Employee Use of Social Media for Private Affairs during Working Hours

Many organizations have open access to social media (SM), granting employee access at work. The purpose of the study was to find out whether the respondents used SM for private reasons at work, how much time they devoted to such use, and what was the attitude of managers and the employees themselves toward such use. The study was undertaken during 2013-2014 using a questionnaire survey. Open-ended interviews added a third dimension. The main findings were that employees used a considerable part of their working hours for personal SM use. The majority felt that managers objected to such use but an even larger majority believed that such use by their own was unacceptable

The Utilization of Personal Data on Facebook by Surveillance Authorities

Markmið rannsóknarinnar var að kanna hvernig upplýsingar, sem aflað var á Facebook, væru nýttar við opinbert eftirlit með einstaklingum hér á landi. Tilgangur rannsóknar var meðal annars að varpa ljósi á formlega og óformlega notkun slíkra upplýsinga og greina umfang hennar. Við rannsóknina voru tekin hálfstöðluð viðtöl við sérfræðinga sem störfuðu hjá tilteknum úrskurðar- eða eftirlitsstofnunum. Þá átti sér stað greining á stjórnvaldsúrskurðum til þess að kanna hvernig stofnanir byggðu ákvarðanir á upplýsingum sem aflað var á Facebook. Niðurstöður rannsóknarinnar sýndu að upplýsingar á Facebook hafa verið nýttar við opinbert eftirlit hér á landi. Slíkar upplýsingar hafa verið formleg ákvörðunarástæða í einhverjum tilvikum. Þá kom í ljós að stofnanir, sem tóku þátt í rannsókninni, höfðu einnig nýtt upplýsingar með óformlegum hætti meðal annars til þess að fá betri tilfinningu fyrir tilteknum málum, bera kennsl á einstaklinga, afla upplýsinga um ferðir þeirra, eða til þess að hafa uppi á fólki.The aim of this research was to explore how information on Facebook was being used by surveillance authorities in Iceland. The objective was to explore both formal and informal use of such information. Semi structured interviews were conducted with specialists who were employed at surveillance authorities in Iceland. In addition the research contains legal analysis on administrative decisions to explore the formal use of such information. Findings showed that information on Facebook has been utilized in surveillance. Governmental authorities have based formal decisions on such information. This type of information has also been regularly used in more informal ways such as to get a better feeling for a particular case. Other authorities reported to have used Facebook to identify individuals, gather information on their whereabouts or location.Peer ReviewedRitrýnt tímari

