General Education Diploma Research Articles

Support for a Single Underlying Dimension of Self-Reported Health in a Sample of Adults with Low Back Pain in the United States

There is increasing interest in measuring “whole person” health and deriving an overall summary score. Underlying physical and mental health dimensions have been found consistently in prior studies of self-reported health, but it is unclear whether a single underlying health factor is supported across health domains. We examine the dimensionality of nine domains from the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS®)-29 + 2 profile measure, the PROMIS social isolation scale, the Personal Wellbeing Index, and the EQ-5D-5L preference score in a sample of 1256 adults with back pain in the United States: mean age was 55 (range 18–94), 52% female, 74% non-Hispanic White, 61% were married or living with a spouse, and the highest level of education completed for 35% of the sample was a high school degree or general education diploma. The sample reported substantially more pain intensity, pain interference, and worse physical function than the U.S. general population. Product-moment correlations among the measures ranged from 0.25 to 0.83 (median correlation = 0.52). A bifactor model showed that a general health factor accounted for most of the covariation among measures, but physical function, pain interference, and pain intensity loaded slightly more on the physical health group factor than on the general health factor. The study provides some support for combining multiple aspects of self-reported health into an overall indicator of whole-person health.

Mapping of the PROMIS global health measure to the PROPr in the United States

BackgroundThe Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement and Information System (PROMIS®) global health items (global-10) yield physical and mental health scale scores and the PROMIS-Preference (PROPr) scoring system estimated from PROMIS domain scores (e.g., PROMIS-29 + 2) produces a single score anchored by 0 (dead or as bad as being dead) to 1 (full health). A link between the PROMIS global-10 and the PROPr is needed.MethodsThe PROMIS-29 + 2 and the PROMIS global-10 were administered to 4102 adults in the Ipsos KnowledgePanel in 2022. The median age was 52 (range 18–94), 50% were female, 70% were non-Hispanic White, and 64% were married or living with a partner. The highest level of education completed for 26% of the sample was a high school degree or general education diploma and 44% worked full-time. We estimated correlations of the PROPr with the PROMIS global health items and the global physical and mental health scales. We examined the adjusted R2 and estimated correlations between predicted and observed PROPr scores.ResultsProduct-moment correlations between the PROMIS global health items and the PROPr ranged from 0.50 to 0.63. The PROMIS global physical health and mental health scale scores correlated 0.74 and 0.60, respectively, with the PROPr. The adjusted R2 in the regression of the PROPr on the PROMIS global health items was 64%. The equated PROPr preference scores correlated (product-moment) 0.80 (n = 4043; p < 0.0001) with the observed PROPr preference scores, and the intra-class correlation (two-way random effects model) was 0.80. The normalized mean absolute error (NMAE) was 0.45 (SD = 0.43). The adjusted R2 in the OLS regression of the PROPr on the PROMIS global health scales was 59%. The equated PROPr preference scores correlated (product-moment) was 0.77 (n = 4046; p < 0.0001) with the observed PROPr preference scores, and the intra-class correlation was 0.77. The NMAE was 0.49 (SD = 0.45).ConclusionsRegression equations provide a reasonably accurate estimate of the PROPr preference-based score from the PROMIS global health items or scales for group-level comparisons. These estimates facilitate cost-effectiveness research and meta-analyses. The estimated PROPr scores are not accurate enough for individual-level applications. Future evaluations of the prediction equations are needed.

The Role of Youth Programs and Activities in Inculcating the Values of Citizenship in the Omani Society

This study aims to evaluate youth programs and their role in promoting citizenship values among Omani youth and to know the differences between members of the sample according to some variables. In addition, knowing the suggestions aims at developing youth programs. The study adopted a descriptive and analytical approach, using a questionnaire tool consisting of (16) closed phrases and one open phrase. The target sample size reached (1000) examinations that included males and females, students, workers, and job seekers from all governorates. The study concluded that youth programs have a great role in developing citizenship values among Omani youth With a mean of (4.27). It found that there are no statistically significant differences in variables (gender, and geographical distribution) at the level of significance (α≤ 0.05), and also found that there are statistically significant differences among the sample members of an educational level variable at the level of (α≤ 0.05) and in favor of the minimum educational levels of (basic education "1-10", general education diploma, and university diploma "post-secondary"). The study recommended expansion of implementation of youth programs, Increasing the rate of women’s participation, in addition to developing a strategic plan for youth programs to ensure their sustainability, depending on national competencies from various state institutions to create targeted youth programs, and work to follow up the development of youth programs in line with Oman’s 2040 vision.

