International Cross-cultural Study Research Articles

Sociocultural Values of Russians: Development Dynamics (Based on Data from World Values Survey Studies)

The Object of the Study is the sociocultural values of the Russians. The Subject of the Study is the dynamics of sociocultural values of Russians based on data from international cross-cultural studies in 1990 - 2011. The Purpose of the Study is to interpret theoretically and empirically the notion of sociocultural values of Russians on the basis of World Values Survey data, to identify the transformation processes (dynamics) of sociocultural values of Russians. The Main Provisions of the Article. The theoretical side of the subject of study: a description of the vector of the dynamics of sociocultural values of Russians. The empirical side of the subject of study: revealing the empirical trajectory of the dynamics of sociocultural values of Russians. The article provides a theoretical overview of the sociological source base of the concept of "sociocultural values of Russians" in different perspectives (in the materials of Russian and foreign authors). The information base of the research is quite variable and is represented by various sources (abstracts of dissertations, monographs, articles, etc.). The theoretical and methodological basis of the study are the concepts of R. Inglhart and A.Maslow. The main method of obtaining empirical information in the study is the secondary analysis of documents (analysis of data from the World Values Survey project). The main results of the work. «Pioneering» works related to the topic of transformation of socio-cultural values have been identified. The author defines the term «sociocultural values». Theoretical interpretation and operationalization of the concept of "sociocultural values" have been made. The concept of operationalization of the concept of «sociocultural values of Russians» is presented. The dominant and least popular sociocultural values of the Russians during the studied period are revealed. The trajectory of the value priorities of the Russians has been formed. The conclusion is made about the Russians' commitment to traditional values in the context of permanently occurring transformation processes. Scope of the research results: formation of the concept of transformation of socio-cultural values of Russians; to innovate training courses in the discipline «Sociology of Culture».

CONCEPTUALIZATION ISSUES OF SOCIAL EMOTIONS AND COLLECTIVE EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCE (PEREZHIVANIE) IN MODERN SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY: COMMEMORATION TO THE 70TH ANNIVERSARY OF T.G.STEFANENKO

Relevance. It is traditional for socio-psychological research to study a large social group as a subject of social representations, rather than experiences — in other words, in existing studies, attention is paid mainly to the cognitive component of the “group response” to certain social events. T.G. Stefanenko argued that the socio-psychological approach to the study of changes in society should include an analysis of not only the processes of social cognition regarding newly emerged or transformed social objects, but also emotional reactions, unconscious expectations, and fears caused by changes, general feelings and experiences. This position involves the inclusion of new categories in the conceptual apparatus of psychological knowledge, as well as clarifying the content of existing categories. In this case, we are talking about such a category as collective experiences. Objective. Description of the theoretical and empirical problems that T.G. Stefanenko was directly involved with in the research project “Perezhivanie (experiencing) Social Problems with Representatives of Various Social Groups of Modern Russian Society” (Russian Humanitarian Science Foundation, 2012-2014). Methods. Review and analysis of research on the study of perezhivanie, collective perezhivanie, and social emotions. Results. The basic approaches to the study of perezhivanie, collective perezhivanie, and social emotions in Russian and Western psychological literature are considered. The concept of “collective perezhivanie” is compared with the category of “perezhivanie” developed in Russian general psychology, as well as the construct “collective (social) emotions” developed in Western social psychology. The results of an international cross-cultural study of social emotions (guilt, shame, regret, embarrassment, etc.) in which T.G. Stefanenko took part are briefly described. Conclusion. Despite methodological difficulties and the lack of unity in the conceptualization of collective perezhivanie, the study of social perezhivanie and emotions seems to be a fruitful approach to empirical socio-psychological studies of the characteristics of perception and interpretation of various social processes at the level of everyday consciousness.

An international cross-cultural study of nursing students' perceptions of caring

BackgroundSingle studies suggest that nursing students perceive caring as more an instrumental than expressive behaviour and indicate some differences between caring perceptions in junior and senior nursing students. However, there are limited studies investigating caring perceptions in nursing students across multiple cultures. ObjectiveTo determine perceptions of caring in Slovene, Croatian, Chinese and Russian nursing students and explore whether there are statistically significant differences in perceptions of caring between countries and between first and third-year nursing students. DesignA cross-sectional descriptive study design was used. Settings and participantsThe study included 604 nursing students enrolled in first and third year in seven different nursing faculties in four countries: Slovenia; China; Croatia; and the Russian Federation. MethodsThe 25-item Caring Dimension Inventory (CDI-25) was used to measure caring perceptions. We also included demographic questions regarding age, gender, country, year of study and type of study. Demographic data were analysed using descriptive analysis while a two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) adjusted for unequal sample sizes was performed together with a post hoc analysis of the results. ResultsThe results of two-way ANOVA showed that both main effects (country and year of study) were statistically significant, as well as their interaction at the 0.05 significance level. The main effect for country was F(3, 596) = 3.591, p < 0.0136 indicating a significant difference in CDI-25 between Slovenia (M = 108.9, SD = 9.2), Russian Federation (M = 107.1, SD = 8.2), China (M = 102.8, SD = 9.7) and Croatia (M = 110.0, SD = 8.6). ConclusionsPerceptions of caring in nursing students differ across countries, probably due to different educational systems, curricula, cultural differences and societal values. Implementing caring theories in nursing curricula could help students to cultivate caring during their education.

