Levels Of Social Participation Research Articles

Neighborhood characteristics and prescription drug misuse among adolescents: The importance of social disorganization and social capital

BackgroundPrior research on prescription drug misuse has focused on identifying individual risk factors. While a few studies examine differences in misuse based on geographic residence, there is a lack of research that examines the relevance of neighbourhood characteristics. MethodsThe current research used data from the 2000 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, a sample of respondents that was generalizable to the non-institutionalised population of the United States. Logistic regression models were estimated to examine the relationship between neighbourhood characteristics (e.g., social disorganisation, social capital, and social participation) and prescription drug misuse (e.g., any misuse, pain reliever misuse, sedative/tranquiliser misuse, and stimulant misuse) among adolescent respondents ages 12–17. ResultsFindings show that neighbourhood characteristics were significantly associated with any prescription drug misuse and also the misuse of prescription opioids. Adolescents in socially disorganised neighbourhoods and also those in neighbourhoods with lower levels of social capital were more likely to report prescription drug misuse. Interestingly, adolescents with greater levels of social participation were more likely to report prescription drug misuse. ConclusionThese findings were largely consistent with prior research examining the significance of neighbourhood characteristics in relation to crime and deviance. In order to adequately address the ongoing prescription drug epidemic in the United States, policy makers must address the neighbourhood characteristics that are known to be associated with prescription drug misuse.

Public perception of mental illness in Oman: a cross sectional study

ABSTRACTStudies worldwide have shown that people with mental illnesses (PWMI) tend to be stigmatized and thus suffer social exclusion. The authors investigated the attitudes of Omani people toward PWMI, and classified their responses on the basis of socio-demographic variables (age, gender, place of residence, place and type of employment, and previous exposure to PWMI) that were expected to correlate with their perceptions and attitudes towards PWMI. The data were collected by means of an online cross-sectional survey among the general Omani public, using the Attitude toward Mental Illness (AMI) Questionnaire. The online method via social media was selected in view of the high levels of literacy (93.97%), Internet usage (66.4%), and social media participation among Omanis. Of the 601 participants, 41.4% were men and 58.6% were women. The subjects were categorized in the age groups of 20–30 years (48%) and 31–45 years (46%). Nearly 90% of the participants were employed, while 10% were college students. Th...

Predictores socio-emocionales y cognitivos: su papel en la comprensión del envejecimiento con éxito en el contexto costarricense

Introducción: El presente estudio se orientó hacia la identificación y el análisis de las características que presentan personas adultas mayores con altos niveles de actividad y participación social residentes en Costa Rica. Tomando en cuenta las teorías del envejecimiento con éxito se indagó su alcance en la realidad costarricense. Muestra: El estudio contó con 191 participantes en edades entre 55 y 87 años (M=68.5, DE=6.9) que habitan en el área metropolitana y participan en programas dirigidos a personas mayores en cursos de computación, idiomas, actividad física, arte, entre otros. Método y resultados: Mediante modelos lineales se evidenció la importancia de las condiciones sociales, emocionales y cognitivas como las mejores variables predictoras del nivel de actividad en la muestra estudiada. a.) variables emocionales como autoeficacia percibida, emociones positivas, satisfacción con la vida, control personal, adecuadas redes de apoyo b.) características cognitivas como funciones ejecutivas preservadas, c.) percepción subjetiva de salud y d.) características sociodemográficas como nivel educativo e ingresos. Conclusión: El estudio permite funcionar como línea base, a nivel teórico y metodológico del envejecimiento con éxito en Costa Rica. El estudio permite describir los estilos de vida activos en la vejez caracterizado por otorgarle mayor importancia a la participación en relaciones sociales y ocio, más que a actividades de tipo cognitivas y físicas o vinculadas al logro personal.

Social Participation Modifies the Effect of a Structured Physical Activity Program on Major Mobility Disability Among Older Adults: Results From the LIFE Study.

