33 results
Search Results
2. Globalisation Opportunities for VET: How European and International Initiatives Help in Renewing Vocational Education and Training in European Countries. Cedefop Research Paper. No 71
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Cedefop - European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training, Department for VET Systems and Institutions (DSI)
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In a highly competitive global landscape, occupations are transformed, new jobs are created and the skills needed for the labour market are constantly changing. European countries are looking at redefining VET [vocational education and training] to respond promptly to such challenges and take advantage of the opportunities ahead. They are reforming to modernise their VET systems and strengthen the relevance of their national qualifications in an international context. This publication explores national responses to globalisation in 15 countries and five economic sectors. It aims to understand how European and international initiatives help VET renewal across Europe. It shows how countries' reactions are embedded in their national traditions but also depend on their interactions with European, sectoral and multinational players that provide training and award qualifications. [The research was carried out by a consortium led by IBE Educational research institute and 3s Unternehmensberatung GmbH.]
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- 2018
3. Education Systems, Education Reforms, and Adult Skills in the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC). OECD Education Working Papers, No. 182
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Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) (France) and Liu, Huacong
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This study uses the PIAAC data to examine the relationships between education system characteristics (e.g. early tracking and vocational education orientation) and distributions of adult numeracy skills. It also investigates the effects of postponing the tracking age and easing university access for students on a vocational track on the average skills and different percentiles of the skills distribution. Correlational analysis suggests that education systems with more students enrolled in vocational tracks have on average higher levels of numeracy skills and more compressed skills distributions between the 50th and 90th percentiles. Further analysis suggests that postponing the tracking age among 14 European countries does not have a significant effect on the average skills of the population. However, it increases skills for individuals at the 10th, 20th, and 30th percentiles of the skill distribution. Expanding university access is associated with an increase in numeracy skills, particularly for individuals at the bottom three deciles of the distribution.
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- 2018
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4. Promoting social inclusion for adult communities: The moderating role of leisure constraints on life satisfaction in five European countries.
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Koçak, Funda and Gürbüz, Bülent
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STATISTICAL correlation , *INDEPENDENT living , *SATISFACTION , *CRONBACH'S alpha , *RESEARCH funding , *STATISTICAL sampling , *QUESTIONNAIRES , *CHI-squared test , *DESCRIPTIVE statistics , *SOCIAL integration , *LEISURE , *STATISTICS , *RESEARCH , *HEALTH promotion , *DATA analysis software , *ADULTS - Abstract
Although leisure constraints that individuals have to cope with can negatively affect their social inclusion and satisfaction with life, little research has addressed the link between these variables. Therefore, the current paper examined the moderator role of leisure constraints on the relationship between satisfaction with life and leisure constraints among adults living in five different European countries. The respondents were 1,382 women and 877 men adults. The findings of analysis revealed that all factors used in the study accounted for 15% of the variance in satisfaction with life and social inclusion had a significant and positive impact on satisfaction with life. As a result, it can be said that leisure constraints had a moderating effect on the relationship between satisfaction with life and social inclusion. The present research study recommends that social inclusion should be encouraged through decreasing to leisure constraints to increase the life satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2024
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5. Biomedical practices from a patient perspective. Experiences of Polish female migrants in Barcelona, Berlin and London.
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Main, Izabella
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MEDICAL care ,CHILDBIRTH ,COMMUNICATION ,PSYCHOLOGY of immigrants ,INTERVIEWING ,RESEARCH methodology ,SCIENTIFIC observation ,PEDIATRICS ,PHYSICIAN-patient relations ,CULTURAL pluralism ,RESEARCH funding ,WOMEN ,ETHNOLOGY research ,FIELD research ,PATIENTS' attitudes ,PSYCHOLOGY - Abstract
This paper focuses on the diversity in patients' experience of biomedicine and contrasts it with the normative view characteristic of health professionals. Ethnographic fieldwork among Polish migrant women in London, Barcelona and Berlin included interviews about their experiences with local healthcare and health professionals. Themes drawn from the narratives are differences between the cities in terms of communication between patients and health professionals, respect for patients' choices and dignity, attitudes to pregnancy and birth (different levels of medicalization), and paediatric care. It is argued that patients continuously negotiate among their own views and expectations based on previous experiences and knowledge from personal communication; internet forums and publications; and the offer of medical services in the countries of their settlement. Patients experience pluralism of therapeutic traditions within and outside bio-medicine. In turn, representatives of bio-medicine are rarely aware of other medical practices and beliefs and this leads to various misunderstandings. By highlighting the pluralism of medical practices in European countries and the increasing mobility of patients, this case study has useful implications for medical anthropologists and health professionals in a broader Western context, such as raising sensitivity to different communication strategies and a diversity of curing traditions and expectations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2016
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6. Nurses, midwives and students' reports of effective dedicated education units in five European countries: A qualitative study.
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Pedregosa, Sara, Zabalegui, Adelaida, Fabrellas, Núria, Risco, Ester, Pereira, Mariana, Dmoch‐Gajzlerska, Ewa, Şenuzun, Fisun, and Martin, Sandra
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CLINICAL medicine ,SCHOOL environment ,NURSE supply & demand ,RESEARCH funding ,QUALITATIVE research ,FOCUS groups ,AUTONOMY (Psychology) ,MIDWIVES ,INTERVIEWING ,STATISTICAL sampling ,RESPONSIBILITY ,MENTORING ,THEMATIC analysis ,ATTITUDES of medical personnel ,TRANSITIONAL programs (Education) ,PHENOMENOLOGY ,GROUNDED theory ,PSYCHOLOGY of nurses ,PSYCHOSOCIAL factors ,NURSING students - Abstract
Aim: To investigate nursing/midwifery students, Clinical Mentors, Link Teachers and Head Nurses experiences within "Dedicated Education Unit" model in 6 European clinical placements and analyse the necessary elements for a powerful clinical learning environment. Design: A multi‐country, phenomenological, qualitative study. Methods: Focus group interviews were performed to identify the personal and organizational factors of importance for students and nurses/midwives. Results: Data analysis produced 4 main themes (1) Clinical placement organization, (2) students' clinical knowledge and skill acquisition, (3) students, and nurses/midwives' experiences within the DEU model and (4) factors for creating an effective learning environment. Conclusions: A close educational‐service collaboration, a realistic clinical placement planning, a focus on student learning process and an investment in professionals' education and development among others, are elements to set up a powerful clinical learning environment. Implications for the profession: It is considered advisable and urgent to improve the working conditions of nurses/midwives and the learning environments of students as a strategy to alleviate the global shortage of nurses and respond to the increasingly demanding health needs of the population. Impact: Due to the close relationship between students' learning and features of the clinical environment nurse educators seek innovative models which allow students to manage patient care and their transition to professional practice. To implement new learning strategies, identifying students, nurses and midwives perceptions and suggestions is a powerful information to evaluate implementation process and outcomes. Public Contribution: Our findings could help academic and clinical managers to meet the human and organizational requirements to create a successful learning environment in every student placement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2024
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7. An exploratory study of barriers to inclusion in the European workplace.
