Direct and Indirect Effects of IQ, Parental Help, Effort, and Mathematics Self-Concept on Mathematics Achievement

This study examined the structural relationships among cognitive constructs (intelligence and achievement) and affective constructs (perceived parental help, effort and self-concept). It was proposed that the relationships are not invariant across gender. The sample consisted of 219 boys and 133 girls from elementary and preparatory public schools in Al Ain in the United Arab Emirates. Intelligence (IQ) was measured by the Test of Non-verbal Intelligence (TONI) and parental help was measured by 4-Likert-type items. Effort was measured by 4-Likert-type items. Self-concept (SC) was measured by 8-Likert-type items taken from the SDQ I (Abu-Hilal, 2000). Mathematic Achievement was the scores of students in mathematics from school records. The structural model assumed that IQ would have an effect on parental help, effort, SC and achievement. Parental help would have an effect on effort, SC and achievement. Also, effort would have an effect on SC and achievement. Finally, SC would have an effect on achievement. The structural model was tested for invariance across gender. The measurement model proved to be invariant across gender and so was the structural model. The non-constrained model indicated that the structural relationships among the variables do vary according to gender. For example, boys benefited from parental help by exerting more effort while girls did not. Boys with high IQ exerted more effort than boys with low IQ; but girls with high IQ exerted the same amount of effort as girls with low IQ. The model explained 45% and 39% of the variance in math scores for boys and girls, respectively

Internal/external frame of reference model and dimensional comparison theory: a novel exploration of their applicability among Arab high school students

This study aims at testing the generalisability of Marsh’s Internal/External (I/E) frame of reference model as well as its Dimensional Comparison Theory (DCT) extension in a sample of United Arab Emirates (UAE) high school students. Relationship between self-concept and achievement in Arabic, English and mathematics were explored. A sample of 990 students (532 girls; age 13–20) participated in this research. Arabic, English and maths self-concepts from the Self-Description Questionnaire were used. Results revealed positive paths between the same domains for achievement and self-concept and negative paths cross-domains. Significant negative paths were also found between English and Arabic, suggesting that languages sharing the same alphabet/characters could belong to the same ‘family’ and be considered as a near path, while languages from different families could be a far path. Differences in achievement were in favour of girls, although boys presented higher maths self-concept

Structure of Burnout among Omani Male and Female Teachers: Invariance of Structure across Gender

Previous studies have supported the conceptualization that burnout consists of three aspects: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and reduced personal accomplishment. When the proposed structure of burnout was tested in several studies, these three aspects were confirmed. However, several researchers found that depersonalization consists of two factors rather than one. The first factor is related to the job, while the second factor is related to students. The original factor structure (3-factor model) and the revised structure were tested by few Arab researchers. Recently, the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) has been introduced to the Omani educational setting. This study aimed to test the two structures of MBI with a representative sample of Omani teachers (N=2446). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) revealed that the 4-factor model was superior and more parsimonious (CFI = .919, RMSEA = .051) than the 3-factor model (CFI = .887, RMSEA = .059). Three of the four factors had a high reliability coefficient (emotional exhaustion, a = .87, personal accomplishment, a = .76, depersonalization-job, a = .79) while depersonalization of students had low reliability (a = .47). The latter seems to be culture specific

A world of lies

This article reports two worldwide studies of stereotypes about liars. These studies are carried out in 75 different countries and 43 different languages. In Study 1, participants respond to the open-ended question "How can you tell when people are lying?" In Study 2, participants complete a questionnaire about lying. These two studies reveal a dominant pan-cultural stereotype: that liars avert gaze. The authors identify other common beliefs and offer a social control interpretation

Does job value boost self-efficacy and protect against burnout among teachers in Oman?

Introduction. The purpose of this study was to examine if the perception of teaching value and a teacher's self-efficacy (SE) are related to burnout. Previous research has shown a strong relation between teachers SE and burnout. Rarely, however, job value has been included in any of the previous studies. Method. A stratified random sample (N =2446) of Omani teachers was drawn. Three measures: Job value, Maslach burnout inventory (MBI) and the teachers' sense of efficacy scale (TSES) were used. Confirmatory factor analysis was performed to test the proposed factor structure of the measures as well as the proposed structural model. Results. The invariance tests proved that the structure of constructs and the relations between constructs were invariant across gender. Job value significantly related to both SE and burnout dimensions. Consistent with predictions, SE of student engagement related to all three burnout dimensions; whereas the other two dimensions of SE didn’t relate to burnout dimensions in the expected direction. Job value and SE explained significant variances in each of the burnout dimensions. Discussion and Conclusion. The results of this study highlight the importance of job value and SE of engaging students as cognitive self-regulatory mechanisms used in the stressful situations like teaching and to help control stress and burnout. Ministry of education, media and socity at large should be aware of the social status of teaching and teachers and provide more respect to the teachers and their job. Such respect would improve the morale of teachers and help them become more efficacious and less exhausted

