Considering Residents' Health and Well-Being in the Process of Social Housing Redevelopment: A Rapid Scoping Literature Review.

Many aging mid-twentieth-century social housing developments worldwide are set to undergo major redevelopment, aiming to improve residents' living conditions. Nevertheless, the associated processes, particularly the challenges of relocation during the demolition and reconstruction phase, can significantly disrupt communities and social networks. Understanding the multifaceted impacts of social housing redevelopment projects is crucial to inform planning, design, and consultation for these projects. This scoping literature review explores how residents' health and well-being are considered in the process of social housing redevelopment. We identified eight studies through a search performed on EMBASE, PubMed, and Scopus databases, with an additional hand search of the bibliographies of selected studies. A thematic analysis was conducted to identify the health and well-being impacts of the different phases during redevelopment projects. The findings demonstrate that social housing redevelopment projects have varied impacts on residents' health and well-being depending on the subgroup of residents and the contextual characteristics of the original social housing estate. While improved physical infrastructure provides opportunities for better health outcomes, the disruption and lack of control during the relocation process may cause significant adverse health impacts. Moreover, the different phases during the redevelopment process expose different subgroups to varying risks. Based on these findings, we recommend that social housing redevelopment initiatives prioritize engaging and empowering residents to have better control in decision-making throughout all phases of the redevelopment.

Long-term effects of pre-weaning social housing on response to a social and housing transition in pregnant heifers.

Dairy cattle are routinely managed in social groups and subject to various management and social transitions, yet conventional approaches to rearing dairy calves limit social experience during early weeks of life. The objective of this study was to evaluate long-term effects of dairy calf social housing, with calves housed individually or in pairs, on long-term behavioral responses observed in pregnant heifers following social regrouping and introduction to a novel housing environment. Holstein heifers were raised during the milk-feeding period (provided 8 L/d milk replacer) in either individual pens (n = 20 heifers) or paired pens (n = 20 pens; 1 focal heifer/pen) and subsequently identically managed in groups on pasture from 9 weeks of age. At 30 d before expected calving, pregnant heifers were moved from pasture to a free stall barn, which represented introduction to a novel social group and an unfamiliar housing environment. Behavior was continuously recorded from video for 24 h, beginning at 0000 h on the day after introduction, to characterize feeding behavior, locomotor activity, and stall usage, as well as social proximity and competitive behavior surrounding the feed bunk and stall. Stocking density of the free stall barn fluctuated and was categorized as low (≤75%, 100 × animals in pen/available stalls), medium (>75%, 100%), or high (≥100%). Body weights obtained following calving indicated that previously PH heifers were heavier (632.3 vs. 593.4 kg; PH vs. IH), and body weight was included as a covariate in analysis of feeding behavior. Upon introduction to the free stall pen, previously PH heifers spent more time walking (1.9 vs. 1.3 min/h) with no effect of calf social housing on duration of lying time. However, stall use was subject to an interaction between previous housing treatment and stocking density and differed overall between previous housing treatments; previously PH heifers spent less time in the stall, particularly at high stocking density (29.4 vs. 48 min/h), due to shorter (29.6 vs. 95.7 min/visit) but marginally more frequent stall visits. Previously pair-housed heifers were also less likely to be displaced from a stall (44 vs. 85% of heifers replaced; PH vs. IH). Feeding behavior was similarly influenced by previous housing treatment particularly at high stocking density, with previously PH heifers spending more time feeding (8.2 vs. 4.2 min/h) and visiting the feed bunk more frequently (1.5 vs. 0.8 visits/h). These results suggest that preweaning social housing had long-term effects on behavior and ability to adapt to a novel environment which became most apparent under heightened competitive pressure.

Patterns and perceptions of vaping among adults living in social housing: a representative survey in Great Britain, 2023.