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Moody, Louise, Saunders, Janet, Leber, Marjan, Wójcik-Augustyniak, Marzena, Szajczyk, Marek, and Rebernik, Nataša
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BUSINESS ,EMPLOYEE rights ,EMPLOYMENT of people with disabilities ,HEALTH services administration ,ERGONOMICS ,INDUSTRIAL relations ,QUESTIONNAIRES ,RESEARCH ,RESEARCH funding ,SURVEYS ,REGULATORY approval ,ATTITUDES toward disabilities - Abstract
Background: The European Disability Strategy (2010-2020) seeks to significantly raise the proportion of people with disabilities working in the open labour market. The ERGO WORK project is a collaboration of academic and industrial partners in six European countries, focused on understanding and tackling barriers to workplace inclusion for workers with disabilities. Methods: This study sought to explore the perceptions and needs of stakeholders in terms of workplace adaptation to the needs of employees with disabilities. An exploratory online survey was completed by 480 participants across six countries. Results: The analysis suggests that workplaces could be further improved to meet the needs of employees with considerable scope for training within companies to raise awareness about employees' needs, employers' obligations and workplace adaptation. Conclusions: This snapshot suggests there is still a gap between intent and reality in workplace inclusion and further strategies are needed to improve the opportunities for employees with disabilities. The paper argues that ergonomics may have a key role to play in tackling these challenges and adapting the workplace environment and job design to suit the needs of individual employees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2017
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8. Validation of the Wound‐QoL‐17 and the Wound‐QoL‐14 in a European sample of 305 patients with chronic wounds.
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Janke, Toni Maria, Kozon, Vlastimil, Valiukeviciene, Skaidra, Rackauskaite, Laura, Reich, Adam, Stępień, Katarzyna, Chernyshov, Pavel, Jankechová, Monika, van Montfrans, Catherine, Amesz, Stella, Barysch, Marjam, Montero, Elena Conde, Augustin, Matthias, and Blome, Christine
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RISK assessment ,ODORS ,RESEARCH funding ,CRONBACH'S alpha ,QUESTIONNAIRES ,RESEARCH evaluation ,DESCRIPTIVE statistics ,TRAUMATOLOGY diagnosis ,QUALITY of life ,PSYCHOMETRICS ,STATISTICAL reliability ,INTRACLASS correlation ,CHRONIC wounds & injuries ,MEDICAL practice - Abstract
The Wound‐QoL assesses the impact of chronic wounds on patients' health‐related quality of life (HRQoL). A 17‐item and a shortened 14‐item version are available. The Wound‐QoL‐17 has been validated for multiple languages. For the Wound‐QoL‐14, psychometric properties beyond internal consistency were lacking. We aimed to validate both Wound‐QoL versions for international samples representing a broad range of European countries, including countries for which validation data had yet been pending. Patients with chronic wounds of any aetiology or location were recruited in Austria, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland and Ukraine. Psychometric properties were determined for both Wound‐QoL versions for the overall sample and, if feasible, country‐wise. We included 305 patients (age 68.5 years; 52.8% males). Internal consistency was high in both Wound‐QoL‐17 (Cronbach's α: 0.820–0.933) and Wound‐QoL‐14 (0.779–0.925). Test–retest reliability was moderate to good (intraclass correlation coefficient: 0.618–0.808). For Wound‐QoL‐17 and Wound‐QoL‐14, convergent validity analyses showed highest correlations with global HRQoL rating (r = 0.765; r = 0.751) and DLQI total score (r = 0.684; r = 0.681). Regarding clinical data, correlations were largest with odour (r = −0.371; r = −0.388) and wound size (r = 0.381; r = 0.383). Country‐wise results were similar. Both Wound‐QoL versions are valid to assess HRQoL of patients with chronic wounds. Due to its psychometric properties and brevity, the Wound‐QoL‐14 might be preferrable in clinical practice where time is rare. The availability of various language versions allows for the use of this questionnaire in international studies and in clinical practice when foreign language patients are being treated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2024
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9. Therapeutic index for local infections score (TILI): a new diagnostic tool.
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Dissemond, Joachim and Gerber, Veronika
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ALLIED health personnel ,BACTERICIDES ,PREVENTION of communicable diseases ,CONSENSUS (Social sciences) ,DERMATOLOGISTS ,EXPERIMENTAL design ,HEALTH care teams ,RESEARCH methodology ,SURGEONS ,SURGICAL site infections ,WOUND healing ,WOUND infections ,WOUND care ,DECISION making in clinical medicine ,EARLY diagnosis ,SYMPTOMS - Abstract
Objective: Local wound infections are a major challenge for patients and health professionals. Various diagnostic and therapeutic options are available. However, a generally accepted standard is still lacking in Europe. The aim was to develop an easy-to-use clinical score for the early detection of local wound infections, as a basis for decisionmaking on antiseptic therapy or decolonisation. Method: An interdisciplinary and interprofessional panel of experts from seven European countries was brought together to discuss the various aspects of diagnosing local wound infections. Results: The result was the adoption of the Therapeutic Index for Local Infections (TILI) score, developed in Germany by Initiative Chronische Wunden e.V., specifically for health professionals not specialised in wound care. Available in six European languages, the TILI score could also be adapted for different European countries, depending on their specific national healthcare requirements. The six clinical criteria for local wound infection are erythema to surrounding skin; heat; oedema, induration or swelling; spontaneous pain or pressure pain; stalled wound healing; and increase and/or change in colour or smell of exudate. Meeting all criteria indicates that antiseptic wound therapy could be started. Regardless of these unspecific clinical signs, there are also health conditions for the clinical situation which are a direct indication for antimicrobial wound therapy. These include the presence of wound pathogens, such as meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, septic surgical wound or the presence of free pus. Conclusion: The development of the new internationally adapted TILI score, which could also be used by any caregiver in daily practice to diagnose local infections in acute and hard-to-heal wounds, is the result of expert consensus. However, the score system has to be validated through a clinical evaluation. This is to be performed in expert centres throughout Europe. Declaration of interest: JD has received research support, lecture fees and travel-cost reimbursements from 4M, Coloplast, Convatec, Draco, Engelhardt, Paul Hartmann, KCI, Lohmann&Rauscher, Mölnlycke, SastoMed and Urgo. RL has received research support, lecture fees and travel-cost reimbursements from Mölnlycke and Urgo. AK has received research support, lecture fees and travel-cost reimbursements from 3M, B. Braun Melsungen, Bode/Paul Hartmann, Ethicon, Lohmann&Rauscher, Mundipharma, Oculus, SastoMed Schülke&Mayr, SERAG-WIESSNER and Urgo. JVS has received research support, lecture fees and travel-cost reimbursements from Mundipharma, Histocell, Quesper and Urgo. This work was supported by an unlimited grant from Urgo Medical. The views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of Urgo Medical. The company had no direct influence on the content of this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2020
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10. Violence against nurses working in the health sector in five European countries—pilot study.
