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Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) screening can reduce both CRC incidence and mortality, and faecal immunochemical testing (FIT)-based screening programmes are therefore now being implemented in many countries. However, social inequality in FIT-based screening participation is well documented, and initiatives to address this challenge are understudied. We explored the perceptions of CRC screening and the perceived barriers and facilitators towards FIT-based CRC screening among men visiting a drop-in centre for people with severe social problems in Denmark. Methods: The study was a qualitative interview study. Participants were sixteen men visiting a drop-in centre in Denmark. A local staff member provided supplementary information and assisted with the recruitment process. The interviews were transcribed verbatim, followed by an inductive content analysis. Results: The men were often dealing with health and social problems, and they often had low self-esteem. At first, they stated that they did not think much about cancer and their own risk of being diagnosed with it. They argued that they had little time, energy, and resources to participating in, for example, CRC screening programmes, and barriers to participating were facts of life such as comorbidity and cognitive difficulties. Further, they were not sure how to participate, and some misunderstood the concept of screening. However, during the interviews, the main part of the participants became very keen to participate, and they suggested that in the future, they could receive regular information about cancer screening in face-to-face interactions with someone who cared and was interested in helping them. Conclusion: Men in a vulnerable position visiting a drop-in centre were interested in CRC screening. If we intervene in a way that meets the needs among these vulnerable citizens, it may contribute to reducing social inequality in FIT-based CRC screening programmes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Colorectal cancer (CRC) screening can reduce both CRC incidence and mortality, and faecal immunochemical testing (FIT)-based screening programmes are therefore now being implemented in many countries. However, social inequality in FIT-based screening participation is well documented, and initiatives to address this challenge are understudied. We explored the perceptions of CRC screening and the perceived barriers and facilitators towards FIT-based CRC screening among men visiting a drop-in centre for people with severe social problems in Denmark. Methods The study was a qualitative interview study. Participants were sixteen men visiting a drop-in centre in Denmark. A local staff member provided supplementary information and assisted with the recruitment process. The interviews were transcribed verbatim, followed by an inductive content analysis. Results The men were often dealing with health and social problems, and they often had low self-esteem. At first, they stated that they did not think much about cancer and their own risk of being diagnosed with it. They argued that they had little time, energy, and resources to participating in, for example, CRC screening programmes, and barriers to participating were facts of life such as comorbidity and cognitive difficulties. Further, they were not sure how to participate, and some misunderstood the concept of screening. However, during the interviews, the main part of the participants became very keen to participate, and they suggested that in the future, they could receive regular information about cancer screening in face-to-face interactions with someone who cared and was interested in helping them. Conclusion Men in a vulnerable position visiting a drop-in centre were interested in CRC screening. If we intervene in a way that meets the needs among these vulnerable citizens, it may contribute to reducing social inequality in FIT-based CRC screening programmes.

Attracting a sufficiently diverse number of participants for the success of firms' creative crowdsourcing is a critical and persistent issue. Our analysis of 40 in-depth interviews capturing crowd heterogeneity (ordinary consumers and creative professionals), highlights seven barriers to participation. For example, ordinary consumers highlight scepticism towards the firm's genuine willingness to concede power and perceived illegitimacy; professionals complain about governance unfairness and the lack of regulation. Grouping these barriers into three higher-order themes (crowd-, process- and context-related) creates a novel perspective that encompasses the empowerment-related concerns of heterogeneous crowds better than previous research. The analysis reveals both specific and common (higher purpose) levers that can alleviate these concerns, and it also questions the empowerment promise of creative crowdsourcing and has important implications for business and policymakers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Cancer is a major global health concern. Unfortunately, Indigenous populations such as Greenlanders living in Denmark, face significant disparities in cancer risk, incidence, diagnosis, care quality, and outcomes. In Denmark, vulnerable Greenlanders face challenges accessing cancer screening. The aim of this study was to explore their perceptions of cancer, barriers to participation in cancer screening, and potential for developing a tailored intervention. Methods This qualitative study was based on participant observations and qualitative interviews. The sample comprised 46 participants from four distinct drop-in centres. Of these, 28 were vulnerable Greenlanders (19 women and 9 men), 9 were staff members (6 women and 3 men), and 6 were relatives (4 women and 2 men). The data were analysed through inductive content analysis. Results Vulnerable Greenlanders in Denmark believed they were responsible for their own health and were generally satisfied with the healthcare system. However, they found it challenging to manage their own health and many depended on support from others. Fear of cancer and death shaped their attitudes towards screening. Conclusion For vulnerable Greenlanders in Denmark participation in cancer screening programmes was positively viewed for most but could be challenging. Different intervention ideas raised by the vulnerable Greenlanders, relatives and staff members could guide the development of strategies to increase participation rates.