Adult-onset psychogenic nonepileptic seizures: A multicenter international study

PurposeThe aim of this multicenter international cross-cultural study was to compare clinical variables in a large sample of people with adult-onset psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES). MethodsIn this retrospective study, we evaluated persons with documented PNES, who were older than 16 years of age at the onset, from four countries (i.e., Iran, Brazil, Venezuela, and Argentina) regarding their age, gender, PNES semiology, and possible predisposing factors. ResultsWe included 389 patients (244 from Iran, 66 from Brazil, 51 from Venezuela, and 28 from Argentina). Age at diagnosis was 32 ± 9 years (range: 17–64 years), and age at the onset of seizures was 27 ± 8 years (range: 17–49 years). There was a female predominance in all countries. The demographic characteristics and factors associated with PNES were similar among the countries. However, there were significant semiological differences among the countries. ConclusionThis study corroborates the notion that PNES share more similarities than differences cross-culturally and across international borders. However, the background determined by cultural, ethnic, and religious differences may influence the semiology of PNES. Further cross-cultural studies involving more than two continents may advance our understanding of PNES.

Pediatric-onset psychogenic nonepileptic seizures: A retrospective international multicenter study

PurposeWe compared various clinical characteristics of pediatric-onset psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES) between patients from five countries. The purpose of this study was to advance our understanding of pediatric-onset PNES cross-culturally. MethodsIn this retrospective study, we compared consecutive patients with PNES with an age at onset of 16 years and younger from epilepsy monitoring units in Iran, Brazil, the USA, Canada, and Venezuela. Age, gender, age at seizure onset, seizure semiology, predisposing factors, and video-EEG recordings of all patients were extracted. Pearson Chi-Square, one-way ANOVA and Bonferroni correction tests were used for statistical analyses. ResultsTwo hundred twenty-nine patients were studied (83 from Iran, 50 from Brazil, 39 from Canada, 30 from the USA, and 27 from Venezuela). Mean age at the onset of seizures was 12.1 ± 3.2 years (range: 4–16 years). The sex ratio of the patients was 1.83: 1 (148 females and 81 males). Clinical characteristics of pediatric-onset PNES showed some significant differences among the nations. However, factors associated with pediatric-onset PNES in these five nations were similar. ConclusionThis study underscores how international cross-cultural studies can make important contributions to our understanding of PNES. Patients with pediatric-onset PNES from different countries were similar on many risk factors associated with PNES. This suggests universality in many features of PNES. However, intriguing differences were also noted with regard to seizure semiology, which might be the result of cultural factors.

Sexual abuse and psychogenic nonepileptic seizures.

We investigated the frequency of reported sexual abuse in patients with psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES) in a Middle-Eastern culture (Iran) and tried to characterize the association between a history of sexual abuse and the clinical characteristics of PNES in these patients. In this retrospective database study, patients with PNES, who were investigated at Shiraz Comprehensive Epilepsy Center at Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, from 2008 until 2018, were studied. Patients were categorized into two groups: (1) those with a history of sexual abuse and (2) those without such a history. A total of 314 patients were studied. Twenty-six patients (8.3%) had a history of sexual abuse, while 288 patients (91.7%) denied having such an experience. Sex ratio (OR: 3.53; 95% CI: 1.14-10.89; p = 0.02) and a history of child abuse (OR: 4.85; 95% CI: 1.82-12.96; p = 0.002) were significantly associated with a history of sexual abuse. Some people with a history of sexual abuse are at risk of developing PNES later in their lives. While social, cultural, and even genetic predisposition may be interacting for such an association to come to play, there is no concrete direct evidence to clarify this link yet. This should be investigated in future international cross-cultural studies and also highlights the need for planning genetic studies in patients with PNES.

Psychogenic nonepileptic seizures in children and adolescents: An international cross-cultural study

PurposeWe compared various clinical characteristics of psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES) between young patients from Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Canada, three nations with significantly different socioeconomic and demographic characteristics. This international cross-cultural comparative study may advance our knowledge and understanding of PNES in children and adolescents across the cultures and borders. MethodsIn this retrospective study, we investigated all patients 16 years of age or younger, with PNES admitted to the epilepsy monitoring units at one center in Iran, one center in Saudi Arabia, and one center in Canada. Age, gender, age at seizure onset, seizure semiology, seizure frequency, factors potentially predisposing to PNES, and video-electroencephalography (EEG) recording of all patients were registered routinely and compared between the nations. ResultsFifty-one patients were studied (22 from Iran, 14 from Saudi Arabia, and 15 from Canada). Age at the diagnosis was 13.4 ± 2.2 years (range: 8–16 years), and age at the onset of seizures was 12.3 ± 2.7 years (range: 5–16 years). Demographic and clinical characteristics of and associated factors in the patients among the three nations were not significantly different. Twenty-six (51%) patients were taking antiepileptic drugs at the time of diagnosis; the difference was not statistically significant between the nations (13 patients in Iran, 6 in Saudi Arabia, and 7 patients in Canada; P = 0.5). ConclusionYoung patients with PNES across borders and between cultures share more similarities than differences with regard to their demographic and clinical characteristics.

