Ammattiin opiskelevien nuorten seksuaalikäyttäytyminen ja siihen liittyvät tiedot ja asenteet ennen seksuaaliterveysinterventiota ja sen jälkeen

Tämän tutkimuksen tarkoitus on kuvata ja selittää ammattiin opiskelevien 15–19-vuotiaiden nuorten seksuaalikäyttäytymistä ja siihen liittyviä tietoja ja asenteita ennen seksuaaliterveysinterventiota ja sen jälkeen. Lisäksi kuvataan, miten ammattiin opiskelevat nuoret arvioivat oppilaitoksissa toteutettua seksuaaliterveysinterventiota. Tutkimuksen tavoitteena on tuottaa tietoa, jota voidaan hyödyntää nuorten seksuaaliterveyden edistämisessä ja suunniteltaessa, kehitettäessä ja toteutettaessa seksuaaliterveysinterventioita oppilaitoksissa. Tutkimusasetelma oli satunnaistettu ja kontrolloitu koeasetelma. Tutkimuksen interventioryhmään satunnaistettiin neljä oppilaitosta (N=1104 opiskelijapaikkaa) ja neljä oppilaitosta kontrolliryhmään (N=800 opiskelijapaikkaa). Tutkimusluvat haettiin oppilaitosten käytäntöjen mukaisesti. Aineisto kerättiin sähköisellä kyselylomakkeella kolme kertaa: alkumittaus ennen interventiota tammi-helmikuussa 2011 (vastaajia n=705), ensimmäinen seurantamittaus heti intervention päättymisen jälkeen (n=375) ja toinen seurantamittaus 14 viikkoa intervention päättymisen jälkeen (vastaajia n=161). Intervention kesto oli 11 viikkoa ja siihen sisältyi kolme osa-aluetta: 1) seksuaaliterveyden oppitunti, 2) kirjalliset materiaalit 3) kondomien ilmaisjakelu. Aineisto analysoitiin tilastotieteellisillä menetelmillä. Tutkimukseen osallistuneet olivat iältään pääasiassa 16–17-vuotiaita (96 %). Kaksi kolmasosaa vastaajista oli poikia. Ennen interventiota nuorista 63 prosentilla (n = 432) oli seksikokemuksia eli yhdyntöjä tai suuseksiä. Kondomin käyttö oli nuorilla epäsäännöllistä ja seksitautitesteissä oli käynyt joka viides. Intervention jälkeen seksitautitesteissä käyneiden osuus lisääntyi tilastollisesti merkitsevästi interventioryhmässä, kontrolliryhmässä ei ollut vastaavaa eroa. Seksuaalikäyttäytymiseen yhteydessä olevia tietoja mitattiin kahdeksalla kysymyksellä. Ennen interventiota keskimäärin viiteen kysymykseen vastattiin oikein. Heikoimmin tiedetty kysymys liittyivät seksitautien oireettomuuteen ja hi-viruksen tarttumiseen. Poikien tiedot olivat merkitsevästi heikommat kuin tyttöjen. Intervention jälkeen interventioryhmässä tiedot paranivat ensimmäisen ja toisen mittauksen välillä. Ero oli tilastollisesti merkitsevä. Kontrolliryhmässä tiedot paranivat tilastollisesti merkitsevästi alkumittauksen ja ensimmäisen seurantamittauksen välillä. Seksuaalikäyttäytymiseen liittyviä asenteita mitattiin kokonaisuutena sekä neljällä eri osa-alueella, jotka olivat luottamus kondominkäyttökykyihin ja kommunikointikykyihin, sekä sosiaalisen hyväksynnän ja kondomin käytön esteettömyyden kokemus. Asenteet olivat keskimäärin myönteisiä kaikilla osa-alueilla ennen interventiota. Interventioryhmässä asenteiden keskiarvo kokonaisuudessaan oli ensimmäisessä seurantamittauksessa tilastollisesti merkitsevästi alempi eli asenteet olivat kielteisemmät kuin kahdessa muussa mittauksessa. Kontrolliryhmässä ei ollut eroja. Intervention toteutuksen arviointi oli myönteinen kaikilla osa-alueilla: oppitunti, kirjalliset materiaalit ja kondomien jakelu. Myönteiseen arviointiin oppitunnista oli tilastollisesti merkitsevästi yhteydessä vastaajan seurusteleminen. Kirjallisten materiaalien ja kondomien jakelun myönteiseen arviointiin taas oli tilastollisesti merkitsevästi yhdessä kokemus terveydenhoitajan vastaanotolle pääsyn helppoudesta. Nuorten seksuaalikäyttäytyminen on tulosten perusteella aktiivista ja monimuotoista, mutta kondomin käyttö epäsäännöllistä. Kondomin käyttö on harvinaista erityisesti suuseksissä ja anaaliyhdynnässä. Seksuaalikasvatuksen tulisi huomioida nuorten monimuotoiset seksitavat sekä löytää uusia keinoja nuorten motivoimiseksi kondomin käyttöön ja seksitautien testaukseen. Tulosten perusteella vaikuttaa siltä, että seksuaaliterveysinterventiolla voi olla yhteys lisääntyneeseen seksitautitesteissä käymiseen. Nuorten, erityisesti poikien, tiedot seksuaalikäyttäytymiseen liittyen ovat heikot. Nuorten tietoja tulisi vahvistaa seksitauteja, kuten hiv-infektiota koskien. Nuorten asenteet seksuaalikäyttäytymiseen liittyen ovat myönteiset, mikä on hyvä lähtökohta seksuaaliterveyden