Background: Cancer is a major global health concern. Unfortunately, Indigenous populations such as Greenlanders living in Denmark, face significant disparities in cancer risk, incidence, diagnosis, care quality, and outcomes. In Denmark, vulnerable Greenlanders face challenges accessing cancer screening. The aim of this study was to explore their perceptions of cancer, barriers to participation in cancer screening, and potential for developing a tailored intervention. Methods: This qualitative study was based on participant observations and qualitative interviews. The sample comprised 46 participants from four distinct drop-in centres. Of these, 28 were vulnerable Greenlanders (19 women and 9 men), 9 were staff members (6 women and 3 men), and 6 were relatives (4 women and 2 men). The data were analysed through inductive content analysis. Results: Vulnerable Greenlanders in Denmark believed they were responsible for their own health and were generally satisfied with the healthcare system. However, they found it challenging to manage their own health and many depended on support from others. Fear of cancer and death shaped their attitudes towards screening. Conclusion: For vulnerable Greenlanders in Denmark participation in cancer screening programmes was positively viewed for most but could be challenging. Different intervention ideas raised by the vulnerable Greenlanders, relatives and staff members could guide the development of strategies to increase participation rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates asset allocation decisions made by three types of traders depending upon incomplete information in market equilibrium. Limited participation phenomenon is observed in the equilibrium. Moreover, we show that traders with more information might not hold more risky assets than others who have less information. Less‐informed traders trade‐off between a diversification effect induced by risk‐averse attitude and a "flight‐to‐quality" effect by their aversion towards correlation ambiguity. In equilibrium, the magnitudes between equilibrium positions of different traders are affected by the true correlation coefficient, the upper‐bound correlation conceived by naive traders and the quality of risky assets simultaneously. In some scenarios, we observe that naive and uninformed traders "escape" from low‐quality assets to high‐quality ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Participatory Guarantee Systems (PGS) provide an alternative certification system for smallholder organic farmers producing for the domestic market. Officially recognized in Chile since 2007, PGS certification has grown in momentum in recent years. We used semi-structured interviews, surveys and participant observations to shed light on the PGS movement in Chile and the respective governance framework. Our results indicate that after PGS formalization, Chilean PGS initiatives struggle to comply with wide-ranging administrative procedures similar to those requested for third-party certification (TPC). Furthermore, lacking resources among PGS initiatives inhibit the PGS movement from impacting the national discourse. We present two PGS initiatives and their organizational structures, exploring ‘who’ participate, ‘how’ participation occurs, and ‘what kind’ of participation takes place. Our results indicate that the interaction as well as the exchange of knowledge among PGS members is a central benefit perceived by PGS participants. However, regular PGS member participation is hindered by the required time investment, the distance that PGS members need to travel and the perceived lacking expertise they have.

