Dataset on the tested and simulated response of thick cold-formed circular hollow sections under cyclic loading.

This article describes a dataset used to calibrate a finite element model of a thick circular hollow section (CHS) with varying d/t (diameter to thickness) ratio under cyclic loading which may be used as a computational model validation benchmark by researchers working on similar problems in structural and mechanical engineering. The test data consists of seven cold-formed S335J2H steel CHS tube specimens tested to buckling failure in low-cycle fatigue under a three-point bending arrangement, instrumented with discrete strain gauges, displacement transducers and string potentiometers together with continuous surface deformation fields obtained by two pairs of digital image correlation (DIC) cameras. 'Half-cycle' material data from the uniaxial tensile testing of dog-bone coupons is also provided. Comparisons between measured and simulated entities such as midspan forces, moments, displacements and mean curvatures can be obtained with MATLAB processing scripts. Complete ABAQUS model input files are also provided to aid in benchmarking.

Fathers' use of social media for social comparison is associated with their food parenting practices.

Over 85% of parents use social media; however, limited research has investigated the associations between parental social media use and food parenting practices. The objectives of this study were to: 1) describe how mothers and fathers use social media focused on topics related to child feeding and family meals; and 2) examine associations between parental social media use focused on child feeding and family meals and mothers' and fathers' food parenting practices. Data were obtained from 179 mothers and 116 fathers of children aged 3-8 years enrolled in a family-based obesity prevention intervention. We used descriptive statistics to describe parents' social media use in relation to child feeding and family meals and linear regressions with generalized estimating equations to explore associations between parents' social media use and food parenting practices. Models were stratified by parent gender and adjusted for household income, parent ethnicity, parent age, child sex, and intervention status. A higher percent of mothers than fathers reported using social media to seek information related to child feeding and family meals (64.8% mothers; 25.0% fathers) and to share and compare family meals and food choices (41.9% mothers; 19.8% fathers). While social media use was not associated with food parenting practices in mothers, fathers' social media use to share and compare family meals and food choices was associated with negative food parenting practices, i.e., greater use of food for emotional regulation (ß = 0.37, p = 0.02) and greater use of food for reward (ß = 0.34, p = 0.02). Study results can inform strategies to promote healthy social media use among parents of young children.

Construct validity and reliability of the Canadian Eating Practices Screener to assess eating practices based on 2019 Canada's Food Guide recommendations.

For the first time since its introduction, the 2019 Canada's Food Guide (2019-CFG) highlighted specific guidance on eating practices, i.e., recommendations on where, when, why, and how to eat. The Canadian Eating Practices Screener / Questionnaire court canadien sur les pratiques alimentaires was developed to assess eating practices based on the 2019-CFG healthy eating recommendations. The objective of this cross-sectional study was to assess the construct validity and reliability of the Canadian Eating Practices Screener. From July to December 2021, adults (n = 154) aged 18-65 years completed a sociodemographic questionnaire and the screener. Construct validity was assessed by examining variability in screener scores, by comparing screener scores among subgroups with hypothesized differences in eating practices, and by examining the correlation between screener scores and fruit and vegetable intake. Reliability, i.e., internal consistency, was assessed by calculating Cronbach's coefficient alpha. Screener item scores were summed to provide a total score ranging from 21 to 105. The mean screener score was 76 (SD = 8.4; maximum, 105), ranging from 53 (1st percentile) to 92 (99th percentile). Differences in total scores in hypothesized directions were observed by age (p = 0.006), perceived income adequacy (p = 0.09), educational attainment (p = 0.002), and smoking status (p = 0.09), but not by gender or health literacy level. The correlation between screener scores and fruit and vegetable intake was 0.29 (p = 0.002). The Cronbach's coefficient alpha was 0.79, suggesting acceptable to high internal consistency. Study findings provide preliminary evidence of the screener's construct validity and reliability, supporting its use to assess eating practices based on the 2019-CFG healthy eating recommendations.

Comparing the perceptions and opinions of the 2007 and 2019 Canada's food guides among parents of young children.

