Development and growth of the temporal fascia: a histological study using human fetuses.

The temporal fascia is a double lamina sandwiching a thick fat layer above the zygomatic bony arch. To characterize each lamina, their developmental processes were examined in fetuses. We observed histological sections from 22 half-heads of 10 mid-term fetuses at 14-18 weeks (crown-rump length, 95-150 mm) and 12 near-term fetuses at 26-40 weeks (crown-rump length, 215-334 mm). The superficial lamina of the temporal fascia was not evident at mid-term. Instead, a loose subcutaneous tissue was attached to the thin, deep lamina of the temporal fascia covering the temporalis muscle. At near-term, the deep lamina became thick, while the superficial lamina appeared and exhibited several variations: i) a mono-layered thick membrane (5 specimens); ii) a multi-layered membranous structure (6) and; iii) a cluster of independent thick fasciae each of which were separated by fatty tissues (1). In the second and third patterns, fatty tissue between the two laminae was likely to contain longitudinal fibrous bands in parallel with the deep lamina. Varying proportions of the multi-layered superficial lamina were not attached to the zygomatic arch, but extended below the bony arch. Whether or not lobulation or septation of fatty tissues was evident was not dependent on age. The deep lamina seemed to develop from the temporalis muscle depending on the muscle contraction. In contrast, the superficial lamina developed from subcutaneous collagenous bundles continuous to the cheek. Therein, a difference in development was clearly seen between two categories of the fasciae.

Training strategies of 10,074 athletes from 121 countries based on human development index in early COVID-19 lockdown.

The aim of this study was to investigate relationships between changes in training practices and human development index (HDI) levels, and identify strategies employed by athletes who consistently maintained their training quantity during the first 100 days of the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 10,074 athletes (5290 amateur and 4787 professional athletes from 121 countries) completed an online survey between 17 May to 5 July 2020. We explored their training practices, including specific questions on training frequency, duration and quantity before and during lockdown (March-June 2020), stratified according to the human development index (HDI): low-medium, high, or very high HDI. During the COVID-19 lockdown, athletes in low-medium HDI countries focused on innovative training. Nevertheless, women and amateur athletes experienced a substantial reduction in training activity. Performance-driven athletes and athletes from higher HDI indexed countries, were likely to have more opportunities to diversify training activities during lockdowns, facilitated by the flexibility to perform training away from home. Factors such as lockdown rules, socioeconomic environment, and training education limited training diversification and approaches, particularly in low-medium and high HDI countries. Athletes (amateurs and professionals) who maintained the quantity of training during lockdown appeared to prioritize basic cardiovascular and strength training, irrespective of HDI level. Modifying training and fitness programs may help mitigate the decrease in training activities during lockdowns. Customized training prescriptions based on gender, performance, and HDI level will assist individuals to effectively perform and maintain training activities during lockdowns, or other challenging (lockdown-like) situations.

The sociocultural influences in Lawrence Kohlberg's life: a psychobiography.

Lawrence Kohlberg (1927-1987) was a moral development specialist and moral teacher. He is considered an exceptional individual due to the success he obtained from developing his Theory of Moral Development. Throughout Kohlberg's life, there was a reciprocal influence between Kohlberg's development and the sociocultural influences of his time, guiding his life story. This psychobiography used a longitudinal, single-case research design from the qualitative paradigm, utilising the descriptive-interpretive approach to explore the influences which shaped major life events in Kohlberg's life. This research design enabled the illumination of how sociocultural circumstances shaped various spheres in Kohlberg's life, such as his identity, education, career path and vocational success. This was done through using Bronfenbrenner's Bioecological Theory of Human Development Framework, by including its enmeshed, most up-to-date scientific research design, the Proximal-Person-Context-Time Model.

A chronicle of the liberation struggle: the career development of Ahmed Kathrada.

Ahmed Kathrada (1929-2017), an anti-apartheid activist, political prisoner, and parliamentary politician had been at the centre of South Africa's liberation struggle for six decades and is remembered as a soft-spoken, strong-willed and incorruptible freedom fighter. This psychobiography uses the career development framework of Jeffrey Greenhaus and the ecological human development systems framework proposed by Urie Bronfenbrenner to investigate and illuminate Kathrada's life history. Kathrada was purposively selected as subject due to his extraordinary contributions to the liberation struggle. The study used primary and secondary documentary data. The findings indicate poor alignment between the age categories proposed by the Greenhaus framework and Kathrada's career development stages due to him joining the liberation movement at a very young age, his rapid career development during the early career stage and the impact of imprisonment on his career development. The findings relating to Bronfenbrenner's theoretical framework illustrate the interaction between individual and environmental factors that influenced Kathrada's life and career. Ultimately, employing two theoretical frameworks assisted in formulating a pragmatic, holistic and comprehensive psychobiography that illuminates Kathrada's life and career. The study contributes to the legacy of Kathrada and underscores the importance of longitudinal studies in the career development of extraordinary individuals.

