Disadvantaged Backgrounds Research Articles

Medical and social features of patients with HIV-infection in combination with syphilis

Aim: to conduct analysis of morbidity with different forms of syphilis in Novosibirsk for the period from 2014 to 2018 and to study medical and social features of patients with syphilis and HIV-infection and to identify the main way of infection.Materials and methods. In order to study the structure of syphilis morbidity in Novosibirsk Clinical Regional Dermatovenerologic Dispensary (SBHI NR NCRDD), the retrospective study of 2175 case histories of patients who had being hospitalized during the period of 2014 to 2018 was conducted.Results and discussions. 3.4% of patients being hospitalized suffer from syphilis. Herewith, newly diagnosed HIV-infection was found in 21.3% of patients. Half the patients are of socially disadvantaged backgrounds characterized by risky sexual behavior. Authors presented medical and social, and psychological profile of patients with syphilis and HIV-coinfection. Obtained results may be used for developing effective programs of prophylaxis and treatment of specified diseases.

Impactul criminalității asupra dezvoltării economico-sociale regionale în România, Editura Pro Universitaria, București, 2018. Radu Tudor Petre

The purpose of this review is to highlight the novelty elements of the research carried out by Mr. Radu Tudor Petre on The impact of crime on regional economic and social development in Romania. The very first work is to use and adapt to national specificities certain working methods and tools validated by other States, for which crime control and the effective spending of public money is a priority. The multifactorial crime model, the model of situational prevention through regional planning, the calculation of the regional cost of crime per capita, the application of the Granger causality test on the criminal phenomena variables and the Gini index of social inequality, resulting in the likelihood of the causal link between crime, have been tested and adapted, level of economic development and corruption index. Research has emerged as a necessity in the current socio-economic and political national and international context, which inevitably generates new forms of organized crime or the increasing level of existing crime, so that the institutional capacity of a state to anticipate trends or developments in this phenomenon and the assessment of the social and economic impact it has had lead to the adoption of viable regional, national and transnational crime prevention and reduction policies, linked to regional development programs. The quality of the paper is that, by linking social issues (social exclusion, unemployment, early school leaving, risk of victimization, disadvantaged background, etc.), crime and their economic and social impact on regional development, open up new opportunities for cross-disciplinary research.

Resilience and inclusion. Evaluation of an educational support programme

ABSTRACT Our study presents the phenomena of inclusion and resilience through a Hungarian education programme (Arany János Programme) aimed at enhancing equity. The focus of the research conducted in 2017/2018 was to explore the family backgrounds and personal stories of disadvantaged Roma/Gypsy students and youth, as well as to examine the correlation between student success (resilience) and integration of support programmes (inclusive environment). This study focuses on two target groups: students currently enrolled in the programme and students who have already completed the programme. Questionnaire-based data were collected from all of the AJP students (N = 3279). Life path interviews were also conducted with young adults who had finished the programme (N = 28). The research study has identified a correlation between student success (resilience) and the support programmes (inclusive environment), the former manifesting itself despite disadvantaged family backgrounds and lack of initial capital.

Mental health and well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic: longitudinal analyses of adults in the UK COVID-19 Mental Health & Wellbeing study.

The effects of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on the population's mental health and well-being are likely to be profound and long lasting. To investigate the trajectory of mental health and well-being during the first 6 weeks of lockdown in adults in the UK. A quota survey design and a sampling frame that permitted recruitment of a national sample was employed. Findings for waves 1 (31 March to 9 April 2020), 2 (10 April to 27 April 2020) and 3 (28 April to 11 May 2020) are reported here. A range of mental health factors was assessed: pre-existing mental health problems, suicide attempts and self-harm, suicidal ideation, depression, anxiety, defeat, entrapment, mental well-being and loneliness. A total of 3077 adults in the UK completed the survey at wave 1. Suicidal ideation increased over time. Symptoms of anxiety, and levels of defeat and entrapment decreased across waves whereas levels of depressive symptoms did not change significantly. Positive well-being also increased. Levels of loneliness did not change significantly over waves. Subgroup analyses showed that women, young people (18-29 years), those from more socially disadvantaged backgrounds and those with pre-existing mental health problems have worse mental health outcomes during the pandemic across most factors. The mental health and well-being of the UK adult population appears to have been affected in the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. The increasing rates of suicidal thoughts across waves, especially among young adults, are concerning.

