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Purpose: Attitudes, experiences and knowledge about menopause are relevant, especially when menopause starts earlier than expected. This study aims to examine women who underwent this transition "early" and "on-time" according to these factors. Design/methodology/approach: The sample included 117 women, 69 with "on-time" and 48 with premature menopause. Participants completed three questionnaires. Findings: Women with premature menopause had a better understanding of it but more negative attitudes and a higher incidence of physical and psychological symptoms, although they indicated greater feelings of control over their symptoms. Moreover, "early" menopause women appeared to exhibit greater anxiety. Practical implications: Results underscore the need to inform women about menopause as a natural developmental process. Originality/value: This paper shows the menopause as a difficult transition especially for women with early menopause. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to understand the profile of use of gerontechnology in Spanish older adults considering their age group (60–70; 71–80 and over 80 years) and to discern whether groups of subjects with similar characteristics can be established to ascertain which factors are behind the profile of frequent gerontechnology use. Design/methodology/approach: A quantitative study is presented to understand the profile of use of gerontechnology in Spanish older adults. The sample comprised 497 participants (aged between 60 and 94 years). Findings: The results show that, even though most participants consider technology to be useful in their daily lives, there is still a lack of knowledge on how to use it, especially among older subjects. This highlights the importance of promoting technological cocreation initiatives such as senior living labs. Research limitations/implications: Other researchers are encouraged to include the voices of older adults using gerontechnology in further studies. Practical implications: If we want to increase the acceptance of technology by older adults, we must first let them take part in the design of the technologies they will use. Social implications: This research provides promising data that should merit attention to contribute to the well-being and quality of life of older adults in a society where currently technology is a key part in every sphere of our daily life. Originality/value: The value of this research lies in the implications of "aging in place" studies today. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to first assess the long-term effects of the adaptation of the American Strengthening Families Programme in Spain (known as the Programa de Competencia Familiar, translated into English as the Family Competence Programme (FCP)). The second aim is to identify family typologies and family changes regarding family competence over time. The paper’s initial hypothesis is that families have different behaviours and take advantage of the FCP in different ways. Design/methodology/approach – Monitored applications of the FCP were conducted using a quasi-experimental design consisting of a control group and pre-test, post-test and two-year follow-up assessments. The sample was made up of 136 families who took part in the programme and another 18 who participated in the control groups. Validated instruments were applied to assess the methodological processes and the family assessments. A cluster analysis was undertaken to identify different family typologies and their evolution in relation to the FCP goals. Findings – The FCP shows effective and consistent results over time for families in a variety of difficult situations, with important result maintenance. The longitudinal analysis (i.e. the two-year follow-up) demonstrates that the majority of changes identified (using the factors under consideration) maintained their relevance for most of the families, producing positive change. Originality/value – There is little long-term evaluation or longitudinal analysis of family prevention programmes that are evidence-based and include cognitive-emotional content. This paper analyses the long-term evaluation of family prevention programmes and identifies the ways in which families change over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to assess and compare school well-being (SW) and emotional well-being (EW) among Romanian, Moroccan and Spanish youth, to determine the degree of relation between EW and scholar well-being.Design/methodology/approach The paper employed cross-sectional research with cluster sampling in two primary schools and seven secondary schools. The questionnaire Kidscreen-27 was distributed to a sample of 1,840 Romanian, Moroccan and Spanish students aged between 10 and 19 years old. Data analysis was conducted with the software package SPSS, version 21.Findings EW shows significant gender (gender gap) and origin inequalities (lower performance for the Moroccan community). However, well-being in school shows positive results for the Moroccan students and women. Moreover, EW and well-being at school are presented as related and co-linear variables with a predictive power over one another.Research limitations/implications Understanding cultural expressions in heterogeneous cultures is a very complex task. Despite the cultural adaptation and validation of instruments, the applied surveys could not consider cultural differences.Practical implications The paper underlines that gender and origin remain decisive and determinant for adolescent health. However, the school can have positive effects on the well-being of immigrants. The reasons for well-being need to be explored, and it would be useful to develop educative strategies to implement transcultural EW and SW.Originality/value It is the first study about SW and EW of immigrants in Spain that explains a better SW in immigrants groups. It is also relevant for applied school intervention to predict the relationship between EW and SW. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the prevalence and profile of mothers among women who sought treatment for drug addiction, as well as the therapeutic progression of these patients. Design/methodology/approach: A sample of 180 Spanish women with addiction problems was assessed. Information was collected on the patients' socio-demographic characteristics, consumption variables and psychological symptoms. Findings: Of the total sample, 22.2 per cent (n = 40) of the women seeking treatment for substance use disorder were mothers. Compared with women without children, mothers scored significantly higher on several EuropASI and psychological variables. Specifically, mothers presented with more medical problems, worse employment/financial situations, and more severity in alcohol use. Moreover, having a history of lifetime physical and/or sexual abuse was related to belonging to the group of mothers. Regarding therapeutic progression, no statistically significant differences in the retention rate were found between mothers and non-mothers. Originality/value: The results of this study show that mothers generally have more severe problems than non-mothers. Therefore, comprehensive, continuum-based, and client-centred care for mothers is paramount for effective treatment in mothers. The implications of these results for further research and clinical practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – This paper aims to provide a better understanding of the relationship between intellectual capital (IC) reporting and transparency in Spanish universities. The purpose of this paper is to obtain new empirical findings and an enhanced understanding of the role of IC in an organizational change process is obtained. Design/methodology/approach – In this study the authors developed a questionnaire which was sent to members of the Social Councils of Spanish public universities in order to analyse the views of university stakeholders in relation to the university’s annual reports and the adequacy and potential of IC reporting to meet their information needs. Findings – From the results of this study the authors are in the position of confirming the need for universities to offer information on IC in their accounting information model. Practical implications – All these results lead us to assert that to improve the information contained in the current university annual reports, it is necessary to make accounting regulators aware of the need to extend the information provided in the current accounting statements. Giving users access to a type of information relevant for good decision making constitutes a healthy exercise in transparency for universities. Originality/value – Although the scientific and professional literature has provided numerous studies about reporting a firm’s IC, further research is still needed for universities. This need is especially relevant when considering empirical supported IC models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to report results of the impact of the information and communication technology (ICT) platform and telecare services developed by the MonAMI consortium on the quality of life (QOL) of older people in three European communities. Design/methodology/approach – In a three-month trial, the MonAMI technology was installed in the homes of older people with various needs, in the cities of Stockholm, Sweden; Zaragoza, Spain; and Kosice, Slovakia. Evaluation criteria and instrumentation were developed to assess the effects of the services on users' perceived QOL in the domains of independence, physical health, psychological wellbeing, social networking, and physical environment. Findings – A total of 62 users, with a mean age of 79 years, participated in the trial. Results demonstrate that the MonAMI services had some positive, significant effects on users' QOL. For instance, users with a higher number of disabilities at baseline reported greater confidence in keeping intruders from entering their home compared to users with fewer disabilities (OR=2.51, 0.01 p<0.05). However, overall findings show that healthier, more independent users perceived more benefits from the services compared to users who report more health problems and are less independent. Research limitations/implications – The complexities of conducting the MonAMI trial led to a small, heterogeneous sample of users over a short time span. This in turn created difficulties in observing the potential effects of the services and achieving significance on some indicators of QOL. Originality/value – This paper provides quantitative analyses around the impact of telecare services; suggests important directions for further research; and highlights the methodological challenges of evaluating ICT-based care services in a community setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – Improvement in Access to Treatment for People with Alcohol and Drug Related Problems (IATPAD) was a European study that detected barriers and facilitators to accessing treatment for patients with alcohol and drug-related problems. This article seeks to compare the findings from a qualitative study with patients and staff in Catalunya (Spain). Design/methodology/approach – The paper describes a multi-centre, qualitative study. A purposive sample of 47 staff, from a randomly selected sample of the three main entrance points to treatment for patients with alcohol and drug problems in Catalunya, were recruited from: Out-patient General Psychiatry Centres (CSMA); Out-patient Addiction Centres (CAS); and Primary Care Centres (CAP). In addition, open-ended responses were collated from 142 additional staff on barriers and facilitators to accessing treatment for patients with alcohol and drug problems and how these barriers could be improved. A total of 25 patients from two CAS were interviewed in-depth. The framework approach was used to interpret qualitative interviews. Findings – The main barriers and facilitators to accessing treatment identified by staff and patients were patients' motivation, centres' opening hours, staff attitudes, the provision of information about services, and the co-ordination and integration of different services – mainly the mental health and addiction sectors. Originality/value – This paper describes and compares the main barriers and facilitators to accessing treatment from both staff and patients' point of view. Recommendations are made in order to improve service accessibility for patients with addiction problems and those with a dual diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to study the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) model self-assessment using a questionnaire approach in eight university administrative services. Design/methodology/approach - Case study methodology on eight services provided by a public university in Spain. Findings - The findings show the steps that an administrative service may follow in order to apply the questionnaire approach to self-assessment in a successful manner. Originality/value - Provides lessons for managers from other universities, or other public sector organisations, who wish to develop an exercise in self-assessment using a questionnaire approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - Organizational knowledge assets are key organizational factors responsible for firm innovation, as well as effective management. Traditionally, a good piece of research takes the innovation processes from an external perspective, leaving aside the internal complexity that characterizes innovation dynamics. Nevertheless, the innovation capability of a certain firm depends very closely on the intellectual assets and organizational knowledge that it possesses, as well as on its ability to deploy them. In this sense, this paper aims to test empirically the relationships between organizational knowledge assets and the innovation capability of the firm. Design/methodology/approach - The data collection was carried out through a questionnaire on a sample of 251 Spanish high and medium-high manufacturing firms. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses and multiple linear regressions were also used. Findings - Based on the literature review, this work explores the nature and measurement of organizational capital as well as its role on innovation performance in high and medium-high manufacturing firms. Practical implications - This paper proposes a theoretical and empirical model of technological innovation that, based on organizational knowledge assets, highlights the importance of culture and CEO commitment towards innovation, as well as the role played by communication and information technologies (CITs) applied to management on product innovation capability within high and medium-high manufacturing firms. Originality/value - The scarcity of empirical works analyzing the innovation phenomena from an internal point of view adds value to the current academic literature, specifically from an intellectual capital-based view. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - This paper aims to analyze job-satisfaction differences between employees of the hotel industries of two similar tourist destinations: Andalusia (Spain) and the Algarve (Portugal). Design/methodology/approach - A questionnaire survey was conducted in the two regions. The population for this study comprised employees of any hotel establishment in these regions. The authors have used stratified random sampling based on the number of hotels in each category and the number of hotel beds these represent. A total of 2,064 usable questionnaires from 165 hotels were returned in Andalusia and 461 from 23 hotels in the Algarve. Findings - Findings from this study show an acceptable level of job satisfaction in both regions, although this is higher among the Andalusian workers, not only in terms of the overall score but also for each of the job facet scores considered. In contrast to previous findings, in this study the effect of wage on job satisfaction has been reported as significant in both regions. Research limitations/implications - The different periods of time in which the fieldwork was done may have caused some distortions in the perception of working conditions in each region. Besides this, some departments may not be sufficiently represented. Practical implications - This paper encourages hotel managers to focus their attention on their remuneration systems, promotion possibilities and the perception of their profession's prestige in order to improve staff satisfaction. Particularly in Andalusia, it would be advantageous to develop retention strategies for talented people. In the Algarve region, more training and an improved recognition system are needed. Originality/value - Although job satisfaction is an employee. attitude that has been studied extensively, there have been few studies on that topic in the tourism sector in Spain, and even fewer in Portugal. Moreover, whereas prior work has mainly focused on small samples - a limited number of hotels surveyed in some specific area - in this study two important tourist regions using a wide sample, and taking all hotel categories into consideration are compared. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims, firstly, to analyse the contribution of socio-economic determinants to mental health (MH) inequalities before the economic crisis, in 2006, and again in a year during recovery, 2016, and secondly, to analyse the changes in these contributions between the two points in time in Barcelona city. Design/methodology/approach: The concentration index (CI) was calculated for MH inequalities for the population aged 16 or older using the Barcelona Health Surveys for 2006 and 2016. MH was measured with the 12-item General Health Questionnaire. The CI was broken down for each year and gender based on a set of socio-economic determinants plus social support and the presence of chronic diseases. The contribution of each factor to variation in MH inequality between the two points in time was analysed with Oaxaca decomposition. Findings: Income inequalities in MH increased for men and women (a CI from −0.06 in 2006 to around −0.16 in 2016). Employment status and social class are the main contributors to MH inequalities (more than 50%), except for women in 2006 that is chronic disease. The main contribution to increases in MH inequality between 2006 and 2016 was due to unemployment (26.5% men, 23.8% women), being a student (22.8% men, 20.7% women), homemaker in women (30.7%) and men in the manual class (31.6%). Originality/value: MH inequalities have been amplified between the two years among the economically vulnerable population or for those who are out of the labour market with unexpected changes for women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – This research assesses the predictive capacity of key factors in the development of family competences: parent-children relationship, family involvement, family resilience and positive parenting. It also aims to establish which are the most discriminating factors between the groups showing the most and the least prosocial behaviours. Design/methodology/approach – The study involves a longitudinal study of one child from 181 families; 155 families in the experimental group and 26 in the control group. Both boys and girls are included and their ages range from 8 to 14 years. The instruments employed are all validated for use with a Spanish population and include Karol Kumpfer’s questionnaires on family competence and the BASC questionnaire. Findings – All of the factors analysed, with the exception of family involvement, proved to be predictive for prosocial behaviour, and the most discriminating among these were: parent-children relationship, family resilience and positive parenting. Originality/value – One key issue in family prevention programmes is the development of prosocial behaviour. In this sense, the research developed here aims at highlighting protective factors as key to developing a prosocial behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a case study which explores the relationship between Regional Centre of Expertise (RCE)-Barcelona and Technical University of Catalonia (UPC) in Spain in the contest of two organisations that target further Education for Sustainable Development. Study used Framework-Level-Actor (FLA) systems approach and electronic questionnaires. Findings reveal the inherent difficulties experienced by RCE-Barcelona and UPC in all RCEs, such as the lack of defining common objectives.