Prevalence, Risk Factors, and Primary Causes of Disability Among Canadian Seniors: An Analysis of the 1986 and 1991 Health and Activity Limitation Surveys

An aging Canadian population highlights the need to examine the prevalence and causes of disabilities in seniors in order to be able to meet their health care needs. This report represents a step in that direction by examining disabilities among Canadian seniors using the 1986 and 1991 Health and Activity Limitation Surveys (HALS), two nation-wide surveys assessing the prevalence and impact of disabilities in the Canadian population. From these two surveys, disabilities among noninstitutionalized seniors, 65 years of age and older, were examined. Findings revealed that over 40% of seniors had at least one disability that impacted on activities of daily living and that one-quarter of disabled seniors were severely disabled. Risk factors that were associated with having a disability included marital status, language spoken, total household income, tenure of dwelling, number of people living in the household, and region of the country. Mobility and agility disabilities were the most common types of disabilities among seniors, with approximately 80% of disabled seniors having at least one mobility or agility disability. Further, mobility and agility disabilities tended to coexist, with approximately 70% of all seniors who had a mobility disability also having an agility disability. Arthritis/rheumatism was the medical condition that most often caused mobility and agility disabilities, followed by cerebrovascular disease, other forms of heart disease, and fractures/bone breaks. Women were more likely than men to have mobility and agility disabilities, with other risk factors associated with having mobility and agility disabilities similar to those for having any disability. The findings of this report indicate that many Canadian seniors suffer from disabilities, particularly disabilities that affect their mobility and agility. Therefore, to have a substantial effect on reducing the impact of disabilities on Canadian seniors, efforts should be directed toward finding effective medical interventions that reduce or control the most common conditions which result in mobility and agility disabilities. Further, finding means to reduce the negative impact that mobility and agility type impairments have on everyday living would serve to help disabled seniors.disability; seniors; HALS

Social Media Capabilities In Academic Libraries: Influence on librarians’ agility and relationship quality (librarian-user)

This study explores the impact of social media on academic libraries, focusing on librarians’ agility and relationship quality. It collected quantitative data from 30 librarians at Tun Abdul Razak Library using an online survey. The study’s objectives included measuring social media capability, assessing its influence on librarian’s agility and relationship quality, and examining how library policies moderate the relationship librarians’ agility and relationship quality with users. The findings indicate that respondents had a high level of social media capability, which positively influenced both librarians’ agility and relationship quality with users

Within and between person effects of learning agility: a longitudinal examination of how learning agility impacts future career success

2018 Summer.Includes bibliographical references.The business environment is highly complex and constantly evolving. Previous research on learning agility has demonstrated support for its use in identifying high potential leaders who can adapt effectively to the evolving business environment. The purpose of this study was to provide further evidence of the construct validity of learning agility and applicability in assessing leadership potential. Learning agility was examined within a broader nomological network of related constructs—a framework developed by DeRue, Ashford, & Myers (2012). It was hypothesized that personality would predict learning agility and learning agility would predict performance and learning over time. The results demonstrate partial support for these hypotheses. Several personality variables (e.g., Openness to Experience) were significantly related to learning agility. Further, learning agility was found to predict performance and learning, but not the rate at which these factors changed over time

Exploring the power of psychological empowerment in boosting workforce agility in SMEs

This study investigates the impact of psychological empowerment on workforce agility in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The study employs a quantitative analysis to measure levels of psychological empowerment and workforce agility, assessing the dimensions of psychological empowerment, including Meaning, Self-determination, Competences, and Impact, and examining their influence on workforce agility. The results reveal a significant positive relationship between the dimensions of competence and meaning in psychological empowerment and workforce agility. However, the dimensions of impact and self-determination do not exhibit a strong relationship with workforce agility. This research contributes to the existing literature by addressing the gap in knowledge regarding the impact of psychological empowerment on workforce agility in Moroccan SMEs. The findings have practical implications for managers and decision-makers in SMEs, suggesting that organizations should focus on improving their employees' skills and enhancing their sense of work meaning to foster resilience and adaptability. By fostering workforce agility through empowerment, organizations can create a more engaged and adaptable workforce, potentially leading to increased productivity and competitiveness.   Keywords: Psychological empowerment, organizational agility, workforce agility, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), construction sector firms. JEL Classification : O15, C3, M1, L74 Paper type: Empirical researchThis study investigates the impact of psychological empowerment on workforce agility in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The study employs a quantitative analysis to measure levels of psychological empowerment and workforce agility, assessing the dimensions of psychological empowerment, including Meaning, Self-determination, Competences, and Impact, and examining their influence on workforce agility. The results reveal a significant positive relationship between the dimensions of competence and meaning in psychological empowerment and workforce agility. However, the dimensions of impact and self-determination do not exhibit a strong relationship with workforce agility. This research contributes to the existing literature by addressing the gap in knowledge regarding the impact of psychological empowerment on workforce agility in Moroccan SMEs. The findings have practical implications for managers and decision-makers in SMEs, suggesting that organizations should focus on improving their employees' skills and enhancing their sense of work meaning to foster resilience and adaptability. By fostering workforce agility through empowerment, organizations can create a more engaged and adaptable workforce, potentially leading to increased productivity and competitiveness.   Keywords: Psychological empowerment, organizational agility, workforce agility, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), construction sector firms. JEL Classification : O15, C3, M1, L74 Paper type: Empirical researc

