RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: Prior studies have underscored the importance of studying volunteering in the East Asian context. However, no study has conducted a holistic assessment of the relationship between volunteering and the multidimensional health and well-being outcomes of East Asian populations using a strong study design for causal inference. To address this gap, this study examined the associations between volunteer group participation and the subsequent health and well-being of Japanese older adults. METHODS: Three waves of data (2013, 2016, and 2019), obtained from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study-a nationwide cohort study of physically and cognitively independent older adults, aged ≥ 65 years, in Japan-were utilized. Exposure was evaluated as the frequency of volunteer group participation: ≥ 1/week, 1 - 3 times a month, a few times a year, and none (2016). As outcomes, 40 indicators of health and well-being were assessed across seven domains (2019): physical/cognitive health, health behaviors, mental health, subjective well-being, social well-being, pro-social/altruistic behaviors, and cognitive social capital. We included 47,318 respondents for four outcomes (death, dementia, and functional disability [any level and level 2 or greater]) and 34,187 respondents for the 36 other outcomes. RESULTS: More frequent volunteering (≥ 1/week) was associated with higher social well-being outcomes, more frequent pro-social/altruistic behaviors and outings, and fewer depressive symptoms, even after considering multiple testing. CONCLUSION: Throughout the three-year follow-ups, volunteer group participation was beneficial for depressive symptoms, social well-being, and other proximal outcomes.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: Offspring of parents with alcohol use disorder (AUD) are more susceptible to developing AUD, with an estimated heritability of around 50%. Vulnerability to AUD in first-degree relatives is influenced by biological factors, such as spontaneous brain activity, and high-risk psychosocial characteristics. However, existing resting-state EEG studies in AUD offspring have shown inconsistent findings regarding theta, alpha, and beta band frequencies. Additionally, research consistently demonstrates an increased risk of internalizing and externalizing disorders, self-regulation difficulties, and interpersonal issues among AUD offspring. METHODS: This study aimed to investigate the absolute power of theta, alpha, and beta frequencies in young adult offspring with a family history of AUD compared to individuals without family history. The psychosocial profiles of the offspring were also examined in relation to individuals without a family history of AUD. Furthermore, the study sought to explore the potential association between differences in frequency bands and psychosocial variables. Resting-state EEG recordings were obtained from 31 young adult healthy offspring of alcohol-dependent individuals and 43 participants with no family history of AUD (age range: 16-25 years). Participants also completed self-report questionnaires assessing anxiety and depressive symptoms, impulsivity, emotion regulation, and social involvement. RESULTS: The results revealed no significant differences in spontaneous brain activity between the offspring and participants without a family history of AUD. However, in terms of psychosocial factors, the offspring exhibited significantly lower social involvement than the control group. CONCLUSIONS: This study does not provide evidence suggesting vulnerability in offspring based on differences in spontaneous brain activity. Moreover, this investigation highlights the importance of interventions aimed at enhancing social connections in offspring. Such interventions can not only reduce the risk of developing AUD, given its strong association with increased feelings of loneliness but also improve the overall well-being of the offspring.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

Background and Objectives: People with developmental disabilities are exposed to discrimination and it affects their daily life satisfaction. The purpose of this study is to examine the parallel mediating effect of social involvement and self-esteem on the relationship between discrimination and the daily life satisfaction of people with developmental disabilities to improve their daily life satisfaction. Materials and Methods: This study used raw data of participants with intellectual disabilities and autism spectrum disorder from a national panel survey of employment for the disabled second-wave fifth survey. First, correlations among variables were identified to determine whether variables are in a relationship, and then PROCESS Macro was conducted to identify the relationship between discrimination and daily life satisfaction and the parallel mediating effect of social involvement and self-esteem. Results: Discrimination had a significant negative effect on daily life satisfaction and it was found that social involvement and self-esteem have a significant mediating effect that lowers the effect size of discrimination on daily life satisfaction. Specifically, it was found that self-esteem had a more mediating effect than social involvement. Conclusions: To increase the daily life satisfaction of people with developmental disabilities, the potential need to not only decrease discrimination but also increase their social involvement and self-esteem should be considered.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