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Babiarczyk, Beata, Turbiarz, Agnieszka, Tomagová, Martina, Zeleníková, Renáta, Önler, Ebru, and Sancho Cantus, David
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CHI-squared test ,HEALTH facilities ,INDUSTRIAL safety ,INVECTIVE ,RESEARCH methodology ,NURSES ,NURSES' attitudes ,NURSING practice ,QUESTIONNAIRES ,STATISTICAL sampling ,SOCIAL skills ,VIOLENCE in the workplace ,PILOT projects ,CROSS-sectional method - Abstract
Aim: To provide initial data regarding country‐specific evidence of workplace violence towards nurses working within the health sector in five European countries. Methods: This is a descriptive and cross‐sectional pilot study, conducted in June 2016. The sample consisted of 260 nurses working in selected health care settings in five participating countries (Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Turkey, and Spain). The questionnaire used was adapted from the International Labour Office/International Council of Nurses/World Health Organisation/Public Services International Workplace Violence in the Health Sector Country Case Study—Questionnaire. Results: A large number of participants confirmed that they had been physically attacked or verbally abused in the workplace in the last 12 months. In most cases, the physical and verbal abuse was inflicted by patients and to a lesser degree by relatives of patients, staff members, or managers/supervisors. In the majority of cases, no action was taken to investigate the causes of the incidents. In most cases, participants believed there was no point in reporting the incidents. However, the reasons for not reporting or discussing incidents of workplace violence varied depending on the country. Conclusion: Workplace violence towards nurses is a serious problem internationally, and violence prevention strategies need to be implemented. SUMMARY STATEMENT: What is already known about this topic? The nursing profession is at high risk of workplace violence. However, the problem seems to be severely underreported.What this paper adds? A better understanding of the problem in the social and cultural context, together with data fill information gaps regarding workplace violence in selected European countries.The implications of this paper: On the basis of the data obtained, prevention programmes and recommendations can be established and implemented in nurses' daily lives. Evaluation can also be conducted of the effectiveness of existing programmes and standards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2019
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11. Smoking in public places in six European countries: Findings from the EUREST-PLUS ITC Europe Survey.
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Fu, Marcela, Castellano, Yolanda, Tigova, Olena, Mons, Ute, Agar, Thomas, Kyriakos, Christina N., Trofor, Antigona C., Quah, Anne C. K., Fong, Geoffrey T., Przewoźniak, Krzysztof, Zatoński, Witold A., Demjén, Tibor, Tountas, Yannis, Vardavas, Constantine I., and Fernández, Esteve
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SMOKING & psychology ,HEALTH promotion ,PUBLIC spaces ,SMOKING ,WORK environment - Abstract
INTRODUCTION Surveillance of tobacco consumption in public places is an important measure to evaluate the impact of tobacco control interventions over time. The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of smoking as seen by smokers and their smoking behaviour in public places, in six European countries. METHODS We used baseline data of the International Tobacco Control Six European countries (ITC 6E) Survey, part of the EUREST-PLUS Project, conducted in 2016 in national representative samples of about 1000 adult smokers aged 18 years and older in Germany, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Spain. For each setting (workplaces, restaurants, bars/pubs and discos) participants were asked whether they had seen someone smoking during their last visit there and whether they too had smoked there. We report the overall and by-country weighted prevalence of seeing someone smoking and the smokers' own smoking behaviour at each setting. We also assess the relationship between seeing someone smoking and smoking themselves at these settings. RESULTS The prevalence of smoking as seen by smokers was 18.8% at workplaces, with high variability among countries (from 4.7% in Hungary to 40.8% in Greece). Among smokers visiting leisure facilities in the last year, during their last visit 22.7% had seen someone smoking inside restaurants and 12.2% had smoked themselves there, while for bars/pubs the corresponding prevalences were 33.9% and 20.4%, and inside discos 44.8% and 34.8%. CONCLUSIONS Smoking is still prevalent at leisure facilities, particularly at discos in Europe, with high variability among countries. More extensive awareness campaigns and stricter enforcement are needed to increase the compliance of smokefree regulations, especially in leisure facilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2018
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12. Alcohol use disorders in Europe: A comparison of general population and primary health care prevalence rates.
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Manthey, Jakob, Gual, Antoni, Jakubczyk, Andrzej, Pieper, Lars, Probst, Charlotte, Struzzo, Pierluigi, Trapencieris, Marcis, Wojnar, Marcin, and Rehm, Jürgen
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ALCOHOLISM treatment ,ALCOHOLISM ,CHI-squared test ,CONFIDENCE intervals ,HELP-seeking behavior ,INTERVIEWING ,RESEARCH methodology ,PRIMARY health care ,QUESTIONNAIRES ,RESEARCH funding ,DISEASE prevalence ,ODDS ratio - Abstract
Aims. Alcohol use disorders (AUDs) are prevalent in Europe but occurrence in primary care and the proportion of treated cases are understudied. This study reports prevalence of AUDs and their treatment in European primary health care settings and compares them with general population estimates.Procedure. We sampled 358 general practitioners (GPs, refusal rate: 56.4%) across six European countries (Germany, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Poland, and Spain) who assessed 13,003 patients including providing AUD diagnoses. A subsample of 8,476 patients (refusal rate: 17.8%) was interviewed subsequently, assessing DSM-IV AUD diagnoses via the Composite International Diagnostic Interview. Final AUD diagnoses combined GP and patient interview information.Findings. Past year AUDs were prevalent with 11.8% (95% CI: 11.2–12.5%) across all regions, which is 1.6 times the European general population AUD estimate. Of those diagnosed with AUDs, 17.7% (95% CI: 15.4–20.0%) received professional help. Compared to general population estimates, AUDs and their treatment were more prevalent in primary care settings in most countries, with disproportionally high AUD rates in Italy and Spain and unexpectedly low AUD rates in Hungary.Conclusions. We found higher prevalence and treatment rates of AUDs in primary health care compared to general population surveys, with large variability between the observed countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2016
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13. UniCollaboration Plenary Session
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Ballester, Rodrigo
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In this UniCollaboration Plenary Session, Rodrigo Ballester, a cabinet member of the Commissioner of Education and Culture in the European Commission, presented on virtual exchanges. Virtual exchanges can serve many different purposes. They can be intercultural dialogues, languages, digital skills, teacher training, and soft skills, etc. He then speaks of the recent history of education in Europe and the Erasmus program, a virtual exchange. While he was mostly positive of Erasmus, he did find some criticism for it, such as not enough virtual exchanges in rural areas and not to forget intra-cohesion. He ended the session with a question and answer period. [For the complete volume, see ED609298.]
