John Dierx

Avans University of Applied Sciences · Centre of Expertise Perspective on Health

Introduction Positive Health (PH) focuses on the ability to maintain control over one’s own health, also for children. This study explores how primary school children eight to twelve years of age think about the concept of PH and the dimensions of PH as described in the child tool. Methods A qualitative research method was applied, in which 25 sem...

Positive Health (PH) focuses on the ability to maintain control over one’s own health, also for children. This study explores how primary school children eight to twelve years of age think about the concept of PH and the dimensions of PH as described in the child tool. A qualitative research method was applied, in which 25 semi-structured interview...

Background The current WHO definition of health seems to no longer meet the changes in the current Dutch health system. An alternative approach which puts emphasis on health, not disease, is Positive Health (Huber et al, 2011). This focus shifts the emphasis on improving resilience and well-being rather than the perspective on what is lacking in he...

Recent insights and developments on health and society urge a critical look at the positive relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and health. We challenge the notions that it is sufficient to distinguish only between two groups of SES (low and high) and that only overall health is taken into account. A new grouping of SES was developed ba...

In defining successful collaborative international projects within the theory of change or logic model, focus is often on ‘outcome’ and ‘impact’. Less empirical information is available regarding the ‘input’ and ‘activities’ aspects of this model. To address this knowledge gap and to offer insight into pivotal elements for management, this study fo...

Schools can enable students’ capability for lifelong physical activity (PA) by providing a physical, social and pedagogical context fostering students’ agency. This entails allowing them to develop their autonomy and ability to shape PAs according to what they value. This paper explores whether, and, if so, how, school practices provide the conditi...

Physical activity (PA) contributes to health throughout life. In particular, young people can benefit from this. Schools can play a key role in providing learning conditions to experience meaningful PAs aimed at inspiring students to lifelong PA. In this article, we argue the need for a salutogenic approach in schools focussing on respecting and en...

Background Recent insights and developments on health and society urge for a critical look at the positive relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and health. We challenge the notions that it is sufficient to distinguish only between two groups of SES (low and high) and that only overall health is taken into account. MethodsA new grouping o...

Regular physical activity (PA) contributes to lifelong health and well-being. Adolescents in the Netherlands do not engage in sufficient PA, leading to serious health risks. The purpose of this study is to inform PA-enhancing strategies. This paper offers a unique method for analysing students’ perspectives about opportunities for PA in their schoo...

Background Many studies use dichotomous distinction between high and low SES and overall 'general total health' as outcome variable in studying Socio-Economic Status (SES) as determinant of health. In light of recent views on health and society, this study challenges this approach by proposing a more multidimensional view on both SES as well as hea...

Background Health inequality is related to socio-economic differences as people living in deprived neighborhoods show more social and health problems resulting in more sick years and shorter life expectancy. This however has predominantly been studied from the perspective of health and wellbeing professionals, not from the perspective of residents....

Background Regular physical activity has multiple benefits for physical, mental, and psychosocial, however many students do not meet the national physical activity guidelines. Classroom physical activity can help students be more physically active. This study investigated the attitude of university students towards classroom physical activity break...

Professionals die zelf ervaring hebben met psychische problemen komen regelmatig in een spagaat bij de inzet van die ervaring in de beroepspraktijk. Zij krijgen te maken met vragen over de veiligheid en professionaliteit wanneer eigen ervaringen in de zorg worden betrokken. '(Be)handelen met eigen ervaring' is een werkwijze voor organisaties om med...

Inleiding: Bij Positieve Gezondheid ligt de focus op het versterken van veerkracht en het vermogen om regie over de eigen gezondheid te behouden. GGD GHOR Nederland heeft het gedachtegoed van Positieve Gezondheid omarmd. Dit praktijkgerichte onderzoek richt zich op de mening van jeugdgezondheidszorg (JGZ)-professionals over het concept ‘Positieve G...

