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Introduction: Social self-efficacy refers to peoples' beliefs about their ability to establish effective social relationships. During adolescence, it has been related to positive social relationships, skills to cope with adverse experiences, and health. While prior research has focused on the general dimension of self-efficacy, this study aims to examine the reliability and validity of the subscale social self-efficacy in Spanish and Portuguese adolescents across gender, age, and country. Method: The sample, selected from the 2018 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study, was composed of 20,691 13-18-year-old adolescents from Spain and Portugal (48.2% boys and 51.8% girls). The scale's reliability and internal and external validity were examined systemically across sex, age, and country, as well as testing measurement invariance according to these variables. Results: Data showed adequate evidence of reliability ([alpha] = 0.85), as well as internal and external validity, thus demonstrating the scale's stability and applicability in similar research contexts. Conclusions: Social self-efficacy fosters individual and social well-being in youth, as well as healthy and positive development. Use of this subscale in evaluation and intervention programs could further our understanding about different dimensions of adolescent development.

The article proposes and illustrates a methodological framework that aligns with the action-research models and utopian methodology in particular, although it represents a more substantial leap forward, especially regarding the distributed nature of decision making in the different processes of research/intervention, and its multiple and systematic nature (linking theory, practice and politics). It is developed through four main phases: i) collective identification of the needs and the object of the study, ii) expansive co-design of the action-research, iii) dynamic and multiagency implementation, and iv) critical and participatory reflexive evaluation. It is examined more specifically how the phases proposed here can be illustrated by an ongoing project called 360Education Alliance ("Aliança Educació 360") conducted in the context of Catalonia, Spain. It consists of a partnership presented in January, 2018, that currently involves more than 300 entities for promoting a community vision of education based on improving equity and social justice. Some opportunities deriving from this methodology are mentioned in the conclusion, emphasizing the transversal role of self-criticism as permanent inquiry of multiple agents involved in the process, including the participants themselves.

Spanish universities still face many barriers to the training of people with disabilities, especially with intellectual disabilities (ID). In general, continuing higher education courses are the main training response for the latter. Knowing the impact that confinement by COVID-19 has had on the students of these courses is a relevant element. The present investigation focused on analyzing the case of the confinement experience of 12 young students with ID who attended the continuing training program called Unidiversidad at the University of Alcalá (Spain). In particular, the implications on their emotional well-being, interpersonal relationships, and individual training were analyzed. Information was collected through a semi-structured interview with the students and a questionnaire with their relatives. The results reflect changes in emotional well-being linked to the increased concern of students for the health of their families. Interpersonal relationships were also affected, although participants tried to compensate for the lack of face-to-face interaction with instant messaging applications and video calls. The change in training to the online modality generated concern and uncertainty in students, although it also provided learning opportunities, which have been supported by peer tutoring and support from teachers.

Background: In families of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the added difficulties they face may influence their perception of family quality of life (FQoL). It is important to identify factors which foster their perceived wellbeing and are susceptible to intervention. Our aim was to explore the association between mindful attention and FQoL in these families controlling their perceived social support. Method: Ninety-six parents of people with ASD were evaluated using the Mindful Attention and Awareness Scale (MAAS), the Support Questionnaire for Parents with Children with Disability, and the Spanish Family Quality of Life Scale for families with underage members with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Results: Multiple regression analyses revealed that high levels of mindful attention positively predicted FQoL after controlling the influence of social support. Conclusions: Practical implications are discussed in terms of family support interventions. We conclude that mindful attention interventions may be useful for families with children and adolescents with ASD to improve their FQoL.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic might negatively impact the quality of life and functional autonomy of Spanish adults with intellectual disability, and meaningful activities could prevent this negative progression. Methods: This is a prospective cohort study in Spanish adults with intellectual disability during the COVID-19 pandemic. Quality of life, functional autonomy and functional independence were measured. The meaningful activities studied were structured-leisure, community self-management, and occupational and physical activities. Results: Seventy-three participants were included in the study. Quality of life and functional autonomy significantly deteriorated during the COVID-19 pandemic (all p > 0.001). Greater participation in community self-management activities before COVID-19 was associated with less detriment to quality of life ([beta] = -0.312; p = 0.008), while greater participation in occupational and physical activities was associated with less detriment to the performance of instrumental activities ([beta] = -0.317; p = 0.016; and [beta] = -0.285; p = 0.030, respectively). Conclusion: People with intellectual disability living in residential homes experienced a decrease in their quality of life and functional autonomy during the COVID-19 pandemic. Their involvement in community self-management activities and physical and occupational activities before the pandemic had preventive effects on the detriment to the quality of life and functional autonomy.

A family-centered approach (FCA) is recognized as a set of values, principles, and practices aimed at strengthening families' abilities to promote the development and well-being of its members. Despite the limited information available, results show the positive relationship between the support model, based on the collaboration between families and specialists, and family empowerment. This paper seeks to analyze the opinions of families and specialists on their participation in an intervention program for families of youths and adults with disabilities. Thirteen families and eight specialists participated in the study that used qualitative techniques, such as interviews and discussion groups, and a questionnaire to gather information about the families' and specialists' viewpoints over one year. Results show that families welcomed their involvement in the program. Both families and specialists recognize that creating a space for the whole family is the main contribution of the program, as it highlights the importance of considering the family's entire system as a support unit, as well as the close relationship between the individual's and family's quality of life (FQoL).

