Difficult Life Situations Research Articles

ЭФФЕКТИВНОСТЬ МЕДИКО-ПСИХОЛОГИЧЕСКИХ МЕРОПРИЯТИЙ У ЖЕНЩИН В СИТУАЦИИ РЕПРОДУКТИВНОГО ВЫБОРА

This paper analyzes the effectiveness of medical and psychological measures in women who are in a situation of reproductive choice and who applied for the termination of an unwanted pregnancy. The study was conducted on the basis of the Center for Medical and Social Assistance to Pregnant Women in Difficult Life Situations (GBUZ "MC Dynasty"). Research methods: sociological, analytical, statistical. The study included 151 women aged 16 to 45 years (mean age 32.3+3.4 years) who applied to the medical center for abortion. From January to June 2023, an anonymous monitoring was conducted to study the causes of abortion in this group of women, as well as a study of the relationship between meaningful life orientations and psychological readiness in women who decided to have an abortion. Based on the data obtained, medical and psychological measures were developed and their effectiveness was assessed. Results: the proposed medical and psychological measures can significantly increase the frequency of refusal to terminate a pregnancy, and are recommended for implementation. Out of 151 women who applied to the center for termination of pregnancy and completed the medical and psychological program in full, 38 women changed their decisions in favor of maintaining the pregnancy, which amounted to 25.2%.

Teacher assessment of school adaptation problems of younger adolescents with educational communication diffi culties

Educational communication with peers and teachers has a significant impact on all sides of the school adaptation of younger adolescents. Difficulties in educational communication can be a significant cause of problems of school adaptation. The purpose of this article is to identify and describe the school adaptation problems of adolescents with educational communication difficulties, to study the assessment of these problems by middle school teachers. The article clarifies socially vulnerable groups of young adolescents with a high risk of educational communication difficulties: with behavioral or emotional disorders, with limited health capacities and with disabilities, in a difficult life situation, refugee children, migrants and foreigners, gifted and talented students. Their school adaptation problems are classified into social, communicative, psychological, motivational and academic. The results of the teacher assessment of the prevalence of such problems and difficulties of educational communication in socially vulnerable and socially well-off groups of adolescents were presented. The evaluation was carried out through surveying 53 teachers of Gymnasium 25 of Krasnodar. They assessed the prevalence of problems of school adaptation and educational communication difficulties among 148 students of the 5th grade. The results showed that the most frequent school adaptation problems were noted among adolescents with behavioral and emotional disorders (problems of building relationships with teachers and peers, low educational motivation, self-organization problems), migrants and foreigners (problems with compliance with school norms and rules and mastering the curriculum), teenagers in difficult life situations (problems in building relationships with teachers and classmates, high level of anxiety, low self-esteem). The least frequent problems of school adaptation are found among gifted and talented children (lower than those of normally developing peers). The prevalence of communication difficulties among certain socially vulnerable and socially advantageous groups of adolescents was assessed by teachers in much the same way as the prevalence of school adaptation problems, suggesting a correlation between them.

Особенности эмоционального состояния врачей, работающих и неработающих с пациентами, больными Covid-19, в контексте их индивидуально-психологических различий

<p>Since 2019, the world has faced the COVID-19 pandemic, which has affected the lives of almost everyone. But the greatest burden of responsibility fell on the shoulders of medical workers who have been fighting for the lives of patients in the "red zones" all this time, experiencing enormous overload and stress, and after all, everyone has limited resources to overcome difficult life situations and reacts to them in their own way. In this regard, the purpose of our work was to study the emotional state of doctors working and not working with patients with COVID-19 in the context of their individual psychological differences, such as personal anxiety, features of aggressive behavior and the presence of certain socio-psychological attitudes. The total number of study participants was 81 people aged 27 to 63 years (M=43.6; SD=8.7). As a result of the study, significant differences were revealed in the severity of situational anxiety, overstrain and counteraction to stress in groups with moderate and high levels of personal anxiety among doctors working in "red" zones. For doctors working in "clean" zones, significant differences between situational anxiety and overexertion were revealed for this parameter. The presence of significant connections of such features of aggressive behavior as aggressiveness and hostility with the severity of stress, overexertion and resistance to stress was found. Significant connections between the levels of situational anxiety, overexertion and resistance to stress and different styles of behavior in conflict situations were also revealed. In addition, the links between situational anxiety, overstrain and resistance to stress and various styles of socio-psychological attitudes were revealed.</p>

