A quarantine paradox: understanding Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in post-COVID-19 era: insights from Golden Valley mining community, Zimbabwe.

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought unprecedented challenges globally, with a notable surge in gender-based violence (GBV) incidents. This descriptive, exploratory study conducted in the Golden Valley mining community in Kadoma, Mashonaland West Province, Zimbabwe, delves into the challenges faced by GBV survivors during and after the pandemic, alongside community perceptions of GBV in the post-COVID-19 era. Guided by Bronfenbrenner's Social-Ecological Model which offers insights into the various levels of influence on GBV behavior and experiences,aiding in the development of contextually relevant prevention strategies. The study used qualitative methods such as interviews and focus group discussions, there were 24 study participant classified by random and convenient sampling techniques including traditional and community leaders, gbv surviours medical personnel and male and female, community members. The research followed the COREQ guidelines to transparently document the research process and findings. The research sheds light on the multifaceted nature of GBV exacerbated by societal norms and economic instability in a low-income, masculine-dominated work culture experience in the COVID-19 period. Findings underscore the urgent need for comprehensive prevention programs, effective legislation, and community engagement to address GBV in post-pandemic communities. The research provides valuable lessons for enhancing GBV prevention efforts globally, emphasizing the significance of survivor voices and addressing root causes of GBV.

Culture, community, and cancer: Understandings of breast cancer from a non-lived experience among women living in Soweto.

Background: Individual perceptions compounded with socio-cultural beliefs and health system factors are key determinants of people's health seeking behavior and are widely cited as the causes of delayed breast cancer diagnosis among women from structurally vulnerable settings. Asking: "how do women with a non-lived experience of cancer understand the disease and, what informs their health seeking behaviors?", we explored individual, sociocultural and health system elements from a conceptual model derived from the Socioecological, Health Belief and Cancer Stigma Frameworks, to understand perspectives of breast cancer in a South African urban community setting. Methods: Using a deductive approach, we conducted a qualitative study consisting of 6 focus group discussions among 34 women from Soweto, Johannesburg (aged 35-74 years) and followed-up with 20 semi-structured in-depth interviews. Results: Findings revealed some awareness of breast and other cancers, but confusion and gaps in understanding of the disease, resulting in socio-culturally influenced misperceptions of risks, causes, and outcomes following treatment of breast cancer. This fueled perceptions of profound fear and stigma against people with breast and other cancers. These findings together with participant perceptions of primary healthcare providers being unwelcoming, under-resourced, and insufficiently trained to deal with breast cancer, resulted in women reporting being reluctant to participating in screening/early detection care seeking behavior. They only accessed primary care when experiencing extreme pain or ill-health. Participants suggested as solutions for future interventions, the need for sustained community engagement, harnessing existing clinic and community stakeholders and resources to provide clear and understandable breast cancer information and encouragement for screening uptake. Conclusions: Health literacy gaps surrounding breast cancer fuels socio-culturally influenced misperceptions, fear, stigma, and fatalism among community women from Soweto, South Africa. Women perceive primary care providers of having insufficient knowledge, skills, and resources to provide effective breast cancer screening services. Participants suggested the need for greater community engagement involving primary clinics and existing community stakeholders working hand in hand. Clear, understandable, and consistent information about breast cancer must be regularly disseminated and communities must be regularly encouraged to utilise breast cancer screening services.

Understanding Community Perceptions on the Role of Schools in Youth Mental Health.

BACKGROUND: Youth mental health rates of depression and anxiety continue to climb. Schools have a role to play to support youth mental health but often struggle to navigate community expectations. METHODS: Focus groups (n = 17) were conducted with over 100 participants to understand community perceptions on the role of schools. RESULTS: Three themes emerged around what schools should be doing: (1) provide accurate education about mental health, (2) create mental health promoting environments that positively supports young people, and (3) act as a common space to bring community members and organizations together for their young people. IMPLICATIONS FOR SCHOOL HEALTH POLICY, PRACTICE, AND EQUITY: School professionals and systems should be equipped to adequately address youth mental health. The current US institutional response to this crisis is underdeveloped and exacerbates equity issues and health outcome disparities. Schools need institutional support for addressing mental health in ways that incorporate building a shared understanding with families and providing efforts to prevent and detect rather than just treat mental health. CONCLUSIONS: Schools should work with their communities to promote shared understanding and accountability for all to engage in building rich protective environments that promote mental well-being for kids in their care.