Equating General Education Diploma Results of Physics Examination in the Sultanate of Oman Using Item Response Theory

The study aimed to equate General Education Diploma results of physics exam in the Sultanate of Oman using Item Response Theory (IRT) and setting them in a common scale. The study sample included all of the General Education Diploma students both male and female who passed the physics exam in the academic years 2014/2015 and 2015/2016 with atotal sample of (17175 &amp; 18966) respectively. Two different copies of physics exam were used for the purpose of the study. The first one consisted of 40 items and the other was 36 items. The data was analyzed by Multilog 7.03 program, to estimate the parameters of the items and the abilities of examinees and to check the IRT hypotheses. Moreover, the method of True Score Equation was used. The Results showed that there are no statistically significant differences between the means of the true scores of the criteria exam and the results, which were equated to the new exam. The equation accuracy was checked by Equating Bias method

أدوار المدرسة والأسرة المتوقعة في تعلُم طلاب دبلوم التعليم العام بسلطنة عمان في ظل جائحة كوفيد-19 من وجهة نظر الطلاب أنفسهم

هدفت الدراسة إلى الكشف عن أدوار المدرسة والأسرة المتوقعة في تعلُم طلاب دبلوم التعليم العام بسلطنة عمان في ظل جائحة كوفيد-19 من وجهة نظر الطلاب أنفسهم. اعتمدت الدراسة المنهج الوصفي التحليلي والمنهج النوعي، وتكونت عينة الدراسة من (220) طالبا وطالبة من العام الدراسي 2020-2021 م، وتمثلت أداة الدراسة في استبانة قسمت إلى جزأين، الجزء الأول، يقيس أدوار المدرسة في تعلم طلاب الدبلوم العام عن بعُد، والجزء الثاني يقيس أدوار الأسرة في تعلم طلاب الدبلوم العام عن بعُد، بالإضافة إلى ذلك استخدم الباحثان أسلوب المقابلة للوقوف على التحديات التي تواجه الطلاب في التعلم عن بعد، وأظهرت نتائج الدراسة: أن المستوى المتوقع لأدوار المدرسة في تعلُم طلاب دبلوم التعليم العام عن بُعد في سلطنة عمان في ظل جائحة كوفيد-19 من وجهة نظر الطلاب كان بدرجة كبيرة، وبمتوسط حسابي (4.59)، وأن أدوار الأسرة في تعلُم طلاب دبلوم التعليم العام عن بُعد في سلطنة عمان في ظل جائحة كوفيد-19 من وجهة نظر الطلاب كان بدرجة كبيرة، وبمتوسط حسابي (4.48). كما أظهرت النتائج عدم وجود فروق ذات دلالة إحصائية في الدرجة الكلية في تصورات طلاب الدبلوم العام نحو الأدوار المتوقعة للأسرة والمدرسة تبعاً لمتغير النوع أو المحافظة التعليمية، وإن من أهم التحديات التي تواجه إنجاح تجربة التعليم عن بعد في ظل جائحة كرونا من وجهة نظر الطلاب هي: الإنترنت (خدماتها- توفرها- تكلفتها)، والأجهزة (توفرها- تكلفتها)، كما كشف النتائج عن سبل التغلب عن التحديات السابقة ومنها: توثيق الصلة بين المدرسة والمنزل من أجل تحقيق التعاون المشترك في تفعيل التعليم عن بعد، توفير الأجهزة (حاسوب محمول- جهاز ذكي) للطلاب بأسعار رمزية مع توفير دعم لشرائها. تحسين البنية التحتية وتجهيزاتها الفنية والتكنولوجية في المدارس الحكومية.