Индивидуально-психологические и семейные ресурсы матерей, воспитывающих детей с инвалидностью

<p style="text-align: justify;">An important task of clinical psychology is to study the resources of coping with difficult life situations and the stress of children with disabilities’ mothers. The purpose of the study is to analyze the differences between individual and family psychological resources of mothers raising disabled children and mothers of neurotypical children and to identify groups of mothers by the level of their psychological resources. 392 mothers took part in the study using the author's socio-biographical questionnaire, the self-activation of personality method, a short version of the resilience test, the COPE questionnaire, and the family viability assessment scale (139 raise disabled children (medium age 42.58+7.4), 253 – healthy children (medium age 42.63+8.4)). It is shown that mothers of children with disabilities estimate the intensity of events related to diseases and problems in relationships higher than mothers of healthy children. Mothers of children with disabilities are distinguished by a reduced level of resilience resources, some components of the self-activation resource (physical activity), the severity of instrumental resources, such as: the concentration on emotions, active coping, suppression of competing activities, planning, an active cognitive coping style. But the size of the effect in the differences is small. Based on cluster analysis, three groups of mothers were identified, characterized by a peculiar profile of individual and family psychological resources: "resource", "moderately resource", "insufficiently resource". The specific features of each of the profiles and the possibilities of applying the obtained data in practice are shown.</p>

On the issue of the object of legal relations from the mandatory state social insurance in case of unemployment

One of the urgent issues of today is the social protection of the unemployed, which is diverse and can be reduced to several organizational and legal forms. One of the organizational and legal forms of social protection of the unemployed is the mandatory state social insurance in case of unemployment. which is regulated by law, as a result of which legal relations arise in the relevant area. The purpose of the article is to clarify the object of legal relations from mandatory state social insurance in case of unemployment, which is of key importance in the structure of such legal relations. It was concluded that the object of legal relations is what their subjects exercise their subjective rights and legal obligations. The main purpose of the object is that it makes it possible to find out about what legal relations arise, what their legal regulation should be aimed at, what techniques and methods of the latter should be used to satisfy the interests and needs of individuals or legal entities. Not only the behavior of the subjects of legal relations, but also the achievement of the latter’s ultimate goal depends on how fully and correctly the object will be defined. The objects of legal relations from the mandatory state social insurance in case of unemployment are (a) social insurance benefits and (b) social insurance services. Social insurance benefit is a periodic or one-time cash payment in the system of mandatory state social insurance in case of unemployment, which is provided by the insurer in the event of unemployment or death of an unemployed person or a person who was dependent on him. Social insurance services are measures provided in the system of mandatory state social insurance in case of unemployment, which are aimed at individuals or their groups who are in a difficult life situation due to unemployment and cannot overcome it on their own, with the aim of improving their life activities, social adaptation and return to a full-fledged life.

Advanced care planing and end of life decisions - the geriatricians' view

Medical progress and the increasing desire for self-determination, even in the most difficult life situations, as well as the associated increasing possibilities of influencing life and dying lead to possibilities but also obligations for individual treatment design. Especially at the end of life, the desire for provision is great and many decisions need to be made in advance or by proxy. In daily dealings with sick or seriously ill people at the end of their lives, it is very helpful if appropriate advance directives have been made and the patient's wishes can be implemented simply and clearly. With the possibility of advance planning for the end of life (Advance Care Planning (ACP)), there is a precautionary and planning concept that will hopefully be used more and more in the future.

ПРОБЛЕМЫ ОБЕСПЕЧЕНИЯ ПОЖАРНОЙ БЕЗОПАСНОСТИ В МЕСТАХ ПРОЖИВАНИЯ МНОГОДЕТНЫХ СЕМЕЙ, СЕМЕЙ, НАХОДЯЩИХСЯ В ТРУДНОЙ ЖИЗНЕННОЙ СИТУАЦИИ, В СОЦИАЛЬНО ОПАСНОМ ПОЛОЖЕНИИ В РОССИЙСКОЙ ФЕДЕРАЦИИ*

