Health promotion programs in prison: attendance and role in promoting physical activity and subjective health status

IntroductionMaintaining an inmate’s health can serve as a challenge due to unhealthy background, risky behavior, and long imprisonment. This study aimed to analyze the prevalence of participation in health promotion activities among Israeli inmates and its association with their physical activity levels and subjective health status.MethodsA cross-sectional study was designed to examine 522 inmates (429 males, 93 females). The data were collected by trained face-to-face interviewers and self-report questionnaires.ResultsMost of the participants (82.37%) did not meet the recommended physical activity level. Half of the participants reported that their physical activity levels decreased since they were in prison compared with 29.50% who reported that their physical activity levels increased. Physical activity and subjective health status were significantly higher among younger male inmates. Furthermore, participation in health-promoting activities was associated with higher levels of physical activity and subjective health status.DiscussionHealth promotion activities may play an important role in addressing the challenges of maintaining inmate health. Implications of the findings are further discussed

Trends and Challenges Regarding Cyber Risk Mitigation by CISOs—A Systematic Literature and Experts’ Opinion Review Based on Text Analytics

Background: Cyber security has turned out to be one of the main challenges of recent years. As the variety of system and application vulnerabilities has increased dramatically in recent years, cyber attackers have managed to penetrate the networks and infrastructures of larger numbers of companies, thus increasing the latter’s exposure to cyber threats. To mitigate this exposure, it is crucial for CISOs to have sufficient training and skills to help them identify how well security controls are managed and whether these controls offer the company sufficient protection against cyber threats, as expected. However, recent literature shows a lack of clarity regarding the manner in which the CISOs’ role and the companies’ investment in their skills should change in view of these developments. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between the CISOs’ level of cyber security-related preparation to mitigate cyber threats (and specifically, the companies’ attitudes toward investing in such preparation) and the recent evolution of cyber threats. Methods: The study data are based on the following public resources: (1) recent scientific literature; (2) cyber threat-related opinion news articles; and (3) OWASP’s reported list of vulnerabilities. Data analysis was performed using various text mining methods and tools. Results: The study’s findings show that although the implementation of cyber defense tools has gained more serious attention in recent years, CISOs still lack sufficient support from management and sufficient knowledge and skills to mitigate current and new cyber threats. Conclusions: The research outcomes may allow practitioners to examine whether the companies’ level of cyber security controls matches the CISOs’ skills, and whether a comprehensive security education program is required. The present article discusses these findings and their implications

The Impact of Nomophobia, Stress, and Loneliness on Smartphone Addiction among Young Adults during and after the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Israeli Case Analysis

Technological development in recent times has dramatically changed the way people live, interact with, and consume information. Since the emergence of the first iPhone in January 2007 until today, mobile phones are used daily for a range of purposes. Using mobile phones for various purposes intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic due to isolation or government lockdown regulations. However, along with the advantages of smartphone usage there are many disadvantages such as smartphone addiction and continuous exposure to digital screens, behaviors known as PSU—problematic smartphone use. This study explores the impact of several variables on PSU: loneliness, the need for social interaction, sleep hours, fear of losing phone access (nomophobia), and stress among young adults in Israel. The variables are examined with respect to two time periods: 1. During the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns (defined as “T1”) and 2. Following the end of the first wave of COVID-19 lockdowns (defined as “T2”). The results indicated that nomophobia, social affiliation, and sleep hours affect PSU. In addition, the indirect effect of the number of sleep hours on stress and PSU was found to be significant in T2 and in T1. The findings and their implications are discussed

­­­­­Cyber Security Challenges and Opportunities in a Multi-A­­­gent Environment : The case of Swedish Transport Administration

Cyberrisk utgör ett hot mot teknologier, data och individers och organisationers integritet. Svårigheten för organisationer i att skydda sig och reducera hoten har ökat som en följd av att cyberbrottslingar har tillgång till bättre metoder och verktyg för datastöld och systeminfiltration. Detta är i synnerhet sant vad gäller fleragentsystem där agenterna är digitalt sammanlänkade via Internet. Denna skrift rapporterar, med fokus på fleragentsystem, de vanligaste och mest fundamentala cyberhoten samt presenterar luckor och tillkortakommanden i utbudet av verktyg syftande till att reducera cyberhoten. Trafikverket och dess verksamhet ingår i fleragentssystem. Skriften redogör för de mest samtida problemen och möjligheterna relevanta för transportområdet. Vidare så pekar den ut framtida forskningsbehov syftande till att ge vägledning till dem som leder cyberförsvaret i transportområdet. Skriftens slutsatser vilar på en systematisk litteraturgenomgång av vetenskapliga arbeten.Cyber risks are considered as one of the main challenges that harm technology, data, and privacy of individuals and organizations. While cyber criminals tend to use improved methods and tools to steal data or hack into systems, the ability of organizations to mitigate such risks tend to become more difficult. Especially when the organization and various other agents operate in a multi-agent environment that is often connected to the internet. This report highlights some of the most common and fundamental cyber threats and cyber security gaps or vulnerabilities which might be found in risk mitigation tools that are used for cyber defense in a multi-agent environment. The Swedish Transport Administration for example operates in such an environment. The study exhibits latest challenges and opportunities in the transport arena while focusing on unique and specific disciplines related to the Swedish Transport Sector. It suggests future applicative research studies that will yield recommendations to cyber defense managers in the transport sector whose one of the major tasks is to perform mitigation of cyber risks. The study employed a structured literature review methodology drawing on existing scientific scholarship to prepare the report.