To investigate whether baseline social participation modifies the effect of a long-term structured physical activity (PA) program on major mobility disability (MMD). 1,635 sedentary adults (70-89 years) with physical limitations were randomized to either a structured PA or health education (HE) intervention. Social participation was defined categorically at baseline. High social participation was defined as attending organized group functions at least once per week and visiting with noncohabitating friends and family ≥7 hr per week. Anything less was considered limited social participation. Participants performed a standardized walking test at baseline and every 6 months for up to 42 months. MMD was defined as the loss in the ability to walk 400 m. There was a significant intervention by social participation interaction (p = .003). Among individuals with high levels of social participation, those randomized to PA had significantly lower incidence of MMD (hazard ratio [HR], 0.43 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.27-0.68]; p < .01) than those randomized to HE. Individuals with limited social participation showed no mobility benefit of the PA intervention when compared with their HE counterparts (HR, 0.92 [95% CI, 0.77-1.11]; p = .40). Our findings suggest that baseline social participation is an important factor for the success of a PA intervention aimed at delaying mobility disability.

Utilizing the ICF to understand depressive symptomology in multiple sclerosis: An exploratory systematic review.

Acceptance of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) in research and clinical practice has been delayed, despite its multiperspective approach to health measurement. This review utilized the ICF to examine evidence on the associations between depressive symptoms and psychosocial functioning in a patient cohort: multiple sclerosis (MS). Forty-nine studies, involving 7,548 adults with relapsing or progressive forms of MS, were quantitatively evaluated. Data were categorized according to ICF domains: activities of individuals along with their participation in life areas and influential environmental and personal factors. Effect size estimates, in the form of Pearson's r, 95% confidence intervals and Fail-safe Ns were calculated. Depression severity was linked to reduced social activities and participation levels (29%, n = 14 studies). Limited quality and/or frequency of informal support from family and friends was also identified as an environmental barrier to participation (29%, n = 14 studies). Intrapersonal markers of depressive symptomatology (e.g., low self-efficacy, anxiety, poor coping, illness attitudes and beliefs) were routinely reported (53%, n = 29 studies). The ICF can help guide the selection of clinical measures to assess psychosocial functioning in adults with MS and highlight areas necessitating further research and/or intervention. For those reporting depressed mood, this might include interventions premised on supporting activity and participation in addition to reinforcing interpersonal strengths. To enhance the utility of the ICF in MS care, further research is needed to operationalize its domains and to map this framework onto existing measurement tools. (PsycINFO Database Record

Retirement homes: Social participation and quality of life.

IntroductionSocial participation is considered as a means of improving one’s quality of life, thus the study aimed at assessing the association between the quality of life and social participation in the elderly.MethodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted in 2016. The study population was selected from among the residents of a retirement home (an elderly residential home) in one of the Northwestern provinces of Iran, and the required data was collected via three questionnaires related to the demographic data, the specific quality of life for the elderly (LEIPAD), and the extent of social participation. Data was analyzed using mean, standard deviation, Spearman correlation coefficient, Mann-Whitney, Chi-square and Kruskal-Wallis test in SPSS software.ResultsThe social participation level of the population under study was estimated as being appropriate (mean score: 3.81±0.32); whereas, the respondents’ quality of life was estimated as being relatively inappropriate (mean score: 2.78±0.41). The “art, sport and leisure activities” subscale showed a significant relationship with the subscales related to the total quality of life and those of “Physical Performance” (r=0.128, p=0.46), “depression and anxiety”(r=0.114, p=0.051), “sexual performance”(r=0.213, p=0.21), and “life satisfaction”(r=0.272, p=0.11); furthermore, there was a significant relationship between total social participation and “life satisfaction” and the subscales related to “depression and anxiety”(r=0.263, p=0.12).ConclusionsIt seems that activities that involve the art, sport and leisure subscale of social participation can result in quality of life improvement for the elderly.

Types of social participation and psychological distress in Japanese older adults: A five-year cohort study.

IntroductionThe most effective type of social participation against psychological distress in older adults is not well documented. The aim of this study was to examine whether different types of social participation are associated with changes in psychological distress level in older men and women in Japan.MethodsTwo thousand seven hundred community-dwelling older adults (aged 65–74 years, 50% women) were randomly selected from the resident registry of three cities. Of these, participants who reported social participation and psychological distress level in the baseline survey in 2010 were followed up. Psychological distress was evaluated based on K6 scales at baseline and follow-up (in 2015). Social participation level was examined using question items from the National Health and Nutrition Survey in Japan. Exploratory factor analysis was used to derive the underlying factor structure. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to examine the association between social participation and changes in psychological distress level after adjusting for covariates stratified by both gender and age group or living arrangement.ResultsData from 825 community-dwelling older adults (45.3% women) were analyzed. Social participation was categorized into two types using factor analysis: community involvement (volunteer activities, community events, clubs for the elderly) and individual relationship (friendship, communication with family and friends, hobbies). During the 5-year follow-up, 29.5% of participants reported a deterioration in psychological distress. Higher community involvement was independently associated with lower risk of psychological distress for older women (β = 0.099, p = 0.047), whereas there were no associations with individual relationship for either gender. Furthermore, in older women living with others, higher community involvement was also associated with lower risk of psychological distress (β = 0.110, p = 0.048).ConclusionCommunity involvement provides older women with mental health benefits regardless of individual relationship level. Promoting community involvement may be an effective strategy for healthy mental aging.