The problem of ensuring fire safety of large families, families in a difficult life situation, in a socially dangerous situation, living in residential premises (rooms, apartments, residential buildings) belonging to them by right of ownership or being in their use is considered. The legal acts regulating fire safety issues, including the Rules of the Fire regime in the Russian Federation, approved by the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation № 1479 of September 16, 2020, which were supplemented by a new paragraph 851, effective from March 1, 2023, have been analyzed.
 As a result of the analysis, the problems of compliance with the new norm of these Rules, as well as the implementation of state fire supervision by employees of EMERCOM of Russia, were identified: visits to residential premises by employees of the state fire supervision, the lack of financial resources for the purchase of autonomous smoke detectors in 2023, the difficulty of distinguishing responsibility for their absence or improper installation in the event of a fire that caused serious harm to health or death of citizens, the absence of a transition period, allowing the specified requirement to be implemented within a reasonable time, violation of the constitutional principle of equality of all before the law, lack of a legislative basis for monitoring the implementation of this requirement.
 In order to solve the task set by the state to reduce the number of fires, save the population, correct and unambiguous understanding by individuals and public authorities of their duties, the authors formulated proposals to exclude paragraph 851 from the Rules of the fire regime in the Russian Federation, to be fixed in the Federal law «On Fire Safety» and the Federal law «On general principles of the organization of local self-government in the Russian Federation» duties of local self-government bodies to assist large families, families, those who are in a difficult life situation, in a socially dangerous situation in the installation and regular inspection of the serviceable condition of autonomous smoke fire detectors, in the houses where they live.

ОСОБИСТІСНІ СУПЕРЕЧНОСТІ ЗДОБУВАЧІВ ВИЩОЇ ОСВІТИ ТА ЇХ КОРЕКЦІЯ ЗАСОБАМИ ПСИХОДРАМИ

The article is devoted to a personal contradiction as inconsistency between different constituents of human psyche (between needs and possibilities of satisfying them, between consciousness and not conscious psychic phenomena, between wrong thoughts as well as actions and emotions). To overcome a personal problem is to realize and refuse a programmed behavior, which does not allow meeting a planned target, and the gradual formation of new samples of the effective behavior as well. Currently, the choice and use of effective methods to diagnose and correct students’ personal problems have been real. The aim of the article – to deepen understanding and correct students-psychologists’ personal problems using psychodrama. Main tasks were based on correcting personal contradictions which might have occurred in, mechanisms of psychological defenses, as well as students’ crisis conditions – intended psychologists. To diagnose mechanisms of psychological defenses we used a questionnaire of R. Plutchyk, H. Kellerman, and H. Conte. To diagnose and correct personal contradictions it has been held psychodramatic sessions for students in the process of learning the discipline “Psychodrama”. Those sessions consisted of warming-up, a selection of the protagonist, a psychodramatic action as well as sharing. Consequently, we have defined next positive changes The quantity of not conscious mechanisms of psychological defenses – from від 15.3% до 10.7%. The number of students who were not aware of their own crisis states decreased (from 25.7% to 10.3%). The average awareness of personal problems by students has increased to 6.9%. The understanding of personal contradictions was based on their transformation into the level of consciousness. The correction was based on the believe that the external emotional experience (feeling) of the inner world out of drama helped students understand thoroughly and realize their past, as well as say “good-bye” to them; believe in themselves, in their power and possibilities of positive changes; find out the optimal ways to behave in difficult life situations; master new roles and models of behavior; correct life scenario, solve a conflict, reduce symptoms of hard emotional experience. The psychodrama helped students understand and correct personal problems. This must help him work with clients effectively in the future. Thus, the psychodrama has become the important method of personal contradictions awareness and correction.

Social functions of mentors for graduates of orphanages (on the example of Novosibirsk)

The study of the phenomenon of mentoring is determined by challenges in the social existence of individuals and groups that find themselves in a difficult life situation. The article focuses on the graduates of organizations for orphans and children left without parental care, who face adaptive, social and social-cultural difficulties after leaving the orphanage, and in this situation the role of mentors is crucial. Based on the semi-structured interviews with mentors (N = 17) and graduates (N = 15) of orphanages in Novosibirsk, the author identifies social functions of mentors and the graduates’ attitude to them. Novosibirsk was chosen as the first city in Russia, in which mentoring system for graduates of orphanages was tested. The article focuses on the social functions of mentors based on the idea that the social function is an effective means for achieving goals that are significant for society or its groups. The following social functions of mentors were identified: socializing, social-communicative and social-cultural. These functions allow to define mentoring not only as a pedagogical phenomenon, but also as a social practice that determines the interaction of representatives of different social groups/communities. Such interaction is purposeful, reflects the completeness of the subjects’ life worlds and their value orientations, forms meaningful attitudes and improves the quality of life in general. The study showed that the interaction between mentors and graduates is positive and contributes to the improvement of the graduates’ social life. The author identifies the key markers of the mentors’ attitude to the social practices of the orphanage, their estimates of its role in the formation of personality and value orientations. The approach presented in the article allows to consider mentoring as an important factor of socialization.