Content analysis of the Measure of the Quality of the Environment by linkage with the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health.

BACKGROUND: This study explores the linkage between the Measurement of Environmental Quality (MQE) and the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF). Stemming from the Human Development Model-Disability Creation Process (HDM-DCP), MQE enhances understanding of how environmental quality impacts disability development across diverse socio-cultural contexts. Integrating MQE with ICF expands the perspective on disability formation beyond HDM-DCP, encompassing ICF's functioning approach. OBJECTIVE: To link the MQE with the concepts and categories of the ICF. METHODS: Two health professionals with adequate taxonomic knowledge of the ICF performed the initial linkage, which was based on updated standardized rules considering all hierarchical levels of the ICF. Linkage agreement between the first two assessors was measured using the Kappa (k) coefficient and respective 95% confidence intervals. In the absence of a consensus between the two assessors (k > 0.60), a third assessor was consulted to make the arbitrary decision of the final categories linked to the MQE. RESULTS: Insufficient agreement between the two assessors was found for the linkage process (k = 0.52; p < 0.001), requiring the final decision from the third assessor. At the end of the process, 26 ICF categories were linked to the main concepts (MC) measured by the 26 items of the short version of the MQE. Ten ICF categories were linked to the additional concepts (AC) measured by the MQE. Moreover, the MQE addresses the five domains of the ICF component "environmental factors," with a predominance of the "services, systems and policies" domain (MC = 45.8% and AC = 40%). CONCLUSION: The linkage of the concepts measured by the MQE to ICF categories enabled mapping the content of the MQE, identifying it as a promising tool for measuring environmental factors in accordance with ICF percepts.

[Anaesthesia for Emergent Caesarean Section: A Population-based Study on Icelandic and Migrant Women during 2007-2018].

INTRODUCTION: General anaesthesia for emergent caesarean section, though uncommon, is vital in expediting deliveries. Studies indicate higher complication risks among pregnant migrant women. This research investigates if migrant women in Iceland are more likely to undergo general anaesthesia for emergent caesarean section compared to their Icelandic counterparts. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This population-based cohort study analysed 4,415 emergency caesarean sections in Iceland between 2007 and 2018, sourced from the National Birth Registry. Participants were categorized by citizenship, with migrants further stratified by their country's Human Development Index (HDI). NCSP-IS and ICD-10 codes indexed diseases, interventions, and complications. The impact of variables was assessed through multiple logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Migrant women received general anaesthesia in 16.1% of cases, slightly surpassing Icelandic women's 14.6%. Adjusting for risk factors showed no increased risk for migrant women. However, they had a higher likelihood of urgent caesarean sections (OR 1.45, 95% CI 1.08-1.94, p=0.015), a known risk factor for general anaesthesia, despite fewer comorbidities. Adjusting for confounders revealed reduced odds with a history of previous caesarean section (aOR 0.73, 95% CI 0.59-0.89, p=0.003) and placement of epidural anaesthesia in the delivery room (aOR 0.49, 95% CI 0.40-0.60, p< 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Migrant women in Iceland do not face increased risks of general anaesthesia for emergent caesarean sections. However, their elevated risk of urgent caesarean sections suggests potential challenges, including language barriers or inadequate antenatal care. Early information dissemination and targeted interventions may mitigate these risks in this vulnerable community.

Contributions to inclusive and impactful development and psychopathology science: interrogating ecology-linked vulnerability and resilience opportunities.

Since its launch in a 1984 Special Issue of Child Development, significant contributions and insights have followed that have expanded our understanding of psychopathology and normal human growth and development. Despite these efforts, there are persistent and under-analyzed skewed patterns of vulnerability across and within groups. The persistence of a motivated forgetfulness to acknowledge citizens' uneven access to resources and supports, or as stated elsewhere, "inequality presence denial," is, at minimum, a policy, social and health practice problem. This article will examine some of these issues from the standpoint of a universal human vulnerability perspective. It also investigates sources of resistance to acknowledging and responding to the scholarship production problem of uneven representations of basic human development research versus psychopathology preoccupations by race. Collectively, findings suggest interesting "patchwork" patterns of particular cultural repertoires as ordinary social and scholarly traditions.