Knowledge and adoption of recommended practices of brinjal

The present study on knowledge and adoption of recommended practices of brinjal was conducted in the year 2015-16 in Amravati district. For this study 80 brinjal growers were purposively selected from one tehsil of district with the help of random sampling method. The data were collected with the help of structured interview schedule. Collected data was carefully examined, classified quantified and tabulated. Frequencies, mean, standard deviation, correlation of co-efficient analysis were employed for interpreting the results. Results obtained after analysis have been summarized as below. Findings revealed that majority of the respondents 43.75 per cent were found in the middle age group 31 to 50 years. Majority of the respondents 47.50 per cent were educated upto college level. Nearly 31.25 per cent respondents belonged to semi medium land holding between 2.01 to 4 ha. Maximum percentages of the respondents had their annual income in between Rs. 50,001 to 1,00,000/- and above. Majority of the respondents 70.00 per cent were having upto 3.00 ha area under irrigation. Majority of the respondents 50.00 per cent possessed 0.20 to 0.40 ha area under brinjal crop. Majority of the respondents 58.75 per cent had low level of social participation. Nearly 40.00 per cent of respondents in medium category of extension contact. Majority of the respondents 42.50 per cent found to be in the medium level of market orientation. Majority of the respondents 60.00 and 61.25 per cent belonged to medium category of knowledge and adoption level, respectively. Findings of relational analysis revealed that the characteristics such age, education, land holding, annual income, area under irrigation, area under brinjal crop, extension contact, market orientation were positively and significantly correlated with knowledge about recommended practices of brinjal. Whereas, social participation was not associated with knowledge about recommended practices of brinjal. Among the characteristics of respondents viz., education, land holding, annual income, extension contact, market orientation were positively and significantly correlated with adoption at 0.01 level of probability while age, area under irrigation, area under brinjal crop were positively and significantly correlated with adoption at 0.05 level of probability had positive and significant relationship with adoption of recommended practices of brinjal. However, social participation, did not show significant relationship with adoption of recommended practices of brinjal. Lower down of water table of irrigation sources, high cost of insecticides and pesticides, high cost of fertilizer, sale of brinjal crop does not fetch remunerative price in the market, irregular power supply, high wages of labour, transporting of brinjal produce by jeep or tractor is expensive, non-availability of Agril. loans at proper time were the important constraints.

Issue Editor Foreword

Issue Editor Foreword

Found Opportunities for Social Participation

Lack of communicatively supportive opportunities for social participation is a critical barrier for many people with aphasia. Speech–language pathologists need to address this barrier by playing a key role in ensuring that adults with aphasia have appropriate social participation choices in their communities. Speech–language pathologists may provide these services themselves or may draw on their unique expertise in communication and aphasia to work with people with aphasia, family, friends, other health care professionals, and disability support organizations to advocate for and/or develop opportunities. This article provides examples of specific approaches that can help achieve this important goal in relation to 4 levels of social participation: interacting with others without doing a specific activity with them (e.g., having satisfying conversations), interacting with others during activities in which there is a common goal (e.g., participating in enjoyable recreational activities), interacting with others to help a specific person or group of people (e.g., volunteering), and interacting with others to make a contribution to society (e.g., being involved in an aphasia advocacy organization).

What is the Potential for Community Currencies to Deliver Positive Public Health Outcomes? Case Study of Time Credits in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, UK.

There is evidence that increased levels of community engagement and social participation can improve population health. Community currencies such as Time Credits are one way to support and encourage people to be more involved in their local community. As a result, they have attracted investment by local governments in the UK, with the hope of finding new ways to work with deprived communities, improve individual outcomes that lead to better health, and reduce the use of public services at a time of financial austerity. The aim of this research was to evaluate the health related outcomes of volunteering through Time Credits in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire. The conceptual model developed during the research shows how Time Credits were expected to influence some of the social determinants of health and, by doing so, enhance health outcomes and reduce health inequalities. This in depth empirical study shows the potential of such activity to support pathways to better health, but equally demonstrates the challenges in quantifying such outcomes and in evidencing any reduction in the use of public services as a result.

