THE IMPACT OF FISCAL DETERMINANTS ON INVESTMENTS IN EUROPEAN UNION COUNTRIES. A PANEL DATA ANALYSIS

Taxation plays an important role in investment decisions and on net profit. In this view, this paper examines the fiscal determinants of investments realized by non-financial corporations in European Union (EU) countries. More exactly, the influences of profit tax and other important taxes like consumption and labor tax on the rate of investment are analysed. For this purpose, we use a panel analysis for 28 Member States from 2008 to 2018. In the presence of variables cointegration, we apply the fully modified ordinary least square (FMOLS) for investigating the long-run impact of taxation. Our results show a negative influence of the profit tax and a positive influence of consumption tax on the investment expansion. In addition, we find that the profit tax rate decreased after 2008 representing one of the most important fiscal measure adopted by the majority of EU Member States in order to stimulate the investment increase. The results are important for the governments, corporate governance of the companies and the investors, in order to understand the efficiency of their decisions to recover after a crisis

Chemsex Practices and Health-Related Quality of Life in Spanish Men with HIV Who Have Sex with Men

Chemsex, a new risky sexual behavior involving participation in sexual relations under the influence of drugs, has shown a significantly increased prevalence in recent years. This fact entails a serious public health issue, especially when Chemsex is practiced by individuals with an HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) diagnosis. Hence, analyzing the characteristics of Chemsex practices, associated sexual practices and the health outcomes of individuals who participate in Chemsex, is extremely important. The main aim of the present study is to analyze the prevalence and characteristics of the practice of Chemsex in a sample of 101 men with HIV who have sex with men who attended the Department of Infectious Diseases of the General University Hospital of Alicante (Spain). Furthermore, the association between Chemsex and Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) was also assessed. Chemsex and sexual practices were evaluated by employing a questionnaire applied on an ad hoc basis. HRQoL was assessed by employing the Medical Outcomes Study HIV Health Survey (MOS-HIV). In total, 40.6% of the participants had practiced Chemsex during the last year. When sexual practices were compared between those individuals who practiced Chemsex and those who did not, the former presented a higher level of risky sexual behaviors, especially with occasional and multiple sexual partners. Regarding HRQoL, those individuals who practiced Chemsex exhibited a poorer HRQoL in the majority of domains, especially those participants who practiced it with a higher intensity. The present study points out the high prevalence of Chemsex practice between men with HIV who have sex with men in Spain. Moreover, this study highlights the negative effects of Chemsex on HRQoL, probably due to the mixed effects of higher levels of risky sexual practices and the consequences of drug consumption.This research was funded by the Office of the Vice President of Research and Knowledge Transfer of the University of Alicante, Grant Number: GRE-18-17B

Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Academic Stress and Perceived Classroom Climate in Spanish University Students

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused several changes in society, especially in the educational context, where several learning methodologies and social interactions have been modified significantly. This fact could have had a negative impact on academic stress levels of students and the classroom climate, especially in the university context. The main aim of the present study was to identify changes in academic stress and the perceived classroom climate caused by COVID-19 in a sample of Spanish university students. Academic stress was evaluated trough the Stressor Academic Scale (SAS) and perceived classroom climate employing the Perceived Classroom Responsibility Climate (PCRC) questionnaire. A longitudinal study was conducted. 135 students (97 females and 38 males) from the Gastronomy (n = 31) and Criminology (n = 104) degrees were evaluated before and after the COVID-19 lockdown in Spain. Academic stress levels and perceived classroom climate were analyzed before (Time 1) and after (Time 2) the lockdown declaration. An increase in academic stress was found, especially in the categories regarding Teachers’ Methodological Deficiencies, Academic Over-Burden and Beliefs About Performances. Females and final year students suffered higher levels of academic stress. No differences were found between Time 1 and 2 in perceived classroom climate. The obtained results point out a significant increase of academic stress in university students due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain. The implemented educational changes and the uncertainty that resulted from the pandemic could have a significant negative impact on mental health in this population, resulting in higher levels of academic stress, especially in females and final year students. Future studies should analyze the strategies that students are employing to cope with these educational challenges and intervention strategies to promote them in the context of higher education.This research was supported by the Program of Networks-I3CE of Investigation in University Teaching (Program Networks) from the Vice-Rectorate of Quality and Educational Innovation and Education Sciences Institute of the University of Alicante (2019–2020). Ref.: (4913)