Socio-economic inequality and academic match among post-compulsory education participants

The paper investigates socio-economic gaps in the match between student quality and upper-secondary qualification quality using detailed individual-level linked administrative data from schools, colleges and tax authorities in England. Academic match is identified using a continuous measure defining undermatched, matched and overmatched students based on the distance between each student’s attainment in age 16 high-stake examinations and the median attainment of students who achieved a similar academic or vocational qualification. Students from socially disadvantaged backgrounds are found to be more likely to be exposed to academic undermatch compared to their more advantaged peers and this effect is greater among the highest achieving students. The paper demonstrates that among the highest achieving students, 20% of the identified socio-economic gap in academic match can be explained by geographic differences, such as district deprivation and local Further Education opportunities. Further, the dominant 60% of the gap can be explained by differences in the school composition that students from differing backgrounds attend, such as the proportion of high achieving students and the proportion of disadvantaged students. Finally, although the effect of academic match in upper-secondary education on important individual outcomes, including university participation and labour market performance, in terms of earnings and employment probabilities at age 25, is imprecise, there are clear indications about the detrimental effect of academic undermatch on all these outcomes.

The Determinant and Impact of Child Labor on Childrenandrsquo;s Education Performance in Chiro Woreda-Western Hararghe Zone - Oromia National Regional State-Ethiopia

This study attempted to assess the Determinants of child labour and its effects on the Children’s schooling: the case of chiro Woreda, Oromia, Ethiopia. The objective of the study was to identify the working conditions of child laborer’s, to assess the factors that determine children decision to participation in work, school or a combination of them and also to assess the effect of child labour on the children’s schooling. The study conducted using 220 child laborer’s respondents. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected by using survey method and focus group discussion. The findings of the study indicate that nearly all the child workers that participated in the study were with disadvantaged background involving coming from poor families, some being orphaned and having migrated from other parts of Oromia as well as from neighboring South and Amhara region to chiro Woreda. Hence, the majority of the child laborer’s in this study found either illiterate or school drop outs, therefore policy measures that resort child workers from work to school should be put in place so as to make public schools well equipped and attractive to children and their parents.

Modes of Grouping Students, Segregation and Educational Inequalities. A Longitudinal Analysis of a Cohort of Students in Switzerland

The education system in Geneva, Switzerland, offers two organisationally contrasting modes of grouping students in secondary 1 education. Students either belong to schools which run a segmented system (students are grouped into two streams based on their academic level) or a more integrated system, with heterogeneous classes made up of ability groups for some subjects. Using longitudinal data, this article examines the impact of these two modes of grouping students and of within-school segregation on the way students are oriented in secondary 2 education. The results of a multilevel logistic regression analysis show that students attending the segmented system are less likely to be oriented towards a baccalaureate school, the most selective path of secondary 2 education. They also show that the effects of within-school segregation contribute to reinforcing inequalities between students: the likelihood of attending a baccalaureate school is much lower in classes with a high percentage of students from a disadvantaged background. Finally, they show that the negative effects of school segregation tend to be stronger in the segmented system.

Improving Adherence to Adjuvant Hormonal Therapy Among Disadvantaged Women Diagnosed with Breast Cancer in South Carolina: Proposal for a Multimethod Study.

BackgroundCurrent clinical guidelines recommend that hormone receptor–positive breast cancer survivors take adjuvant hormonal therapy (AHT) for 5 to 10 years, following the end of definitive treatment. However, fewer than half of patients adhere to the guidelines, and suboptimal adherence to AHT is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer mortality. Research has extensively documented sociodemographic and disease-specific factors associated with adherence to AHT, but very little evidence exists on behavioral factors (eg, knowledge, patient-provider communication) that can be modified and targeted by interventions.ObjectiveThe goal of this study is to develop and test a theory-based, multilevel intervention to improve adherence to AHT among breast cancer survivors from racially and socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds (eg, Medicaid-insured). The specific aims are to (1) explore multilevel (eg, patient, health care system) factors that influence adherence to AHT; (2) develop a theory-based, multilevel intervention to improve adherence to AHT; and (3) pilot test and evaluate the intervention developed in Aim 2.MethodsFor Aim 1, we will recruit breast cancer survivors and health care professionals to participate in semistructured interviews to gain their perspectives about barriers and facilitators to AHT use. We will conduct a directed content analysis of the Aim 1 qualitative interview data. For Aim 2, we will integrate Aim 1 findings and current literature into the design of a multilevel intervention using an Intervention Mapping approach. For Aim 3, we will recruit Medicaid-insured breast cancer survivors to assess the feasibility of the pilot intervention.ResultsFrom May 2016 to July 2018, we completed interviews with 19 breast cancer survivors and 23 health care professionals in South Carolina. We will conduct a directed content analysis of the qualitative interview data. Results from this analysis will be used, in combination with current literature, to design (Aim 2) and pilot test a theory-based multilevel intervention (Aim 3) in Summer 2021. Results of the pilot are expected for Fall 2021.ConclusionsThis study will provide a deeper understanding of how to improve adherence to AHT, using a novel and multilevel approach, among socioeconomically disadvantaged breast cancer survivors who often experience disproportionate breast cancer mortality.International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)DERR1-10.2196/17742

Increasing Under-Represented Minorities and Diversity in the Health Care Work Force of the Future – Understanding the Explicit and Implicit Barriers Students from Disadvantaged and Diverse Backgrounds Encounter

Views Icon Views Article contents Figures & tables Video Audio Supplementary Data Peer Review Share Icon Share Twitter LinkedIn Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Cite Icon Cite Search Site Citation Jan Reichard-Brown, Lolita Wood-Hill, Ellen Watts; Increasing Under-Represented Minorities and Diversity in the Health Care Work Force of the Future – Understanding the Explicit and Implicit Barriers Students from Disadvantaged and Diverse Backgrounds Encounter. The Advisor 1 September 2020; 40 (3): 2. doi: https://doi.org/10.47578/0736.0436.40.3.2 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest Search

Consideration of Social Disadvantages for Understanding and Preventing Obesity in Children.

Addressing social disadvantages that lead to obesity should be a public health priority. Obesity prevalence among children and adolescents has reached a plateau in countries with high income but it continues rising in low-income and middle-income countries. In high-income countries, an elevated prevalence of obesity is found among racial and ethnic minority groups and individuals from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds. In addition to classic socioeconomic status (SES) factors, like income, parental education, and occupation, recent publications have linked parental social disadvantages, such as minimal social network, non-traditional family structure, migrant status and unemployment, with obesogenic behaviors and obesity among children. Socio-ecological models of obesity in children can explain the influence of classic SES factors, social disadvantages, culture, and genes on behaviors that could lead to obesity, contributing to the elevated prevalence of obesity. Obesity is a multifactorial disease in which multilevel interventions seem to be the most effective approach to prevent obesity in children, but previous meta-analyses have found that multilevel interventions had poor or inconsistent results. Despite these results, some multilevel interventions addressing specific disadvantaged social groups have shown beneficial effects on children's weight and energy balance-related behaviors, while other interventions have benefited children from both disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged backgrounds. Considering obesity as a worldwide problem, the World Health Organization, the European Commission, and the National Institutes of Health recommend the implementation of obesity prevention programs, but the implementation of such programs without taking into consideration social disadvantages may be an unsuccessful approach. Therefore, the present publication consists of a review of the pertinent literature related to social disadvantage and its consequences for behaviors that could lead to childhood obesity. In addition, we will discuss the relationship between social disadvantages and the socio-ecological model of obesity in children. Finally, we will summarize the relevant aspects of multilevel intervention programs aiming to prevent obesity in children and provide recommendations for future research and intervention approaches to improve weight status in children with social disadvantages.

