Other Projects
The members of the SINDIA team have also worked on other projects. Check out some examples.
Research projects
Funding: HORIZON-WIDERA-2022
This project will contribute to creating scientific evidence on the benefits of healthy lifestyles associated with the Mediterranean diet in promoting health and preventing cerebrovascular diseases.
The consortium's work focuses on seven main areas of action: (1) creating synergies between and within the two hubs; (2) promoting a joint project to identify cellular and molecular mechanisms, as well as therapeutic targets for the prevention and treatment of cerebrovascular diseases; (3) in the advanced training, innovation and entrepreneurship of a new generation of scientists and professionals; (4) accelerating the innovation and development of products and services for the market associated with the Mediterranean diet and healthy lifestyles; (5) implementing a pilot project to disseminate health literacy and raise awareness among citizens about the benefits of healthy lifestyles and the Mediterranean diet in preventing cerebrovascular disease; (6) the implementation of a demonstrator for the development and application of innovative technologies to improve the treatment of cerebrovascular pathologies and their rehabilitation; (7) in communicating and disseminating information about the project to impact society and decision-makers to promote lifelong health
Financiamento: EU HORIZON e MSCA-DN (ref. 101072827)
HOMEDEM focuses on the recent move across Europe towards supporting people with dementia (PwD) living at home (if that is what they themselves desire to do) for as long as possible with appropriate care. This move towards a reliance on the dynamic informal care relationships with and around the person with dementia, defined as “care constellation”. This calls for the HOMEDEM Doctoral Training Network to carry out research at several levels: a) the micro level, how dementia affects relationships between PwD and their care constellations; b) the meso level, understanding the changing needs of the home living environment; and c) at the macro level, understanding how care constellations navigate the complex care ecosystem of community-based support and services.
Funding: FCT (PTDC/GES-TRA/32121/2017)
This research project aimed to deepen the knowledge of the daily mobility of older people in an urban environment and the association with well-being in times of crisis caused by COVID-19. It was intended, in particular, to analyse how the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and the containment and mitigation measures changed the mobility patterns of older people, relating them to individual and urban factors; evaluate the role of the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and containment and mitigation measures in the living space of older adults; analyse how mobility and accessibility patterns resulting from the impact of pandemic control measures influence well-being; identify possible public policy measures to mitigate the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on age-friendly mobility. The project initially involved the development of a survey of the population aged 65 or over and residing in Coimbra, Faro, Aveiro or in the Metropolitan Area of Lisbon. This survey was completed by a series of semi-structured interviews with a smaller sample of older people, in a more adequate approach to capture all the richness of people's experiences and perceptions.
Funding: Horizon 2020 Programme (Grant Agreement 643398)
This European project developed tools based on a population health index to evaluate the health and well-being of the European population. The space-time analysis and comparison of the population health index was enabled by a user-friendly web-based Geographic Information System. The population health index was used to foresee and discuss the impact of multilevel policies and combinations of policies in population health and health equity across European regions, thus providing a basis for policy dialogue. Multicriteria resource allocation models, conflict analyses, analysis of policies’ feasibility, and scenario analyses allowed to provide evidence on which policies have the highest potential to improve health and reduce health inequities at different geographical levels, and in suggesting alternative policy options for health policy development and regulation.
Funding: FCT (PTDC/ATP-GEO/4101/2012)
The main objective of this project was to assess the effect of context on the various components dependent on land use, including social capital and other environmental and territorial “determinants”, with impacts on the mental health of populations and the use of mental health services, in times of social and economic crisis.
The project also aimed to:
- To study the associations between the evolution of contextual characteristics of a group of Portuguese municipalities, psychiatric morbidity and the use of psychiatry services in these municipalities in the same period;
- Understand how the mental health of individuals is affected by socioeconomic crises, depending on community support, social capital and territorial planning;
- Recommend environmental and territorial changes that can, in times of crisis, promote mental health and reduce psychiatric morbidity in populations.
This project made it possible to recommend actions, programs and policies with possible positive impacts, especially in protecting the most vulnerable groups from financial crises.