edistämiselle.The purpose of this study is to describe and explain 15 to 19 years old adolescents’ attitudes, knowledge and sexual behavior before and after a sexual health promotion intervention. In addition, the purpose is to examine adolescents’ self-evaluations of the sexual health intervention that was carried out in randomly selected vocational schools. The aim of the study is to produce information that can be used to promote adolescent’s sexual health and to plan, develop and implement sexual health interventions in school environments. The study was randomized and controlled. Four vocational schools (N = 1104 student places) were randomized in the intervention group, and four vocational schools (N = 800 student places) were randomized in the control group. Research permission was obtained according to the guidelines of each vocational school. The data was collected with a self-completion online questionnaire three times during the study: before intervention in January to February 2011 (baseline n = 705), the first follow-up immediately after the intervention (n=375) and the second follow-up 14 weeks after the intervention (n=161). The duration of the intervention was 11 weeks and it consisted of three components: 1) class-room session of sexual health; 2) information materials (leaflets and posters); 3) free condom distribution. The data was analyzed by statistical methods. Nearly all participants were 16 to 17 years old (96%). Two thirds of the participants were boys. In the intervention baseline group 63% (n = 432) of the participants wer e sexually experienced and had had either intercourse or oral sex. The condom use was inconsistent among participants. One fifth had been tested for sexually transmitted infections (STI). After the intervention, the proportion of those who had been tested for STIs, was statistically significantly higher in the intervention group. There were no differences in the control group between measurements. Knowledge concerning sexual behavior was measured with eight questions. Before the intervention on average five questions were answered correctly. The least well-known questions were related to the symptoms of STIs and to the transmission of HIV-infection. Boys had statistically significantly weaker knowledge than girls. In the intervention group the knowledge was statistically significantly better in the second follow-up group than in the first follow-up group. In the control group the participants had significantly higher knowledge in the second follow-up compared with the baseline or with the first follow-up gro up. Attitudes concerning sexual behavior were measured as total and in four subcategories: 1) self-efficacy in condom use 2) self-efficacy in communication 3) feeling of social acceptance 4) obstacles to condom use. Before the intervention, the attitudes concerning sexual behavior were positive in all four sub-categories. The mean total score of the attitudes was statistically significantly lower, and there were less positive attitudes in the first follow-up intervention group compared to the other groups. There were no statistically significant differences concerning attitudes in the control group. The participants were fairly satisfied with all the components of the intervention: class-room session, information materials and free condom distribution. More positive evaluation from the class-room session was significantly associated with being in a relationship. The positive self-evaluation of information materials and condom distribution was most frequently associated with the perceived access to the school health nurses’ appointment. Young people's sexual behavior seems to be active and diverse, but condom use is inconsistent. Especially in oral sex or in anal intercourse a condom is rarely used. The diversity of sexual behavior among adolescents should be taken into account in sexual education and find new ways to motivate adolescents to use condoms and to be tested for STIs. Adolescents, especially boys, have weak knowledge concerning sexual behavior. Adolescents knowledge concerning sexually transmitted infections such as HIV should be strengthened. Adolescents’ attitudes concerning sexual behavior are positive, which is a good starting point for sexual health promotion

Teacher–child interactions as a context for developing social competence in toddler classrooms

The present study investigates the quality and variability of teacher–child interactions in relation to children’s social competence in Finnish toddler classrooms. The participants included 242 toddlers (114 girls, 128 boys) and their teachers (N = 42). The quality of teacher–child interactions (i.e., emotional and behavioral support; engaged support for learning) was observed using the CLASS-Toddler observation instrument (La Paro et al., 2012), and the average amount of within-day variability was calculated from the observed cycles. Teachers rated toddler’s social competence with the Multisource Assessment of Social Competence Scale (MASCS; Junttila et al., 2006) in relation to the toddlers’ cooperation, empathy, impulsivity, and disruptiveness. The results revealed that observed engaged support for learning was positively associated with the classroom average level of empathy in the spring when accounting for previous levels of empathy in the fall. In addition, a higher variability in engaged support for learning was negatively related to the empathy. The results emphasize the importance of active facilitation, well-timed feedback, and verbally rich support by teachers in promoting toddlers’ empathy throughout one’s daily activities, hence attesting to both the quality and consistency of such practices. The results are particularly useful for initial teacher training and in-service training.The present study investigates the quality and variability of teacher–child interactions in relation to children’s social competence in Finnish toddler classrooms. The participants included 242 toddlers (114 girls, 128 boys) and their teachers (N = 42). The quality of teacher–child interactions (i.e., emotional and behavioral support; engaged support for learning) was observed using the CLASS-Toddler observation instrument (La Paro et al., 2012), and the average amount of within-day variability was calculated from the observed cycles. Teachers rated toddler’s social competence with the Multisource Assessment of Social Competence Scale (MASCS; Junttila et al., 2006) in relation to the toddlers’ cooperation, empathy, impulsivity, and disruptiveness. The results revealed that observed engaged support for learning was positively associated with the classroom average level of empathy in the spring when accounting for previous levels of empathy in the fall. In addition, a higher variability in engaged support for learning was negatively related to the empathy. The results emphasize the importance of active facilitation, well-timed feedback, and verbally rich support by teachers in promoting toddlers’ empathy throughout one’s daily activities, hence attesting to both the quality and consistency of such practices. The results are particularly useful for initial teacher training and in-service training

Reciprocal Associations Between Social Competence and Language and Pre-Literacy Skills in Preschool

The present study examined reciprocal associations between children’s social competence and language and pre-literacy skills across the preschool year. Participants were 441 children (six-year-olds; 212 boys, 229 girls) and their teachers. Teachers rated children’s social competence in the autumn and again in the spring, using the Multisource Assessment of Social Competence Scale (MASCS), which produced sum scores for cooperating skills, empathy, impulsivity and disruptiveness. Children were tested by trained investigators on their pre-literacy skills in both the autumn and the spring, and, only in the spring, also on their receptive vocabulary. Parental education, each child’s age and time elapsed between the measurement points were used as control variables. The gender differences in the reciprocal associations were also investigated. The results showed that cooperating skills predicted a higher vocabulary. Associations between social competence and pre-literacy skills varied between boys and girls. For girls, empathy and cooperating skills predicted higher pre-literacy skills, whereas, for boys, pre-literacy skills predicted subsequent empathy. For boys, higher pre-literacy skills were related to lower disruptiveness and impulsivity, whereas, for girls, higher disruptiveness predicted lower pre-literacy skills. The findings highlight the reciprocal association between social-emotional and pre-literacy skills and emphasise the importance of promoting children’s overall development during the preschool year

Teaching practices mediating the effect of teachers’ psychological stress, and not physiological on their visual focus of attention

The aim of the present study was to investigate the association between teachers’ (N = 53) physiological and psychological stress and their visual focus of attention as well as the mediating effect of teaching practices on this association in authentic classroom settings. Data were collected using multimodal methods of measurement: salivary cortisol levels for physiological stress, a self-reported questionnaire for psychological stress, observed teaching practices during one school day, and eye-tracking video recordings of classroom teachers during one lesson for teachers’ visual focus of attention. The results showed that neither teachers’ physiological nor psychological stress was directly related to their visual focus of attention. However, using more child-centered teaching practices compared with teacher-directed ones was related to a higher number of fixations on students, longer total fixation duration, and more individualized distribution of visual focus of attention on students. Teacher’s teaching practices mediated the effect of teachers’ psychological stress on their fixation counts on students and distribution of visual focus of attention. The results suggest that teaching practices are related to the visual attention teachers’ give to students and that teachers’ stress affects their visual focus of attention through teaching practices. The practical implications of this study suggest that teachers should receive training and support to recognize their stress level and its association with their teaching.publishedVersio

Longitudinal associations between third-grade teaching styles and sixth-grade reading skills : a 3-year follow-up study

Background Most previous studies of teaching styles and reading skills have been cross-sectional. Longitudinal research is needed to clarify the direction of effects. The present longitudinal study examined the degree to which differences in teaching styles in the third grade predict the sixth-grade reading performance. The consistency of the findings was addressed by comparing results across students in two countries (Finland and Estonia). Methods A total of 1,057 students (50.9% boys) were followed from the third to sixth grade. Teaching styles of third-grade teachers (N = 70) were examined as predictors of the development of reading (i.e., third-grade to sixth-grade reading fluency and comprehension). Results Five patterns of third-grade teaching practices were found across two countries: child-centred style, teacher-directed style, child-dominated style, extreme child-centred style, and mixed child-centred and teacher-directed style (mixed teaching style). The mixed teaching style and the child-centred style in the third grade were related to the greatest increases in reading fluency from the third to sixth grade, over and above the contribution of age, gender and maternal education. Conclusions The findings underscore the importance of the flexible use of child-centred and teacher-directed practices, which are both linked to the development of reading fluency during late primary school years.Peer reviewe

Longitudinal Associations of First-grade Teaching with Reading in Early Primary School

The present study examined the longitudinal associations between first-grade teaching practices and children's reading skills development from Grade 1 to Grade 3. Using the Early Childhood Classroom Observation Measure (ECCOM), the teaching practices of 32 Finnish teachers were observed in Grade 1. Students' (N = 359) word recognition and sentence reading skills were assessed yearly from Grade 1 to Grade 3. The person-oriented analysis identified three profiles of teaching practices in Grade 1: child-centred teaching style, teacher-directed teaching style, and a mixed child-centred and teacher-directed teaching style. Furthermore, the results showed that children whose Grade 1 teachers used the mixed child-centred and teacher-directed style showed faster reading skills development than those who were taught with the teacher-directed style. These findings provided evidence that teachers' use of both child-centred and teacher-directed practices in the first school year promotes the best development of children's reading skills in early school years.Peer reviewe

Patterns of dialogic teaching in kindergarten classrooms of Finland and the United Arab Emirates

© 2018 Elsevier Ltd The present study explored patterns of dialogic teaching in kindergarten classrooms across two countries with different educational systems and cultural backgrounds: Finland and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). In each country, transcripts of thirteen learning sessions were analyzed by identifying episodes of educational dialogue and categorizing them with regard to previously identified patterns of dialogic teaching. Results showed that teachers, rather than students, initiated dialogue. Further, teacher-initiated teaching dialogue of high quality was the dominant dialogue pattern. Comparisons across countries revealed less educational dialogue and more teacher-initiated questions in classrooms in the UAE, while more open space for sharing thoughts was found in kindergarten classrooms in Finland. The findings suggest variations in the structure of educational dialogue and instructional practices in kindergarten classrooms across contexts

Ohjausvuorovaikutuksen laatu ja esiopettajien työhyvinvointi: kontekstitekijöiden ja työstä palautumisen merkitys