Facebook allows users to engage in public discourse. However, debates on social network sites are criticised for damaging democracy by adding to polarisation, limiting perspectives, and promoting a derogatory tone driven by emotion and personal conviction rather than facts. Research has thus far mainly focused on visible participation on Facebook, while the experience of this public space remains under-theorised. This study provides insights into women's user experience of Facebook as an arena for public discourse by conducting qualitative interviews with 30 female users of Facebook (aged 19-74) in Norway. The findings revealed interpretive repertoires based on deliberative ideals and negativity toward activities that do not adhere to such ideals. However, the results also indicated that worry was a key factor in negotiating these ideals and sometimes unintentionally replacing them with behaviours that may be harmful to public discussion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Participatory Guarantee Systems (PGS) provide an alternative certification system for smallholder organic farmers producing for the domestic market. Officially recognized in Chile since 2007, PGS certification has grown in momentum in recent years. We used semi-structured interviews, surveys and participant observations to shed light on the PGS movement in Chile and the respective governance framework. Our results indicate that after PGS formalization, Chilean PGS initiatives struggle to comply with wide-ranging administrative procedures similar to those requested for third-party certification (TPC). Furthermore, lacking resources among PGS initiatives inhibit the PGS movement from impacting the national discourse. We present two PGS initiatives and their organizational structures, exploring 'who' participate, 'how' participation occurs, and 'what kind' of participation takes place. Our results indicate that the interaction as well as the exchange of knowledge among PGS members is a central benefit perceived by PGS participants. However, regular PGS member participation is hindered by the required time investment, the distance that PGS members need to travel and the perceived lacking expertise they have. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present analysis is to identify the reasons for accepting or rejecting the invitation to be screened by the Faecal Immunochemical Test as part of the free Danish screening programme for colorectal cancer (CRC). A cross-sectional representative survey of 15,072 Danish citizens aged 50–80 years was collected in 2019 via a Web-based questionnaire administered by Statistics Denmark. Among the net sample of 6807 respondents (45%), 177 were excluded because of current treatment for colorectal disease. To determine the reasons for accepting or refusing the invitation to be screened for CRC, a latent class analysis was conducted, which allowed participants to provide several reasons for acceptance or rejection of screening. The most important reason for participating in CRC screening was the active public programme. A further reason for participation was the perceived risk for CRC, mainly in combination with the public programme. The reasons for participation did not differ between individuals who had participated and those who intended to participate when offered. Among participants who declined screening, the most frequent reasons were that they forgot to participate or that they were concerned about the unpleasant test procedure. Among individuals who intended to decline screening, a perceived low risk for CRC was the most frequently cited reason. Recommendation from a general practitioner (GP) was not given as a frequent reason for CRC screening participation which is discussed as a challenge to participation rates in population based screening program The main reasons reported for non-participation in CRC screening (i.e. forgot to participate or the unpleasant test procedure) might be addressed by a stronger endorsement from GPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Response rates in epidemiological studies have generally been decreasing over the past decades. However, when the target group consists of adolescents and young adults, school-based surveys have hitherto been able to mitigate this problem: This age group can be reached relatively easy in the school context (e.g., as compared to reaching them by phone) with very low refusal rates at the student level. However, the present study used a mixed-methods approach and suggests that schools at the organizational level have meanwhile become the problematic bottleneck for school-based surveys, as they increasingly reject requests for study participation. The current article provides insights into promising means for counteracting this trend. Researchers are advised to offer flexible timeframes for schools' participation and to involve institutional gatekeepers who are endorsing their study. Furthermore, researchers, funding agencies, and schools would benefit from joint regional survey coordination systems. Such means will be crucial for the representativeness of future school-based epidemiological surveys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Large-scale, centralized data repositories are playing a critical and unprecedented role in fostering innovative health research, leading to new opportunities as well as dilemmas for the medical sciences. Uncovering the reasons as to why citizens do or do not contribute to such repositories, for example, to population-based biobanks, is therefore crucial. We investigated and compared the views of existing participants and non-participants on contributing to large-scale, centralized health research data repositories with those of ex-participants regarding the decision to end their participation. This comparison could yield new insights into motives of participation and non-participation, in particular the behavioural change of withdrawal. Methods We conducted 36 in-depth interviews with ex-participants, participants, and non-participants of a three-generation, population-based biobank in the Netherlands. The interviews focused on the respondents’ decision-making processes relating to their participation in a large-scale, centralized repository for health research data. Results The decision of participants and non-participants to contribute to the biobank was motivated by a desire to help others. Whereas participants perceived only benefits relating to their participation and were unconcerned about potential risks, non-participants and ex-participants raised concerns about the threat of large-scale, centralized public data repositories and public institutes, such as social exclusion or commercialization. Our analysis of ex-participants’ perceptions suggests that intrapersonal characteristics, such as levels of trust in society, participation conceived as a social norm, and basic societal values account for differences between participants and non-participants. Conclusions Our findings indicate the fluidity of motives centring on helping others in decisions to participate in large-scale, centralized health research data repositories. Efforts to improve participation should focus on enhancing the trustworthiness of such data repositories and developing layered strategies for communication with participants and with the public. Accordingly, personalized approaches for recruiting participants and transmitting information along with appropriate regulatory frameworks are required, which have important implications for current data management and informed consent procedures.