Funding: FCT (PTDC/CS-GEO/122566/2010)
The main objective of the GeoHealthS Project consisted of assessing the health of the Portuguese population, through the construction, application and availability of a Population Health Index, at the municipal level. This index should constitute a multidimensional, comprehensive and consistent measure of the population's health profile and the factors that influence it, and at the same time contribute to supporting political decision at the local level.
The results of the multicriteria model made it possible to monitor and evaluate the health of the population of each municipality at three time points (1991, 2001 and 2011). In global terms, the Population Health Index (INES) revealed that in the last 20 years: (i) the health of the Portuguese population (Mainland) evolved positively; (ii) inequalities between municipalities decreased; and (iii) the geographic pattern of INES has been marked by urban and demographic dynamics. The geography of INES, in 2011, also allows to identify a set of municipalities in alert signal, constituting themselves as potential areas of priority intervention.
For the presentation and dissemination of the results, a WebSIG platform (technological platform based on geographic information systems) was also developed, with public access. The saudemunicipio platform (http://saudemunicipio.uc.pt/) provides maps and graphic information on the results of the application of INES to Portuguese municipalities over the last 20 years. It allows viewing, analyzing and comparing the outputs of the index, by global value, by value in each dimension and areas of concern and by value in each evaluation criterion, at municipal scale.
https://www.uc.pt/fluc/gigs/GeoHealthS
http://saudemunicipio.uc.pt/
Funding: FCT (FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-041410)
As the first Portuguese population-based study on centenarians, the PT100 Oporto Centenarian Study aims to describe the characteristics of those individuals who have reached 100 years old, and enrich the available knowledge on the exceptional longevity phenomenon in Portugal. By comprehensively portraying their current living situation, care needs, physical health, psychological strengths and cognitive functioning, the study aims to increase the available information on the challenges of living beyond 100 years.
Applied research and consultancy services
Funding: Protocol between the University of Coimbra and the Commission for Coordination and Territorial Development of the Center Region (CCDR-C)
The Regional Spatial Planning Plan of the Centre Region, PROT Centro, is a fundamental instrument for linking the National Program for Spatial Planning Policy, the PNPOT, the various sectoral policy instruments with territorial expression and municipal planning instruments. The participation of several team members consisted in the development of the Strategic Diagnosis, in the definition of Strategic Options of Territorial Base and in the contribution to the territorial model of development of the Centre Region.
https://www.ccdrc.pt/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=156&Itemid=129
Funding: Protocol between the University of Coimbra and the Portuguese Network of Healthy Municipalities
The Atlas of Healthy Municipalities is a publicly accessible web platform, based on geographic information systems, which provides tools for interactive visualization and dynamic analysis of health indicators of the population of the municipalities that are part of the RPMS. This platform aims to characterize the health of the population in multiple dimensions of health outcomes and health determinants and disseminate good practices in municipalities in different areas of intervention with an impact on health.
Funding: Protocol between the University of Coimbra and the Municipality of Coimbra
The Municipal Health Strategy (EMS) is framed in Decree-Law nº 23/2019 of January 30, which transfers competences in the field of health to municipal bodies and inter-municipal entities, attributing to Municipal Councils the duty to prepare this strategic document.
The EMS corresponds to a strategic planning instrument in the field of health, with the general objective of defining priorities with a view to:
- promote the health, well-being and quality of life of the population residing in the municipality;
- reduce unfair and avoidable inequalities associated with the characteristics of places of residence/work/education, where populations are born, live, work and age (e.g. socioeconomic, education, housing, physical and built environment, mobility and access to goods , services and equipment).
In this context, the team produced two documents:
- The Municipal Health Profile of Coimbra – 2020 is the first volume of the Municipal Health Strategy 2021-2025 and aims to provide a diagnosis of the health situation and its determinants in the municipal territory, serving as a support for the identification of problems and the definition of intervention strategies.
