Showing papers in "Revista De Cercetare Si Interventie Sociala in 2016"

Would Corporate Social Responsibility Affect Consumers’ Attitudes towards Brand and Purchase Behavior? Buyer-seller Guanxi as the Moderator

Abstract: Corporate social responsibility is a critical strategy for enterprises proceeding marketing planning on either brand promotion or image building. Nevertheless, the past research on corporate social responsibility rarely mentioned about the effect on purchase intention. Attitudes towards brand, brand image, and consumers’ purchase intention are integrated in this study to construct the major research model, and a scale is developed from the special perspective of Chinese culture to measure the buyer-seller guanxi between enterprises and customers. Aiming at the coffee shop chain of Starbucks, the consumers are proceeded the questionnaire survey, and total 673 valid copies of questionnaire are retrieved. The SEM analysis results show significantly positive relations between corporate social responsibility and purchase intention, partially mediating effects of attitudes towards brand and brand image on the relations between corporate social responsibility and purchase intention, and moderating effects of buyer-seller guanxi on the relations between corporate social responsibility and purchase intention. Corporate social responsibility should not simply stress on the external activities of an enterprise, but should also pay attention to internal employees’ working environment and training. It is suggested that an enterprise exchanging consumers with emotional appeal to have consumers understand that they do not simply acquire favorable products or services from the enterprise, but also realize the mission and goals of the enterprise.

Parental activities seeking online parenting support: Is there a digital skill divide?

Abstract: This study examined the existence of a digital skill divide in Internet use for parenting purposes, exploring whether child-rearing content searched, parental skills on search practices, criteria used in the evaluation of content and satisfaction with the results are modulated by socio-demographic factors and level of Internet experience. Participants were 234 Spanish parents recruited through notices in day care centers, schools and parents’ associations, who reported on these issues through an online survey. Results showed that parents were very active in searching for information on child-rearing issues. However, a digital skill divide can be seen mainly by parental education, gender and age on the content searched and perceived skills for going online. Parental age and education also shaped technical abilities such as searching practices, criteria for evaluating websites (level of confidence and relevance), and satisfaction with search results. In turn, level of experience in Internet use played a more restrictive role confined to searching practices and satisfaction with the results. The present findings may inform initiatives of Internet literacy training applied differentially to help fathers and mothers with low education and Internet experience levels to access higher quality, reliable educational content. They also may provide guidelines for those who develop websites for parents.

Effects of Expatriates’ Cultural Intelligence on Cross-Cultural Adjustment and Job Performance

Abstract: Labor migration is currently a world wave. Since the concentration of capital and production requires labor movement and the revolutionary innovation of information and control technology changes global labor distribution to induce new international migration, the phenomenon of expatriates is increasing. This study aims to research the effect of expatriates’ cultural intelligence on crosscultural adjustment and job performance. Expatriates of international enterprises with Top 10 revenue in 2015 are distributed questionnaires through e-mail. Total 300 copies of questionnaire are distributed, and 143 valid copies are retrieved, with the retrieval rate 48%. The research results reveal significant correlations between 1.cultural intelligence and cultural intelligence, 2.cultural intelligence and job performance, and 3.cultural intelligence and job performance. In addition to individual, academic, and practical reference for the issues related to cultural intelligence and overseas work adjustment, the research results are expected to contribute new knowledge to the filed related to overseas work adjustment in order to promote the academic contribution of this study.

Effects of the “One-Child” Policy and the Number of Children in Families on the Mental Health of Children in China

Abstract: For over three decades (1979 to 2015), China has comprehensively implemented the “one-child” policy, consequently the number of “one-child” families has increased. Due to being spoiled by their parents and the lack of companionship from siblings, the “one-child” policy has exerted adverse effects on the mental health development of only children. Using the survey data of the Rural–Urban Migration in China from 2008 to 2009, self-esteem, mental stress, and depression were employed in the study as indicators to measure mental health. An empirical analysis was conducted to determine the influence of the “one-child” policy on the mental health of the first generation of only children. Results demonstrate that compared with non-only children, only children born under the “one-child” policy are inclined to avoid difficulties and problems. In addition, they have low confidence, suffer from mental stress, exhibit a high depression trend, and have low happiness and sense of security. However, after further controlling the quantity of children in each family, we find that under conditions with limited resources, the case that larger families are better than one-child families is not true. As the number of sibling increases, the mental health indicators of children initially increase and then decline. This trend shows that having only one child or too many children in the family can both adversely affect the improvement of population quality. The results obtained in the study are beneficial for promoting the mental quality of the population, improving the quality of life, significantly optimizing the family structure.

Psychosocial Particularities of Violent Acts in Personality Disorders

Abstract: Personality disorders are represented by a behavioural pattern associated with recurrent violation of moral principles and social rules. Personality disorders – especially antisocial and borderline, but also the others, usually in unpredictable ways – are frequent diagnostics among the individuals psychiatrically analyzed at the request of authorities for committing violent infractions. Through their features are centred on maladjustment and on the desire to alter the environment according to their own structure, personality disorders lead to violent acts, sometimes extremely serious. Maladjustment pattern is part of a real vicious circle, which leads almost invariably to a socio-familial integrative deficit and to professional adjustment issues. In their turn, they entail increased frustrations, aggravated impulsive tendencies, as well as higher interpretability (when it is already present). Consequently, all these aspects favour the commission of violent, criminal acts, which end up compromising irremediably the social integration of individuals who suffer from a personality disorder. It is necessary to pinpoint the certain predictors of criminal behaviour, by the characteristics of each personality disorder, in order to assess their aggravating or intensifying factors and to prevent it effectively, for both the protection of potential victims and a better social integration of individuals diagnosed with various psychopathies.

P.I.P.P.I. Programme of Intervention for Prevention of Institutionalization. Capturing the Evidence of an Innovative Programme of Family Support

Abstract: In accordance with the aim of the Convention on the Rights of the Child to develop measures reflecting the best interests of the child, the Italian Ministry of Welfare, in association with the University of Padua, sought to design and implement an intensive-care-programme for vulnerable families which was called Programme of Intervention for Prevention of Institutionalization: its abbreviation, P.I.P.P.I is inspired by the fictional character Pippi Longstocking, a creative and amazingly resilient girl known all over the world. The first stage of the programme’s implementation was carried out over a two year period (2011-2012) in 10 Italian cities. As its name implies, the P.I.P.P.I. aims to prevent out-of-home placement and to respond to problems linked to child neglect in view of all children’s right to quality care. The activities provided by the P.I.P.P.I. were continuously monitored using a pre- and post-test design incorporating both quantitative and qualitative approaches (questionnaire and documentation analysis). This manuscript outlines the results of that experience and goes on to draw implications for future policy and practice. The results underline the importance of multidimensional assessments and interventions, the usefulness of shared tools to activate shared and multi-professional decision-making and the potentially valuable contribution of families and children to service planning.

Social and Medical Implications of Teenage Motherhood

Abstract: Adolescence is an age segment exposed to high risk of complications during pregnancy, at birth and during the postnatal period both for the young mother and for the child. The complications associated with teenage pregnancy include premature birth, low birth weight and infant mortality. Teenage girls are physiologically, psychologically and socially unprepared to have children, as they are unable to make informed decisions about their health and their child’s health. In addition, the lack of family and social support commonly leads to newborn abandonment. Although teenage girls have the right to continue their education during pregnancy and after birth, unfortunately, many of them abandon school after becoming mothers, which causes professional and financial failure, with implications both at an individual level and within the community. Recent studies in the Anglo-Saxon literature reveal that teen abortion is a risk factor for premature birth, breast cancer and depression. Young women should be informed about the risks of abortion, regardless of their decision on the evolution of their pregnancy. Young mothers can rarely have a sustainable couple with the child’s father, which results in socio-psychological repercussions on them. To limit the phenomenon of teenage motherhood, it is compulsory that young people benefit from a more effective education within the socio-educational family setting.

An 8 Years Analysis of Pregnancies and Births among Teenagers in a University Hospital in North-Eastern Romania

Abstract: The aim of the study is to analyze teenage pregnancy (births and abortions) between 2007 and 2014. Pregnancy data regarding minor females were obtained from the statistical department of the hospital. In total, data for 8 years referring to 1,291 teenage mothers were included in the research. Additional analysis was performed. Over the years considered, analysis has shown the number of births increases with increasing age. We identified a relatively constant number of births among adolescents and a constantly decreasing number of abortions at all ages, considering both rural and urban subjects. A number of 64 teenagers have been registered with 2 births under the age of 18; 35 of the patients become mothers for the second time in the very next year. The most important variable in this case is the environment, the number of cases from rural areas being 5 times higher than that in urban areas. The higher rate of pregnancy among teenagers exhibits a constant rate over the years. The decreasing number of abortions could be related to the constantly promoted programs in schools and colleges in the last years throughout the country. The increasing rate of births in rural areas could be related to socioeconomic aspects and the lower rate of access to education in this area.

Post-Graduate Students’ Perceptions Regarding Effectiveness of Mentoring Relationship at Universities

Abstract: The purpose of this study is to examine the effectiveness of mentoring relationship between faculty members and post-graduate students according to various variables. The sample consists of 99 post-graduate students studying at public universities in Turkey. The Mentoring Effectiveness Scale, developed by Berk, Berg, Mortimer, Walton-Moss, and Yeo (2005) and adapted into Turkish by Yirci, Karakose, Uygun, and Ozdemir (2016) was used as the data collection instrument. According to the study findings, post-graduate students in general find the effectiveness levels of mentoring relationships in universities sufficient. Accordingly, it is suggested that the frequency of mentor and mentee meetings should increase. While the effectiveness of mentoring relationship is not affected by age and gender variables; it is influenced by the frequency of meetings and the meeting method preferred. Study findings also suggest that mentees expect to be appreciated more than the mentors.

The Impact of Corporate Strategies for Image Restoration on Consumer Trust in Crisis Events: The Moderating Role of Prosocial Motivation

Abstract: The existing theoretical studies and practical observations indicate that, after the crisis events, although corporations implement different types of coping strategies to repair the damaged corporate image and consumer trust, the intervention effectiveness varies extremely. Unfortunately the present research still hasn’t given a systemic explanation that, which strategy used by corporations is eventually effective in resolving the crisis, reshaping the corporate image and restoring consumer trust? From the perspective of prosocial motivation, the influence mechanism of corporate strategies for image restoration on consumer trust in crisis events was explored by employing the scenario experiments. Results show that the strategies of denial & defense, reticence & evasion, apology & communication as well as correction & compensation have differential effects on consumer trust. In terms of the restoration effectiveness of consumer trust, prosocial motivation plays a moderating role in selecting image restoration strategies. The priority rankings of corporate strategies for image restoration demonstrate a difference under different prosocial motivation levels, however this difference disappears from the view of positive-negative coping strategies.

Patient’s rights and communication in the hospital accreditation process

Abstract: The aim of the study is to analyze how the patient’s rights are respected in Romanian hospitals and how important is communication for the medical staff. During this study, we have analyzed the results of an application form with 152 indicators, from Reference no. 6 “Patient’s rights and communication”, from Accreditation Standards, used by The National Authority of Quality Management in Healthcare, in 146 Romanian hospitals, from a total of 433 medical units. The study revealed that there are some recurrent problems related to patient’s rights and communication, such as: access in hospitals of people with disabilities, aspects related to informed consent, or communication between medical staff and patients or caregivers.

Motivation for participating to sports competitions in school

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to identify the students’ motivation for participating to sports competitions in school. For this approach, we have identified a stratified random sample made up of 515 boys and 338 girls. The questionnaire we have used has included three categories of reasons for the participation to sports actions: social motives, sports motives and health-promotion motives, intrinsic and extrinsic. The data obtained have emphasized positive results for both genders, on the three motivation directions: “fun and joy”; “the wish of being healthy”; “the wish of being part of a team”. Motivations such as “the wish of being the best, of being a champion”; “the wish of being popular”; “the wish to compete” were frequent among boys, while girls have mostly social and recreational motives: making new friends, maintaining a health body, fitness. Hence, the combination of the pleasure to participate to the competition and the wish to make new friends are the ways through which we can also increase the number of girls who participate to school competitions.

Charismatic Leadership Behavior and Leadership Effectiveness: The Moderating Role of Subordinates’ Emotional Intelligence and the Mediating Role of Psychological Empowerment

Abstract: Theoretical research and practical cases have found that companies tend to use business leaders’ charismatic leadership behavior to promote business change and innovation. However, enterprise operating results indicate that there are great differences in the improvement effect of charismatic leadership behavior on leadership effectiveness among different enterprises. From the view of the internal psychological factors of employees, we designed a hypothesis model of the influence of charismatic leadership behavior on leadership effectiveness, by introducing the concepts of psychological empowerment and emotional intelligence of employees, to deeply explore the influence mechanism of charismatic leadership behavior on leadership effectiveness using the survey data of 207 private enterprises in China gathered from October 2015 to March 2016. Results show that the more prominent the charismatic leadership behavior, the higher the enhancement of leadership effectiveness. While the enhancement of leadership effectiveness relies on the promotion of organizational cohesion and leading character perception of employees as well as other psychological empowerment factors. Additionally, subordinates with high emotional intelligence and subordinates with low emotional intelligence are both able to significantly affect the relationship between charismatic leadership behavior and leadership effectiveness, but subordinates with high emotional intelligence are more easily able to promote job performance and job satisfaction through charismatic leadership behavior. Subordinates with low emotional intelligence, on the other hand, are more conducive to the enhancement of organizational citizenship behavior through charismatic leadership behavior. Business leaders can choose subordinates with different emotional intelligence levels based on the actual task needs. The conclusions have accordingly a great practical significance for further developing more effectively behavioral intervention strategies and improving the quality of enterprise decision-making.

Vaccination of Children in Romania between Civic Obligation and Personal Choice

Abstract: The discovery of vaccines and their introduction in medical practice led concomitantly to the eradication of certain diseases that devastated humanity throughout history and to the control of other diseases whose epidemic potential currently persists. In this article, the authors pursue the odyssey of this historic discovery and highlight the Romanian contribution through the two reference names: Victor Babe[ – the discoverer of the antibiosis process, and Ion Cantacuzino – the discoverer of the cholera vaccine, as well as the position of leader in vaccinology held until recently by our country by means of Ion Cantacuzino Institute. The current actualities of Romanian vaccinology are analyzed as regards to the progress and drawbacks generated by the disappearance of the autochthonous production of vaccines, as well as the increase in the population’s distrust regarding the value of vaccination, from the perspective of civic and professional ethics and from the perspective of the involvement of the medical system.

The Impact of Gender and Intercultural Experiences on Emotion Recognition

Abstract: This study investigated the differences among U.S. undergraduate college students’ ability to recognize facially expressed emotions, their gender, and their amount of international travel experience. Two-hundred and ten students viewed photographs of Japanese and Caucasian-American facially expressed emotions. Participants provided information on their perceptions of the emotions, perceived intensity of the emotions, their international (outside the U.S.) travel experiences, and demographic data. Results indicated that women exhibited higher rates of emotion recognition than men, but international travel experience did not impact emotion recognition rates for either women or men. All the participants recognized Caucasian-American faces at higher rates than Japanese faces. In addition, students rated Japanese posers’ expressions as more intense than Caucasian-American posers’ expressions. Results are discussed in relation to prior research findings on the influence of gender and international travel experience on the ability to recognize emotions as well as implications for conducting research with non-U.S. populations. Suggestions for how to improve future research projects also are provided.

Postmodern Ethics and the Reconstruction of Authenticity in Communication-Based Society

Abstract: The new type of society that postmodernism brings has at its base not only a new conception of the human being, but also on its ethical condition. To avoid any conflict between ethical absolutism and relativism and also to avoid falling into a nonfunctional ethical relativism, postmodern thinking brings a complex construction of plural ethical options. We use the concepts of communication ethics, relational ethics, interpretation ethics, responsibility ethics, dissemination ethics, and authenticity ethics with the purpose to establish a few landmarks in configuring the ethical attitude of the postmodern man. The construction of postmodern ethical relativism under the sign of a relational ethics opens the ethical practices towards a building of a reality defined by personal instances that relate to the imagined community and an imagined horizon. The purpose of all these is to accomplish the good life as an authentic existence.

Family Impact of Care and Respite Service: Life Experiences of Mothers of Adult Children with Intellectual Disability and Mental Disorders

Abstract: The present study was designed to investigate the impact on families of care as perceived by the main carers (mothers) of adult children with intellectual disability and mental disorders, and to learn about the experiences and opinions concerning the respite service of the participants in the study. The methodological focus was qualitative, based on an exploratory study. Four participants were interviewed in depth. Analysis of the content was based on the dimensions of family impact of care and respite service, and it was carried out with Atlas.ti software. The most relevant results regarding the family impact of care indicate a negative impact upon learning of the disability, giving rise to a situation of family crisis and a concomitant grieving process. Concerning the perception of care the testimony given emphasizes overprotection, mutual dependency, the feeling of overload, and concern for the future, as well as feelings of pleasure and gratitude. Areas shown to be lacking include space for oneself, as well as the emotional, psychological, and physical domains. The respite service is seen to offer relief although it also induces feelings of separation and guilt. The main conclusions highlight; the need for understanding the family and the intellectual disability as complex phenomena, the existence of a double dimension in relation to the impact of care and the respite service as a necessary support. The results of this study may serve as a guide to future research in this area.

Groups and Needs: Response of the Social Protection System in Nowadays Romania

Abstract: The poverty percentage in today’s Romania is large related to the EU context and compared to other former communist countries. Large differences can be observed in the cases of certain groups which are vulnerable to poverty and social exclusion. For these groups, the most important thing is the intervention of supportive social policies. Besides the higher incidence of poverty and vulnerability, the efficiency of the social transfers in reduction of the poverty (other than pensions) is three times lower in Romania compared to the European average. One of the explanations proposed in this paper refers to the philosophy of the social protection system focused mainly on categorical benefits offered to some large categories presumed to have certain pre-defined vulnerabilities. The rate of the benefits based on testing means is low and the rate of the benefits for supporting those in need of urgent intervention is extremely low. On the other hand, the rate of financial benefits is significantly higher comparing to social services (only 0.7% of GDP, four times lower than the European average). Wasting already insufficient resources by over-addressing certain categories affects those who need the most the support of the social protection system and perpetuates the lack of efficiency of this system in reducing poverty. The over-protection generates in certain cases major social inequities. The analysis starting from the profile of the vulnerable ones will oversee the efficiency and the adequacy/inadequacy of some social protection measures, related to the nature and severity of the identified needs.

Visual Impairment in the Elderly and its Influence on the Quality of Life

Abstract: According to data of United Nations, it is estimated that the global share of people aged 60 years or over will increase from 841 million people (11.7%) in 2013 to more than 2 billion (21.1%) by 2050 (UN DESAPD, 2013). This burden can be reduced by the abilities of older persons to increase their independently lifestyle, and financially self-support through their own labor earnings, income from their assets, and through public transfers, but all of these are dependent by their health status and quality of life (WHO 2012). In this context, visual impairment and its consequences represent an important element of the burden of the disease, even more than dementia, hearing loss and osteo-arthritis, and also, a factor that altered quality of life of this category of individuals. It was realized a cross-sectional research on a sample comprised of 53 patients with diagnosis of cataract, sample homogenous regarding gender (26 males, 27 females) and age (average age 70.1±8.3 years) of patients. Quality of life were assessed at the baseline and after one month follow-up by WHO-5 Well-Being Index, a psychometric tool who can be used also to screen all patients showing signs of depression (cut-off point <13) (WHO, 1998). Significant correlations were found between the presence of cataract and both impaired quality of life expressed through the level of well-being and sleep disorders in elderly patients. Both the quality of life and sleep disorders improved after cataract surgery, which proved the importance of the intervention.

