Assurance Of Confidentiality Research Articles

Digital Health Innovations for Screening and Mitigating Mental Health Impacts of Adverse Childhood Experiences: Narrative Review.

Exposures to both negative and positive experiences in childhood have proven to influence cardiovascular, immune, metabolic, and neurologic function throughout an individual's life. As such, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) could have severe consequences on health and well-being into adulthood. This study presents a narrative review of the use of digital health technologies (DHTs) and artificial intelligence to screen and mitigate risks and mental health consequences associated with ACEs among children and youth. Several databases were searched for studies published from August 2017 to August 2022. Selected studies (1) explored the relationship between digital health interventions and mitigation of negative health outcomes associated with mental health in childhood and adolescence and (2) examined prevention of ACE occurrence associated with mental illness in childhood and adolescence. A total of 18 search papers were selected, according to our inclusion and exclusion criteria, to evaluate and identify means by which existing digital solutions may be useful in mitigating the mental health consequences associated with the occurrence of ACEs in childhood and adolescence and preventing ACE occurrence due to mental health consequences. We also highlighted a few knowledge gaps or barriers to DHT implementation and usability. Findings from the search suggest that the incorporation of DHTs, if implemented successfully, has the potential to improve the quality of related care provisions for the management of mental health consequences of adverse or traumatic events in childhood, including posttraumatic stress disorder, suicidal behavior or ideation, anxiety or depression, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. The use of DHTs, machine learning tools, natural learning processing, and artificial intelligence can positively help in mitigating ACEs and associated risk factors. Under proper legal regulations, security, privacy, and confidentiality assurances, digital technologies could also assist in promoting positive childhood experiences in children and young adults, bolstering resilience, and providing reliable public health resources to serve populations in need.

Assessment of Needlestick and Sharps Injuries (NSSIs) Amongst Orthopaedic Surgeons in Clinical Practice: A Pan-India Cross-Sectional Study.

Needlestick and sharps injuries (NSSIs) represent an existential occupational hazard risk to orthopaedic surgeons during their career due to the interaction with various devices, instruments and bone fragments. Consequently, NSSIs have the potential to transmit infections such as Hepatitis B (HBV), Hepatitis C (HCV) and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) leading to serious illness. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to identify the clinical settings predisposing orthopaedic surgeons to NSSIs and assess their adherence to safety protocols in the Indian context. An online cross-sectional survey of 618 orthopaedic surgeons in India, stratified by experience into two groups: under five years and with 5years or more was undertaken. The data were collected via an expert-validated online questionnaire to evaluate demographic distribution, injury characteristics, knowledge of safety protocols, and adherence to these protocols. Descriptive statistics summarized the data, Chi-square tests assessed variable associations, and odds ratios were computed for significant variables. Ethical integrity was maintained via electronic informed consent and for confidentiality assurances. The study revealed that orthopaedic surgeons with less than 5years of clinical experience had higher risks for NSSIs as compared to those with 5 or more years of clinical practice. Conversely, the latter group was more susceptible to bone spike injuries and viral positive needlestick incidents. The analysis shows that whilst the more experienced practitioners displayed greater proficiency in the application of universal precautions and NSSI prevention, they were also less likely to report injuries, often due to discomfiture. Risk profiles were consistent across different practice settings and affiliations, regardless of experience level. This cross-sectional study reveals less experienced orthopaedic surgeons face higher risks of NSSIs, possibly due to inadequate education or awareness. More experienced practitioners encounter distinct risks, likely owing to long-term exposure and traditional practices. There is an immediate need to raise awareness of the potential risks of NSSIs, enhanced education, appropriate training, collaboration with the hospital risk management team and developing a culture of transparent reporting to mitigate these risks. The emphasis should be on reducing the incidence and fostering open reporting of NSSIs to protect clinicians and promote health safety.

Assessment of self-esteem among Tunisian cannabis users

IntroductionSelf-esteem plays a role in the adaptive functioning of the human being. It could be a protective factor regarding multiple risks particularly substance use.ObjectivesThe aim of this study is to assess self-esteem among a group of young Tunisian users of cannabis.Methods The total study sample was composed of 137 participants, who took part of a transversal descriptive study during two months (January and February 2020). These partakers were comprehensively recruited among Emergency patients of Mahdia Hospital. Thereupon, the main criteria for the selection of these patients was their consumption of cannabis, regardless of their primary health care seeking reason or purpose. The research was carried out upon their declaration of cannabis consumption and their compliance to be part of such a study. Thus, Data were collected on a pre-determined data sheet that included various information (age, sex, lifestyle, personal and family psychiatric history, age at which they started their cannabis consumption and the rate of cannabis use …). Accordingly, Self-esteem was assessed using the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES). Consequently, the interview took place after the subject’s verbal and informed consent and the assurance of anonymity and confidentiality of the interview content.Results In our study population, the cannabis consumers were young adults aged between 18 and 35 years old, with a male predominance of 71%. Among those users, 65.9% were single and 29.7% dropped out of school or experienced academic failure. On a socio-economic level, we concluded to a rate of 5.8% (lower class), 60.9% (middle class) and 33.3% (upper class). Besides, 40.8% were employed. In total, 23.2% had a psychiatric history. Furthermore, the use of other substances was also prominent and frequent as follows: alcohol 72.5%, tobacco 74.6%, ecstasy 41.3% and 25.4% cocaine. The use of cannabis was considered as a means of indulgence and pleasure for 66.7%, as an anxiolytic for 26.8% and as a sedative for 23.9%. Self-esteem, among those cannabis users, was very low in 20% of cases, low in 38% of cases, medium in 15% of cases and high in 25% of cases. Consequently, more than half of the study population remains below the medium average according to RSES.ConclusionsThese results lead us to question the relation between cannabis and self-esteem. The question that is evolved about the use of cannabis is the following: Is it used as a remedy or is it the cause of self-esteem deficiency?Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Improved differential fault analysis of Grain128-AEAD

The number of smart devices connected to the Internet has been constantly increasing, and as a result, lightweight cryptography (LWC) has become more important in the past decade. The Lightweight Cryptography (LWC) Project is an initiative taken by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to standardize such LWC algorithms. Grain128-AEAD, which was submitted to the NIST LWC project, is an encryption algorithm that provides both confidentiality and integrity assurance. Third-party security analysis of the submitted ciphers is an important aspect of the evaluation of the submission to the NIST LWC project. Although several pieces of existing research, such as the bit-flipping attack, random fault attack, and deterministic random fault attack, have examined the security of Grain128-AEAD, there is still room for improvement in the fault attack models of these studies. This work aims to fill this research gap by analyzing the security margin of Grain128-AEAD against a series of improved differential fault attacks. In this study, we developed a probabilistic random fault attack and applied it to Grain128-AEAD. As an improvement of the existing research, a probabilistic approach can be applied to a more relaxed moderate control attack model. The existing moderate control model assumes the fault to be injected within any bit of a given byte, whereas the faults in our improved approach can be injected within any bits of a two-byte/four-byte segment, thereby relaxing the fault precision. The results indicate that the improved moderate control requires 388 keystreams for the two-byte model and 279 for the four-byte model to identify the target fault locations for implementing a state recovery attack. The relaxed fault attack models presented in this work are more practical to implement; hence, the findings of this research have improved the existing studies and narrowed the current research gap on the fault attack models of Grain128-AEAD. % To maintain consistency in terminology, "Grain-128AEAD" has been revised to "Grain128-AEAD" in both the abstract and the main text. Please confirm this revision.

Exploring Counselor Practices and Risk Assessment in a Proactive Digital Intervention Through Instagram in Young People: Qualitative Study.

