The influence of social support on the wellbeing of immigrants residing in Italy: Sources and functions as predictive factors for life satisfaction levels, sense of community and resilience

Moving from one country to another involves not only separation from the country of origin, but also the tiring process of integration into a new physical, institutional, and sociocultural context, which may expose migrants to acculturation stress. The loss of former support networks, or at the very least their transformation, presents immigrants with the need to rebuild their social support systems in the host country, involving an active search for support. Therefore, the aim of study is to analyze the structure of informal social support and its capacity to predict immigrants’ sense of community, resilience, and satisfaction with life. The results confirm that social support predicts satisfaction with life, sense of community, and resilience. Our findings highlight the way sources and frequency of support, and the satisfaction with which they are associated, have different degrees of predictive value on the dependent variables under investigation. In this study, it can be concluded that social support is an important factor in the well-being of migrants and their integration into the host community. The results have an important practical value in promoting interventions that improve immigrants’ support networks and, consequently, increase their satisfaction with life, sense of community, and resilience.Funding for open access charge: Universidad de Málaga / CBU

Evaluación de la actividad docente en el Espacio Europeo de Educación Superior: un estudio comparativo de indicadores de calidad en universidades europeas

La adaptación de los Títulos al nuevo marco del Espacio Europeo de Educación Superior (EEES) requiere la optimización de la calidad de las actividades desarrolladas por el profesorado. Por ello, y en este contexto de cambios, la necesidad de emprender la evaluación de la labor docente de forma integral constituye una de las demandas más urgentes para las universidades europeas. Asimismo, la instauración de modelos comparables entre instituciones académicas fortalece el sentido de la evaluación de la labor docente como Sistema Integral de Calidad. Todo lo anterior se traduce en un cambio de concepción del proceso de enserevista ñanza universitaria, donde la formación y experiencia docente se combinan para garantizar la calidad tanto de los aprendizajes del alumnado universitario, como de la metodología y actuación docente, teniendo como finalidad última la mejora continua y la optimización del proceso de aprendizaje-enseñanza

Gestión de las diferencias culturales y apoyo social como predictores de la satisfacción familiar de las parejas mixtas

La presente investigación tiene como finalidad comprobar si las estrategias de gestión de las diferencias culturales que valorizan la doble cultura y el apoyo social, entre otros factores psicosociales, predicen la satisfacción familiar de las parejas mixtas o interculturales. Parejas que arrojan una tasa de divorcio doble comparación con las parejas españolas (Domínguez, 2014). Método: Se realiza un diseño no experimental de tipo transversal con 146 parejas mixtas (146 extranjeros y 146 españoles) residentes en España seleccionados con la técnica snow ball. Las variables predictoras de la satisfacción familiar son el apoyo social, la discriminación percibida y 4 estrategias para la gestión de las diferencias culturales en distintos ámbitos familiares. Resultados: En el caso de los españoles, el apoyo de la pareja (β=.443; p<.01), la utilización de una estrategia que valoriza la doble cultura (β=.415; p<.01), la capacidad de asimilar la cultura de su pareja extranjera (β=.309; p<.01), unido a la baja discriminación percibida (β= -.235; p<.01), predicen su satisfacción familiar (R2=.774). Para los extranjeros, las variables predictoras de su satisfacción familiar son las estrategias que valorizan la doble cultura -ampliación de las posibilidades- (β=.262; p<.01), el apoyo de la pareja (β=.184; p<.01), apoyo familiar (β=.203; p<.01) y la baja discriminación (β= -.205; p<.05). Estas variables explican el 71,4% de la varianza (R2=.714). Existe un efecto de moderación entre la estrategia que valoriza la doble cultura con la diferencia religiosa. En este sentido los miembros de las parejas con diferencias religiosas mejorarán considerablemente su satisfacción familiar si utilizan masivamente las estrategias que valorizan la doble cultura (Effect= .79; p<.001). Conclusiones: Los resultados pueden abrir nuevas líneas de investigación y de intervención orientadas a mejorar la estabilidad de las parejas mixtas con el objetivo de reducir el número de divorcios.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Adherence to treatment by public administration workers: factors related to health and well-being

Artículos originales[ES] Objetivos: a) Analizar los niveles de adherencia al tratamiento por parte de los trabajadores estudiados; b) determinar los factores relacionados con el incumplimiento terapéutico y, por ende, con la salud y el bienestar de los participantes en el estudio y c) sentar las bases para el diseño futuro de estrategias de intervención preventiva. Métodos: El estudio se llevó a cabo durante el año 2008 en el Servicio de Prevención de los Servicios Centrales del Instituto Nacional de la Seguridad Social. Para ello, se diseñó un cuestionario aplicado a cada paciente (trabajador) en el que se recogen, además de las variables sociodemográficas, el tipo de enfermedad, tipo de tratamiento, razones de incumplimiento, apoyo social, salud y bienestar subjetivo. Resultados: Los análisis muestran que la adherencia a la medicación se da en mayor medida que la relacionada con la dieta y/o ejercicio físico. Entre los motivos de incumplimiento se señala especialmente el olvido, seguido del temor a los efectos secundarios. Existen diferencias en salud y bienestar entre quienes siguen las recomendaciones y quienes no; aquélla son estadísticamente significativas en la dieta y el ejercicio físico. El apoyo social juega un papel importante en la adherencia, en la salud y el bienestar subjetivo. Conclusiones: El conocimiento de los factores relacionados con el incumplimiento terapéutico y su vinculación con la salud y el bienestar ayuda a planificar actuaciones encaminadas a la prevención de la enfermedad en el ámbito laboral.[EN] Objectives: a) to analyse the levels of adherence to treatment by the workers studied, b) to determine the factors related to therapeutic failure and thus to participants´ health and well-being and c) to make the design of future preventive strategies. Methods: The study was carried out during 2008 in the Prevention Service of Central Services, National Institute of Social Security. A questionnaire was designed and applied to each patient (employee). This instrument contains the type of disease, treatment, reasons for non-compliance, social support, health and subjective well-being, in addition to sociodemographic variables. Results: The analysis shows that adherence to medication is higher than adherence to diet and/or exercise. Among the reasons for non-compliance are oversight and the fear of side effects. There are differences in health and well-being between those who follow recommendations and those who don´t. These differences are significant statistically in diet and exercise. Social support plays an important role in adherence, health and subjective well-being. Conclusions: Knowledge of factors related to therapeutic failure and its relationship to health and well-being helps to plan actions to prevent the disease in the workplace.N