The Social Role of the Supreme Audit Institutions to Reduce Corruption in the European Union - Empirical Study

Abstract: Corruption is a phenomenon of which appears in all forms of government. Moreover, one can easily say that it occurs in all spheres of society. According to the Global Corruption Barometer from 2013 (a survey in 107 countries to determine how widespread is corruption) one in two persons believes that, in terms of corruption, in the last two years the situation has worsened. But what interests us particularly is that corruption in government’s activity leads to: loss of resources, the economic downturn, low quality of life, undermining of the government’s credibility and the reduction of its effectiveness. Therefore, taking into account all these aspects, we consider it appropriate for our scientific approach to identify the position that the Supreme Audit Institutions have as far as corruption is concerned. The main objective of our study is to identify the role of the Supreme Audit Institutions in fighting corruption, because the issue of corruption has social features, it is not new and also controversial and up-to-date, thanks to major implications involved. We found that if the Supreme Audit Institution is organized as a Court, the country is more likely to have higher levels of corruption than if opposite.

Impacts of Optimism and Job Characteristics on Job Burnout among the Millennial Generation: Evidence from a Survey of Community Service Workers in Shaanxi, China

Abstract: Currently, the Millennial Generation has become the backbone of the employee population in China. However, changes in society and culture, as well as the unique social values and personality traits of the Millennial Generation, have caused job burnout in the workplace. Since the problem of job burnout in the Millennial Generation has become increasingly prominent, there has been extensive attention from academia and industries. In this study, the hierarchical regression and dominance analysis on the survey data from a questionnaire for community service workers in Shaanxi Province of China in 2015 were conducted to explore the influence mechanism of optimism and job characteristics on job burnout in the Millennial Generation. Results show that optimism and job characteristics affect the degree of job burnout of individuals of the Millennial Generation. Trait optimism and leadership support have significant negative impacts on job burnout, while work overload has a significantly positive impact on job burnout among the individuals of the Millennial Generation; role ambiguity, co-worker support, and job autonomy have significant influence on emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and diminished personal accomplishment of job burnout among the individuals of the Millennial Generation. In addition, predictive capacity of job characteristics on job burnout varies among individuals of the Millennial Generation. The conclusions provide important references for improving the mental health management of individuals, the counseling of group psychological problems, and organizational performance.

Exploration on the Relationship between Occupational Stress and Well-being of the Junior Administrative Staff in Universities of China from the Perspective of Social Network

Abstract: The effect of occupational stress on occupational well-being has been validated in several previous studies. However, the analysis on the interaction mechanism between occupational stress and occupational well-being from the perspective of social network still requires empirical support. Thus, on the basis of the survey data from universities in Shanxi Province of China in 2015, the factor analysis and multiple linear regression methods were employed to empirically investigate the relationship between occupational stress and well-being of the junior administrative staff in universities from the perspective of social network. Results show that the occupational stress of the junior administrative staff in universities has a significant negative impact on their occupational well-being. Social network produces a certain negative effect on occupational stress but a positive effect on occupational well-being. The social network of the junior administrative staff in universities can counteract the adverse effect of occupational stress on occupational well-being through the compensation effect. Social network can also cushion the effect of occupational stress on occupational well-being through the moderating effect. The conclusions obtained in this study provide a reference for the junior administrative staff in universities to effectively relieve the occupational stress and enhance the occupational well-being.

How Doctor-Patient Mutual Trust Is Built in the Context of Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Qualitative Study

Abstract: Trust in the doctor-patient relationship is crucial for patients’ adherence to doctors’ recommendations. Despite its importance, there is little knowledge with respect to how trust builds up and is maintained in this relationship. Current literature presents disparate features of trust, not considering the dynamics of interaction and the mutual aspect of doctor-patient relationship. We carried out a qualitative study using 15 interviews of irritable bowel patients from Iasi County, Romania, focused on their trust-related experiences. The sample was recruited for maximum variation. The irritable bowel patients were considered a relevant target group for how mutual trust builds up in the context of chronic diseases because of the uncertainty perceived by these patients with respect to their medical condition. The interviews were analyzed by using the constant comparative method assisted by QSR Nvivo software. Our data analysis identified several pathways embedded in the communication process that instilled trust or distrust: medical outcomes, patient-centered communication, doctor leading patient to insight, reassurance, witnessing procedures, carelessness, and labeling patient as panicky. The novelty of this study’s approach resides on reconsidering trust-related themes from an interactional and mutual point of view, as well as identifying new themes, not previously approached. Our study completes the understanding of how trust is built in doctor-patient interaction, by describing and discussing specific patterns of perception, thought and behavior.

Sex differences in cardiovascular risk factors in a rural community from north Romania region

Abstract: The prevalence of coronary heart disease is higher in men but the prevalence of stroke and the annual number of cardiovascular deaths are higher in women. Despite these findings, the cardiovascular risk in the female population is still underestimated. The present study aimed to identify cardiovascular risk factors and correlations with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in 285 patients from a rural community in Romania, aged between 26-92 years, 187 (65,6%) females, 98 (34,4%) males, in order to establish gender differences. Traditional risk factors were assessed. We used descriptive statistic methods to calculate the average and standard deviation of the assessed parameters. Divided by gender, the cardiovascular risk factors presented important differences. Almost all cardiovascular risk factors were more importantly represented in the female group: type 2 diabetes mellitus (73.0%), chronic stress (70.0%), family history of cardiovascular disease (57.0%). Obesity was frequent in females but with no statistical difference. Of all the women, 57.9% had arterial hypertension compared to men (27.7%) the statistical significance being almost insignificant (p = 0.052). Women had 4.3 times greater odds of obesity, 14.2 fold increased odds for abdominal adiposity, 2.8 times greater odds of high waist-hip-ratio and more than three-fold greater odds of having metabolic syndrome (p = 0.001). Among men, BMI and waist circumference were significantly correlated with blood pressure, triglycerides, total, LDL-, and HDL-cholesterol and fasting glucose; in women, only blood pressure was positively associated with BMI and waist circumference. Further studies are needed to establish the correlation between gender and cardiovascular risk factors.

Academic Performance and Persistence of Study Bursary Holders

Abstract: The social dimension of higher education is a key element in university-wide policies and procedures at international level. Amongst measures to improve student retention, grants and bursaries promote equity by making financial assistance available for study purposes to children of low-income families. Within the framework of the Spanish government’s University Strategy 2015 programme, the purpose behind the introduction of study bursaries was to provide economically disadvantaged social groups with access to, and the possibility of completing, higher education studies. From a study of 642 undergraduate students awarded a study bursary in the 2010-11 cohort at the University of Barcelona, a profile of the study bursary holders and their academic performance during their first year at university was defined. The projected results indicate that study bursaries lead to higher levels of student dedication in the pursuit of study and that they offset the difficulties faced by students from low-income families.

Socio-professional Integration for Amblyopic Patients

Abstract: The aim of the study was to identify the quality of life and socio-professional difficulties for amblyopic patients. It is a retrospective and observational study on 35 patients with amblyopia follow-up in Ophthalmologic Clinic, Hospital “Sf. Spiridon” Iasi. Clinical parameters used: slit lamp examination of the anterior segment of the eye, ophthalmoscopy of the retina and optic nerve, visual acuity, objective refraction, intraocular pressure, orthoptic examination and ocular untrasound (in selected cases). In 6 cases (students in different Universities) was applied a questionnaire about their problems of social integration. Unfortunately, the quality of life of patients with visual impairment is decreased because there are insufficient aids for low-vision used in our country. In Romania, on December 2011, there were 687,576 people with disabilities – 60,269 are children and 629,307 are adult people. Patients with visual disabilities can learn in normal educational system, according to the level of intelligence. Adolescents with visual impairment may attend Universities courses if proper aids for low–vision are provided. Socio-professional orientation should be performed as early as possible to increase the quality of life for amblyopic patients.

Collaborative Action Research at the Training Center for Inclusive Education and Accessibility

Abstract: The paper reports on action research conducted with professionals from a training center in inclusive education and accessibility. It presents the empirical context and the theoretical-methodological design that guides the research, then goes on to discuss preliminary data obtained through a questionnaire applied during the diagnostic stage. The study shows the leading role of a group of education professionals committed to building a different model of education and inclusive practices, who created a center for specialized care before the existence of any specific legislation for inclusive education. The structural limitations of the center are not understood as impediments for the professionals to promote actions and pedagogical processes that ensure the right to learning for children and youths with disabilities.