Suicide is one of the leading causes of preventable death in young people, and the way young people are communicating suicidality has evolved to include web-based disclosures and help-seeking. To date, mental health intervention services, both on the web and in person, have been conceived in the traditional model, whereby support is provided if a young person (or their family) actively seeks out that support when distressed. On the other hand, proactive outreach is an innovative approach to intervention that has been shown to be effective in other areas of health care. Live for Tomorrow chat was delivered on Instagram and comprised of counselors who reach out to provide brief person-centered intervention to young people who post content indicating distress or suicidality. Our aim was to explore how counselors engaged young people in a proactive digital intervention and how risk assessment was conducted in this context. We analyzed 35 transcripts of conversations between counselors and young people aged 13-25 years using the 6-step approach of Braun and Clarke's reflexive thematic analysis. These transcripts included a counseling intervention and a follow-up chat that was aimed at collecting feedback about the counseling intervention. A total of 7 themes emerged: using microskills to facilitate conversations, building confidence and capacity to cope with change, seeking permission when approaching conversations about suicidality or self-harm, conversations about suicidality following a structured approach, providing assurances of confidentiality, validation of the experience of suicidality, and using conversations about suicidality to identify interventions. Counselors were able to translate counseling microskills and structured questioning regarding suicidality into a digital context. In particular, in the digital context, counselors would use the young person's post and emojis to further conversations and build rapport. The findings highlight the importance of the counselor's role to listen, empathize, validate, and empower young people and that all these skills can be transferred to a digital text counseling intervention. Counselors used a structured approach to understanding suicidality in a permission-seeking, validating, and confidential manner to identify interventions with the young person. These practices allowed the conversation to move beyond traditional risk assessment practices to meaningful conversations about suicidality. Moving beyond traditional risk assessment practices and into conversations about suicidality allowed for the validation of the young person's experience and exploration of interventions and support that made sense and were seen to be helpful to the young person. This study highlighted the benefits of a proactive digital chat-based intervention, which is a novel approach to engaging with young people experiencing psychological distress and suicidality. Furthermore, this research demonstrates the feasibility and benefit of moving mental health intervention and support to a medium where young people are currently disclosing distress and intervening proactively.

Caregiver Burden in Substance Use Disorders Patients

Background: Substance Use Disorders (SUDs) impose significant challenges not only on individuals grappling with addiction but also on the caregivers who provide support and care. The caregiving role is associated with multifaceted burdens that require understanding and targeted interventions. Recognizing the diverse dimensions of caregiver burden is crucial for offering effective support. Objective: The study aimed to find out the caregiver burden in substance use disorder patients, examining severity and socio-demographic correlations, contributing insights into effective support strategies. Methodology: The cross-sectional observational study took place at Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College's Psychiatry Department and a private psychiatric and drug rehabilitation center in Sylhet from September 1, 2018, to August 31, 2020. The research focused on substance use disorder patients and their caregivers, involving 50 eligible patients selected through inclusion and exclusions criteria. Diagnoses followed DSM IV criteria. Socio-demographics were gathered via semi-structured questionnaires. Caregiver burden was assessed using the Bengali Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI) scale through approximately hour-long interviews, with 1-2 daily. Ethical procedures encompassed informed consent and confidentiality assurance. Result: The study included 50 male participants. Patients mean age was 31.92 (±8.21) and caregivers mean age was 41.68 (±12.89). Mainly, caregivers were mothers (40%) and wives (34%). Caregivers experiencing moderate to severe burden were 58%, mild to moderate burden were 26%, and severe burden were 16%. Mean ZBI score was 48.22±13.55. Higher burden correlated with illiteracy, low family income, excessive drug spending, prolonged substance use, and multiple drug usage. Alcohol users faced more burden than other substance users. Female caregivers, younger age, and housewives experienced heightened burden. No burden links were found with marital status, habitat, religion, family type, or drug administration method. Conclusion: This study concluded that Substance use heightens caregiver burden, notably among female, young, and housewife caregivers. Addressing these trends is vital for effective care of substance use

Proof-of-Monitoring (PoM): A Novel Consensus Mechanism for Blockchain-Based Secure Service Level Agreement Management

In the current 5th Generation (5G) networking paradigm, the enforcement of Service Level Agreements (SLAs) is a non-trivial measure to ensure the scope and the quality of services and standards between tenants and service providers (SPs). On top of this, Secure Service Level Agreements (SSLA) are introduced to ensure that SPs deliver the most critical and required security-related standards defined in the contract, such as integrity, confidentiality, availability, non-repudiation, and privacy assurance. However, with the tendency for more distributed and multi-stakeholder networking architectures in next-generation networks, the management process of such SSLAs will be challenging due to the diversified security vulnerabilities and complexity of underlying technologies. Although blockchain is emerging as a platform to facilitate such distributed SSLA/SLA management frameworks, its currently available consensus mechanisms are more generic. Still, they need to improve in terms of applying in multi-stakeholder networks. Therefore, this paper presents a novel consensus mechanism called Proof-of-Monitoring (PoM) for a blockchain-based novel SSLA management framework. Moreover, we provide details about the prototype implementation of our proposed consensus algorithm and SSLA management framework. It is proven by comparing our proposal with the other existing solutions that our solution outperforms in many aspects, such as energy consumption, computation cost, and security features.

