Dataset Information

The Demographic and Health Surveys Faculty Fellows Program: Successes, Challenges, and Lessons Learned.

ABSTRACT: Primarily funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) Faculty Fellows Program is designed to strengthen the institutional capacity of universities in low- and middle-income countries to use and analyze DHS data. This article provides an overview of the program's evolution and its current form; presents successes and impacts; and discusses challenges, lessons learned, and potential further directions.Initiated in 2008, the Fellows Program underwent several rounds of improvement. The current model involves a competitive team application process, 2 intensive in-person workshops, completion of a working paper of publishable quality, and the transfer of analysis skills learned during the fellowship to students and colleagues at home universities, all completed over 1 year. Since 2011, the Fellows Program has trained 152 researchers from 45 universities in 25 countries in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. The program has not only strengthened individual skills in conducting research with data from large surveys but also substantially increased institutional capacity to analyze DHS data through fellows' capacity-building activities at their home universities. These successes have happened despite the many and continuing challenges related to fellows' diverse backgrounds, experience, skills, language barriers, logistical difficulties in organizing in-person workshops in fellows' countries, and sometimes fellows' varying levels of commitment.With continuous support from USAID, the program hopes to expand to more universities and countries, especially francophone countries. Overall, the DHS Faculty Fellows Program has proven to be highly successful and provides a model for other groups aiming to strengthen capacity for data use and research in low- and middle-income countries.

SUBMITTER: Wang W

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8324205 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Similar Datasets

Project description:BackgroundScholarly Concentrations programs in U.S. medical schools aim to instill passion for critical thinking and promote careers in academic medicine. The rise of these programs has seen variable goals, structure, and outcomes. Transformation of these programs internationally is in its infancy.MethodsWe describe implementation of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Scholarly Concentrations program, offering Basic Science, Clinical Science, Medical Ethics/Healing Arts, History of Medicine, and Public Health/Community Service, at Bezmiâlem Vakif University in Istanbul, Turkey. Over six modules in the preclinical years, students develop a faculty-mentored experience which encourages the acquisition of attitudes and skills for self-directed, lifelong learning and scholarship. This culminates in abstract and project presentation. We report program characteristics (context and logistics) and outcomes (student engagement and experiences).ResultsThe Scholarly Concentrations program at Bezmiâlem began in 2014, with nearly two completed cohorts of students. In comparison to Johns Hopkins, students at Bezmiâlem begin at an earlier age (thus do not have as much prior research experience) and are subsequently evaluated for residency in terms of test scores rather than scholarship and publications, but have a similar level of intellectual curiosity and desire to take ownership of their project. Eighty-two percent of Bezmiâlem students stated the project they pursued was either their own idea or was an idea they formed after meeting with their mentor. Students at Bezmialem were more likely to choose Clinical Science projects (p = 0.009). Only 5% of Bezmiâlem students in end-of-course survey felt dissatisfied with the level of ownership they experienced with their project, a frequency similar to that seen by Johns Hopkins students (2%).ConclusionsScholarly Concentrations programs play an important role in U.S. medical schools, and these programs can be successfully implemented internationally. The Scholarly Concentrations program at Johns Hopkins has been transformed to a program at Bezmiâlem in Istanbul, the first program outside North America or the European Union. When designing these programs, one must consider the context, logistics, student engagement, and outcomes. While long-term outcomes are needed, this can serve as a model for implementation elsewhere.

Project description:BACKGROUND:Historical changes in the nature of sedentary activities have been observed in other countries, but it is not clear if similar trends exist in Canada. It is also unclear how changes in the measurement of sedentary behaviour affects national estimates. Our objective is to document all sources and measures of sedentary behaviour from Canadian, nationally representative surveys, and report on selected estimates of time spent in sedentary activities. Lessons learned can benefit the wider international surveillance community. METHODS:We describe and document all data sources of sedentary behaviour at the national level in Canada, and report on selected prevalence data from repeated cross-sectional surveys. We summarize amounts of total device-assessed sedentary time and self-reported sedentary activities (e.g., passive travel, leisure television, computer, video games, screen, and reading) by age group over time. RESULTS:Nineteen national surveys were identified. Changes in questions and/or response categories precluded direct assessment of trends over time for some measures; however, certain trends were observed. Accelerometer-measured sedentary time, leisure reading (among those <?50?years) and television/video viewing in younger age groups have remained relatively stable (with a possible slight decline in television/video viewing). Time spent in passive travel and leisure computer and electronic device use appears to have increased. Television and video viewing appears to have increased in older adults while their leisure reading appears to have fallen. CONCLUSIONS:Changes in measurement of sedentary behaviour can affect estimates and reduce comparability over time. Total leisure screen use appears to have increased over time, reflecting the ways in which Canadians spend their free time and technological advances. The main public health message is the need for continued efforts to reduce leisure screen use, especially among youth and older adults.

Dataset Information

The Demographic and Health Surveys Faculty Fellows Program: Successes, Challenges, and Lessons Learned.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets