The Spanish version of the Home Environment Survey (HES) among families of children with overweight/obesity: a validation study

Purpose: The aim of this article was to validate the Spanish version of the Home Environment Survey (HES-S) and was divided in two studies: (1) to assess the reliability, convergent validity of HES-S in a survey of 145 parents of children with overweight/obesity; (2) to study the magnitude of the association between children’s BMI status with the latent scores theoretically defined by the HES model. Methods: To test the scale and the model, a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and a path analysis were carried out among a sample of 156 parents of preadolescents (106 overweight/obesity and 50 normal-weight children). No CFA or EFA were carried out in the validation of the original instrument. Results: Study 1, both the Physical Activity and the Eating Habits components of the scale showed adequate levels of internal consistency for the majority of the scales, except for two. One of them, Healthy Eating Parental Policies (HEP) subscale was reduced after excluded two items, although it did not improve substantially. This model indicated that there was a significant association between the two Eating Habits scales and the child’s weight status, but child’s weight was not associated with the Physical Activity components. Convergent validity was confirmed by correlations with related variables: family eating habits (F-EAT), parent’s physical activity (IPAQ), and children’s physical activity (assessed via accelerometers during one week). Study 2, our results replicated the original four factor structure proposed for physical activity (CFI = 0.99; RMSEA = 0.03), but the original factor structure of the eating habits component was not supported. In addition, the relationship of the child’s weight status, the Physical Activity components, and the two scales of Eating Habits (Parental Modeling and Policies) was explored with a path analysis showing good fit indices (CFI = 0.95; RMSEA = 0.06). Child’s BMI was negatively associated with Healthy Eating Parental Role Modeling (r = − 0.21) and with Healthy Eating Parental Policies (r = − 0.19), but not with the factors of Child’s Physical Activity model. Conclusion: To our knowledge, this is the first instrument to assess obesogenic family environment in Spanish speaking countries, which is a relevant dimension within a health perspective so as to implement new policies and strategies in obesity tertiary prevention. Overall, the confirmatory factor analysis of the HES-S has only provided additional support for one part related to Physical Activity. In addition, Child’s BMI was correlated with scales of Eating Habits but not with Child’s Physical Activity factor. These results clearly suggest that further research is warranted. Level III: Case-control analytic study

Desarrollo del pensamiento crítico a través de la competencia comunicativa en la Educación Superior

The aim of this article is to present a cross-sectional research program for a preservice education degree. Its goal is to analyse the learning development of the students that attend the preservice teacher education for pre-school teachers. Throughout their degree, students should be trained in different skills that allow them to become good people and good professionals. But, what is the process through which students acquire critical thinking and communication skills that will enable them to become teachers? In what way do students self-regulate their linguistic, oral and written skills? Are they aware and critical of their own learning in this area? In this project we want to observe the process that our students follow to develop these issues. For this reason, the study of metacognitive processes that allow the crystallization of knowledge and linguistic skills is considered. This analysis is obtained through reflective processes. An investigation is planned for a period of 2 years. The methodology that will be implemented is a mixed longitudinal model (qualitative, quantitative). It is expected to provide information on the perception of students of Early Childhood Education on the development of their linguistic and communicative competence. In this article, we intend to describe the design of the research, the instrument developed and the first results of qualitative nature. Finally, the need to improve the reflection processes of the students of the Early Childhood Education degree is revealed from results obtained.El objetivo de este artículo es presentar un programa de investigación transversal para analizar el desarrollo del aprendizaje de los estudiantes que cursan la formación inicial de maestros de Educación Infantil. A lo largo de la carrera los estudiantes tienen que formarse en diferentes competencias que les permitan convertirse en buenas personas y buenos profesionales. Pero, ¿cuál es el proceso a través del que los estudiantes pasan a asumir el pensamiento crítico y las competencias comunicativas que les permitirán ser maestros? ¿Cuál es la forma como los estudiantes autoregulan sus aptitudes lingüísticas, orales y escritas? ¿Son conscientes y críticos con su propio aprendizaje en esta materia? En este proyecto se quiere observar el proceso que nuestros estudiantes siguen para desarrollar estas cuestiones. A través de procesos reflexivos, se plantea el estudio de los procesos metacognitivos que permiten la cristalización de los conocimientos y las habilidades lingüísticas. Se prevé una investigación durante un período de 2 años. La metodología que se va a implementar es un modelo longitudinal mixto (cualitativo, cuantitativo) que se espera que aporte informaciones sobre la percepción de los estudiantes de grado de Educación Infantil, sobre el desarrollo de su competencia lingüística y comunicativa. En este artículo concretamente se pretende describir el diseño de la investigación, el instrumento elaborado y los primeros resultados de naturaleza cualitativa de los que se desprende la necesidad de mejorar los procesos de reflexión de los estudiantes de grado de Educación Infantil.

Assessment of pollution risk ascribed to Santa Margarida Military Camp activities (Portugal)

Santa Margarida Military Camp (S.M.M.C.) is the only one Portuguese military training area, including firing ranges for tactical military manoeuvres of mechanised divisions. For this reason, various negative effects on the environment were expected due to the military activities, as the Military Camp’s area is classified as a high vulnerability area to pollution of its multilayer porous aquifers. The aim of this study was to identify and characterise local/regional geochemical impacts caused by the continuing military training activities performed at S.M.M.C. in the course of 52 years. An overview of the geochemical research issues as a basis for risk assessment is presented. A special attention has been put on the quality of local and regional surface waters, shallow groundwaters and groundwaters. Local soils and sediments as well as fragments of shells and bullets were sampled and analysed. The results so far obtained, indicated that none pollution effects were a consequence of the military training activities. Till now, the geochemical signatures such as, high levels of K, Cl and NO3 in waters, detected in particular sites, should be faced as tracers of diffuse pollution ascribed to urban waste disposal and cattle breading

Canvi educatiu generat pels projectes d’ApS en els centres d’educació primària i secundària

Grup de treball “Canvi educatiu generat pels projectes d’ApS en els centres d’Educació Primària i Secundària.” Institut de Ciències de l’Educació de la Universitat de Barcelona. Coordinadors Mariona Graell i Josep PalosAquesta publicació és el resultat de la recerca realitzada pel Grup de Treball de l’ICE de la Universitat de Barcelona “Canvi educatiu generat pels projectes d’ApS en els centres d’educació primària i secundària” durant els cursos 2015-2017. Aquesta recerca s’ha realitzat en el marc de col·laboració de l’ICE amb el GREM (Grup d’Educació Moral) del Departament de Teoria i Història de la Facultat d’Educació de la Universitat de Barcelona, en un projecte de recerca més ampli del GREM sobre “Aprenentatge Servei. Canvi educatiu i transformació social”. Des de fa més d’una dècada el GREM ha participat i contribuït en la sistematització de l’ApS. Des de l’estudi de les experiències que ja existien en el nostre territori, fins la implantació i estudi de projectes nous. Posteriorment també es va treballar per avaluar i millorar els projectes mitjançant la rúbrica d’avaluació d’ApS. Ara, després de tots aquests estudis, ens preguntàvem a partir de l’observació d’aquestes experiències què és el que està passant en els centres que ho apliquen i quin impacte pedagògic i social tenen aquestes experiències. És per això que presentem aquest estudi posant focus d’atenció als centres d’educació primària i secundaria. El Grup de Treball de l’ICE està format per professorat d’Educació Primària i Secundària que ha participat de forma permanent en projectes d’Aprenentatge Servei en els seus centres. Son centres que representen una diversitat de tipologies de projectes d’ApS i que els han estat desenvolupant durant 2-3 anys o més