Correlation of geopolitics, education, democracy with COVID-19 vaccination rate.

INTRODUCTION: Vaccine hesitancy is an ongoing problem and determining the factors that increase the vaccination rate in various countries of the world might be useful for further implementation of efficient public health policies and negating anti-vaccination campaigns. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Human Development Index (HDI), Education Index (EI), Democracy Index (DI), COVID-19 vaccination rates, COVID-19 data were collected from public sources such as UNDP - Human Development Reports, UNESCO - Education Index, Economist Intelligence, WHO- COVID-19 Dashboard, Our World In Data, The Financial Times COVID-19 Dashboard. Statistical analysis such as Pearson correlation, and linear regression analyses were done to determine a relation between the above-mentioned indices and COVID-19 vaccination rates (1-dose, 2-dose, booster, and combined). RESULTS: HDI had the strongest positive correlation with the vaccination rates (1-dose- r (181) = 0.632, p < 0.001, 2-dose- r (181) = 0.671, p < 0.001, booster- r (181) = 0.718, p < 0.001, combined- 0.703, p < 0.001). EI (1-dose- r (177) = 0.560, p < 0.001, 2-dose- r (177) = 0.599, p < 0.001, booster- r (177) = 0.642, p < 0.001, combined- 0.626, p < 0.001), DI (1-dose- r (163) = 0.445, p < 0.001, 2-dose- r (163) = 0.479, p < 0.001, booster- r (163) = 0.534, p < 0.001, combined- 0.508, p < 0.001), as well as Geographic location (1-dose- η (Eta) = 0.610 p < 0.001, 2-dose- η (Eta) = 0.633 p < 0.001, booster- η (Eta) = 0.657, p < 0.001, combined- η (Eta) = 0.645, p < 0.001) had positive correlation with vaccination rates. CONCLUSION: There is a strong positive correlation of COVID-19 vaccination rates with HDI and EI.

Developing a broad perspective of future work and career in medical students through field trips to a disaster area: a qualitative study.

OBJECTIVE: Field trips to disaster-affected areas (FTDAs) without a specific purpose, such as medical cooperation, are widely used in medical education. However, what medical students gain from FTDAs remains unclear. The present study aimed to clarify what medical students gain from FTDAs. Five medical students who had visited the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan participated in a semi-structured group interview to ask what they gained from such a visit. The narratives were analysed using open coding. RESULTS: The following four themes emerged: "Spirit of scientific inquiry", "Foundation for lifelong education and personal growth", "Broadened understanding of the medical profession", and "Importance of practicing medicine in the community setting". The ambiguity of medical students' specific roles in the field trip compared to the fieldwork may have encouraged them to make sense of the experience from their perspective. As a result, students may have gained a broader perspective of their future work and career through the FTDA. If medical educators can gain consensus from the residents of a disaster site, different disaster-affected areas can be potential sites for medical education using FTDAs.

A preliminary investigation of epigenome-wide DNA methylation and temperament during infancy.

This study provides preliminary evidence for an epigenetic architecture of infant temperament. At 12 months of age, blood was collected and assayed for DNA methylation and maternally reported infant temperament was assessed using the Infant Behavior Questionnaire in 67 mother-infant dyads. Epigenome-wide analyses showed that the higher order temperament dimensions Surgency and Negative Affect were associated with DNA methylation. The epigenetic signatures of Surgency and Negative Affect were situated at genes involved in synaptic signaling and plasticity. Although replication is required, these results are consistent with a biologically based model of temperament, create new avenues for hypothesis-driven research into epigenetic pathways that underlie individual differences in temperament, and demonstrate that infant temperament has a widespread epigenetic signature in the methylome.