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- 2020
14. Designing and Implementing Virtual Exchange -- A Collection of Case Studies
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Research-publishing.net (France), Helm, Francesca, Beaven, Ana, Helm, Francesca, Beaven, Ana, and Research-publishing.net (France)
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Virtual exchange is gaining popularity in formal and non-formal education, partly as a means to internationalise the curriculum, and also to offer more sustainable and inclusive international and intercultural experiences to young people around the world. This volume brings together 19 case studies (17 in higher education and two in youth work) of virtual exchange projects in Europe and the South Mediterranean region. They span across a range of disciplines, from STEM to business, tourism, and languages, and are presented as real-life pedagogical practices that can be of interest to educators looking for ideas and inspiration. [This content is provided in the format of an e-book. Individual papers are indexed in ERIC.]
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- 2020
15. Better than antibiotics. Public understandings of risk, human health and the use of synthetically obtained livestock vaccines in five European countries.
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Ditlevsen, Kia, Glerup, Cecilie, Sandøe, Peter, and Lassen, Jesper
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VACCINATION ,FOCUS groups ,AGRICULTURE ,ATTITUDE (Psychology) ,PUBLIC health ,SYNTHETIC drugs ,BIOTECHNOLOGY ,ANTIBIOTICS - Abstract
Drawing upon data collected within 20 focus groups with consumers from five European countries, in this article we investigate how perceptions of human health risk and current anxieties regarding agricultural food production affect citizens' acceptance of the use of an emerging biotechnology, synthetic biology, in the development of vaccines for animals bred for food production. In focus group discussions in Austria, the UK, Poland and Denmark, participants tended to value the positive potential of synthetic vaccines if they could solve existing problems. Participants argued that the technology could be beneficial for animal welfare and was a potential solution to the problem of risks to human health posed by the use of antibiotics on livestock. The perceived drawbacks of antibiotic use affected the discussions towards acceptance of synthetic biology and the use of vaccines in meat production despite concerns over the potential risks. The participants from Spain stood out in that their acceptance of the synthetic vaccine appeared to be disconnected from concerns about risks related to the use of antibiotics. Participants from all countries found the vaccine to have potential uses, but also expressed concerns about health risks for consumers. In general consumers were perceived as those bearing the heaviest burden of risk, while pharmaceutical companies were perceived as likely to benefit most from production of the vaccine. We found that institutional trust and national contexts of (dis)engagement with science influenced the participants' understandings of the degree to which the synthetic livestock vaccine had a fair risk-benefit balance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2021
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16. Exposure to secondhand aerosol of electronic cigarettes in indoor settings in 12 European countries: data from the TackSHS survey.
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Amalia, Beladenta, Xiaoqiu Liu, Lugo, Alessandra, Fu, Marcela, Odone, Anna, van den Brandt, Piet A., Semple, Sean, Clancy, Luke, Soriano, Joan B., Fernández, Esteve, and Gallus, Silvano
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AEROSOLS ,INDOOR air pollution ,PASSIVE smoking ,POPULATION geography ,SURVEYS ,CROSS-sectional method ,ELECTRONIC cigarettes ,INHALATION injuries ,DESCRIPTIVE statistics - Published
- 2021
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17. Self-medication in older European adults: Prevalence and predictive factors.
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Brandão, Gabriela Rangel, Teixeira, Laetitia, Araújo, Lia, Paúl, Constança, and Ribeiro, Oscar
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AGE distribution , *NONPRESCRIPTION drugs , *POPULATION geography , *RISK assessment , *SELF medication , *SEX distribution , *SOCIOECONOMIC factors , *INDEPENDENT living , *CROSS-sectional method , *DESCRIPTIVE statistics , *OLD age - Abstract
• Prevalence of self-medication was around 25 % among older Europeans. • Women presenting greater odds of self-medication. • Not using medication prescribed presented a higher chance to self-medicate. • Longstanding illness is associated with higher risk of self-medication. Self-medication, despite some benefits, carries many risks, especially when practiced by older adults who are polymedicated. Information addressing the prevalence and associated factors of self-medication in older age in a European context is scarce and sometimes contradictory. This paper aims to estimate the prevalence of self-medication among older adults across Europe and to identify its predictive factors. Cross-sectional study. Micro-data from the European Health Interview Survey (2006–2009) was used. The sample comprised 31,672 community-dwelling individuals aged 65 and over living in private households in 14 European countries. The analyses explored the use, over the last two weeks, of any medicines, supplements, or vitamins that were not prescribed by a doctor. The mean self-medication prevalence was 26.3 %, being the highest in Poland (49.4 %) and the lowest in Spain (7.8 %). Greater odds of self-medication were found for women and for participants who were younger, divorced, or presented a higher educational degree. The presence of long-standing illness and physical pain or not using prescribed medication also significantly increased the possibility of self-medication. A wide variation in the odds of self-medication between countries was also observed (up to 8 times more for Poland, compared to Spain). Self-medication is a prevalent problem among older Europeans, and even though some think it is risk-free, dangers tend to be greater with advancing age. This study will help identify the groups most likely to have this behavior so that we can focus on targeted educative and preventive initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2020
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18. The relationship between long working hours and weight gain in older workers in Europe.