Developing a Scale to Measure Prospective Teachers' Self-Efficacy Belief in Value Education

Abstract: This study aims to develop a reliable measurement tool to measure prospective teachers’ beliefs in their self-efficacy in value education. The research group of the study consisted of 351 final year students attending the Faculty of Education, Gazi University in 2015-2016 academic year. Opinions of experts were taken in order to ensure scale’s content and face validity and Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was applied to the data set based on students’ opinions in order to ensure construct validity. It was observed as a result of the Factor Analysis that the construct consisting of 26 items and four factors explained 60.44% of the total variance. The resulting factors after the factor analysis were Self-Efficacy Belief in Planing Value Education (SEBPVE), Self-Efficacy Belief in Implementation (SEBI), Self-Efficacy Belief in Cooperation (SEBC) and Self-Efficacy Belief in Assessment (SEBA). The reliability of the whole scale and sub-scales was tested with internal consistency and test-retest methods and it was observed that the reliability coefficients were within acceptable limits. Findings resulting from the item analysis showed that all items of the scale were discriminative. Based on these findings, the scale can be said to be a reliable measurement tool that can be used to measure prospective teachers’ beliefs in their self-efficacy in value education.

Story behind the Closed Doors: Decent Work Practice among the Migrant Domestic Workers in Singapore and Italy

Abstract: The objective of this study was to present comparative findings of the decent work practice (the ILO Convention 189) among the migrant domestic workers (MDWs) in two countries e.g., Italy and Singapore. The study covered three main aspects of these decent work practices, such as working hours and annual leave, maternity protection, and minimum wage. The study was based on a content analysis method. The search for relevant literature was completed in two stages. First, we examined peer-reviewed articles found in electronic databases using keyword searches; secondly, we used the ‘snowball’ method for searching the journal articles and published reports. The results showed that both countries were following the provisions of the decent work practices, but the situation in Italy was found much better than in Singapore. Apparently, the study found a large difference between the written provisions and the real practice in both countries. As a result, in many cases the MDWs in both countries were facing terrific challenges to get their expedient working conditions, proper working hours, annual leave, maternity protection and fair wage. The finding would be important guideline to the policy makers, human rights practitioners and academics.

Resilience of Children Behind Bars

Abstract: This study focuses on the resilience of delinquent children, youth and children who are serving a sentence of imprisonment in an educational center. In Romania, according to official statistics in June 2014, there are a number of 218 children of both sexes, aged between 14-18 years, in this situation. By 2009, when the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) draws attention to the Romanian state on the rights of children deprived of liberty, these children were silenced, and the child protection system in Romania did not assume responsibilities on them. According to longitudinal internal statistics, approximately 75-80% of the children and youth serving a custodial sentence are found, years later, in adult prisons. These statistics are consistent with the percentage of resilience found internationally on populations of vulnerable children. Since the first research on resilience, in the 70s, it was noted a rate of 20-25% of resilient children, despite the vicissitudes that they faced during childhood, were able to overcome them. The percentage of natural resilience of children was later confirmed in other research aimed to highlight the resilience, and in recent years this proportion of resilience was confirmed on children adopted in England from institutions in Romania. Using three questionnaires specific for investigating the level of resilience of youth, data were collected on a total of 70 adolescents, 61 boys and 9 girls, aged between 14-18, from an educational center for children. Only 53 questionnaires were valid and entered into our database. The questionnaires aimed to highlight the risk and protection factors to which they were exposed, respectively, which the children benefited from in their existence and prior to their admission in the educational center. The third questionnaire identifies the elements of resilience of children. Data collection was conducted in November 2014. The results of the investigation can serve to a universal preventive strategy based on evidence (evidence-based) and to an ‘Assistance’ of the resilience of delinquent children in these centers. More than in the case of adults, in children and youngsters, the major concern in establishing educational measures running an offense should aim building their resilience. Society cannot close its eyes to these destinies loss or the increase of crime through the 75-80% of children and youth in educational centers who become adult criminals.