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Appropriate paper-based technology (APT) is used to provide postural support for children with cerebral palsy (CP) in low-resourced settings. This pilot study aimed to evaluate the impact of APT on the children's and families' lives. A convenience sample of children with CP and their families participated. Inclusion was based on the Gross Motor Function Classification System levels IV and V. APT seating or standing frames were provided for six months. A mixed methods impact of APT devices on the children and families included the Family Impact Assistive Technology Scale for Adaptive Seating (FIATS-AS); the Child Engagement in Daily Life (CEDL) questionnaire; and a qualitative assessment from diary/log and semi-structured interviews. Ten children (median 3 years, range 9 months to 7 years). Baseline to follow-up median (IQR) FIATS-AS were: 22.7 (9.3) and 30.3 (10.2), respectively (p=.002). Similarly mean (SD) CEDL scores for "frequency" changed from 30.5 (13.2) to 42.08 (5.96) (p=.021) and children's enjoyment scores from 2.23 (0.93) to 2.91 (0.79) (p=.019). CEDL questionnaire for self-care was not discriminatory; seven families scored zero at both baseline and 6 months. Qualitative interviews revealed three key findings; that APT improved functional ability, involvement/interaction in daily-life situations, and a reduced family burden of care. APT devices used in Kenyan children with non-ambulant CP had a meaningful positive effect on both the children's and their families' lives. Assistive devices are often unobtainable for children with cerebral palsy (CP) in low-income countries. APT is a low cost and sustainable solution to make seating and standing devices for disabled children in Kenya. The regular use of a postural support device enhanced the children's motor skills, ability to function and participate in everyday activities, reduced the burden of care for the families and promoted the children's social interaction. The postural support devices were highly valued and utilised by the children and families in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Users' experiences in mental health assessment are multifaceted, including their emotional experiences. Yet, studies of mobile apps for psychiatric assessment have centered on diagnostic accuracy and perceived usability, with little consideration of the impact of user emotional experiences. In this study, we focused on users' perceived usability and emotions and compared the user experience of a paper-and-pencil and an app-based collection of mental health screening questionnaires: EarlyDetect. The System Usability Scale (SUS) and modality-directed emotion questionnaires were administered using paper-and-pencil or iPad. Modality was assigned pseudo-randomly on patients' first visit at a referral-based mental health clinic. We found that patients assigned to the iPad app reported a significantly higher SUS score than patients assigned to paper-and-pencil, qualified by a modality-by-gender interaction where modality effects were significant for men but not for women. Moreover, enjoyment was positively linked to perceived usability, whereas boredom, frustration, and anxiety were negatively linked to usability. Our findings illustrate the added value of studying user experience applied to psychiatric assessments, where both emotions and gender-specific user experience should be taken into consideration. We further discuss the implications for psychiatric assessments via app versus traditional data collection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to examine the effects that reading on screens (using digital devices with different screen sizes) and on paper have on reading time and comprehension. The study group was comprised of126 secondary students from a private school. To ensure balance, the participants were assigned into test groups, formed according to the size of the reading device, based on class levels, gender, and average school grade. In the data collection process, a narrative text was transferred to both print and electronic media. Access to the text was provided on paper and three digital devices. There were no time limitations. After reading, participants were given comprehension tests that consisted of twenty multiple-choice questions. Female participants' on-screen comprehension scores were found to be relatively higher compared to their paper comprehension scores. They also acquired better scores as the screen size increased. Conversely, male participants had higher comprehension scores on tablets and smart phones. Participants who read the text on smart phones and tablets completed the tasks in less time compared to other groups. However, the effects of reading modality on comprehension and reading time were not found to be statistically significant in either the male or female groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2016 WHO launched the priority assistive products list (APL) consisting of 50 products and recommended that using this as a reference, countries should develop their own contextually relevant national APLs. This paper describes the development of Malawi's APL. Two hundred and ninety-six persons with disabilities participated in a rapid Assistive Technology Assessment (rATA) survey. Six focus group discussions (FGDs) with people with various types of disabilities were conducted. The rATA questionnaire and FGDs collected data on assistive products (APs) participants used, APs they needed and the challenges they experienced. Data collection was done in six districts spread across the three regions in Malawi. All age groups were included in the survey. Persons with disabilities aged less than 18 participated but went with their guardians. All persons who participated in this study provided consent. Survey and FGDs results were presented at an APL consensus meeting with policymakers, service providers, disabled peoples' organizations and development partners in the disability sector. Based on the results and further discussions, a consensus was reached on the priority APs for Malawi. More than a third of respondents used wheelchairs (32%), followed by auxiliary crutches (25%), walking sticks (13%), reading glasses (11%), prosthesis (10%), elbow crutches (9%) and orthosis (8%). There is also a high demand for products such as pull-up underwear (incontinence products) (79%), hearing aids (70%), reading glasses (59%) and diapers (63%). After intensive discussions during a consensus meeting, an agreement was reached on the 22 priority APs for Malawi. There is a wide range of APs being used by people with different functional limitations in Malawi. There is also a demand for APs that are not readily available. When developing an APL, the list should include products in use, those in demand, and those recommended by service providers. Following the development of the priority assistive products list (APL) by WHO, member states should develop their own contextually based APL. The development of the APL should be based on research evidence. All key stakeholders including persons with disabilities and other functional limitations, government, and development partners should participate in this process. The APL should be part of the national health system or community services. The Department of Disability and Elderly Affairs in the Ministry of Gender, Community Development, being the Government of Malawi line ministry coordinating disability issues participated actively in this study including inviting participants in the stakeholders' validation workshop. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been a major growth in global health networks in recent decades to address health issues including tobacco use, alcohol abuse, and maternal mortality. Most conditions that incur high costs have provoked networks of advocates working to mitigate the impact, increase investment in research, and establish campaigns. Global health networks often work simultaneously across policy, knowledge creation, and advocacy. Until recently there has been limited activity in global health networks and advocacy addressing hearing loss and deafness which has contributed to its relatively low visibility with policymakers compared to other health conditions. This discussion paper reports on a global consultation that explored the views of advocacy groups and individuals on advocacy for the management of hearing loss, and cochlear implantation (CI). It focussed on stakeholders' views of current advocacy endeavours, opportunities and barriers, and the possible development of a global advocacy network to improve access to cochlear implantation and the supporting services. The subsequent development of a global health network, the Cochlear Implant International Community of Action (CIICA) is discussed and the conditions necessary for the successful development of health networks are explored. This paper will be of interest to those wishing to understand the factors influencing the development of health networks and advocacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The inclusion of children with disabilities in physical education (PE) classes is of the utmost importance and is addressed in teacher training programmes through a range of courses, aimed at providing teachers with knowledge and tools for enhancing inclusion in their PE classes. This paper provides a scoping review of research papers on such courses that are conducted online. The search was conducted through Google Scholar, Sport Discus (via EBSCO Host), and PubMed databases, using two search term clusters: population and subject matter and teaching. Eight articles were then assessed according to participants, programme content and procedures, methodology and instruments, and outcomes and discussion. Four studies provide comparative online/face-to-face courses data between participants. One applied a mixed methods design, three were quantitative, and four were qualitative studies. Most of the findings indicate participant satisfaction with online courses on inclusive PE classes, with scores of knowledge and self-efficacy regarding such inclusion being similar to those seen in face-to-face courses. However, some studies lacked important background variables, such as gender and previous experience working with people with disabilities. The findings of this scoping review highlight several directions for future exploration of such online courses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Complex and enduring mental health problems require greater treatment resources, usually in the form of multidisciplinary support, including providing psychological therapies. This paper reports on an NHS, tertiary-level specialist psychotherapy service offering Psychodynamic therapies with longer-term, exploratory transdiagnostic approaches to support complexity and sustained personality functioning. This paper adopts a naturalistic study design evaluating the effectiveness of Psychodynamic therapy using pre- and post-outcomes across a 10-year period. A total of n = 474 participants self-report pre- and post-outcome measures were used as the marker of effectiveness along with therapist assessments during intake and engagement. The findings showed that Psychodynamic therapy was effective in reducing psychological distress based on service-user self-report and therapist assessments. While intake scores varied by socio-demographic factors, the rate of change across most groups was similar. There were several limitations relating to data quality and completeness which reflect the naturalistic design. Despite the limits of a naturalistic design, this study provides evidence of support for the place of Psychodynamic therapies within NHS mental health care, catering to those with complex and enduring mental health problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study compares cost, completion times, and percent completion of electronic tablet (n = 244) to paper-based (n = 398) questionnaires administered to participants of scenic raft trips on the Snake River, Grand Teton National Park. We hypothesized e-tablet questionnaires would (1) cost less (2) be completed faster and (3) be completely filled more frequently than paper-based questionnaires. Our survey resulted in a greater per unit cost of e-tablet compared to paper-based questionnaires ($4.17 and $1.80, respectively). Although e-tablets were completed faster (230 [±66] s) than paper questionnaires (235 [±57] s), the difference was not significant (t(641) = 1.97, p = 0.39). E-tablets were filled completely more frequently than paper questionnaires (80% vs. 51%, respectively; χ2 = 3.84, p < 0.01). We suggest that for multi-year projects with a sample size target of ≥100, and length ≥ 5 pages, e-tablets are more cost effective and efficient than paper-based surveys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background:The aim of this paper is to provide the reader with an overall impression of the stepwise user-centred design approach including the specific methods used and lessons learned when transforming paper-based assessment forms into a prototype app, taking the Housing Enabler as an example. Methods:Four design iterations were performed, building on a domain study, workshops, expert evaluation and controlled and realistic usability tests. The user-centred design process involved purposefully selected participants with different Housing Enabler knowledge and housing adaptation experience. Results:The design iterations resulted in the development of a Housing Enabler prototype app. The prototype app has several features and options that are new compared with the original paper-based Housing Enabler assessment form. These new features include a user friendly overview of the assessment form; easy navigation by swiping back and forth between items; onsite data analysis; and ranking of the accessibility score, photo documentation and a data export facility. Conclusion:Based on the presented stepwise approach, a high-fidelity Housing Enabler prototype app was successfully developed. The development process has emphasized the importance of combining design participants’ knowledge and experiences, and has shown that methods should seem relevant to participants to increase their engagement. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The identification of migrants and the creation of data identities lies at the core of datafied forms of migration and border control. In recent years, Frontex has made identification to one of its key tasks and conducted so-called screenings in many EU member states. Yet only little is known about the screening materials in use. Based on an ethnographic inquiry of Frontex' data practices, this paper analyses Frontex booklets, dossiers, questionnaires, images, and forms and studies how they structure the situation of identification. Making use of research in science and technology studies and recent research on suspicion and credibility assessment, it argues that those materials not only compile information but work as socio-material devices of suspicion that render migrants into fraudsters and translate peoples' actions, stories, and performances into accounts of truthfulness or deceit. As devices, they frame cases, script interactions, code statements, create stigmata of belonging, and produce purified accounts, and thus enact multiple forms of suspicion. The paper concludes with a critical reflection about the credibility of those materials and speculates about how devices could be designed otherwise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper, rooted in the field of cathedral studies, proposes a framework that analyses the qualitative results from a survey administered in Liverpool Cathedral at two Christmas Eve carol services on the afternoon of 24 December in 2019. The argument is introduced by a review of both quantitative and qualitative literature in the field of cathedral studies, as well the former and current mission priorities of Liverpool Cathedral. Attention is also paid to the liturgical celebration in which survey participants took part. The qualitative results from the Christmas Eve questionnaire are organised into six main themes: cathedral as place, cathedral liturgy, choir and music, general positive affirmation, cathedral local engagement, and cathedral welcome. Conclusions are drawn concerning the significance of the data to the field of cathedral studies, as well as praxis, and trajectories for further research are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper constructs a risk reduction model based on signalling theory to investigate how the platform- and user-oriented signals affect perceived risks, which in turn affect users' actual engagement and purchase behaviours in social commerce. The moderating effects of perceived effectiveness of social commerce institutional mechanisms (PESIM) on the relationships between signals and perceived risks are also considered. Longitudinal data from 226 users of Xiaohongshu were collected to test the proposed hypotheses. We identify signals oriented from platforms and users significantly influence users' perceptions of commerce and participation risks. We also demonstrate that commerce and participation risks influence users' actual engagement and purchase behaviours, respectively. Furthermore, we also verify that PESIM negatively moderates the relationship between signals and perceived risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In vocational education and training of computer literacy as part of vocational rehabilitation, learners often work on problem-solving exercises as self-study assignments, and check if their answers are correct. Sighted learners can get information on their incorrect answers by comparing their answers with the correct answers. However, learners with visual impairments largely depend on their teachers for getting this feedback. To remove this dependence, we designed a self-checking system for learners with visual impairments to verify the correctness of their answers. In this paper, we report the results of a usability study to evaluate whether learners with visual impairments can self-check spreadsheet problem-solving exercises using our system in a teacherless environment. Usability evaluation experiment was conducted using 2 × 2 crossover design with people with visual impairments (n = 11). The participants checked their answers (detected and corrected errors) after working on problem-solving exercises in two ways: (i) manually; and (ii) using our system. The system usability was evaluated by measuring Detection-And-Correction (DAC) ratio as effectiveness, time taken and the number of steps required for DAC as efficiency, and System Usability Scale score as satisfaction. The results show that all the participants could complete the DAC task by using our system, and the time required for DAC task was significantly reduced by using our system as compared to by checking manually. Our system enables learners with visual impairments to self-check problem-solving exercises answers. However, to increase the user satisfaction, the number of required keystrokes needs to be decreased. Vocational rehabilitation for learners with visual impairments to improve their computer literacy is becoming increasingly important. Learners with visual impairments have the potential to acquire computer literacy in a teacherless environment by using simple assistive software like our self-checking system. Simple assistive software for learners with visual impairments like our self-checking system may have a positive effect not only on learners with visual impairments but also on sighted people. Moreover, our system reduces the teaching load of the teachers so that they can be more effective in helping learners with visual impairments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. Health behavior research suggests that perceived social norms impact health decisions. This study aimed to (a) examine reasons for vaccine hesitancy among a sample of college students compared to a clinical sample (b) examine the accuracy of perceptions of others' receptivity and intention to seek out the COVID-19 vaccine, and (c) determine whether greater self-other normative discrepancies (SODs) were associated with increased likelihood to seek out the COVID-19 vaccine. Participants. Participants included 227 students at a Northeastern private college and 140 patients seeking medical care. Methods. College students completed an online, anonymous survey. Patients completed a paper-and-pencil survey distributed at appointment check-in. Results. Compared to their perceptions of others, participants had more positive beliefs about vaccines. The most common reason prompting individuals to seek out the vaccine was to return to "normal life." Conclusions. Future research might examine use of social norms interventions to decrease vaccine hesitancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides insight into the lived experience of individuals who have survived falls from height. Interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) was used to analyze qualitative questionnaire and interview data from four participants and from the author, who is a fellow fall survivor. Overarching themes were "Making sense of the fall"; "Chance and Agency"; "Impact" and "Recover and Reflect." The analysis identified the importance for survivors of developing a coherent narrative to situate the fall within the life-story. Processes of meaning-making and the role of blame, guilt and fault in the construction of accident narratives were also examined. First-hand accounts of physical and psychological consequences for fall survivors provide medical and therapeutic professionals with an opportunity to improve their understanding of and care for fall survivors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explicates blame as a psychological construct in communication processes, with a focus on its underlying structure and its mediating role between message characteristics and the public's issue engagement. Data were collected from Amazon Mechanical Turk (N = 373) via a Web-based experiment, where we manipulated a news story about a child suffering an obesity-related health risk (asthma attack vs. heart attack) with different levels of preventability (high vs. low) and severity (high vs. low). Findings showed that blame should best be conceptualized and operationalized as a latent construct comprising both cognitive and affective components. Blame mediated message effects on social responses related to obesity prevention, including punitive attitudes, policy support, and intentions toward interpersonal communication and civic participatory behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional healing practices are prominent in recent studies. Particularly, there is focused attention on holistic healing in treatment interventions for various illnesses, including mental disorders. This paper quantitatively evaluates the perspectives of traditional health practitioners (THPs) regarding their knowledge, diagnosis, and treatment practices of mental disorders, especially schizophrenia. Special attention was paid to symptoms of schizophrenia as they seem to overlap with the symptoms of bewitchment and an ancestral calling. Self-developed questionnaires were administered to 100 THPs from Harry Gwala District, KwaZulu-Natal. Black, middle-aged female THPs classified as diviners were prevalent. They reflected knowledge of mental disorders and played a role in their diagnosis and treatment. Medicinal concoction was the commonly prescribed treatment option. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on a qualitative Group Survey study involving four healthcare professionals (HCPs) and eight people living with HIV who were recipients of care in the United Kingdom (UK). The survey aimed to bring participants' perspectives into dialogue and establish consensus about how communication between HCPs delivering HIV care and their patients could be improved in the context of the routine care consultation. Responses from both parties were anonymously collated, thematically analysed, and shared back with participants in two subsequent survey rounds to support consensus-building on matters of concern and identify thematic insights. In this paper, we report three themes for informing future designs of tools and services to support communication between patients and HCPs: Patient-clinician relationship for trusted sharing; Self-reporting psychosocial information to support Whole-person care; and Perceived barriers for online trusted sharing with HCPs. Our findings highlight key areas of concern and further investigation is needed to understand how self-reported information may be meaningfully captured, interpreted and processed by HCPs in ways that are trusted by patients who voice privacy and security concerns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experience of adopted college/university students and young adults, and their unique challenges in understanding the development of their personal identities, is an important topic for research and clinical practice with adopted people. This paper examines college and university students' understanding of how their life experiences of being born Asian but being raised in a non-Asian adoptive family have influenced their personal racial identity formation and how this may have affected their choices of study and career. In addition to subjects' responses to a questionnaire, participants completed five peer-reviewed scales that revealed information about how they perceive their racial identities and their efforts to distinguish genetics from environmental influences on their personal identities. This article reports on the key findings that have significance for psychotherapists treating these students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to provide an overview and critique of the newly updated Sensory Processing Measure – second edition (SPM-2) to assist clinicians in understanding its strengths and limitations and in selecting an appropriate sensory processing scale that best meets their clients' needs. Using four established research methodological quality critique tools, the SPM-2's family of age-related versions was evaluated by administering the tools separately and discussed their scoring and findings to reach a consensus on all ratings. The tools identified several strengths and weaknesses of the SPM-2. The SPM-2's items on its age-related versions scored well in the criteria of internal consistency, test-retest reliability, explanation of the instrument design, construct validity, content validity, criterion validity and ease of administration, and scoring. However, a lack of normative data for participant groups outside of the United States, methodological limitations, and a lack of investigation into some important psychometric properties, particularly responsiveness, were identified as notable weaknesses of the SPM-2's items on its age-related versions based on the critique criteria. Overall, despite the areas needing further development and investigation, the SPM-2 is considered a psychometrically sound tool that provides a reliable and valid approach to measuring aspects of the sensory processing construct across the lifespan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This descriptive study describes the practice and challenges of occupational therapists in