Abstract Background Screening programmes for cervical cancer, breast cancer and colorectal cancer have been implemented in many Western countries to reduce cancer incidence and mortality. Ethnic minority women are less likely to participate in cancer screening than the majority population. In worst case this can result in higher incidence rates, later diagnosis and treatment and ultimately inferior survival. In this paper we explored the perceptions about cancer and perceived barriers towards cancer screening participation among ethnic minority women in a deprived area in Denmark. Methods Interview study with ethnic minority women in a deprived area in Denmark. The interviews were transcribed verbatim followed by an inductive content analysis. Results Cancer was perceived as a deadly disease that could not be treated. Cancer screening was perceived as only relevant if the women had symptoms. Knowledge about cancer screening was fragmented, often due to inadequate Danish language skills and there was a general mistrust in the Danish healthcare system due to perceived low medical competences in Danish doctors. There was, however, a very positive and curious attitude regarding information about the Danish cancer screening programmes and a want for more information. Conclusion Ethnic minority women did not have sufficient knowledge about cancer and the purpose of cancer screening. Perceptions about cancer screening were characterised by openness and the study showed positive and curious attitudes towards screening participation. The findings emphasise the importance of culturally adapted interventions for ethnic minority women in attempts to reduce inequality in screening participation.

This article explores the notion of digital non-participation as a form of mediated political action rather than as mere passivity. We generally conceive of participation in a positive sense, as a means for empowerment and a condition for democracy. However, participation is not the only way to achieve political goals in the digital sphere and can be hampered by the ‘dark sides’ of participatory media, such as surveillance or disempowering forms of interaction. In fact, practices aimed at abandoning or blocking participatory platforms can be seen as politically significant and relevant. We propose here to conceptualize these activities by developing a framework that includes both participation and non-participation. Focusing on the political dimensions of digital practices, we draw four categories: active participation, passive participation, active non-participation, and passive non-participation. This is not intended as a conclusive classification, but rather as a conceptual tool to understand the relational nature of participation and non-participation through digital media. The evolution of the technologies and practices that compose the digital sphere forces us to reconsider the concept of political participation itself.