The Implementation and Use of ERMS - A Study in Icelandic Organizations

Tutkimus koskee sähköisen arkistoinnin käyttöönottoa ja käyttöä kahdeksassa organisaatiossa Islannissa. Neljän organisaation sähköisen arkistoinnin käyttöönottoa tutkittiin tarkasti ja niiden 34 työntekijää haastateltiin. Näissä organisaatioissa tehtiin myös seitsemän osallistuvaa havainnointia. Neljän organisaation avainasemassa olevien työntekijöiden haastattelu tuki lopputulosta. Samoin haastateltiin kuuden eri tietokoneohjelmiston myyntiyrityksen kuutta konsulttia/ tietokoneopettajaa, joten haastateltavien kokonaismäärä oli 44. Lisäksi tehtiin yksi osallistuva havainnointi yhdessä tietokoneohjelmiston myyntiyrityksessä. Nämä kahdeksan organisaatiota toimivat elinkeinoelämän eri aloilla, sekä julkisella että yksityisellä sektorilla. Ne olivat ottaneet käyttöön neljä erilaista sähköistä arkistointijärjestelmää siten, että yksi järjestelmänsä oli kahta organisaatiota kohti. Organisaatiot olivat tyypillisiä islantilaisia suuria ja keskisuuria yrityksiä ja laitoksia. Niiden sähköisen arkistoinnin käyttöönoton lopputulokset vaihtelivat eri organisaatioissa, eivätkä tulokset olleet tiedossa ennen tätä tutkimusta. Sähköinen arkistointi on suunniteltu hallitsemaan asiakirjoja koko niiden käyttöiän ajan. Järjestelmät täyttivät arkistoinnin kaikki tärkeimmät vaatimukset. Ne olivat kaikki osa ryhmätyöjärjestelmää sekä järjestelmiä, jotka olivat laajimmin levinneet kyseisenlaisista järjestelmistä Islannissa. Tutkimuksen päämääränä oli selvittää, miksi organisaatiot olivat investoineet sähköisiin tietojärjestelmiin, kuinka ne oli otettu käyttöön sekä käyttivätkö työntekijät sähköistä arkistointia ja kuinka he sen tekivät. Tutkimuksen tarkoituksena oli myös näyttää sähköisen arkistoinnin käyttöönottomenetelmän ja käytön välinen yhteys. Tutkimustulokset osoittivat käyttöönoton tärkeimpien syöte- ja tulostietojen välillä olevan vahvan riippuvuuden. Kolmella käyttöönoton osatekijällä vaikutti olevan suurin vaikutus hyvin onnistuneeseen käyttöönottoon. Ne olivat ensinnäkin ylimmän johdon hankkeelle antama tuki, toiseksi tietokoneosaston työntekijöiden ja arkistonhoitajan välinen yhteistyö järjestelmän kehittämisessä ja sopeuttamisessa sekä järjestelmien opettamisessa, ja kolmanneksi käyttäjien harjaannuttaminen, mihin tarvittiin sekä hyvää opetusta tiedon- ja arkistonhallinnassa yleensä ja lisäksi laaja-alaista harjaannusta itse järjestelmän käyttöön ja sen tarjoamiin eri mahdollisuuksiin. Tutkimus osoitti myös olevan tärkeää, että käyttäjät osallistuvat käyttöönottoprosessiin, etenkin koskien arkiston luokitusjärjestelmän sovittamista sähköisen arkistoinnin järjestelmään. Tutkimuksessa kävi ilmi myös, kuinka työntekijät käyttivät sähköistä arkistointia, kuinka he luetteloivat asiakirjoja sähköisen arkistoon ja mitä hakutapoja he käyttivät asiakirjojen löytämiseksi. Kyseisiä työtapoja tarkasteltiin sekä yrityksen sisäisten että ulkoisten asiakirjojen suhteen. Sähköposti oli se asiakirjamuoto, joka aiheutti arkistoinnin suurimmat ongelmat. Sitä ei useinkaan tallennettu sähköiseen arkistoon eikä tulostettu ja tallennettu paperikopiona. Harjoittelulla oli suurin vaikutus työntekijöiden sähköisen arkistoinnin käyttöön, mutta heidän osallistumisensa asiakirjojen luokittelun sopeuttamiseen sähköiseen arkistointiin vaikutti heidän taitoonsa arkistoida asiakirjat järjestelmään ja hakea ne myöhemmin. Osallistuminen sopeuttamiseen vaikutti myös siihen, kuinka käyttäjäystävällisenä työntekijät järjestelmää pitivät. Työntekijät eivät vastustaneet valmiiden asiakirjojrn jakamista työtovereittensa kesken, mikä viittaa siihen, että sähköinen arkistointi saattaa olla tuloksekas ratkaisu arkistointiin ja se saattaa tukea tehokasta ryhmätyötä, mikäli se otetaan käyttöön tyydyttävällä tavalla. Tutkimuksen tuloksilla on käytännön merkitystä niille Islannin yritysten johtajille, jotka haluavat ottaa työpaikoille käyttöön sähköisen arkistoinnin ensi kertaa tai uudelleen. Tutkimuksen tieteellinen panos on, että tutkimus valaisee lopputukseen vaikuttavia tärkeimpiä käyttöönoton syöttötietoja. Näillä tuloksilla saattaa siksi olla merkitystä myös keskisuurille organisaatioille Länsi-Euroopassa, Pohjois-Amerikassa ja Australiassa, missä yrityskulttuuri ei ole kovinkaan erilainen, työn, yhteistyön, kilpailun ja johtamistapojen kannalta katsoen.This research studied the implementation and use of ERMS in eight organizations in Iceland. Four organizations, where 34 employees were interviewed, were studied in detail. Seven participant observations were also conducted in these organizations. Four other organizations, where four key employees were interviewed, corroborated the findings. Six consultants/teachers at six different software providers were also interviewed, making the total number of interviewees 44. One participant observation was conducted as well at one of the software providers. These eight organizations operated in different fields of industry. They had implemented four different ERMS with two using each system. The organizations were both public and private. They are representative of medium to large size organizations in Iceland and had experienced varying success rates in the implementation, although detailed results were not known before this study. ERMS are systems to manage records during their lifetime. The systems studied met all RM requirements. They were all part of a groupware and were those that had gained the widest distribution on the Icelandic market. The aim of the research was to discover why and how ERMS were being implemented and to find out whether and how employees were actually using ERMS. The study aimed at examining the association between the implementation and the use of ERMS. The focus was to discover which implementation factors influenced a successful outcome and the actual use as well as the perceived objectives of the implementation. The study discovered that there was a strong correlation between the most important input factors and the outcomes that they influence. There were mainly three implementation factors that appeared to be most important for the success of the implementation. These were support by top management, co-operation between the IT and RM functions in the system development and in the training, and the training of the users who should receive both basic training in RM and comprehensive training in using the system. The study also revealed the importance of having users participate in the implementation process, particularly in fitting the records classification scheme (FCS) to the ERMS. The study revealed how employees used ERMS, how they registered records into the system and which search parameters they used. These work procedures were identified both for records created in-house and those received. E-mail was the form of the records that was a problem in RM, frequently neither captured into ERMS nor filed as paper records. Training was most influential in determining the level of use by employees, but their participation in adapting the FCS to the ERMS influenced their skills in registering and searching for records in ERMS and how user-friendly they found the system to be. Employees did not object to sharing their completed work with their co-workers, indicating that ERMS could be effective systems for quality RM and productive group work, if successfully implemented. These findings are of value to the management of organizations in Iceland that want to introduce or reintroduce ERMS. The theoretical contribution of the study is the uncovering of the input factors of implementation that influence the outcome factors. These findings can, therefore, be of value to middle-sized organizations in Western Europe, North America and Australia as the organizational culture regarding work, co-operation and competition and style of management is not that different in these other parts of the world