This is the first meta-analysis to examine the outcomes of nonfamilial, intergenerational programs (IGP) on youth and older adults. Relevant studies were identified by screening the abstracts from five systematic reviews on the impact of intergenerational programs on psychosocial outcomes. After all studies were screened 23 independent studies were included in the meta-analysis. An effect size, d, was calculated for the change in youth attitudes toward older adults, as well as older adults' change in generativity, quality of life, depressive symptoms, and physical health. Results suggested that IGP have a small, but significant association with improved youth attitudes toward older adults (d = 0.42). For older adults IGP were associated with a small, significant, reduction in depressive symptoms (d = > -0.30) and increased generativity (d = 0.25), quality of life (d = 0.48) and physical health (d = 0.10). Nonsignificant heterogeneity precluded the use of moderator variables to explain variation among the studies. With a better understanding of the effectiveness of IGP, researchers can more effectively develop IGP and assess their outcomes.

The objective of this study is to compare the prevalence of bullying victimization and perpetration between a sample of gifted students and a sample of nongifted students, and their relationship in both groups with depression, stress, anxiety, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). A cross-sectional design was performed with two comparison groups: 449 Spanish adolescents identified as gifted (M[subscript age] = 11.72, SD = 1.89) and 950 nongifted Spanish students (M[subscript age] = 12.72, SD=0.79). Results reveal that 41.1%, 1.1%, and 9.5% of the gifted sample were pure-victims, pure-bullies, and bully-victims, respectively, compared to 21.8%, 2.4%, and 5.8% of the nongifted students. It is observed that gifted students are more likely to be victims (OR = 3.20[2.40, 4.28]). Gifted pure-victims have significantly higher stress scores than nongifted pure-victims (p < 0.001). In general, pure-victims and bully-victims of gifted and nongifted students both have higher stress, anxiety, and depression scores and lower HRQoL scores than other profiles.

This study looks at the effect that the compulsory COVID-19 lockdown restrictions introduced by the Spanish government had on the quality of life of teachers working in the Spanish education system, i.e. those teaching at early years, primary, secondary, tertiary vocational training and university education levels. Participants completed a questionnaire that included the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7) along with other questions relating to their wellbeing from the European Quality of Life Survey (EQLS). A total of 668 teachers responded to the questionnaire, which was generated using Microsoft Forms and distributed in an online format. The results confirm significant levels of abnormal anxiety during prolonged lockdown. We perform a multivariate analysis that shows that, whatever the level of anxiety, two variables are always significant in all the contrast models: participants felt the effects of lockdown on a personal level and found it difficult to carry out their work. The results also indicate that teachers working in primary and secondary education were those most affected by the strict, prolonged lockdown and that female teachers suffered much higher levels of anxiety than male teachers.

This study aimed to evaluate two objectives: first, the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and socio-demographic characteristics of children with cochlear implants (CIs) or hearing aids (HAs) on the Kid-KINDL[superscript R] _children_7-13 questionnaire, and second to analyze parental background factors and the perceptions of their children with CIs or HAs on the Kid_Kiddo-KINDL[superscript R] _Parents_ 7-17 questionnaire. The data consisted of 89 children with CIs and 63 children with HAs and their 89 parents, respectively. The characteristics of children and the parental factors included demographic and audiological variables. Student's "t"-test and one-way ANOVA were used to analyze the two objectives. Children with CIs exhibited a perception of better HRQoL in comparison with children with HAs. Among other differences, children with CIs or HAs and their parents were significantly distinct in the variable "Setting" ("t" = 2.921, p < 0.010). Moreover, parents of children with CIs or HAs were significantly different among them in some background factors (i.e., age, socioeconomic status, and learning). Children with CIs and their parents demonstrated a perception of better HRQoL than children with HAs and their parents. These findings added to the existing knowledge about the benefits of CIs for children with hearing loss. Parents of children with CIs noted the significance of social and emotional development as a marker of well-being in their children's lives.

Yoga is a growing sport in our current society, but we know little about it; what repercussions it has, what benefits its practice brings, repercussions in the educational environment, etc. Therefore, the objective of the article was to analyze if it is possible to design a scale of perception that relates yoga, teacher training, sport, benefits of yoga, and inclusive sport. The objective was to analyze and demonstrate the relationship between variables determining how the academic performance of the students can be improved, since the practice of yoga influences on diverse areas that cause changes at brain level in the students, and it can lead to better attentiveness, memory, etc. For this, a descriptive, explanatory, and correlational research project has been carried out with a quantitative methodology. The analysis sample was made up of 1575 subjects, distributed as follows: 1191 students of the Degree in Primary Education of the University of Jaén (from first to fourth course) and 384 teachers corresponding to different public centers of the province of Jaén. In order to investigate the objective, an operational table was created to construct the Likert scale. The original scale consisted of 20 items reporting an alpha of 0.826, we achieved a reduction of four items, with a higher reliability (0.846), divided into five different dimensions. Likewise, construct validity was checked from a factorial analysis (KM0 = 0.787, Bartlett 0.000). The results of the research have been satisfactory, given that when analyzing the variables proposed in the initial objective, a high degree of correlation has been obtained between them, which supposes, applying it to the educational scope, a great incentive to carry it out in the educational centers, and, therefore, to improve the academic, personal, and social performance of the student.

There is currently no evidence of the relationship between cyber dating abuse (CDA) and health-related quality of life (HRQoL), especially from a longitudinal perspective. The objectives were: (a) to analyze the point and period prevalence, incidence, and score changes over time of victimization by CDA; (b) to compare HRQoL in the different categories of victims of CDA (nonvictims, new, ceased, intermittent, and stable victims). A three-wave longitudinal study was carried out over 13 months. The final sample was composed of adolescents who had a partner in the 6 months before the measurements: 341(W1), 357(W2), and 416(W3). The prevalence of CDA was 31.1% (W1), 32.8% (W2), and 18.1% (W3). The girls had higher prevalence in victimization by control than the boys in all waves. The period prevalence was 23% (20% for control, 15% for direct aggression) and the cumulative incidence was 15%. Stable victims had the lowest HRQoL scores.