Bangladesh during the COVID-19 pandemic using an online survey. Eighty-four participants who are practising in both clinical and community settings anonymously participated in the study between January – March 2021. About a third (38.5%) of participants continued hands-on service, 29.5% started working from home, 19.2% worked in both methods, and 12.8% stopped working and almost 12% commenced telerehabilitation service as a new practice. This paper describes the practice as well as the different challenges. Implications of the results are explored as well as future needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Birth cohort studies across the world have yielded information that has been used to inform policy and programme decisions that have improved the health and well-being of populations. A few such studies have been conducted in low- and middle-income countries due to funding, methodological and other challenges. This paper briefly reviews the methods of comprehensive birth cohort studies with extensive follow-up of participants through the life course conducted in low- and middle-income countries. It then reviews the first Jamaican birth cohort study of 1986 and discusses the methodological advances in implementing JA KIDS, the second Jamaican birth cohort study conducted in 2011. The aims and methods of JA KIDS are described in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is an increased need for accessible psychosocial interventions that support both people with dementia and their spouses. Recent research demonstrates the benefits of music therapy and caregiver-delivered music therapy for this population. This paper contributes to the emerging evidence base on telehealth music therapy for people with dementia outside of a COVID-19 era when in-person services were available. This exploratory phenomenological study explores the experiences of two couples who attended a six-week telehealth music therapy programme via two detailed case examples. Online semi-structured interviews with each couple were conducted pre and post intervention and analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Three shared themes emerged from the data analysis including (1) social isolation and lack of confidence linked to dementia diagnosis is worsened in rural locations, (2) song singing and song writing enables us to revisit happy memories, and (3) telehealth delivery increases access due to geographical location. The findings are presented in a narrative case study format to provide rich detailed descriptions of the music therapy programme and to illuminate the experiences of the participants. In both examples, telehealth delivery expanded access to music therapy (which was otherwise unavailable) and stimulated reminiscence which in turn encouraged meaningful engagement between the couple. The delivery of music therapy via telehealth, alongside in-person delivery, has the potential to expand access to music therapy to those who may not have access to or are no longer able to attend community support services due to geographical location, increased cognitive decline or reduced mobility. The successful delivery of telehealth music therapy is dependent on several factors including digital literacy, access to appropriate technological devices, caregiver support and level of cognitive decline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to explore how social work students can support lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning (LGBTQ+) young people in schools. Drawing on the reflective practice portfolio documents of four students who worked with LGBTQ+ young people in a school as part of a social workers in school (SWIS) student placement project, the article uses thematic analysis to identify how the students were able to support young people identifying as LGBTQ+. The article subscribes to a poststructuralist theoretical framework which sees gender and sexual identities as multiple, fragmented and constructed in relation to others and within the systems of knowledge and power that exist in schools. The article demonstrates the benefit to schools of having social work students on practice placement. The students' own reflections critically contemplate the way in which they were able to spend more prolonged periods of time with young people than the teachers could, both with individuals and LGBTQ+ groups. The students' reflective portfolios show the value of the school placements to their own development of knowledge and skills [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although inclusion generally affects students with special educational needs positively, it remains unclear whether specific integrative school measures have beneficial or detrimental effects on their academic performance and perceived inclusion. Unlike previous studies, the present paper differentiates between various types of integrative school measures, such as curriculum modifications (i.e. reduced individual learning objectives; RILO) and accommodations (AC). It explores their effects on academic performance and perceived inclusion. Analyses are based on a prospective longitudinal study of 1123 students (baseline at fifth/sixth grade, mean age 12.4 years old, and follow-up at eighth/ninth grade, mean age 15.3). Propensity-score-matching based on potential confounders was used to estimate relative changes in similar students' academic performance and perceived inclusion, with and without RILO or AC. RILO had significant negative effects on maths and overall academic performance. AC, however, had significant positive effects on academic performance and no negative side effects on perceived inclusion. School teachers and educational professionals should consider the opportunities and risks of different integrative school measures and use RILO in an inclusive, non-stigmatising manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Negative perceptions within parent–child relationship has become a focus of research in recent psychological literature. Keeping this in view, the current paper aims to study how parental psychological maltreatment and negative cognitive style connect with psychological distress among Pakistani adolescents? Three hundred and seventy adolescents including 200 boys and 170 girls took part in the study. The mean age was 16.11 (SD = 1.54). Participants from different educational institutes filled in Psychological Maltreatment Experience Scale, Adolescent Cognitive Style Questionnaire – Short Form (Adapted version) and Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale. Findings of the study indicated that both parental psychological maltreatment and negative cognitive styles have strong association with psychological distress. The results emphasize the role of negative cognition in parent–child relationship and importance of reducing the hostile effects of parental maltreatment on youth's mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Older adult education is still under-researched, with many terminological ambiguities, clichés, and prejudices. Older adult teacher education and older adult English as a foreign language (EFL) teacher education is rare. Many factors can influence EFL teachers of older adults' teaching performance and its perception. Pre-service (presumably inexperienced U3A EFL teachers) and in-service teachers (experienced U3A EFL) were teaching EFL to selected older adults (aged from 64 to 75 years) at the Karkonosze University of Applied Sciences in Jelenia Góra, Poland, U3A. Their teaching Older adult education is still under-researched, with many terminological ambiguities, clichés, and prejudices. Older adult teacher education and older adult English as a foreign language (EFL) teacher education is rare. Many facting performance factors list. By utilizing a critical foreign language geragogy and a strengths-based approach inspired by positive psychology, the research emphasized the role of general teaching experience and/or age-targeted teaching experience. And it led to validating the desirable teaching performance factors as factors that defined U3A EFL teaching performance as successful and positively evaluated by given older adult learners, i.e. on a small scale. Based on a qualitative comparative exploratory study, the paper analyses how to approach teaching EFL to older adult learners at a University of the Third Age(U3A). It aimed to design a desirable U3A EFL teaching performance and to validate it on a small scale. It focused mainly on what role teaching experience and official educational study path play. A comparison is made between pre-service (presumably non-experienced U3A EFL teachers) and in-service teachers' (experienced U3A EFL teachers) teaching performance at one selected U3A EFL course and its attendees (aged 64 to 75 years). The study revealed that positively perceived (and successful) teaching performance needs to involve, among others, the following factors: establishing a friendly atmosphere, adjusting materials to the target group and the tempo, becoming partners with learners, and being sensitive to their limitations and barriers and respectful to their wishes and needs. However, within researched countries, pre-service teachers are not being prepared to teach older adults in their formal education path. The teachers' experience plays high role in the ability to adapt and adjust, however the foreign language enjoyment perceived by older adults is universal. It was perceived at both variants, i.e. at pre- as well as in-service teachers' teaching performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2023, the UK Government published its long-awaited reform strategy for England's children's social care system. Whilst the strategy set out planned reforms for several aspects of the wider system, an area requiring particular 'priority' was the purported workforce instability seen within child protection social work. However, the strategy has subsequently faced criticism on the basis that the suggested reforms were not satisfactorily informed by the testimonies of practicing social workers. This paper draws from a mixed-method study to report on the lived experiences of a sample of 201 child protection social workers practicing across England, in the context of better understanding the factors which they believed were impacting on workforce stability within England's child protection system. Implications that emerge are the need for an increase in the monetary commitment offered by the UK Government (especially in the context of tackling high caseloads, and improving local authority pay scales to reduce the allure of agency work); a targeted emphasis on challenging local cultures preoccupied with evidencing compliance over time spent with children; and the Government taking a more assertive role in tackling the often-counterproductive commentary perpetuated by politicians and media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Informed by existing gaps in the research of elder abuse and neglect (EAN) outcomes and very limited knowledge from Central-European cultural contexts, this paper analyzes the link between domestic-based EAN and three measures of well-being, namely subjective loneliness, sense of control over one's life, and a broader outlook on life. To do this, we used recently (2022) collected EAN survey fielded among home-dwelling residents of the Czech Republic aged 65 +. The results show that there is a clear relationship between EAN and these selected outcomes. Controlling for several sets of potential modifying or confounding factors further indicates that this relationship is substantial and direct, rather than weak and indirect. Among controls, only variables related to disadvantage (health, income, dependency, history of abuse) partly account for the link between EAN and its outcomes due to their relation to both heightened risk of EAN and lower well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Financial exploitation (FE) is one of the most common reports to Adult Protective Services (APS) and the cases are often complex. Consequently, APS caseworkers report FE investigations to be among the most difficult while simultaneously reporting low confidence in productive outcomes for these investigations. This necessitates finding ways to support APS FE investigations. This paper describes the structure, process, and formative findings of a collaboration between forensic accounting examiners and APS workers to investigate complex cases of FE. Among the 77 FE cases completed, forensic examiners reviewed multiple years of financial records which included over 101,000 transactions, totaling over $213,000,000.00 in finances, and identified over $8,000,000 in questionable activity. Scores on the 8-item Client Satisfaction Questionnaire were high indicating high program satisfaction by APS workers, subject matter experts, and forensic examiners. These findings support the feasibility and acceptability of forensic accounting and APS collaborations to investigate complex cases of FE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sum scores from questionnaire data are frequently analyzed under the normality assumption which is not always tenable due to for instance the skewness of the distribution, or the discreteness of the sum scores for small number of items. Alternatively, an ordinal regression analysis can be applied, but this approach seems appropriate only for very small number of items. The current state-of-the-art approach is to apply a beta-binomial model, though the beta-binomial model does not simply connect to item-response theory models that may describe the underlying items of the questionnaire, and it is more cumbersome to fit to multi domain sum scores or repeated longitudinal single sum scores. This paper proposes a normal-probit-binomial model for repeated sum scores that has an item level interpretation under certain assumptions without having to analyze the individual items. All parameters, the temporal correlation coefficients, and the mean difficulty parameter were almost unbiasedly estimated, irrespective of the set of item difficulty parameters. The coverage probability of the 95% confidence intervals were close to the nominal level, except for the correlation coefficients that were slightly liberal. Our model performed slightly better than the beta-binomial model on cross-sectional data and it handles missing items easily. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The present paper presents developments and advanced practical applications of Rasch's theory and statistical analysis to construct questionnaires for measuring a person's traits. The flaws of questionnaires providing raw scores are well known. Scores only approximate objective, linear measures. The Rasch Analysis allows you to turn raw scores into measures with an error estimate, satisfying fundamental measurement axioms (e.g., unidimensionality, linearity, generalizability). A previous companion article illustrated the most frequent graphic and numeric representations of results obtained through Rasch Analysis. A more advanced description of the method is presented here. Conclusions: Measures obtained through Rasch Analysis may foster the advancement of the scientific assessment of behaviours, perceptions, skills, attitudes, and knowledge so frequently faced in Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, not less than in social and educational sciences. Furthermore, suggestions are given on interpreting and managing the inevitable discrepancies between observed scores and ideal measures (data-model "misfit"). Finally, twelve practical take-home messages for appraising published results are provided. The current work is the second of two papers addressed to rehabilitation clinicians looking for an in-depth introduction to the Rasch analysis. The first paper illustrates the most common results reported in published papers presenting the Rasch analysis of questionnaires. The present article illustrates more advanced applications of the Rasch analysis, also frequently found in publications. Twelve take-home messages are given for a critical appraisal of the results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little is known about the relationship between treatment organization characteristics and client outcomes or drug-related harms in community opiate substitution therapy. In the absence of sufficient scientific evidence, the organizational configuration of addiction treatment services is often decided on an ad hoc and sometimes politically motivated basis as the evaluation of the impact of policies or practices on clients at the organizational level is limited. The objective of this multi-site cross-sectional study was to identify and understand how client characteristics and staff perceptions of organizational functioning related to client engagement in community-based opiate substitution therapy services in Ireland. This paper reports on a cross-sectional survey of clients (n = 262) and staff (n = 132) questionnaires across 12 discrete community-based prescribing service providers (organizations) in Ireland. Measures of client engagement in treatment were shown to be higher in organizations with more positive staff ratings of organizational functioning. In particular, in organizations where staff reported having greater job autonomy, clients reported better overall engagement. Specifically, greater staff autonomy in organizations related to greater levels of treatment participation (p = 0.034), treatment satisfaction (p < 0.001), and better rapport with staff (p < 0.001). Clients who were the longest in treatment expressed significantly poorer rapport with staff (p = 0.44) and were less likely to seek out support from peers (p = 0.023), while those in stable accommodation reported greater participation in treatment (p = 0.009). Levels of peer support were not related to organizational characteristics, but clients with lower levels of education (p = 0.002) and those in early treatment (p = 0.017) were more likely to seek support from peers. The findings establish the importance of assessing organizational and client attributes as part of an overall strategy for enhancing the quality of treatment. This paper provides valuable information for policymakers and provides an ample basis for further exploration of how treatment