Background: Most water fluoridation studies were conducted on children before the widespread introduction of fluoride toothpastes. There is a lack of evidence that can be applied to contemporary populations, particularly adolescents and adults.
Objective: To pragmatically assess the clinical and cost effectiveness of water fluoridation for preventing dental treatment and improving oral health in a contemporary population of adults, using a natural experiment design.
Design: Retrospective cohort study using routinely collected National Health Service dental claims (FP17) data.
Setting: National Health Service primary dental care: general dental practices, prisons, community dental services, domiciliary settings, urgent/out-of-hours and specialised referral-only services.
Participants: Dental patients aged 12 years and over living in England (n = 6,370,280).
Intervention and comparison: Individuals exposed to drinking water with a fluoride concentration ≥ 0.7 mg F/l between 2010 and 2020 were matched to non-exposed individuals on key characteristics using propensity scores.
Outcome measures: Primary: number of National Health Service invasive dental treatments (restorations/'fillings' and extractions) received per person between 2010 and 2020. Secondary: decayed, missing and filled teeth, missing teeth, inequalities, cost effectiveness and return on investment.
Data sources: National Health Service Business Services Authority dental claims data. Water quality monitoring data.
Primary outcome: Predicted mean number of invasive dental treatments was 3% lower in the optimally fluoridated group than in the sub/non-optimally fluoridated group (incidence rate ratio 0.969, 95% CI 0.967 to 0.971), a difference of -0.173 invasive dental treatments (95% CI -0.185 to -0.161). This magnitude of effect is smaller than what most stakeholders we engaged with (n = 50/54) considered meaningful.
Secondary outcomes: Mean decayed, missing and filled teeth were 2% lower in the optimally fluoridated group, with a difference of -0.212 decayed, missing and filled teeth (95% CI -0.229 to -0.194). There was no statistically significant difference in the mean number of missing teeth per person (0.006, 95% CI -0.008 to 0.021). There was no compelling evidence that water fluoridation reduced social inequalities in treatments received or missing teeth; however, decayed, missing and filled teeth data did not demonstrate a typical inequalities gradient. Optimal water fluoridation in England in 2010-20 was estimated to cost £10.30 per person (excluding original setup costs). Mean National Health Service treatment costs for fluoridated patients 2010-20 were 5.5% lower per person, by £22.26 (95% CI -£23.09 to -£21.43), and patients paid £7.64 les
Background: During a quit attempt, cues from a smoker's environment are a major cause of brief smoking lapses, which increase the risk of relapse. Quit Sense is a theory-guided Just-In-Time Adaptive Intervention smartphone app, providing smokers with the means to learn about their environmental smoking cues and provides 'in the moment' support to help them manage these during a quit attempt.
Objective: To undertake a feasibility randomised controlled trial to estimate key parameters to inform a definitive randomised controlled trial of Quit Sense.
Design: A parallel, two-arm randomised controlled trial with a qualitative process evaluation and a 'Study Within A Trial' evaluating incentives on attrition. The research team were blind to allocation except for the study statistician, database developers and lead researcher. Participants were not blind to allocation.
Setting: Online with recruitment, enrolment, randomisation and data collection (excluding manual telephone follow-up) automated through the study website.
Participants: Smokers (323 screened, 297 eligible, 209 enrolled) recruited via online adverts on Google search, Facebook and Instagram.
Interventions: Participants were allocated to 'usual care' arm (n = 105; text message referral to the National Health Service SmokeFree website) or 'usual care' plus Quit Sense (n = 104), via a text message invitation to install the Quit Sense app.
Main outcome measures: Follow-up at 6 weeks and 6 months post enrolment was undertaken by automated text messages with an online questionnaire link and, for non-responders, by telephone. Definitive trial progression criteria were met if a priori thresholds were included in or lower than the 95% confidence interval of the estimate. Measures included health economic and outcome data completion rates (progression criterion #1 threshold: ≥ 70%), including biochemical validation rates (progression criterion #2 threshold: ≥ 70%), recruitment costs, app installation (progression criterion #3 threshold: ≥ 70%) and engagement rates (progression criterion #4 threshold: ≥ 60%), biochemically verified 6-month abstinence and hypothesised mechanisms of action and participant views of the app (qualitative).
Results: Self-reported smoking outcome completion rates were 77% (95% confidence interval 71% to 82%) and health economic data (resource use and quality of life) 70% (95% CI 64% to 77%) at 6 months. Return rate of viable saliva samples for abstinence verification was 39% (95% CI 24% to 54%). The per-participant recruitment cost was £19.20, which included advert (£5.82) and running costs (£13.38). In the Quit Sense arm, 75% (95% CI 67% to 83%; 78/104) installed the app and, of these, 100% set a quit date within the app and 51% engaged with it for more than 1 week. The rate of 6-mo
Background and objectives: The COVID-19 lockdowns impacted physical activity for all, but especially parents, because they had to balance home, work and leisure activities. Motivation for exercise is consistently shown to be associated with physical activity levels. Self-determination theory provides a framework through which the motivation for exercise and its social-contextual antecedents can be explored. The purpose of this study is to explore the role of motivation in determining physical activity in parents and carers of English primary school children before, during and after the COVID-19 lockdowns.
Design, setting and participants: This study uses a mixed-methods design combining quantitative data and individual interviews. Participants were all parents/carers of children in year 6 (aged 10-11 years) at English primary schools in the United Kingdom.
Methods: Quantitative data were collected on three occasions: between March 2017 and May 2018 (Wave 0, N = 1296), between May and December 2021 (Wave 1, N = 393) and between January and July 2022 (wave 2, N = 436). Motivation for exercise was assessed using the Behavioural Regulations in Exercise Questionnaire-2 and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity was estimated via waist-worn accelerometers. Data were analysed via regression models. Interviews with a subsample of parents (N = 43) were conducted on two occasions: between September and December 2021 and between February and July 2022. Interviews covered the impact of the pandemic on children and parents' physical activity and changes over time. This study focuses on discussions around the parents' own physical activity behaviour and their motivation. The framework method was used for analysis.
Results: In separate linear regression models, intrinsic and identified regulation were associated with higher moderate-to-vigorous physical activity in waves 0 and 2. Amotivation was associated with lower moderate-to-vigorous physical activity in waves 0 and 2. In fully adjusted multivariable regression models, identified regulation was associated with a 4.9-minute increase in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and introjected regulation was associated with a 2.3-minute decrease in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity at wave 0. Associations with moderate-to-vigorous physical activity were different in wave 2, with introjected regulation changing direction and a negative association with amotivation, although confidence intervals were wide due to smaller sample sizes. In the interviews, parents spoke of the effects that the COVID-19 lockdowns had on their motivation to be physically active in four theoretically driven themes: (1) motivation for physical activity, (2) perceived autonomy for physical activity, (3) perceived competence for physical activity and (4) perceived relatedness for physical activity.
Limitati