Mentoring to engage diverse undergraduate nursing students in honors research.

A diverse workforce is necessary to reflect our communities and impact the health disparities of our increasingly diverse populations. Students from ethnic minority and socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds face many challenges and barriers to their academic success. Faculty must try new ways of supporting the engagement of this student population to positively affect quality outcomes for the entire community. High-performing students were recruited from undergraduate research courses to participate in a study to determine how honors research mentoring programs affect the engagement of undergraduate nursing students from ethnic minority and socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds. Study participants who were mentored for 3 years had a retention rate of 98%, compared to a rate of 73% in the year before the start of the mentoring initiative with faculty. NCLEX (National Council Licensure Examination)-RN pass rates were 95% for those in the mentoring program, compared to 84% for those not mentored. Of the students completing the program and passing the NCLEX-RN, 100% are employed in the local community. A competent and diverse nursing workforce is a priority for eliminating health disparities in rural and underserved communities. Supporting ethnic minority and socioeconomically disadvantaged students is valuable to bridging this gap and positively influencing our communities.

Navigating the First Year of College: Siblings, Parents, and First‐Generation Students’ Experiences

Although college education is a key to upward mobility, students from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds are less likely to enter and complete college than their more advantaged peers. Prior literature has illuminated how cultural capital contributes to these disparities. An alternative conceptualization of cultural capital, however, suggests that it can also play a role in social mobility. In this study, we build on and extend the literature on cultural mobility by proposing that exposure to education can benefit not only individuals but also families. We examine the influence of older siblings who attended college on the experiences of younger college‐going siblings in families where neither parent has completed college (i.e., first‐generation families). We find that students rarely rely on their older siblings as sources of information and advice, except in a few instances where older siblings attended the same institution. However, both the topics and nature of conversations between parents and students differ between families with and without older college‐educated siblings. The primary benefit of having college‐educated siblings is thus related to students’ engagement with and support received from parents. These findings have important implications for cultural capital research and understanding experiences of first‐generation college students.

CEOs Poverty Experience and Corporate Acquisitions

In this study we examine whether a CEO’s poverty experiences in early life affect corporate strategy of acquisitions. Drawing upon insights of imprinting theory and inferiority-compensation logic, we argue that CEOs growing up in poverty environment, compared to their counterparts growing up in non-poverty environment, may experience a feeling of inferiority because of their disadvantageous background, which motivates them to undertake acquisitions so as to seek for compensation in material wealth, self-esteem, and social standing. We therefore posit that CEOs with poverty background (i.e., grew up in poverty environment) are likely to demonstrate a higher level of acquisitiveness. We further propose that the inferiority compensation logic will be strengthened when CEOs experienced famine or when their firms are located in more affluent regions. Evidence from public-listed manufacturing firms in China largely supports our predictions.

Commentary: COVID‐19 Pandemic and Higher Education: International Mobility and Students’ Social Protection

Commentary: COVID‐19 Pandemic and Higher Education: International Mobility and Students’ Social Protection

School social segregation and social inequalities in political engagement among 16 to 20 year olds in fourteen countries

ABSTRACT This paper assesses the explanatory power of a perspective arguing that school social segregation enhances social inequalities in political engagement because of the distinct effects that concentrations of adolescents of disadvantaged backgrounds in educational settings generate. It tests this argument with data of the 2000 Civic Education Study among Upper Secondary students and uses intentions to participate and political competences as outcomes to represent political engagement. Social inequalities in political competences turn out to be greater in states with the most segregated systems, but social disparities in intentions to participate are unrelated to the level of segregation. The paper argues that policy makers should consider creating a more integrated school system if they seek to reduce social inequalities in informed political participation.

