“Listen, did you hear…?” A structural equation model explaining online information sharing on the risks of nanotechnology in food

In order to encourage consumer informed decision making, it is in the interest of risk communicators in the food industry and authorities to facilitate consumer risk information sharing. Focusing on the risks of nanotechnology in food products, this study aimed to develop and test a model that describes the processes that result in the online sharing of risk information on food products. The model was based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour, the Risk Information Seeking and Processing model and the broader risk perception and communication literature. A cross-sectional online survey has been carried out among a representative sample of adults > 18 years of age in the Netherlands (n = 511). Attitude, self-efficacy, and injunctive and descriptive subjective norms in relation to information sharing were measured, as were information need, information seeking, trust, risk perception and anxiety in relation to the application of nanotechnology in food products. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was applied to test the determinants of information sharing behaviour, and their relationships. Results showed that the intention to share information about the risks of nanotechnology in food online was medium-low. The hypothesized model as a whole fitted the data and nine of the fourteen path coefficients were highly significant. Results showed injunctive norms to be the main determinant of information sharing. Attitude and information seeking also contributed to the explanation of the variance in information sharing. Results are put into the perspective of relevant theoretical viewpoints and empirical findings. Implications for food risk communication and the facilitation of informed decision making are discussed

Becoming productive 21st century citizens: A systematic review uncovering design principles for integrating community service learning into higher education courses

Background: To prepare students to become productive 21st century citizens, universities have to be more engaged with society. Shifting towards community service learning (CSL) enables students to participate in, and reflect on, services that both benefit the public and also contribute to their own learning. There has been considerable research conducted on the improved student competencies, both academic and personal, resulting from CSL. There is, however, no consensus on how to integrate CSL into courses successfully, owing to the diverse contextual factors that influence implementation. Purpose: By means of conducting a review, this study aimed to establish general design principles to help guide course coordinators in implementing CSL in their academic courses. Design and methods: A systematic review was conducted of articles describing the implementation of CSL in academic courses within various disciplines. Implementation elements and principles were extracted from the articles and inductively grouped together, thereby identifying various design principles. Findings: Our analysis of the literature highlighted three steps that, according to the literature, are important in the implementation of CSL: (1) aligning course objectives and format; (2) establishing a relationship with the community partner; and (3) defining a reflection and evaluation strategy. We found that the nature of the design principles and specific approaches underlying these implementation steps should depend on the students’ capabilities, which include their pre-CSL experiences. Conclusion: The implementation steps and underlying design principles uncovered by this review may help guide and support course coordinators in their efforts to integrate CSL in their academic courses. The diverse range of design principles makes it possible to acknowledge students’ pre-CSL experiences and, thus, construct appropriate scaffolding, which i

‘McDonald’s Is Good for My Social Life’. Developing Health Promotion Together with Adolescent Girls from Disadvantaged Neighbourhoods in Amsterdam

There is limited knowledge about key factors that enable adolescent girls with a low socioeconomic position (SEP) to adopt a healthy lifestyle. This paper aims to better understand the comp

“It’s like these CHCs don’t exist, are they featured anywhere?”: Social network analysis of community health committees in a rural and urban setting in Kenya

Background In Kenya, Community Health Committees (CHC) were established to enhance community participation in health services. Their role is to provide leadership, oversight in delivery of community health services, promote social accountability and mobilize resources for community health. CHCs form social networks with other actors, with whom they exchange health information for decision-making and accountability. This case study aimed to explore the structure of a rural and an urban CHC network and to analyze how health-related information flowed in these networks. Understanding the pathways of information in community settings may provide recommendations for strategies to improve the role and functioning of CHCs. Methods In 2017, we conducted 4 focus group discussions with 27 community discussants and 10 semi-structured interviews with health professionals in a rural area and an urban slum. Using social network analysis, we determined the structure of their social networks and how health related information flowed in these networks. Results Both CHCs were composed of respected persons nominated by their communities. Each social network had 12 actors that represented both community and government institutions. CHCs were not central actors in the exchange of health-related information. Health workers, community health volunteers and local Chiefs in the urban slum often passed information between the different groups of actors, while CHCs hardly did this. Therefore, CHCs had little control over the flow of health-related information. Although CHC members were respected persons who served in multiple roles within their communities, this did not enhance their centrality. It emerged that CHCs were often left out in the flow of health-related information and decision-making, which led to demotivation. Community health volunteers were more involved by other actors such as health managers and non-governmental organizations as a conduit for health-related information. Conclusion Social network analysis demonstrated how CHCs played a peripheral role in the flow of health-related information. Their perception of being left out of the information flow led to demotivation, which hampered their ability to facilitate community participation in community health services; hence challenging effective participation through CHCs

Making sense of food risk information:The case of organic food

When individuals encounter new information about food issues, such as organic food risks, they have to make sense of this information. Sense-making is the process by which individuals give meaning to the world around them. How the process of sense-making is influenced by the online social environment, and social media interaction in particular, is as yet largely unknown. This dissertation therefore examines the research question: How do individuals make sense of (online) risk information about (organic) food issues? Special focus is placed on the influence of the social environment and on online information exchange. Based on the new opportunities that social media offer to (risk) communication, a distinction in three types of online information exchange is made: information exchange via social networking sites (Facebook), direct online interaction via a chat, and actively sharing encountered information with others via online media such as (micro)blogs. A total of six empirical studies are performed to provide insight in sense-making regarding organic food risks in an online context