Unintended consequences - A qualitative exploration of baseline testing in community rugby concussion management.

OBJECTIVES: Understanding key stakeholders' perceptions around the value of baseline testing, as well as barriers or facilitators experienced as part of the process, may assist with the decision-making process of whether to implement baseline testing in community sport. This study explored coaches', players' and physiotherapists' perceptions of the perceived value, barriers and facilitators of baseline testing as part of New Zealand Rugby's (NZR) community concussion initiative. DESIGN: The study employed a pragmatic, qualitative descriptive design. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were used to explore participants' perceptions. In total, 73 individual interviews were conducted. The sample consisted of 36 players, 13 coaches and 24 physiotherapists involved in NZR's concussion management pathway. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: In terms of perceived value, baseline testing was reported to play a role in i) facilitating a positive concussion culture; ii) positive perceptions of rugby and player safety and iii) enhancing concussion management as part of the pathway. Barriers and facilitators of the baseline testing process included i) stakeholder buy-in as critical driver of the process and ii) contextual and operational factors. Although contextual and operational challenges exist, these participants, as key stakeholders in the process, perceived the value of baseline testing to be more important than the barriers experienced. CONCLUSIONS: The value of baseline testing extends beyond concussion assessment and management, by enhancing community concussion awareness, attitudes and player safety. The findings of this study may assist in the decision-making process around inclusion of pre-season baseline testing in community rugby.

Voices from the Ground: Community Perspectives on Preventing Unintentional Child Injuries in Low-Income Settings.

Unintentional injuries significantly contribute to mortality and morbidity among children under five, with higher prevalence in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Deprived communities in these regions face increased injury risks, yet there is limited research on child safety tailored to their unique challenges. To address this gap, we conducted focus group discussions in rural Uganda, involving parents, village health workers, community leaders, teachers, and maids. The objective was to understand community perceptions around child safety and determine what culturally and age-appropriate solutions may work to prevent child injuries. Analysis of discussions from ten focus groups revealed five main themes: injury causes, child development and behavior, adult behavior, environmental factors, and potential safety kit components. Common injuries included falls, burns, drowning, and poisoning, often linked to environmental hazards such as unsafe bunk beds and wet floors. Financial constraints and limited space emerged as cross-cutting issues. Participants suggested educational resources, first aid knowledge, and practical devices like solar lamps as potential solutions. The study presents invaluable insights into child safety in rural Ugandan homes, emphasizing the role of community awareness and engagement in designing effective, accessible interventions. It underscores the importance of context-specific strategies to prevent childhood injuries in similar resource-constrained environments.

Community perceptions, acceptability, and the durability of house screening interventions against exposure to malaria vectors in Nyimba district, Zambia.

BACKGROUND: House screening remains conspicuously absent in national malaria programs despite its recognition by the World Health Organization as a supplementary malaria vector-control intervention. This may be attributed, in part, to the knowledge gap in screen durability or longevity in local climatic conditions and community acceptance under specific cultural practices and socio-economic contexts. The objectives of this study were to assess the durability of window and door wire mesh screens a year after full house screening and to assess the acceptability of the house screening intervention to the participants involved. METHODS: This study was conducted in Nyimba district, Zambia and used both quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection and analysis. Both direct observation and questionnaires were employed to assess the durability of the screens and the main reasons for damage. Findings on damage were summarized as percentages. Focus group discussions were used to assess people's knowledge, perceptions, and acceptability of the closing eaves and house screening intervention. Deductive coding and inductive coding were used to analyse the qualitative data. RESULTS: A total of 321 out of 400 (80.3%) household owners of screened houses were interviewed. Many window screens (90.3%) were intact. In sharp contrast, most door screens were torn (n = 150; 46.7%) or entirely removed (n = 55; 17.1%). Most doors (n = 114; 76%) had their wire mesh damaged or removed on the bottom half. Goats (25.4%), rust (17.6%) and children (17.1%) were cited most as the cause of damage to door screens. The focus group discussion elicited positive experiences from the participants following the closing of eaves and screening of their windows and doors, ranging from sleeping peacefully due to reduced mosquito biting and/or nuisance and having fewer insects in the house. Participants linked house screening to reduced malaria in their households and community. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that in rural south-east Zambia, closing eaves and screening windows and doors was widely accepted. Participants perceived that house screening reduced human-vector contact, reduced the malaria burden and nuisance biting from other potentially disease carrying insects. However, screened doors are prone to damage, mainly by children, domestic animals, rust, and termites.

