Jointly Building an Evaluation Culture: A Workshop Methodology for a European Project in the Field of Adult Education

This paper presents a reflection on the role of cooperative research in addressing the topic of evaluation within the field of adult education. To this end, the authors outline a specific cooperation initiative that involved academics and practitioners from the field of adult education in different European countries.The project presented here is based on the hypothesis that in order to enhance evaluation at the European level, it is necessary to build a European culture of evaluation, which may be developed by creating a concrete space for collaboration among practitioners and researchers from a range of European adult education contexts.Specifically, the project wasdesigned to promote an exchange of experiences, expertise and practices among academic researchers and “practitioners” (Schön, 1983)involved in the evaluation of adult education. A key role was played by a Mobility Workshop: viewed as the core of the collaborative approach proposed, the Workshop provided a concrete opportunity for collaboration amongevaluators and researchers from different countries within Europe.

Co-occurence of risky driving behaviours and associations with seatbelt and helmet use - a descriptive cross-sectional study among young adults

Background: Greece exhibits one of the highest rates of deaths and injuries due to motor vehicle crashes in young adults in Europe. The personal, social and financial cost is still very high as road traffic crashes account for 65.8% of all deaths among young people aged 10-24 years, with prominent gender differences that are not fully explained yet.  Methods: using a descriptive cross-sectional study design, we examined the associations of seatbelt and helmet use with the likelihood of manifesting multiple driving violations (fail to stop at STOP signs, running red traffic lights, driving towards the wrong direction, illegal overtaking, speeding, cellphone use while driving, driving under the influence of alcohol) in a sample of 536 1st year university students in Greece. A ‘Risky Driving Index’ score (RDI) was produced by summing the frequencies of all behaviours (range 0-28).  Results: only 8.8% of the students reported not performing any of the driving violations, whereas 8.6% engaged in all 7 of them when driving (male: 11.5%; female: 1.9%; score>8, male: 31.7%; female: 8.1%). Male, but not female participants, who never used seatbelts and helmets, reported significantly higher RDI scores with evidence of a dose-response effect in the increase. In adjusted logistic regression models, those who never used (vs regular use) seat belt ‘as drivers’ and ‘as rear seat passengers’ had increased odds of being in the higher score category of RDI (OR=5.239 95%CI=1.280-21.441 and OR=6.782 95%CI=1.891-24.324, respectively).  Conclusion: young male drivers and riders, but not their female counterparts, that do not take typical safety measures (seatbelt and helmet use), reported more illegal and risky driving behaviours. Preventive interventions using a gender-informed approach are needed to address co-occurring risk driving behaviours.  &nbsp

Family affluence, socio - economic status and dietary habits of 1st year University students

Introduction: Low socio-economic status (SES) is associated with health risk behaviours contributing to the social inequalities in health. However, the associations of dietary habits with socio-economic status have not been investigated in emerging adulthood in detail yet. Aim: To investigate the associations of dietary habits with socio-economic status in 1st year undergraduate university students. Methods: This cross-sectional analysis draws data from the LATO study, a longitudinal study of all 1st year undergraduate students of TEI Crete during the academic year 2012/13 (Ν=1138, 54% girls, Mean age 18,31 years, response rate 96,7%). The consumption frequencies of fruits, vegetables, soft drinks, breakfast and delivery food were associated with the following socio-economic indicators: Family affluence (FAS II), paternal and maternal educational level and self-reported economic status. The SPSS v21.0 was used to perform logistic regression models after adjusting for potential confounders. Results: Only 24,9%, 12% and 17% of the students were consuming breakfast, fruits and vegetables, respectively, in a daily basis. Soft drinks were consumed daily by 6,1% of the participants but most of them consumed delivery/junk food less than 1/week (73,8%). Higher family affluence was associated with increased odds of consuming breakfast (OR=2,90, 95%CI=1,13-7,44), soft drinks (OR=8,10, 95%CI=1,38-47,68) and delivery/junk food (OR=2,44, 95%CI=1,27-4,70) in boys. High paternal educational level was associated in a protective way with boys’ consumption of delivery food (OR=0,42, 95%CI=0,18-0,95) and soft drinks (OR=0,19, 95%CI=0,05-0,72). Fruits and vegetables consumption was not associated with any SES indicator. Conclusions: The majority of 1st year university students were not following current diet recommendations irrespective of SES. Interventions targeting eating behaviours are needed at higher education institutes