Funding to doctoral students in the form of research and teaching assistantships help students become independent scholars and complete their programs. Insufficient funding, unforeseen financial obligations, and debt can discourage students from completing their programs in a timely fashion. However, supervisors may play an influential role in supporting doctoral student socialization and growth towards research autonomy. Girves and Wemmerus's (1988) doctoral student degree progress theoretical model claimed that financial assistance and students' perceptions of faculty support are key predictors of doctoral students' progress. They also proposed that students' satisfaction with their department, sense of isolation, and engagement in their programs may explain (or mediate) these associations. The aim of this study was to investigate how supervisor support and financial assistance influence doctoral students' satisfaction with their programs as well as their academic and social engagement. Using data from the Canadian Graduate and Professional Student Survey (n = 18,822 doctoral students), we evaluated a model of doctoral student productivity (i.e., publications and conference presentations) with teaching and research assistantships as key predictors and student satisfaction as mediators. We also examined how supervisor support and financial assistance relate to students' academic and social life. The results showed that teaching assistantships are negatively associated with general satisfaction and program satisfaction but positively associated with social involvement. Moreover, research assistantships were significantly and positively associated with social involvement and progress. Supervisor support was positively associated with doctoral students' general satisfaction, program satisfaction, and social involvement. The findings support Girves and Wemmerus's theory and highlight the importance of faculty support for doctoral student success. (258/300).

RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: The family doctor (FD) contracting system is a key reform in the development of the Chinese health system, and is considered an effective way to ensure equitable access to healthcare services. This study investigates the effects of social integration on FD contracting services among migrant populations. METHODS: In total, 120,106 respondents from the 2018 China Migrants Dynamic Survey were included in this study. Two multivariate regression models were used to estimate the effect of social integration and other factors on FD contracting services among migrant populations. RESULTS: This study found that only 14.0% of the migrant populations had a FD. Multiple dimensions of social integration and some covariates were shown to be positively associated with FD contracting services, including average monthly household income, local medical insurance (odds ratio [OR] = 1.34, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.29-1.39), employment status (OR = 0.86, 95% CI = 0.82-0.91), settlement intention (OR = 1.15, 95% CI = 1.09-1.22), received health education (OR = 4.88, 95% CI = 4.51-5.27), sex (OR = 1.16, 95% CI = 1.12-1.20), age (OR = 1.66, 95% CI = 1.51-1.82), marital status (OR = 1.38, 95% CI = 1.31-1.46), sickness within a year (OR = 0.84, 95% CI = 0.79-0.89), and flow range (OR = 1.12, 95% CI = 1.07-1.16). CONCLUSIONS: All dimensions of social integration, including economic integration, social identity, and social involvement, are associated with FD contracting services among migrant populations. Policymakers should focus on improving the signing rates of migrant populations and implement more effective measures to enhance their social integration, such as settlement incentives and encouraging social participation.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

Scholars have identified that openness to diversity is a vital student outcome for higher education. Interest in this outcome has only intensified in recent years because of increased attention to, and unrest related to, social injustices. Using longitudinal data from 3420 undergraduate members of historically white college men's social fraternities located at 134 higher education institutions in the United States, this study examined factors that influenced the development of openness to diversity and change (ODC) amongst fraternity members from the 2019-2020 to 2020-2021 academic years. Our findings revealed that individual and institutional-level political and social involvement, and individual and institutional-level conceptualizations of fraternal brotherhood (e.g., brotherhood based on belonging) were associated with ODC during the 2020-2021 academic year. Though historically white college men's fraternities have often perpetuated exclusionary environments both in historical and contemporary times, the study results suggest that political and social involvement and participation in fraternities that emphasize belonging and accountability may contribute to college men's ODC. We urge scholars and practitioners to have more nuanced understandings of fraternities, while simultaneously challenging fraternities to put their values into actions and to deconstruct the legacies of exclusion that exist within these organizations.

RESUMEN

This study explores how the services provided by different types of Chinese communities varied in their impact on the social involvement of residents during the COVID-19 pandemic. The literature revealed problems caused by travel restrictions, including using oversimplified measures for grassroots governance, which might result in decreased residents' social involvement during COVID-19. We argue that the services provided by "smart communities" in China not only adhered to the COVID-19 pandemic governance, but also promoted the social involvement of residents. Using a case study approach of the smart community Fang Xing and the traditional community Qili Tang, both of which are located in China, this article compared the traditional and smart community services based on 122 interviews with residents and frontline community staff members. The findings suggest that while the traditional community decreased the residents' social involvement by restricting certain services during the pandemic, the smart community was able to apply COVID-19 governance measures, considerably increasing the residents' social involvement. It offered an attractive option for residents to act as community service managers, and it prepared them for local-level pandemic governance. This study provides an understanding of the relationship between the community services and the residents' social involvement in terms of the community services. The smart community model can act as a reference for international community development during pandemic governance.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