Through the theoretical framework of pedagogy and education as an instrument of social and personal development, this study addresses two key issues for the construction of a mature-older person's identity, namely, generativity and life satisfaction. The main aim here is to explore the generative interest and life satisfaction of a group of mature-older university students and verify whether the years linked to the program and the rate of participation in other types of social agencies and institutions have a positive impact on both constructs. The sample comprised 347 subjects, who were administered the Loyola Generativity Scale -- LGS and the Satisfaction with Life Scale -- SWLS. The results show that level of education and rate of participation have a positive influence on generative interest, while health, marital status and time linked to the higher education program have a positive effect on life satisfaction.

The evaluation results of the Orthogeriatric Unit at Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria Hospital, Tenerife, Canary Islands, are set out in this paper. The fundamental aim has been the assessment of comprehensive rehabilitation and the improvement of quality of life, which would allow a faster discharge process for patients over 65 years of age. A transversal and longitudinal assessment has focused on its aims and its results, the reference criteria or quality standards and the contributions made by the working team. The longitudinal analysis shows that the days in hospital are considerably reduced, surgical interventions have increased and the waiting time between admittance and surgery is reduced, and the prescription of a rehabilitation process after surgery and discharges has increased. The transversal analysis reveals differences in length of rehabilitation between the Orthogeriatric Unit patients and the outpatient alternative, proving that a significant improvement and optimisation has been achieved.

The aim of the study is to illustrate a comprehensive approach to item bias in cross-cultural research by integrating quantitative and qualitative data in a mixed methods design. We studied responses and response processes of Dutch and Spanish participants to quality of life items from five international studies. Item bias was evaluated by analyzing differential item functioning (DIF) with several statistical procedures. Statistical results were combined with qualitative evidence of response processes from cognitive interviewing (CI). These integrated results yielded a coherent picture of bias sources. Nonuniform DIF was linked to differences in the response processes, whereas uniform DIF was associated with differential meaning of the item contents. We conclude that the mixed methods approach holds important promise for understanding bias.

The current scenario of crisis and change has prompted the idea of entrepreneurship as a way to develop new media business models that can be promoted by university training. In this study, we aim to assess the effects of such training. A qualitative study was conducted using in-depth interviews of Spanish journalism and communication entrepreneurs who have undergone university training in business creation and management. Our results show the positive effects of this training on entrepreneurship both in general and on specific aspects of entrepreneurial projects such as organization, business plan/model, marketing, innovation, social aspects and quality of life. Different patterns between the effects of university training on new initiatives and advanced projects were also observed. In this respect, the training supported the creation of new businesses and the development of existing ones. Finally, the suggestions for improving training and the limitations to entrepreneurship have revealed the importance of providing this type of education with a more practical, up-to-date approach that is interconnected with the business and university world. Therefore, examples of this work can be of vital importance in opening up new opportunities for sector development to enable future generations of journalists to fulfill their important social function.

Families of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often experience much more negative perceptions of their family quality of life (FQoL). To investigate key factors that may shape these experiences, we conducted a case-control study of sixty-one Spanish families (29 with a child with ASD) using a broad psychosocial assessment (e.g., ASD severity, social support, demographics), including the first direct test of the relationship between FQoL and parental risk literacy (i.e., the ability to evaluate and understand risk, as measured by numeracy). Results revealed that numeracy was associated with differences in perceived FQoL among families of children with ASD (R[superscript 2] = 0.10), a finding that held across several models statistically controlling for the influence of other variables. Findings suggest that parental risk literacy skills may generally be associated with differences in decision making vulnerabilities (e.g., risk evaluation and interpretation) that influence family outcomes including FQoL.

Psychosocial risks can negatively affect adolescents' physical, psychological, and social health. Grounded on the cumulative risk theory, the objective of this study was to analyze the differences in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) depending on the accumulation of several psychosocial risks (bullying, cyberbullying, cyberdating abuse, sexting, online grooming, and problematic Internet use). The participants were 3,212 Spanish adolescents (53.7% females) with a mean age of 13.92 ± 1.44, who completed self-report online questionnaires that assessed each of the aforementioned risks and HRQoL. Overall, 41.4% of the female participants and 36.8% of the males presented at least one risk, with significant differences between sexes. The percentage of participants who presented an accumulation of three or more risks was 8.2%. Risk accumulation was related to a lower HRQoL score than those who presented no risks. The scores in HRQoL decrease at up to four risks, point at which the differences ceased to be significant.

Purpose: The association between voice alterations, health-related quality of life (HRQL), and chronic respiratory diseases, such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), has previously been reported. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that HRQL and dysphonia-associated handicap of patients diagnosed with asthma or COPD are worse than healthy controls. Method: A case-control study in which participants were recruited by a consecutive sampling method from a single institution was conducted. Three groups were created: (a) asthma (51 patients), (b) COPD (52 patients), and (c) 50 healthy controls. Self-reported handicap associated with dysphonia was assessed using the 30-item Voice Handicap Index (VHI-30); meanwhile, HRQL was tested via the European Quality of Life (EQ) Questionnaire and the EQ-visual analog scale. Also, aerodynamic assessment applied to phonation was assessed, and maximum phonation time and s/e index were registered. Results: VHI scores were higher for asthma and COPD (7.19 ± 8.31 and 11.80 ± 15.18, respectively) than in the control group (3.72 ± 6.78). The EQ index was lower in asthma and COPD patients than in controls. The EQ-visual analog scale showed lower scores in asthma and COPD than in the controls. Conclusions: HRQL was worse in COPD patients than in asthma patients. Even though the patient groups showed worse VHI and HRQL scores than the healthy controls, the scores fell within the normal variation range. No significant variations in the maximum phonation time index between groups were noted.

