The Transition Experiences of High Achieving High School Students from Secondary Education to College : A Case Study

This qualitative multiple case study explored the experiences of eight students as they transitioned from high school to college. Eight students from an urban high school in the southern United States agreed to participate in this study. Participants were high-achieving students, 18 years of age, who participated in a teacher preparation class and took the MSLQ for a class project during the last semester of their senior year of high school. The researcher collected and triangulated data to ensure reliability: archival MSLQ scores from the participants’ senior year, open-ended interviews after the participants’ first year of college, document review of syllabi as well as college websites, and college course observations. Four themes emerged in this study including high-school preparation, college academic readiness, college emotional readiness, and navigating independence. Additionally, eleven subthemes deepened the understanding of the thematic analysis of the participants’ experiences. The results of the study revealed that students who take college preparatory classes in high school are more prepared for the high-performance, postsecondary education demands. However, they are not emotionally ready to meet the time constraints, separation from friends and family, and independence a college environment requires. The study can suggest, based on student perceptions, improvements in the high-school course of study that can help students be successful in their transition to higher education

Group Processing: Students Reflections on the Experience and Impact of Group Processing

Problem-based or Enquiry-based learning is recognized as a transformative pedagogy, but there is a paucity of research examining group processing, a critical component of this pedagogy. Group processing is a structured approach to peer- and self-assessment that encourages learning that is both self-reflective and collaborative. Students develop the skills of peer and self-assessment, they learn to receive and deliver constructive feedback, and they benefit from continuous assessment. This article presents a mixed method study that asked former students, who had taken an enquiry-based learning seminar within the past 10 years, to reflect on their experience of group processing. Participants concluded that, based on their own experience, group processing is a skill transferable to other contexts and had a significant effect on their university experience

Using Google Trends to Inform the Population Size Estimation and Spatial Distribution of Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men Who Have Sex With Men: Proof-of-concept Study

Background:We must triangulate data sources to understand best the spatial distribution and population size of marginalized populations to empower public health leaders to address population-specific needs. Existing population size estimation techniques are difficult and limited. Objective:We sought to identify a passive surveillance strategy that utilizes internet and social media to enhance, validate, and triangulate population size estimates of gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (gbMSM). Methods:We explored the Google Trends platform to approximate an estimate of the spatial heterogeneity of the population distribution of gbMSM. This was done by comparing the prevalence of the search term “gay porn” with that of the search term “porn.” Results:Our results suggested that most cities have a gbMSM population size between 2% and 4% of their total population, with large urban centers having higher estimates relative to rural or suburban areas. This represents nearly a double up of population size estimates compared to that found by other methods, which typically find that between 1% and 2% of the total population are gbMSM. We noted that our method was limited by unequal coverage in internet usage across Canada and differences in the frequency of porn use by gender and sexual orientation. Conclusions:We argue that Google Trends estimates may provide, for many public health planning purposes, adequate city-level estimates of gbMSM population size in regions with a high prevalence of internet access and for purposes in which a precise or narrow estimate of the population size is not required. Furthermore, the Google Trends platform does so in less than a minute at no cost, making it extremely timely and cost-effective relative to more precise (and complex) estimates. We also discuss future steps for further validation of this approach

Past dynamics of HIV transmission among men who have sex with men in Montréal, Canada: a mathematical modeling study

BACKGROUND: Gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (gbMSM) experience disproportionate risks of HIV acquisition and transmission. In 2017, Montréal became the first Canadian Fast-Track City, setting the 2030 goal of zero new HIV infections. To inform local elimination efforts, we estimate the evolving role of prevention and sexual behaviours on HIV transmission dynamics among gbMSM in Montréal between 1975 and 2019. METHODS: Data from local bio-behavioural surveys were analyzed to develop, parameterize, and calibrate an agent-based model of sexual HIV transmission. Partnership dynamics, HIV's natural history, and treatment and prevention strategies were considered. The model simulations were analyzed to estimate the fraction of HIV acquisitions and transmissions attributable to specific groups, with a focus on age, sexual partnering level, and gaps in the HIV care-continuum. RESULTS: The model-estimated HIV incidence peaked in 1985 (2.3 per 100 person years (PY); 90% CrI: 1.4-2.9 per 100 PY) and decreased to 0.1 per 100 PY (90% CrI: 0.04-0.3 per 100 PY) in 2019. Between 2000-2017, the majority of HIV acquisitions and transmissions occurred among men aged 25-44 years, and men aged 35-44 thereafter. The unmet prevention needs of men with > 10 annual anal sex partners contributed 90-93% of transmissions and 67-73% of acquisitions annually. The primary stage of HIV played an increasing role over time, contributing to 11-22% of annual transmissions over 2000-2019. In 2019, approximately 70% of transmission events occurred from men who had discontinued, or never initiated antiretroviral therapy. CONCLUSIONS: The evolving HIV landscape has contributed to the declining HIV incidence among gbMSM in Montréal. The shifting dynamics identified in this study highlight the need for continued population-level surveillance to identify gaps in the HIV care continuum and core groups on which to prioritize elimination efforts

