Internal inconsistency and risk aversion: Implications on smoking decisions

The main contribution of this paper is an analysis of the nature of the link between internal coherence and risk aversion. Both variables play an important role in individual decisions concerning risk behaviors. We compare the levels of internal consistency and risk aversion among smokers and non-smokers. To measure the individual internal coherence and risk aversion, we use a survey that includes lottery questions. Our results confirm that smokers are consistent in their decisions and they behave as risk averse. These results should be treated with circumspection as lottery questions are based on monetary expectations that depend on socio-economic conditions and they obviate other dimensions such as social recognition. La principal contribución de este artículo es analizar la naturaleza de la asociación entre la coherencia interna y la aversión al riesgo. Ambas variables juegan un papel principal en las decisiones individuales sobre comportamientos de riesgo, tal que como caso particular, comparamos los niveles consistencia interna y aversión al riesgo entre fumadores y no fumadores. Para medir la coherencia interna y la aversión al riesgo individual, recurrimos a una encuesta que incluye preguntas de loterías. Nuestros resultados confirman que los fumadores son consistentes en sus decisiones, y de hecho, se comportan como adversos al riesgo. Estos resultados hay que tomarlos con cautela, pues las preguntas sobre loterías se basan principalmente en expectativas monetarias que dependen de condiciones socio-económicas obviando otras dimensiones como el reconocimiento social

Gender gap in self-rated health: a cohort perspective in eastern European countries

Background: The relationship between self-rated health and gender differs across countries and generations. The aim of this study is to analyze the effect of socioeconomic conditions on self-rated health from a generational perspective, its differential effect on gender, and its influence on the gender gap in order to explore health diversity using a multidisciplinary approach and considering policy implications in Eastern European countries. Methods: We used data drawn from the European Health Interview Survey for eight Eastern European countries and EUROSTAT from 2006 through to 2009. We conducted multilevel analyses to understand the individual and national health determinants of self-rated health by gender and to determine whether national differences remain after controlling for micro variables. In order to analyze the role of equity (Gini quartile) in gender differences, Oaxaca analyses were used. Results: The self-rated health gender gap increases with age. Individual characteristics, such as educational level or smoking, influence citizens’ perceived health, and have a stronger effect on women than on men. Knowing both the characteristics (endowment effects) and the effects of individual characteristics (coefficient effects) on health is important in order to understand gender gaps among people from the silent generation. Conclusions: Our research indicates that random effects are greater for men than for women. Moreover, random effects might be explained to a certain extent by economic equity (Gini index). The combined effects of gender, cohort, and geographical differences on self-rated health have to be taken into account to develop public health policies. © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland

El voluntariado universitario en el marco de la Responsabilidad Social Universitaria. Estudio de un Campus, Universidad de Zaragoza

El voluntariado universitario es un tipo de actividad que forma parte de la Responsabilidad Social Universitaria. El trabajo analiza la rela-ción entre la realización de voluntariado estudiantil y las motivacio-nes para ser voluntario y profundiza en los ámbitos de interés de los universitarios para realizar voluntariado. Un total de 680 estudiantes universitarios de un Campus de la Universidad de Zaragoza cumpli-mentaron un cuestionario. El análisis muestra diferencias en la moti-vación para ser voluntario entre los estudiantes que al cumplimentar el cuestionario eran voluntarios y los que no lo eran, y también que la titulación cursada afecta al ámbito de interés. University volunteering is a type of activity that is part of the University Social Responsibility. The paper analyzes the relationship between student volunteering and the motivations for volunteering and delves into the areas of interest of university students to volunteer. A total of 680 university students from a Campus of the University of Zaragoza completed a questionnaire. Analysis shows differences in motivation to volunteer, among students to complete the questionnaire were volunteers and those who were not, and also affects the degree Studied area of interest

Corporate social responsibility and workplace health promotion: A systematic review