Background: Motor competence, defined as a person's ability to execute different motor skills, is directly associated with children's physical, mental, and social development and may be essential in encouraging an active lifestyle in childhood. Although health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in children has been described as an individual's subjective perception of the impact of health status on physical, psychological and social functioning, in very young children, a HRQoL parent-proxy report is needed since (pre)schoolchildren have problems expressing their feelings and understanding items on HRQoL instruments. In addition, the influence of motor competence on fitness levels has strong empirical support, so it seems reasonable to hypothesize that cardiorespiratory fitness might play a crucial role in the association between motor competence and HRQoL in children. Objectives: This study examined the association between gross motor competence (G-MC) and HRQoL in typically developing children, and whether this association between G-MC and HRQoL was mediated by cardiorespiratory fitness. Methods: An observational cross-sectional study with 1088 (pre)schoolchildren (51.84% boys, 48.16% girls) aged between 4 and 7 years (5.32 ± 0.60) belonging to 21 schools in the Spanish provinces of Cuenca and Ciudad Real were included. G-MC was evaluated using the MABC-2 battery, HRQoL was assessed using the KINDL-R questionnaire and cardiorespiratory fitness using the 20m-shuttle-run-test. Partial correlations, covariance models and mediation analyses were conducted. Results: The mean scores of HRQoL (physical well-being, self-esteem, friends, school and global score index) were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in children with higher G-MC. When cardiorespiratory fitness was added as a covariate, all the results remained unchanged (p < 0.05), except for physical well-being for the total sample as well as emotional well-being and the global score index for girls. Simple mediation analyses showed that cardiorespiratory fitness acted as a mediator between G-MC and physical well-being (Indirect Effect = 0.04 [95% CI = 0.01; 0.07]) for the total sample. For boys, it acted as a mediator between G-MC and physical well-being (Indirect Effect = 0.04 [95% CI = 0.00; 0.08]) and school (Indirect Effect = 0.05 [95% CI = 0.01; 0.09]), and, for girls, between G-MC and emotional well-being (Indirect Effect = 0.04 [95% CI = 0.01; 0.08]) and the global score index (Indirect Effect = 0.02 [95% CI = 0.00; 0.05]). Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that good G-MC levels are associated with better HRQoL, mainly in global score index of HRQoL and self-esteem, friends, and school dimensions in typically developing children. Further, cardiorespiratory fitness mediates the association between G-MC and the physical dimension of HRQoL in (pre)schoolchildren. Additionally, physical and academic dimensions are mediated by cardiorespiratory fitness for boys and the emotional and global score indices of HRQoL are mediated by cardiorespiratory fitness for girls. These findings provide scientific evidence that improving motor competence and cardiorespiratory fitness might be a practical strategy to increase HRQoL in children. Thus, families and the educational community should promote effective interventions and incorporate opportunities inside and outside school that aim to jointly improve motor competence and cardiorespiratory fitness.

A wide array of digital supports (such as apps) have been developed for the autism community, many of which have little or no evidence to support their effectiveness. A Delphi study methodology was used to develop a consensus on what constitutes good evidence for digital supports among the broader autism community, including autistic people and their families, as well as autism-related professionals and researchers. A four-phase Delphi study consultation with 27 panel members resulted in agreement on three categories for which evidence is required: reliability, engagement and effectiveness of the technology. Consensus was also reached on four key sources of evidence for these three categories: hands-on experience, academic sources, expert views and online reviews. These were differentially weighted as sources of evidence within these three categories.

Contribution: An analysis of the extent to which sustainability is present in the syllabi, project briefs, report templates, and student final reports of the three Iberian European project semester (EPS) providers, over a five-year period. Background: EPS is a one-semester capstone project framework that adopts project-based learning and multicultural, multidisciplinary teamwork. Educating engineers for sustainable development requires fostering critical and ethical thinking and a desire for equity, solidarity and preservation of natural resources, and cultural and genetic diversity. Existing engineering capstone design programs emphasize solving real world problems, hands-on training, and soft skills, but few focus on sustainability aspects of engineering design. The three Iberian EPS providers adopt project-based learning and teamwork methodologies, promoting the development of transversal skills and addressing sustainability in a multicultural and multidisciplinary background. Intended Outcomes: To show that the three Iberian EPS providers follow these recommendations and contribute to raising students' awareness of sustainable development. Application Design: The proposed sustainability learning assessment method collects evidence from syllabi, project briefs, report templates, and final reports to extract faculty and student perspectives. The sustainability-related terms collected were processed into word cloud format, allowing a simple and intuitive interpretation of students' understanding of sustainability, and in co-occurrence network format, to understand if sustainability has a pervasive or confined presence within the reports. Findings: Iberian EPS faculty and students are aware of the social, economic, and environmental impact of their projects, in terms of quality of life, social responsibility, the use of resources, and environmentally friendly technology.

Introduction: This systematic literature review aims to (a) identify how the parenting stress was used in the empirical studies as an independent, outcome, moderator and mediator variable, (b) identify the predictors of parenting stress in parents of children with ASD, (c) identify how parenting stress relates with mental health, and (d) make suggestions for future research. Methods: A systematic search for peer-reviewed articles on parenting stress resulted in 45 studies meeting specific inclusion criteria. Results: Child's problem behaviors and sensory problems are the strongest predictors for parenting stress that persisted over a two-year period. Single young mothers with maladaptive coping strategies who have an ASD child with problem behaviors and sensory difficulties are most at risk for high levels of parenting stress and poor mental health. Conclusion: Parenting stress negatively impacted the parental mental health-related quality of life. Directions for future research include assessing socio-cultural factors related to parenting stress across different cultures.

