What are the most essential social-emotional skills?: Relationships between adolescents’ social-emotional skills and psychosocial health variables: an explorative cross-sectional study of a sample of students in preparatory vocational secondary education

​​​​​​​IntroductionUniversal school-based social-emotional learning (SEL) programs target several social-emotional skills assuming a relationship between the skills and psychosocial health outcomes. However, greater insight into the relationship is required to clarify the skills that are most crucial to address. It will support the development and refinement of SEL programs. This study investigated 1) the relationship among the social-emotional skills, 2) the association between the skills and psychosocial health variables, and 3) the mediating effect of the skills on psychosocial variables.MethodsUsing self-report questionnaires (N = 796) completed by adolescent students (aged 14-18) in preparatory vocational tracks in Dutch secondary education, associations were identified between five SEL skills and two psychosocial health variables, emotional-behavioral difficulties, and prosocial behavior.ResultsThere was a high degree of overlap between the five skills (self-awareness, social awareness, self-management, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making). The skills were univariately associated with emotional-behavioral difficulties and prosocial behavior. In the multivariate model, self-management most strongly correlated with emotional-behavioral difficulties and mediated the relationship between self-awareness and emotional-behavioral difficulties. Social awareness showed the highest correlation with prosocial behavior and mediated the relationship between prosocial behavior and three other skills: self-awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making.DiscussionSelf-management and social awareness seem to be the central skills to promote the psychosocial health outcomes of students in preparatory vocational secondary education tracks. These two skills mediate the relationship between other social-emotional skills, emotional-behavioral difficulties, and prosocial behavior.NWOPRO-4-43Prevention, Population and Disease management (PrePoD)Public Health and primary car

Effects of an SEL program in a diverse population of low achieving secondary education students

Adolescents’ social-emotional skills are associated with positive outcomes in psychosocialhealth and success in education and work. In this study, we examined the effectiveness ofSkills4Life, a Social Emotional Learning program for preparatory vocational secondaryeducation aimed at enhancing self-awareness, social awareness, self-management,relationship skills, and responsible decision making. Low-achieving students withadditional educational needs participated in a quasi-experimental study, with anintervention (N 465) and a control group (N 274). We assessed the outcomes onsocial-emotional skills and psychosocial health using self-report questionnaires at pre-test(T0), after finishing the basic module (T1), and after finishing the internship module (T2).Multi-level regression analyses indicated no overall effects on the outcomes at T1 and T2.After completing the entire program at T2, students from non-western backgrounds hadsignificantly unfavorable lower scores on social awareness and relationship skills. Positiveeffects were found on self-management and preparation for internships in students taughtby experienced professional trainers compared to students taught by regular classroomteachers at T2. Alterations in the socio-cultural approach of the Skills4Life program andteacher training are needed to support all students in developing the social-emotional skillsthat they need for success at school and the workplace.NWOPRO-4-43Public Health and primary carePrevention, Population and Disease management (PrePoD

Tailored communication methods as key to implementation of evidence-based solutions in primary child health care.

Background: Evidence-based policies should underpin successful implementation of innovations within child health care. The EU-funded Models of Child Health Appraised project enabled research into effective methods to communicate research evidence. The objective of this study was to identify and categorize methods to communicate evidence-based research recommendations and means to tailor this to stakeholder audiences. Methods: We conducted an online survey among national stakeholders in child health. Analysis of the most effective strategies to communicate research evidence and reach the target audience was carried out in order to ensure implementation of optimal child health care models at a national level. Results: Representatives of stakeholders from 21 of the then 30 EU MS and EEA countries responded to the questionnaire. Three main approaches in defining the strategies for effective communication of research recommendations were observed, namely: dissemination of information, involvement of stakeholders and active attitude towards change expressed in actions. The target audience for communicating recommendations was divided int

Verification of the implementation conditions of best practices: Task 2 – Models of Child Health Appraised (MOCHA) project

The project was part of WP 9. Validated Optimal Models of Children’s Prevention-Orientated Primary Health Care of the Horizon 2020 MOCHA projec

Feasibility of Teaching Social-emotional Learning in a Novel Game-based School Intervention ‘TalentQuest+’: Student Experiences With Intervention Design and Context