RETRACTED: Double cropping in paddy fields of northern Iran: Current trends and determinants of adoption

Double cropping is an essential strategy for increasing crop productivity, promoting employment, satisfying food demands, and enhancing sustainability of production. However, much of the evidence on which farmers double crop (and if so, how often) is anecdotal. Factors affecting the adoption of double cropping were explored in Rasht County of Guilan Province in northern Iran. Most farmers (58.3%) practiced double cropping with one crop (i.e., ratoon rice, vegetables or pulses). Leafy vegetables, such as coriander (Coriandrum sativum), parsley (Petroselinum crispum), spinach (Spinacia oleracea), and garden cress (Lepidium sativum) as well as root vegetables, such as garlic (Allium sativum), carrot (Daucus carota subsp. sativus), and radish (Raphanus sativus) were the most common vegetables. Cranberry bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) and faba bean (Vicia faba) were the most common pulses. Almost a third of the farmers (32.5%) practiced double cropping with a combination of two crops (i.e., ratoon rice plus vegetables or ratoon rice plus pulses). Adopters of double cropping had a more positive attitude for this cropping practice (as expressed by perceptions of high profitability and sufficient satisfaction of household food demands), higher levels of social participation (i.e., participation in cooperatives, associations, unions) and cooperation with other farmers, more use of communication tools (i.e., TV, radio, internet, magazines), and higher income from rice farming than the non-adopters. A logistic regression model with predictive ability 72.8% showed that farmers’ attitude towards double cropping had the greatest role in the prediction of its acceptance followed by attendance of education courses and farming experience. The results are of practical significance for policy-makers who seek the best options for greater farm productivity and well-being in developing countries. Training courses and discussion meetings, particularly targeted to young farmers, as well as the establishment of cooperatives to foster social participation could motivate adoption of double cropping.

Block play and mathematics learning in preschool: The effects of building complexity, peer and teacher interactions in the block area, and replica play materials

Block play has been included in early childhood classrooms for over a century, yet few studies have examined its effects on learning. Several previous investigations indicate that the complexity of block building is associated with math ability, but these studies were often conducted in adult-guided, laboratory settings. In the present investigation, the relationship of block play variables to both the complexity of block structures and math learning was studied in naturalistic free play settings. A total of 41 preschool children were videorecorded playing with blocks. Time in blocks, number of structures built, levels of social participation, frequency of teacher interactions, percentage of buildings without replica play toys, and structure complexity were coded. Findings indicated that level of social participation and percentage of structures built without toys predicted the complexity of children’s buildings. This building complexity was, in turn, associated with growth in math learning, as measured by Tools for Early Assessment in Mathematics. Based on these findings, a path model was constructed to hypothesize causal relationships between block play features, structure complexity, and math learning.

Inequalities in socio-economic characteristics and health and wellbeing of men with and without disabilities: a cross-sectional analysis of the baseline wave of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Male Health.