Introduction and background: Cervical cancer is one of the leading responsible condition for causing high death rate among women after breast cancer. It is preventable and curable disorder, but the prevalence of cervical cancer remaining too high in India. Majority of women do not aware of cervical screening procedures. Maharashtra is standing in second position in possessing more number of cervical cancer cases. Methodology: A quasi-experimental pretest and post research design was used to execute the study. This study was conducted in selected hospitals of PCMC. The samples were the women age group between 30-60 years attending Gynec OPD. The systemic random sampling techniques was used to select the samples. Total sample size was 501. A self-administered tool was administered to find the reasons for participation and nonparticipation in cervical screening. Tool and content validity was done. The reliability of the tool was done r value is = 0.88. The study proposal has been approved by the Ethical Committee, MGM Institute of Health Sciences, Kamothe, Navi Mumbai. Permission has been taken from the concerned authority of the selected urban health care centers for data collection. The content was prepared on prevention and early detection of cervical screening in the form of video and modules in their regional languages. Results: Majority of participants among three experimental groups, about 38.32 % in verbal group, 41.91% in written group and 40.71 % in video group have responded that they could not take part in the cervical screening programme as they are very embarrassed with cervical screening procedure. While others had responded that, I am healthy I do not have to go for this test, some women said, I have only one sexual partner so I don't require this test. A few women have assumed that the test is very expensive, thinking that not required the Pap test as no symptoms of cancer observed and other have stated that don't know the frequency of test. Conclusion: A key strategy to improve the attendance of the women for cervical screening is to spread the awareness on prevention and early detection of cervical cancer by using various educational methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Large-scale, centralized data repositories are playing a critical and unprecedented role in fostering innovative health research, leading to new opportunities as well as dilemmas for the medical sciences. Uncovering the reasons as to why citizens do or do not contribute to such repositories, for example, to population-based biobanks, is therefore crucial. We investigated and compared the views of existing participants and non-participants on contributing to large-scale, centralized health research data repositories with those of ex-participants regarding the decision to end their participation. This comparison could yield new insights into motives of participation and non-participation, in particular the behavioural change of withdrawal.Methods: We conducted 36 in-depth interviews with ex-participants, participants, and non-participants of a three-generation, population-based biobank in the Netherlands. The interviews focused on the respondents' decision-making processes relating to their participation in a large-scale, centralized repository for health research data.Results: The decision of participants and non-participants to contribute to the biobank was motivated by a desire to help others. Whereas participants perceived only benefits relating to their participation and were unconcerned about potential risks, non-participants and ex-participants raised concerns about the threat of large-scale, centralized public data repositories and public institutes, such as social exclusion or commercialization. Our analysis of ex-participants' perceptions suggests that intrapersonal characteristics, such as levels of trust in society, participation conceived as a social norm, and basic societal values account for differences between participants and non-participants.Conclusions: Our findings indicate the fluidity of motives centring on helping others in decisions to participate in large-scale, centralized health research data repositories. Efforts to improve participation should focus on enhancing the trustworthiness of such data repositories and developing layered strategies for communication with participants and with the public. Accordingly, personalized approaches for recruiting participants and transmitting information along with appropriate regulatory frameworks are required, which have important implications for current data management and informed consent procedures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The idea that there might be democratic forms of non-participation has been largely overlooked in the theoretical and empirical literature on democracy. Non-participation has variously been seen as a threat to the proper functioning of democracy, as a rational choice, or (more rarely) as potentially beneficial at the systems level. We argue that there are forms of non-participation that may be justified on democratic grounds. Our main theoretical move is to distinguish between reflectivity (or thoughtfulness) and participation. We argue that the normative value of both participation and non-participation is conditioned by reflectivity, such that there may be democratically desirable forms of reflective non-participation. To support our claims, we provide examples of how non-participation can help support democratic goods—such as inclusion, influence, and legitimacy—that are normally associated only with democratic participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Screening programmes for cervical cancer, breast cancer and colorectal cancer have been implemented in many Western countries to reduce cancer incidence and mortality. Ethnic minority women are less likely to participate in cancer screening than the majority