Dimensions of Organizational Agility in the Software and IT Service Industry: Insights from an Empirical Investigation

Agility has increasingly gained attention in the software and IT services industry over the last years and academia put a heavy emphasis on research about agile software development methods. However, an organization does not only comprise development teams, and research often lacks an organizational perspective on agility. Presently, we have no consensus about what constitutes an “agile organization”. Hence, in this study, I identify the structure behind the concept of organizational agility using an exploratory research approach. I conducted a survey among organizations in the software and IT service industry and performed an, exploratory factor analysis and a cluster analysis (based on the variables). The results show that one can describe organizational agility using six interrelated factors that one can further aggregate into the three basic dimensions of “agility prerequisites”, “agility of people”, and “structures enhancing agility”. The identified structure is a first step toward a common understanding of organizational agility and helps to guide further research activities while simultaneously supporting practitioners in assessing the agility of their organizations

Field-based tests for the assessment of physical fitness in children and adolescents practicing sport: A systematic review within the ESA program

High levels of physical fitness (PF) can positively affect both health and cognitive function, thus monitoring its levels in youth can help increase health and quality of life in adult populations later on. This systematic review aims to identify PF field-based tests used in young European populations practicing sport to find tools that are adequate for the considered target involving a new battery within the Enriched Sport Activities (ESA) project. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement was followed. In the 83 identified articles, the main tests used were: vertical/horizontal jumps (for muscular strength/power); push-ups, running at maximum effort, sit-ups (for muscular strength/endurance); multistage non-intermittent and intermittent tests (for aerobic endurance); sit and reach (for flexibility); sprinting and agility T-tests (for speed and agility, respectively); 10 x 5 m shuttle run (SR) (for both speed and agility). Few studies assessed coordination, reaction time, power, and balance. Although the selected tests are widely used and validated, they do not determine all PF aspects and do not reflect sport-specific features. A final decision was made for the inclusion of the following tests: standing broad jump, seated medicine ball throw, 20 m SR test, 30 m sprint, Illinois test, and a new test, i.e., the crunning test, to assess different skill-related components at once. The use of this combination of tests allows for the assessment of all PF components and can help planning eective training programs and cultivate sporting talent

Training and testing of 1v1 agility in Australian football

Little is known of how agility events occur in the sport of Australian football (AF). As a result, appropriate training and testing methods are unknown. This thesis investigated 1v1 agility in AF to evaluate alternative methods for training and testing agility. The thesis was undertaken in three studies. Study one investigated if training and testing practices used in elite AF align with the demands of competition. A notational analysis revealed substantial variation in movement patterns used by, and the cognitive demands of, athletes in agility events. A survey of high-performance managers in the AFL revealed that a mixture of open and closed training methods are used in elite AF, and that subjective agility assessment is preferred to formal testing. Study two assessed the reliability and ecological validity of a field-based test of attacking and defending agility for AF. The text exhibited excellent inter-rater and intra-rater reliability, as well as moderate test-retest reliability. Characteristics of the test were compared to the notational analysis to assess the ecological validity of the test. While the test did not fully replicate the agility demands of AF, the test improved ecological validity when compared to previous tests described in the literature. Study three evaluated the effectiveness of a four-week 1v1 training intervention for improving attacking and defending agility in Australian footballers. In addition, the study assessed the crossover of attacking training to defending agility and defending training to attacking agility. Improvements in attacking agility were found which were greater for attacking-trained athletes. However, no improvements in defending agility were realised. This thesis indicates that 1v1 training and testing is suitable for assessing and developing agility in Australian footballers. However, 1v1 training may be more suitable for improving attacking agility. Further, agility is context-specific, and testing and training should consider the role of the athlete.Doctor of Philosoph

Effect of jumping style on the performance of large and medium elite agility dogs

Dog agility is a rapidly progressing sport worldwide. Consequentially, research and methods to improve technique and performance are becoming highly sought after. Video data were collected of elite agility dogs during a training session, with downstream analysis examining differences in apparent topline angle and jumping speed of large and medium dogs as well as collie breeds and non-collie breeds. The study further examined any correlations between topline angle and jumping speed. Findings suggest that there is a difference between the jump kinematics of large and medium dogs (P=0.001) and between collie breeds and non-collie breeds (P<0.001) with collie breeds jumping faster than non-collie breeds (P=0.013). This information could be used to inform future training regimes and competitive strategies in a breed and size specific way, with the aim to improve long-term health and welfare of canine participants, whilst also ensuring that training and competitive expectations are within biological capabilities