Family quality of life (FQoL) is considered one of the aims of early intervention (EI) services and a good indicator of service quality. Families were recruited from EI centers in 12 of 17 communities (states) in Spain. This study describes the FQoL of 250 Spanish families with children aged 0 to 6 years in EI services during a family-centered implementation process. We used an EI-specific FQoL scale that includes families' perception of their child's functioning as one factor. We also describe the relationships among individual, family, and service variables as well as FQoL. Type of disability, socioeconomic status, and family-centered practices impacted Child Functioning, Overall Life Situation, and Access to Information and Services factors, respectively. Fewer number of professionals involved was related with greater perception of child's functionality. Family-centeredness, type of family, and type of disability were the most influencing variables for the Total score. Implications for practice are discussed.

Inclusive education of disabled students has been promoted in European disability policies. However, the transition process from more segregated system is slow. The purpose of this study was to provide an insight about different types of schooling of disabled children affected by a rare disease across Europe and to evaluate their and caregivers' well-being. We analysed data from a cross-sectional study (BURQOL-RD) of persons with rare diseases that cause intellectual and/or physical disability: Prader-Willi syndrome, fragile X syndrome, three types of mucopolysaccharidosis and Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The sample consisted of 359 children aged 6-17 and 269 caregivers from eight European countries. Results showed differences between countries in proportion of students placed in special schools, which are still valid option in countries such as Germany, France or UK. Within the inclusive education modalities, lack of special support for disabled students was observed especially in low-income countries. No association between the type of schooling and quality of life was observed, but the subjective caregivers' burden seems to be higher in special schools. The study shows existent differences in implementation of inclusive education in Europe. More research is needed in the field of rare disease disability and educational needs.

Introduction: Interest in understanding the decline in positive attitudes to science and technology (S&T) among children and young people has led to numerous studies in recent years. Some research has focused on how personal characteristics of children and young people and other demographic and sociocultural factors influence the development of these attitudes, while other studies have centred on activities in which they participate that provide learning opportunities. In both cases, further research is required to determine how children and adolescents perceive S&T, and how this perception is associated with their expectations of working in science in the future. In this context, the aim of this study was to examine whether student's preference for taking part in S&T-related activities in- and out-of-school was related to their attitudes towards science and scientists and their future professional aspirations. Method: We administered a survey to 1,336 students aged 10, 13 and 16 years. The frequencies and corresponding percentages were calculated with respect to the total for the sample, and according to the factors (regional location, socioeconomic status, age and gender) that were considered. The Pearson's chi-squared test was used to seek significant differences among the two populations of each factor. Results: The results showed that the greater the students' preference for participating in S&T-related activities, the more value they attributed to science work to improve people's quality of life. Future professional expectations were associated to a greater extent with a preference for taking S&T-related subjects at school than with participation in S&T-related activities outside school. Discussion and Conclusion: We discuss the need to analyse in depth the characteristics of these activities and what children and young people learn from participating in them, in order to define strategies that increase motivation and interest in learning about S&T and improving its teaching.

This study illustrates how the cognitive interviewing (CI) method can provide qualitative evidence of item, construct, and method bias in cross-cultural research. CI was conducted with participants from the Netherlands and Spain, who responded to quality-of-life (QoL) items included in international survey research projects. Qualitative findings indicate that, at the construct level, Spanish participants were more affected by the particular wording of the item stems, which made them modify their understanding of the intended constructs while answering, whereas Dutch participants were more focused on being consistent in their responses. At the item level, differences in the interpretation of key terms in QoL items were mainly related to translation and cultural issues. Method bias was manifested in the differential use of response options and anchor labels. Results of the study support the contribution and usefulness of CI to informing about the three types of bias from a qualitative approach.

With a view to improving the quality of life of persons living with disabilities without direct intervention but in the context of action at the level of their personal development, and with the institutional support of the University of the Balearic Islands and funding from "SA Nostra" Caixa de Balears, we decided to develop, implement and evaluate a training programme aimed to generate a change in attitudes towards people with mental disabilities. The programme is targeted to professionals who have an impact on personal development. On the basis of the experience of one of the businessmen in the group of professionals that was set up for the purpose of our experiment, we seek to highlight the possibility of inducing change, from an initial attitude focused on the productivity of the enterprise to one based on the principles of normalisation and equality of opportunities; the latter is more conducive to mentally disabled people achieving social and occupational integration. (Contains 1 table.)

Background: Adolescent depression has been recognized as a complex problem that presents a global public health challenge. Left undetected and untreated, depression can significantly reduce quality of life. Objective: The main purpose of this paper is to re-visit risk and protective factors for depression in adolescents with a specific focus on exploring the individual, familial, and social contexts of depression (especially high and very high depression levels) in a multi-country sample of youth in order to see if these factors are mitigated by cultural location. Methods: Questionnaire data from a cross-sectional study of a randomly selected sample of 5149 middle-school students from four EU-countries (Austria, Germany, Slovenia, and Spain) was used. Applying variance analysis, we examined the prediction strength for the observed risk and protective factors. Results: In all participating countries we show that in for both male and female adolescents, depression is linked to a broad range of interactive individual, and social protective and risk factors, such that even if the contribution of a single factor is low but still significant and this factor's prediction strength is low or moderate, taken together, the cumulative prediction strength of these factors yields a remarkably similar coefficient of determination of 42-49% in all samples. Conclusions: We have established a significant and relevant combination of the individual and social multifactorial risk and protective factors that characterize depression in adolescents of both genders, no matter their country of location and with that, we call for a multifaceted and comprehensive approach to mental health assessment, prevention and intervention.