Postmortem minimally invasive tissue sampling in communities: exploring perceptions of families, funeral workers, religious and community leaders and healthcare providers from Pakistan.

BACKGROUND: Minimally invasive tissue sampling (MITS) has increasingly been used to improve the diagnosis of disease and identification of the cause of death, particularly in underserved areas. However, there are multiple barriers to accessing those who die within the community, our study aimed to explore the perceptions and insights of community members and healthcare providers regarding the feasibility of implementing MITS in community settings. METHODS: A qualitative exploratory study was conducted. A total of twenty one in-depth interviews were conducted with deceased infants' parents, elders of the family, religious leaders, community leaders, and funeral workers. Focus group discussions were conducted with health care providers (n = 14) in two peri-urban slum areas of Karachi, Pakistan. The duration of this study was from August to October 2020. Data was analyzed using thematic analysis and was coded and merged into categories forming eight major themes. RESULTS: In general, participants viewed minimally invasive tissue sampling (MITS) as beneficial for improving child health, though some had concerns about disrespecting the deceased during sample collection. Misinformation, fear of needles, and medical procedures were major barriers to MITS implementation. To enhance acceptance, community and religious leaders suggested using religious rulings, obtaining parental consent, ensuring confidentiality, and increasing efforts of community engagement. Community healthcare providers, along with funeral workers, recommended providing community members with grief counseling to increase study participation. Besides concerns about sampling interfering with respect for the decease, community members also raised concerns about misinformation. Further, participants provided feedback on the design and appearance of the mobile van used to collect MITS samples from children under the age of five. CONCLUSION: This study is critical for understanding the challenges associated with implementation of community-based MITS sampling in Pakistan. Integrating the use of a mobile van for sample collection, grief counseling along with community engagement sessions and advocacy will help address community-based misinformation and develop community trust.

Rice farmers' knowledge, attitudes and practices towards mosquitoes in irrigation schemes in Côte d'Ivoire: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Irrigated rice cultivation in sub-Saharan Africa not only brings more malaria vectors to nearby communities, but also greater malaria risk. To aid the implementation of mosquito control in rice-growing communities, it is necessary to understand how farmers understand, view and manage their responsibility in mosquito generation and whether they are interested in coordinating to minimize it. METHODS: Qualitative methods (observation grids, semi-structured in-depth interviews and focus group discussions) were used to reveal the perceptions of mosquitoes and their control in two irrigated rice farming communities in central Côte d'Ivoire near the M'bé and Lokapli irrigation schemes. RESULTS: All rice farmers viewed mosquitoes as severe nuisances, and most acknowledged that they caused djèkouadjo (malaria) and were less numerous during harmattan (dry season). Many study participants believed that mosquitoes originated from grasses and stagnant water around villages. Only those living closer in proximity (~ 1 km) to the paddies believed that mosquitoes came from the bas-fonds (irrigated lowlands). However, they did not associate mosquito production with rice cultivation. Some farmers believed that there were more mosquitoes in recent years than historically because of the dam construction, but remarked on the importance of the dam (and bas-fonds) for their livelihood. Many farmers were not convinced that mosquito control could occur at farm-level. CONCLUSIONS: To enhance accountability amongst rice farmers, there is a need for greater awareness on the rice-mosquito link, and emphasis that the link does not imply a trade-off between food production and health. Training should not only be directed towards farming communities, but also agricultural and health extension workers. Future riceland mosquito control methods must focus on improving crop productivity and address collective action problems that may occur.