Determinants of Shadow Economy. A Bibliometric Approach: Determinantes da Economia Sombra. Uma Abordagem Bibliométrica

This paper performs a systematic literature review on the shadow economy and its determinants based on a bibliometric approach. Based on VosViewer and Web of Science, we identified various drivers of the shadow economy that we clustered into three categories: (1) economic factors, (2) political and institutional variables, and (3) social factors. In the last decades, the increasing role of social factors is significant for the flourish of the shadow economy. This analysis underpins the importance of recent shadow economy determinants such as immigration, cybercrime, happiness, culture, education, and religion – not enough studied and subjected to the public attention. It turns out that the determinants of the shadow economy depend not only on economic and political aspects such as unemployment, foreign direct investment, tax burden, or even the quality of government but also on social aspects such as happiness, culture, inequality, and religion. Based on these findings, the regulation of the shadow economy must be started by governments with reconsidering the measures and taking into account the social aspects, which can be a possible key to restrain this phenomenon. It is obvious that not all social drivers can be influenced by the government, but they can be promoted and deliberately focused with the help of grants or different social programs

Evaluación y Seguimiento del Patrón de Consumo de Drogas y otras Conductas Adictivas en Estudiantes de Educación Secundaria

El objetivo general del presente estudio ha sido evaluar la prevalencia y las tendencias de consumo de drogas legales e ilegales y de otras conductas adictivas entre los/as estudiantes del último curso de Enseñanza Secundaria Obligatoria (4º ESO) y 2º de Formación Profesional Básica, de la ciudad de Alicante

A single Spanish version of maternal and paternal postnatal attachment scales: validation and conceptual analysis

Background: Postnatal bonding constitutes a major process during the postpartum period, and there is evidence that bonding difficulties have negative consequences for parents’ mental health and the child’s development. However, the conceptualization of postnatal bonding presents inconsistencies, as well as problems in having instruments that encompasses the father figure. The objective was to adapt the maternal postnatal attachment scale (MPAS) and the paternal postnatal attachment scale (PPAS) to Spanish, to evaluate its validity and reliability and to analyze the construct dimensionality of both questionnaires from a gender perspective. Methods: Instrumental design. In 2016–2017, a sample of 571 mothers and 376 fathers, with children between 6 and 11 months of age, responded to the Spanish version of MPAS and PPAS, respectively. After a process of translation-back-translation of the instrument, we empirically analyzed the internal consistency (Cronbach alpha, composite reliability (CR)) construct and concurrent validity (with regard to postpartum depression and dyadic adjustment). Additionally, we studied the instrument’s content validity, using the Delphi methodology; and the differential analysis in both samples (mothers and fathers), examining the invariance. Results: A short version of 15 items was obtained, common for mothers and fathers. The results of the Delphi methodology showed a 100% inter-judge agreement, highlighting the absence of differences in the adequacy of the items as a function of the parents’ gender. Confirmatory factor analysis showed a good fit of three original factors proposed by the authors. The global Cronbach alpha coefficients in the total sample were adequate (mothers, 0.70; fathers, 0.78); and Cronbach alpha of each dimension in the case of mothers was 0.50 (Quality of bonding), 0.55 (Absence of hostility), and 0.60 (Pleasure in interaction); in the case of fathers, it was respectively 0.54, 0.64, and 0.72. CR of each dimension were: quality of bonding, 0.74 in mothers and 0.80 in fathers; absence of hostility, 0.93 in mothers and 0.94 in fathers; pleasure in interaction, 0.83 in mothers and 0.90 in fathers. With regard to the analysis of group invariance, the results revealed empirical evidence of configural and metric invariance. Concurrent validity showed moderate negative correlations for postnatal depression (mothers, r = −0.41, p < 0.001; fathers, r = −0.38, p < 0.001), and positive correlations for dyadic adjustment (mothers, r = 0.39, p < 0.001; fathers, r = 0.44, p < 0.001). Discussion: A new version of the instrument was generated, with good psychometric properties, adequate for use both with mothers and with fathers. This scale helps evaluate postnatal maternal and paternal bonding, allowing to study it from within the family system, a necessary step forward to advance perinatal mental health.This project was supported by the General Sub-Directorate for Evaluation and Promotion of Research (Institute of Health Carlos III, ISCIII) and co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER) (No. PI14/01549)

Higher Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet is Related to More Subjective Happiness in Adolescents: The Role of Health-Related Quality of Life

Adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MD) has previously been related to better quality of life in the general population. Further, children and adolescents have obtained better health outcomes when they have shown high adherence to the MD in recent studies. Nevertheless, the association between the adherence to this type of diet and subjective happiness have not been previously analysed in this population. The main aim of the present study was to evaluate the relationship between MD adherence, health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and subjective happiness in a sample of 527 Spanish adolescents. Results obtained show positive associations of MD adherence with higher levels of subjective happiness and better HRQOL. Moreover, mediation analyses showed a full mediation effect of some components of HRQOL, namely, emotional well-being, mood and emotions, financial resources and social acceptance, in the association between MD adherence and subjective happiness. This study advances our understanding of the association of MD and levels of happiness in the general population, specifically in adolescents, through the positive effects of specific components of HRQOL. Future studies should evaluate other variables that could influence or also mediate this relationship, evaluating specific groups of adolescents, such as clinical samples

Poor Dietary Habits in Bullied Adolescents: The Moderating Effects of Diet on Depression

The prevalence of bullying has increased dramatically during recent years, with numerous negative consequences for the health and quality of life of bullied adolescents. Although negative psychological consequences of this type of situation have been widely investigated, no previous research has evaluated the effects of bullying victimization on dietary habits, and its relationship with psychological outcomes, such as depression. For this reason, the main aim of the present study was to evaluate the association between bullying, dietary habits, and depression in a sample of 527 Spanish adolescents. The results obtained showed that being bullied was correlated negatively with healthy dietary habits and positively with depression. Moderation analysis revealed dietary habits as moderator of the association between bullying and depression. These results underline the relevance of diet in the phenomenon of bullying, especially in victims, as could be related to the high levels of depression characteristic of this population. The inclusion of nutritional education in intervention programs oriented to victims of bullying might significantly improve their efficacy, reducing depression levels

Differences in Autonomy and Health-Related Quality of Life between Resilient and Non-Resilient Individuals with Mild Cognitive Impairment

The dramatic increase in the number of older people with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) entails a serious public health problem. MCI involves different degrees of dependence that has been previously related to a decrease in Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL), due to impairment in the performance of activities of daily living. Resilient coping, as an adaptive coping style, could reduce the associated limitations derived by the characteristic deficits of MCI, and hence improve HRQoL. The principal objective of this work was to compare the level of autonomy (measured in terms of independence in the performance of basic (ADL) and instrumental (IADL) activities of daily living), and HRQoL between resilient and non-resilient individuals with MCI. The results showed a positive relationship between resilience, autonomy, and HRQoL. Hence, resilient participants exhibited higher independence in daily living activities and better HRQoL than non-resilient individuals. Mediation analyses confirmed an indirect influence of resilience on HRQoL through the mediation effect of better performance in IADLs. These findings underline the relevance of resilience as a coping style to compensate deficits in daily living in people with MCI. The inclusion of intervention programs, oriented to the promotion of resilience coping for older adults, might increase the autonomy levels in this population, improving their HRQoL.This research was supported by the Program of Networks-I3CE of Investigation in University Teaching (Program Networks) from the Vice-Rectorate of Quality and Educational Innovation and Education Sciences Institute of the University of Alicante (2017–2018). Ref.: (4253)

NutriTic.UA: Recurso educativo para la interacción entre el alumnado y el profesorado

La incorporación de nuevas herramientas docentes, como las Tecnologías de la Información y de la Comunicación, es uno de los objetivos prioritarios en el Sistema Educativo de Educación Superior. Estas herramientas deben mejorar el sistema de enseñanza-aprendizaje y la adquisición de las competencias profesionales, así como fomentar la comunicación entre el alumnado. En este sentido, nuestro grupo desarrolló en el proyecto de REDES en el curso anterior la weblog NutriTic.UA, un recurso educativo creado como apoyo para la formación del alumnado del Grado en Nutrición Humana y Dietética. El objetivo de este trabajo ha sido la revisión y actualización de los contenidos disponibles en la weblog NutriTic.UA y el diseño de estrategias que permitan la interacción entre el alumnado y el profesorado de las asignaturas implicadas en el proyecto. Ha participado en nuestro estudio una muestra disponible y significativa de estudiantes del Grado en Nutrición Humana y Dietética. Se describe el proceso de actualización de la weblog NutriTic.UA y el diseño de las estrategias aplicadas para fomentar la interacción entre el alumnado y el profesorado, así como los resultados obtenidos de una encuesta elaborada ad hoc sobre las opciones de mejora y las preferencias del alumnado sobre este tema de estudio