BACKGROUND: Vaping products are effective for helping people to stop smoking and may therefore offer a potential means to reduce high rates of smoking in socioeconomically disadvantaged groups. This study aimed to examine current patterns and perceptions of vaping among people living in social housing in Great Britain compared with those living in other housing types. METHODS: Data were from the Smoking Toolkit Study; a nationally-representative survey conducted in 2023 (n = 23,245). Logistic regression tested cross-sectional associations between living in social (vs. other) housing and current vaping among adults; vaping frequency, device type, nicotine concentration, and source of purchase among current vapers; use of vaping products as a smoking cessation aid among past-year smokers who tried to quit; and harm perceptions of vaping products relative to cigarettes among current smokers. RESULTS: Current vaping prevalence was twice as high among adults living in social housing (19.4%) compared with those in other housing types (10.4%; OR = 2.07, 95%CI = 1.84-2.33). This was partly explained by differences in sociodemographic characteristics and smoking status; after adjustment, the odds of being a current vaper were 33% higher (ORadj=1.33, 95%CI = 1.14-1.54). Among vapers, there were no notable differences by housing tenure in vaping frequency, main device type used, usual nicotine concentration, usual source of purchase, or use as a smoking cessation aid. However, current smokers living in social housing were more likely to think vaping is more harmful than cigarettes (31.6% vs. 21.8%; ORadj=1.61, 95%CI = 1.30-1.99). CONCLUSIONS: In Great Britain, adults who live in social housing are more likely to vape than those who live in other housing types, even after accounting for their younger age and higher smoking rates. However, misperceptions about the relative harms of vaping products and tobacco are common among smokers living in social housing. Interventions addressing these misperceptions could help encourage more people living in social housing to switch from smoking to vaping and reduce smoking-related health inequalities. PRE-REGISTRATION: The study protocol and analysis plan were pre-registered on Open Science Framework (https://osf.io/n3mvs/).

Exploring the Connection between Social Housing and Employment: A Scoping Review.

Adequate housing is a social determinant of health and well-being, providing stability from which people can engage in important life activities, including self-care and productivity. Social housing is a system-level intervention that aims to provide affordable housing to people vulnerable to experiencing social and economic marginalisation. Given the importance of employment to social-economic status and overall health and well-being, we sought to better understand the available knowledge and research related to employment and living in a social housing environment. We used scoping review methodology to explore peer-reviewed research published between 2012-2022 regarding social housing and employment, identifying 29 relevant articles. Using the Psychology of Working Theory and neighbourhood effects as interpretive theoretical frameworks, we analysed the extracted data. Overall, the results affirmed that social housing residents have low employment rates conceptualised as related to the complex interplay of a range of personal and environmental factors. Most published literature was quantitative and originated from the United States. Policy and research implications are discussed, including the need for more multifaceted, person-centred interventions that support employment and ultimately promote health and quality of life for social housing residents.

Pairing Laboratory-Housed Adult Male Rhesus Macaques (Macaca mulatta): Success Rates in Relation to Behavioral Response and Duration of Visual Contact.

While the benefits of pair housing have been well documented, less is known about increasing success in adult male macaque pair introductions. In this retrospective study, 95 unfamiliar adult male macaque (Macaca mulatta) pairs were examined to determine whether duration of visual contact, behavior, and age and weight were associated with success rate, with "success" defined as two weeks in full tactile contact without excessive behavioral indicators of incompatibility or injury requiring clinical treatment or care. Overall, the unfamiliar adult male pairs achieved a success rate of 72% and wounding requiring medical attention was rare (2%). A significant negative relationship between pair success and time in visual contact for pairs was found. Pairs who moved into tactile contact within 48-hours showed more positive social behaviors in protected and full contact and had a high rate of success (91%), while those who exhibited negative social behaviors were maintained in visual contact for longer. Nevertheless, rapid signs of compatibility were not necessary for the formation of successful pairs. While social introduction success rates steadily declined with increased periods of maintained visual contact, longer durations of 3 days to 1 week (70%), and 8+ days (58%), were still accompanied by high to moderate success, respectively. These results indicate that when negative social behavior is present early in visual contact success may be expected to decrease, but it is not necessarily indicative of incompatibility. Providing extra time in visual contact can reduce overall incidences of single housing.

Bringing the voice of social housing tenants into shaping the health and care research agenda.