Background: The Canada's Food Guide (CFG) is recognized as the most prominent authoritative guideline for healthy eating in Canada. In 2019, Health Canada released the latest iteration of the CFG with substantial changes to its messaging and format from the previous 2007 CFG. Objective: This study compared the awareness, use, knowledge, and opinions of the 2007 and 2019 CFGs among parents with children aged 18 months to 5 years who are participants in a family-based intervention trial, the Guelph Family Health Study. Methods: The sample consisted of 327 parents (59% women) who responded to questions about the 2007 CFG and 177 parents (60% women) who responded to questions about the 2019 CFG. Parents' awareness and knowledge of the 2007 and 2019 CFGs were compared using Pearson's Chi-Square, while parents' opinions of the two CFGs were compared using Wilcoxon Rank-Sum tests. To describe and provide context about how parents used the 2007 and 2019 CFG descriptive analysis was used. To analyze the open-answer comments parents provided for the 2007 and 2019 CFGs thematic coding was used. Results: Awareness of the 2007 and 2019 CFGs was high with 94.5 and 90.4% of parents reported having heard about the 2007 and 2019 CFGs, respectively. Knowledge of the plate proportion recommendations in the 2019 CFG was significantly higher than knowledge of the recommended number of servings in the 2007 CFG with 93.4% of parents identifying the Vegetable and Fruit Plate Proportions in the 2019 CFG. Parents identified that the 2019 CFG was a helpful and trustworthy resource, and that it was easier to follow and understand, and more representative of their culture and traditional foods than the 2007 CFG. Conclusion: Our results suggest that parents' knowledge of the 2019 CFG recommendations was higher than for the 2007 CFG recommendations. Parents also had more positive opinions about the 2019 CFG as compared to the 2007 CFG. Future research is needed to explore whether these higher levels knowledge of the 2019 CFG recommendation translate to healthier eating patterns among Canadian families.

Meditative practices, stress and sleep among students studying complementary and integrative health: a cross-sectional analysis.

BACKGROUND: The International Cohort on Lifestyle Determinants of Health (INCLD Health) is an ongoing, prospective cohort study assessing the health behaviours and lifestyles of higher education students, including their use of specialty diets and complementary and integrative health (CIH) practices. PURPOSE: This cross-sectional analysis of the INCLD Health cohort aims to (1) evaluate the associations between perceived stress, sleep disturbance, and meditative practices with diurnal salivary free cortisol and (2) evaluate the associations of meditative practices as well as mind-body practices with perceived stress and sleep disturbance. METHODS: Serial multivariable linear regression models, adjusting for sociodemographic and lifestyle behaviours, were used to assess associations of (1) perceived stress, sleep disturbance, and meditative practices with salivary cortisol, and (2) meditative practices as well as mind-body practices with perceived stress and sleep disturbance. Meditative and mind-body practices were evaluated using a stress-management and self-care survey; perceived stress and sleep disturbance were evaluated using the 10-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and the patient reported outcome measures information system-29 (PROMIS-29) sleep sub-score respectively. Salivary cortisol was collected at 4 time points over a 24-hour period and area under the curve (AUC) calculations conducted. RESULTS: 82.5% (n = 80) of participants utilized at least monthly meditative practices. Greater disturbed sleep, but not perceived-stress, meditative, nor mind-body practices was independently associated with increased AUC cortisol (b = 0.02, 95% CI: 0.002-0.05, p = 0.03) after adjusting for age, sex, race, ethnicity, and BMI. Neither meditative nor mind-body practices were associated with perceived stress or disturbed sleep. CONCLUSIONS: Among INCLD Health participants, greater sleep disturbance, but not perceived stress or meditative practices were associated with daytime cortisol.

Healthcare Supply Chain Reliability: The Case of Medical Air Transport.

The principal task of national healthcare systems is to provide health services that are safe, accessible, high-quality and people-oriented. To ensure the continuity of healthcare, support activities related to patient transfer and logistics are necessary. Effective implementation of transport processes is a factor affecting the possibility of medical intervention, in terms of both planned and life-saving care. The reliability of the healthcare supply chain is a key factor in patient health. In our research, we have used the method of a single case study of a public regional hospital in Poland providing comprehensive medical services. The aim of the research is to identify the factors that affect the reliability of the healthcare supply chain in relation to the interhospital air transport of patients. Our qualitative research using process mapping reveals what factors affect the reliability of interhospital medical air transport. The analysis of 100 interhospital medical air transport cases has allowed us to create a general procedure related to the movement of patients between the facilities of the healthcare system in Poland. Our research shows that the key factor of reliability is the coherent and integrated cooperation of institutions involved in transport processes.