The complex situation that global society is facing as a result of COVID-19 has highlighted the importance of companies committing to the principles of social responsibility. Among the internal initiatives, those related to the health of workers are, obviously, highly topical. The objective of our research is to provide concise knowledge of the relationship between workplace health promotion (WHP) and corporate social responsibility (CSR) so that the relevant specialized research was gathered in a single document that lays the foundations of its applicability. A systematic review, following the PRISMA method, has been carried out. Twenty-seven articles have been selected from the main scientific databases. Their qualitative analysis concludes that CSR and WHP are linked, have beneficial reciprocal effects, need committed leadership respectful of autonomy and voluntariness, and require the establishment of specific goals within the framework of the organizations' sustainability policies. Future studies should establish the impact of the pandemic on these aspects

Fostering university students’ engagement in teamwork and innovation behaviors through game-based learning (GBL)

Higher Education Instituions (HEIs) should be the driving force behind the training of college students in terms of both hard and soft skills (for example, innovation and teamwork competencies), and they should also do so without neglecting their health and well-being, perhaps more than ever in these complex times of the SARS-CoV2 pandemic. Game-based learning (GBL) could be a powerful and useful tool in this regard. There is, however, some controversy surrounding the use of games for learning purposes in higher education institutions, and most of the research done about this issue corresponds to GBL through digital games. Under this background, the main objective of this study was to test the effect of GBL on the intrinsic motivation (IM), teamwork engagement (TWE), team building (TB), teamwork competence (TWC), and innovation behaviors (IWB) of 142 college students of Health Sciences and Social Work. After rehearsing in small groups, the game was tested (T2). Our results obtained through the differential analyses confirmed that undergraduates were more intrinsically motivated, experienced more TWE, TB, and TWC, and developed more IWB than before playing the game (T1). Therefore, the development of core personal skills might be promoted effectively by games in an efficient, engaging, and motivating way

Participación y salud: nuevas iniciativas

La participación ciudadana en el ámbito de la salud se entiende como una estrategia fundamental para el desarrollo comunitario en general y, en este caso, de la promoción y la educación para la salud. Las transformaciones sociales y el cambio de los valores éticos acontecidos en estos últimos años han posicionado al paciente en un rol activo frente a las concepciones paternalistas del pasado. Surge entonces un nuevo objetivo, promover la participación del paciente a través de sus opiniones, conocimientos y experiencias en relación a su estado de salud y también sobre la gestión y funcionamiento del sistema de salud, ya sea dando su valoración sobre distintas variables o incluso interviniendo en la toma de decisiones en la evaluación de tecnologías sanitarias. Para alcanzar este objetivo se definen nuevos modelos y metodologías que establecerán los cauces para que el paciente y el ciudadano, legitimados como tales, intervengan en la gestión de su propio sistema de salud. Esta investigación tiene por objetivo analizar las nuevas formas de participación del paciente y el impacto en su salud y en la organización sanitaria, mediante la revisión de iniciativas implementadas en el sistema sanitario, así como los resultados obtenidos. Citizen participation in the field of health is understood as a fundamental strategy for community development in general and, in this case, for health promotion and education. The social transformations and the change in ethical values that have occurred in recent years have positioned the patient in an active role regarding the paternalistic conceptions of the past. A new objective arises: to encourage patients to participate through their opinions, knowledge and experiences in relation to their health status and also in the management and functioning of the health system, either by giving their assessment of different variables or even intervening in decision making in the evaluation of health technologies. To achieve this objective, new models and methodologies are defined that will establish the channels for the patient and the citizen, legitimized as such, to intervene in the management of their own health system. The purpose of this research is to analyze the new forms of patient participation and the impact on their health and health organization, by reviewing initiatives implemented in the health system, as well as the results obtained

Accesibilidad y administración pública: un análisis de la situación de la juventud