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Guner, Umit and Guner, Neslihan
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OBESITY risk factors ,COST of living ,INCOME ,MENTAL health ,PUBLIC health ,RISK assessment ,SURVEYS ,TIME ,WORK ,WEIGHT gain ,EMPLOYEES' workload ,SOCIOECONOMIC factors ,DESCRIPTIVE statistics ,ECONOMICS ,MIDDLE age - Abstract
BACKGROUND: Several studies have been performed on the relationship between working conditions and health. Numerous parameters still require further study, including working hours and obesity among different groups, specifically older workers in national, regional, and international levels. OBJECTIVE: Working hours have considerable effects on the socio-cultural, psychological, and economic aspects of people's lives and health. While long working hours increases income level and raises living standards, it increases the risk of certain health problems. This study investigated whether working hours are associated with obesity in upper-middle-aged workers. METHODS: The Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) dataset was used for the analyses. Analyses were carried out by means of a Cox regression of the panel dataset created with the data in question, surveyed by European Commission to 12,000 participants. RESULTS: The survey was performed in Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, Denmark, Spain, France, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Poland, and Ireland. We found that in most countries, especially Sweden and the Netherlands, upper-middle-aged employees working > 59 hours per week are more likely to gain weight than their counterparts working < 59 hours. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings raise awareness of obesity in older workers, and highlight the need to regulate working conditions and hours in the European Union and other countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2020
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19. Continuing Professional Development for Physical Education Teachers in Europe
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Tannehill, Deborah, Demirhan, Giyasettin, Caplová, Petra, and Avsar, Züleyha
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This paper reports on an investigation examining provision of physical education continuing professional development (CPD) in European countries undertaken to identify the types of practices being employed. We begin by providing a brief overview of what we currently know about CPD internationally in general education and physical education. Data are reported to reflect Parker and Patton's (2017) key characteristics of CPD that highlight effective CPD, summarise current trends and issues in physical education, and are intended to serve as a guide to how teachers learn and how they might be better served in that learning in these European countries. Studying current practices in CPD provision identified in this study provided modest insight to inform teacher education programmes and CPD providers on the current status of physical education CPD currently being employed in Europe. We propose these findings might inform international and comparative education with respect to CPD and set the foundation for physical education colleagues in Europe to develop a CPD network where endeavours such as sharing of CPD practices, engaging in discussion of those practices, and the design of collaborative research on such CPD practices are based.
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- 2021
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20. Commercial complementary food use amongst European infants and children: results from the EU Childhood Obesity Project.
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Theurich, Melissa A., Zaragoza-Jordana, Marta, Luque, Veronica, Gruszfeld, Dariusz, Gradowska, Kinga, Xhonneux, Annick, Riva, Enrica, Verduci, Elvira, Poncelet, Pascale, Damianidi, Louiza, Koletzko, Berthold, and Grote, Veit
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AGE distribution ,BABY foods ,BREASTFEEDING ,INFANT formulas ,INGESTION ,CHILDHOOD obesity ,SEX distribution ,SWEETENERS ,SECONDARY analysis ,EDUCATIONAL attainment ,HUMAN research subjects ,PATIENT selection ,CHILDREN - Abstract
Purpose: The objective of this secondary analysis is to describe the types of commercial complementary foods (CCF) consumed by infants and young children enrolled in the European Childhood Obesity Project (CHOP), to describe the contribution of CCF to dietary energy intakes and to determine factors associated with CCF use over the first 2 years of life. Methods: The CHOP trial is a multicenter intervention trial in Germany, Belgium, Italy, Poland and Spain that tested the effect of varying levels of protein in infant formula on the risk for childhood obesity. Infants were recruited from October 2002 to June 2004. Dietary data on CCF use for this secondary analysis were taken from weighted, 3-day dietary records from 1088 infants at 9 time points over the first 2 years of life. Results: Reported energy intakes from CCF during infancy (4–9 months) was significantly higher (p ≤ 0.002) amongst formula-fed children compared to breastfed children. Sweetened CCF intakes were significantly higher (p ≤ 0.009) amongst formula-fed infants. Female infants were fed significantly less CCF and infant age was strongly associated with daily CCF intakes, peaking at 9 months of age. Infants from families with middle- and high-level of education were fed significantly less quantities of CCF compared to infants with parents with lower education. Sweetened CCF were very common in Spain, Italy and Poland, with over 95% of infants and children fed CCF at 9 and 12 months of age consuming at least one sweetened CCF. At 24 months of age, 68% of the CHOP cohort were still fed CCF. Conclusions: CCF comprised a substantial part of the diets of this cohort of European infants and young children. The proportion of infants being fed sweetened CCF is concerning. More studies on the quality of commercial complementary foods in Europe are warranted, including market surveys on the saturation of the Western European market with sweetened CCF products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2020
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21. 12‐hr shifts in nursing: Do they remove unproductive time and information loss or do they reduce education and discussion opportunities for nurses? A cross‐sectional study in 12 European countries.
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Dall'Ora, Chiara, Griffiths, Peter, Emmanuel, Talia, Rafferty, Anne Marie, Ewings, Sean, Sermeus, Walter, Van den Heede, Koen, Bruyneel, Luk, Lesaffre, Emmanuel, Aiken, Linda, Smith, Herbert, Sloane, Douglas, Marie Rafferty, Anne, Jones, Simon, Ball, Jane, Kinnunen, Juha, Ensio, Anneli, Jylhä, Virpi, Busse, Reinhard, and Zander, Britta
- Subjects
COMMUNICATION ,CONFIDENCE intervals ,CONTINUUM of care ,HOSPITALS ,MEDICAL quality control ,NURSES ,NURSING ,CONTINUING education of nurses ,QUESTIONNAIRES ,REGRESSION analysis ,RESEARCH funding ,SCALE analysis (Psychology) ,SHIFT systems ,PEER relations ,CROSS-sectional method ,DATA analysis software ,STATISTICAL models ,ODDS ratio - Abstract
Aims and objectives: To examine the association between registered nurses' (referred to as "nurses" for brevity) shifts of 12 hr or more and presence of continuing educational programmes; ability to discuss patient care with other nurses; assignments that foster continuity of care; and patient care information being lost during handovers. Background: The introduction of long shifts (i.e., shifts of 12 hr or more) remains controversial. While there are claims of efficiency, studies have shown long shifts to be associated with adverse effects on quality of care. Efficiency claims are predicated on the assumption that long shifts reduce overlaps between shifts; these overlaps are believed to be unproductive and dangerous. However, there are potentially valuable educational and communication activities that occur during these overlaps. Design: Cross‐sectional survey of 31,627 nurses within 487 hospitals in 12 European countries. Methods: The associations were measured through generalised linear mixed models. The study methods were compliant with the STROBE checklist. Results: When nurses worked shifts of 12 hr or more, they were less likely to report having continuing educational programmes; and time to discuss patient care with other nurses, compared to nurses working 8 hr or less. Nurses working shifts of 12 hr or more were less likely to report assignments that foster continuity of care, albeit the association was not significant. Similarly, working long shifts was associated with reports of patient care information being lost during handovers, although association was not significant. Conclusion: Working shifts of 12 hr or more is associated with reduced educational activities and fewer opportunities to discuss patient care, with potential negative consequences for safe and effective care. Relevance to clinical practice: Implementation of long shifts should be questioned, as reduced opportunity to discuss care or participate in educational activities may jeopardise the quality and safety of care for patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2020
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22. Power Distance and Physician–Nurse Collegial Relations Across 14 European Countries: National Culture is Not Merely a Nuisance Factor in International Comparative Research.