This paper investigates how firms' social sustainability practices can influence their social performance and, ultimately, financial performance. We include two corporate social sustainability practices: employee-oriented (employee well-being and equity) and socially driven (corporate social involvement) practices. Three leading social theories (social identity theory, social exchange theory, and resource-based view) are applied in explaining how firms' social practices influence intermediate and bottom-line performance outcomes. Empirical results of 212 US manufacturing firms reveal that (1) the social orientation of the firm promotes firms' social performances (employee-oriented and community-oriented outcomes) directly; (2) social orientation also indirectly promotes employee-oriented outcomes via employee well-being and equity practices, and so does community-oriented outcome via corporate social involvement practices; and (3) the firms' social performances can enhance financial performance. The theoretical and managerial implications derived from these empirical results are discussed as well.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

As adolescence is a time characterized by rapid changes in social relationships as well as an increase in risk-taking behaviors, this prospective longitudinal study examined whether social involvement and social alienation are associated with changes in alcohol use from adolescence into young adulthood moderated by organizational and personal religiousness. Participants were 167 adolescents (53% male) assessed five times between ages 14 and 18 years old. Latent change score modeling analyses indicated that social alienation was positively associated with greater increases in alcohol use among those with low organizational religiousness and those with low personal religiousness in early adolescence and during the transition into young adulthood. The findings demonstrate the detrimental effects of social relationship risk factors that promote alcohol use during adolescence into young adulthood. The results further highlight the protective roles of organizational and personal religiousness acting as additional sources of social engagement experiences to modulate the effects of social alienation predicting alcohol use progression and provide evidence for the positive impact religiousness has on healthy adolescent development.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: considering the importance of social participation for quality of life and active ageing in older adults, it is an important target of social and health professionals' interventions. A previous review of definitions of social participation in older adults included articles up to 2009; new publications and changes in the social context (e.g. social media and the COVID-19 pandemic) justify continuing this work. OBJECTIVE: this paper provides an updated inventory and synthesis of definitions of social participation in older adults. Based on a critical review by content experts and knowledge users, a consensual definition is proposed. METHODS: using a scoping study framework, four databases (MEDLINE, CINAHL, AgeLine, PsycInfo) were searched with relevant keywords. Fifty-four new definitions were identified. Using content analysis, definitions were deconstructed as a function of who, how, what, where, with whom, when, and why dimensions. RESULTS: social participation definitions mostly focused on people's involvement in activities providing interactions with others in society or the community. According to this new synthesis and input from content experts and knowledge users, social participation can be defined as a person's involvement in activities providing interactions with others in community life and in important shared spaces, evolving according to available time and resources, and based on the societal context and what individuals want and is meaningful to them. CONCLUSION: a single definition may facilitate the study of active ageing and the contribution of older adults to society, socioeconomic and personal development, benefits for older adults and society, self-actualisation and goal attainment.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

Biological control is considered as a promising alternative to pesticide and plant resistance to manage plant diseases, but a better understanding of the interaction of its natural and societal functions is necessary for its endorsement. The introduction of biological control agents (BCAs) alters the interaction among plants, pathogens, and environments, leading to biological and physical cascades that influence pathogen fitness, plant health, and ecological function. These interrelationships generate a landscape of tradeoffs among natural and social functions of biological control, and a comprehensive evaluation of its benefits and costs across social and farmer perspectives is required to ensure the sustainable development and deployment of the approach. Consequently, there should be a shift of disease control philosophy from a single concept that only concerns crop productivity to a multifaceted concept concerning crop productivity, ecological function, social acceptability, and economical accessibility. To achieve these goals, attempts should make to develop "green" BCAs used dynamically and synthetically with other disease control approaches in an integrated disease management scheme, and evolutionary biologists should play an increasing role in formulating the strategies. Governments and the public should also play a role in the development and implementation of biological control strategies supporting positive externality.

RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: The study explores whether households' socio-economic status and social involvement can moderate the association between stress and subjective well-being among parents of offspring with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). METHOD: The random national sample comprised 301 parents caring for offspring with IDD. Measurements consist of a household income survey, a questionnaire on resources and stress, a social involvement questionnaire and a personal well-being index. Using PROCESS software, a regression-based path analysis has been used to test the moderating effect of social involvement and socio-economic status on the association between stress and subjective well-being. RESULTS: Social involvement moderated the association between parental stress and subjective well-being. At high levels of parental stress only, parents with increased social involvement reported better subjective well-being. Significant interaction was observed between stress and socio-economic status. CONCLUSIONS: Among parents raising offspring with IDD, social involvement may enhance the relationship between parental stress and subjective well-being. At lower stress levels, better socio-economic status is associated with increased subjective well-being.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: Serious games are promising for stroke rehabilitation, with studies showing a positive impact on reducing motor and cognitive deficits. However, most of the evidence is in the context of single-user rehabilitation, and little is known concerning the impact in multi-user settings. This study evaluates the impact that different game modes can have on engagement and social involvement during a two-user game. Specifically, we want to understand the benefits of game modalities based on competition, co-activation, and collaboration and analyze the influence of different motor and cognitive deficits and personality traits. METHODS: We developed a two-player setup-using tangible objects and a large screen interactive table-for upper limb rehabilitation purposes. We implemented a game that, while keeping the same basic mechanics, can be played in the three different modes (Competitive, Co-active, and Collaborative). We ran a within-person randomized study with 21 stroke survivors that were paired and played the game in its three versions. We used the Game Experience Questionnaire-Core Module to assess engagement and the Social Presence Module to assess Social Involvement. For personality, motor, and cognitive function, users answered the International Personality Item Pool (short version), Fugl-Meyer Assessment-Upper Extremity, Modified Ashworth Scale, and Montreal Cognitive Assessment, respectively. RESULTS: The Collaborative mode promoted significantly more Behavioral Involvement. The Competitive mode promoted more Flow and Challenge than the Co-active mode with participants with better cognitive performance, with low extraversion, or with higher motor skills. Participants with higher cognitive deficits reported more Competence with the Co-active mode. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that, for multi-user motor rehabilitation settings, the collaborative mode is the more appropriate gaming approach to promote social involvement, showing a high potential for increasing adherence and effectiveness of therapy. Additionally, we show that a player's motor and cognitive ability and personality should be considered when designing personalized tasks for multiplayer settings.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: Serious games have been increasingly used for motor rehabilitation. However, it is not well known how different game features can be used to impact specific skills properly. Here, we study how the mode (competitive, co-active, collaborative) in which a multi-user game is presented impacts engagement and social involvement. METHODS: We collected data from 20 pairs of community-dwelling older adults (71.5 ± 8.7 years) in a study following a within-persons design. The participants performed a two-player upper limb rehabilitation game with three conditions (Competitive, Co-active, and Collaborative modes). Engagement and social involvement were assessed through the Core Module and Social Presence Module, respectively, from the Game Experience Questionnaire. To infer the impact of personality and cognitive function, users answered the International Personality Item Pool (short version) and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, respectively. RESULTS: Results show that the Collaborative game mode promotes more social involvement when compared to Competitive and Co-active modes. This result is mostly explained by those participants with higher cognitive skills, and those that are more extrovert. Extrovert participants feel more empathy and are behaviorally more involved when playing the Collaborative mode. Also, the Collaborative mode is shown to be appropriate to promote interaction with participants that previously had a distant relationship, while the Competitive mode seems to be more beneficial to promote empathy between players with a closer relationship. CONCLUSIONS: The Collaborative game mode elicited significantly higher social involvement in terms of Empathy, Positive Affect, and Behavioral Involvement. Hence, this game mode seems to be the most adequate choice to be used in multiplayer rehabilitation settings, where social interaction is intended.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

The paper describes the terminology of risk assessment in the view of food safety: different aspects of social involvement are defined and discussed; the terms Document, Expert, Risk manager, Lay Knowledge, Participant, Participation, Citizens' involvement, Community of interest, Consultation, Trust and Social trust are presented. Also, the terms Adverse effects, Human Illness Source Attribution, Food hygiene, Emerging disease, Safety, Food security and Food safety are discussed.

RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: To address the challenges of the global aging population, the World Health Organization promoted age-friendly communities as a way to foster the development of active aging community initiatives. Accordingly, key components (i.e., policies, services and structures related to the communities' physical and social environments) should be designed to be age-friendly and help all aging adults to live safely, enjoy good health and stay involved in their communities. Although age-friendly communities are believed to be a promising way to help aging Canadians lead healthy and active lives, little is known about which key components best foster positive health, social participation and health equity, and their underlying mechanisms. This study aims to better understand which and how key components of age-friendly communities best foster positive health, social participation and health equity in aging Canadians. Specifically, the research objectives are to: 1) Describe and compare age-friendly key components of communities across Canada 2) Identify key components best associated with positive health, social participation and health equity of aging adults 3) Explore how these key components foster positive health, social participation and health equity METHODS: A mixed-method sequential explanatory design will be used. The quantitative part will involve a survey of Canadian communities and secondary analysis of cross-sectional data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA). The survey will include an age-friendly questionnaire targeting key components in seven domains: physical environment, housing options, social environment, opportunities for participation, community supports and healthcare services, transportation options, communication and information. The CLSA is a large, national prospective study representative of the Canadian aging population designed to examine health transitions and trajectories of adults as they age. In the qualitative part, a multiple case study will be conducted in five Canadian communities performing best on positive health, social participation and health equity. DISCUSSION: Building on new and existing collaborations and generating evidence from real-world interventions, the results of this project will help communities to promote age-friendly policies, services and structures which foster positive health, social participation and health equity at a population level.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