Background: The study assesses the support needs of individuals with intellectual disability and their families in Catalonia. The present authors examine family quality of life (FQoL), identify the individual services required and assess families' perceptions of the extent to which their family member with intellectual disability and they themselves receive the services they need. Materials and Methods: The N&S questionnaire ("Needs and Supports for people with intellectual disability and their families") was administered to 2160 families with a family member with intellectual disability aged under 70 in Catalonia (Spain). Results: Overall mean FQoL was quite high. FQoL was associated with family income, education, employment and percentage level of disability. Neither people with intellectual disability nor their families receive the specific support they need. Conclusions: Besides providing specific support for individuals with intellectual disability, local policymakers and practitioners should apply a family-centred approach to the provision of support for families in order to improve FQoL.

This study starts from the premise that we are sexual beings, and therefore, sexuality is part of our lives and defines us as human beings. This is also true with regard to intellectually disabled people. Within the framework of broader qualitative research carried out in Spain, some partial results of an ongoing study aimed at finding out what a group of adults see as important in different areas of their lives are presented here. Through the personal narratives of 16 intellectually disabled people, this paper explores some of their ideas and demands about sexuality and their sexual lives. Most of the people interviewed expressed their desire to have a partner and to live as a couple. There is no doubt that many intellectually disabled people have greater control over their lives and the decisions that affect them, but as they tell us, the presence of old ideas can hinder them from securing their fundamental rights.

Early intervention (EI) has been shown to be an essential resource for meeting the needs and priorities of children with intellectual and developmental disability and their families. The objective of this study was to examine (a) the perceived quality of life of families attending EI centers in Spain and (b) its relationship with characteristics of the children and their families. The Family Quality of Life Scale was administered to a sample of 281 families with children aged 0 to 6 years attending an EI center. To determine the relationship between family quality of life (FQoL) and the family and children's characteristics, Student's t test and one-way ANOVA were performed. Likewise, effect size was measured in those groups. The results show that the emotional well-being of families was high, although they were concerned about health and financial well-being. The perceived FQoL varies depending on income, family type, and severity of the child's disability. Implications for professional practice in EI centers are presented.

Background: People with intellectual disability have poor levels of physical activity, quality of life, fitness condition and self-efficacy and social support when they want to undertake physical activity so it is very important to improve these parameters in this population. Method: A prospective study was conducted. Data were measured before and after the multimodal intervention. Participants were 40 people with mild intellectual disability. The intervention was carried out over 8 weeks (2 h weekly). Results: The results of this study show that after the multimodal intervention, there was significant improvement: quality of life, professional and peers' support for activity, abdominal strength and walking METS (Metabolic equivalent of tasks). Conclusions: There are few studies that have carried out an intervention that combines physical activity and education in people with intellectual disability; these interventions are very important because they can improve some parameters that are difficult to improve with only a single intervention.

Introduction: The use of horses in therapy has a fairly long history. There are many references to the therapeutic benefits of this activity. Such therapies have been undergoing a boom internationally in recent years. However scientific research into the effective use of this activity in children with autism is still in the early stages of development. Method: The impact of a therapeutic horse-riding program on a set of psychosocial variables in a group of 8 autism spectrum disorder subjects of 7 to 16 years in age is evaluated. The study design was quasi-experimental, test-retest, with two groups -- experimental and control. The measurement instruments were the "Behavior Assessment System for Children" (BASC), and a quality-of-life questionnaire based on a standard model used in mental health contexts. The treatment program comprised twenty-four 45-minute sessions. Results: The results show significant differences in some of the quality-of-life indicators and there were lower levels of aggressiveness (BASC). Discussion and conclusions: The horse riding is particularly well matched to the specific characteristics of persons with autism, since it is based on an individual activity but at the same time brings into play multiple interactions in a context which is more structured and less chaotic than other team sports.

Background: Researchers, professionals, and families have shown increasing concern with the family quality of life (FQoL) of people with intellectual disability (ID) and their families. The goals of this research were (a) to explore how Spanish families understand FQoL by developing 2 different measurement tools for families with a member with ID under and over 18 years old, and (b) to provide 2 diagnostic instruments that will be useful for designing action plans. Method: The study comprised 4 stages: (a) focus groups, (b) expert assessment, (c) pilot study, and (d) normalisation and standardisation. The data were collected in 5 regions in Spain, and 1,205 families with a member with ID took part in the normalisation and standardisation of the scales. Results: Both FQoL scales were consistent and have valid psychometric characteristics. Conclusions: The scales have a diagnostic purpose for use in designing action plans aimed at producing significant changes in families' lives.

Background: For decades, the field of quality of life for people with intellectual disabilities has focused on the improving the external life conditions. However, scarce research has examined the contribution of person-related psychological resources such as emotional competence (EC) on well-being in this population. Materials and Methods: Using a cross-sectional design, 139 adults with intellectual disabilities completed different measures: Subjective Happiness Scale, Satisfaction with Life Scale, Positive Affect and Negative Affect Scale and Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale. Results: Emotional competence shows a positive and significant association with life satisfaction and happiness. EC dimensions were predictors of well-being beyond socio-demographic variables and dispositional affectivity. Conclusions: Our findings provide preliminary evidence of the potential value of considering EC in the improvement in the quality of life of people with intellectual disabilities. Professionals interested in intellectual disabilities care might consider training programmes based on EC as an additional intervention strategy aimed at improving well-being. (Contains 2 tables and 2 figures.)