Coronavirus (Covid- 19) Anxiety level among General Education Diploma students in Asharqia South Governorate in Oman: مستوى قلق فيروس كورونا (كوفيد- 19) لدى عينة من طلبة دبلوم التعليم العام بمحافظة جنوب الشرقية في سلطنة عمان

The present study aimed to investigate Coronavirus (Covid- 19) anxiety level among General Education Diploma students in South Governorate in Oman, based on a sample of 848 students (250 male students, 598 female students) during the second semester 2020. Descriptive method was used. Findings show that there is an increase in anxiety level of among the sample, where it reached (4.24). Also, Findings show that there is a significant difference in anxiety level according to gender (male-female). The study also showed significant differences in Anxiety level according to the variable of the educational path (scientific (pure)- literary (applied)) in the dimension (personal anxiety) &amp; (media anxiety) in favor of students of the literary path (applied), &amp; in the dimension (personal anxiety) in favor of low academic students. The study recommends intensifying psychological counseling and vocational guidance programs with the available means to alleviate students' anxiety, and conducting studies that include the study variable on other groups of students.

In-Between: Late-Arriving Teens in Adult Education Programs Navigating Child and Adult Immigrant Narratives

We report on a grounded theory study of late-arriving immigrant youth (LIY) who arrived in the United States at 16–18 years of age and were referred to daytime General Education Diploma (D-GED) programs. These programs provide an alternate path to a high school diploma for youth with insufficient knowledge of English to complete graduation requirements before turning 19 years. Based on interviews with 38 youth from Latin America, we propose the core category of our grounded theory to be students Navigating Child and Adult Immigrant Narratives while making educational and career decisions. This process begins before immigration when youth imagine ambitious alternate selves—ideal educational and career selves in the United States, consistent with the American Dream and immigrant child narrative. The D-GED programs represent a compromise between a child and adult educational pathway. Students in these programs felt excluded from the regular high school but received social and emotional support while on a faster track to graduation and self-sufficiency as adults. However, students lacked concrete information and roadmaps for how to attain their ambitious goals. The study highlights the unique challenges faced by LIY as they develop ambitious and realistic education and career goals.

Future Career anxiety &amp; Its Relation with Self- Efficacy among the General Education Diploma Students in South Al Batinah Governorate in the Sultanate of Oman: قلق الـمستقبل المهني وعلاقته بفاعلية الذات المهنية لدى طلبة دبلوم التعليم العام بمحافظة جنوب الباطنة في سلطنة عُمان

The study aims to identify the relationship between future career anxiety &amp; self- efficacy among students of the General Education Diploma in South al Batinah Governorate in Oman. A descriptive research design used; In order to achieve the objectives of the study, two scales were applied: the future career Anxiety Scale &amp; Self- Efficacy Scale on a sample of 488 male &amp; female students. The results of the study showed that the level of professional career anxiety &amp; level of self- efficacy among students are in general moderate. And there is a negative statistically correlation between future career anxiety &amp; self- efficacy. The study recommends conducting counseling programs to reduce the level of future career anxiety among diploma students ([1]) هذا البحث مستل من رسالة ماجستير إرشاد وتوجيه، جامعة نزوى، للطالب علي المقبالي، وإشراف د.عبد الفتاح الخواجه، 2019م.

Establishing the Validity of the Reading Questions in a Centralized Test Using Weir Socio-Cognitive Framework

Establishing test validity is among the highly significant issues in language assessment which can be achieved by employing well-established validity frameworks. Adopting validity frameworks could generate valid and reliable tests that inform more systematic decisions. Using Weir’s socio-cognitive framework (2005), this paper aims to highlight the validation process of the reading questions in the General Education Diploma of English Language Test (GEDELT) of 2016/2017 in Oman. Findings revealed that context-validity is inadequately satisfied due to the test response format, absence of allotted time for each question and the exhaustion that the test takers may experience due to the length of the test. Theory-based validity witnesses strengths from utilizing a large number of texts and a weakness from overemphasis on the skill of scanning to locate specific information. Scoring-validity is considered high since types of task response, marking guides and electronic marking reduce markers' subjectivity and minimize human error. The study draws its conclusions in light of the findings of test validity.