Совершенствование нормативно-правового регулирования в сфере исполнения уголовных наказаний при введении пробации

The Federal Law “On Probation in the Russian Federation” is considered in the article as part of the improvement of legal regulation in the field of execution of criminal penalties. The article analyzes the signs according to which the Law on Probation should be evaluated as a model law that creates a general probation system as a set of measures aimed at providing assistance to persons serving (having served) criminal sentences and finding themselves in a difficult life situation. The Law on Probation expands the field of penal enforcement law, as evidenced by the provisions establishing the list of persons to whom probation is applied, the organization and implementation of the functions of post-penitentiary probation by institutions of the penal enforcement system of Russia, the connection of the main directions of probation with means of correction. The implementation of the Law on Probation provides for the need to prepare separate regulatory legal acts (determined by the Apparatus of the Government of the Russian Federation), a list of which is given in the article. Their publication is aimed at implementing not only the provisions of the Law on Probation, but also the rights of convicts established in the Penal Enforcement Code of the Russian Federation, as well as conducting educational work with convicts. Thus, the introduction of the institute of probation and the publication of normative legal acts aimed at implementing the Law on Probation, simultaneously provides for the improvement of regulatory and legal regulation in the field of execution of criminal penalties.

Wisdom capacities in people with and without chronic mental health problems: A representative survey on a general German adult population

Wisdom capacities are important for coping with difficult and ambiguous life situations. People with chronic mental health problems often have problems in coping with life problems. Until now, there are no comparative and representative data on the distribution of wisdom capacities people with and without chronic mental health problems. Identifying strengths and limitations in wisdom capacities in both groups will give a basis for specific focus in wisdom training in clinical settings and public health. This cross-sectional observation study examined a German population with a representative sample of 2505 persons aged 16 – 95 years in 2019. Sociodemographic data as well as chronic mental illnesses data were collected, and wisdom capacities were assessed by the 12-WD Wisdom Scale. The surveys were carried out using interviews and self-report questionnaires at the respondents’ homes by an experienced social research company. The wisdom capacities value and problem relativization, as well as emotion acceptance were scored the highest by people with and without chronic mental health problems. Uncertainty tolerance, sustainability and perspective change received the lowest scores. People with chronic mental health problems had slightly lower overall wisdom affinity (M = 7.00, SD = 1.41 on a scale of 0 – 10) as compared to mentally healthy people (M = 7.7, SD = 1.38). Specifically, persons with chronic mental health problems reported the lowest ratings on wisdom capacities requiring active cognitive reflections (sustainability, perspective change, and uncertainty tolerance). In conclusion, since there are rather small quantitative differences between persons with and without chronic mental health problems, the wisdom concept seems appropriate to be applied to all individuals, regardless of the severity and nature of mental health problems. Wisdom enhancement, for instance, by means of wisdom training, may be focused on wisdom capacities which were rated comparably low, including perspective change, uncertainty tolerance and sustainability.

To the question of the relevance of the organization of comprehensive rehabilitation of adolescents in difficult life situation

BACKGROUND: The relevance of the study is determined by the high number of crimes committed by minors. including serious and especially serious, the need for timely medical, social and psychological rehabilitation of children with deviant behavior. The purpose of the study: to form the main directions of the comprehensive rehabilitation of adolescents who find themselves in a difficult life situation and are in the Center for the temporary detention of juvenile offenders based on the study and analysis of the medical and social parameters of their life.
 MATERIALS AND METHODS: The materials and methods of the study included a statistical analysis of the results of medical and social indicators of 204 adolescents who were in the Temporary Detention Center for Juvenile Offenders in St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region at the age of 14 to 18 years.
 RESULTS: Among juvenile offenders, males prevailed (76.0%), aged 16 to 18 years (58.0%) and 14 to 15 years (42.0%), brought up in relatives, complete (45.7%) or incomplete (39.2%) families. The majority (72.0%) of adolescents presented neurological complaints in the form of: sleep and wakefulness disorders (22.2%); abdominal and headaches (14.8% and 11.1%, respectively), tremor (14.8%) people, periodic palpitations (4.7%), seizures (11.1%), back pain (3.7%). Acute injuries were stated in 88.9% of cases, poisoning in 55.6%, panic attacks in 33.3%, episodes of uncontrolled aggression occurred in 18.5%, suicides in 7.4% of adolescents, syncope in 3.7%.
 CONCLUSION: Based on the analysis, a comprehensive program for the rehabilitation of juvenile offenders has been drawn up and is being implemented, including medical, psychological and pedagogical measures, socio-cultural and environmental rehabilitation. This methodological approach made it possible to form groups of adolescents with their active involvement in the rehabilitation process and increasing motivation for social adaptation.