­­­­­Cyber Security Challenges and Opportunities in a Multi-A­­­gent Environment : The case of Swedish Transport Administration

Cyberrisk utgör ett hot mot teknologier, data och individers och organisationers integritet. Svårigheten för organisationer i att skydda sig och reducera hoten har ökat som en följd av att cyberbrottslingar har tillgång till bättre metoder och verktyg för datastöld och systeminfiltration. Detta är i synnerhet sant vad gäller fleragentsystem där agenterna är digitalt sammanlänkade via Internet. Denna skrift rapporterar, med fokus på fleragentsystem, de vanligaste och mest fundamentala cyberhoten samt presenterar luckor och tillkortakommanden i utbudet av verktyg syftande till att reducera cyberhoten. Trafikverket och dess verksamhet ingår i fleragentssystem. Skriften redogör för de mest samtida problemen och möjligheterna relevanta för transportområdet. Vidare så pekar den ut framtida forskningsbehov syftande till att ge vägledning till dem som leder cyberförsvaret i transportområdet. Skriftens slutsatser vilar på en systematisk litteraturgenomgång av vetenskapliga arbeten.Cyber risks are considered as one of the main challenges that harm technology, data, and privacy of individuals and organizations. While cyber criminals tend to use improved methods and tools to steal data or hack into systems, the ability of organizations to mitigate such risks tend to become more difficult. Especially when the organization and various other agents operate in a multi-agent environment that is often connected to the internet. This report highlights some of the most common and fundamental cyber threats and cyber security gaps or vulnerabilities which might be found in risk mitigation tools that are used for cyber defense in a multi-agent environment. The Swedish Transport Administration for example operates in such an environment. The study exhibits latest challenges and opportunities in the transport arena while focusing on unique and specific disciplines related to the Swedish Transport Sector. It suggests future applicative research studies that will yield recommendations to cyber defense managers in the transport sector whose one of the major tasks is to perform mitigation of cyber risks. The study employed a structured literature review methodology drawing on existing scientific scholarship to prepare the report.

A Biopsychosocial Approach to Examining Alcohol Consumption among Youth during the COVID-19 Pandemic

This study investigated the relationship between biopsychosocial characteristics (age, sex, self-rated health, mental health, parental socio-economic status, family support, teacher support, peer support) and alcohol consumption (weekly alcohol consumption in the past three months, drunkenness in the past three months, and binge drinking in the past month) in adolescents during a crisis event. The study consisted of 1019 Israeli students aged 11–18. Questionnaires were distributed to the students between May and July 2021 during school. Teacher support among those who presented weekly alcohol consumption and drunkenness in the past three months was lower than in those who did not present such behavior. The effects of parental support differed only for drunkenness behavior, with those who engaged in drunken behavior presenting significantly less parental support. Our findings suggest that teacher support and mental health are the two major factors in preventing risky alcohol consumption behavior during a crisis, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, among adolescents

Risk Behaviors, Family Support, and Emotional Health among Adolescents during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Israel

We investigated the prevalence of risk behaviors among Israeli adolescents (tobacco smoking, alcohol consumption, drug use) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Associations between different risk behaviors were examined and so was whether specific characteristics could predict risk behaviors in adolescents. The study consisted of 1020 Israeli adolescents aged 15–18. Study subjects completed an online survey between the first and second lockdowns in Israel (April 2020 to September 2020). Participants reported the frequency at which they engaged in four different risky behaviors: general risky behavior, tobacco smoking, alcohol consumption (binge drinking), and cannabis use. The most prevalent risky behavior in the sample was binge drinking (33.8%). The four measured risky behaviors were significantly correlated. Among participants who had previously engaged in a risky behavior assessed, most did not change the behavior frequency during the pandemic. All independent variables (sociodemographic characteristics, family support, and emotional, health excluding friends’ support, physical activity volume, and coronavirus restrictions) were significantly different between participants engaging vs. not engaging in risky behaviors. Our findings suggest that family support is one of the most influential factors in preventing risky behavior during the pandemic, and they emphasize the importance of family-based interventions with children and adolescents from elementary to high school

Cardiovascular risk profiles clusters among children and adolescents with disabilities

Abstract Background Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are a precursor for disabilities and death worldwide. Being overweight or obese in combination with physical inactivity and smoking habits may increase the risk for CVD and other health problems such as lower limb osteoarthritis, diabetes, stroke, and various cancer types among children and adolescents. The literature emphasizes the need to follow such groups and evaluate the risk of individuals developing CVD diseases. Therefore, the current study explores the variety of cardiovascular risks in children and adolescents’ profiles clusters with and without disabilities. Methods Data from 42 countries including Israel, was collected with the support of the world health organization (WHO, Europe) through a questionnaire from 11–19 years old school-aged. Results The study finding shows that children and adolescents with disabilities demonstrated a higher prevalence of overweight than those who completed the HBSC youth behavior survey. Moreover, the prevalence of tobacco smoking and alcohol use was statisticaly significantly higher among the disabled group than the non-disabled group. In addition, socioeconomic status of responders who presented a very high CVD risk was found as significantly lower than those from the first and second low risk groups. Conclusion This led to the conclusion that children and adolescents with disability were at a higher risk of developing CVDs than their non-disabled peers. In addition, intervention programs tailored to the needs of adolescents with disability should consider lifestyle habit change and promoting healthy living thus improving their quality of life as well as reducing their risk of being exposed to severe CVD diseases