Establishing the Validity of the Reading Questions in a Centralized Test Using Weir Socio-Cognitive Framework

Establishing test validity is among the highly significant issues in language assessment which can be achieved by employing well-established validity frameworks. Adopting validity frameworks could generate valid and reliable tests that inform more systematic decisions. Using Weir’s socio-cognitive framework (2005), this paper aims to highlight the validation process of the reading questions in the General Education Diploma of English Language Test (GEDELT) of 2016/2017 in Oman. Findings revealed that context-validity is inadequately satisfied due to the test response format, absence of allotted time for each question and the exhaustion that the test takers may experience due to the length of the test. Theory-based validity witnesses strengths from utilizing a large number of texts and a weakness from overemphasis on the skill of scanning to locate specific information. Scoring-validity is considered high since types of task response, marking guides and electronic marking reduce markers' subjectivity and minimize human error. The study draws its conclusions in light of the findings of test validity.

Education and employment outcomes in clients of the Nurse-Family Partnership.

Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) is an evidence-based home visitation program designed for low-income, first-time mothers to support pregnancy, child development, and maternal self-sufficiency. This study examined educational and employment outcomes among NFP clients compared to a reference sample. Entropy balancing and a difference-in-difference design were used to compare the two samples of women from 2007 to 2016. There were 127,427 women in the NFP sample, and 787 women in the reference cohort. Educational outcomes included high school completion and employment outcomes consisted of employment status. Across a one-year interval, NFP mothers with less than a high school diploma or general education diploma (GED) at baseline showed a 9.5 percentage point increase in diploma or GED attainment compared to the reference mothers [95% CI: 0.015-0.180]. Similarly, mothers enrolled in NFP who were not employed at baseline showed a 7.8 percentage point increase in employment compared to the reference mothers [95% CI: 0.003-0.150]. The findings in this study show positive results for NFP mothers attaining high school completion and employment compared to mothers in the reference group. Such findings are of importance with regard to progression toward economic self-sufficiency and corresponding reduction of health disparities.

Increasing Educational Attainment in Adolescents with Sickle Cell Disease

ABSTRACTAdolescents with sickle cell disease (SCD), a chronic condition primarily impacting African Americans, experience challenges graduating high school. Understanding demographic, educational, and community-level correlates of disease is critical to creating effective interventions for these youths. This study aimed to examine 1) educational attainment for adolescents with SCD, 2) neighborhood correlates of their education, and 3) feasibility of a pilot to increase General Education Diploma (GED) class enrollment. Findings suggest demographic characteristics influence educational attainment. Improving educational attainment in adolescents with SCD requires understanding risk beyond disease severity. Identifying risk and protective neighborhood-level factors can inform interventions to improve educational attainment. Feasibility of programming to increase GED enrollment should be further investigated.

Abstract 287: Does a Higher Level of Education Translate Into a Lower Prevalence of Cardiovascular Disease

Background: Education is one of the determinants of health as described by the WHO, and it is one of the primary determinants of Socio-Economic Class (SEC), a higher level of education is associated with a higher level of SEC. Few researchers have addressed the link between the level of education and cardiovascular disease. However, there remains a need for a national study to determine the relationship between the level of education and cardiovascular disease. In this study, we investigated the effect of the level of education on the rate myocardial infarction (MI) and cardiovascular risk factors including diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and smoking status. Methods: The National Health Interview Surveys of 2016 (n=73,353) were utilized to measure the effect of level of education on MI and other risk factors. Subjects were assigned into four groups based on the level of education. The first group labeled as no education till the 12th grade, the second group identified as General Education Diploma (GED) or a high school diploma, the third group included subjects with some college, associate degree or bachelor, and the fourth group designated for subjects with master’s degrees, professional degrees, or doctorates. Logistic regression models were used to examine the association between level of education and cardiovascular risk factors. The final model examined the association between level of education and MI after adjusting for demographics and cardiovascular risk factors. Results: A higher level of education was associated with lower odds of having cardiovascular risk factors. The final logistic regression model revealed that subjects with GED and high school education (OR 0.80, 95% CI 0.65-0.97; p 0.027), subjects with some collage degree/ bachelor degree (OR 0.74, 95% CI 0.61-0.90; p &lt;0.003), and subjects with master degrees or professional degrees (OR 0.58, 95% CI 0.43-0.78; p &lt;0.001) have lower odds of having MI compared to the first group after adjusting for other risk factors including age, gender, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and tobacco use. Conclusion: This study unveiled that a higher level of education is associated with a lower rate of myocardial infarction and cardiovascular risk factors.