Naturopathic Doctors: An Underutilized Resource of Whole Health Delivery in Primary Care.

Naturopathy, recognized by the National Institutes of Health and the World Health Organization as a distinct system of complementary and integrative health care, is an existing model of whole health delivery. Its unifying principles, respect for the interconnectedness of biological systems, and representation globally uniquely positions naturopathy to serve an integral role in addressing the needs of primary health care. In this viewpoint, we aim to 1) highlight key areas and existing literature supporting the use of naturopathy for health promotion and disease prevention of noncommunicable diseases; 2) describe how naturopathy can addresses the mental health needs of today's societies; and 3) discuss the importance of naturopathy in the access and navigation of complementary and integrative health therapies.

Clinical aspects of binge eating disorder: A cross-sectional mixed-methods study of binge eating disorder experts' perspectives.

Introduction: Research on binge eating disorder continues to evolve and advance our understanding of recurrent binge eating. Methods: This mixed-methods, cross-sectional survey aimed to collect information from experts in the field about clinical aspects of adult binge eating disorder pathology. Fourteen experts in binge eating disorder research and clinical care were identified based on receipt of relevant federal funding, PubMed-indexed publications, active practice in the field, leadership in relevant societies, and/or clinical and popular press distinction. Anonymously recorded semi-structured interviews were analyzed by ≥2 investigators using reflexive thematic analysis and quantification. Results: Identified themes included: (1) obesity (100%); (2) intentional/voluntary or unintentional/involuntary food/eating restriction (100%); (3) negative affect, emotional dysregulation, and negative urgency (100%); (4) diagnostic heterogeneity and validity (71%); (5) paradigm shifts in understanding binge eating disorder (29%); and (6) research gaps/future directives (29%). Discussion: Overall, experts call for a better understanding of the relationship between binge eating disorder and obesity, including a need for clarification around the extent to which the two health issues are separate vs. related/overlapping. Experts also commonly endorse food/eating restriction and emotion dysregulation as important components of binge eating disorder pathology, which aligns with two common models of binge eating disorder conceptualization (e.g., dietary restraint theory and emotion/affect regulation theory). A few experts spontaneously identified several paradigm shifts in our understanding of who can have an eating disorder (beyond the anorexi-centric "thin, White, affluent, cis-gendered neurotypical female" stereotype), and the various factors that can drive binge eating. Experts also identified several areas where classification issues may warrant future research. Overall, these results highlight the continual advancement of the field to better understand adult binge eating disorder as an autonomous eating disorder diagnosis.

Dietary sugar intake among preschool-aged children: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Excessive intake of sugar in young children is a public health concern. Our study objectives were to examine intakes of total, free and added sugar among preschool-aged children and to investigate their associations with body weight, body mass index Z-scores, percent fat mass and waist circumference. METHODS: The cross-sectional cohort study included preschool-aged children between 1.5 and 5 years of age, enrolled in pilot studies of the Guelph Family Health Study, Guelph, Ontario, from 2014 to 2016. Daily intake of total sugar was determined using a food processor software; daily intakes of free and added sugar, and food sources were determined through manual inspection of 3-day food records. Anthropometric measures were completed by trained research staff. We used linear regression models with generalized estimating equations to estimate associations between sugar intakes and anthropometric measures. RESULTS: We included 109 children (55 girls and 54 boys) in 77 families. Mean daily intakes were 86 (standard deviation [SD] 26) g for total sugar, 31 (SD 15) g for free sugar and 26 (SD 13) g for added sugar. Of participants, 80% (n = 87) had intakes of free sugar greater than 5% of their daily energy intake. The most frequent food sources of free and added sugar were bakery products. A weak inverse association between free sugar intake (kcal/1000 kcal) and waist circumference (cm) (ß = -0.02, 95% confidence interval -0.04 to -0.0009) was found, but no significant associations were noted between sugar intake and other anthropometric measures. INTERPRETATION: Most of the preschool-aged children in this study had free sugar intakes greater than current recommendations; overall, their total, free and added sugar intakes were not associated with the anthropometric measures. This study can be used to inform policy development for sugar intake in young children and apprise early intervention programs.

Investigating components of pranayama for effects on heart rate variability.