BackgroundInternationally, men with disabilities have higher rates of social and economic disadvantage and poorer health and wellbeing than men without disabilities. No single study has provided comprehensive, population-level information about the magnitude of such differences among adult men using a well-validated instrument to measure disability.MethodsWe analysed baseline data from Ten to Men – an Australian longitudinal study of male health. Ten to Men used a stratified multi-stage cluster random sample design to recruit a national sample of males aged 10 to 55 years residing in private dwellings. Data were collected between October 2013 and July 2014 from 15,988 males. This analysis was restricted to 18–55 year old participants with data available on age and disability (n = 13,569). We compared the demographic, socio-economic characteristics and health and wellbeing of men with and without disabilities using chi squared tests for proportions and t tests for continuous variables. Linear regression adjusted for age was used to assess the association between disability status and health and wellbeing, which were measured using the SF-12 mental and physical health component scores and the Personal Wellbeing Index.ResultsMen with disabilities were older and more likely to be born in Australia, speak English at home, be Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and were less likely to be married or de facto, or to live in urban areas. They were less likely to have completed secondary school, be employed and live in affordable housing, and were more likely to live on low incomes, in more socio-economically disadvantaged areas, and in rental accommodation and to experience shortages of money. Among employed men, those with disabilities were less likely to be in high skilled jobs, worked less hours on average, and were more likely to report that they would prefer to work more. Men with disabilities had lower levels of social support and community participation and poorer mental and physical health and overall wellbeing.ConclusionAdult men with disabilities experience marked social and economic disadvantage and poorer health and wellbeing. Improving the health and wellbeing of disabled men should be a priority for public health researchers and policy-makers.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12889-016-3700-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Risk Factors for Obstructive Sleep Apnea Are Prevalent in People with Psychosis and Correlate with Impaired Social Functioning and Poor Physical Health.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in the general community is associated with obesity, smoking, alcohol, and sedative medication use and contributes to depressed mood, daytime sedation, and sudden cardiovascular deaths. Poor cardiovascular health, impaired social functioning, and negative and cognitive symptoms are also among the common clinical features of psychotic disorders. People with psychosis have higher rates of sleep disturbance; however, OSA has not been extensively investigated in this population. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of OSA and general sleep disruption symptoms in a representative Australian sample of people with psychosis. We investigated the prevalence of potential risk factors for OSA, including obesity, psychotropic medications, and substance abuse in this population. Finally, we evaluated associations between symptoms of OSA, symptoms of general sleep disruption, and various clinical features in people with psychosis. Participants took part in the Second National Australian Survey of Psychosis, a population-based survey of Australians with a psychotic disorder aged 18-64 years. Symptoms associated with OSA (snoring and breathing pauses during sleep) in the past year were assessed using questions from the University of Maryland Medical Centre Questionnaire and symptoms associated with general sleep disruption in the past week using the Assessment of Quality of Life Questionnaire. Data collected included psychiatric diagnosis and symptoms, education, employment, medications, smoking status, physical activity, drug and alcohol use, and cognitive function. Physical health measures included body mass index, waist circumference, blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, and lipids. Snoring was reported by 41.9%; 7% stating they frequently stopped breathing (pauses) during sleep. Univariate logistic regressions show OSA symptoms (pauses and snoring) were associated with older age, female gender, lower levels of social participation or employment, cardiovascular risk factors, sedentary lifestyle, and poorer quality of life, while symptoms of general sleep disruption were more likely in people with depressive symptoms. Australians with psychosis have high levels of sleep disturbance, including OSA. OSA symptoms were associated with cardiovascular disease risk factors, reduced social participation and employment, and poorer quality of life. Whether correction of OSA can improve these factors in people with psychosis remains to be determined.

Relations between Child Poverty and New Migrant Child Status, Academic Attainment and Social Participation: Insights Using Social Capital Theory

Currently, around one in five children in the United Kingdom and the United States live in poverty. This has a devastating effect on their wellbeing, education and broader socio-political participation, and life chances. In this paper, Scottish policy documentary data are used to discuss the effects of relations amongst categories of children in poverty, migrant child status, and academic under-attainment. The study draws on social capital and intersectionalities theory to explore some of the power and knowledge relations that are effects of policy statements. The paper concludes by suggesting that addressing the issues of poverty and educational under-attainment, including for migrant children, requires a policy strategy beyond education. Disconnections across social, cultural, and economic child policy need to be redesigned in order to change the very real socio-economic-cultural-political relations which policy produces; these relations can lead to either high levels of social participation and potential academic attainment of new arrival children or to their social exclusion. Accordingly, knowledge practices aiming to improve the socio-economic-cultural-political inclusion of migrant children make central the conditions and experiences constitutive of new migrants’ lived social lives.

Making Good Use of Partners: Differential Effects of Managerial Networking in the Social Care Domain

ABSTRACTPublic managers engage in networking relationships with a wide variety of external actors and organizations from which they can draw different types of support and resources. Most empirical studies on managerial networking merely present different intensities of external networking in general, as if it were a unidimensional concept. In practice, however, public managers strategically differentiate between functional or task-related groups of external partners, based on the specific policy context. Moreover, such differentiation in networking behavior can be expected to systematically impact agency and public program performance outcomes. This article derives contextualized hypotheses on how managerial networking affects the performance of Dutch local governments in the social care domain. Multilevel structural equation analyses of 3,257 social care clients in 71 local governments provide evidence that bilateral client-interest networking is more beneficial to the Social Support Act's overall goal of improving the level of social participation of clients than professional networking. Moreover, the effect is indirect: managerial networking with client interest groups improves the physical self-reliance of clients, enabling them to engage in social activities.