BACKGROUND: A larger percentage of social housing tenants have poorer physical and mental health outcomes compared to private renters and homeowners. They are also at a greater risk of respiratory conditions, cardiovascular disease, communicable disease transmission and mortality. One approach that aims to reduce health inequalities is to create research partnerships with underserved local communities. Our primary aim was to develop a research partnership with social housing tenants in Nottingham and our secondary aim was to explore the health priorities of these social housing tenants to inform future research applications. We also hope to provide a descriptive process of PPI within a social housing context for other researchers to learn from. METHODS: We used Public and Patient Involvement (PPI) as the foundation of this work, as we believed that people with lived experience of social housing, also end-users of the research, were best placed to inform us of the areas with the greatest research need. Through online and in-person focus groups, we discussed with tenants, collectively named a Social Advisory Group (SAG), their health concerns and priorities. Together they raised 26 health issues, which were combined with 22 funding opportunity themes being offered by the NIHR (National Institute for Health and Care Research). This was with the purpose of investigating whether there was alignment between the health needs of Nottingham's social housing tenants and the NIHR's research priorities. A prioritisation technique (Diamond Nine) was used to sort in total, 48 areas of health and wellbeing, into three top priorities. Tenants were provided the opportunity to be involved in public health research in other ways too, such as reviewing this paper and also an NIHR Programme Development Grant application to expand and continue this work. One was also offered the opportunity to be a public co-applicant. RESULTS: The group prioritised improvements in the quality of social housing, mental health and healthcare services. There was only some alignment between these and the NIHR funding themes. Other factors, such as age and race, also determined individual health priorities. . The diversity and reach of the current project were limited, however this is something we hope to improve in the future with more funding. We learned that tenants have varying degrees of mobility and technological abilities, requiring both online and in-person meetings.

Social housing is offered to people who cannot afford to buy or rent in the open market, and a larger percentage of social housing tenants have poorer physical and mental health outcomes compared to the general population. One approach that aims to reduce health inequalities is to create sustainable research partnerships with underserved local communities. Our primary aim was to involve social housing tenants in public health research, as they are best placed to tell us the type of research they would benefit from. The secondary aim was to explore the health priorities of social housing tenants to inform future research applications. We also hope to describe the process of PPI within a social housing context for other researchers to learn from.To achieve these aims, we established a research partnership with a group of social housing tenants in Nottingham and spoke to them about the areas of their health they wanted to improve (i.e., their priorities). The topics that were discussed the most were the need for improved mental health, quality of social housing and healthcare services, however this varied between individuals according to race and age. We learned several things throughout this process. Firstly, the combination of mobility and technological abilities amongst tenants meant that meetings must be held both in-person and online. This ensured they remained accessible and convenient. Secondly, we learnt that in-person meetings should be held in a neutral space to encourage different members of the group to attend. Finally, in general, people were very enthusiastic about this partnership and were committed to seeing improvements in public health. We therefore provided more opportunities for the group to be involved in research. For example, they were offered the opportunity to write and edit a lay summary for a future research application, which was based on the priorities identified in this paper. One member of the group was nominated to be the public co-applicant , which would allow us to increase the reach of this housing work across the East Midlands. It would also allow us to increase the diversity of the group, as currently it is made up of mostly retired females of British origin. Involving the public in health research has been central to this process and continues to be important in the production of accessible and relevant research.

Structural changes in a Danish social housing area: The impact of forced permanent rehousing on contact frequency with general practitioner and use of antidepressants.

There is a lack of knowledge about the health consequences of politically initiated forced permanent rehousing (FPR) of residents in social housing areas. This study investigates if FPR is associated with the contact frequency with general practitioner (GP) and the proportion of residents who use antidepressants. The study included 432 rehoused residents matched 1:2 with remaining residents and residents from a comparable neighbouring area without exposure to rehousing. For GP contact frequency, we conducted a difference-in-difference analysis while the proportion of residents who used antidepressants was investigated through descriptive statistics. We found high GP contact frequency in the three groups, but no significant differences. Further, we found a low proportion of residents who used antidepressants in all groups, but a small increase from baseline to follow-up. Our results thus suggest that FPR neither affected the rehoused residents' GP contact frequency nor the proportion who used antidepressants.

Improvements in habitability and housing satisfaction after dwelling regeneration in social housing complexes. The RUCAS study.

