Conectar
by Min Zhang, Jining Yang
Increasingly frequent disruptions from diseases, disasters, and human activities pose a significant challenge to the resilience of the agri-food supply chain (AFSCRE). This study systematically explores the factors influencing AFSCRE and their mechanisms of action by integrating fuzzy Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) and Interpretative Structural Modeling (ISM). Based on bibliometrics and expert interviews, a three-dimensional indicator system (12 key factors) contains flexibility, agility, and visibility. Triangular fuzzy numbers were used to process expert rating data, and combined with the Converting Fuzzy Numbers into Crisp Scores (CFCS) defuzzification method to establish a total influence matrix. The strength of the influence relationships between factors was determined through the setting of appropriate thresholds, which ultimately results in a five-layer hierarchical structure. The research results show that: level of application of digital technologies, information system maturity, information sharing and synergies, data sharing and analysis capacity and risk management capacity constitute the deep driving factors; degree of simplification of the supply chain structure and level of inventory management are the direct surface factors, presenting isolated characteristics. The study proposes resilience enhancement strategies such as supplier diversification, blockchain traceability technology embedding, and multi-body collaborative decision-making mechanisms, which provide decision support for coping with climate change and public health emergencies.Chinese-speaking immigrants in Australia have a higher risk of type 2 diabetes and face more barriers to accessing quality healthcare compared to non-culturally and linguistically diverse populations. This study aimed to explore the self-management experiences of Chinese-speaking Australians with self-reported lived experience of prediabetes following immigration.
Qualitative study.
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 purposively selected Australian Chinese-speaking immigrants aged over 40 years. Data collection was undertaken in Perth, Western Australia between April and August 2024. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.
Three themes are presented in this paper: (1) An acculturation journey: Reshaping cultural identity and social connections in immigrant lives, (2) Embodying prediabetes: Cognitive reconstruction and emotional adaptation in the transition to the patient role and (3) Decision-behaviour dynamics: Mapping agency and adaptiveness in self-management processes. Participants demonstrated dynamic adjustment through the processes of self-awareness, adaptive behaviours, self-reflection and self-attribution of health outcomes.
Chinese-speaking Australians navigating prediabetes following immigration underwent a complex process of reconstruction across cognitive, cultural and psychological domains. Prediabetes self-management was shaped by cultural values, acculturation, dietary preferences, emotional resilience, local and distant social networks and resource availability. These findings underscore the importance of empowering both individuals and communities through evidence-based and culturally appropriate strategies.
Participants experienced profound transformations in their cultural adaptation, prediabetes cognition, social support networks and emotional–psychological landscape. Future interventions must address identified barriers (e.g., cooking burden, comorbidities, stress), facilitators (e.g., leisure travel, family support), motivations (e.g., cultural heritage, health risk perception) and challenges (e.g., knowledge–behaviour gap, digital health information) that shape self-management behaviours. A community empowerment approach, utilising evidence-based content, flexible delivery formats and existing cultural networks, should be adopted to offer promising pathways for prediabetes health education.
The study adhered to the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research guidelines.
Limited patient and public involvement was incorporated, with two community representatives providing feedback on interview questions and recruitment strategies.
To explore the psychosocial experiences during dietary management among Chinese adults with inflammatory bowel disease.
Qualitative phenomenological design.
Eighteen adults diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease for more than 6 months were recruited using purposive sampling from June to December 2023. Two trained researchers used van Manen's approach to analyse the data.
The three themes with multiple subthemes emerged: facing the unknown: at a loss and aggrieved, trying to cope: uncertain and distressed, and growing in adaptation: relieved and transcendent. The first theme included unknown relapses, overlooking diet management and the absence of dietary rules. The second theme showed different coping situations, like complex dietary information and ever-closing worlds. The third theme explores how participants adapted to disease and their eating patterns.
The psychosocial experiences during dietary management are complex. The accumulation of diet-related experience, acceptance of illness and social support facilitate patients in overcoming negative emotions and adhering to dietary management.
Nurses should provide tailored dietary guidance and appropriate psychological interventions to promote healthy eating in patients.
This study may enhance healthcare professionals' understanding, particularly those in China, of the diet-related experiences among patients.
The Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research checklist.
Participants contributed by sharing their first hand experiences.
To investigate empirically the direct effect and potential mechanism of family resilience on patient-reported outcomes among young stroke dyads in China.
Young patients with stroke have been becoming an important public health issue. According to relevant theories and previous studies, we found that family resilience might play an important role in patient's symptoms. However, it is less clear about the specific relationship and potential mechanisms of these two variables.
We used a prospective cross-sectional design.
A multi-item questionnaire was used to assess the constructs of interest. Researchers progressively constructed and validated conditional process models. The PROCESS macro was used to verify the research hypotheses.
A total of 560 questionnaires were collected in this study. We found that family resilience of stroke patients and their spouses had a direct effect on the physical, psychological and social aspects of patient-reported symptoms. We further revealed that caregiver preparedness partially mediated the relationship between family resilience and patient's symptoms in stroke patient-spouse dyads, while perceived social support moderated the relationship between caregiver preparedness and patient's symptoms. Finally, we observed that the impact of caregiver readiness and social support on patients' symptoms predominantly manifested in physical and physiological outcomes.
Our research provides evidence about the positive impact of family resilience on patient-reported symptoms in young stroke dyads. Meanwhile, it further revealed how caregiver preparedness and perceived social support may play out in the relationship.
Our research introduces a novel perspective and pathway to enhance short-term recovery outcomes for patients. It also furnishes clinicians and nurses with evidence to guide the implementation of interventions aimed at improving patient health outcomes and facilitating smoother transitions from the hospital to home.
What problem did the study address?
Families play a crucial role in a patient's recovery process from illness, with family resilience serving as an important force for families to overcome adversity. However, the impact on patient symptoms and the underlying mechanisms of this relationship are uncertain. Empirical research is required to validate these aspects.
What were the main findings?
Family resilience has a positive impact on the physical, psychological and social aspects of patient-reported symptoms in young stroke dyads. Both the actor effect and partner effect are supported. The impact of caregiver readiness and social support on patient-reported symptoms is primarily observed in physical and physiological outcomes.
Where and on whom will the research have an impact?
This study offers a novel approach to enhance the short-term recovery of stroke patients. The researchers believe that the findings of this study will play an even more significant role during patients' transition from the hospital to home.
This study followed the STROBE statement of cross-sectional studies.
The study was conducted by patients, their spouses, healthcare professionals and the research team.
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