Use of rhetorical strategies in counselling at the Counselling Centre, University of Cape Coast, Ghana

The study explored the rhetorical strategies used by counsellors during counselling sessions. The idea was to discover what rhetorical strategies are employed by counselors to elicit relevant information from their counsellees and how effective the use of these rhetorical strategies are in communication between counsellors and their counsellees. Using Aristotle’s theory of rhetoric and a qualitative approach, the researchers studied selected counsellors and counsellees at the University of Cape Coast. The data were gathered through interviews and observation. The data were analysed thematically, and the results showed that assurance of confidentiality is a strong rhetorical strategy used during counselling. Other rhetorical strategies such as giving counsellees unconditional positive comments and empathy are very essential for a successful counselling process. Regarding the benefits of rhetorical strategies, the results indicated that counsellors’ use of rhetorical strategies helps counsellees to disclose sensitive information. Also, rhetorical strategies help counsellors determine if counsellees are benefitting from the counselling interaction. These strategies include observation, learning situation, follow-up and evaluation during counseling process. Based on the findings, the researcher recommended that counsellors at the Counselling Centre of the University of Cape Coast should attach more relevance to the rhetorical strategies they use in communicating with their counsellees.

Student motivations, perceptions and opinions of participating in student evaluation of teaching surveys: a scoping review

Several times each year the teaching performance of academics at higher education institutions are evaluated through anonymous, online student evaluation of teaching (SET) surveys. Universities use SETs to inform decisions about staff promotion and tenure, but low student participation levels make the surveys impractical for this use. This scoping review aims to explore student motivations, perceptions and opinions of SET survey completion. Five EBSCO® databases were searched using key words. Thematic analysis of a meta-synthesis of qualitative findings derived from 21 papers identified five themes: (i) the value students’ place on SET, (ii) the knowledge that SET responses are acted upon to improve teaching, (iii) assurance of survey confidentiality and anonymity, (iv) incentives for completing SET, and (v) survey design and timing of survey release. Perceptions, knowledge and attitudes about the value of SET are essential factors in motivating students to engage and complete SETs, particularly if surveys are easy to interpret, time for completion is incentivised and responses are valued.

Reducing Item Nonresponse to Vote-Choice Questions: Evidence from a Survey Experiment in Mexico

Abstract Retrospective vote choice is a critical question asked in political science surveys. Yet, this question suffers from persistently high item nonresponse rates, which can bias estimates and limit scholars’ ability to make sound inferences. In this paper, we develop a sensitive survey technique to decrease nonresponse to the vote-choice question in a representative, face-to-face survey in Mexico City and Mexico State in 2018–2019. Respondents received different iterations of three treatments: an anonymity guarantee, a confidentiality reminder, and audio-assisted interviewing technology. The use of audio technology combined with a credible anonymity guarantee significantly improved item response. Both anonymity and confidentiality assurances improved the accuracy of response, which more closely resembled official results in the treatment conditions. We then evaluate two non-rival mechanisms that might drive our findings: beliefs about response anonymity and re-engagement with the survey. We find that increased perceptions of response anonymity are associated with improved item response.

Assessment of self-esteem among Tunisian cannabis users

IntroductionSelf-esteem plays a role in the adaptive functioning of the human being. It could be a protective factor regarding multiple risks particularly substance use.ObjectivesThe aim of this study is to assess self-esteem among a group of young Tunisian users of cannabis.MethodsThe total study sample was composed of 137 participants, who took part of a transversal descriptive study during two months (January and February 2020). These partakers were comprehensively recruited among Emergency patients of Mahdia Hospital. Thereupon, the main criteria for the selection of these patients was their consumption of cannabis, regardless of their primary health care seeking reason or purpose.The research was carried out upon their declaration of cannabis consumption and their compliance to be part of such a study. Thus, Data were collected on a pre-determined data sheet that included various information (age, sex, lifestyle, personal and family psychiatric history, age at which they started their cannabis consumption and the rate of cannabis use …).Accordingly, Self-esteem was assessed using the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES). Consequently, the interview took place after the subject’s verbal and informed consent and the assurance of anonymity and confidentiality of the interview content.ResultsIn our study population, the cannabis consumers were young adults aged between 18 and 35 years old, with a male predominance of 71%. Among those users, 65.9% were single and 29.7% dropped out of school or experienced academic failure. On a socio-economic level, we concluded to a rate of 5.8% (lower class), 60.9% (middle class) and 33.3% (upper class).Besides, 40.8% were employed. In total, 23.2% had a psychiatric history. Furthermore, the use of other substances was also prominent and frequent as follows: alcohol 72.5%, tobacco 74.6%, ecstasy 41.3% and 25.4% cocaine. The use of cannabis was considered as a means of indulgence and pleasure for 66.7%, as an anxiolytic for 26.8% and as a sedative for 23.9%.Self-esteem, among those cannabis users, was very low in 20% of cases, low in 38% of cases, medium in 15% of cases and high in 25% of cases. Consequently, more than half of the study population remains below the medium average according to RSES.ConclusionsThese results lead us to question the relation between cannabis and self-esteem. The question that is evolved about the use of cannabis is the following: Is it used as a remedy or is it the cause of self-esteem deficiency?Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Promoting engagement with self-guided digital therapeutics for mental health: Insights from a cross-sectional survey of end-users.

