Correlates Of Engagement Research Articles

Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices About Zika Virus Infection Among Women of Reproductive Age in Central Brooklyn, New York City, USA.

Zika virus (ZIKV) is spread by mosquitos, sexual intercourse and vertically during pregnancy. The 2015-2016 ZIKV epidemic infected millions in the Americas and resulted in thousands of infants born with malformations. Though the clusters of severe birth defects have subsided since 2017, ZIKV transmission remains a concern throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. Travel-associated and sexually-transmitted Zika, therefore, remain potential routes of transmission for women of reproductive age and their partners. This is particularly true for communities with high immigrant and foreign-born populations in Central Brooklyn, New York. Limited information has been collected on the perception by this population of ZIKV and how high-risk women engage in preventive practices. Using a survey adapted from the WHO, we assessed engagement in mosquito-related preventive practices while traveling. Data from 483 respondents on knowledge and perceived ZIKV concern, along with demographics as correlates of engagement in preventive practices were collected using a convenience sample between September 2020 and January 2021. Data were collected via a multipronged approach using social media in REDCap. Our findings show that being white/not Hispanic, pregnant, knowledgeable and concerned about ZIKV, and having enough information about ZIKV were all significantly associated with an increased likelihood of engaging in preventive practices while traveling. Multivariable logistic modeling revealed that knowledge was significantly associated with an increased likelihood of engaging in preventive practices while traveling (AOR = 1.90, 95% CI [1.28-2.83]). These findings underscore the importance of directing tailored health education efforts to vulnerable populations.

Automated measures of vocal interactions and engagement in inclusive preschool classrooms.

Classroom engagement plays a crucial role in preschoolers' development, yet the correlates of engagement, especially among children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and developmental delays (DD), remains unknown. This study examines levels of engagement with classroom social partners and tasks among children in three groups ASD, DD, and typical development (TD). Here, we asked whether children's vocal interactions (vocalizations to and from peers and teachers) were associated with their classroom engagement with social partners (peers and teachers) and with tasks, and whether the association between classroom engagement and vocal interactions differed between children in the ASD group and their peers in the DD and TD groups. Automated measures of vocalizations and location quantified children's vocal interactions with peers and teachers over the course of the school year. Automated location and vocalization data were used to capture both (1) children's vocal output to specific peers and teachers, and (2) the vocal input they received from those peers and teachers. Participants were 72 3-5-year-olds (Mage = 48.6 months, SD = 7.0, 43% girls) and their teachers. Children in the ASD group displayed lower engagement with peers, teachers, and tasks than children in the TD group; they also showed lower engagement with peers than children in the DD group. Overall, children's own vocalizations were positively associated with engagement with social partners. Thus, although children in the ASD group tend to have lower engagement scores than children in the TD group, active participation in vocal interactions appears to support their classroom engagement with teachers and peers.

Brief Report: Bariatric Surgery Patients' Communication and Engagement in Activities with Their Children.

Children witness parental weight loss from bariatric surgery; however, little is understood about parental engagement and communication with children about weight loss. The purpose of this study is to explore parental engagement in activities and communication about weight loss with children during the bariatric surgery process. Seventy-two pre- or post-surgery parents, living with a child 2-25- years- old, were surveyed using a questionnaire to assess engagement in social and physical activities and communication with children about weight loss, and the Social Support for Exercise and Eating Habits Survey. Multivariate logistic regression determined correlates of engagement and communication, with covariates: child age and perceived weight status, surgery status, and social support. Family discouragement for making eating habit change was associated with an increased odds [OR = 1.21 (CI 1.03, 1.41)] of parents endorsing their weight held them back from social activities. Parents with older children [OR = .88 (CI .78, 1.00)] and children perceived to have overweight/obesity [OR = .18 (CI .03, .96)], and who were post-surgery [OR = 4.78 (CI 1.05, 21.88)] had increased odds of discussing losing weight with their child. The results of this study suggest parents are communicating with their children about weight loss, though more often with older and overweight/obese children.

Workforce engagement: What it is, what drives it, and why it matters for organizational performance

SummaryBased on a review of the history of the employee engagement construct and its measurement, we define workforce engagement as the aggregate of the work engagement experiences of individual employees in an organization. In contrast to most research on employee engagement, we study companies rather than individuals and the companies represent a diverse set of industries. We hypothesize and demonstrate on a sample of (up to) 102 publicly traded companies that workforce engagement significantly predicts organizational financial (adjusting for industry: Return on Assets, Net Margin but not Tobin's q) and customer metrics (the American Customer Satisfaction Index and the Harris Reputation Quotient) 1 and 2 years after the workforce engagement data were collected. In addition, using a split‐sample approach to avoid method bias, we hypothesize and show that (a) company organizational practices (the strongest correlate), supervisory support, and work attributes are significant correlates of workforce engagement and (b) that workforce engagement mediates the relationship between these correlates of engagement and the organizational performance metrics. Implications of the findings for research and practice are discussed.