What is the empirical basis for converting banded ordinal data on numbers of sex partners among MSM into a continuous scale level variable? A secondary analysis of 13 surveys across 17 countries

BACKGROUND: To provide empirically based guidance for substituting partner number categories in large MSM surveys with mean numbers of sexual and condomless anal intercourse (CAI) partners in a secondary analysis of survey data. METHODS: We collated data on numbers of sexual and CAI partners reported in a continuous scale (write-in number) in thirteen MSM surveys on sexual health and behaviour across 17 countries. Pooled descriptive statistics for the number of sexual and CAI partners during the last twelve (N = 55,180) and 6 months (N = 31,759) were calculated for two sets of categories commonly used in reporting numbers of sexual partners in sexual behaviour surveys. RESULTS: The pooled mean number of partners in the previous 12 months for the total sample was 15.8 partners (SD = 36.6), while the median number of partners was 5 (IQR = 2-15). Means for number of partners in the previous 12 months for the first set of categories were: 16.4 for 11-20 partners (SD = 3.3); 27.8 for 21-30 (SD = 2.8); 38.6 for 31-40 (SD = 2.4); 49.6 for 41-50 (SD = 1.5); and 128.2 for 'more than 50' (SD = 98.1). Alternative upper cut-offs: 43.4 for 'more than 10' (SD = 57.7); 65.3 for 'more than 20' (SD = 70.3). Self-reported partner numbers for both time frames consistently exceeded 200 or 300. While there was substantial variation of overall means across surveys, the means for all chosen categories were very similar. Partner numbers above nine mainly clustered at multiples of tens, regardless of the selected time frame. The overall means for CAI partners were lower than those for sexual partners; however, such difference was completely absent from all categories beyond ten sexual and CAI partners. CONCLUSIONS: Clustering of reported partner numbers confirm common MSM sexual behaviour surveys' questionnaire piloting feedback indicating that responses to numbers of sexual partners beyond 10 are best guesses rather than precise counts, but large partner numbers above typical upper cut-offs are common

What is the empirical basis for converting banded ordinal data on numbers of sex partners among MSM into a continuous scale level variable? A secondary analysis of 13 surveys across 17 countries

BACKGROUND: To provide empirically based guidance for substituting partner number categories in large MSM surveys with mean numbers of sexual and condomless anal intercourse (CAI) partners in a secondary analysis of survey data. METHODS: We collated data on numbers of sexual and CAI partners reported in a continuous scale (write-in number) in thirteen MSM surveys on sexual health and behaviour across 17 countries. Pooled descriptive statistics for the number of sexual and CAI partners during the last twelve (N = 55,180) and 6 months (N = 31,759) were calculated for two sets of categories commonly used in reporting numbers of sexual partners in sexual behaviour surveys. RESULTS: The pooled mean number of partners in the previous 12 months for the total sample was 15.8 partners (SD = 36.6), while the median number of partners was 5 (IQR = 2-15). Means for number of partners in the previous 12 months for the first set of categories were: 16.4 for 11-20 partners (SD = 3.3); 27.8 for 21-30 (SD = 2.8); 38.6 for 31-40 (SD = 2.4); 49.6 for 41-50 (SD = 1.5); and 128.2 for 'more than 50' (SD = 98.1). Alternative upper cut-offs: 43.4 for 'more than 10' (SD = 57.7); 65.3 for 'more than 20' (SD = 70.3). Self-reported partner numbers for both time frames consistently exceeded 200 or 300. While there was substantial variation of overall means across surveys, the means for all chosen categories were very similar. Partner numbers above nine mainly clustered at multiples of tens, regardless of the selected time frame. The overall means for CAI partners were lower than those for sexual partners; however, such difference was completely absent from all categories beyond ten sexual and CAI partners. CONCLUSIONS: Clustering of reported partner numbers confirm common MSM sexual behaviour surveys' questionnaire piloting feedback indicating that responses to numbers of sexual partners beyond 10 are best guesses rather than precise counts, but large partner numbers above typical upper cut-offs are common

Substance-specific readiness to change among sexual and gender minority men who use crystal methamphetamine

A patient-oriented approach to addressing high levels of polysubstance use among sexual and gender minority men (SGM) who use crystal methamphetamine (CM) requires an understanding of which drugs they would like to change their use of. We examined readiness to change for 24 separate substances. Participants were SGM, aged 18+, living with Canada, who used CM in the past six months that were recruited through advertisements on socio-sexual networking applications. Frequency of use and readiness to change were descriptively analyzed and associations between frequency of use and readiness to change were assessed. Only slightly more than half (53.1%) of CM-using SGM were ready now, soon, or in the future to change substance use. Participants were most ready to change their tobacco, methamphetamine, and barbiturate use. Greater frequency of use was associated with greater readiness to change for all drugs in which daily or almost daily use was common. SGM participants reported high levels of comfort being asked about their substance use from primary care, mental health, and queer-identified health professionals. Interventions addressing multiple and specific substances are needed in health care settings serving SGM who use CM. Screening, brief interventions, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) in these settings may help identify those ready to address their substance use. Harm reduction interventions should offer supports for those not wanting to change their substance use—which includes most SGM for most of the drugs they use