Poor engagement has hindered the dissemination of self-guided digital therapeutics for mental health. Evidence on the efficacy of technology-supported strategies designed for increasing engagement with these interventions is currently inconclusive. Few studies have examined user perceptions of such strategies, which could yield key insights for enhancing their effectiveness. Two hundred and eleven participants completed a cross-sectional online survey. All participants were aged 18 years and above, living in Australia, fluent in English, and self-reported prior use of digital therapeutics for mental health needs. Survey items elicited participants'views on factor(s) contributing to their engagement/disengagement with digital therapeutics, and perceptions of engagement strategies, including: automated electronic reminders, fun facts, quizzes, and social media platforms. χ2 tests of independence were used to analyse nominal data. Inductive thematic analysis was used to analyse free-text data. Factors facilitating engagement included digestible content, assurance of confidentiality, and esthetically appealing design. Factors hindering engagement included lack of time, forgetfulness, and lack of perceived intervention efficacy. Participants had mixed views over the feasibility and acceptability of the strategies explored towardpromoting engagement. Regardless of strategy type, succinct and easily applicable content was identified as an important feature for promoting engagement. Conversely, content that could trigger psychological distress among intervention users should be avoided. Overall, the diverse range of user perspectives highlighted that engagement strategies for any specific digital intervention should be co-designed with individuals with lived experience of mental health difficulties.

Readiness to Provide Oral and Injectable PrEP for Sexual and Gender Minority Youth Among Healthcare Providers and Clinics in the U.S. Northeast

PurposeTo examine readiness to provide oral and injectable pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for sexual and gender minority youth (SGMY) and to explore decision-making for HIV prevention strategies (e.g., condom use, daily and event-driven oral PrEP, and injectable PrEP) among healthcare providers. MethodsBetween February and April 2022, we recruited 31 prescribing providers (M.Ds, D.Os, P.As, and N.Ps) practicing in primary care and specialized clinics in the U.S. Northeast for focus groups or individual interviews. Focus groups and interview transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis. ResultsMost providers specialized in Pediatrics (42%) or Adolescent Medicine (23%) and 58% had previously prescribed PrEP. Main barriers to PrEP readiness were low PrEP knowledge, limited time for visits, and competing clinical priorities. Organizational factors such as routine HIV/STI testing, PrEP-specific electronic health records templates, and specialized staff (e.g., PrEP navigators) promoted PrEP readiness. Providers held positive attitudes toward injectable PrEP to promote adherence among SGMY, yet barriers to implementation of this modality were identified (e.g., patient anxiety about needles, additional staffing needs). Providers described event-driven oral PrEP as an option for SGMY with episodic HIV risk. Assurances of conditional confidentiality, including preventing disclosure of sensitive information through insurance forms, and shared decision-making facilitated conversations about HIV prevention with SGMY. DiscussionFuture PrEP implementation efforts for SGMY should consider combined efforts targeting provider knowledge about PrEP modalities (e.g., decision aids) and clinic organizational factors (e.g., routine HIV/STI testing, resources to assist providers and patients in navigating the multiple steps between prescription and adherence to PrEP).