The Factor structure of the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale among school students and university students in Oman

هدفت الدراسة الحالية إلى اختبار البنية العاملية لمقياس روزنبرغ لتقدير الذات، وفحص ما إذا كانت هذه البنية تتساوى لدى عينتين عمريتين. فقد أفادت دراسات عدة أن تقدير الذات ينمو ويتطور ويصبح أكثر واقعية وتمايزًا مع التقدم في العمر. وقد استجاب لمقياس تقدير الذات 365 طالبًا من طلبة المدارس و119 من طلبة الجامعة. يتكون مقياس تقدير الذات لروزنبرغ من 10 فقرات، نصفها تمت صياغته صياغة موجبة، والنصف الآخر تمت صياغته صياغة سالبة. وقد تبين أن مقياس تقدير الذات يتمتع بثبات مقبول لا سيما لدى طلبة الجامعة. وقد تبين أن المقياس يتمتع ببنية عاملية مقبولة لدى كل من العينتين، فقد تشبعت كل فقرات المقياس على عامل تقدير الذات بدرجة جوهرية. إلا أن وجود عامل واحد فقط؛ لم يمثل البيانات بشكل مقبول، فقد كان التطابق ضعيفًا بين العامل الواحد والبيانات. في حين أن وجود عاملين أحدهما موجب والآخر سالب، مثّلا البيانات بدرجة معقولة. ولكن عند اختبار فرضية تساوي المعالم لدى العينتين، اتضح أن المعالم التي تمثل التشبعات كانت متساوية لدى المجموعتين، بينما لم تتساو معالم الثوابت والبواقي والعلاقات بين البواقي. وخلصت الدراسة إلى أن النموذج الأكثر مطابقة للبيانات هو نموذج عامل السمة وعامل الطريقة السالبة في الصياغة، في إشارة إلى تأثير طريقة الصياغة على البنية العاملية، والدرجة التي يفرزها مقياس روزنبرغ. كما تبين الدراسة أهمية الانتباه إلى طريقة صياغة الفقرات عند تفسير الدرجات التي يفرزها هذا المقياس وغيره من المقاييس التي تحوي عبارات موجبة وأخرى سالبة.The aim of this study was to test the structure of Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) and explore if the structure is invariant across school students (n=365) and university students (n=119). Previous research has shown that self-esteem so as other personality traits are developmental in nature; and self-esteem becomes more differentiated and realistic with age. Two samples responded to RSES which has 10 items half of which was written in the positive format and the other half in negative format. RSES showed reasonable internal consistency, especially among university students. Also, the scale produced a reasonable structure among both groups as the items measured the factor substantially. Item loadings were invariant across the two groups. However, other parameters (intercepts, residuals and correlations among residuals) were not invariant indicating that the items measured the trait equally valid for school and university students. However, the level of self-esteem as indicated by item scores was not invariant as school children scored higher than university students in most of the items. The results imply that using negative items has an effect on both the structure and magnitude of self-esteem. Scale developers and users may need to be cautioned when they interpret the resultant scores of scales with positive and negative items

Antimicrobial resistance among migrants in Europe: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are rising globally and there is concern that increased migration is contributing to the burden of antibiotic resistance in Europe. However, the effect of migration on the burden of AMR in Europe has not yet been comprehensively examined. Therefore, we did a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify and synthesise data for AMR carriage or infection in migrants to Europe to examine differences in patterns of AMR across migrant groups and in different settings. METHODS: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, and Scopus with no language restrictions from Jan 1, 2000, to Jan 18, 2017, for primary data from observational studies reporting antibacterial resistance in common bacterial pathogens among migrants to 21 European Union-15 and European Economic Area countries. To be eligible for inclusion, studies had to report data on carriage or infection with laboratory-confirmed antibiotic-resistant organisms in migrant populations. We extracted data from eligible studies and assessed quality using piloted, standardised forms. We did not examine drug resistance in tuberculosis and excluded articles solely reporting on this parameter. We also excluded articles in which migrant status was determined by ethnicity, country of birth of participants' parents, or was not defined, and articles in which data were not disaggregated by migrant status. Outcomes were carriage of or infection with antibiotic-resistant organisms. We used random-effects models to calculate the pooled prevalence of each outcome. The study protocol is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42016043681. FINDINGS: We identified 2274 articles, of which 23 observational studies reporting on antibiotic resistance in 2319 migrants were included. The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or AMR infection in migrants was 25·4% (95% CI 19·1-31·8; I2 =98%), including meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (7·8%, 4·8-10·7; I2 =92%) and antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (27·2%, 17·6-36·8; I2 =94%). The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or infection was higher in refugees and asylum seekers (33·0%, 18·3-47·6; I2 =98%) than in other migrant groups (6·6%, 1·8-11·3; I2 =92%). The pooled prevalence of antibiotic-resistant organisms was slightly higher in high-migrant community settings (33·1%, 11·1-55·1; I2 =96%) than in migrants in hospitals (24·3%, 16·1-32·6; I2 =98%). We did not find evidence of high rates of transmission of AMR from migrant to host populations. INTERPRETATION: Migrants are exposed to conditions favouring the emergence of drug resistance during transit and in host countries in Europe. Increased antibiotic resistance among refugees and asylum seekers and in high-migrant community settings (such as refugee camps and detention facilities) highlights the need for improved living conditions, access to health care, and initiatives to facilitate detection of and appropriate high-quality treatment for antibiotic-resistant infections during transit and in host countries. Protocols for the prevention and control of infection and for antibiotic surveillance need to be integrated in all aspects of health care, which should be accessible for all migrant groups, and should target determinants of AMR before, during, and after migration. FUNDING: UK National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, Imperial College Healthcare Charity, the Wellcome Trust, and UK National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare-associated Infections and Antimictobial Resistance at Imperial College London