population. In worst case this can result in higher incidence rates, later diagnosis and treatment and ultimately inferior survival. In this paper we explored the perceptions about cancer and perceived barriers towards cancer screening participation among ethnic minority women in a deprived area in Denmark.Methods: Interview study with ethnic minority women in a deprived area in Denmark. The interviews were transcribed verbatim followed by an inductive content analysis.Results: Cancer was perceived as a deadly disease that could not be treated. Cancer screening was perceived as only relevant if the women had symptoms. Knowledge about cancer screening was fragmented, often due to inadequate Danish language skills and there was a general mistrust in the Danish healthcare system due to perceived low medical competences in Danish doctors. There was, however, a very positive and curious attitude regarding information about the Danish cancer screening programmes and a want for more information.Conclusion: Ethnic minority women did not have sufficient knowledge about cancer and the purpose of cancer screening. Perceptions about cancer screening were characterised by openness and the study showed positive and curious attitudes towards screening participation. The findings emphasise the importance of culturally adapted interventions for ethnic minority women in attempts to reduce inequality in screening participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Common typologies frame youth participation as something that exists at different hierarchical, or linear, levels or stages. In these models, non-participation is positioned as something negative or not addressed at all. Scholars have critiqued these typologies for ignoring contextual specificities and complexities, nuances, and power dynamics inherent in participatory processes. In this article, I draw from narratives of young people to productively theorize what non-participation might engender for thinking about and enacting participatory processes. In this study, I asked stakeholders at a youth-led HIV prevention and harm reduction peer-education program to take and discuss photographs that reflected their ideas about youth engagement. I provide a thematic analysis of how young people understood and navigated their participation in complex and self-determined ways. I put their narratives in dialogue with critical scholars' writing on settler-colonialism, neoliberalism, and willfulness to tease apart why and how young people's comments on non-participation offer a sophisticated counter-hegemonic understanding of the "call to participation" and its discursive and material effects. Last, drawing on the work of Indigenous theorists who advocate for a politics of refusal, I argue that young people's refusal to participate (or to participate on their own terms) may be an act of resistance – especially for young people whose bodies are regulated on a daily basis. I conclude by making a case for non-participation as a conceptual tool to disrupt and refuse hegemonic, linear theories of change and invite practitioners working with young people to do the same. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this nationwide register-based cohort study, we examined cervical cancer screening participation among immigrants in Denmark by country and region of origin. Furthermore, we assessed whether differences in screening participation between immigrants and Danish-born women were explained by sociodemographic or health-related characteristics, and examined predictors of participation among immigrants. Using high-quality registries, we identified women invited for cervical cancer screening during 2008-2009 and retrieved individual-level data on sociodemographic-, health- and immigration-related characteristics. A total of 610,907 women were followed for up to 2.9 years after screening invitation. We estimated the probability of participation using the Aalen-Johansen estimator and the hazard ratios (HRs) of participation using Cox regression. The probability of participation within follow-up was 74.5% (95% CI, 74.4%-74.6%) in Danish-born women; 61.2% (95% CI, 60.4%-62.1%) in Western immigrants; and 61.3% (95% CI, 60.9%-61.8%) in non-Western immigrants. Participation in immigrants varied by region of origin from 44.3% (95% CI, 41.4%-47.4%) in immigrants from North America, New Zealand and Australia to 67.8% (95% CI, 65.4%-70.3%) in immigrants from South- and Central America. Substantial variation was seen between specific countries of origin. Differences in participation between immigrants and Danish-born women were not explained by sociodemographic or health-related characteristics. Predictors of low participation in immigrants included lower income, unemployment, being unmarried, having a history of schizophrenia or other psychoses, and ≤5 years' stay in Denmark. In conclusion, cervical cancer screening participation in immigrants varied by region and country of origin, but all immigrant groups had lower participation than Danish-born women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Population-based screening for osteoporosis is still controversial and has not been implemented. Non-participation in systematic screening was evaluated in 34,229 women age 65-81 years. Although participation rate was high, non-participation was associated with comorbidity, aging other risk factors for fractures, and markers of low social status, e.g., low income, pension, and living alone. A range of strategies is needed to increase participation, including development of targeted information and further research to better understand the barriers and enablers in screening for osteoporosis. Introduction: Participation is crucial to the success of a screening program. The objective of this study was to analyze non-participation in Risk-stratified Osteoporosis Strategy Evaluation, a two-step population-based