Medico-Legal Cases Registered in the Casualty Department of a Teaching Hospital in Nepal

Medico-Legal Case (MLC) refers to any case of injury or ailment where some criminality is involved. The injury cases suggestive of criminal offense, burn injuries, vehicular accidents, suspected homicide, poisoning, and sexual assault are medico-legal cases. We conducted a descriptive study in Casualty Department of Teaching Hospital, Kathmandu, Nepal from May 1, 2019 to October 31, 2020. A total of 487 cases were registered. The cases were categorized according to the type of treatment they required. The record was obtained after informed consent of participants and with due assurance of confidentiality, ethical regulations and repute of the institution and individual. The data obtained was analyzed in SPSS version 21. Out of the total, 317 were male and 170 were female. The highest recorded cases were due to road traffic accidents (RTA) accounting for 167 (34.3%). The second highest was physical assault comprising 146 cases (30%) followed by fall injury 81 cases (16.6%). The study showed 48 poisoning cases (9.6%), followed by 14 cases (2.9%) of electric shock. Alcohol intoxication and trauma were eight (1.6%) each. Similarly, suicide and blast cases were six (1.2%) each. Likewise, occupational hazard and sexual assault were found one (0.2%) each, during this study period. The most common age group for medico-legal cases was 21-30 years and above 60 years were the least common. RTAs account the major part of Medico-legal cases in our study. By imparting proper education and awareness among public and medical students the frequency of these cases can be reduced.

Ambivalent professional identity of early remedial medical students from Generation Z: a qualitative study

BackgroundSupporting professional identity development in medical students undergoing remediation in the first few years of their studies is an important topic. However, there is a lack of research on developing an effective and individualised process for successful remediation that targets learner identities. This study examined the identities of Generation Z remedial medical students through the lens of professional identity formation, focusing on the difficulties they faced and the support they sought.MethodsAn exploratory qualitative case study was conducted within a constructivist paradigm. Twenty-two medical students (14 males and 8 females) who had experienced remediation in their first few years of medical university participated in this study. All participants were members of Generation Z. Qualitative data were collected through face-to-face, semi-structured interviews and analysed using thematic analysis.ResultsMedical students undergoing remediation in the first few years experienced resistance to the medical profession and conflict due to the gap between the ideal and the reality they experienced after entering medical university. Students’ professional identities were closely intertwined with their pre-university identities; this affected the process of professional identity formation after entering medical university. They preferred assurances of confidentiality as a prerequisite and immediately sought advice through social networks to support their professional identity development.ConclusionsWhen planning professional identity development support for Generation Z medical students undergoing remediation in the first few years, it is necessary to carefully select integrative interaction methods, focus on the context of individual learners, and collaboratively discuss specific responses between students and faculty. The results of this study could be useful to faculty in developing support systems for future remedial medical students that focuses on professional identity development and mentoring of remedial medical students.

"There Is Nothing I Cannot Achieve": Empowering Latin American Women Through Agricultural Education.

Higher education, a key driver of women’s empowerment, is still segregated by gender across the world. Agricultural higher education is a field that is male-dominated, even though internationally women play a large role in agricultural production. The purpose of this study was to understand the experience, including challenges and coping strategies, of women from 10 Latin American countries attending an agricultural university in Latin America. The participants were 28 women students with a mean age of 20.9 ± 1.8 years. Following informed consent and assurance of confidentiality, four focus group sessions (one for each year of study with a mean duration of 81 min) were conducted in Spanish. The central question was, “what has been your experience at the university?” Sessions were recorded and transcribed. Thematic coding was performed independently by two teams of researchers (from Latin America and North America), with the resulting schemas combined through mutual discussion. Member checking, auditing, and reflexivity contributed to trustworthiness of the process. Students reported that the personal qualities needed for success included determination, persistence, and self-efficacy. Many described an empowerment process, including increased discipline and self-efficacy from the first to fourth year of study. University life encompassed six themes: university structure and discipline (part of the exosystem), two supportive microsystems (friends and classmates and institutional support) as well as three challenges (academics, peers, and machismo). Cultural influences instantiated in students’ daily experiences included familism, machismo, and religious faith. Students anticipated futures involving further education and contributions to society. We conclude that higher education in agriculture can serve as an effective means of empowering women to feed the world.

