each transmission season, a cross-sectional survey to determine malaria prevalence (200 individuals per cluster) will be carried out in both study arms. The vector population will be monitored throughout the transmission season.In addition, qualitative social science data on coverage, potential bottlenecks for the intervention, adherence and acceptability will be collected; a health economics study on the cost-effectiveness of the intervention will be carried out.The primary outcomes will be malaria prevalence (by molecular methods) in all age groups and vector's parous rates after 2 MDA seasonal cycles (3 rounds each). Secondary outcomes will include incidence of clinical malaria, serological markers of recent infection or recent exposure to the vector, other entomological variables, intervention coverage, and costeffectivenessof the intervention.ITM participates in the anthropological component of the trial, a mixed methods design triangulating ethnographic qualitative methods (including in-depth interviews and participant observation) and quantitative survey research will be carried out to determine sociocultural factors associated to the intervention’s effectiveness, including local acceptability. In a first phase, prior to the initial MDA campaign, potential bottlenecks for the intervention will be assessed and recommendations will be made to improve the implementation. This will help fine-tuning the intervention to local realities in addition to engaging stakeholders to facilitate participation and long-term sustainability. Subsequently, community members and stakeholders will be involved in the process of developing/adapting the MDA strategy to increase sustainability of the intervention. A comprehensive stakeholder assessment will be carried out at the beginning of the project, aiming to identify formal and informal groups and organizations active in the communities." "Exploring the Ethical issues in Clinical Research with Pregnant Women in low resource settings; and acceptability of interventions for pregnant women: An Ethnography Of The Pregnanzi-2 Trial In The Gambia" "Azucena Badaji, Rene Gerrets, Koen Peeters" "Sociaalecologisch Gezondheidsonderzoek" "Background: Assessing new Interventions aimed at reducing the unacceptably high levels of maternal and neonatal mortality is necessary and urgent in low resource settings, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa which bears the greatest burden. Often, these new interventions are assessed in clinical trial settings under strictly controlled environments to generate generalizable knowledge. The involvement of pregnant women in clinical research is crucial in developing interventions that can reduce bacterial infection which has been showed to be one of the leading causes of death amongst pregnant women and their neonates. The ethical and practical challenges of conducting clinical research in low resource settings in sub-Saharan Africa have been well documented, however, there is limited empirical research regarding the ethical issues around the involvement of pregnant women in clinical research; and the experiences, perceptions and views of participants and community stakeholders regarding the involvement of pregnant women in clinical research. If interventions targeting pregnant women and neonates are proven to be efficacious, it would be important to understand whether they would be acceptable in the communities in which they will be implemented to ensure success. This ethnographic study, therefore, proposes to explore the ethical issues regarding the involvement of pregnant women in clinical research in low resource settings; and explore the acceptability of interventions targeting pregnant women and neonates among the community stakeholders. Methods: The study will utilize document reviews, in-depth interviews, focus group discussions and ethnographic observations. The participants in the study will be selected purposively, to ensure a maximization of diverse views across the various stakeholders. Participants include: pregnant women, their spouses, community members (men and women groups), clinical trial study members, health care workers in the facilities. Data management and analysis: The data collected will be audio recorded, transcribed into text, and translated to English where necessary. The data will be managed using NVIVO 11, a software for managing qualitative data. The data will be analysed using an adapted grounded approach theory, where data collection and analysis will be done concurrently in an iterative process, to ensure that analysis feeds into subsequent data collection. The iterative process, allows for new emergent themes to be interrogated in depth."