screening program for osteoporosis. Methods: Thirty-four thousand two hundred twenty-nine women aged 65 to 81 years were randomly selected from the background population and randomized to either a screening group (intervention) or a control group. All women received a self-administered questionnaire designed to allow calculation of future risk of fracture based on FRAX. In the intervention group, women with an estimated high risk of future fracture were invited to DXA scanning. Information on individual socioeconomic status and comorbidity was obtained from national registers. Results: A completed questionnaire was returned by 20,905 (61%) women. Non-completion was associated with older age, living alone, lower education, lower income, and higher comorbidity. In the intervention group, ticking 'not interested in DXA' in the questionnaire was associated with older age, living alone, and low self-perceived fracture risk. Women with previous fracture or history of parental hip fracture were more likely to accept screening by DXA. Dropping out when offered DXA, was associated with older age, current smoking, higher alcohol consumption, and physical impairment. Conclusions: Barriers to population-based screening for osteoporosis appear to be both psychosocial and physical in nature. Women who decline are older, have lower self-perceived fracture risk, and more often live alone compared to women who accept the program. Dropping out after primary acceptance is associated not only with aging and physical impairment but also with current smoking and alcohol consumption. Measures to increase program participation could include targeted information and reducing physical barriers for attending screening procedures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mobile sensing uses features of mobile technology to monitor the environment and if a community participates in such monitoring, there can be community improvements in the quality of life. Despite the numerous potential benefits, the rate of citizen engagement in mobile sensing is generally low. Using the urban sensing project called “2Loud?,” this study was designed to uncover the reasons for non-participation and to discuss the motivations for intention to participate. A survey was administered to citizens who had been invited to participate but had decided not to participate. Examining the four motivational factors of “Concern,” “Belief,” “Technology,” and “Time” through a series of Kruskal-Wallis H Tests indicated that respondents had a statistically significant favorable attitude toward “Intention to Participate” if they had some concern and belief, and if they had access to technology and available time, compared to those who did not. However, binary logistic regression analysis indicated that only “Time” and “Technology” were significant predictors of “Intention to Participate.” These findings are discussed in light of social psychology and information technology theories, and recommendations for improved communication and engagement strategies are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Public health monitoring depends on valid health and disability estimates in the population 65+ years. This is hampered by high non-participation rates in this age group. There is limited insight into size and direction of potential baseline selection bias.Methods: We analyzed baseline non-participation in a register-based random sample of 1481 inner-city residents 65+ years, invited to a health examination survey according to demographics available for the entire sample, self-report information as available and reasons for non-participation. One year after recruitment, non-responders were revisited to assess their reasons.Results: Five groups defined by participation status were differentiated: participants (N = 299), persons who had died or moved (N = 173), those who declined participation, but answered a short questionnaire (N = 384), those who declined participation and the short questionnaire (N = 324), and non-responders (N = 301). The results confirm substantial baseline selection bias with significant underrepresentation of persons 85+ years, persons in residential care or from disadvantaged neighborhoods, with lower education, foreign citizenship, or lower health-related quality of life. Finally, reasons for non-participation could be identified for 78% of all non-participants, including 183 non-responders.Conclusion: A diversity in health problems and barriers to participation exists among non-participants. Innovative study designs are needed for public health monitoring in aging populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multi-Stakeholder Platforms are a currently popular concept in the international water world. It is however not a very well defined phenomenon. The present article unpacks the concept, proposes to see platforms as networks, and identifies two ´schools of thought´: social learning and negotiation. It attempts a preliminary typology of platforms encountered in real life, in which the Comités de Bacia in Brazil, for all their shortcomings, come out as a relatively influential type. In closing, the article then identifies reasons for non-participation, suggesting that it is an inevitable corollary of organised participation.Arena de stakeholders múltiplos é um conceito estabelecido na área de recursos hídricos internacional. Contudo, é um fenômeno pouco definido. O presente artigo destrincha o conceito, propondo conceber as arenas como redes, e identifica duas "escolas de pensamento": aprendizagem social e negociação. O texto procura por uma tipologia preliminar das arenas identificadas na vida real, nas quais os Comitês de Bacias no Brasil, por todas suas peculiaridades, aparecem como um tipo significativo. Ao final, o artigo identifica as razões que explicam a não participação, sugerindo que esse é um corolário inevitável da participação organizada.

