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Objectives: This explorative cross-country qualitative study aims to describe experiences of receiving a dementia diagnosis and experiences of support following a diagnosis in Australia, Canada, the Netherlands and Poland. Method: Qualitative study using projective techniques during online focus groups, online and telephone interviews with people with dementia and caregivers. Results: Twenty-three people with dementia and 53 caregivers participated. Qualitative content analysis revealed five themes; (1) 'Coming to terms with dementia' helped people deal with complex emotions to move forward. (3) 'The social network as a source of support' and (4) 'The challenges and realities of formal support' and impacted 'Coming to terms with dementia'. (2) 'Navigating life with dementia as a caregiver' highlights caregiver burden and was impacted by (4) 'The challenges and realities of formal support'. People were (5) 'Self-caring and preparing for tomorrow' as they focused on maintaining current health whilst planning the future. Despite differences in healthcare and post-diagnostic support systems, there were more similarities across countries than differences. Conclusion: Across countries, formal support and support from friends and family are crucial for people with dementia and caregivers to come to terms with dementia and maintain carer wellbeing to ultimately live well with dementia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objectives of this study were (a) to explore the preliminary cross‐cultural validity of a visual‐perceptual method to assess body image; (b) to examine potential differences and similarities in body image phenomena between women from two Western countries (i.e., Canada and Spain). 201 self‐identified women participated in this cross‐sectional study. Ideal, normal, and self‐perceived body sizes were assessed using a visual‐perceptual method, whereas body dissatisfaction was measured using both a visual‐perceptual method and a questionnaire. Visual‐perceptual body dissatisfaction was significantly correlated with questionnaire body dissatisfaction, suggesting a preliminary convergent validity between the two assessment methods. Women in both countries were dissatisfied with their bodies. Compared to their self‐perceived body, all women chose a significantly thinner visual representation of their "normal" and ideal body. These results may suggest a shift towards the "thin" body as not only ideal, but also normative. This study provides the first evidence for the cross‐cultural validity of a visual‐perceptual body image assessment tool. The results of the current study confirm the presence of "normative discontent", and suggest more cross‐country similarities than differences among women from these two Western societies. Highlights: This study had two objectives: (a) to explore the preliminary cross‐cultural validity of a visual‐perceptual method to assess body image; (b) to examine potential differences and similarities in body image phenomena between women from Canada and Spain.The results highlight the preliminary validity of a novel continuum of 3D bodies as a valid cross‐cultural visual‐perceptual method to assess body image phenomena.Women in both countries were dissatisfied with their bodies.Compared to their self‐perceived body, all women chose a significantly thinner visual representation of their "normal" and ideal body. These results may suggest a shift towards the "thin" body as not only ideal, but also normative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Basic skills and educational level are closely related, and both might affect employment. Data from the Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey were used to examine whether basic skills in terms of literacy and numeracy predicted youth unemployment (16-24 years) while controlling for educational level. Stepwise logistic regression showed that in Canada, Italy, Norway and the USA, low basic skills predicted youth employment. In Canada and the USA, basic skills at Level 1 increased the odds of being unemployed versus employed between two and four times compared to basic skills at Level 3 while controlling for educational level. As for Norway, when controlling for educational level, basic skills were nearly significant (p = 0.06), showing an odds ratio of 2.71. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper uses listings of residential real estate properties in Kiev, Ukraine to develop a picture of the principal underlying dimensions defining this market. It is possible to obtain valuable information about the structure of this important market from private sources. The paper reviews the history of the residential housing sector in Ukraine and explains the attributes real estate agencies use to characterize this market. The property listings provided by a private Kiev real estate agency are used to create a database for factor analysis. The results of the analysis are used to compare Kiev residential real estate with a study looking at housing dimensions in Canada and England. In light of the principal components of Kiev residential real estate, the authors present implications and suggest guidelines for decision makers in the industry. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: The Brief Young Adult Alcohol Consequences Questionnaire (B-YAACQ) was designed to measure alcohol consequences and identify at-risk students. It was developed and originally validated among university students in the United States (U.S.), yet it is widely used in both the U.S. and abroad. Using the alignment method, we tested whether the B-YAACQ measures alcohol consequences similarly across university students in several countries where heavy alcohol use and related outcomes are prevalent.Methods: The sample consisted of 1473 university students (ages 18-30) from five university sites: Australia (n = 315), New Zealand (n = 270), Canada (n = 276), Argentina (n = 232), and the U.S. (n = 380). Participants completed a confidential, online alcohol use survey which included the B-YAACQ.Results: Overall, 12 of the 24 B-YAACQ items had invariant factor loading and threshold parameters, suggesting that these items exhibited similar reliability and difficulty among university students across the five countries. Of the 24 B-YAACQ items, 21 exhibited comparable reliability across the five countries; the remaining 3 items were slightly less reliable indicators of alcohol consequences among U.S. students. Thus, several items on the B-YAACQ may be particularly informative for identifying students who are experiencing high levels of drinking harm across multiple countries.Conclusions: The present study is an important step toward (a) validating the B-YAACQ among university students in New Zealand and Canada, and (b) furthering our understanding of the psychometric properties of the B-YAACQ among university students in Australia, Argentina, and the U.S. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: In situations of adversity, young people draw on individual, relational, and contextual (community and cultural) resources to foster their resilience. Recent literature defines resilience as a capacity that is underpinned by a network of interrelated resources. Although empirical studies show evidence of the value of a network approach, little is known regarding how different country contexts influence which resources are most critical within a resource network and how resources interact for adolescent resilience., Methods: Network analysis was conducted with data from studies that had used the Child and Youth Resilience Measure. Regularized partial correlation networks of 17 resources were estimated for 14 countries (Botswana, Canada, China, Colombia, Equatorial Guinea, India, Indonesia, Italy, Jordan, New Zealand, the Philippines, Romania, South Africa, and Syrian refugees living in Jordan). The sample size was 18,914 (mean age = 15.70 years, 48.8% female)., Results: We observed mostly positive associations between the resources of interest. The salience and strength of associations between resources varied by country. The most central resource across countries was having supportive caregivers during stressful times because this resource had the most and strongest positive associations with other resources., Conclusions: This study gives first empirical evidence from multiple countries that an interplay of social-ecological resources (such as individual skills, peer, caregiver and community support, and educational aspirations and opportunities) matter for adolescent resilience. Across countries, caregiver support appears to be most central for adolescent resilience. Future resilience interventions might apply this network approach to identify important, contextually relevant resources that likely foster additional resources., (Copyright © 2020 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

This study examined the measurement invariance of three scales that assessed emotional eating, restrained eating, and intuitive eating across eight countries (Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, Italy, Japan, Spain and the United States) in order to determine their suitability for cross-country body image research. A total of 6272 young adults took part in this study. Participants completed an online survey including the Emotional Eating subscale of the Three Factor Eating Questionnaire-Revised 21, the Restraint subscale of the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire, and the Reliance on Hunger and Satiety Cues subscale of The Intuitive Eating Scale-2. Multi-group confirmatory factor analysis was used to evaluate potential cross-country differences in functioning of the measures. Partial invariance for all three scales was found, with only minor levels of non-invariance identified. Multiple indicator multiple cause models identified BMI and gender as potential influences on scores for these measures. Sources of invariance across groups are discussed, as well as implications for further substantive research across countries involving these measures., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors reported no declarations of interest., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)