Prevalence of postpartum depression symptoms in high-income, and low- and middle-income countries in the Covid-19 pandemic: a systematic review with meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To perform a meta-analysis and comparison between high-income, and low- and middle-income countries postpartum depression symptoms prevalences. METHODS: PubMed, Embase, Virtual Health Library, Scopus, Web of Science, PsycINFO and CINAHL databases were searched until October 2022 for studies that collected data from pandemic. The metaprop command was used in the Stata statistical software v.12.0 to run a random-effects meta-analysis. RESULTS: A total of 15 studies with 4,788 postpartum women were included. The overall prevalence of postpartum depression symptoms was 31% (95% CI: 21.85-40.99). The pooled prevalence of postpartum depression symptoms among women from high-income countries [30.5% (95% CI: 16.95-46.02)] did not differ significantly from that among women from low- and middle-income countries [31.5% (95% CI: 19.26-45.15)]. However, studies that analyzed women up to one month after childbirth had a lower prevalence of postpartum depression symptoms [17.5% (95% CI: 9.85-26.62)] compared to those that observed them up to one year after childbirth [38.3% (95% CI: 33.96-42.83)]. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of postpartum depression symptoms was high regardless of the country's human development index and it must be regularly tracked around the world to assess, discuss, and recommend more assertive steps that may be implemented based on the particular characteristics of each country.

Examining resilience among child protection professionals during COVID-19: A global comparison across 57 countries.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic led to numerous challenges for child protection professionals (CPPs). However, limited research has investigated the interwoven concepts of coping, resilience, and mental distress among CPPs during COVID-19 on a global scale. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to explore CPPs' practice, resilience, and mental distress during COVID-19, the relationship between their resilience and mental distress, the global stability of the Multi-System Model of Resilience (MSMR), and how CPPs' resilience varied according to the Human Development Index (HDI). METHODS: Data were collected from 420 CPPs in 57 countries across five continents between July and September 2021. Participants completed an online questionnaire on demographics, resilience, mental distress, coping, and perceptions of child protection during the pandemic in their native languages. The analyses compared the countries grouped according to HDI using means comparisons, correlations, and multiple linear regressions. A two-path analysis was also performed to identify variables associated with behavioral resilience engagement and mental distress. RESULTS: The findings indicated that CPPs' perceptions of COVID-19's impact on child maltreatment varied in correlation with their country's HDI. There were also significant HDI-based differences regarding the perceived opportunity to engage in resilient behavior and its helpfulness. Years of professional experience, internal resilience, and external resilience were shown to be significant predictors of mental distress among CPPs during the pandemic, and resilience mediated how years of experience predicted mental distress. CONCLUSIONS: This study emphasized the importance of experience and internal resilience for CPPs' psychological well-being. It also provides empirical evidence to support the MSMR theory on a global scale. Additionally, it demonstrates how the perceived changes in child maltreatment during COVID-19 may be associated with regional HDI. Lastly, the opportunities CPPs had to engage in resilient behavior and how much this helped them was associated with regional HDI, but not in the way originally predicted. Study results also hold implications for how practice and policy may be altered to help CPPs cope better during times of crisis and generally.

In vitro and in vivo models define a molecular signature reference for human embryonic notochordal cells.

Understanding the emergence of human notochordal cells (NC) is essential for the development of regenerative approaches. We present a comprehensive investigation into the specification and generation of bona fide NC using a straightforward pluripotent stem cell (PSC)-based system benchmarked with human fetal notochord. By integrating in vitro and in vivo transcriptomic data at single-cell resolution, we establish an extended molecular signature and overcome the limitations associated with studying human notochordal lineage at early developmental stages. We show that TGF-ß inhibition enhances the yield and homogeneity of notochordal lineage commitment in vitro. Furthermore, this study characterizes regulators of cell-fate decision and matrisome enriched in the notochordal niche. Importantly, we identify specific cell-surface markers opening avenues for differentiation refinement, NC purification, and functional studies. Altogether, this study provides a human notochord transcriptomic reference that will serve as a resource for notochord identification in human systems, diseased-tissues modeling, and facilitating future biomedical research.

Scaling patterns of cortical folding and thickness in early human brain development in comparison with primates.

Across mammalia, brain morphology follows specific scaling patterns. Bigger bodies have bigger brains, with surface area outpacing volume growth, resulting in increased foldedness. We have recently studied scaling rules of cortical thickness, both local and global, finding that the cortical thickness difference between thick gyri and thin sulci also increases with brain size and foldedness. Here, we investigate early brain development in humans, using subjects from the Developing Human Connectome Project, scanned shortly after pre-term or full-term birth, yielding magnetic resonance images of the brain from 29 to 43 postmenstrual weeks. While the global cortical thickness does not change significantly during this development period, its distribution does, with sulci thinning, while gyri thickening. By comparing our results with our recent work on humans and 11 non-human primate species, we also compare the trajectories of primate evolution with human development, noticing that the 2 trends are distinct for volume, surface area, cortical thickness, and gyrification index. Finally, we introduce the global shape index as a proxy for gyrification index; while correlating very strongly with gyrification index, it offers the advantage of being calculated only from local quantities without generating a convex hull or alpha surface.