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Bruyneel, Luk, Lesaffre, Emmanuel, Meuleman, Bart, and Sermeus, Walter
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CHI-squared test ,COMPARATIVE studies ,STATISTICAL correlation ,CULTURE ,FACTOR analysis ,INTERPROFESSIONAL relations ,MASCULINITY ,NURSE-physician relationships ,NURSES' attitudes ,POPULATION geography ,POWER (Social sciences) ,QUESTIONNAIRES ,STATISTICAL sampling ,SCALE analysis (Psychology) ,SOCIAL skills ,SURVEYS ,WORK environment ,ETHNOLOGY research ,DATA analysis software ,DESCRIPTIVE statistics - Abstract
Purpose: This study illustrates the huge untapped potential of quantifying the impact of culture in making meaningful comparisons across groups. Our focus is on cross‐national differences in nurses' reports of their relations with physicians, and how the measurement of this complex construct and the evaluation of true differences are related to dimensions of national culture. Design: We examine across 14 European countries the association between indices of national culture from the seminal work of Hofstede and 39,435 nurses' ratings of their relations with physicians. Multilevel confirmatory factor analysis was used to evaluate strong factorial invariance across countries and to examine the influence of power distance and masculinity. Findings: There was wide variation across countries in nurses' reports of their relations with physicians. Strong factorial invariance was shown for a one‐factor model, which confirmed that across countries the seven survey items measure a common factor of physician‐nurse relations. This model showed no country bias for any of the seven survey items, which suggests that differences across countries reflect true differences. These true differences were significantly associated with variation in country values of power distance, which showed a significant negative correlation with physician–nurse relations. Conclusions: Continuously pursuing a better understanding of characteristics that impact the studied indicators, such as national culture, is elementary to better understand the construct under study. In this application, country values of power distance negatively impacted nurse‐reported relations with physicians, which strongly varied across countries. Clinical Relevance: Better nurse‐reported relations between nurses and physicians link to higher nurse job satisfaction, lower emotional exhaustion, better nurse‐perceived quality of care, and lower patient mortality. The Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index is an excellent instrument to characterize variation in working relations between nurses and physicians as well as physicians' professional posture towards nurses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2019
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23. Cultural effects on neurodevelopmental testing in children from six European countries: an analysis of NUTRIMENTHE Global Database.
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Pérez-García, Miguel, Luna, Juan de Dios, Torres-Espínola, Francisco J., Martínez-Zaldívar, Cristina, Anjos, Tania, Steenweg-de Graaff, Jolien, Weber, Martina, Grote, Veit, Gruszfeld, Dariusz, Verduci, Elvira, Poncelet, Pascale, Escribano, Joaquín, Tiemeier, Henning, Koletzko, Berthold, and Campoy, Cristina
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CULTURAL pluralism ,CHILD development ,DELIVERY (Obstetrics) ,DIET ,GESTATIONAL age ,MATERNAL age ,NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL tests ,SEX distribution ,EDUCATIONAL attainment - Abstract
Cultural background is an important variable influencing neuropsychological performance. Multinational projects usually involve gathering data from participants from different countries and/or different cultures. Little is known about the influence of culture on neuropsychological testing results in children and especially in European children. The objectives of this study were to compare neuropsychological performance of children from six European countries (Belgium, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Poland and Spain) using a comprehensive neuropsychological battery and to apply a statistical procedure to reduce the influence of country/cultural differences in neuropsychological performance. As expected, the results demonstrated differences in neuropsychological performance among children of the six countries involved. Cultural differences remained after adjusting for other confounders related to neuropsychological execution, such as sex, type of delivery, maternal age, gestational age and maternal educational level. Differences between countries disappeared and influence of culture was considerably reduced when standardised scores by country and sex were used. These results highlight the need for developing specific procedures to compare neuropsychological performance among children from different cultures to be used in multicentre studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2019
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24. Primary care-based surveillance to estimate the burden of rotavirus gastroenteritis among children aged less than 5 years in six European countries.
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Diez-Domingo, Javier, Baldo, Jose-Maria, Patrzalek, Marian, Pazdiora, Petr, Forster, Johannes, Cantarutti, Luigi, Pirçon, Jean-Yves, Soriano-Gabarró, Montse, Meyer, Nadia, Pirçon, Jean-Yves, Soriano-Gabarró, Montse, and SPRIK Rotavirus Study Group
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ROTAVIRUS diseases ,GASTROENTERITIS in children ,AGE distribution ,COMPARATIVE studies ,FECES ,GASTROENTERITIS ,LONGITUDINAL method ,RESEARCH methodology ,MEDICAL cooperation ,SCIENTIFIC observation ,PRIMARY health care ,RESEARCH ,RETROVIRUS diseases ,ROTAVIRUSES ,EVALUATION research - Abstract
This observational, prospective study was undertaken to estimate the burden of rotavirus (RV) gastroenteritis (GE) leading to general practitioner (GP)/family paediatrician (FP) visits among children aged <5 years in Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and the UK. Children aged <5 years presenting with acute GE provided stool samples for rapid RV testing. RV+ samples were confirmed and typed by RT-PCR. Demographic and clinical data were collected for all RVGE episodes. Transmission patterns among other household children aged <5 years were also assessed. From November 2005 to May 2007, excluding data from the UK, 497/3,813 (13.0%) children aged <5 years presenting with acute GE to GP/FP and tested were RV+ by PCR. Most RVGE cases (69.1%) occurred in children aged <2 years, occurred between December and May (93.1%) and were moderate or severe by Vesikari score (92.9%). RV strain distribution varied between countries: G9P[8] was the most common type in Poland (54/76) and Spain (172/196), G1P[8] was predominant in the Czech Republic (56/64) and Italy (46/107), and G4P[8] and G1P[8] both prevailed in Germany (17/54 and 13/54, respectively). A total of 24/122 (19.7%) children aged <5 years resident in the same household as a PCR+ study participant also developed RVGE. Conclusion. This multinational epidemiological study in Europe shows that RV is easily transmitted among household children, with RVGE burden highest among children aged <2 years accessing primary healthcare for acute GE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2011
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25. The 'East' Becomes the 'South'? The 'Autumn of the People' and the Future of Eastern Europe.