A Cross-Sectional Factor Analysis of COVID-19 and Influenza Vaccination Decisions in a Racially Diverse Western Pennsylvania Community.

INTRODUCTION: Influenza and COVID-19 vaccination rates remain suboptimal, demanding new community-centric approaches that improve targeted counseling and increase vaccine uptake. Notably, racially diverse communities show high vaccine hesitancy, yet most existing vaccine studies focus on white, college-educated cohorts. OBJECTIVE: Here, we identify factors influencing vaccination decisions of patients at Turtle Creek Primary Care clinic in Turtle Creek, PA, a racially-diverse borough. DESIGN: A retrospective mixed-methods study of the predominantly non-white patient population at Turtle Creek Primary Care clinic, a clinic caring for >70% minority patients. RESULTS: Fourteen factors emerged that patients reported were crucial to vaccine decision-making. Of these factors, top reasons for COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy were trust in vaccines, vaccine side effects, perceived vaccine knowledge, and faith/religion. Top reasons for influenza vaccine hesitancy were perceived need, vaccine side effects, trust in vaccines, and habitual behaviors. We also uncovered correlations between vaccine decision factors and sociodemographic factors. Participants > 65-years-old were more likely to cite personal safety in choosing to get the COVID-19 vaccine, while non-white participants were more likely to cite others' safety. Participants > 65-years-old were also more likely to cite personal safety in influenza vaccine decision-making, and non-female participants were more likely to cite perceived need for influenza vaccines. CONCLUSIONS: These data uncover targetable factors contributing to vaccine hesitancy and aid in developing community-centered, personalized vaccine education approaches in Turtle Creek and analogous minority communities.

'With this study, we have hope that something is coming': community members' perceptions of HIV cure-related research in Durban, South Africa - a qualitative focus group study.

BACKGROUND: Developing a cure for HIV remains a global scientific priority. In 2022, the Females Rising through Education, Support and Health (FRESH) cohort launched an HIV cure-related trial involving an analytical treatment interruption (ATI) in Durban, South Africa. OBJECTIVES: To explore community perspectives about HIV cure-related research. METHODS: Between July-August 2022, we conducted three focus groups with community members. We transcribed audio recordings verbatim and used content analysis to analyze the data. RESULTS: Twenty community members (13 women and 7 men) participated in three focus groups (HIV status not included). Participants viewed HIV cure-related research as a way to address the issue of defaulting on (not taking) HIV treatment. Participants expressed hesitancy around ATIs, since these contradict longstanding treatment adherence messages. Participants shared concerns around the risk of side effects from experimental interventions balanced against potential efficacy. They advocated for trial participants to have the right to decide whether to inform their sex partners about their HIV status and ATI participation, rather than research teams making disclosure mandatory. Focus group participants also emphasized the importance of using simple language to explain HIV cure-related research. CONCLUSIONS: With HIV cure trials set to launch across Africa in the future, there is a critical need to better understand and respond to local community needs and preferences and to adopt this as standard practice prior to regional trial implementation.

Perceptions of the roles, impact, challenges and needs of community drug distributors in the control and elimination of neglected tropical diseases in difficult-to-access communities in Ghana.