OBJECTIVE: Traditional Indian breath control practices of Pranayama have been shown to increase indices of heart rate variability (HRV) that are generally held to reflect parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) tone. To our knowledge, individual components of pranayama have not been separately evaluated for impact on HRV. The objective of this study was to isolate five components of a pranayama practice and evaluate their impact on HRV. METHODS: In a crossover clinical trial, 46 healthy adults were allocated to complete five activities in random order, over five separate visits: 1) sitting quietly; 2) self-paced deep breathing; 3) externally-paced deep breathing; 4) self-paced Sheetali/Sheetkari pranayama; and 5) externally paced Sheetali/Sheetkari pranayama RESULTS: Our final sample included 25 participants. There was a significant increase in a time-domain index of HRV, the root mean square successive differences between RR intervals (RMSSD), during the five interventions. The change in logRMSSD ranged from 0.2 to 0.5 (p < .01 in all conditions by paired t-test). Greater increases were evident during externally-paced breathing than during self-paced breathing (mean pre-during logRMSSD change of 0.50 vs. 0.36, p = .02) or sitting quietly (mean, 0.17 ms; p = .005 and 0.02 when comparing Activities 3 and 5 to Activity 1 by random intercept model with Tukey correction for multiple comparisons). Lastly, pre-during increase in RMSSD was greater for Sheetali/Sheetkari vs. deep breathing, when controlling for respiration rate, though not significantly different (p = .07 in random intercept model) CONCLUSIONS: RMSSD increased with paced breathing, deep breathing, and Sheetali/Sheetkari pranayama, reinforcing evidence of a physiologic mechanism of pranayama. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT03280589 https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03280589?term=sheetali&draw=2&rank=1.

Big data insight on global mobility during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown.

The Covid-19 pandemic that began in the city of Wuhan in China has caused a huge number of deaths worldwide. Countries have introduced spatial restrictions on movement and social distancing in response to the rapid rate of SARS-Cov-2 transmission among its populations. Research originality lies in the taken global perspective revealing indication of significant relationships between changes in mobility and the number of Covid-19 cases. The study uncovers a time offset between the two applied databases, Google Mobility and John Hopkins University, influencing correlations between mobility and pandemic development. Analyses reveals a link between the introduction of lockdown and the number of new Covid-19 cases. Types of mobility with the most significant impact on the development of the pandemic are "retail and recreation areas", "transit stations", "workplaces" "groceries and pharmacies". The difference in the correlation between the lockdown introduced and the number of SARS-COV-2 cases is 81%, when using a 14-day weighted average compared to the 7-day average. Moreover, the study reveals a strong geographical diversity in human mobility and its impact on the number of new Covid-19 cases.

Food Skills: Associations With Diet Quality and Food Waste Among Canadian Parents.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between self-reported food skills and diet quality along with measured food waste among a sample of Canadian parents. DESIGN: Cross-sectional data from surveys to assess food skills, 3-day food records to assess the Healthy Eating Index (HEI)-2015, and food waste measured by household waste audits. SETTING: Guelph-Wellington, Ontario. PARTICIPANTS: Parents (n = 130) with children aged 2-8 years. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: HEI-2015 scores, daily per capita avoidable and unavoidable food waste (grams). ANALYSIS: Linear regression using generalized estimating equations to determine unstandardized ß estimates of associations between food skills and dependent variables. Models were adjusted for multiple testing, gender, and level of education. RESULTS: Food safety knowledge for cooking hot foods (ß = 4.3, P = 0.05), planning (ß = 4.5, P = 0.001), and conceptualizing food (ß = 4.0, P = 0.03) were positively associated with HEI-2015 scores. Knowledge related to best before dates (ß = 25.3, P = 0.05; ß = 12.1, P = 0.04), conceptualizing food (ß = 34.1, P = 0.01; ß = 13.8, P = 0.02), and mechanical techniques (ß = 39.2, P = 0.01; ß = 20.5, P = 0.004) were associated with more avoidable and unavoidable food waste, respectively. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Addressing higher-level food skills with a focus on efficient food preparation practices that make use of all edible portions of foods could play an important role in minimizing food waste and improving diet quality. Additional research in other countries and in a larger, more socioeconomically diverse sample is needed to confirm these findings.

Protocol for The International Cohort on Lifestyle Determinants of Health Study: A Longitudinal Investigation of Complementary and Integrative Health Utilization in Postsecondary Education Students.