Social Capital, Perceived Economic Affluence, and Smoking During Adolescence: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Smoking is among the health risk behaviors taken up by many adolescents with lifelong consequences and associations with multiple health risk behaviors. Smoking and smoking initiation in adolescence involves an interaction between micro-, meso-, and macro systems, including neighborhoods and the greater community. Objectives: To examine the associations of individual social and economic capital with self-reported health, life satisfaction, and smoking behavior in adolescents. Methods: Using a multistage random sampling of junior high school students (16-18years old) in Crete, Greece, 703 adolescents (90.2% 16years old; 55.6% girls, participation rate 84.2%) completed an anonymous questionnaire based on HBSC study and the Youth Social Capital Scale (YSCS) during April-June 2008. Multiple logistic regression models were performed adjusted for potential confounders. Results: Adolescents with high participation in their neighborhoods and communities (higher structural social capital) displayed lower odds for daily smoking; those feeling unsafe (lower cognitive social capital) were at greater odds of daily smoking. Adolescents with less friends and acquaintances had lower odds of having tried tobacco products. Smoking was not related to any economic capital variables (perceived affluence, paternal and maternal employment status). Adolescents with low/medium versus high total social capital were at higher odds for low life satisfaction and fair/bad versus excellent self-rated health. Conclusions/Importance: Social capital theory may provide a better understanding in identifying the social context that is protective or harmful to adolescents’ smoking. Public health organizations at all levels need to incorporate social capital theory in their interventions

A longitudinal study of multiple lifestyle health risk behaviours among nursing students and non-nursing peers

Aim: The aim of this paper is to compare the evolution of health risk behaviours between undergraduate nursing and social work students. Background: Nursing includes the promotion of health and the shaping of healthy behaviours. An important determinant for providing lifestyle advice is the lifestyle of nurses themselves. Design: Longitudinal comparative study. Measurements: We compared lifestyle risk behaviours (binge drinking, cannabis/hashish/marijuana use, smoking, oral hygiene/toothbrushing, breakfast/fruit/vegetable consumption, physical activity and screen time/sedentary behaviours) using a self-administered standardized questionnaire in nursing (n = 121) and social work (n = 140) students at the beginning (2012) and the end of their studies (2015). Adjusted multivariable logistic/Poisson regression models were performed. Results: There were no statistically significant differences between the departments in most risk factors in both assessments. However, in relation to their first year, both nursing and social work students displayed higher relative risk of engaging in more behavioural risk factors at the end of their studies (in delivery/junk food consumption, sunburns, hashish/marijuana use and multiple sexual partners). Social work students displayed better behaviours in physical activity and breakfast intake. Conclusion: Nursing students share the patterns of their nonnursing peers in behavioural risk factors compromising their future health and health-promoting role. We need strategies to safeguard the professional nursing practice

Intention, Motivation, and Empowerment: Factors Associated with Seasonal Influenza Vaccination among Healthcare Workers (HCWs)

Background: Vaccination against seasonal influenza has proven effective in preventing nosocomial influenza outbreaks among hospital patients and healthcare workers (HCWs). This study aims to explore the intention, motivation, and empowerment toward vaccination and vaccination advocacy as contributing factors for seasonal influenza vaccination in HCWs. Methods: A cross-sectional study in eight secondary hospitals in Greece was conducted from March to May 2022. An anonymous questionnaire was enclosed in an envelope and distributed to all participants, including questions on vaccine behavior and the MoVac-flu and MoVad scales. Results: A total of 296 participants completed the questionnaire. In multivariate logistic regression models adjusted for potential confounders, increased age, intention score, MoVac-flu scale score, and the presence of chronic diseases were significant predictors of influenza vaccination this year, while increased age, intention score, and presence of chronic diseases were predictors of vaccination every year. Conclusion: Vaccination uptake is simultaneously affected by logical cognitive processes (intention), together with factors related to motivation and empowerment in distinct self-regulatory domains such as value, impact, knowledge, and autonomy. Interventions focused on these identified predictors may be used as a guide to increase HCWs’ vaccination rates

Social capital, tolerance of diversity and adherence to Mediterranean diet: the Rhea Mother-Child Cohort in Crete, Greece