Handling of confidential Information at law enforcement agencies

Grein þessi byggir á niðurstöðum rannsóknar sem gerð var á meðferð trúnað- arupplýsinga meðal löggæslustofnana og löggæslutengdra stofnana. Markmiðið var að skoða hvernig meðhöndlun slíkra upplýsinga væri háttað hjá stofnununum. Þá var tilgangurinn að varpa ljósi á skyldur og kvaðir varðandi meðferð trúnaðarupplýsinga og hvernig tókst að framfylgja þeim svo og að kanna þekkingu starfsfólks á viðeigandi lagaumhverfi. Meðferð trúnaðarupplýsinga hefur ekki áður verið rannsökuð á heildstæðan hátt hérlendis með hliðsjón af starfsemi og hlutverki umræddra stofnana. Rannsóknin byggði á eigindlegri aðferðafræði, nánar tiltekið viðtalsaðferð. Helstu niðurstöður sýndu að viðmælendur höfðu lagalegar kvaðir um trúnað og þagnarskyldu í heiðri varðandi meðhöndlun upplýsinga. Þeir vísuðu til trúnað- aryfirlýsinga og stöðu ríkisstarfsmanna og ábyrgðar þeirra í tengslum við lögbundna þagmælsku. Skiptar skoðanir voru um það hvort gildandi lög og reglur um meðferð trúnaðarupplýsinga nægðu eða þörfnuðust breytinga. Þá höfðu hefðir og venjur mótað vissar starfsaðferðir við ýmis hversdagsleg störf fremur en að um þær giltu fyrirfram skilgreindar reglur.This article is based on the findings of a research into the procedures regarding the handling of classified and confidential information at law enforcement agencies and related institutions. The aim was to examine how this information was being dealt with at these institutions. A secondary aim was to shed light on the duties and requirements regarding how confidential information should be handled and how the information were being enforced, in addition to examining the knowledge that the employees possessed regarding the legal environment. Procedures regarding the processing of confidential information have not been studied before in a comprehensive manner from the perspective of having the operation and purpose of these institutions in mind. The research was based on a qualitative methodology, interviews to be exact. The main findings showed that the respondents honoured the legal requirements regarding confidentiality when they handled such information. They referred to declarations of confidentiality, obligations of State employees, and their responsibilities in connection with the legal requirements regarding discretion. There was a difference of opinion whether current laws and regulations regarding the handling of confidential information were sufficient or should be changed. Traditions and customs had furthermore created certain work procedures in the daily work, and proved more valid than predefined rules.Peer Reviewe

National trends in total cholesterol obscure heterogeneous changes in HDL and non-HDL cholesterol and total-to-HDL cholesterol ratio : a pooled analysis of 458 population-based studies in Asian and Western countries

Background: Although high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and non-HDL cholesterol have opposite associations with coronary heart disease, multi-country reports of lipid trends only use total cholesterol (TC). Our aim was to compare trends in total, HDL and nonHDL cholesterol and the total-to-HDL cholesterol ratio in Asian and Western countries. Methods: We pooled 458 population-based studies with 82.1 million participants in 23 Asian and Western countries. We estimated changes in mean total, HDL and non-HDL cholesterol and mean total-to-HDL cholesterol ratio by country, sex and age group. Results: Since similar to 1980, mean TC increased in Asian countries. In Japan and South Korea, the TC rise was due to rising HDL cholesterol, which increased by up to 0.17 mmol/L per decade in Japanese women; in China, it was due to rising non-HDL cholesterol. TC declined in Western countries, except in Polish men. The decline was largest in Finland and Norway, at similar to 0.4 mmol/L per decade. The decline in TC in most Western countries was the net effect of an increase in HDL cholesterol and a decline in non-HDL cholesterol, with the HDL cholesterol increase largest in New Zealand and Switzerland. Mean total-to-HDL cholesterol ratio declined in Japan, South Korea and most Western countries, by as much as similar to 0.7 per decade in Swiss men (equivalent to similar to 26% decline in coronary heart disease risk per decade). The ratio increased in China. Conclusions: HDL cholesterol has risen and the total-to-HDL cholesterol ratio has declined in many Western countries, Japan and South Korea, with only a weak correlation with changes in TC or non-HDL cholesterol.Peer reviewe

Repositioning of the global epicentre of non-optimal cholesterol

High blood cholesterol is typically considered a feature of wealthy western countries(1,2). However, dietary and behavioural determinants of blood cholesterol are changing rapidly throughout the world(3) and countries are using lipid-lowering medications at varying rates. These changes can have distinct effects on the levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and non-HDL cholesterol, which have different effects on human health(4,5). However, the trends of HDL and non-HDL cholesterol levels over time have not been previously reported in a global analysis. Here we pooled 1,127 population-based studies that measured blood lipids in 102.6 million individuals aged 18 years and older to estimate trends from 1980 to 2018 in mean total, non-HDL and HDL cholesterol levels for 200 countries. Globally, there was little change in total or non-HDL cholesterol from 1980 to 2018. This was a net effect of increases in low- and middle-income countries, especially in east and southeast Asia, and decreases in high-income western countries, especially those in northwestern Europe, and in central and eastern Europe. As a result, countries with the highest level of non-HDL cholesterol-which is a marker of cardiovascular riskchanged from those in western Europe such as Belgium, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and Malta in 1980 to those in Asia and the Pacific, such as Tokelau, Malaysia, The Philippines and Thailand. In 2017, high non-HDL cholesterol was responsible for an estimated 3.9 million (95% credible interval 3.7 million-4.2 million) worldwide deaths, half of which occurred in east, southeast and south Asia. The global repositioning of lipid-related risk, with non-optimal cholesterol shifting from a distinct feature of high-income countries in northwestern Europe, north America and Australasia to one that affects countries in east and southeast Asia and Oceania should motivate the use of population-based policies and personal interventions to improve nutrition and enhance access to treatment throughout the world.Peer reviewe