Copyright of Netla: Online Journal on Pedagogy & Education is the property of University of Iceland, School of Education and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Media reports in recent years suggest that Germany has become a movement society. Whenever there is a new infrastructure project (e.g. Stuttgart 21), affected citizens get actively involved in the political process surrounding it—or so it seems. The assumption of existing literature on protest and social movements appears to be true to the ongoing discussion about civic participation. Nevertheless, the current study sheds light on the fact that most affected citizens remain inactive in relation to infrastructure projects in their neighbourhoods. Blame does not lie with the disinterest of the people or their unwillingness to be part of the political process—the opposite is the case. People demonstrate a feeling of moral responsibility to enter the political arena as citizens, but a lack of resources seems to restrain them from doing so. This study shows that, to escape this dilemma, affected citizens hand over the responsibility to existing civic action groups. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Although students equipped with the concept of gender equity may be better prepared to participate in a democratic society, gender is not a given but a construct, formalising a discourse in a non-arbitrary way through a matrix of practices. The study reports how two male Taiwanese university students, Jay and Dick, responded to female-centred texts to construct their concept of gender equity. Data sources include reading journal entries and oral interviews. The results indicate Jay’s inquiry positions regarding gender equity allowed him to re-evaluate himself as a male reader, leading him to changed perspectives and a new understanding about his implicit beliefs toward gender. In contrast, responding to female-centred texts became a site of struggle for Dick, revealing gaps and contradictions within his conventional insights on gender equity. The results also inform us that male and female students need effective ways of constructing gender roles in responding to texts and talk. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Copyright of Educación XX1 is the property of Editorial UNED and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This work is interested in the concept of non-participation in relation to international peace–support interventions. While the concept of participation has received significant attention, non-participation is under-conceptualized. A typology of non-participation is advanced, differentiating between voluntary and involuntary types of non-participation. It is argued that there is an overhasty tendency by many observers to subjectify inhabitants in post-war settings into the categories of resistance and compliance. This article rejects such a binary as too crude, and argues that non-participation needs to be examined in its own right, not automatically in relation to wider projects of liberal peacemaking or of resistance to that form of peacemaking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The claim that participation in lifelong learning can augment participants' quality of life and economic and social status, as well as national prosperity, seems irrefutable. Nevertheless, in the UK, surveys consistently indicate that, overall, the participation of adults (16+) has not been increasing over the last decade. While there are some national statistics on participation/non-participation in lifelong learning, information on the learning divide — the level and the nature of adult participation/non-participation in lifelong learning in local contexts — is limited. This study analyses factors influencing participation in adult education both favourably and unfavourably. The study is based on individual and focus-group interviews and on a questionnaire survey. Recommendations for change that might tackle barriers and promote drivers to boost participation in adult education are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cathy Murray considers the involvement of children and young people in research in the field of adoption and fostering in the UK, based on a review in 2004 of the Quality Protects bibliographic database. The database comprises details of 182 research studies conducted since 1991, of which 72 were categorised as relevant to adoption and fostering. Of these, 38 (53 per cent) involved children and young people in the process. Three aspects of participation and non-participation in research are considered. First, researchers' reasons for involving children and young people are outlined. Secondly, the role of gatekeepers is examined. When embarking on the review, it had been anticipated that ethical and methodological concerns would be the key challenges to involving children and young people in research. However, gatekeepers emerged from the research outputs as equally significant. It is argued that while gatekeeping is played out in specific research projects as an apparently individualised response, it reflects the pervasiveness of a protectionist model of children and young people over a citizen-with-rights model. Thirdly, the strategies that researchers employed to increase the likelihood of children and young people's participation are reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An intervention study of men living in the Community of Habo in southwestern Sweden has been carried out. All men aged 33–42 and living in the community were invited. Altogether 652 men participated. The study included a questionnaire, an interview made by a nurse, anthropometric measurements, blood pressure measurements, measurements of respiratory function and work performance capacity, and blood sampling for chemical analyses. The participation rate was high, 86.1%, after one mail invitation even considering the fact that two reminders were sent. Most of the non-participants had recently been in contact with the health care organisation, either because they were high-consumers of health care, or because they had attended a health examination at work. A health profile was worked out comprising 11 different potential risk factors for coronary heart disease. This health profile turned out to be a useful educational tool when discussing the results of the examination with the participants. Risk points were given according to certain predetermined criteria. The distribution of risk factors was similar in the different ages studied. Most of the participants had at least one risk factor as defined, but many of them had two or more risk factors. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]