Background: The changed societal views of persons with disabilities are reflected in the 2006 United Nations "Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities". However, what is not specified in the Convention is how to operationalise and measure the Articles composing the Convention, and how to use that information to further enhance the human rights of persons with disabilities. Method: The authors analyse the relationships between eight core quality of life domains and the 34 Articles contained in the Convention. Results: There is a close relationship between the core quality of life domains and the 34 Articles contained in the Convention. Furthermore, the current status of these Articles can be evaluated through the assessment of indicators associated with the eight core quality of life domains. Conclusions: Based on the assessment of these quality of life-related outcomes, three strategies can be used to enhance the human rights of persons with intellectual disability. These three are to employ person-centred planning, publish provider profiles and implement a system of support. (Contains 3 tables.)

Background: Most instruments that assess quality of life have been validated by means of the classical test theory (CTT). However, CTT limitations have resulted in the development of alternative models, such as the Rasch rating scale model (RSM). The main goal of this paper is testing and improving the psychometric properties of the INTEGRAL Quality of Life Scale (i.e., fit statistics, person and item reliability coefficients) with RSM. Method: The sample comprised 271 Spanish adults with intellectual disability. Results: The results showed that the data fitted the model, point-biserial correlations were adequate, items showed precision, reliability of items (0.98) and persons (0.89) were adequate, and the response categories were suitable (thresholds were ordered). However, one item ("I feel excluded from society") did not fit the model and a few items were too easy for participants to achieve. Conclusions: Although it seems necessary to include more difficult items and to delete one, the INTEGRAL Scale is a useful instrument with evidence of validity. (Contains 3 figures.)

The goal of this article consists of describing the calibration of an instrument to assess quality of life-related personal outcomes using Rasch analysis. The sample was composed of 3.029 recipients of social services from Catalonia (Spain) and was selected using a probabilistic polietapic sample design. Results related to unidimensionality, item and person separation reliability, calibration, items' level of difficulty, response categories and differential item functioning by gender and type of collective are provided and point out the general fit of the data to the model. However, it is recommended to include more difficult items and eliminate one that seems not to be adequate.

To analyze the influence of different health status dimensions and quality of life (QoL) domains on older adults' subjective health, and to assess the role that residential satisfaction plays in these relationships. A QoL survey was conducted on a representative sample of the community-dwelling older adult population in Madrid province (Spain). Logistic regression models were applied to studying: the health status dimensions associated with satisfaction with health; the relationship between satisfaction with health and other QoL domains; and, the influence of these domains on satisfaction with life. Sociodemographic and residential characteristics were included in all the models. The determinants of satisfaction with health in the first model were: mobility, usual activities, morbidity, and satisfaction with neighborhood. QoL domains associated with health were: leisure activities, neighborhood, and finances. Satisfaction with life was explained by these three domains, along with age, family and health. In sum, leisure, neighborhood, and finances showed a positive effect on satisfaction with health and with life.

We appraised life satisfaction using the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), and analysed its psychometric properties in persons with intellectual disability (ID). Ninety-nine persons with ID from four services in Spain participated. A battery of subjective assessments was used, including the SWLS, a Quality of Life measure (WHOQOL-BREF), and health status and sociodemographic information. Psychometric properties of the SWLS were investigated using standard psychometric methods. Overall, our results showed that persons with ID were satisfied with their life (SWLS score 25-29). Internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) was 0.79. A factor analysis using principal components method, showed a one factor structure accounting for 55.7% of the variance. Associations, using Spearman's rho correlation coefficients, were confirmed between SWLS with the overall QoL, satisfaction with health and WHOQOL-BREF total score. Regarding "known group" differences, persons living in residential institutions had lower life satisfaction compared to persons living in community facilities or living at home, though differences were not statistically significant. Student t-tests showed that SWLS scores significantly discriminated between healthy and unhealthy; and those reporting higher satisfaction with their relationships, home environment and their jobs compared to participants with lower satisfaction levels. To our best knowledge, this study is the first to report on the psychometrics properties of the SWLS in persons with ID, both in Spain and internationally. It might be a promising tool to use, with other outcome measures, in appraising persons with ID in different services and types of care; also, it might guide policymakers on the implementation of policies for persons with ID. (Contains 5 tables.)

Background: The concept of family quality of life has emerged as a decisive construct in the last decades to improve the capabilities of families and to assess the outcomes of the services and supports they get. The goal of this research is to adapt three instruments to the Spanish population: the "Beach Center Family Quality of Life Scale", the "Beach Center Family-Professional Partnership Scale" and the "Service Inventory". These tools were originally designed by researchers from the Beach Center on Disability, University of Kansas, in order to obtain some input from the families of people with intellectual disability (ID) with regard to the attention they get from the early childhood intervention services. Method: The sample included a total of 202 families of children with ID, between 0 and 6 years old, all of them cared for at 13 early childhood intervention centres. Based on a confirmatory factorial analysis, we have explored the psychometric properties of the three scales administered to respondents. Statistical analyses were conducted with the spss software version 17.0 and the EQS software version 6.1 for Structural Equation Models. Results: The results confirm that the factor structure of the "Beach Center Family Quality of Life Scale", the "Beach Center Family-Professional Partnership Scale" and the "Service Inventory" adapted for the Spanish population fit the factor models proposed by the authors of the surveys. Consequently, the scales are ready to be used. Conclusions: The developed measures may serve as a foundation for good decision-making from practices and policies.