Objective: To estimate the associations of individual maternal social capital and social capital dimensions (Participation in the Community, Feelings of Safety, Value of Life and Social Agency, Tolerance of Diversity) with adherence to the Mediterranean diet during pregnancy. Design: This is a cross-sectional analysis of data from a prospective mother-child cohort (Rhea Study). Participants completed a social capital questionnaire and an FFQ in mid-pregnancy. Mediterranean diet adherence was evaluated through an a priori score ranging from 0 to 8 (minimal-maximal adherence). Maternal social capital scores were categorized into three groups: the upper 10% was the high social capital group, the middle 80% was the medium and the lowest 10% was the low social capital group. Multivariable log-binomial and linear regression models adjusted for confounders were performed. Setting: Heraklion, Crete, Greece. Subjects: A total of 377 women with singleton pregnancies. Results: High maternal Total Social Capital was associated with an increase of almost 1 point in Mediterranean diet score (highest upsilon. lowest group: beta coefficient=0.95, 95 % CI 0.23, 1.68), after adjustment for confounders. Similar dose-response effects were noted for the scale Tolerance of Diversity (highest v. lowest group: adjusted beta coefficient=1.08, 95 % CI 0.39, 1.77). Conclusions: Individual social capital and tolerance of diversity are associated with adherence to the Mediterranean diet in pregnancy. Women with higher social capital may exhibit a higher sense of obligation to themselves and to others that may lead to proactive nutrition-related activities. Less tolerant women may not provide the opportunity to new healthier, but unfamiliar, nutritional recommendations to become part of their regular diet

Maternal social capital and birth outcomes in the mother child cohort in Crete, Greece (Rhea study)

This cohort study aimed to estimate the effect of individual maternal social capital during pregnancy on birth outcomes in the context of the Mother child cohort (Rhea study), in Crete - Greece. Women were recruited from four prenatal clinics in Heraklion - Crete for one year beginning in February 2007. 610 women completed the self-administered Social Capital Questionnaire at about the 24th week of gestation. The scale assessed total maternal social capital and four social capital subscales: Participation in the Community, Feelings of Safety, Value of Life and Social Agency, and Tolerance of Diversity. Potential confounders included characteristics that have an established or potential association w th the maternal social capital, and the birth outcomes (preterm birth, small weight for the gestational age, fetal weight growth restriction, weight, length and head circumference). The results of logistic and I near regression models indicated that there was an increase in the risk of preterm birth for every unit increase in maternal participation (range 12-48), and especially in the risk of medically indicated preterm birth. Although the findings suggest that participation is associated with an increased probability for preterm birth, we cannot know whether this is a protective or damaging social capital effect. Women who participate more in their communities may have enhanced access to information and/or resources, easier access to health care and support when they face maternal and fetal conditions that trigger the need for medical intervention. On the other hand, women may be more exposed to social and/or environmental stressors. Future research needs to distinguish between different types of participation and different components of social capital to better understand their associations with birth outcomes. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Social capital in pregnancy and postpartum depressive symptoms: A prospective mother-child cohort study (the Rhea study)

Background: Depression, and to a lesser extent postpartum depressive symptoms, have been associated with characteristics of the social environment and social capital. Up to the present, mostly cross-sectional studies have explored such an association without providing a clear temporal relationship between social capital and depression. Objectives: To estimate prospectively the effect of individual-level self-reported maternal social capital during pregnancy on postpartum depressive symptoms. Design: Prospective mother-child cohort (Rhea study). Settings: 4 prenatal clinics in Heraklion, Crete, Greece. Participants: All women for one year beginning in February 2007. From the 1388 participants, complete data were available for 356 women. Methods: Women self-completed two questionnaires: The Social Capital Questionnaire at about the 24th week of gestation and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (range 0-30) at about the 8-10th week postpartum. Maternal social capital scores were categorized into three groups: the upper 10% was the high social capital group, the middle 80% was the medium and the lowest 10% was the low social capital group that served as the reference category. Multivariable log-binomial and linear regression models were performed for: the whole available sample; for participants with a history of depression and/or prenatal EPDS >= 13; for participants without any previous or current depression and prenatal EPDS score < 13. Potential confounders included demographic, socio-economic, lifestyle and pregnancy characteristics that have an established or potential association with maternal social capital in pregnancy or postpartum depressive symptoms or both. Results: Higher maternal social capital was associated with lower EPDS scores (highest vs lowest group: beta-coefficient = -3.95, 95% CI -7.75, -0.14). Similar effects were noted for the subscale value of life/social agency (highest vs lowest group: beta-coefficient = -5.96, 95% CI -9.52, -2.37). This association remained significant for women with and without past and/or present depression only for the subscale value of life/social agency although with a more imprecise estimate. No effect was found for participation, a structural dimension of social capital. Conclusions: Women with higher individual-level social capital in mid-pregnancy reported less depressive symptoms 6-8 weeks postpartum. Given the proposed association of perceptions of the social environment with postpartum depressive symptoms, health professionals should consider evidence-based interventions to address depression in a social framework. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved