“Indicators to prevent university drop-out and delayed graduation. An Italian case”

International audiencePurposeResearch on the association between individual characteristics of undergraduate students, drop-out and delayed graduation is still evolving. Therefore, further evidence is required. The paper aims to discuss this issue.Design/methodology/approachThis paper reports on an empirical study examining the relationship between students' individual characteristics and delayed graduation. The analysis is based on a sample of 1,167 students who have registered on and have completed a full-time undergraduate programme in Italy. Using a Probit model, the findings document the individual, background and environmental indicators that play a role in explaining delayed graduation.FindingsThe study observes that students who commute to university perform better than those residing on campus. Other factors increasing the probability of completing the undergraduate programme on time include individual characteristics (e.g. gender and age), student background (family income, education), institutional environment (teaching and research quality) and student satisfaction. Finally, some policy implications are discussed.Social implications - A direct policy implication of these findings is that supporting academic staff in order to enhance their performance in both research and teaching has a positive effect on the performance of the students.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to the debate on the impact of institutional quality on students' performance, aiming to address the question of balance between teaching and research orientation

Entrepreneurial skills in university degrees

Purpose: From a skills perspective, the academic field of entrepreneurship has grown to become a key element in university studies. Determining whether these skills exist among university students and how to foster them is a key in higher education. To this effect, the aim of this study is to determine the entrepreneurial skills’ level among the students on the different bachelor’s degrees taught at the Faculty of Business and Economics Sciences of University of Girona. Design/methodology/approach: Information about the skill level was collected using a skills model called Tricuspoid, which was specifically designed for the self-assessment of entrepreneurial skills. Information about students’ sociodemographic, professional and educational profile was collected using a self-administered complementary questionnaire. Bivariate analysis and statistical contrast were applied. Findings: Being a man, doing sport, balancing studying with paid work and accessing university studies via the vocational training pathway are indicators of a greater entrepreneurial capacity. On the other hand, being a woman, accessing university studies via baccalaureate or having no knowledge of English, however, are factors associated with a deficit in entrepreneurial talent. Originality/value: Considering the fact that attitude to entrepreneurship can be modified through educational interventions, identifying these factors enables us to formulate guidelines for teaching activities that increase students’ entrepreneurial and intrapreneurial capacity for a better integration for our students into the job market

Prevalence of sexual harassment among young Spaniards before, during, and after the COVID-19 lockdown period in Spain

Background: Sexual harassment is a type of coercion, including social pressure, intimidation, physical force, and verbal acts, in addition to other forms such as cyber-harassment, recognized as a major important public health problem. Methods: This cross-sectional study, based on a survey administered online to men and women aged 18 to 35 years and living in Spain throughout 15th and 28th October 2020, aims to analyze the prevalence and factors associated with sexual harassment among young people in Spain within the last 12 months, particularly according to the COVID-19 lockdown period. It has been conducted by bivariate analysis and robust Poisson regression models. The final sample includes 2.515 participants. Results: The results indicate that women were almost twice as likely as men to experience sexual harassment (49% vs 22.2%). Also, among heterosexual men and women, the estimated prevalence was lower concerning that observed among bisexuals, gays, and lesbians (31.5% vs 53, 39.2, and 34.6% respectively). The prevalence percentage in the 18–24 age group was twice high as that observed in the 30–35 age group. Finally, during the lockdown period, the harassment through electronic channels increased (32.6% vs 16.5 and 17.8% before and after this period, respectively) and decreased on public roads (22.9% vs 63.4 and 54.4% pre-lockdown and post-lockdown periods, respectively). Conclusion: These findings highlight that sexual harassment presents a high prevalence among young people, especially cyber-harassment, and workplace harassment and it is important to be aware that young women are more likely to suffer harassment and even more if they do not have a partner or have LGB orientation. During the lockdown sexual harassment has moved from public spaces to the social network.This research was supported by the CIBER of Epidemiology and Public Health of Spain; Grant ESP20PI02

Validación de una rúbrica para la evaluación de la narración reflexiva: la fase de valoración por expertos

RESUMEN: Este trabajo presenta el proceso de validación de una rúbrica de evaluación del aprendizaje basado en la metodología reflexiva en el contexto universitario de los estudios de Grado. Estructurado en dos fases, se presentan el procedimiento y resultados de la primera fase de validación externa realizada por académicos expertos en metodología reflexiva y la propuesta de la siguiente fase. Los resultados muestran una valoración general positiva, destacando la validez de los elementos propuestos.ABSTRACT: This paper presents the process in the validation of an assessment rubric based on the reflective learning methodology of graduate students at university context. We present the results of the first phase which has been validated by external academic experts in reflective methodology. We also present the proposal for the next phase. The results show a positive overall assessment emphasizing the validity of the elements proposed

Mixed models and point processes

The main objective of this Thesis is to model the occurrence of wildfires and, in particular, knowing the factors with more influence, to evaluate how they are distributed in space and time. The Thesis presents three major goals. Firstly it has been analysed if data follows a particular pattern or behaves randomly. Secondly, because of fire distribution is variable in time, a model which includes the temporal component is used. Finally, it has been analysed those fires that burn areas greater than a given extension of hectares (50ha, 100ha or 150ha); even though they represent a small percentage of all fires, they signify a high percentage of the area burned and cause important environmental damage. The results presented may contribute to the prevention and management of wildfires. In addition, the methodology used in this work can be useful to determine those factors that help any fire to become a big wildfireL’objectiu principal d’aquesta tesi és modelitzar l’ocurrència dels incendis i, en particular, analitzar la variabilitat del seu comportament en funció de l’espai i el temps tot coneixent quins són els factors que, amb més o menys intensitat, influeixen en el seu comportament. Es plantegen tres grans objectius. Primerament, s’analitza si les dades segueixen un patró determinat o altrament tenen un comportament aleatori. En segon lloc, s’estudia la variabilitat temporal dels incendis i s’aplica un model que incorpora la component temporal. Finalment, s’analitzen els incendis més grans que una extensió específica fixada (50ha, 100ha o 150ha) que, tot i no ser els més freqüents, són els que més mal mediambiental ocasionen. Els resultats obtinguts poden contribuir a la prevenció i a la gestió dels incendis forestals. A més, la metodologia utilitzada és útil per conèixer quins són els factors que fan que un incendi es converteixi en un gran incendi foresta

Labor market situation after an episode of sickness absence due to malignant neoplasia. Evidence from a Spanish cohort

BACKGROUND: Due to the progress in screening and cancer treatments, survivor's prognosis has improved enabling a more likely return to work. However, return to work after a cancer diagnosis may be complex because of an unbalanced health status and work demands relationship that may push them out of the labor market. The aim of this study is to assess the risk of dropping out of the labor market due to unemployment, partial retirement, and permanent disability during the year following an episode due to a malignant neoplasm compared to other non-malignant pathologies. METHODS: Cohort study of 9699 workers affiliated with the Social Security System in Catalonia, who had a sickness absence episode between 2012 and 2013 due to malignant neoplasm, mental, musculoskeletal disorders, cardiovascular diseases and injuries. Competing risk regression models were applied to assess the risk of dropping out of the labor market, by calculating subhazard ratios (SHR) in both sexes. Models were adjusted for age, occupational category, type of contract, economic activity, annual median salary and duration of the SA episode as potential confounders. RESULTS: Sickness absence due to malignant neoplasia represented 1.7% out of the 9699 episodes included between 2012 and 2013. Although, 80% of individuals continued working in the year following an episode due to malignant neoplasm, women showed a trend towards exiting the labor market because of partial retirement [SHR = 8.4(1.5-45.5)] and permanent disability [SHR = 5.8(1.5-22.9)] compared to non-malignant pathologies. There were no significant differences for unemployment either in women [SHR = 0.4(0.2-0.9)] and in men [SHR = 0.2(0.1-0.6)]. CONCLUSIONS: Although return to work is a common pathway among cancer survivors, partial retirement and permanent disability seem to be potential pathways to exit the labor market among women

Did psychotropic drug consumption increase during the 2008 financial crisis? A cross-sectional population-based study in Spain