Tämän tutkimuksen tavoitteena oli selvittää, missä määrin ohjausvuorovaikutuksen laatu ja esiopettajien työhyvinvointi (koettu stressi ja työstä palautuminen) vaihtelevat suhteessa esiopetuksen kontekstitekijöihin eli esiopetuksen toteutuspaikkaan (päiväkoti tai koulu), ryhmäkokoon ja esiopettajan työkokemukseen. Lisäksi selvitettiin, muuntaako esiopettajien työstä palautuminen ohjausvuorovaikutuksen laadun ja koetun stressin välisiä yhteyksiä esiopetusvuoden aikana. Tutkimukseen osallistui 47 esiopettajaa esiopetusvuoden syksyllä ja keväällä. Ohjausvuorovaikutuksen laatua arvioitiin CLASS Pre-K –havainnointityökalun avulla kolmella osa-alueella: tunnetuki, toiminnan organisointi ja ohjauksellinen tuki. Lisäksi esiopettajat arvioivat kyselylomakkeella työhyvinvointiaan. Tulosten mukaan ohjausvuorovaikutuksen kokonaislaatu ja esiopettajien työhyvinvointi olivat riippumattomia kontekstitekijöistä, vaikkakin joitakin yksittäisiä eroja ohjausvuorovaikutuksen laadussa havaittiin. Lisäksi esiopettajien työstä palautuminen muunsi koetun stressin ja ohjausvuorovaikutuksen laadun välisiä yhteyksiä osoittaen työstä palautumisen olevan keskeistä esiopettajien työssä jaksamiselle ja ohjausvuorovaikutuksen laadulle. Tuloksia voidaan hyödyntää esiopettajien ja varhaiskasvatuksen opettajien perus- ja täydennyskoulutuksessa ohjausvuorovaikutuksen laadun parantamiseksi ja työhyvinvoinnin tukemiseksi.The aim of this study was to examine if the quality of teacher-child interactions and preschool teachers’ occupational well-being (stress and recovery from work) differ depending on contextual factors, i.e., location of the preschool group (daycare center or school), group size and teacher’s work experience. Moreover, it was investigated if teachers’ recovery from work moderates the associations between the stress teachers experience and the quality of teacher-child interactions during the preschool year. Preschool teachers (N = 47) participated in the study in autumn and in spring. The quality of teacher-child interactions in the classrooms was assessed with the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS Pre-K) on three dimensions: emotional support, classroom organization and instructional support. Moreover, teachers reported their occupational well-being on questionnaires. The results showed that teachers’ occupational well-being and the overall quality of teacher-child interactions did not differ depending on the contextual factors although some differences were found in the quality of teacher-child interactions. Furthermore, recovery from work moderated the associations between teachers’ stress and quality of teacher-child interactions in the classroom indicating that recovery from work is central to teachers’ well-being and interaction quality. Findings are useful for teachers’ preservice and in-service training to enhance the quality of teacher-child interactions and to support teachers’ occupational well-being

Changes in thiamine concentrations, fatty acid composition, and some other lipid-related biochemical indices in Baltic Sea Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) during the spawning run and pre-spawning fasting

Salmonines in the Baltic Sea and North American lakes suffer from thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency, which is connected to an abundant lipid-rich diet containing substantial amounts of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). In the Baltic region, this is known as the M74 syndrome. It affects both adult salmon (Salmo salar) and especially their offspring, impairing recruitment. However, very little is known about the thiamine and lipid metabolism of salmon during feeding and spawning migrations in the Baltic Sea. In this study, salmon females were sampled along the spawning run from the southern Baltic Proper in four locations at sea and finally at spawning in a river at the Bothnian Bay in a year with insignificant M74 mortality. Changes in concentrations of thiamine and its components in muscle, ovaries, and the liver and other biochemical indices potentially relating to lipid and fatty acid metabolism were investigated. The results provide further evidence of the role of peroxidation of PUFAs in eliciting thiamine deficiency in salmon: During the entire spawning run, the muscle total lipid content decreased by 50%, palmitic acid (16:0) by 62%, and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3) by 45%. The concentration of total thiamine decreased significantly until the spawning in the liver and ovaries, 66 and 70% respectively. In the muscle, the proportion of thiamine pyrophosphate of total thiamine increased with the use of muscular lipid stores. There was no trend in the concentration of total carotenoids during the spawning run. The doubling of the concentration of hepatic malondialdehyde indicated peroxidation of PUFAs, and the mobilisation of body lipids suppressed the activity of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, as consumed dietary lipids would also have done.Peer reviewe