Level of social adaptation in children with down syndrome depending on verbal communication ability

Down syndrome, like other syndromes associated with mental pathology that occur and develop in childhood and/or adolescence, often prevent the normal adaptation of the individual in society. Children with Down syndrome are often anxious, timid, misunderstand the intentions of others, and therefore misinterpret them and react inappropriately; social skills in such children are often underdeveloped. Detachment from peers and social isolation can reduce the effectiveness of rehabilitation programs for children with Down syndrome and deepen cognitive and affective deficits in children with this disease. The aim of the study was to determine the level of social adaptation depending on the ability to verbal communication in children with Down syndrome. The research was carried out on the basis of the National Medical Center of ZOR, 97 children with Down's syndrome were thoroughly examined. The patients were divided into two groups according to the criterion of the ability to verbal communication: group 1 (G1) included 77 children capable of verbal communication, group 2 (G2) — 20 children who do not speak. As a result of the research, the level of social adaptation was determined depending on the ability to verbal communication in children with Down syndrome. Both in G1 and in G2, a normal level of adaptability, emotional comfort and manageability was revealed, which generally indicates a feeling of inner peace in a familiar environment and a high level of satisfaction with one's own microsocial environment. In G1 and G2, there was a decrease in the indicators of maladjustment, self-rejection, rejection of others, emotional discomfort, which can be interpreted as a decrease in the level of criticism of both oneself and others in both groups, regardless of the ability to speak. In G1, significantly higher levels of self-acceptance and internal control were found, which indicates higher self-esteem and the ability to independently solve difficult life situations in children with Down syndrome who are able to speak. In G2, a significant decrease in indicators of external control and escapism was established, which may be the result of a more gentle and careful attitude towards children with Down syndrome who are not capable of verbal communication. Key words: Down syndrome, social adaptation, social anxiety, psychocorrection, children psychiatry

Experience of implementing foster care in some foreign countries

It is indicated that child homelessness is a very urgent problem in many countries of the world. Unfortunately, Ukraine is not an exception.The history of the development of patronage in Ukraine has a long history. Foster care sometimes existed as an alternative form of education for orphans and children deprived of parental care, and then disappeared for decades. Perhaps this was the reason for such a low level of legislative regulation.A foster family is a form of temporary placement of children who have found themselves in a difficult life situation, with the aim of rehabilitation, change of situation in the native family, and in case of impossibility - transfer for adoption. The purpose of this form of education is to realize the child’s priority right to life and upbringing in the family, which are enshrined in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. A foster family is an alternative form of upbringing, which is used when, due to objective reasons, the application of adoption or guardianship is impossible. A child is transferred to a foster family on the basis of a civil law contract, and in some countries an employment contract is additionally concluded between the foster carer and the child placement service.It is noted that a child under foster care is a child who has not reached the age of sixteen, who is cared for by providing all the necessary conditions for life and development, a person who is not the child’s father, but who is responsible for the child. The appointment of a certain person as a foster carer, as well as the deprivation of this status, is documented. At the same time, social agencies are obliged to provide potential foster carers with information about their rights and the procedure for appealing the decision.The article describes the experience of foster parenting in some foreign countries in which legislative regulation of foster relations characterized by a rather high level (the UK , France, Sweden). Practice shows that patronage in Ukraine has a narrow range of applications due to significant gaps in the law, and certainly not conducive to combat the serious problem of street children as. According to the analysis of legal regulation of foster parenting in some foreign countries and foster care in Ukraine , recommendations indicated the positive elements that could usefully borrow to improve legal regulation of foster relations in Ukraine.