Labour market consequences of a high school diploma

ABSTRACTThis article compares the labour market outcomes of high school dropouts to high school graduates who did not enrol into higher education, but immediately entered the labour market. Using parental educational background as an instrument on a rich administrative dataset in the Flemish Region of Belgium, we find no returns to a high school diploma on average. However, these results hide considerable heterogeneity by gender and educational track. While females and individuals in vocational education may benefit from a diploma, male graduates and students holding a general education diploma may even be worse off on the labour market than dropouts. We show that sectoral heterogeneity acts as an underlying mechanism in the returns to a high school diploma.

TEACHER TRAINEES PERCEPTION TOWARDS ON-CAMPUS TEACHING PRACTICE AT THE HOLY CHILD COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, TAKORADI, GHANA

Teaching practice is an important component in any teacher education programme. It is regarded as the most crucial way in helping teacher trainees to become effective classroom teachers. This study sought to investigates the perception of teacher-trainees towards on-campus teaching practice. It involved both Early Childhood and General Basic Education Diploma teacher trainees of Holy Child College of Education perception. Their concerns, challenges encountered and experiences gained during the teaching practice in the year 2017/2018 academic year were taken into consideration. The research employed qualitative research procedure. In-depth interviews were used to gather data for the study. The results revealed that, teacher-trainees have benefited from the on-campus teaching practice in the development of the following teaching skills: communication with students, classroom management and lesson notes preparation. The study recommends that effort should be made to train teacher trainees in the preparation of lesson notes with particular attention given to the English language and the preparation of teaching and learning materials. Article visualizations:

An Evaluation of Factors Predicting Diet Quality among Cancer Patients

A high diet quality is associated with a lower risk of cancer mortality. However, the predictive factors of diet quality among cancer patients are not well understood. This study determines the socio-demographic and disease-related factors that affect diet quality among cancer patients. Two hundred and forty-two cancer patients completed questionnaires assessing sociodemographic and disease-related characteristics. Diet quality was measured using the Healthy Eating Index 2010 (HEI). Independent sample t-tests and one-way ANOVA with post-hoc analysis using the Tukey HSD test were used to compare mean HEI scores across these characteristics. A regression model was used to determine factors that predicted diet quality. The overall HEI score among cancer patients was 61.59 (SD = 11.67). Patients with a high school degree or General Education Diploma (GED) or less had lower HEI scores (β = −4.03, p = 0.04; β = −7.77, p = 0.001, respectively) compared to those with college degrees. Additionally, homemakers had significantly higher HEI scores (β = 7.95, p = 0.008) compared to those who worked at least 40 hours per week. Also, individuals with some types of cancers (e.g., endometrial or uterine) had significantly higher HEI scores (β = 12.56, p = 0.002) than those with other cancers (e.g., head and neck). Our findings will help oncology healthcare providers identify and target cancer patients with specific demographic characteristics who are at increased risk for consuming poor-quality diets with much needed food resource interventions.

Study of general education diploma students’ performance and prediction in Sultanate of Oman, based on data mining approaches

The Sultanate of Oman is one of the first countries in the Middle East to utilize technology in the management of the education process. Over time, education data have accumulated, and at the present, large volumes of data with numerous types of statistics have been collected as operational data. This research article takes the advantage of these data and applied predictive data mining approaches to study the performance of general education diploma students (year 12 of school). The decision tree as a classification method has been applied and a prediction model is constructed with ability to show relatively high accuracy of students’ performance prior to year 12 of school, using 30% test data of nearly 6000 student’s records. The significant variables that influence students’ performance are identified which would help stakeholders and decision makers plan ahead and have more time to prepare for decisions.

Subsequent Unintended Pregnancy Among US Women Who Receive or Are Denied a Wanted Abortion.