INTRODUCTION: The success of mass drug administration (MDA) campaigns to control and eliminate neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) in Ghana depends, to a large extent, on the essential role community drug distributors (CDDs) play. This study aimed to investigate community's perceptions of CDDs' roles, impact of CDDs' work, challenges faced by CDDs, and views on resources required to enhance CDDs' work to sustain MDA campaigns. METHODS: A cross-sectional qualitative study employing the use of focus group discussions (FGDs) with community members and CDDs in selected NTD endemic communities together with individual interviews with district health officers (DHOs) was conducted. We interviewed 104 people aged 18 and over, purposively selected, through eight individual interviews, and 16 focus group discussions. RESULTS: Participants in the community FGDs noted that health education and the distribution of drugs were the main roles of CDDs. Participants also perceived that the work of CDDs had prevented the onset of NTDs, treated symptoms of NTDs, and generally reduced the incidence of infections. In the interviews with CDDs and DHOs, lack of cooperation/non-compliance by community members, demands by community members, lack of working resources and low financial motivation were mentioned as the main challenges to the work of CDDs. Moreover, the provision of logistics and financial motivation for CDDs were identified as factors that will enhance their work. CONCLUSIONS: Incorporating more attractive schemes will incentivise CDDs to improve output. Addressing the challenges highlighted is an important step for the work of CDDS to be effective in controlling NTDs in difficult-to-access communities in Ghana.

Livestock Owners' Perception on the Impact of Ghibe-III Hydroelectric Dam on Bovine Trypanosomosis, Southern Ethiopia.

Background: Trypanosomosis is an endemic livestock disease in Ethiopia. The problem prevails mainly in the South, Southwest, and Northwest regions following main rivers and their tributaries. Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted in Loma and Kindo Didaye districts near the Ghibe-III hydroelectric dam, to compare dam impact upstream and downstream, from January 2019 to June 2020. Two hundred standardized questionnaire surveys were administered. The questionnaire included biography, livestock population before and after dam construction, knowledge of major livestock diseases, clinical signs, transmission, seasonality, and wildlife population status was assessed. Data were analyzed using Mann-Whitney U Test. Results and discussion: A total of 189 questionnaires were returned out of 200 questionnaires administered. Among the respondents, the majorities were males and had an average age of 39.4 + 10.6. In all herd size levels, there was no significant (P > .05) difference before dam construction between the 2 districts; whereas, statistically significant (P < .05) large and medium herd sizes increased by 16%(95% CI: 0.5, 31.5) after dam construction in Loma district; whereas, the same herd size reduced by 20%(95% CI:0,43.7) after dam construction with statistically significant(P < .05) difference. Bovine trypanosomosis ranked first among major diseases. Knowledge of clinical signs, transmission, and seasonality of trypanosomosis was consistent with the literature. 87.8% of respondents in Loma associated reduction of trypanosomosis and tsetse population, but 77% of Kindo Didaye respondents perceived no change in prevalence after dam construction. More reduction in wildlife population was observed upstream than downstream, health services improved, and disease outbreaks and cattle deaths were reduced. Studies in African countries indicate the reduction in tsetse apparent density and absences of wildlife contributed to the reduction of trypanosomosis. CONCLUSION: An increased herd size, reduced trypanosomosis prevalence, and wildlife population observed upstream, indicate artificial Lake has an impact on tsetse apparent density. Therefore, follow-up of the disease prevalence and investigation of drug resistance is recommended to prove the situation in the study area.

Community values on governing urban water nature-based solutions in Sydney, Australia.

Since the needs and expectations of communities towards their urban environments often vary, landscape management strategies can often be prone to fail in the absence of social considerations. It is therefore incumbent on policy-makers to investigate and attempt to reconcile diverse community perceptions toward the natural and built environment for more equitable governance. This is of particular interest when planning and managing nature-based solutions (NBS) for river protection. We considered this challenge in understanding human values, perceptions and behaviour in a multilayered ecosystem that includes waterways, NBS, green open spaces, and a built environment. This paper analyses perceptions and behaviour around a public urban park next to the Georges River in Sydney Australia, utilizing a proxy-based approach and a mixed-method comprising community surveys and behavioural mapping. The results showed that while users perceive the significance of the urban river environment differently, naturalistic (ecological), humanistic (recreational) and utilitarian (well-being) values are dominant. Urban river catchments are highly valued for recreational purposes, with a strong perception of potential flooding hazards. Through exploring the literature, we recognized that the dominancy of leisure-related values around urban river catchments can be generalized to similar cases worldwide. While NBS, as an urban stormwater management solution, address some user values (e.g., naturalistic) around urban river catchments, they may lack further delivery of humanistic and utilitarian values due to the poor integration with recreational and cultural spaces. It was also the case around the Georges River, where low prominence of cultural features was observed. We concluded that NBS development around Georges River and other urban river catchments should incorporate socio-cultural considerations and community values, in particular the ones related to leisure. The gaps between users' beliefs and behaviour do not greatly challenge governance, provided that the decision-makers utilise these gaps for optimising management actions.