OBJECTIVES AND SETTING: Although psychotropic drugs are used to treat mental health disorders, little evidence analyses the effects the 2008 economic downturn had on psychotropic drug consumption in the case of Spain. We analyse these effects, considering both gender and employment situation. PARTICIPANTS: We used the microdata from the face-to-face cross-sectional population-based Spanish National Health Survey for two periods: 2006-2007 (n=28 954) and 2011-2012 (n=20 509). Our samples included adults (>15 years old). METHODS: The response variables are consumption (or not) of antidepressants or sedatives and the explanatory variables are the year of the survey, gender and employment status. Covariates are mental health problems, mental health index General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) and self-reported health outcome variables such as self-rated health, chronic diseases, smoking behaviour, sleeping hours, body mass index, physical activity in the workplace, medical visits during the past year, age, region of residence (autonomous communities), educational level, marital status and social class of the reference person. Finally, we include interactions between time period, gender and employment status. We specify random effects logistic regressions and use Bayesian methods for the inference. RESULTS: The economic crisis did not significantly change the probability of taking antidepressant drugs (OR=0.56, 95% CI 0.18 to 2.56) nor sedatives (OR=1.21, 95% CI 0.26 to 5.49). In general, the probability of consuming antidepressants among men and women decreases, but there are differences depending on employment status. The probability of consuming sedatives also depends on the employment status. CONCLUSIONS: While the year of the financial crisis is not associated with the consumption of antidepressants nor sedatives, it has widened the gap in consumption differences between men and women. Although antidepressant use dropped, the difference in consumption levels between men and women grew significantly among the retired, and in the case of sedatives, risk of women taking sedatives increased in all groups except students

Occupational risk during pregnancy and sick leave in a cohort of workers from Parc de Salut Mar (Barcelona, Spain)

Objetivo: Estudiar la utilización de la prestación por riesgo durante el embarazo (PRE) y de la incapacidad temporal por contingencia común (ITcc) en una cohorte de trabajadoras embarazadas del Parc de Salut Mar, Barcelona (España). Método: Estudio de cohorte retrospectiva de 428 trabajadoras embarazadas entre 2010 y 2014, que fueron seguidas hasta el parto, registrando las ausencias por ITcc o PRE hasta el inicio de su licencia por maternidad. El análisis de secuencias identifica cuatro trayectorias, que son descritas según las características demográficas y laborales de las trabajadoras. Resultados: Del total de mujeres, 56 (13,1%) accedieron únicamente a la PRE, que representó 6126 días de ausencia; 68 (15,9%) también accedieron a la PRE, con 7127 días de ausencia, pero con anterioridad habían acumulado 102 episodios de ITcc con 1820 días de ausencia. La mayoría de las trabajadoras embarazadas de la muestra (69,9%) se acogió solo a uno o varios episodios de ITcc sin utilizar la PRE, con 545 episodios y 26337 días de ausencia. La mayoría estuvieron activas laboralmente durante el primer trimestre y es a partir del segundo cuando aparecieron episodios de ITcc de larga duración. El último mes del embarazo, más del 80% de las trabajadoras estaban ausentes del trabajo. Conclusiones: Las trabajadoras embarazadas permanecen activas dos terceras partes del embarazo. Las ausencias se deben mayoritariamente a episodios de ITcc, representando la PRE una tercera parte. Nuestros resultados sugieren, como ocurre en otros países de nuestro entorno, un cambio en la gestión de la protección social de las trabajadoras embarazadasObjective: To study the use of the Pregnancy occupational risk benefit (PORB) and non-work related sickness absence (NWSA) in a cohort of pregnant workers of Parc de Salut Mar, Barcelona (Spain). Method: Retrospective cohort study of 428 pregnant workers between 2010 and 2014, who were followed-up until delivery. Absences from work, both PORB and NWSA were recorded until the beginning of their maternity leave. The sequence analysis identifies four trajectories, which are described according to workers demographic and job characteristics. Results: Of the total cohort, 56 (13.1%) accessed only the PORB, representing 6.126 days of absence; 68 (15.9%) also accessed PORB, with 7.127 days of absence, but had previously accumulated 102 episodes of NWSA with 1.820 days of absence. The majority of pregnant workers in the sample (69.9%) took only one or several episodes of NWSA without using PORB, with 545 episodes and 26,337 days of absence. Most were active during the first quarter and it is from the second quarter that episodes of long-term NWSA appeared. During the last month of pregnancy more than 80% of the workers were absent from work. Conclusions: Pregnant workers remained at work for two thirds of their pregnancy. Absences were mainly due to episodes of NWSA. PORB represented one third of them. As in other similar countries, our results suggest a change in the management of social protection benefits for pregnant worker