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Przeworski, Adam
- Abstract
Discusses the fall of communism in eastern Europe. Applies Latin America models to eastern Europe. Suggests that revolutions are shaped by the systems against which they are directed. Concludes that the problems of eastern Europe are not caused by the system so much as by geography. Argues that poor capitalism may lie in the future for eastern Europe. (DK)
- Published
- 1991
26. Europe Last Week.
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EUROPEAN politics & government -- 1918-1945 ,MILITARY invasion ,INTERNATIONAL relations ,INTERNATIONAL conflict - Abstract
Presents news briefs related to political developments of Europe last week. Seizure of the Lithuanian city of Vilna, by Poland; Rumors that Germany and Poland had come to a secret agreement that Poland was to take the port of Memel from Lithuania; Affirmation of the Soviet Union to defend Czechoslovakia in case of a German attack on the country; Plans of German dictator Adolf Hitler to send enough men and material to Spain for the victory of Spanish dictator Francisco Franco; Negotiations of British Prime Minister Arthur Neville Chamberlain with Italian dictator Benito Mussolini to bring Britain and Germany together again; Failure of the League of Nations to prevent international conflicts.
- Published
- 1938
27. Transitions in product use during the implementation of the European Tobacco Products Directive: cohort study findings from the EUREST-PLUS ITC Europe Surveys.
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Vardavas CI, Kyriakos CN, Driezen P, Girvalaki C, Nikitara K, Filippidis FT, Fernández E, Mons U, Przewoźniak K, Trofor AC, Demjén T, Katsaounou PA, Zatoński W, Willemsen M, and Fong GT
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- Adult, Cohort Studies, Europe epidemiology, Germany, Government Regulation, Greece, Humans, Hungary epidemiology, Poland, Romania, Spain, Surveys and Questionnaires, Tobacco Products
- Abstract
Background: The emergence of new types of tobacco and tobacco-related products on the European Union (EU) market has precipitated the possibility for both poly-tobacco use and transitions between products. In the EU, the regulatory environment has shifted with the implementation of the European Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) in May 2016, which may influence consumer transitions between products., Methods: The aim of this paper was to examine trends and transitions in tobacco products from 2016 to 2018 -before and after implementation of the TPD in the EU. Data come from Wave 1 (pre-TPD) and Wave 2 (post-TPD) of the EUREST-PLUS ITC Six European Country Survey, a cohort study of adults who at the time of recruitment were smokers from six EU countries- Germany, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Spain. D (N = 3195). Bivariate and logistic regression analyses of weighted data was conducted using SAS-callable SUDAAN., Results: Overall, among those who smoked factory-made cigarettes (FM) only at Wave 1, 4.3% switched to roll-your-own tobacco (RYO) only. Among RYO only users at Wave 1, 17.0% switched to FM only, however compared to all other countries, respondents from Hungary had the highest percentage of FM only users at Wave 1 switch to RYO only at Wave 2 (18.0%)., Conclusions: The most prominent transition overall was from smoking RYO exclusively at Wave 1 to smoking FM tobacco exclusively at Wave 2, however this varied across countries. As the tobacco control regulatory environment of the EU develops, it is important to continue to monitor transitions between types of products, as well as trends in cessation., (© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association. All rights reserved.)
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- 2020
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28. Bibliometric analysis of European publications between 2001 and 2016 on concentrations of selected elements in mushrooms.
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Świsłowski P, Dołhańczuk-Śródka A, and Rajfur M
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- Bibliometrics, Czech Republic, Environmental Monitoring, Europe, Humans, Poland, Spain, Turkey, Agaricales, Metals, Heavy analysis, Soil Pollutants analysis
- Abstract
This article presents a bibliometric study of 200 European publications released between 2001 and 2016, about the contamination of mushrooms by selected elements. The analysis includes figures on the type of analyte, its concentration, the species of fungi, and its country of origin. In the literature review, 492 species of mushrooms (wild-growing and cultured) found in 26 European countries and their concentration of 74 associated elements were analysed. The papers, which dealt mainly with the heavy metal (Cd, Cu, Fe, Pb, and Zn) concentrations of mushrooms, primarily came from Turkey, Poland, Spain, and the Czech Republic. More than 50% of the publications provided data about edible mushrooms. The results of the bibliometric analysis showed that over the 16 years, European research on fungal contamination by selected analytes has not lessened in popularity and is ongoing. Many of the studies underlined the need to assess the risk to human health arising from the consumption of contaminated mushrooms taken from various habitats. These results were the effect of, among other things, the strong interest in studies carried out on edible species, in which concentrations of mainly heavy metals that are dangerous to health and are marked were indicated (Cd, Pb, and Hg).
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- 2020
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29. Ranking European countries on the basis of their environmental and circular economy performance: A DEA application in MSW.
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Giannakitsidou O, Giannikos I, and Chondrou A
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- Belgium, Europe, France, Poland, Recycling, Solid Waste, Spain, Refuse Disposal, Waste Management
- Abstract
The scope of this research is to present a more holistic approach on measuring countries' performance in managing and exploiting their Municipal Solid Waste (MSW). Specifically, we argue that relying solely on criteria like the recycling and/or the cyclical material use rate, can lead to an overestimation or underestimation of countries' true performance. That is because the level of waste generation is left unaccounted, despite the fact that low waste generation is an important environmental target, and so is the countries' true potential, as it is reflected by their economic and social progress. Instead, we measure the environmental and circular economy performance of 26 European Union countries by implementing Data Envelopment Analysis and tackle the aforementioned problem by using the generated quantity of MSW per capita and the three dimensions of the Social Progress Index as inputs and the recycling and/or the cyclical material use rate as outputs. We do so, using a basic framework and a framework that imposes common weights to enforce a full ranking of the countries. Our study shows large disparities among European countries, with respect to their performance. Interestingly though, the borders between Western and Eastern Europe have fallen, but not those between the north and the south: old EU members, such as Spain or France, perform significantly worst, both from an environmental and a circular economy perspective, than newer members, such as Slovenia or Poland. Finally, Belgium has been revealed as the best performer, both from an environmental and a cyclical economy perspective., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)
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- 2020
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30. The healthcare systems and provision of oral healthcare in European Union member states. Part 10: comparison of systems and with the United Kingdom.
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Sinclair E, Eaton KA, and Widström E
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- Europe, European Union, France, Germany, Greece, Humans, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Romania, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, Dental Care
- Abstract
Since 2015, a series of papers which describe the systems for the provision of health and oral healthcare in nine European Union (EU) countries (France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Romania, Spain and Sweden) have been published in this journal. This tenth and final paper in the series compares aspects of the systems for each country, with each other and with that in the United Kingdom (UK). The topics which have been covered are the organisation and funding of oral healthcare, national populations and oral healthcare workforce, education of dentists, uptake of oral healthcare, expenditure on oral healthcare and oral epidemiology. The comparison shows that there are wide differences between the care provision systems between the individual countries. In all of them, oral healthcare continues to operate outside the mainstream healthcare systems. In particular, the proportion of costs paid for them from public funds, raised through taxation or through compulsory social insurances, and those paid for by individual patients varies greatly. No comparable data exist on quality of care.