Struggle for Survival: A Study of Impacts of Lockdown on Children from Disadvantaged Backgrounds

Struggle for Survival: A Study of Impacts of Lockdown on Children from Disadvantaged Backgrounds

Expectations and experiences of parents taking part in parent-child interaction programmes to promote child language: a qualitative interview study.

Parent-child interaction therapies are commonly used by speech and language therapists (SLTs) when providing services to young children with language learning difficulties. However, the way parents react to the demands of such interventions is clearly important, especially for those from socially disadvantaged backgrounds. Parents play a central role in the therapy process so to ensure parent engagement, and to maximize intervention effectiveness, parents' views must be considered. To explore the expectations and experiences of parents from socially disadvantaged backgrounds who had taken part in a parent-child interaction programme aimed at promoting language development in 2-3 year olds with language difficulties. The sample included parents who had a child aged 2-3 years and had attended a parent-child interaction programme to promote their child's language development. Parents were eligible to take part if they were living in the 30% most deprived areas in a city in the North of England that constituted the study site. Ten parents participated in a qualitative semi-structured face-to-face interview in the home. Framework analysis was used to analyse the interview transcripts. Parents' expectations before taking part in parent-child interaction interventions contribute to how they may engage throughout the intervention process. Barriers include parents' uncertainty about the nature of the intervention and differing attitudes regarding intervention approaches and strategies. Facilitators during the intervention process include gaining support from other parents, reassurance from the SLT regarding their child's language development, and their own ability to support their child's language learning, as well as increased confidence in how they support their child's development. Parents respond very differently to parent-child interaction intervention for children with language difficulties, depending on their expectations and attitudes towards intervention. Thus, it is critical that these different perspectives are understood by practitioners before intervention commences to ensure successful engagement. What this paper adds What is already known on this subject Parent-child interaction interventions are widely used to promote child language development. Parents play a central role in the therapy process of such interventions, so to maximize effectiveness, parents must be appropriately 'engaged' in that intervention. This involves attending, fully participating and having appropriate attitudinal and/or emotional involvement. The reciprocal nature of engagement means that parents are more likely to become engaged in intervention over time when they are supported by their SLT. What this paper adds to existing knowledge Parental expectations about the intervention process vary considerably and often need to be negotiated before the start of intervention. Reassurance and supporting positive attitudes to co-working with their SLT may be particularly important for families living with social disadvantage. Supporting parent engagement in parent-child interaction programmes can contribute to the parents' capability to continue implementing language-promoting strategies outside the intervention context and beyond the end of therapy. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work? Parents have different expectations regarding programme involvement. Therefore, having a two-way, open dialogue between parents and SLTs from the beginning is clearly important, not only as a way of sharing information but also to build on parents' understanding of what the intervention will involve and trust that the SLT will be able to deliver the intervention in collaboration with the parent. SLTs can enhance parent engagement by supporting parents to feel confident and providing reassurance in terms of their child's development and how they can support their child's language learning.

Using Paradata to Evaluate Youth Participation in a Digital Diary Study.

We analyze recruitment, access and longitudinal response paradata from a year-long intensive longitudinal study (mDiary) that used a mobile-optimized web app to administer 25 bi-weekly diaries to youth recruited from a birth cohort study. Analyses investigate which aspects of teen recruitment experiences are associated with enrollment and longitudinal response patterns; whether compliance behavior of teens who require multiple invitations to enroll differs from that of teens who enroll on the first invitation; and what personal and social circumstances are associated with different longitudinal compliance patterns. Latent Class Analysis (LCA) is used to derive longitudinal compliance classes. mDiary's person-survey response rate of 70 percent is noteworthy considering reports that response rates for smartphone studies trail those administered via telephone or personal computers. Conditional on agreeing to participate, teens with texting capability were over six times as likely to enroll as their peers lacking access, and they also completed 6-7 more diaries. Youth who required multiple prods to register not only were less likely to enroll than their peers who registered at the first invitation, but also tended to attrite early. Compared with teens who completed all 25 surveys, those who attrited early had less access to texting capability, home Internet service, and had low-education mothers. Consistent with studies of adults, nonparticipants were disproportionately black males from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds.