Housing is a pressing problem worldwide and a key determinant of health and wellbeing. The right to adequate housing, as a pillar of the right to an adequate standard of living, means more than a roof to live under. Adequate means the dwelling must fulfill material functions and psychosocial functions, thus contributing to dwellers health and wellbeing. Social housing policies aim to fulfill the right to housing, but frequently fail in fulfilling the right to it being adequate. This study capitalizes on the implementation of a national urban regeneration program in two social housing villas in central Chile (one in Santiago, in the central valley, the other in Viña del Mar, a coastal city) to run a natural experiment assessing the impact of dwelling renovation on several dimensions of perceived habitability and housing satisfaction among the -mostly female-household homemakers. We use 5 waves of survey data collected with a step-wedge design to estimate the association between a time-varying exposure status (the intervention) and 7 binary outcomes for habitability and 5 for housing dissatisfaction, including overall housing satisfaction. We use Poisson regression models with robust variance and a random intercept at the respondent level. At baseline, reports of poor habitability and dissatisfaction across all features were markedly high, the highest levels of dissatisfaction being with acoustic insulation and dwelling size in both villas, and with indoor temperature in Santiago. The intervention resulted in statistically significant and markedly large improvements in reported habitability and dissatisfaction relative to those housing components targeted by the intervention, as well as with overall dwelling satisfaction in both study cases. Implications are, first, that the policy response to quantitative housing deficits must not overlook housing quality; second, that housing renovation appears as a promising intervention for qualitative housing crises; third, that while improvements in habitability and satisfaction are specific to the interventions in place, overall housing satisfaction can improve in more limited, tailored, dwelling renovation interventions. Social housing renovation in Latin America appears as a promising intervention to improve quality of life among the urban poor dwellers and reduce inequalities in health related to housing conditions.

A comparison of self-reported chronic disease, health awareness and behaviours in social housing residents: cross-sectional study of communities in Ontario and Quebec.

OBJECTIVE: Social housing programs are integral to making housing more affordable to Canadian seniors living in poverty. Although the programs are similar across Canada, there may be inter-provincial differences among the health of residents that could guide the development of interventions. This study explores the health of low-income seniors living in social housing in Quebec and compares it with previously reported data from Ontario. RESULTS: 80 responses were obtained in Quebec to compare with the previously reported Ontario data (n = 599) for a total of 679 responses. More Ontario residents had access to a family doctor (p < 0.001). Quebec residents experienced less problems with self-care (p = 0.017) and less mobility issues (p = 0.052). The visual analog scale for overall health state was similar in both provinces (mean = 67.36 in Ontario and 69.23 in Quebec). Residents in Quebec smoked more cigarettes per day (p = 0.009). More residents in Ontario participated in moderate physical activity (p = 0.09), however, they also spent more time per day on the computer (p = 0.006).

Widespread occurrence of pesticides in low-income housing.

BACKGROUND: Low socioeconomic status (SES) residents living in social housing, which is subsidized by government or government-funded agencies, may have higher exposures to pesticides used in indoor residences since pesticides are applied due to structural deficiencies, poor maintenance, etc. OBJECTIVE: To estimate exposure of residents in low-SES social housing built in the 1970s to legacy and current-use pesticides and to investigate factors related to exposures. METHODS: Twenty-eight particle-phase pesticides were measured in the indoor air of 46 units in seven low-income social housing, multi-unit residential buildings (MURBs) in Toronto, Canada using portable air cleaners deployed for 1 week in 2017. Pesticides analyzed were legacy and current use in the classes: organochlorines, organophosphates, pyrethroids, and strobilurins. RESULTS: At least one pesticide was detected in 89% of the units with detection frequencies (DF) for individual pesticides of up to 50%, including legacy organochlorines and current-use pesticides. Current-use pyrethroids had the highest DF and concentrations, with the highest particle-phase concentration for pyrethrin I at 32,000 pg/m3. Heptachlor, restricted for use in Canada in 1985, had the highest estimated maximum total air (particle plus gas phase) concentration of 443,000 pg/m3. Heptachlor, lindane, endosulfan I, chlorothalonil, allethrin, and permethrin (except in one study) had higher concentrations than those measured in low-income residences reported elsewhere. In addition to the intentional use of pesticides to control pests and their use in building materials and paints, tobacco smoking was significantly correlated with the concentrations of five pesticides used on tobacco crops. The distribution of pesticides with high DF in individual buildings suggested that pest eradication programs by the building management and/or pesticide use by residents were the major sources of measured pesticides. IMPACT: Low-income social housing fills a much-needed demand, but the residences are prone to pest infestation and hence pesticide use. We found exposure to at least 1 of 28 particle-phase pesticides in 89% of all 46 units tested, with the highest DF and concentrations for current-use pyrethroids and long-banned organochlorines (e.g., DDT, heptachlor) due to very high persistence indoors. Also measured were several pesticides not registered for use indoors, e.g., strobilurins used to treat building materials and pesticides used on tobacco crops. These results, which are the first Canadian data for most pesticides indoors, show widespread exposure to numerous pesticides.