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- 2019
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31. Factors Related to Unemployment in Europe. A Cross-Sectional Study from the COURAGE Survey in Finland, Poland and Spain.
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Leonardi M, Guido D, Quintas R, Silvaggi F, Guastafierro E, Martinuzzi A, Chatterji S, Koskinen S, Tobiasz-Adamczyk B, Haro JM, Cabello M, and Raggi A
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- Adult, Built Environment, Chronic Disease, Cross-Sectional Studies, Depression, Disabled Persons, Employment, Europe, Female, Finland, Health Behavior, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Poland, Social Networking, Spain, Surveys and Questionnaires, Health Status Indicators, Unemployment
- Abstract
Background : Research addressing the impact of a large number of factors on unemployment is scarce. We aimed to comprehensively identify factors related to unemployment in a sample of persons aged 18-64 from Finland, Poland and Spain. Methods : In this cross-sectional study, factors from different areas were considered: socio-demographic indicators, health habits, chronic conditions, health state markers, vision and hearing indicators, and social networks and built environment scores. Results : Complete data were available for 5003 participants, mean age 48.1 (SD 11.5), 45.4% males. The most important factors connected to unemployment were health status indicators such as physical disability (OR = 2.944), self-rated health (OR = 2.629), inpatient care (OR = 1.980), and difficulties with getting to the toilet (OR = 2.040), while the most relevant factor related to employment were moderate alcohol consumption (OR = 0.732 for non-heavy drinkers; OR = 0.573 for infrequent heavy drinkers), and being married (OR = 0.734), or having been married (OR = 0.584). Other factors that played a significant role included presence of depression (OR = 1.384) and difficulties with near vision (OR = 1.584) and conversation hearing (OR = 1.597). Conclusions : Our results highlight the importance of selected factors related to unemployment, and suggest public health indications that could support concrete actions on modifiable factors, such as those aimed to promote physical activity and healthy behaviors, tackling depression or promoting education, in particular for the younger., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest. The founding sponsors had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, and in the decision to publish the results. The views expressed in this paper are those of the authors, and do not necessarily represent the views or policies of the World Health Organization.
- Published
- 2018
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32. Validation of the COURAGE Built Environment Self-Reported Questionnaire.
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Raggi A, Quintas R, Bucciarelli P, Franco MG, Andreotti A, Miret M, Zawisza K, Olaya B, Chatterji S, Sainio P, Frisoni GB, Martinuzzi A, Minicuci N, Power M, and Leonardi M
- Subjects
- Activities of Daily Living, Adolescent, Adult, Age Distribution, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Architectural Accessibility methods, Cooperative Behavior, Cross-Sectional Studies, Disabled Persons statistics & numerical data, Europe, Factor Analysis, Statistical, Female, Finland, Humans, Internationality, Male, Middle Aged, Poland, Psychometrics, Reproducibility of Results, Research statistics & numerical data, Sex Distribution, Spain, Young Adult, Aging, Architectural Accessibility standards, Health Status, Residence Characteristics statistics & numerical data, Self Report standards, Surveys and Questionnaires standards
- Abstract
Unlabelled: The built environment (BE) impacts on people's disability and health, in terms of overweight, depression, alcohol abuse, poor self-rated health and presence of psychological symptoms; it is reasonable to assume that BE also impacts on participation levels. This paper presents the validation of the COURAGE Built Environment Self-Reported Questionnaire (CBE-SR), an instrument designed to evaluate BE in the context of health and disability. Subjects participating to COURAGE, a cross-sectional study conducted on 10,800 citizens of Poland, Finland and Spain, completed a protocol inclusive of the CBE-SR. Psychometric properties and factor structure were analysed, and factor scores created. Gender differences, differences between persons from different age groups and persons reporting the environment as facilitating, hindering or neutral were calculated. Eight items were deleted so that the final version of CBE-SR comprises 19 items. Cronbach's alpha ranged from 0.743 to 0.906, and test-retest stability was demonstrated for the majority of items. Four subscales were identified: Usability of the neighbourhood environment; Hindrance of walkable environment; Easiness of use of public buildings, places and facilities; and Risk of accidents and usability of the living place. Younger respondents reported their neighbourhood as more usable but perceived walkways as more hindering and public buildings as less easy to use; gender differences were almost inexistent. The CBE-SR is a four-scale instrument with good psychometric properties that measures the person-environment interaction. It is sensitive across age groups and is consistent with the subject's overall judgement of the degree to which the environment is facilitating or hindering., Key Practitioner Message: Poor built environments have a negative impact on the level of a person's participation. However, instruments measuring the person-environment interaction are lacking. The CBE-SR is a valid and reliable instrument that researchers can use to assess the relationships between the intrinsic health state and the objective features of the environment. Understanding this relationship would provide further insight into the need of addressing the individual's functioning either by means of interventions directed to the individual or by making changes to the individual's environment., (Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)
- Published
- 2014
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33. Influenza vaccination coverage and reasons to refrain among high-risk persons in four European countries.
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Kroneman M, van Essen GA, and John Paget W
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- Aged, Attitude, Child, Preschool, Data Collection, Europe epidemiology, Germany epidemiology, Health Care Surveys, Humans, Infant, Influenza, Human immunology, Patient Acceptance of Health Care, Poland epidemiology, Risk, Spain epidemiology, Sweden epidemiology, Vaccination psychology, Influenza, Human prevention & control, Vaccination statistics & numerical data
- Abstract
This paper examines influenza vaccine coverage using a population base of an average of 2300 persons in each of four European countries (Germany, Spain, Poland and Sweden). The reasons for non-vaccination of those in the high-risk groups were explored by questionnaire. The vaccine coverage rate (VCR) for elderly ranged from 18% in Poland to 67% in Spain. The VCR for high-risk population under 65 was 10% in Poland, 13% in Sweden, 27% in Germany and 30% in Spain. The most important reasons mentioned for not being vaccinated were: perceived sufficient resistance to flu (33-42%) in all countries; financial barriers in Poland (25%), and not to qualify for the vaccination (30%) and forgetfulness (20%) in Germany. Receiving a personal invitation for the vaccination, results in higher coverage rates in all four countries. We think that future interventions could be directed towards: an information campaign with special attention to the high-risk groups due to disease; promotion of personal invitations; and, for Poland, solving financial barriers to vaccination.
- Published
- 2006
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
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