organizations work, and not just that they work. Policymakers and planners need to consider introducing specific interventions for clients or staff in the context of a 'whole systems' approach. From an organizational and planning perspective, this should involve further consideration of measures that relate to increasing staff's sense of autonomy. This paper provides further evidence that the success of policy-making or planning relating to treatment organizations can be successfully measured at the client and organizational levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent debates surrounding intimate partner violence (IPV) have focused on its gender symmetry and gender-oriented nature. These debates center on findings from various data sources, like victimization or self-reported surveys and police-based reports. Data by Statistics Canada, from 1999 to 2014, has shown that the prevalence of IPV is similar for male and female victims, except for sexual assaults. However, there has been a paucity of studies on the severity and risk factors of IPV against men by female partners. Thus, this paper examines the severity of and risk factors for physical IPV against heterosexual men in Canada using the General Social Survey (Victimization) data of 2014. This study revealed that there is a symmetry in the experiences of physical violence between male and female victims. This study also revealed that male victims experience more severe violence than female victims. Using binary logistic regression analysis, years of dwelling together, the victim's age, childhood victimization, and marijuana use were found to predict physical IPV against heterosexual men. This paper concludes with suggestions about how these predicting factors can be used to identify male victims and the need for a more inclusive approach toward addressing IPV, which should include male victims. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Black Alaskans face serious barriers to health care. This paper reports on qualitative results of a health needs assessment to understand the health challenges facing Black Alaskans. Utilizing exploratory thematic analysis, the findings indicate that Black Alaskans experience barriers such as high cost of care, underinsurance, lack of information and education, a shortage of BIPOC health providers, stigma, negative perceptions by health-care providers, and racism both in the community and in the health-care system. The paper concludes by discussing emerging health equity initiatives to advance responsive care for Black Alaskans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper sets out the Collaborative Service Design Playbook, to guide planning, design, and implementation of co-created health services. Successful health service development and implementation is best guided by theoretically informed approaches; however, organisations often lack design and implementation know-how and have difficulty applying it. This study seeks to improve health service design and potential for scale-up by proposing a tool to guide an end-to-end process, drawing together service design, co-design, and implementation science; and exploring the tool's feasibility to establish a sustainable service solution developed with participants and experts that is scalable and sustainable. The Collaborative Service Design Playbook phases include, (1) Define the opportunity and initiatives, (2) Design the concept and prototype, (3) Deliver to scale and evaluate; and (4) Optimise to transform and sustain. This paper has implications for health marketing through providing an end-to-end approach with phased guidance for health service development, implementation, and scale up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Covid-induced lockdowns have increased the importance of technology in education. Though access to technology as well as availability of the internet remain a major concern for a lot of children in the global south, children with intellectual disabilities are disadvantaged even more as most of the e-content is developed keeping in mind the average learner. Unstructured interviews were conducted with children with intellectual disabilities studying in government schools in Haryana as well as their teachers and parents. Thematic analysis of the interviews was conducted to understand the use-patterns of mobile phones by children with intellectual disabilities. Findings suggest that these children are learning to use mobile phones on their own or with some support and are able to navigate the complexities of these smartphones quite well. They use these devices mostly for their entertainment. This paper then reflects on the need and strategies to develop these technologies in ways that they can be used as effective tools for teaching children with intellectual disabilities, especially in the inclusive education system in developing countries. The paper reflects on the need to develop technology and tools using flexible and exploratory designs to enhance the learning processes for children with intellectual disabilities from the lower income strata. This study highlights the importance of being able to use mobile phones by children with intellectual disabilities belonging to low income families. Following this, the article argues for designing of mobile phones suitable for use by children with intellectual disabilities using playfulness and explorations, and Building e-content keeping the elements of playfulness and exploration which can enhance the learnings of this group of students which is often ignored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In-clinic follow-up to assess completion of medical abortion is no longer a requirement according to World Health Organization guidance, provided adequate counselling is given. However, timely recognition of ongoing pregnancy, complications or incomplete abortion, which require treatment, is important. As part of a larger trial, this study aimed to establish whether women having a medical abortion could self-assess whether their abortion was complete using an automated, interactive questionnaire on their mobile phones. All 469 participants received standard abortion care and all returnees filled in a self-assessment on paper at clinic follow-up 2–3 weeks later. The 234 women allocated to receive the phone messages were also asked to do a mobile phone assessment at home ten days post-misoprostol. Completion of the mobile assessment was tracked by computer and all completed assessments, paper and mobile, were compared to providers’ assessments at clinic follow-up. Of the 226 women able to access the mobile phone assessment, 176 (78%) completed it; 161 of them (93%) reported it was easy to do so. Neither mobile nor paper self-assessments predicted all cases needing additional treatment at follow-up. Prediction of complete procedures was good; 71% of mobile assessments and 91% of paper assessments were accurate. We conclude that an interactive questionnaire assessing completion of medical abortion on mobile phones is feasible in the South African setting; however, it should be done later than day 10 and combined with an appropriate pregnancy test to accurately detect incomplete procedures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In-clinic follow-up to assess completion of medical abortion is no longer a requirement according to World Health Organization guidance, provided adequate counselling is given. However, timely recognition of ongoing pregnancy, complications or incomplete abortion, which require treatment, is important. As part of a larger trial, this study aimed to establish whether women having a medical abortion could self-assess whether their abortion was complete using an automated, interactive questionnaire on their mobile phones. All 469 participants received standard abortion care and all returnees filled in a self-assessment on paper at clinic follow-up 2–3 weeks later. The 234 women allocated to receive the phone messages were also asked to do a mobile phone assessment at home ten days post-misoprostol. Completion of the mobile assessment was tracked by computer and all completed assessments, paper and mobile, were compared to providers’ assessments at clinic follow-up. Of the 226 women able to access the mobile phone assessment, 176 (78%) completed it; 161 of them (93%) reported it was easy to do so. Neither mobile nor paper self-assessments predicted all cases needing additional treatment at follow-up. Prediction of complete procedures was good; 71% of mobile assessments and 91% of paper assessments were accurate. We conclude that an interactive questionnaire assessing completion of medical abortion on mobile phones is feasible in the South African setting; however, it should be done later than day 10 and combined with an appropriate pregnancy test to accurately detect incomplete procedures. RésuméSelon les directives de l’Organisation mondiale de la santé, le suivi dans le centre de santé pour s’assurer que l’avortement médicamenteux est complet n’est plus nécessaire, pourvu que des conseils adaptés soient prodigués. Néanmoins, il est important de déceler rapidement une poursuite de la grossesse, des