Introducción. Las normas internacionales, como la Convención sobre los Derechos de las Personas con Discapacidad (CDPD), suponen un reconocimiento de los derechos sociales. Sin embargo, también implican una modificación de la legislación nacional para hacer efectivos estos derechos. A su vez, esto supone una complejización de la Administración, generando nuevos organismos e implicando nuevas disciplinas. Estos cambios no siempre resultan sencillos de comprender, precisando de adaptaciones para poder hacer efectivos los derechos reconocidos. Objetivo. Conocer cómo se ha aplicado el derecho a la accesibilidad universal, recogido en la CDPD, en las leyes relativas a los jóvenes con graves discapacidades incluidos en el sistema de dependencia aragonés. Método. Muestra: el período estudiado es de abril de 2008, fecha de ratificación de la CDPD por España, y marzo de 2020. Finalmente, tras una selección mediante criterios de inclusión/exclusión, la muestra fue de 36 leyes relacionadas con la discapacidad y la dependencia en Aragón. Instrumentos y procedimiento: Como técnica se utilizó un análisis de contenido deductivo. Se creó un libro de códigos con 31 variables para recoger el sistema de categorías. Por lo tanto, se definió la unidad de análisis como segmentos específicos del texto que se caracterizan por estar adscritos a una categoría específica. Los datos se dicotomizaron bajo criterios de presencia/ausencia dando lugar a una base de datos en SPSS. Resultados. Algunos de los resultados principales son: escasez de definiciones claras que disminuyan la arbitrariedad; pequeña presencia de referencias a la juventud y a grandes necesidades de apoyo; insuficiencia de legislación en lectura fácil. Conclusiones. A pesar de ciertos avances, la adaptación de la normativa no se ha consolidado, afectando a los derechos de las personas con discapacidad, especialmente en el caso de los jóvenes y de las personas con grandes necesidades de apoyo

Fundamental, Quantitative Traits of the “Sociotype”

In whatever domain of life, from cells to organisms to societies, communicative exchanges underlie the formation and maintenance, and decay, of the emerging collective structures. It can be clearly seen in the human social world. The different classes of social bonds in a complex society revolve around, and are intimately related with, the communicative relationships that every individual entertains—essentially via face-to-face conversation. In the present work we have investigated the fundamental metrics of both social bonds and communicative exchanges along the development of the “sociotype” construct. It is a new approach developed by the authors within the genotype-phenotype-sociotype conceptual triad. The sociotype means the relative constancy, or better the similar fabric, of the social world in which each individual life is developed. In order to ascertain the metrics of the fundamental quantitative traits inherent in the sociotype, a fieldwork involving a total of 1475 individuals (68.59% female, and 49.79 mean age, SD = 21.47) was carried out. The four relational realms of family, friends, work/study, and acquaintances were investigated. The overall results about conversation time (an average of 220 min/day), and about the number of social bonds (an average of 98), differ from previous assumptions, such as Dunbar's number or Killworth's number. Other results about gender, age, and use of social media and Internet contribute to highlight significant differences among the different social segments, and particularly the diminished “sociotype” of the elderly. Finally, it is curious that a non-Gaussian distribution has been obtained for the specific population allotment of these metrics, and intriguingly the Planckian distribution equation (PDE) appears to be a most cogent fit

Evidence of increasing drought severity caused by temperature rise in southern Europe

We use high quality climate data from ground meteorological stations in the Iberian Peninsula (IP) and robust drought indices to confirm that drought severity has increased in the past five decades, as a consequence of greater atmospheric evaporative demand resulting from temperature rise. Increased drought severity is independent of the model used to quantify the reference evapotranspiration. We have also focused on drought impacts to droughtsensitive systems, such as river discharge, by analyzing streamflow data for 287 rivers in the IP, and found that hydrological drought frequency and severity have also increased in the past five decades in natural, regulated and highly regulated basins. Recent positive trend in the atmospheric water demand has had a direct influence on the temporal evolution of streamflows, clearly identified during the warm season, in which higher evapotranspiration rates are recorded. This pattern of increase in evaporative demand and greater drought severity is probably applicable to other semiarid regions of the world, including other Mediterranean areas, the Sahel, southern Australia and South Africa, and can be expected to increasingly compromise water supplies and cause political, social and economic tensions among regions in the near future.This work has been supported by research projects CGL201127574CO202, CGL201127536 and CGL2011–24185 financed by the Spanish Commission of Science and Technology and FEDER, ‘Demonstration and validation of innovative methodology for regional climate change adaptation in the Mediterranean area (LIFE MEDACC)’ financed by the LIFE programme of the European Commission, CTTP1/12, financed by the Comunidad de Trabajo de los Pirineos, and QSECA (PTDC/AAGGLO/ 4155/2012) funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT). ASL was supported by a postdoctoral fellowship from the Catalan Government (2011 BPB 00078) and CAM was supported by a Juan de la Cierva fellowship by the Spanish Government