Triggers, symptoms, and treatment in two populations of migraneurs in Brazil and Spain. A cross-cultural study

Background and aim Cultural variation in pain and headache presentation may exist. The objective of this study was to assess cross-cultural differences in the use of drugs commonly managed to treat and prevent migraine, and to analyze the awareness about symptoms and triggers between two populations of migraneurs in Brazil and Spain. Methods International cross-cultural study. Patients answered a socio-demographic questionnaire that included questions about trigger factors, and use of drugs to treat and prevent migraine attacks. Results 292 patients (mean age 34.6 years; 80% females) were included in the study. Most common identified triggers in Brazilian and Spanish patients were: food (30.5% vs 12.6%), sleep (56.7% vs 28.5%), odors (52.5% vs 9.3%), stress (73.1% vs 46.4%), and menstrual period (55.6% vs 38.1%), all p < 0.01. Analgesics and anti-inflammatory drugs were the most commonly used drugs to treat migraine attacks. Brazilian migraneurs used less commonly triptans (16.3% vs 47%; p < 0.0001). Prophylactic drugs were used less frequently in Brazil than in Spain (21.9% vs 52.9%; p < 0.0001). Calcium-antagonists, tricyclic anti-depressives, beta-blockers, and anti-epileptic drugs were significantly more used in Spanish migraineurs (p < 0.01). Conclusions Brazilians migraneurs are more often undertreated for migraine, and underutilization of triptans and preventatives was observed.

Cross-cultural nursing research

Background International cross-cultural comparative nursing research is considered important for the advancement of nursing knowledge offering a global perspective for nursing. Although this is recognised in policy statements and quality standards, international comparative studies are rare in database citations. Objectives To highlight the need for cross-cultural comparative research in nursing and to share some of the insights gained after conducting three international/cross-cultural comparative studies. These are: an examination of patients’ autonomy, privacy and informed consent in nursing interventions BIOMED 1998–2001, the ICProject International Patient Study 2002–2006 and the Ethical Codes in Nursing (ECN) project 2003–2005. Results There are three critical issues raised here for discussion from the international cross-cultural studies. These are: the planning and formulating of an international study, the conduct of cross-cultural research including the implementation of rigorous data collection and analysis and the reporting and implementing the results. Conclusion International and cross-cultural nursing research is powerful tool for the improvement of clinical nursing practise, education and management and advancement of knowledge. Such studies should be carried out in order to improve European evidence based health care development in which the patients’ perspective plays an important part in the evaluation and benchmarking of services.

International variation in ethics committee requirements: comparisons across five Westernised nations.

BackgroundEthics committees typically apply the common principles of autonomy, nonmaleficence, beneficence and justice to research proposals but with variable weighting and interpretation. This paper reports a comparison of ethical requirements in an international cross-cultural study and discusses their implications.DiscussionThe study was run concurrently in New Zealand, UK, Israel, Canada and USA and involved testing hypotheses about believability of testimonies regarding alleged child sexual abuse. Ethics committee requirements to conduct this study ranged from nil in Israel to considerable amendments designed to minimise participant harm in New Zealand. Assessment of minimal risk is a complex and unreliable estimation further compounded by insufficient information on probabilities of particular individuals suffering harm. Estimating potential benefits/ risks ratio and protecting participants' autonomy similarly are not straightforward exercises.SummarySafeguarding moral/humane principles should be balanced with promotion of ethical research which does not impede research posing minimal risk to participants. In ensuring that ethical standards are met and research has scientific merit, ethics committees have obligations to participants (to meet their rights and protect them from harm); to society (to ensure good quality research is conducted); and to researchers (to treat their proposals with just consideration and respect). To facilitate meeting all these obligations, the preferable focus should be promotion of ethical research, rather than the prevention of unethical research, which inevitably results in the impediment of researchers from doing their work. How the ethical principles should be applied and balanced requires further consideration.

Diet and overall survival in elderly people.

To assess the influence of a specific dietary pattern on overall survival. Cohort study. Three rural Greek villages, the data from which were collected as part of an international cross cultural study of food habits in later life. 182 elderly residents of the three villages. Overall mortality. Diet was assessed with a validated extensive semiquantitative questionnaire on food intake. A one unit increase in diet score, devised a priori on the basis of eight component characteristics of the traditional common diet in the Mediterranean region, was associated with a significant 17% reduction in overall mortality (95% confidence interval 1% to 31%). A diet meeting currently understood health criteria does predict survival among people.

A Model for Development of a Data Collection Instrument.

An in-depth research questionnaire on the external business environment and strategic decision making was developed for an international cross-cultural study. This paper describes the detailed process carried out in constructing the original (English) version, translating the questionnaire into both French and German, and verifying the equivalency of the three versions.