Identifying the criteria for community-centred Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment of estate regeneration schemes.

Identifying the overall environmental, and socioeconomic impacts of different estate regeneration scenarios can contribute to the overall sustainability of such schemes. Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment (LCSA) is an appropriate tool for assessing holistic sustainability. To achieve resilient societies, the interests of communities should be considered in decision making. This paper proposes a method for incorporating community needs in identifying sustainability metrics for the sustainability assessment of estate regeneration schemes. A literature review in the field of sustainability assessment of buildings is conducted followed by a mixed methods empirical research. Collection of data has been through surveys, an interview, and an evaluation questionnaire. Data has been analysed through statistical and thematic analysis and triangulation of the results. The findings have consistently yielded the limitations of the scope of the current sustainability assessment methodologies, especially for lack of attention to societal impacts of regeneration. The results have justified the need for this research to employ participatory approaches for identifying a relevant set of sustainability indicators and criteria for assessing the lifetime impacts of estate regeneration schemes. Issues related to community involvement in decision making, maintenance and management, community facilities, refurbishment, and disruption have been identified as the stakeholders' top priorities. Mental Health and Socioeconomic Values have been introduced as new criteria. The findings confirm the need for an in-depth approach towards identifying the regeneration priorities of the communities for the scope of LCSA studies. The identified list of criteria can apply to other studies of this context for an equitable approach for selecting the indicators across different criteria and for communicating the LCSA results with different stakeholders.

Calf Management: Individual or Paired Housing Affects Dairy Calf Health and Welfare.

Previous research has indicated that preweaned dairy calves reared in pairs compared with individually have improved performance and indicators of animal welfare. One hundred and thirty Holstein female calves completed the trial, with eighty-five being allocated to paired housing and forty-five calves being allocated to individual housing. Daily live weight gain (DLWG), treatments and mortality were recorded throughout the preweaning period. Salivary cortisol, latency to feed and latency to approach a novel object were assessed at batching. There were no significant differences in DLWG, mortality and disease treatments between the average of the pair and the individually housed calves, although the pair-reared calves were quicker to approach the milk feed after batching and interacted more quickly with a novel object. The heaviest born calves within the pair had the highest DLWG from birth to weaning, with a higher percentage of calves approaching the novel object, compared with the lightest born calf within the pair. This study shows that calves within a pair may have significantly different performance and welfare during the preweaning period, with the heavier calf outperforming and displaying less fear and more exploratory behaviour than the lighter calf within a pair.

Effects of social housing on alcohol intake in mice depend on the non-social environment.

Background: Excessive alcohol consumption leads to serious health problems. Mechanisms regulating the consumption of alcohol are insufficiently understood. Previous preclinical studies suggested that non-social environmental and social environmental complexities can regulate alcohol consumption in opposite directions. However, previous studies did not include all conditions and/or did not include female rodents. Therefore, in this study, we examined the effects of social versus single housing in standard versus non-standard housing conditions in male and female mice. Methods: Adult C57BL/6 J mice were housed in either standard shoebox cages or in automated Herdsman 2 (HM2) cages and exposed to a two-bottle choice procedure with 3% or 6% ethanol versus water for 5 days. The HM2 cages use radiotracking devices to measure the fluid consumption of individual mice in an undisturbed and automated manner. In both housing conditions, mice were housed either at one or at four per cage. Results: In standard cages, group housing of animals decreased alcohol consumption and water consumption. In HM2 cages, group housing significantly increased ethanol preference and decreased water intake. There were no significant differences in these effects between male and female animals. These observations were similar for 3 and 6% ethanol solutions but were more pronounced for the latter. The effects of social environment on ethanol preference in HM2 cages were accompanied by an increase in the number of approaches to the ethanol solution and a decrease in the number of approaches to water. The differences in ethanol intake could not be explained by differences in locomotor or exploratory activity as socially housed mice showed fewer non-consummatory visits to the ethanol solutions than single-housed animals. In addition, we observed that significant changes in behaviors measuring the approach to the fluid were not always accompanied by significant changes in fluid consumption, and vice versa, suggesting that it is important to assess both measures of motivation to consume alcohol. Conclusion: Our results indicate that the direction of the effects of social environment on alcohol intake in mice depends on the non-social housing environment. Understanding mechanisms by which social and non-social housing conditions modulate alcohol intake could suggest approaches to counteract environmental factors enhancing hazardous alcohol consumption.