"Es Muy Tranquilo Aquí": Perceptions of Safety and Calm among Binationally Mobile Mexican Immigrants in a Rural Border Community.

Perceptions of community can play an important role in determining health and well-being. We know little, however, about residents' perceptions of community safety in the Southwestern borderlands, an area frequently portrayed as plagued by disorder. The qualitative aim of this community-based participatory research study was to explore the perceptions of Mexican-origin border residents about their communities in southern Yuma County, Arizona. Our team of University of Arizona researchers and staff from Campesinos Sin Fronteras, a grassroots farmworker support agency in Yuma County, Arizona, developed a bilingual interview guide and recruited participants through radio adds, flyers, and cold calls among existing agency clientele. Thirty individual interviews with participants of Mexican origin who live in and/or work in rural Yuma County were conducted remotely in 2021. Participants overwhelmingly perceived their communities as both calm and safe. While some participants mentioned safety concerns, the vast majority described high levels of personal security and credited both neighbors and police for ensuring local safety. These perceptions were stated in direct contrast to those across the border, where participants had positive familial and cultural ties but negative perceptions regarding widespread violence. In conclusion, we argue that to understand environmental factors affecting health and well-being in Mexican immigrant populations, it is critical to examine the role of binational external referents that color community perceptions.

Risk-benefit perceptions, preferences for solutions, and gaining trust: Listening to New Jersey's Atlantic Ocean port communities.

We designed a survey to measure public preferences for management actions at ports that would reduce negative risk perceptions, increase competence-based trust, and overall provide port managers with opportunities to build communication channels with surrounding populations. A total of 511 people who lived in a 45-square mile area of New Jersey containing over 300,000 people and a dozen large and small ports responded to solutions that offered independent science support, provided ongoing public health surveillance, and economic assistance for local communities. Environmental health concerns about air, noise, fires, port security, and protection against climate-related impacts were major correlates of these preferences. Yet many residents recognized economic benefits associated with nearby ports and many either trusted port management or were neutral and felt not well informed. Those who had a personal or family connection to the port were stronger port supporters. The most important finding and challenge for port managers is building ongoing relationships with the majority of nearby residents who are not aware of port activities, which presents an opportunity for increasing trust through proactive outreach and listening to nearby community representatives.

Individual and community-level impacts of the unarmed all-women Black Mamba Anti-Poaching Unit.

In a conservation setting where escalating tension has been the norm, the unarmed primarily female-composed Black Mambas Anti-Poaching Unit (BMAPU) in South Africa are a successful counterpoint in that they have decimated poaching using only diplomacy and patrols. We sought to understand if the BMAPU is achieving its secondary goal of influencing support for conservation and wildlife among the nearby populace via community-based conservation actions including outreach and environmental education. We also determined the impact that the program has on the Mambas themselves. Using a mixed-methods survey we conducted structured in-person interviews with 120 community members from four communities where the women of the BMAPU live, and among all the women that were on active duty in the BMAPU at the time of the surveys. We found that all participants in the BMAPU program reported improved self and community perception of their societal role as financial providers, as well as their sense of agency and self-efficacy, relative to before becoming rangers. We also found that having BMAPU rangers living in the communities by itself did not contribute to community-level support for wildlife conservation or protected areas. However, one community with both a large-scale children's conservation education program and an equitable distribution of financial benefits paid by the nearby conservation concessionaires was significantly more supportive of wildlife conservation and protected areas than the other three. Further research to parse the relative contributions of the two contributing factors of education and financial benefit would help clarify their relative contributions. From this study, we conclude that a combination of child-focused conservation education programs and equitable distribution of financial benefits leads to increased community support for wildlife, conservation, and protected natural areas, and decreases support for poaching.