Worldwide trends in underweight and obesity from 1990 to 2022: a pooled analysis of 3663 population-representative studies with 222 million children, adolescents, and adults

Background Underweight and obesity are associated with adverse health outcomes throughout the life course. We estimated the individual and combined prevalence of underweight or thinness and obesity, and their changes, from 1990 to 2022 for adults and school-aged children and adolescents in 200 countries and territories. Methods We used data from 3663 population-based studies with 222 million participants that measured height and weight in representative samples of the general population. We used a Bayesian hierarchical model to estimate trends in the prevalence of different BMI categories, separately for adults (age ≥20 years) and school-aged children and adolescents (age 5–19 years), from 1990 to 2022 for 200 countries and territories. For adults, we report the individual and combined prevalence of underweight (BMI <18·5 kg/m2) and obesity (BMI ≥30 kg/m2). For schoolaged children and adolescents, we report thinness (BMI <2 SD below the median of the WHO growth reference) and obesity (BMI >2 SD above the median). Findings From 1990 to 2022, the combined prevalence of underweight and obesity in adults decreased in 11 countries (6%) for women and 17 (9%) for men with a posterior probability of at least 0·80 that the observed changes were true decreases. The combined prevalence increased in 162 countries (81%) for women and 140 countries (70%) for men with a posterior probability of at least 0·80. In 2022, the combined prevalence of underweight and obesity was highest in island nations in the Caribbean and Polynesia and Micronesia, and countries in the Middle East and north Africa. Obesity prevalence was higher than underweight with posterior probability of at least 0·80 in 177 countries (89%) for women and 145 (73%) for men in 2022, whereas the converse was true in 16 countries (8%) for women, and 39 (20%) for men. From 1990 to 2022, the combined prevalence of thinness and obesity decreased among girls in five countries (3%) and among boys in 15 countries (8%) with a posterior probability of at least 0·80, and increased among girls in 140 countries (70%) and boys in 137 countries (69%) with a posterior probability of at least 0·80. The countries with highest combined prevalence of thinness and obesity in school-aged children and adolescents in 2022 were in Polynesia and Micronesia and the Caribbean for both sexes, and Chile and Qatar for boys. Combined prevalence was also high in some countries in south Asia, such as India and Pakistan, where thinness remained prevalent despite having declined. In 2022, obesity in school-aged children and adolescents was more prevalent than thinness with a posterior probability of at least 0·80 among girls in 133 countries (67%) and boys in 125 countries (63%), whereas the converse was true in 35 countries (18%) and 42 countries (21%), respectively. In almost all countries for both adults and school-aged children and adolescents, the increases in double burden were driven by increases in obesity, and decreases in double burden by declining underweight or thinness. Interpretation The combined burden of underweight and obesity has increased in most countries, driven by an increase in obesity, while underweight and thinness remain prevalent in south Asia and parts of Africa. A healthy nutrition transition that enhances access to nutritious foods is needed to address the remaining burden of underweight while curbing and reversing the increase in obesit

Contributions of mean and shape of blood pressure distribution to worldwide trends and variations in raised blood pressure: a pooled analysis of 1018 population-based measurement studies with 88.6 million participants

Background Change in the prevalence of raised blood pressure could be due to both shifts in the entire distribution of blood pressure (representing the combined effects of public health interventions and secular trends) and changes in its high-blood-pressure tail (representing successful clinical interventions to control blood pressure in the hypertensive population). Our aim was to quantify the contributions of these two phenomena to the worldwide trends in the prevalence of raised blood pressure. Methods We pooled 1018 population-based studies with blood pressure measurements on 88.6 million participants from 1985 to 2016. We first calculated mean systolic blood pressure (SBP), mean diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and prevalence of raised blood pressure by sex and 10-year age group from 20–29?years to 70–79?years in each study, taking into account complex survey design and survey sample weights, where relevant. We used a linear mixed effect model to quantify the association between (probit-transformed) prevalence of raised blood pressure and age-group- and sex-specific mean blood pressure. We calculated the contributions of change in mean SBP and DBP, and of change in the prevalence-mean association, to the change in prevalence of raised blood pressure. Results In 2005–16, at the same level of population mean SBP and DBP, men and women in South Asia and in Central Asia, the Middle East and North Africa would have the highest prevalence of raised blood pressure, and men and women in the high-income Asia Pacific and high-income Western regions would have the lowest. In most region-sex-age groups where the prevalence of raised blood pressure declined, one half or more of the decline was due to the decline in mean blood pressure. Where prevalence of raised blood pressure has increased, the change was entirely driven by increasing mean blood pressure, offset partly by the change in the prevalence-mean association. Conclusions Change in mean blood pressure is the main driver of the worldwide change in the prevalence of raised blood pressure, but change in the high-blood-pressure tail of the distribution has also contributed to the change in prevalence, especially in older age groups

Worldwide trends in hypertension prevalence and progress in treatment and control from 1990 to 2019: a pooled analysis of 1201 population-representative studies with 104 million participants.

BACKGROUND: Hypertension can be detected at the primary health-care level and low-cost treatments can effectively control hypertension. We aimed to measure the prevalence of hypertension and progress in its detection, treatment, and control from 1990 to 2019 for 200 countries and territories. METHODS: We used data from 1990 to 2019 on people aged 30-79 years from population-representative studies with measurement of blood pressure and data on blood pressure treatment. We defined hypertension as having systolic blood pressure 140 mm Hg or greater, diastolic blood pressure 90 mm Hg or greater, or taking medication for hypertension. We applied a Bayesian hierarchical model to estimate the prevalence of hypertension and the proportion of people with hypertension who had a previous diagnosis (detection), who were taking medication for hypertension (treatment), and whose hypertension was controlled to below 140/90 mm Hg (control). The model allowed for trends over time to be non-linear and to vary by age. FINDINGS: The number of people aged 30-79 years with hypertension doubled from 1990 to 2019, from 331 (95% credible interval 306-359) million women and 317 (292-344) million men in 1990 to 626 (584-668) million women and 652 (604-698) million men in 2019, despite stable global age-standardised prevalence. In 2019, age-standardised hypertension prevalence was lowest in Canada and Peru for both men and women; in Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, and some countries in western Europe including Switzerland, Spain, and the UK for women; and in several low-income and middle-income countries such as Eritrea, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, and Solomon Islands for men. Hypertension prevalence surpassed 50% for women in two countries and men in nine countries, in central and eastern Europe, central Asia, Oceania, and Latin America. Globally, 59% (55-62) of women and 49% (46-52) of men with hypertension reported a previous diagnosis of hypertension in 2019, and 47% (43-51) of women and 38% (35-41) of men were treated. Control rates among people with hypertension in 2019 were 23% (20-27) for women and 18% (16-21) for men. In 2019, treatment and control rates were highest in South Korea, Canada, and Iceland (treatment >70%; control >50%), followed by the USA, Costa Rica, Germany, Portugal, and Taiwan. Treatment rates were less than 25% for women and less than 20% for men in Nepal, Indonesia, and some countries in sub-Saharan Africa and Oceania. Control rates were below 10% for women and men in these countries and for men in some countries in north Africa, central and south Asia, and eastern Europe. Treatment and control rates have improved in most countries since 1990, but we found little change in most countries in sub-Saharan Africa and Oceania. Improvements were largest in high-income countries, central Europe, and some upper-middle-income and recently high-income countries including Costa Rica, Taiwan, Kazakhstan, South Africa, Brazil, Chile, Turkey, and Iran. INTERPRETATION: Improvements in the detection, treatment, and control of hypertension have varied substantially across countries, with some middle-income countries now outperforming most high-income nations. The dual approach of reducing hypertension prevalence through primary prevention and enhancing its treatment and control is achievable not only in high-income countries but also in low-income and middle-income settings. FUNDING: WHO