Health effects of holistic housing renovation in a disadvantaged neighbourhood in the Netherlands: a qualitative exploration among residents and professionals.

BACKGROUND: Holistic housing renovations combine physical housing improvements with social and socioeconomic interventions (e.g. referral to social services, debt counselling, involvement in decision-making, promoting social cohesion). In a deprived neighbourhood in Utrecht, the Netherlands, this paper examined residents' and professionals' experiences, ideas, and perceptions regarding holistic housing renovation, its health effects, and underlying mechanisms explaining those effects. METHODS: Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 21 social housing residents exposed to holistic housing renovation, and 12 professionals involved in either the physical renovation or social interventions implemented. Residents were interviewed in various renovation stages (before, during, after renovation). Transcripts were deductively and inductively coded using qualitative software. RESULTS: Residents experienced and professionals acknowledged renovation stress caused by nuisance from construction work (noise, dust), having to move stuff around, and temporary moving; lack of information and control; and perceived violation of privacy. Involvement in design choices was appreciated, and mental health improvement was expected on the long term due to improved housing quality and visual amenity benefits. Social contact between residents increased as the renovation became topic for small talk. Few comments were made regarding physical health effects. The interviews revealed a certain amount of distrust in and dissatisfaction with the housing corporation, construction company, and other authorities. CONCLUSIONS: Renovation stress, aggravated by lack of information and poor accessibility of housing corporation and construction company, negatively affects mental health and sense of control. Potential stress relievers are practical help with packing and moving furniture, and increased predictability by good and targeted communication. Social interventions can best be offered after renovation, when residents live in their renovated apartment and the nuisance and stress from the renovation is behind them. Social partners can use the period leading up to the renovation to show their faces, offer practical help to reduce renovation stress, and increase residents' trust in their organization and authorities in general. This might also contribute to residents' willingness to accept help with problems in the social domain after renovation.

Producer perceptions of dairy calf management, behavior, and welfare.

Approaches for raising calves vary across commercial dairy farms and relate to behavioral opportunities and animal welfare. The objectives of this study were to evaluate how US dairy producers and calf managers perceive (1) the welfare implications of varying management practices (including social housing and milk allowance) and behaviors in dairy calves, and (2) aspects of the human-animal relationship in calf rearing and relationships with on-farm management and personal calf handling habits. Survey questions were primarily quantitative (e.g., Likert scales) and addressed how common calf management practices and observed calf behaviors were related to aspects of welfare, including calf health and comfort. We additionally posed questions addressing respondent habits, management protocols, and perceptions related to human-animal interaction. Responses from 93 dairy producers and calf managers were collected via digital surveys. Social housing was viewed as being generally positive for both calf comfort and health, although this view was stronger with respect to calf comfort. Respondents from farms using social housing (56%) had more positive perceptions of social housing, viewed social play as being associated with better calf comfort and health, and considered access to other calves and "freedom to express natural behavior" as being more important for calves, compared with respondents from farms not providing social housing. Providing greater milk allowances (>7.6 L/d) was viewed as being good for both calf comfort and health, although respondents from farms providing these milk allowances (59%) had more positive perceptions than those who provided lesser allowances. Abnormal oral behaviors were viewed as being associated with both poor calf comfort and health. The welfare importance of various resources which may reduce abnormal oral behaviors (including hay and brushes) was perceived more ambiguously, although respondents from farms providing these resources, compared with those who do not, generally viewed them as more preferred by calves. We observed a positive relationship between how respondents perceived the human-animal bond (i.e., that calves enjoy contact with humans) and stated personal behavior related to calf contact (frequency of contacting calves to scratch or pet them). Respondent demographics were not related to perceptions of the human-animal relationship, but respondents identifying as female described more frequent positive calf interactions. Described aspects of human-animal interactions were not related to implementation of social housing on-farm. Job satisfaction was positively related to perception of the human-animal relationship. Overall, these results suggest that most calf management personnel place a high value on calf welfare, although farms implementing social housing appear to place a greater value on subjective calf well-being, and individual perceptions of animal welfare may depend on practical experience.