Pesticide Exposure and Health Risks: The Case of Pesticide Traders

There is a paucity of information worldwide on the health problems among pesticide traders that are occupationally exposed to pesticides. A study was conducted in the Sultanate of Oman to investigate pesticide handling and their health risk perception by pesticide traders, and how these are impacted by their level of education, training, and the use of personal protection equipment (PPE). A total of 63 traders were randomly selected in four Regions (Al Batinah, Al Dhahirah, Al Dakhiliyah and Al Sharqiyah) in the Sultanate of Oman. Participation was based on full informed consent and assurances of confidentiality. The survey adopted the interview format, using hard copies of questionnaires. About 90% of the traders with formal pesticide training used some form of PPE, compared to 19% among those with no pesticide training. All (100%) of the trained traders had knowledge of pesticide regulations, informed customers on the proper use of pesticides and knew that pesticides could be dangerous. The corresponding percentages among the untrained traders were 13, 12 and 60, respectively. Among all the traders, the most reported health symptoms were headache (73%), skin irritation (71.4%) and salivation (63.5%). In as much as many farm workers and other pesticide end-users depend on the traders for information on pesticides, it is suggested that training be made mandatory for all pesticide traders. The use of PPE should also be made mandatory and pesticide inspectors should be made to inspect the pesticide shops regularly to ensure compliance.

Improving Vietnamese law on the pre-action collection of evidence of law violations in cyberspace

In this technological era, illegal acts are surging in cyberspace and causing considerable damage by exploiting the fast and convenient features in connecting and making online transactions. Obtaining evidence and information related to those acts is a prerequisite for the victims of law violations in cyberspace to use legitimate tools to secure their rights and interests. Such an activity must be conducted as soon as possible, even before the proceeding starts to prevent the important evidence and information of the violators from being permanently dispersed or deleted. However, such data is often stored by an opposite party or placed under the management of third parties such as banks, internet service providers and social media platforms. These parties tend to refuse information disclosure due to the conflict of interests, assurance of confidentiality and other business issues. In this regard, Vietnamese civil procedure law still encounters several difficulties for the victims to collect evidence at the pre-action stage. The law has neither clarified the victims’ right to request the evidence-holders to disclose nor provided the victims with any other effective measure to support such collection in this crucial period. Meanwhile, the procedure law of foreign jurisdictions, namely the UK and the Netherlands, is integrated with effective mechanisms to deal with this specific issue. In general, such mechanisms entitle the victims to request the court to order the evidence-holders to disclose crucial evidence of the violations and information about the violators before the commencement of a civil action. Using both doctrinal and comparative methods, this article examines these foreign schemes to determine several vital points for improving Vietnamese civil procedure law regarding the request for court assistance in collecting evidence at this pre-action stage.

Perspectives of Adolescent Girls and Young Women on Optimizing Youth-Friendly HIV and Sexual and Reproductive Health Care in Zambia.

Youth-friendly health care delivery models are needed to address the complex health care needs of adolescent girls and young women (AGYW). The aim of this study is to explore the lived experiences of AGYW seeking comprehensive HIV and sexual and reproductive health (SRH) care and to elicit their preferences for integrated health care services. We conducted in-depth interviews and focus group discussions in Lusaka, Zambia among 69 AGYW aged 10-20 who were HIV-negative or of unknown status and 40 AGYW aged 16-24 living with HIV. The data were coded through deductive and inductive processes and analyzed thematically using modified World Health Organization (WHO) dimensions of quality for youth-friendly services. AGYW expressed preference for one-stop clinics with integrated services that could provide HIV services along with other services such as pregnancy testing and family planning. AGYW also wanted information on staying healthy and approaches to prevent disease which could be delivered in the community setting such as youth clubs. An integrated clinic should address important attributes to AGYW including short wait time, flexible opening hours, assurance of confidentiality and positive staff attitudes. Youth-friendly, integrated care delivery models that incorporate AGYW preferences may foster linkages to care and improve outcomes among vulnerable AGYW.

PICTURE BOOKS AND HEALTHY EATING HABITS: AN INTERVENTION STUDY IN A GREEK PRESCHOOL SETTING

Experiences with food preferences begin in infancy and continue to develop on children transition to solid food. Children’s food preferences are influenced by availability and familiarity with foods as well as parental modeling and health related picture books. The aim of the study was to evaluate whether picture-books regarding healthy lifestyle can influence children’s eating preferences. A questionnaire related to the use of picture-books at home and lifestyle habits was distributed to all parents. Picture-books were provided to all parents. At the same time children were allocated in two groups: the intervention group, which took part in further activities (cooking), and to a comparison group. Interviews were addressed to the parents after the program. The ethical concern included confidentiality assurance and the choice to withdraw. Findings revealed that the daily reading of books about food was increased in both groups. Most of the families of the intervention group reduced fast food and sweet consumption and increased outdoor activities. Implications on the influence of books and additional activities on promoting child attitudes on healthy food will be discussed.
 
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