There is a growing literature on the assessment of quality of life conditions in geographically and/or politically divided regions. Sometimes these territories are countries within a specified supranational structure, such as the European Union, for instance, and sometimes they are regions within countries. There is also some research that focuses on the municipal level of analysis, measuring the quality of life in cities. In the end what the researcher obtains is, at best, an average of the living conditions in the specified territory. However, if results are intended to have policy implications, attention should be paid to the variance in living conditions within regions. In this paper we attempt to quantify the relative importance of three different geographic levels of analysis in assessing the quality of life of the Spanish population. The geo-political division in Spain consists firstly of regions called "Comunidades Autonomas," which are then divided into provinces which in turn are divided into municipalities. We are interested in evaluating the extent to which the quality of life conditions of an average person living in a given municipality are explained by the province and region in which the municipality is located. To do so, we first construct a composite indicator of quality of life (QoL) for the 643 largest municipalities of Spain using 19 variables which are weighted using Value Efficiency Analysis (VEA). VEA is a refinement of Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) that imposes some consistency on the weights of the indicators used to construct the aggregate index. The indicators cover aspects related to consumption, social services, housing, transport, environment, labour market, health, culture and leisure, education and security. We then make a variance decomposition of the VEA scores to assess the importance of the three levels of geo-political administration. The results show that the municipal level is the most important of these, accounting for 52%f the variance in QoL. Regions explain 38% while provinces only account for a moderate 10%. Therefore, political action at the regional and municipal level would seem to have a larger impact on QoL indicators.

There is considerable debate in the area of individual quality of life research regarding the factor structure of the QOL construct that is focused on the number and composition of QOL factors and domains, and its hierarchical nature. The main goal of this study involve testing by means of confirmatory factor analyses five models that have been pointed out by recent scientific literature: firstly, an unidimensional model; secondly, a QOL model that consisted of eight inter-correlated domains proposed by Schalock and Verdugo (2002); thirdly, a model composed of these eight 1st-order factors and one 2nd-order factor; the forth and five are model with the eight 1st-order factors and three 2nd-order factor that has been denominated in other studies "Salamanca model" and "Schalock model". Data were collected from 3.029 social service recipients from Catalonia (Spain) who completed the GENCAT Scale, an objective QOL questionnaire. The best fit of the eight inter-correlated and 1st order domains was empirically demonstrated. Implications for future research are also discussed.

Cross-national comparisons generally show large differences in life satisfaction of individuals within and between European countries. This paper addresses the question of whether and how job quality and working conditions contribute to the quality of life of employed populations in nine strategically selected EU countries: Finland, Sweden, the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, Portugal, Spain, Hungary, and Bulgaria. Using data from the European Quality of Life Survey 2003, we examine relationships between working conditions and satisfaction with life, as well as whether spillover or segmentation mechanisms better explain the link between work domain and overall life satisfaction. Results show that the level of life satisfaction varies significantly across countries, with higher quality of life in more affluent societies. However, the impact of working conditions on life satisfaction is stronger in Southern and Eastern European countries. Our study suggests that the issue of security, such as security of employment and pay which provides economic security, is the key element that in a straightforward manner affects people's quality of life. Other working conditions, such as autonomy at work, good career prospects and an interesting job seem to translate into high job satisfaction, which in turn increases life satisfaction indirectly. In general, bad-quality jobs tend to be more "effective" in worsening workers' perception of their life conditions than good jobs are in improving their quality of life. We discuss the differences in job-related determinants of life satisfaction between the countries and consider theoretical and practical implications of these findings.

The Spanish KIDSCREEN follow-up study reassessed the Spanish baseline sample (n = 840) of the European KIDSCREEN study 3 years later (2006). The aims of this paper were to describe the KIDSCREEN follow-up study and the pilot test, and to analyze participation rates and representativeness. Instruments included the KIDSCREEN-52 HRQoL measure and a set of scales including the possible explanatory variables. Focus groups and individual interviews were carried out in a pilot test. Participants were compared with non-participants at baseline, and also with Eurostat census data. Twenty-two out of 24 subjects were interviewed in the pilot test. Fifteen items needed to be modified after the pilot test. Participation rate reached 54% (n = 454). Participants (mean age = 12.71 years old) were on average 6 months younger than non-participants (p = 0.03), and from more educated families. KIDSCREEN follow-up instrumentation seems adequate for collecting factors with potential influence on HRQoL. Follow-up respondents' representativeness seems to be acceptable. (Contains 2 tables.)

Nowadays, there is a wide debate about what rural means. An operational definition of rural concept is essential in order to measure health problems, optimize resource allocation and facilitate decision making aimed at closing the gap on inequity between areas. In 2005, the rurality index for Small Areas in Spain (IRAP) was developed using the 1991 Census of Population data. Nevertheless, the concept and definition of rurality may evolve through time. In order to capture these changes, the variables used to make up the rurality index should be reviewed and updated periodically. Along these lines, and within the context of the rural-urban continuum, the aim of this paper is to replicate and update the IRAP using the data provided by the 2001 Census of Population, as well as to describe the changes in rurality observed in each municipality between 1991 and 2001. The index was updated on a Principal Components Factor Analysis, giving rise to a single factor that is correlated to the aging of the population, economic dependency, farming, livestock or fishing-related employment, self-employment, second dwelling ratio, population density, immigration and perception of noises and atmospheric pollution in the surroundings of the residential area. Most variables that made up the 1991 IRAP remain as important components of the 2001 index, indicating the robust nature of the measure. Only 10% of the Spanish municipalities have changed their rurality status between the two Censuses. The 2001 rurality index can be considered a good updated approach to the concept of rurality in Spain as well as an important criterion to social policies.