Assessment of the mechanical and physical characteristics of PET bricks with different aggregates.

Construction and demolition waste, along with discarded PET plastic bottles, have evolved into a widespread global resource. However, their current disposal in landfills poses a significant environmental pollution challenge. This research is centered on evaluating the performance of cement mortar composed by larger PET particles in conjunction with sand, construction and demolition waste, and lightweight expanded polystyrene aggregates. The primary objective of this study is to formulate a blend suitable for non-structural elements that can be easily manufactured for social housing construction. This modified blend extends upon the original certified mixture employed at CEVE for brick production, which encompasses cement and 3 mm-long PET particles. The experimental analysis revealed that blend containing 8 mm-long PET particles, in combination with fine aggregates of construction and demolition waste, attained a required mechanical strength of 2 MPa, while preserving the bulk density and hydric properties of the initial PET bricks developed at CEVE in Argentina.

An automated group-housed oral fentanyl self-administration method in mice.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: Social factors play a critical role in human drug addiction, and humans often consume drugs together with their peers. In contrast, in traditional animal models of addiction, rodents consume or self-administer the drug in their homecage or operant self-administration chambers while isolated from their peers. Here, we describe HOMECAGE ("Home-cage Observation and Measurement for Experimental Control and Analysis in a Group-housed Environment"), a translationally relevant method for studying oral opioid self-administration in mice. This setting reduces experimental confounds introduced by social isolation or interaction with the experimenter. METHODS: We have developed HOMECAGE, a method in which mice are group-housed and individually monitored for their consumption of a drug vs. a reference liquid. RESULTS: Mice in HOMECAGE preserve naturalistic aspects of behavior, including social interactions and circadian activity. The mice showed a preference for fentanyl and escalated their fentanyl intake over time. Mice preferred to consume fentanyl in bouts during the dark cycle. Mice entrained to the reinforcement schedule of the task, optimizing their pokes to obtain fentanyl rewards, and maintained responding for fentanyl under a progressive ratio schedule. HOMECAGE also enabled the detection of cage-specific and individual-specific behavior patterns and allowed the identification of differences in fentanyl consumption between co-housed control and experimental mice. CONCLUSIONS: HOMECAGE serves as a valuable procedure for translationally relevant studies on oral opioid intake under conditions that more closely mimic the human condition. The method enables naturalistic investigation of factors contributing to opioid addiction-related behaviors and can be used to identify novel treatments.

Telephone-Based Training Intervention for Using Digital Communication Technologies for Social Housing Residents During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Mixed Methods Feasibility and Acceptability Evaluation.

BACKGROUND: In an era in which digital communication technologies play a pivotal role in everyday life, social housing residents remain highly susceptible to digital exclusion. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of a telephone-based training intervention designed to empower people to confidently use digital communication technologies (ie, video calls and web-based messaging). METHODS: Conducted in collaboration with a UK social housing association, the intervention was facilitated by a unitary authority's Digital Inclusion Team during the COVID-19 pandemic. A mixed methods approach was used, encompassing quantitative and qualitative data collection on demand, reach, implementation, and potential outcomes. Demographic and qualitative data on the reasons for undertaking or not undertaking the training were collected via telephone interviews during the recruitment process. Digital competency and well-being data were collected via a self-reported survey before and after the intervention. RESULTS: Among the 4485 residents who were offered training, 67 (1.49%) expressed interest, of whom 12 (18%) of the 67 completed the training. The findings indicate a demand for basic digital training among social housing residents. The key findings revolve around the substantial dropout rate among those who were interested in undertaking the training. Barriers were strongly influenced by socioeconomic and health circumstances, reflecting the sociodigital inequalities commonly found in this group. For the training participants, the intervention was acceptable and achieved its goals, demonstrating the potential of tailored, persistent training efforts in overcoming barriers. There were no changes in self-reported well-being or digital competency outcomes (but this was limited by the small sample size). CONCLUSIONS: Sociodigital inequalities impact the reach, implementation, and acceptability of telephone-based digital training for social housing residents. Barriers to reaching and training digitally excluded groups can be overcome through the use of trusted intermediaries, personalized recruitment approaches, the minimization of administrative barriers, and tailored and agile training programs. Recognizing the resource-intensive nature of such initiatives, this study calls for enhanced recognition of intermediary efforts in national digital inclusion policies.