- The Coimbra Municipal Health Plan is the second volume of the Coimbra Municipal Health Strategy 2021-2025 and aims to define the strategic framework for municipal intervention in the field of health and health equity in the municipality of Coimbra.
https://www.cm-coimbra.pt/areas/viver/saude/estrategia-municipal-de-saude
Funding: EIT Health
This project aimed to develop a summer course and Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on Urbanisation and Health. Three Universities were involved: University of Copenhagen, Polytechnic University of Madrid, and University of Coimbra. The main result of the project is a MOOC available on Coursera.org and MiriadaX platforms. The MOOC is composed of five modules each with 3-5 video lectures, readings and resources, quizzes and assignments related to urbanisation and health including mental health. Topics covered include key determinants of urban health like demography, climate change, air pollution, noise, transport systems, publicand blue and green spaces, and policies and investments affecting sense of community and public safety. Also included is an introduction to the major historical trends in urban planning and examples of contemporary innovative methods and people-centered approaches to create sustainable solutions. The final module provides the learners with a series of resources to inspire and help create awareness and action around specific ideas to support sustainable solutions to urbanisation and health challenges. With the extra resources added from the adjusted work package 3 the duration of the final upgraded MOOC is 25+ hours with an average weekly workload of 5 hours.
https://www.coursera.org/learn/urbanisation-health-promoting-sustainable-solutions
Funding: EIT Health
URB-HealthS was an innovative educational program about urban health designed for municipal officials and professionals. The program addressed the broad impact of our built environment on public health, especially on vulnerable populations such as the elderly, and whose policies and multisectoral programmes have the potential to promote healthier communities and cities. Building on previous work to identify key experts, URB-HealthS organised working groups of multidisciplinary experts to generate training material on regulations, techniques, strategies and experiences related to urban health. The material was designed to be useful for local government officials from different areas.
URB-HealthS was implemented in three European municipalities: Coimbra, Alcorcón and Newcastle. The partnership was integrated by Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (coordination), the Public Health Department of Madrid Regional Health Ministry, Newcastle University and University of Coimbra (as core partners) and Instituto Politecnico de Coimbra and international consultancy ARUP (as external partners).
https://eithealth.eu/project/urb_healths/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CGrmvKjiKI&feature=youtu.be
Cuidar de Quem Cuida (CQC) is an innovative project that promotes support strategies for informal caregivers of dependent people. With funding from the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation (FCG) and José de Mello Saúde, the project is being implemented by the Center for Social Assistance to Children in Sanguedo – CASTIIS and by MAZE and has Portugal Inovação Social, the Central Administration of the Health (ACSS) and CINTESIS.
The CQC arose from the need for support responses that were capable of promoting the mental health and quality of life of informal caregivers, as well as providing them with the knowledge and skills necessary for optimal care.
The first phase of the project took place between 2009 and 2013, in the Entre Douro e Vouga region, and was aimed at informal caregivers of people with dementia and post-stroke. It was based on five central lines of intervention: setting up psycho-educational intervention and mutual help groups, setting up a group of caregivers with additional training, boosting local volunteering networks, diagnosing caregiving rest services, and creating forums of discussion.
The second phase took place between 2014 and 2016 and considered other municipalities in the Metropolitan Area of Porto (AMP), specifically targeting informal caregivers of people with dementia; In this phase, the project included three actions – the implementation of the CQC's psycho-educational program and mutual aid groups, the creation of partnership networks between various NGOs in the region, and a socio-economic impact study.
The project is being implemented by the Center for Social Assistance to Children in Sanguedo – CASTIIS and by MAZE, and has Portugal Inovação Social, the Central Administration of the Health System (ACSS) and CINTESIS as partners.
Cuidar de quem Cuida was recognised as an innovative project in January 2019, the date on which it received the Social Impact Title (TIS) one of the four funding instruments of the Portugal Inovação Social initiative, becoming the first TIS in Europe in the area of health.
Networks and collaborations
Funding: European Commission Erasmus+ Programme
The European Campus of City-Universities (EC2U) is a multi-cultural and multi-lingual Alliance consisting of seven long-standing, education- and research-led, locally and globally engaged universities from four diverse regions of the European Union: the University of Coimbra, the University of Iași, the University of Jena, the University of Pavia, the University of Poitiers (Coordinator), the University of Salamanca and the University of Turku.
https://ec2u.eu
https://www.uc.pt/sustentabilidade/projetos/ec2u