Data of knowledge towards Zika Virus infection in Sabah, Malaysia.

This dataset presents a cross-sectional survey and was conducted to assess the knowledge on Zika Virus infection among adults in Sabah. The data were collected from December 2019 to February 2021, 274 adults living in forest fringe communities were interviewed by trained personnel and have completed the distributed questionnaires. SPSS version 27.0 was used to analyzed the data. These data could serve as auxiliary information and/or research data for other researchers in Sabah. It could also serve as guide or reference data to other researchers outside Sabah who may be interested in carrying out similar research in other state.

Conditional trust: Community perceptions of drone use in malaria control in Zanzibar.

Background: The potential of drones to support public health interventions, such as malaria vector control, is beginning to be realised. Although permissions from civil aviation authorities are often needed for drone operations, the communities over which they fly tend to be ignored: How do affected communities perceive drones? Is drone deployment accepted by communities? How should communities be engaged? Methods: An initiative in Zanzibar, United Republic of Tanzania is using drones to map malarial mosqutio breeding sites for targeting larval source management interventions. A community engagement framework was developed, based on participatory research, across three communities where drones will be deployed, to map local perceptions of drone use. Costs associated with this exercise were collated. Results: A total of 778 participants took part in the study spanning a range of community and stakeholder groups. Overall there was a high level of acceptance and trust in drone use for public health research purposes. Despite this level of trust for drone operations this support was conditional: There was a strong desire for pre-deployment information across all stakeholder groups and regular updates of this information to be given about drone activities, as well as consent from community level governance. The cost of the perception study and resulting engagement strategy was US$24,411. Conclusions: Mapping and responding to community perceptions should be a pre-requisite for drone activity in all public health applications and requires funding. The findings made in this study were used to design a community engagement plan providing a simple but effective means of building and maintaining trust and acceptability. We recommend this an essential investment.

Migration in the context: Perspectives, methodologies, and cultural issues.

The present article introduces the issue migration in the context: perspectives, methodology, and cultural issues. International migrations and their changing patterns pose new challenges to community social psychologists and new questions to be explored. Community psychologists' attention is necessary to develop a perspective about migration more suitable to effective interventions in global and local communities. Therefore, methods aimed at study migration issues should be implemented at micro-system, community, and national levels. Through this series of papers, we aim to contribute to the debate about how social and community psychologists can engage in community development strategies aimed at improving migrant well-being too. Indeed, they can give relevant contributions to the deepening of migration issues through research, methodologies, and interventions in different contexts and at different levels of analysis.

Community perceptions of long-term mangrove cover changes and its drivers from a typhoon-prone province in the Philippines.

Mangrove forests are among the most productive ecosystems with important services such as food and livelihood provisions, recreations, and regulations (e.g., coastal protection) in local scales. At global scale, they are gaining salience for their carbon sequestration capacities, currently conceptualized as "blue carbon." However, their essential benefits are reduced or lost when degraded. There is, therefore, a need to explore long-term mangrove cover change (MCC) and its underpinning drivers to develop sustainable management strategies. MCC has been analyzed extensively, including satellite images and field surveys, with drivers of changes frequently embedded in local contexts. Thus, in this study, MCC and the causal factors are evaluated at the local scale by gathering community perceptions in Eastern Samar, a typhoon-prone province in the Philippines, with a timeframe since the 1970s until the present. Results show that mangrove cover loss was observed following the occurrence of Typhoon Agnes in 1984 and Typhoon Haiyan in 2013 while conversion of mangrove areas to residential spaces was identified as a recurring driver of mangrove depletion from the early 1970s to 1990s. Study participants perceived that natural threats and lack of law enforcement were the leading proximate and underlying drivers of degradation, respectively. Respondents perceived that mangrove cover is increasing mainly due to successive reforestation programs coupled with stricter implementation of local ordinances in the sites. The results indicate the increased role of mangrove forests in disaster risk reduction and climate change mitigation strategies, while the perceptions of drivers change in long terms.