Comparison of behavior, thermoregulation, and growth of pair-housed versus individually housed calves in outdoor hutches during continental wintertime.

Cold stress negatively affects the welfare of calves in outdoor hutches. No studies have examined the potential benefits of pair housing calves to buffer against cold stress. Our study evaluated the effects of pair versus individual housing on thermoregulatory, behavioral, and growth performance responses of calves in outdoor hutches during a Wisconsin continental winter. Forty-eight Holstein-Friesian heifer calves were enrolled into 1 of 2 housing treatments: individually (n = 16 calves) or pair housed (n = 16 pairs; 32 calves). Calves were fed milk twice daily, with ad libitum access to starter and water. Step-down weaning began on d 42 of life, and all milk was removed on d 54. Data collection continued through d 59. Calves were restricted inside a hutch (pair-housed calves in the same hutch) for 1 h during wk 4, 6, and 9 of life; internal hutch air temperature (T) was recorded with data loggers, and rectal temperature (RT) was recorded outside the hutch before and after restriction. On the subsequent 3 d in those weeks, calves' locations (outside or inside a hutch) were recorded at 15-min intervals using time-lapse cameras. Linear mixed models (change in T and RT after 1 h) and generalized linear mixed models with a ß distribution (proportion of time spent inside hutches) were used to evaluate the fixed effects of housing treatment, week of life, and their interaction. For pair-housed calves, preference to be together was evaluated using one-sample t-tests comparing the proportion of time they were observed in the same location against 50% (chance, no preference), separately for each week of life. Predicted dry matter intake (DMI) of starter and body weight (BW) were standardized by day of life using regression models and used to calculate average daily gain (ADG) and feed conversion ratio (FCR; DMI of starter/ADG). Linear mixed models were constructed for each measure, separately for the preweaning, weaning, and postweaning periods, with a fixed effect of housing treatment; the models for BW included birth weight as a covariate. All mixed models included a random term for housing unit (individual or pair of calves) nested within treatment. Hutch T increased more after 1 h with pair-housed calves inside than with those housed individually (+2.3 vs. 1.4°C, respectively; standard error of the mean = 0.26°C). However, no treatment differences were detected in RT. Individually housed calves spent more time inside the hutches than pair-housed ones (93.9 vs. 90.7% of total time, respectively; standard error of the mean = 0.8%), and the latter chose to be together most of the time, regardless of location (90.0 ± 1.3%, 88.6 ± 1.2%, and 79.4 ± 4.2% in wk 4, 6, and 9 of life, respectively). After weaning, there was some evidence suggesting that pair-housed calves had greater starter DMI than those housed individually. No effects of housing type were found on FCR, BW, or ADG. Our study is the first to explicitly examine the potential benefits of pair housing for alleviating cold stress in outdoor-housed dairy calves, and we found limited evidence in support of our hypotheses.

Digital competence and psychological wellbeing in a social housing community: a repeated survey study.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about whether digital competence is related to psychological wellbeing, with most previous research focusing on students and elderly people. There is also limited evidence on seasonal changes in psychological wellbeing, particularly in specific groups. Social housing residents are an underserved and under-researched population. The objectives of this study were to explore associations between digital competence (assessed by general technology self-efficacy) and psychological wellbeing (assessed by mental wellbeing and life satisfaction), and to explore seasonal effects, in social housing residents. METHODS: A repeated survey design was used. The Happiness Pulse questionnaire with a bespoke digital module was sent via post or e-mail at four timepoints between July 2021 and July 2022 to 167 social housing residents in West Cornwall, England. There were 110 respondents in total; thirty completed all four questionnaires and 59 completed an autumn/winter and summer questionnaire. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential methods including regression, repeated measures analysis of variance and panel analysis. RESULTS: Significant positive associations were found between digital self-efficacy and mental wellbeing, and between digital self-efficacy and life satisfaction. However, there were no significant seasonal changes in psychological wellbeing. CONCLUSIONS: The findings extend the existing literature beyond student and elderly populations and suggest that improving digital competence is a potential pathway to improving psychological wellbeing. Surveys with larger samples and qualitative studies are needed to elucidate the mechanisms involved.