Seventeen percent of women in the United States experience more than one unintended pregnancy in their lifetimes. However, few studies examine how the resolution of unintended pregnancy, whether in birth or abortion, affects the likelihood of a subsequent unintended pregnancy. Our objective was to determine whether receiving or being denied a wanted abortion is associated with subsequent unintended pregnancy. The Turnaway Study, a 5-year, prospective cohort study, followed women who sought an abortion at one of 30 abortion facilities across the United States between 2008 and 2010. Secondary analysis of the Turnaway data analyzed the effects of various factors on time to subsequent unintended pregnancy. By 5 years, the rate of unintended pregnancy was 42 per 100 women with no difference between those who received and those who were denied a wanted abortion. Women aged 35 to 46 years (vs those aged 20-24 years), women with a college degree (vs women who had completed high school or obtained a general education diploma), and foreign-born (vs native-born) women had a reduced rate of a subsequent unplanned pregnancy (adjusted hazard ratio [AHR], 0.30; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.16-0.57; AHR, 0.54, 95% CI, 0.30-0.97; AHR, 0.44; 95% CI, 0.25-0.77, respectively). Higher parity and a history of depression were positively associated with a higher rate of subsequent unintended pregnancy. There was no difference in the outcomes of these unintended pregnancies by study group; approximately one-sixth ended in miscarriage and one-quarter of subsequent unintended pregnancies ended in abortion. Neither receiving nor being denied abortion is associated with subsequent unintended pregnancy risk. Other factors such as nativity, parity, age, and mental health history are associated with multiple unintended pregnancies. Ensuring access to abortion services will not increase the likelihood that women will experience subsequent unintended pregnancies.

Decisional Informatics for Psychosocial Rehabilitation: A Feasibility Pilot on Tailored and Fluid Treatment Algorithms for Serious Mental Illness.

This study introduces a computerized clinical decision-support tool, the Fluid Outpatient Rehabilitation Treatment (FORT), that incorporates individual and ever-evolving patient needs to guide clinicians in developing and updating treatment decisions in real-time. In this proof-of-concept feasibility pilot, FORT was compared against traditional treatment planning using similar behavioral therapies in 52 adults with severe mental illness attending community-based day treatment. At posttreatment and follow-up, group differences and moderate-to-large effect sizes favoring FORT were detected in social function, work readiness, self-esteem, working memory, processing speed, and mental flexibility. Of participants who identified obtaining a General Education Diploma as their goal, 73% in FORT passed the examination compared with 18% in traditional treatment planning. FORT was also associated with higher agency cost-effectiveness and a better average benefit-cost ratio, even when considering diagnosis, baseline symptoms, and education. Although the comparison groups were not completely equivalent, the findings suggest computerized decision support systems that collaborate with human decision-makers to personalize psychiatric rehabilitation and address critical decisions may have a role in improving treatment effectiveness and efficiency.

Reaching Adolescents for Prevention: The Role of Pediatric Emergency Department Health Promotion Advocates.

Almost 200,000 adolescents visit US emergency departments (EDs) yearly for conditions involving underage drinking but receive no follow-up referral. Other health risk behaviors resulting in sexually transmitted infections, car crashes, and assault-related injury are common among adolescents. A pediatric ED (PED) visit presents an opportunity to discuss and promote prevention. We report here on implementation of a new PED navigator/extender role, the Health Promotion Advocate (HPA). Health Promotion Advocates surveyed patients to identify health risks, stresses, and needs. A positive screen triggered a brief conversation containing the following elements: permission to discuss risks/needs; exploration of context (a typical day in your life); brief feedback (information and norms); exploration of benefits and consequences of risk behaviors; assessment of readiness to change; calling up assets, instilling hope; discussing challenges of change; negotiating a menu of options and prescription for change; referrals to primary care, community resources; and treatment services as indicated. During 2009-2013, HPAs screened 2149 PED patients aged 14 to 21 years and referred 834 for an array of services (eg, primary care, mental health, insurance, personal safety, human immunodeficiency virus testing, general education diploma (GED), employment, housing, and food pantries) to address reported health risks; 785 screened positive for at-risk substance use (53% female, 36% without primary care). Among them, 636 received a brief intervention; 546 were referred to specialized substance abuse treatment. Two case studies are presented to illustrate the engagement and referral process. Health Promotion Advocates working as PED team members can extend PED services beyond the scope of the presenting complaint.