Schools are important settings to promote health as they provide a context where children and young people learn to develop competencies to understand and influence their lifestyles and living conditions. This requires a school climate that encourages democratic learning processes and empowers students to become agents in their own lives. This proc...

Background The population in the Netherlands and in the municipality of Oss is getting older in good health and wellbeing, living more independently and self-reliant with changing needs of support (Hilderink, 2018). However, offered support by health care and wellbeing professionals has not changed. Since it is unknown whether offered support match...

Background Based on public health professionals’ opinions, Huber et al. (2011) described health as a dynamic concept that has the potential to increase or decrease depending on contextual factors, yet with the broadness as the WHO definition. She proposed defining health ’as the ability to adapt and self-manage, in the light of physical, emotional...

Background The current WHO definition of health seems to no longer meet the changes in the current Dutch health system. An alternative approach which puts emphasis on health, not disease, is Positive Health. This focus shifts the emphasis on improving resilience and well-being rather than the perspective on what is lacking in health. In 2014, this...

The current definition of health from the World Health Organisation seems to no longer meet the changes in the current Dutch health system. An alternative approach which puts emphasis on health, not disease, is Positive Health. The current and future developments in the health care system in the Netherlands are demanding different mentality and pra...

Background People living in deprived neighborhoods have been shown to have several social and health problems such as loneliness, feelings of unsafety, poor diet and overweight, resulting in more sick years (16 years) and shorter life expectancy (6 year; Buck & Maguire, 2015; Murtin et al., 2017). Interventions developed by professionals to reduce...

Gezondheid is een veelbesproken onderwerp: iedereen is immers ervaringsdeskundig met betrekking tot zijn of haar eigen gezondheid. Gaat het niet over gezond eten dan wel over bewegen, balans vinden of het omgaan met psychische problematiek. Het gesprek over gezondheid kan de zelfredzaamheid van een individu stimuleren. Is gezondheid daarmee een the...

Het concept positieve gezondheid sluit goed aan op de toenemende zelfstandigheid en behoefte aan zelfregie, en bij de opvattingen en belevingswereld van patiënten, maar stuit op weerstand bij zorg- en welzijnsprofessionals. Vooral over de meerwaarde boven de huidige WHO-definitie en hoe kwaliteit van leven en gezondheid zich tot elkaar verhouden lo...

It has been shown that a growing number of adolescents between the age of 13 and 17 years is dropping out on sports, both physical education and membership of sportsclubs. This holds true for especially adolescents attending preparatory secondary vocational education (PSVE). At the same time the number of PSVE-adolescents with obesity is …

Intracerebroventricular (ICV) cannulation in adolescent and adult pigs has some unique problems. Placement of the cannula is very difficult due to large individual variability in size and structure of the skull and frontal sinus. Furthermore, the rough behavior of the animals makes it necessary to restrain the animals for ICV treatment, which is di...

The present thesis describes the study in the hormonal (endocrine) regulation of the fertility in the female pig. Fertility is optimal when during the reproductive cycle the concentrations of hormones change in a particular sequence. In the present thesis it has been shown that, amongst others, morphine-like substances (endorphins) play a role in t...

Sheep and pigs with chronic silastic catheters with a partial blockage of the catheter were treated locally with streptokinase. After one week of treatment all affected catheters were patent again for many weeks. In sheep it proved necessary to use the enzyme treatment as a maintenance tool by contrast with pigs. This treatment may reduce the numbe...

The present study examines two characteristic traits of the hippocampus in apomorphine-susceptible (APO-SUS) and apomorphine-unsusceptible (APO-UNSUS) Wistar rat lines. Since hippocampal mossy fibers contain among others dynorphin B as transmitter, a radioimmunoassay was used to analyze the hippocampal dynorphin B expression in response to novelty...

Anchor residues in peptides determine the specificity of binding to major histocompatibility complex class I molecules through interactions of their side chains with pockets in the peptide-binding groove. We have compared the kinetics of association of a Sendai virus nucleoprotein-derived peptide (FAPGNYPAL, termed SV9) with H-2Kb class I molecules...