Objectives: The specific aims are: 1) To characterize the health, wellness, and lifestyle of graduate and undergraduate students, and how these characteristics change over time; 2) To evaluate associations between lifestyle factors and gut microbiota populations and diversity; and 3) To evaluate associations between stress and stress management practices with sleep habits, quality of life, and overall health. Design: The International Cohort on Lifestyle Determinants of Health (INCLD Health) longitudinal cohort study is designed to assess health behaviors and lifestyle practices amongst adults studying complementary and integrative health (CIH) and higher-education students more generally after at least one to six years of exposure to CIH education. INCLD Health will adhere to the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) guidelines. Settings/Location: Colleges and universities with a CIH focus or interest with the flagship site being the National University of Natural Medicine. Participants: Adults currently enrolled in a college or university with a CIH focus or interest. Outcome Measures: Study visits will be conducted at baseline, 6 months, then every 12 months until the end of each participants' degree program. Measures include anthropometrics; serum and salivary biomarkers of cardiovascular risk, reproductive hormones, and cortisol; nutritional intake measured by a digital food frequency questionnaire; sequencing of fecal microbiota; plus validated questionnaires investigating mood, perceived stress, stress management practices, physical activity, sleep, and wellness. Conclusions: The INCLD Health Study, approved by the NUNM IRB in late 2018, will enroll a unique cohort of adults to characterize the use of CIH practices in relation to short- and long-term health. Our study design provides a breadth of information that could be implemented at multiple sites internationally allowing for comparisons across diverse student cohorts with relatively low cost and personnel.

Alterations in Heart Rate Variability Associated With Irritable Bowel Syndrome or Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are gastrointestinal pathologies affecting large numbers of the global population and incurring significant healthcare costs. Disruptions in the gut-brain axis occurring in these conditions can lead to increased inflammation, affecting gastrointestinal and autonomic nervous system function. Heart rate variability (HRV) is commonly used to assess the state of the sympathetic and parasympathetic function of the autonomic nervous system, but it remains unclear how HRV measures are associated with gastrointestinal pathologies. Here, we conduct a systematic review of the literature comparing HRV of subjects diagnosed with IBS or IBD to HRV in healthy controls (HC). METHODS: We searched PubMed, Cochrane Library, and CINAHL (EBSCO) for eligible studies up to 2018. We included any study comparing a recognized measure of HRV between a group of patients with either IBS or IBD to a group of matched HC before any intervention. Studies were screened, and data were extracted from included articles using predefined criteria. Random effects meta-analysis was performed for each outcome, with effect size reported as the standardized mean difference. RESULTS: There were significant differences between IBD and HC in time domain HRV and significant decreases in high-frequency power measures were also noted, in both IBS and IBD compared with HC. DISCUSSION: Parasympathetic nervous system activity, represented through high-frequency power, seems to be lower in people with IBS and IBD, but conclusions are limited by the small number of studies that provide usable data, methodological heterogeneity, and high risks of bias in primary study methods and measures.

The Impact of COVID-19 on Health Behavior, Stress, Financial and Food Security among Middle to High Income Canadian Families with Young Children.

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted many aspects of daily life. The purpose of this study was to identify how health behaviors, level of stress, financial and food security have been impacted by the pandemic among Canadian families with young children. Parents (mothers, n = 235 and fathers, n = 126) from 254 families participating in an ongoing study completed an online survey that included close and open-ended questions. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the quantitative data and qualitative responses were analyzed using thematic analysis. More than half of our sample reported that their eating and meal routines have changed since COVID-19; most commonly reported changes were eating more snack foods and spending more time cooking. Screen time increased among 74% of mothers, 61% of fathers, and 87% of children and physical activity decreased among 59% of mothers, 52% of fathers, and 52% of children. Key factors influencing family stress include balancing work with childcare/homeschooling and financial instability. While some unhealthful behaviors appeared to have been exacerbated, other more healthful behaviors also emerged since COVID-19. Research is needed to determine the longer-term impact of the pandemic on behaviors and to identify effective strategies to support families in the post-COVID-19 context.

Efficacy of the Autoimmune Protocol Diet as Part of a Multi-disciplinary, Supported Lifestyle Intervention for Hashimoto's Thyroiditis.