Oral cancer epidemiology in relation to inter-country disparities in human development in south and Southeast Asia.

OBJECTIVES: South Asia (SA) and Southeast Asia (SEA) are geographically close; however, discrepancies in oral cancer (OC) epidemiology exist between the two regions. Socioeconomic disparities may influence the OC burden. The aim of this study was to assess the epidemiology of OC and its relationship with the Inequality Adjusted Human Development Index (IHDI) and its components in SA and SEA. METHODS: Cancer data for this ecological study was obtained from GLOBOCAN 2020, while the IHDI was obtained from the Human Development Report 2020. Based on data availability, 14 SA and SEA countries were chosen. Poisson log-weighted regression models were employed to examine IHDI and its components in relation to incidence and mortality. Univariate linear regression models were utilized to determine the association between the mortality-to-incidence ratio (MIR) and the IHDI. RESULTS: Mortality and MIR of OC were negatively correlated with all sub-indices of the IHDI, including education, health and income. However, incidence and mortality of OC were influenced by region and sex. CONCLUSIONS: Higher IHDI countries tended to have lower MIR. SA and males showed higher incidence and mortality. Reducing intra-country inequalities in development may be a pragmatic approach to enhancing the OC burden and prognosis.

Undergraduate nursing students' learning experiences using design thinking on a human development course: A phenomenological study.

AIM: To explore nursing students' perceptions of their design thinking learning experiences on a human development course. BACKGROUND: Design thinking is a person-centered analytic and creative learning process that promotes higher order thinking skills rather than knowledge retention alone. Currently, this is the first study that has investigated the use of the design thinking process for nursing students on a human development course. DESIGN: A phenomenological research design. METHODS: The participants were first-year nursing students enrolled on a human development course at a Taiwanese university. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted in 2022 and sufficiently high information power was obtained after 15 participants were interviewed. Data were systematically analysed, summarized and decoded using Colaizzi's seven analysis steps. RESULTS: Three themes and twelve subthemes emerged from the data. (1) Challenges experienced with the design thinking learning process: participants experienced anxiety because of the unfamiliar assignments, and they found the assignments to be thought-consuming, time-consuming and energy-consuming, plus the students needed to adapt to working in teams with classmates. (2) Adjustment strategies employed by participants: participants highlighted the importance of teamwork during the design thinking learning process. They achieved consensus through communication and sought support from others to overcome challenges related to design thinking; however, they ultimately needed to engage in problem-solving by themselves. (3) Developing the diversity of academic capabilities: after the human development course, participants experienced enriched mindsets, cognitive abilities, problem-solving skills, interpersonal relationships and knowledge application. CONCLUSIONS: Design thinking provides creative teaching opportunities and encourages nursing students to engage in experimental and creative learning, which is a meaningful experience for them. Nurse educators could use the insights thus obtained to design a curriculum that sources design thinking as a learning process while facilitating the complexity and diversity of students' higher order thinking skills and not just repetitive learning.

Can clean energy and technology address environmental sustainability in G7 under the pre-set of human development?

Climate change presents challenges for both industrialized and developing nations, primarily due to insufficient pollution control. Increased fossil fuel usage escalates pollution levels, emphasizing the need to integrate more renewable energy into the energy mix, particularly to reduce carbon emissions. Consequently, public investment in renewable energy becomes pivotal to enhance the necessary technology for green energy production. Human development and technological progress play a crucial role in advancing green energy and ensuring environmental sustainability. This study addresses whether clean energy and technology can foster ecological sustainability in the G7 while considering human development. Findings emphasize the significance of public investments in renewable energy projects, technical innovation, and human development. Such investments are essential for augmenting renewable energy shares and lowering carbon emissions in the long run. The study proposes relevant policies to help G7 nations achieve United Nations Sustainable Development Goals related to green energy transition (SDG-7), environmental sustainability (SDG-13), and innovation (SDG-9). In essence, prioritizing renewable energy investment and innovation is imperative for sustainable development.