In this feasibility study with a mixed methods, quasi-experimental design with a pre-test and post-test, we aimed to learn from an online game-based SEL intervention for vocational education students (12-16 years) how to develop and implement such non-linear interventions in schools. The SEL intervention TalentQuest+ started in October 2018 and lasted eight months. It consisted of a questionnaire that assigned them an archetype of a Greek god based on their results. Participants then chose challenges that helped them improve on the strengths and weaknesses of the archetype. The program was self-directed. Data of 66 students were analyzed. The number of challenges completed (132) suggests that students did not engage actively with the program. Self-reported open mindedness, self-efficacy, task performance, emotion regulation, and self-reflection were measured at baseline and post intervention, and did not increase significantly. However, qualitative data showed some metacognitive self-reflection skills in half of the students, who learned to think differently about themselves and about strengths and weaknesses. The study showed several implementation and design issues, including a lack of explicit guidance

The relevance of cultural factors in predicting condom-use intentions among immigrants from the Netherlands Antilles

A study into the relevance of cultural factors in predicting condom-use intentions among Antillean migrants in the Netherlands is described in this article. The association between the intention to use condoms with a new sexual partner and a perceived taboo on discussing sex, beliefs about sex education and machismo beliefs on gender and power relationships is addressed. The study was conducted among 346 Dutch Antilleans from a random sample of an Antillean population aged 15-50 years. The response rate was 37.8%. The results showed that condom-use intentions were primarily determined by perceived subjective norms, the perceived taboo on discussing sex, machismo attitudes, gender, age and educational background. Moreover, the respondent's opinion regarding machismo was an effect modificator for the association between condom-use intentions and subjective social norm. It is concluded that, in predicting condom-use intentions, factors specific to the culture of a population contribute significantly to the determinants drawn from the general social-cognition models. It is recommended that future research should use measurement instruments that are adapted to culture-specific beliefs, and should explore the influence of cultural factors on actual condom use. Moreover, interventions promoting condom use among migrant populations should target the cultural correlates of condom use. © The Author 2005. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved

A novel triage approach of child preventive health assessment: an observational study of routine registry-data

Prevention, Population and Disease management (PrePoD

#MeToo en seksueel grensoverschrijdend gedrag van scholieren

Seksueel grensoverschrijdend gedrag in onder andere de amusementswereld doet al enkele maanden stof opwaaien. Vrouwen die te maken hebben gehad met seksueel geweld of ongewenst gedrag, geven met #MeToo op Twitter en Facebook een statement af dat grenzen zijn bereikt en overschreden. Al op jonge leeftijd is het geven van aandacht aan het voorkómen van seksueel grensoverschrijdend gedrag nodig. Dit is voor ouders en scholen geen gemakkelijke opdracht. Gelukkig zijn gezondheidsbevorderingsprogramma’s voor scholen beschikbaar. Alleen is het tegengaan van grensoverschrijdend gedrag tegelijkertijd noodzakelijk en lastig

A novel triage approach of child preventive health assessment: an observational study of routine registry-data?

Background The coverage of preventive health assessments for children is pivotal to the system of preventive health screening. A novel method of triage was introduced in the Preventive Youth Health Care (PYHC) system in the Netherlands with an associated shift of tasks of professionals. Doctor’s assistants carried out pre-assessments to identify children in need of follow-up assessment, whereas in the traditional approach all children would have been screened by a doctor or nurse. The accessibility and care delivery of this new PYHC system was studied. Methods The new triage approach was compared to the traditional approach in 780 children undergoing PYHC assessment with the use of an observational retrospective study design. Outcomes were attendance of assessment appointments (accessibility of care) and referral of children to either extra PYHC assessment or external specialised care (delivery of preventive care). PYHC registry data were analysed. In two regions of the Netherlands, 390 children five to six years of age were randomly selected from the PYHC registries according to the socio-economic strata of the schools they attended. Results When the triage and traditional approaches to PYHC were compared, we found similar attendance rates for assessment appointments, namely about 90%. As expected, 100% of the children in the traditional group were assessed by a PYHC doctor compared to 46% of the children in the triage group. Significantly fewer children were referred for extra PYHC assessment or for treatment by an external specialised care giver when a triage as opposed to the traditional assessment approach was used (19.6% vs. 45.9%). Conclusions The novel triage approaches to PYHC were compared, we found similar attendance rates for assessment appointments, namely about 90%. As expected, 100% of the children in the traditional group were assessed by a PYHC doctor compared to 46% of the children in the triage group. Significantly fewer children were referred for extra PYHC assessment or for treatment by an external specialised care giver when a triage as opposed to the traditional assessment approach was used (19.6% vs. 45.9%)