complications ou un avortement incomplet, qui exigent un traitement. Dans le cadre d’un essai plus large, cette étude visait à déterminer si femmes ayant eu un avortement médicamenteux pouvaient évaluer elles-mêmes si leur avortement était complet, à l’aide d’un questionnaire interactif automatisé sur leur téléphone portable. Toutes les 469 participantes ont reçu des soins types liés à l’avortement et toutes les patientes revenues au centre ont rempli une autoévaluation sur papier lors du suivi dans ce centre, deux ou trois semaines plus tard. Les 234 femmes sélectionnées pour recevoir les messages téléphoniques ont aussi été invitées à faire une évaluation sur téléphone portable chez elles dix jours après la prise de misoprostol. L’achèvement de l’évaluation sur le portable a été contrôlé par ordinateur et toutes les évaluations complétées, sur papier et téléphone, ont été comparées à l’évaluation des praticiens lors du suivi dans le centre. Des 226 femmes ayant eu accès à l’évaluation sur portable, 176 (78%) l’ont complétée ; 161 d’entre elles (93%) ont indiqué que cela avait été facile. Les autoévaluations, que ce soit sur portable ou sur papier, n’ont pas prévu tous les cas nécessitant un traitement complémentaire lors du suivi. Les prédictions de la complétude de la procédure étaient bonnes : 71% des évaluations sur portable et 91% sur papier étaient exactes. Nous avons conclu qu’un questionnaire interactif évaluant la complétude de l’avortement médicamenteux sur le téléphone portable est faisable dans le contexte sud-africain ; néanmoins, il devrait être soumis plus tard que le dixième jour et associé à un test de grossesse approprié pour détecter rigoureusement les procédures incomplètes. ResumenEl seguimiento en la unidad de salud para determinar si la mujer tuvo un aborto con medicamentos completo ya no es un requisito, según la guía de la Organización Mundial de la Salud, siempre y cuando se brinde consejería adecuada. Sin embargo, es importante reconocer con prontitud la continuación del embarazo, complicaciones o aborto incompleto, que requiere tratamiento. Como parte de un ensayo clínico más extenso, este estudio tuvo como objetivo establecer si mujeres en proceso de aborto con medicamentos podrían determinar por sí mismas si tuvieron un aborto completo, utilizando un cuestionario interactivo automatizado en su teléfono móvil. Todas las 469 participantes recibieron servicios estándares de aborto y todas las que regresaron llenaron un formulario de autoevaluación durante el seguimiento en la unidad de salud 2 o 3 semanas después. A las 234 mujeres asignadas para recibir los mensajes por teléfono también se les pidió que hicieran una evaluación domiciliaria por teléfono móvil diez días post-misoprostol. La conclusión de la evaluación móvil fue seguida por computadora y todas las evaluaciones terminadas, en versión impresa y móvil, fueron comparadas con las evaluaciones de los prestadores de servicios durante el seguimiento en la unidad de salud. De las 226 mujeres que tenían acceso a su evaluación por teléfono móvil, 176 (78%) la concluyeron; 161 de ellas (93%) informaron que fue fácil de hacer. Ni la autoevaluación móvil ni la impresa previeron todos los casos que necesitaban tratamiento adicional en el seguimiento. La predicción de procedimientos completos fue buena; el 71% de las evaluaciones móviles y el 91% de las evaluaciones impresas fueron precisas. Concluimos que un cuestionario interactivo que evalúa la finalización del aborto con medicamentos por teléfono móvil es factible en Sudáfrica; sin embargo, debe hacerse después del décimo día y combinarse con una prueba de embarazo apropiada para detectar con precisión los procedimientos incompletos. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper analyses the quality of information collected by a self-administered survey responded to by a general population, who were offered the possibility of answering using the post or Internet. The analysis will be focused on the use of three grid questions with using rating scales with 6, 6 and 8 items, respectively. There was a polar point labelled scale (0–10) with verbal labels only at the endpoints. The postal survey showed greater acquiescence, a greater choice of extreme response categories and ‘easy’ answers, and a greater number of incomplete questions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introductory undergraduate statistics courses widely focus on statistical concepts or software-based data analysis. Despite the fact that the analysis of real data has shown to enhance students' engagement, the step of data collection is often neglected. Once students know the challenges of data collection, they are more aware of potential imperfections, such as a lack of representativeness, during data analysis. In this paper, we present a course that closes the gap allowing Business and Economics students to conduct a full survey under realistic conditions including questionnaire design, sampling, and data analysis. It entangles theory and application by combining course-based research experiences with cooperative learning and a flipped classroom approach. Students do not only obtain competences in the field of statistics, they also gain experiences and self-confidence for future research projects because the lecturer acts as a mentor guiding the students throughout the project. Although statistics is usually an unpopular field for Business and Economics students, their motivation was high throughout the semester as they acted as researchers who analysed a specific research question. This is in agreement with student feedback, which highlights the promotion of research-related competences and self-efficacy within the course. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Schools' Scheme of 1937/8, initiated by the Irish Folklore Commission, was an almost unprecedented experiment. Not only did it contribute to one of the biggest collections of folklore in Europe, but it also arguably boosted the cultural development of children and created a catalyst for the intergenerational transmission of tales. Children from 26 counties collected folk materials on 55 topics indicated in the questionnaires Irish Folklore and Tradition and Béaloideas Éireann (1937). This paper provides a short review of strategies employed by children in their attempts to collect unstructured cultural texts through probable self-collection. It shows how the two questionnaires had an overwhelming influence on the resultant texts stored in the National Folklore Collection of Ireland at University College Dublin. The author employs a philological approach to folklore texts. Their form is analysed along with the contexts of creation (both immediate and wider ones). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Persuasive gamified systems are effective tools for motivating behaviour change using various persuasive strategies. In line with the reinforcement theory, some persuasive gamified systems employ reward and punishment in their design to achieve the intended behavioural outcome. Research has argued both in favour and against using these strategies in behaviour change applications due to mixed results with respect to their effectiveness. However, there is a lack knowledge about how interventions using these strategies could motivate or demotivate behaviours. Therefore, this paper explores the mechanism through which Reward and Punishment motivate or demotivate behaviours with respect to their strengths and weaknesses. The results of large-scale exploratory studies (N = 1768) uncover important strengths and weaknesses that could facilitate or hinder the effectiveness of Reward and Punishment at motivating behaviour change. These include their ability to engage users and make behaviour fun, reinforce commitments to goals, and reveal some consequences of bad behaviour. We also compared the perceived effectiveness of reward and punishment quantitatively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the usability, usefulness and user experience of the Forward with Dementia website for people with dementia and family carers, and identifies strategies to improve web design for this population. The website was iteratively user-tested by 12 participants (five people with dementia, seven carers) using the Zoom platform. Data collection involved observations, semi-structured interviews and questionnaires. Integrative mixed-method data analysis was used, informed by inductive thematic qualitative analysis. Users of Version 1 of the website experienced web functionality, navigation and legibility issues. Strategies for desirable web design were identified as simplifying functions, streamlining navigation and decluttering page layouts. Implementation of strategies produced improvements in usability, user experience and usefulness in Version 2, with mean System Usability Scale scores improving from 15 to 84, and mean task completion improving from 55% to 89%. The user journey for people with dementia and carers overlapped, but each group had their own unique needs in the context of web design. The interplay between a website's content, functionality, navigation and legibility can