Surgical site infection after gastrointestinal surgery in high-income, middle-income, and low-income countries: a prospective, international, multicentre cohort study

Background: Surgical site infection (SSI) is one of the most common infections associated with health care, but its importance as a global health priority is not fully understood. We quantified the burden of SSI after gastrointestinal surgery in countries in all parts of the world. Methods: This international, prospective, multicentre cohort study included consecutive patients undergoing elective or emergency gastrointestinal resection within 2-week time periods at any health-care facility in any country. Countries with participating centres were stratified into high-income, middle-income, and low-income groups according to the UN's Human Development Index (HDI). Data variables from the GlobalSurg 1 study and other studies that have been found to affect the likelihood of SSI were entered into risk adjustment models. The primary outcome measure was the 30-day SSI incidence (defined by US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria for superficial and deep incisional SSI). Relationships with explanatory variables were examined using Bayesian multilevel logistic regression models. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02662231. Findings: Between Jan 4, 2016, and July 31, 2016, 13 265 records were submitted for analysis. 12 539 patients from 343 hospitals in 66 countries were included. 7339 (58·5%) patient were from high-HDI countries (193 hospitals in 30 countries), 3918 (31·2%) patients were from middle-HDI countries (82 hospitals in 18 countries), and 1282 (10·2%) patients were from low-HDI countries (68 hospitals in 18 countries). In total, 1538 (12·3%) patients had SSI within 30 days of surgery. The incidence of SSI varied between countries with high (691 [9·4%] of 7339 patients), middle (549 [14·0%] of 3918 patients), and low (298 [23·2%] of 1282) HDI (p < 0·001). The highest SSI incidence in each HDI group was after dirty surgery (102 [17·8%] of 574 patients in high-HDI countries; 74 [31·4%] of 236 patients in middle-HDI countries; 72 [39·8%] of 181 patients in low-HDI countries). Following risk factor adjustment, patients in low-HDI countries were at greatest risk of SSI (adjusted odds ratio 1·60, 95% credible interval 1·05–2·37; p=0·030). 132 (21·6%) of 610 patients with an SSI and a microbiology culture result had an infection that was resistant to the prophylactic antibiotic used. Resistant infections were detected in 49 (16·6%) of 295 patients in high-HDI countries, in 37 (19·8%) of 187 patients in middle-HDI countries, and in 46 (35·9%) of 128 patients in low-HDI countries (p < 0·001). Interpretation: Countries with a low HDI carry a disproportionately greater burden of SSI than countries with a middle or high HDI and might have higher rates of antibiotic resistance. In view of WHO recommendations on SSI prevention that highlight the absence of high-quality interventional research, urgent, pragmatic, randomised trials based in LMICs are needed to assess measures aiming to reduce this preventable complication

Global economic burden of unmet surgical need for appendicitis

Background: There is a substantial gap in provision of adequate surgical care in many low-and middle-income countries. This study aimed to identify the economic burden of unmet surgical need for the common condition of appendicitis. Methods: Data on the incidence of appendicitis from 170 countries and two different approaches were used to estimate numbers of patients who do not receive surgery: as a fixed proportion of the total unmet surgical need per country (approach 1); and based on country income status (approach 2). Indirect costs with current levels of access and local quality, and those if quality were at the standards of high-income countries, were estimated. A human capital approach was applied, focusing on the economic burden resulting from premature death and absenteeism. Results: Excess mortality was 4185 per 100 000 cases of appendicitis using approach 1 and 3448 per 100 000 using approach 2. The economic burden of continuing current levels of access and local quality was US $92 492 million using approach 1 and$73 141 million using approach 2. The economic burden of not providing surgical care to the standards of high-income countries was $95 004 million using approach 1 and$75 666 million using approach 2. The largest share of these costs resulted from premature death (97.7 per cent) and lack of access (97.0 per cent) in contrast to lack of quality. Conclusion: For a comparatively non-complex emergency condition such as appendicitis, increasing access to care should be prioritized. Although improving quality of care should not be neglected, increasing provision of care at current standards could reduce societal costs substantially