Principles of administrative and legal regulation of volunteer activities in Ukraine

The article is devoted to the study of issues related to the study of the main principles of administrative and legal regulation of volunteering in Ukraine. It is substantiated that volunteering is one of the elements of civil society, the development and study of which has recently received the attention of the state and the scientific community.This article argues that the administrative an legal regulation of volunteering can be defined as implementation by authorized subjects based on legal norms through special mechanisms for establishing, organizing, implementing, protecting and protecting social relations in the field of volunteering.It was determined that volunteering is a wide range of activities, including traditional forms of mutual and self-help, official provision of services and other forms of civic participation, which is carried out voluntarily for the benefit of the general public without expectation of monetary reward.It is argued that volunteering is a voluntary activity consciously chosen by a person and not pursued for commercial gain. Volunteering is a manifestation of civic activity and civic responsibility that promotes the formation of a positive image of the state and the development of civil society.The need to regulate volunteer activities is due to the fact that this activity is of great importance for the development of society and the solution of social problems. Volunteers help people in difficult life situations, support social projects and initiatives, providing a decent quality of life for various categories of the population.The main principles of administrative and legal regulation of volunteering in Ukraine are analyzed. It was noted that, accordingly, and in today’s conditions, volunteering in our country shows significant volumes and the involvement of young people in this type of activity both in Ukraine and abroad.It is proposed to understand the principles of administrative and legal regulation of volunteering as the fundamental and guiding principles of conscientious performance by volunteers of tasks assigned to them, aimed at creating a favorable legal environment for the functioning and development of volunteering.It is substantiated that the principles of administrative and legal regulation of volunteer activity are based on both basic and optional principles.

Analysis of the Level of Stress and Methods of Coping with Stress among the Nursing Staff.

In general, "stress" is the reaction of the body to mental and physical demands placed on it. Stress disrupts mental balance, and reduces the ability to work and function, which negatively affects the performance of duties. The aim of this study was to analyse the level of stress and ways of coping with it among nursing staff. The study covered 220 nurses employed at the Provincial Specialist Hospital in Włocławek. The research tool was the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) and the Brief-COPE. The results of this survey showed the occurrence of average and high levels of experiencing stress in 36% and 40%of staff, respectively. Brief-COPE scale results show that substance use/gender (men) and use of emotional support/place of work (internal medicine department) are significant at p < 0.01. Considering the impact of the workplace on the use of psychoactive substances, it can be seenthat people working in the surgical ward are more likely to use psychoactive substances. Furthermore, nurses in the surgical ward find it easier to think and plan what to do when faced with a difficult life situation. Most often, the respondents with the highest work experience, i.e., the elderly, declared a return to religion. The results of the research indicate that the nursing community experiences stress to an average or significant degree. The strategies are mainly based on active coping and seeking emotional and instrumental support. Further research is needed in this field. This study was not pre-registered on a publicly accessibly registry.

O.6.3-7 Participatory video as an evaluation method: lessons learned from a community-based participatory research project with women in difficult life situations

Abstract Purpose Visual research receives less attention compared to text-based research, especially in evaluating projects for physical activity (PA). This is surprising, since empowering individuals and communities to engage in the assessment tasks, and take decisions about the evaluation process has shown to have a positive impact on outcomes (Fetterman et al., 2018). NU-BIG[1] set out to involve women in difficult life situations[2] (n = 6) in creating a video to reflect upon the long-term effects of a PA program. It implies “a collaborative approach in which people create a video about themselves to open spaces for learning, enable change and transformation” (Milne et al., 2012, pp.36). Methods We conducted a qualitative study using a semi-standardized monitoring protocol, semi-structured interviews (n = 12), field notes (n = 4), and a reflexive focus group interview (n = 1) to investigate the process of making the video. Results The video-making process lasted from November 2021 to July 2023. Along the way, researchers and the women involved faced numerous challenges. For the women, deciding on doing a video resulted in insecurities and often seemed to rather inhibit their active participation. They needed sustained support and guidance from scientists (i.e., organizing meetings, providing content), as well as the help of a media professional to handle practical aspects. However, in later stages of the process, they also experienced dynamic learning, which improved their general media literacy, self-confidence and critical awareness.The women clearly voiced that the video was to be done on their terms. This put the involved researchers in a challenging situation. Researchers were forced to continuously reflect on their own role and identity in the process, and had to relinquish control. This required them to be flexible in e.g. the facilitation of meetings and a permanent ability to adapt to spontaneous situations and demands. Conclusions The video enabled women to share how PA had influenced their lives, allowing them to reclaim their voices and combat feelings of marginalization. As an evaluation method, it can enable relevant stakeholders to gain valuable data, which can contribute to social change. Visual research methods should be given more importance, particularly in community-based projects with vulnerable population groups.