Did psychotropic drug consumption increase during the 2008 financial crisis? A cross-sectional population-based study in Spain

OBJECTIVES AND SETTING: Although psychotropic drugs are used to treat mental health disorders, little evidence analyses the effects the 2008 economic downturn had on psychotropic drug consumption in the case of Spain. We analyse these effects, considering both gender and employment situation. PARTICIPANTS: We used the microdata from the face-to-face cross-sectional population-based Spanish National Health Survey for two periods: 2006-2007 (n=28 954) and 2011-2012 (n=20 509). Our samples included adults (>15 years old). METHODS: The response variables are consumption (or not) of antidepressants or sedatives and the explanatory variables are the year of the survey, gender and employment status. Covariates are mental health problems, mental health index General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) and self-reported health outcome variables such as self-rated health, chronic diseases, smoking behaviour, sleeping hours, body mass index, physical activity in the workplace, medical visits during the past year, age, region of residence (autonomous communities), educational level, marital status and social class of the reference person. Finally, we include interactions between time period, gender and employment status. We specify random effects logistic regressions and use Bayesian methods for the inference. RESULTS: The economic crisis did not significantly change the probability of taking antidepressant drugs (OR=0.56, 95% CI 0.18 to 2.56) nor sedatives (OR=1.21, 95% CI 0.26 to 5.49). In general, the probability of consuming antidepressants among men and women decreases, but there are differences depending on employment status. The probability of consuming sedatives also depends on the employment status. CONCLUSIONS: While the year of the financial crisis is not associated with the consumption of antidepressants nor sedatives, it has widened the gap in consumption differences between men and women. Although antidepressant use dropped, the difference in consumption levels between men and women grew significantly among the retired, and in the case of sedatives, risk of women taking sedatives increased in all groups except students

Labour market participation after sickness absence due to cancer: a dynamic cohort study in Catalonia (Spain)

Background: The consequences of cancer on working until retirement age remain unclear. This study aimed to analyse working life considering all possible labour market states in a sample of workers after sickness absence (SA) due to cancer and to compare their working life paths to those of a sample of workers without SA and with an SA due to other diseases. Methods: This was a retrospective dynamic cohort study among social security affiliates in Catalonia from 2012-2018. Cases consisted of workers with an SA due to cancer between 2012-2015 (N = 516) and were individually age- and sex-matched with those of affiliates with an SA due to other diagnoses and workers without an SA. All workers (N = 1,548, 56% women) were followed up from entry into the cohort until the end of 2018 to characterise nine possible weekly labour states. Sequence analysis, optimal matching, and multinomial logistic regression were used to identify and assess the probability of future labour market participation patterns (LMPPs). All analyses were stratified by sex. Results: Compared with workers with an SA due to cancer, male workers with no SA and SA due to other causes showed a lower probability of being in the LMPP of death (aRRR 0.02, 95% CI: 0.00‒0.16; aRRR 0.17, 95% CI: 0.06‒0.46, respectively) and, among women, a lower probability of permanent disability and death (aRRR 0.24, 95% CI: 0.10‒0.57; aRRR 0.39, 95% CI: 0.19‒0.83, respectively). Compared to workers with SA due to cancer, the risk of early retirement was lower among workers with no SA (women, aRRR 0.60, 95% CI: 0.22‒1.65; men, aRRR 0.64, 95% CI: 0.27‒1.52), although these results were not statistically significant. Conclusions: Workplaces, many of which have policies common to all diagnoses, should be modified to the needs of cancer survivors to prevent an increasing frequency of early retirement and permanent disability when possible. Future studies should assess the impact of cancer on premature exit from the labour market among survivors, depending on cancer localisation and type of treatment