Current dietary advice and challenges for adolescents.

The major risk factors driving the global burden of disease are diet related. Adolescence presents a window of opportunity for establishing healthy dietary trajectories. Yet around the world, adolescents experience many barriers that prevent them from consuming diets that would give them the foundation for long, healthy and productive adult lives. A narrative literature search of most relevant original, review and meta-analyses, restricted to English was conducted in Medline, Web of Science and PubMed up to December 2019 together with published papers known to the author concerning the current dietary advice and challenges for adolescent nutrition. Adolescence is a critical period of growth and development and adequate nutrition is essential. Sufficient population data indicate adolescents are not meeting dietary recommendations and are a vulnerable population group for malnutrition in all its forms. Despite extensive studies on dietary risk factors and the global burden of disease and population data demonstrating inadequate nutritional intake in adolescent populations, few effective interventions and policies have been scaled up to support adolescent nutrition. Improving the diets of adolescents, especially vulnerable adolescents from low- and middle-income countries and socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds, has the potential to impact individuals, societies and economies. Future research should focus on vulnerable adolescent populations by addressing food environments, food insecurity and ensuring effective programmes and strategies are integrated within broader adolescent health strategies and implemented into government policies.

Abstract D005: Outcomes of a cancer research fellowship program for underrepresented high school students

Abstract Introduction: Minority populations and individuals from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds suffer from high rates of cancer, yet these at-risk communities are underrepresented in the biomedical research and clinical workforce. Disparities start from an early age and stem from multiple factors, though gaps in education play a role. In the summer of 2018, University of California San Diego (UCSD) created a cancer research fellowship program for minority high school students called Outreach Program to Inspire Minority and Underrepresented Students (OPTIMUS). This report presents early outcomes of the inaugural cohort of OPTIMUS scholars. Methods: The OPTIMUS program recruits students from four underserved public high schools in southeast San Diego. Selected students (OPTIMUS scholars) are provided transportation to Moores Cancer Center at UCSD daily for a 6-week paid summer internship. Each OPTIMUS scholar is paired with a supportive cancer research lab for a mentored-lab experience. In parallel to the lab experience, scholars participate in a cancer research education curriculum, clinical shadowing, and other endeavors including college preparatory activities and social networking events. Under UCSD faculty oversight, the program is run by medical students, residents, and fellows. We surveyed students about their perceptions of different curricular elements during the program, and again 9-months after completion of the program. Results: OPTIMUS launched in July 2018, and received 132 complete applications, with applicants self-identifying as African American (28%), Hispanic (17%), Pacific Islander (32%), multiracial (10%), and other (13%). The majority of students came from socioeconomic disadvantaged households (61%) and had parents who did not attend college (66%). Ten OPTIMUS scholars were selected for the initial program, and completed all 6-weeks of the summer fellowship. Survey results indicated that students were “very satisfied” to “mostly satisfied” with the majority of the components of the program (scoring 3 or 4 on a 4 point satisfaction scale). The 5 high school seniors in our initial OPTIMUS cohort have each received acceptance letters from 4-year universities, and each plans to major in a biology-based or health science related field. Conclusions: The OPTIMUS cancer research fellowship has generated interest among local underrepresented students, and early outcomes show promising results with students successfully transitioning into university. Long term follow up of students will help to fully understand the impact of this program, though success with OPTIMUS and other programs focusing on strengthening the educational pipeline stand to help improve diversity in the oncology workforce. Citation Format: Ekenechukwu A Akabike, Alexa Azuara, Elena S Heide, Cristal Vieyra, Nicolas Villanueva, Daniel M Seible, James D Murphy. Outcomes of a cancer research fellowship program for underrepresented high school students [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Twelfth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2019 Sep 20-23; San Francisco, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2020;29(6 Suppl_2):Abstract nr D005.