profoundly influence user perceptions of a website. Dementia-related websites play an important role in informing audiences of management strategies, service availability and planning for the progression of dementia. Findings of this study may assist in guiding future web development targeting this population. People with cognitive impairment can provide useful feedback on design and accessibility of websites, and their input should be obtained when developing digital applications for this group. This paper provides practical suggestions for website design features to improve function, legibility and navigation of websites for older people and people living with dementia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the Wellness in Chronic Care (WCC) model, an innovative integrative clinical intervention method aimed at helping social workers manage the care of patients living with chronic illnesses and their families. The goal is to propose appropriate clinical responses to the changing reality of the health system. This new reality poses new challenges that require caregivers (social work practitioners and family members) to develop suitable skills and expertise. The intervention method we developed offers a new paradigm that entails partnership and the need to assume responsibility in decision-making while coping with the illness over time. The intervention provides practical tools and methods for coping and managing the illness. These factors have contributed to building a specifically tailored intervention program for patient and family care to achieve an effective and meaningful wellbeing. An assessment of the training program of the intervention model and its implementation is presented. The model was found to be essential yet some found it difficult to make the needed changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the different insider employee-led cyber frauds (IECF) based on the recent large-scale fraud events of prominent Indian banking institutions. Examining the different types of fraud and appropriate control measures will protect the banking industry from fraudsters. In this study, we identify and classify Cyber Fraud (CF), map the severity of the fraud on a scale of priority, test the mitigation effectiveness, and propose optimal mitigation measures. The identification and classification of CF losses were based on a literature review and focus group discussions with risk and vigilance officers and cyber cell experts. The CF was analyzed using secondary data. We predicted and prioritized CF based on machine learning-derived Random Forest (RF). An efficient fraud mitigation model was developed based on an offender-victim-centric approach. Mitigation is advised both before and after fraud occurs. Through the findings of this research, banks and fraud investigators can prevent CF by detecting it quickly and controlling it on time. This study proposes a structured, sustainable CF mitigation plan that protects banks, employees, regulators, customers, and the economy, thus saving time, resources, and money. Further, these mitigation measures will improve the reputation of the Indian banking industry and ensure its survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is increasing interest in measuring wellbeing and mental health in a range of settings and services outside conventional mental health care settings. However, ensuring that measurement does not intrude on the primary service activity whilst promoting inclusion through minimizing literacy demands, requires ultra-brief and easy to use tools. To develop and test a brief emoji-based tool to assess mental health, wellbeing, resilience and community connection. In study 1, 672 adults completed an online questionnaire study comprising a new emoji measure and established questionnaires assessing mental health, resilience, community connection and wellbeing. In study 2, 415 participants completed a paper-and-pencil version of the emoji measure, mental health and community connection, with 212 individuals providing data at a second time point. Multidimensional scaling revealed a meaningful structure to the emoji measure with validity demonstrated through relationships to existing scales. Stability over time and sensitivity to change were also demonstrated. The emoji-based measure presented here provides an ultra-brief measure of mood and current experience, with minimal literacy demands on participants. Further research is now needed to test the properties and utility of the scale with other participant groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the present study was to (1) translate and validate the PEACH + Rating Scale in Malay and (2) establish normative curves as a function of age and examine test-retest reliability for the Malay and English versions of PEACH+. This is a cross-sectional study that used a convenient sampling technique. One hundred and fifty-seven parents of typically developing children aged between 4 months and 7 years participated in the study. Forty-nine completed the Malay PEACH + in a pen-to-paper format (Aim 1). One hundred and eight parents completed PEACH + online (69 completed the Malay version and 39 the English version), and 20 of them completed the questionnaire twice (Aim 2). The PEACH + in Malay showed high internal consistency and item-total correlation. The normative data revealed that scores for frequency of auditory behaviour increased rapidly with age until about 20 months and reached an asymptote of around 90% by about 40 months of age. A similar trend was observed for ease of listening scores, which asymptoted around 85%. The validated Malay PEACH + Rating Scale can be used as a guide to monitor auditory functional performance and listening efforts of Malaysian children in real-world environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper sought to determine risk factors of occupational injury in the Irish dairy farming sector and to estimate the roles of both dairying expansion and the discipline of agricultural extension in influencing reducing injury occurrence. Data for this study was obtained via the Irish National Farm Survey (NFS). In total, 260 farm (83.6% of NFS dairy farm sample) workplace injury survey questionnaires were completed by NFS recorders by interviewing principal farm operators for year 2017. Injury survey data was analysed for 48 variables in conjunction with NFS core farm socio-economic, physical and financial data. Additionally, core data from 2010 for 78.5% of farms surveyed in 2017 was included in the study. Data were analysed using a three-step statistical testing process which met all Binary Logistic Regression assumptions. The study found that dairy farms had a higher farm workplace occupational injury level compared to a previous study. The study data indicates occurrence of elevated injury levels on farms which expanded and which were intensively managed from a milk production perspective. Farm expansion was associated with increased labor units used and increased investment per hectare. The study also found that use of extension services and farm discussion group participation were not associated with injury occurrence. This study demonstrates how a retrospective farm workplace occupational injury survey of Irish dairy farms, analysed in combination with farm business data can be used to identify injury risk factors, including those associated with production expansion. Irish dairy farms have a heightened farm workplace occupation injury level while dairy production expansion increased injury levels. Extension engagement did not influence on injury levels. Approaches to improve farm safety on dairy farms are outlined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The introduction of ChatGPT 3.5 in November 2022 ignited a sensation in the academic community, leaving many astounded by its capabilities. This new release more closely emulates human responses than its predecessors. Among its remarkable capabilities, it can answer questions, catalog items in MARC21, recommend reading lists, and make suggestions on a wide array of topics. To assess ChatGPT’s efficacy in aiding library users, the authors of this paper conducted an experiment comparing ChatGPT’s performance with that of librarians in answering reference questions. Thirty questions were randomly selected from the transaction log of the reference inquiries between June 1, 2023 to July 31, 2023 at the Rider University Libraries. These queries constituted 34% of the total user questions during this two-month period. The authors compared the answers by ChatGPT and those by reference librarians for their accuracy, relevance, and friendliness. The findings indicate that reference librarians markedly outperformed their robotic counterpart. An evident issue arises from ChatGPT’s deficiency in understanding local policies and practices. This consequently hinders its ability to provide satisfactory answers in those areas. OpenAI posits that ChatGPT’s proficiency can be enhanced through targeted fine-tuning using locally specific information. At the moment, ChatGPT remains a great tool for librarians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]