Background Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT), also known as chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis, is an autoimmune disorder affecting the thyroid gland and is the most common cause of hypothyroidism in the US. Despite medical management with thyroid hormone replacement, many individuals with HT continue to experience symptoms and impaired quality of life. Given the limited number of efficacious treatments outside of hormone replacement and the overall burden of continued symptomatic disease, this pilot study was designed to determine the efficacy of a multi-disciplinary diet and lifestyle intervention for improving the quality of life, clinical symptom burden, and thyroid function in a population of middle-aged women with HT. Materials and methods The study recruited 17 normal or overweight (body mass index (BMI) <29.9) female subjects between the ages of 20 and 45 with a prior diagnosis of HT. The 17 women participated in a 10-week online health coaching program focused on the implementation of a phased elimination diet known as the Autoimmune Protocol (AIP). The 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) and Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine's Medical Symptoms Questionnaire (MSQ) were used to measure the participant's health-related quality of life (HRQL) and clinical symptom burden, respectively, before and after the 10-week program. The participants completed serologic testing that included a complete blood cell count (CBC) with differential, complete metabolic profile (CMP), thyroid function tests, including thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), total and free T4, and total and free T3, thyroid antibodies, including thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPO) and anti-thyroglobulin antibodies (TGA), and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP).  Results Sixteen women (n = 16) completed the SF-36 and MSQ before and after the 10-week program. There was a statistically significant improvement in HRQL as measured by all eight subscales of the SF-36 with the most marked improvements noted in the physical role functioning, emotional role functioning, vitality, and general health subscales. The clinical symptom burden, as measured by the MSQ, decreased significantly from an average of 92 (SD 25) prior to the program to 29 (SD 20) after the program. There were no statistically significant changes noted in any measure of thyroid function, including TSH, free and total T4, free and total T3 (n = 12), as well as thyroid antibodies (n = 14). Inflammation, as measured by hs-CRP (n = 14), was noted to significantly decrease by 29% (p = 0.0219) from an average of 1.63 mg/L (SD 1.72) pre-intervention to 1.15 mg/L (SD 1.31) post-intervention. Conclusions Our study suggests that an online diet and lifestyle program facilitated by a multi-disciplinary team can significantly improve HRQL and symptom burden in middle-aged female subjects with HT. While there were no statistically significant changes noted in thyroid function or thyroid antibodies, the study's findings suggest that AIP may decrease systemic inflammation and modulate the immune system as evidenced by a decrease in mean hs-CRP and changes in white blood cell (WBC) counts. Given the improvements seen in the HRQL and participants' symptom burden as well as markers of immune activity and inflammation, further studies in larger populations implementing AIP as part of a multi-disciplinary diet and lifestyle program are warranted.

Not All Sore Throats Are Pharyngitis.

Presentations to the emergency department (ED) can often appear to be simple and common. Only when a physician begins to think outside the box when confronting what seems to be a simple condition can a life-threatening situation be avoided. This case provides insight into a common chief complaint seen everyday in the ED - "sore throat." Not until the patient was seen on several subsequent encounters was a further work-up initiated and the diagnosis made.

Conceptual classification model for Sustainable Flood Retention Basins.

The aim of this paper is to recommend a rapid conceptual classification model for Sustainable Flood Retention Basins (SFRB) used to control runoff in a temperate climate. An SFRB is an aesthetically pleasing retention basin predominantly used for flood protection adhering to sustainable drainage and best management practices. The classification model was developed on the basis of a database of 141 SFRB using the River Rhine catchment in Baden (part of Baden-Württemberg, Germany) as a case study. It is based on an agglomerative cluster analysis and is intended to be used by engineers and scientists to adequately classify the following different types of SFRB: Hydraulic Flood Retention Basin, Traditional Flood Retention Basin, Sustainable Flood Retention Wetland, Aesthetic Flood Retention Wetland, Integrated Flood Retention Wetland and Natural Flood Retention Wetland. The selection of classification variables was supported by a principal component analysis. The identification of SFRB in the data set was based on a Ward cluster analysis of 34 weighted classification variables. Scoring tables were defined to enable the assignment of the six SFRB definitions to retention basins in the data set. The efficiency of these tables was based on a scoring system which gave the conceptual model for the example case study sites an overall efficiency of approximately 60% (as opposed to 17% by chance). This conceptual classification model should be utilized to improve communication by providing definitions for SFRB types. The classification definitions are likely to be applicable for other regions with both temperate oceanic and temperate continental climates.