O.3.3-3 Impact and lessons learned from 18 Years of BIG – a project to promote physical activity among women in difficult life situations

Abstract Purpose Since 2005, practitioners and researchers have developed the BIG-project (“Movement as investment in health”), a community-based participatory research (CBPR) project that aims to empower socially disadvantaged women to engage in physical activity (PA) and exercise. These women are often unemployed, single mothers or belong to an ethnic minority facing barriers to exercise such as high registration fees, no availability of childcare or culturally insensitive programs. To date, the project has been scaled to 23 communities. The long project duration and multiple project site provide an excellent opportunity to investigate the long-term impacts of CBPR on PA promotion. The follow-up study of BIG (NU-BIG) examines the long-term effects on individual and structural levels at the project sites. Methods NU-BIG uses a mixed method approach. About 389 women who participate in BIG exercise programs completed a survey. Additionally, qualitative interviews, focus groups and a photo-voice study were conducted with approximately 45 women who take part in the exercise program and those who are working in the different city-administrations to organize BIG courses. Results 15 communities were able to maintain project activities up to 18 years, while some communities ceased all activities. Effects of BIG at the structural level include low barrier exercise classes and planning groups, women only pool hours, local networks to support the project, cooking classes and social gatherings for women. The BIG-project reaches the addressed women and empowers them by increasing their PA levels, mental well-being, self-efficacy, and social network. Conclusions BIG demonstrates that CBPR can have a long-term impact on PA promotion at the individual and structural level. The participatory approach of BIG is key to its success. By involving women in planning, it is possible to tailor all activities to their needs and thus reach them, contradicting the label that they are “hard to reach” for health promotion. Through the involvement of local stakeholders e.g. political decision makers or chairs of sports clubs it is possible to achieve change over time, however this can also make BIG vulnerable to political interests and log-rolling.

The Use of Digital Media and Security Precautions in Adulthood

The use of digital media through chatting, online conferencing, or browsing has become a leisure activity for many people, but it is not necessarily characterized by caution. Given the possibilities for misuse of data, the question of whether users actually implement security precautions and pay attention to protection of their data is important. The present study examines whether the use of digital media or security precautions is associated with age, commitment to technology (feelings of competence and control in dealing with technology), and flexible goal adjustment (the capacity to adjust personal goals in difficult life situations). In addition, we examine whether age differences in the use of social media (e.g., Facebook, WhatsApp, Telegram, Skype, and Zoom) are moderated by the commitment to technology and flexible goal adjustment. A total of 841 adults between 19 and 71 years of age ( M age = 43.57 ; SD = 15.12 ) participated in a cross-sectional questionnaire study. Age was positively correlated with security precautions but negatively with the use of social media. Security precautions and the use of digital social networks were correlated significantly with general flexibility of goal adjustment and technology commitment, even after age and gender were controlled with a structural equation model. Moderation analyses revealed that the relation between social media use and age was weaker among participants with higher degrees of technology commitment and flexible goal adjustment. We discuss the extent to which flexible goal adjustment and technology commitment can provide a mental precondition that promotes both digitized leisure activity and security precautions.

Did the Septuagint’s Account of the Life of Abraham in Gen 12–25 Serve as a Model for the Description of Mattathias’ Achievements in 1 Macc 2:1–70?

By recording Mattathias’ final eulogy (1 Macc 2:49–68), the author of 1 Maccabees presented the main character as encouraging his sons to imitate faithfully their ancestors (2:51). The fighting insurgents were to take this example for their behaviour in specific, difficult life situations. In this way, the successively mentioned fathers were to become both models and support in the struggle for the religious and political freedom of the Jews in the Seleucid period. It is very likely that the main character himself – the patriarch of the Maccabean family – was described as a faithful follower of Abraham, the first patriarch of all Israel. The article shows possible connections between these two figures on the basis of situational and literary associations, to answer the question whether this could have been the hagiographer’s intended intention or it is just an accidental similarity. Intertextual exegesis seems to be most suitable tool for studying this problem.