Design and Validation of the Adaptation to Change Questionnaire: New Realities in Times of COVID-19

Emotional and cognitive-behavioral factors influence people’s adaptability to change. Based on this premise, the objective of this study was to develop, evaluate and validate the Adaptation to Change Questionnaire (ADAPTA-10) for identifying those who show poor adaptability to adverse situations, such as those caused by COVID-19. This study was carried out in a sample of 1160 adults and produced a 10-item instrument with good reliability and validity indices. It is an effective tool useful in research and in clinical practice. Calculation tables are provided for the general Spanish population and by sex to evaluate adaptability to change. The two-dimensional structure proposed in the original model was confirmed. This instrument will enable the needs for adaptation to the new reality associated with COVID-19 to be detected and also other situations in which the subject becomes immersed which demand adaptation strategies in the new situation lived in.S

Adaptation to Change Questionnaire for Nurses: Validation and New Needs in the Context of COVID-19

Background: The worldwide pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus has challenged healthcare systems and the professionals who work in them. This challenge involves strong changes to which nurses have had to quickly adapt. Emotional and cognitive–behavioral factors influence the capacity for adaptation to change. Based on this model, the objective of this study was to validate the Adaptation to Change Questionnaire (ADAPTA-10) for identifying professionals in a population of nurses who have problems adapting to adverse situations such as those caused by COVID-19. Methods: This study was performed with a sample of 351 nurses. (3) Results: The ADAPTA-10 questionnaire was found to have good psychometric properties, and to be an effective, useful tool for nurses in research and clinical practice. The two-dimensional structure proposed in the original model was confirmed. Scales are also provided by sex for evaluation of adaptation to change; the highest scores on the emotional component were among nurses who had not personally encountered the virus. Conclusions: This instrument will be able to detect of the needs for adaptation to the new reality associated with COVID-19, as well as other situations in which nurses are immersed that demand adaptation strategies

Ethnicity and Clinical Outcomes in Patients Hospitalized for COVID-19 in Spain: Results from the Multicenter SEMI-COVID-19 Registry

Background: This work aims to analyze clinical outcomes according to ethnic groups in patients hospitalized for COVID-19 in Spain. (2) Methods: This nationwide, retrospective, multicenter, observational study analyzed hospitalized patients with confirmed COVID-19 in 150 Spanish hospitals (SEMI-COVID-19 Registry) from 1 March 2020 to 31 December 2021. Clinical outcomes were assessed according to ethnicity (Latin Americans, Sub-Saharan Africans, Asians, North Africans, Europeans). The outcomes were in-hospital mortality (IHM), intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and the use of invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV). Associations between ethnic groups and clinical outcomes adjusted for patient characteristics and baseline Charlson Comorbidity Index values and wave were evaluated using logistic regression. (3) Results: Of 23,953 patients (median age 69.5 years, 42.9% women), 7.0% were Latin American, 1.2% were North African, 0.5% were Asian, 0.5% were Sub-Saharan African, and 89.7% were European. Ethnic minority patients were significantly younger than European patients (median (IQR) age 49.1 (40.5-58.9) to 57.1 (44.1-67.1) vs. 71.5 (59.5-81.4) years, p < 0.001). The unadjusted IHM was higher in European (21.6%) versus North African (11.4%), Asian (10.9%), Latin American (7.1%), and Sub-Saharan African (3.2%) patients. After further adjustment, the IHM was lower in Sub-Saharan African (OR 0.28 (0.10-0.79), p = 0.017) versus European patients, while ICU admission rates were higher in Latin American and North African versus European patients (OR (95%CI) 1.37 (1.17-1.60), p < 0.001) and (OR (95%CI) 1.74 (1.26-2.41), p < 0.001). Moreover, Latin American patients were 39% more likely than European patients to use IMV (OR (95%CI) 1.43 (1.21-1.71), p < 0.001). (4) Conclusion: The adjusted IHM was similar in all groups except for Sub-Saharan Africans, who had lower IHM. Latin American patients were admitted to the ICU and required IMV more often

Design and Validation of the Adaptation to Change Questionnaire: New Realities in Times of COVID-19

Emotional and cognitive-behavioral factors influence people’s adaptability to change. Based on this premise, the objective of this study was to develop, evaluate and validate the Adaptation to Change Questionnaire (ADAPTA-10) for identifying those who show poor adaptability to adverse situations, such as those caused by COVID-19. This study was carried out in a sample of 1160 adults and produced a 10-item instrument with good reliability and validity indices. It is an effective tool useful in research and in clinical practice. Calculation tables are provided for the general Spanish population and by sex to evaluate adaptability to change. The two-dimensional structure proposed in the original model was confirmed. This instrument will enable the needs for adaptation to the new reality associated with COVID-19 to be detected and also other situations in which the subject becomes immersed which demand adaptation strategies in the new situation lived in