Open Societal Challenges

Another inspiring newsletter of OU research! Selecting just five stories a month to go into these newsletters is so tough when I just can't get enough of the amazing real-world impact that goes on at the OU.

How can using an Open Research approach encourage people to age well? Find out in this article about the Take Five To Age Well OSC, and how the team are fostering long-term commitment to healthy daily habits with this approach 💪👇 https://lnkd.in/esfXf5pc

Take Five to Age Well is a UK-wide challenge open to everyone, encouraging participants to make small daily habit changes for better ageing. This fantastic OSC, a collaboration with Age UK, is making real world impact on the lives of participants based on Dr Jitka Vseteckova's research.

We’re delighted to be able to share interim findings from phase 1 of the Gender Pain Gap in Sexual and Reproductive Health project. Our new report looks at what we learned from discussion groups with people with lived experience of pain in sexual and reproductive health procedures.     We highlight 4️⃣ key findings. For participants in these discussion groups:     ➡️ Negative and judgmental attitudes were as big a problem as pain itself   ➡️ Gender norms and power dynamics had a silencing effect  ➡️ Negative perceptions of health professionals follow from painful experiences   ➡️ Self-advocacy is challenging and should not be necessary in this context. We also suggest 6️⃣ recommendations to inform future research and practice and support equity in healthcare provision:   🔵 Provide clear information on pain to enable informed decision-making and consent  🔵 Do not downplay or ignore procedure pain   🔵 Prioritise diversity and inclusion in written and verbal information on pain  🔵 Support professional development including effective guidance for health professionals   🔵 Offer pain relief as standard to reduce the burden of self-advocacy  🔵 Record data on procedure pain to inform healthcare improvements. 🔗 You can download the report here: https://lnkd.in/dMuFcNK6 Findings from phase 1 informed the qualitative survey we conducted in early 2025 and exploratory work with health professionals that's now underway. We'll be reporting on these soon but please get in touch if you'd like to know more. Mari Greenfield Open Societal Challenges The Open University The Open University in Scotland Lesley Hoggart Victoria Newton #GenderPainGap #PainfulProcedures #SRHR

🌱 Let’s Take Five to Age Well – Together 🌱 I’m proud to support a brilliant initiative from The Open University that is close to my heart—Take Five to Age Well. This national movement is all about empowering people to take simple steps to live longer, healthier, and more connected lives. Launching on 1st May, this free, month-long challenge encourages us to build daily habits in five key areas: ✨ Eat ✨ Drink ✨ Move ✨ Connect & Engage ✨ Think It’s backed by science and supported by 400+ organisations including Age UK—and most importantly, it’s accessible to everyone. As someone passionate about wellbeing, lifelong learning, and ageing with purpose, I truly believe campaigns like this can create lasting impact in our communities. Small daily changes, done together, can shape a healthier, happier future for all generations. I’ll be joining—and I encourage you to join me. Let’s build a movement that inspires us to take care of ourselves and each other. 📝 Sign up here: https://lnkd.in/euCxGEP5 💬 Let me know if you’re taking part—I’d love to hear your goals! 💡 Top tip: Try standing on one leg while brushing your teeth—it's a fun and easy way to improve your balance, which becomes more important as we age to help prevent falls. The Open University Age UK Open Societal Challenges #TakeFiveToAgeWell #AgeingWell #HealthAndWellbeing #SocialImpact #CommunityHealth #OpenUniversity #LifelongLearning #PositiveAgeing 

immensely proud of our partnership with Alan Gow and Age Scotland Doug Anthoney Fiona Cross Adam Stachura driving change together #TakeFivetoAgeWell Open Societal Challenges The Open University in Scotland Keith Robson Chart.PR, MCIPR Katie Davis Gaia Cantelli Helene Murphy

Open Societal Challenges has funded a nine-month research initiative with Bournemouth Foodbank that will provide vital insights into the pressing issue of food poverty, which has been exacerbated across the nation by the ongoing cost-of-living and energy crises. Read about the project, led by Dr Alessandra Marino, here: https://lnkd.in/e2G-v4-7

A ground-breaking OSC initiative, led by the Welsh Refugee Council in collaboration with the OU’s Professor Marie Gillespie, has secured £25,000 in OSC funding to break down barriers for refugee women in Wales. Read the full story here: https://lnkd.in/eUS3zz8U

A fantastic Open Societal Challenges research project 👏

Some take homes from The Open University first Open Research Week webinar by Alice Fleerackers. Join us for more webinars: https://lnkd.in/e5jZ_zYh