Resumo O artigo analisa a abordagem da participação de crianças e adolescentes no campo dos estudos sobre deficiência (Disability Studies). Metodologicamente, conjuga uma revisão bibliográfica a uma análise de conteúdo temática com intuito de analisar quais dimensões da participação são exploradas na literatura. Como resultados, destacam-se quatro temáticas: Esporte, Qualidade de vida/Bem estar, Mensuração da participação e Escola. Conclui-se que há um foco na participação como execução de atividades em um contexto sendo escassas as discussões mais ampliadas sobre o domínio contemplando-o como um valor humano, relacionado à sociabilidade e bases de apoio, gerenciamento de autonomia e níveis de dependência.

Abstract This article analyzes the approach to children and adolescent participation in disability studies. Methodologically, it combines a literature review and a theme-based content analysis to look at which dimensions of participation are explored in the literature. As the result of this study we highlight four areas: Sports, Quality of Life/Well-Being, School and Participation Metrics. We find that the focus is on participation as performing activities within a given context, with very few broader discussions about the domain as a human value related to socialization and the development of a support network, the management of independence and levels of dependence.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

Anchored in the social organization theory of action and change, we use data from a large sample of active-duty Air Force members to examine the direct and indirect influence of social involvement and social responsibility on willingness to seek help in times of need via trust in formal systems and informal supports. Group comparisons are conducted between junior male, junior female, senior male, and senior female service members. The key mediational path in the model for all groups is the connection between social involvement and willingness to seek help via trust in formal systems. These results can inform both unit- and community-level interventions intended to increase the likelihood that active-duty AF members will seek help in times of need.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

RATIONALE: The social, emotional, and mental health benefits associated with gardening have been well documented. However, the processes underlying the relationship between garden participation and improvements in health status have not been sufficiently studied. METHODS: Using population-based survey data (n = 469 urban residents), objective street environment data, and area-level measures, this research used a path analytic framework to examine several theoretically based constructs as mediators between gardening history and self-reported health. RESULTS: The results showed that garden participation influenced health status indirectly through social involvement with one's community, perceived aesthetic appeal of the neighborhood, and perceived collective efficacy. Gardeners, compared to non-gardeners, reported higher ratings of neighborhood aesthetics and more involvement in social activities, whereas aesthetics and involvement were associated with higher ratings of collective efficacy and neighborhood attachment. Collective efficacy, but not neighborhood attachment, predicted self-rated health. Gardening also directly influenced improved fruit and vegetable intake. The physical and social qualities of garden participation may therefore stimulate a range of interpersonal and social responses that are supportive of positive ratings of health. CONCLUSION: This research suggests that community planners and health professionals should aim to strengthen the social and aesthetic relationships while designing environments and policies as a way to ignite intermediate processes that may lead to improved health status.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

A retrospective, cross-sectional study was conducted to describe the occurrence of daytime sleep (DS) and to examine factors associated with DS in nursing home residents. We used the Minimum Data Set 2.0 records of 300 residents in a nursing home from January 2005 to March 2010. Descriptive statistics, independent t-test, chi-square, Pearson correlations, and logistic regression were utilized in analysis. About 71.3% of the residents slept more than 2 hours during the day, and this was significantly associated with residents' comorbidity (t = 2.0, p = .04), cognitive performance (t = 7.3, p = .01), activities of daily living (t = 3.7, p = .01), and social involvement (t = -7.6, p = .01). Cognitive performance and social involvement significantly predicted the occurrence of DS with social involvement being the strongest predictor (odds ratio: .58; 95% confidence interval: [.45, .75]). The findings suggest that interventions to engage nursing home residents in more social activities during the day may be beneficial to minimize their DS, especially for those who have difficulties with engaging socially on their own.

Asunto(s)