Population-based analysis of the human development index and risk factors for head and neck cancer.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to investigate global variations in incidence and mortality and their associations to possible risk factors for prompt cancer prevention and control. METHODS: Estimates of incidence and mortality rates for six types of head and neck cancer were extracted from the GLOBOCAN 2020 database. Summary exposure values for level-two risk factors were obtained from the Global Burden of Disease. Regression models adjusting for the human development index (HDI) were constructed to analyze correlations between age-standardized rates and risk factors. RESULTS: The incidence rates of multiple types of head and neck cancer were positively associated with HDI tiers. In addition to tobacco use and alcohol consumption, high systolic blood pressure was associated with the incidence and mortality of cancers of the salivary glands, oropharynx, hypopharynx, and larynx. Dietary risks were linked to cancers of the oropharynx, nasopharynx, and hypopharynx. CONCLUSIONS: This comprehensive analysis provides valuable insights into possible risk factors for head and neck cancer.

Gender inequality and utilization of ART: an international cross-sectional and longitudinal analysis.

STUDY QUESTION: What is the association between a country's level of gender equality and access to ART, as measured through ART utilization? SUMMARY ANSWER: ART utilization is associated with a country's level of gender equality even after controlling for the level of development. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: Although gender equality is recognized as an important determinant of population health, its association with fertility care, a highly gendered condition, has not been explored. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION: A longitudinal cross-national analysis of ART utilization in 69 countries during 2002-2014 was carried out. PARTICPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS: The Gender Inequality Index (GII), Human Development Index (HDI), and their component indicators were modelled against ART utilization using univariate regression models as well as mixed-effects regression methods (adjusted for country, time, and economic/human development) with multiple imputation to account for missing data. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE: ART utilization is associated with the GII. In an HDI-adjusted analysis, a one standard deviation decrease in the GII (towards greater equality) is associated with a 59% increase in ART utilization. Gross national income per capita, the maternal mortality ratio, and female parliamentary representation were the index components most predictive of ART utilization. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION: Only ART was used rather than all infertility treatments (including less costly and non-invasive treatments such as ovulation induction). This was a country-level analysis and the results cannot be generalized to smaller groups. Not all modelled variables were available for each country across 2002-2014. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS: Access to fertility care is central to women's sexual and reproductive health, to women's rights, and to human rights. As gender equality improves, so does access to ART. This relation is likely to be reinforcing and bi-directional, with progress towards global, equitable access to fertility care also improving women's status and participation in societies. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S): External funding was not provided for this study. G.D.A. declares consulting fees from Labcorp and CooperSurgical. G.D.A. is the founder and CEO of Advanced Reproductive Care, Inc., as well as the Chair of the International Committee for Monitoring Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ICMART) and the World Endometriosis Research Foundation, both of which are unpaid roles. G.M.C. is an ICMART Board Representative, which is an unpaid role, and no payments are received from ICMART to UNSW, Sydney, or to G.M.C. to undertake this study. O.F., S.D., F.Z.-H., and E.K. report no conflicts of interest. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: N/A.

How and where does "care" fit within seminal life-course approaches? A narrative review and critical analysis.

AIMS: To map the concepts of the caring life-course theory that are used in life-course approaches from different disciplines; establish whether there is a common recognition of, or language used, to describe care in those life-course approaches; and identify the role and contribution of care to the life-course literature. DESIGN: This discursive paper uses a narrative review process to explore points of convergence and divergence between life-course approaches and the caring life-course theory. METHODS: Categories for analysis were developed deductively and inductively, focusing on the constructs of fundamental care, capacity and capability, care network, care transition, care trajectory and care biography. RESULTS: We identified four disciplinary perspectives: (1) life-course sociology; (2) life-course epidemiology; (3) lifespan developmental psychology; and (4) life-course health development. While six core constructs of the caring life-course theory were described, either explicitly or implicitly, in existing life-course approaches, no single approach fully describes the role and contribution of care across the lifespan. CONCLUSION: Life-course approaches have largely neglected the contribution and role of care in informing the life-course discourse. This review highlights the significance of care beyond traditional healthcare settings and recognizes it as a fundamental human need for well-being and development, which can contribute to existing life-course literature. IMPLICATION FOR THE PROFESSION AND/OR PATIENT CARE: There is a need to understand care as a complex system and embrace a whole-system, life-course approach to enable nurses and other healthcare professionals to provide high-quality, patient-centred care. IMPACT: Incorporating care within a life-course approach provides opportunities to integrate and deliver care centred around the person, their life transitions, trajectories and care networks, including informal carers and healthcare professionals. NO PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: Patients or members of the public were not involved in this study as it is a discursive paper based on the relevant literature.