Measuring Participant Effort in a Depression Prevention Trial: Who Engages in Problem-Solving Therapy?

To determine the acceptability of clinical interventions for depression prevention, identification of clinical characteristics associated with intervention engagement is needed. The purpose of this study is to describe levels and correlates of participant engagement in Problem Solving Therapy (PST) in adults 60 and older with subthreshold depression. As part of a clinical trial to prevent depression among older adults with subthreshold depression, participants who were randomized to receive PST completed 6-8 sessions in which they learned skills to solve self-selected problems that were contributing to stress and reduced quality of life. To measure participants' engagement with PST, interventionists completed 3 scales that rated participants' level of participation in problem solving activities, understanding of the multistep process of PST, and between-session homework effort. Using logistic regression, we examined whether physical health, level of cognitive function, gait speed, and disability served as correlates of engagement in the PST intervention. Gait speed, a measure of physical and cognitive health, was significantly associated with engagement in PST. Participants who walked faster were more likely to engage with PST compared to participants who walked more slowly. No other baseline variables were significant correlates. Older adults who walk more slowly may need alternative delivery methods to fully engage in PST. Gait speed reflects physical and cognitive health, and predicts frailty, disability, and psychomotor speed slowing. For these reasons, gait speed may be a marker for factors that will serve to predict poorer engagement in psychosocial interventions like PST.

Postsecondary Educational Engagement Among Formerly-Incarcerated Transition-Age Young Men

In this study, the authors explore correlates of engagement in postsecondary educational programs (including technical/trade schools, 2-year colleges, and 4-year colleges) among young men who served mandatory probation camp sentences as juveniles. A cross-sectional telephone survey was conducted with a sample of 75 men (average age of 20.5) who had participated in a reentry program associated with the probation camp. Among the sample, 34.7% had not attempted any postsecondary education, 52.0% had attempted but not completed a program, and 13.3% had completed a postsecondary program, most commonly a technical/trade school certificate. Using multinomial logistic regression analysis, the authors found that controlling for high school/GED completion status, age, and months of participation in the reentry program, fathers were significantly less likely to attempt a postsecondary education program than those who were not fathers (OR =.14; p <.05). Neither employment history nor subsequent number of times incarcerated had any significant influence on attempting or completing a postsecondary educational program. These results have implications for reentry services, particularly with respect to the types of support that young fathers may need to more consistently engage in postsecondary educational programs.

EuropeaN Energy balance Research to prevent excessive weight Gain among Youth (ENERGY) project: Design and methodology of the ENERGY cross-sectional survey.

BackgroundObesity treatment is by large ineffective long term, and more emphasis on the prevention of excessive weight gain in childhood and adolescence is warranted. To inform energy balance related behaviour (EBRB) change interventions, insight in the potential personal, family and school environmental correlates of these behaviours is needed. Studies on such multilevel correlates of EBRB among schoolchildren in Europe are lacking. The ENERGY survey aims to (1) provide up-to-date prevalence rates of measured overweight, obesity, self-reported engagement in EBRBs, and objective accelerometer-based assessment of physical activity and sedentary behaviour and blood-sample biomarkers of metabolic function in countries in different regions of Europe, (2) to identify personal, family and school environmental correlates of these EBRBs. This paper describes the design, methodology and protocol of the survey.Method/DesignA school-based cross-sectional survey was carried out in 2010 in seven different European countries; Belgium, Greece, Hungary, the Netherlands, Norway, Slovenia, and Spain. The survey included measurements of anthropometrics, child, parent and school-staff questionnaires, and school observations to measure and assess outcomes (i.e. height, weight, and waist circumference), EBRBs and potential personal, family and school environmental correlates of these behaviours including the social-cultural, physical, political, and economic environmental factors. In addition, a selection of countries conducted accelerometer measurements to objectively assess physical activity and sedentary behaviour, and collected blood samples to assess several biomarkers of metabolic function.DiscussionThe ENERGY survey is a comprehensive cross-sectional study measuring anthropometrics and biomarkers as well as assessing a range of EBRBs and their potential correlates at the personal, family and school level, among 10-12 year old children in seven European countries. This study will result in a unique dataset, enabling cross country comparisons in overweight, obesity, risk behaviours for these conditions as well as the correlates of engagement in these risk behaviours.