Action Research in the Convergence of Disciplines

Introductory wordsI wish to begin by a personal revelation and a respectful request. Last May 18, at the splendid closing session of the World Congress on ActionResearch, held at the Universidad de La Salle in Bogota, delegates from Australia, Great Britain and the United States informed the audience that I had just been awarded one of the most prized honors of the world of social sciences: the Malinowski Award, of the Society for Applied Anthropology, and that I had been chosen as the Martin Diskin Oxfam America Commemorative Conference Speaker of LASA, Latin American Studies Association.It was unusual in that those decisions were taken concomitantly. They were as two sparks that fell at one time on a single lightning rod. You may believe me that one of them alone would have been enough to burn me to ashes, so much the more taking into account that both citations referred equally to the origin and dissemination of Participatory Action Research (PAR), taking distance from the first psycho-social school of Kurt Lewin. This was now a more complex level of academic, social and political participation. Even so, they were inviting me to remember and explain the story of a process of continuity and dissent in the accumulation of scientific knowledge, a process that certainly deserved such great international recognition.My first concern was how to share this task between the Society of Applied Anthropology and LASA. As you know it was interrupted by a severe illness that would have prevented me from having the pleasure of seeing you in person and shaking your hands at Montreal. I began to decide how I would have done it in my young years as a doctoral student: apply division of labour pragmatically. For LASA, because of the interesting Diskin tradition with activist researchers in Central America, I could use a more cognitive and descriptive treatment of experiences in field work, which would make me doubly happy and very satisfied, because it fitted in with that important work by Diskin in El Salvador. For the Society of Applied Anthropology and its venerable journal Human Organization, I would present an interpretative digression on the possibly phenomenological experience, with a view to exploring the possibilities of an alternative paradigm. This is therefore what I am doing.Forgive me if this unexpected double task becomes somewhat repetitive, because I will try to harmonise both works. But I fear that, in future, these reports will have to be consulted complementarily. I hope thus to fulfill the expectations of both institutions, and to receive your indulgence, my colleagues and friends of LASA, to begin the debate here in Spanish.I feel very moved and honoured to have been selected as the Martin Diskin Oxfam America Commemorative Conference Speaker of the Latin American Studies Association (LASA), and I extend my heartfelt thanks to Mrs. Diskin, who is present here, and to the distinguished Evaluation Committee, coordinated by Brinton Lykes, which made the decision, as well as the Board of Directors of the Association. Very special thanks to Professors Milagros Pereyra, Charlie Hale, Maria Claudia Duque and Arturo Escobar for their encouragement and support. Also to Professor Kevin Yelvington, who had the kindness and energy to propose and document my name before the authorities. I appreciate the presence of so many Colombians in this room, and of my families, Fais and Samper: I feel the warmth of my country and my people in these cold, although welcoming plains of dynamic Quebec. Thank you, thank you all very much.And now I will present the thesis on the functions of PAR (Participatory Action-Research) in the convergence of disciplines, as an interesting expression of postmodernity.Beginnings and convergencesLet us remember how my colleagues and I, from Third World countries, began to articulate our thinking and action in the 1970s, combining, as we said, heart and mind to propose techniques and procedures that would satisfy our anxieties as citizens and as social scientists. …

Test-Retest Reliability and Validity of the Malay Version Life Habits Assessment (LIFE-H 3.1) to Measure Social Participation in Adults With Physical Disabilities.

Social participation restriction is a common barrier encountered by older adults and individuals with physical disabilities. To best direct the limited resource to support social services for individuals with disability, there is a need to objectively measure social participation restriction. A number of tools to measure levels of social participation are available, but none of them has been translated into the Malay language. This cross-sectional study examined the test-retest reliability and concurrent validity of the Life Habits Assessment (LIFE-H 3.1) that had been translated and culturally adapted to the Malay language. Seventy-five individuals with physical disabilities (age, mean [standard deviation] = 58 [10] years; 49 males) participated in this study. Participants were interviewed twice with the Malay version LIFE-H 3.1, approximately 1 week apart. The Barthel Index (BI) and the World Health Organization Assessment of Quality of Life-Brief version (WHOQoL-BREF) were administered in the first interview as well. Intraclass correlation coefficients and the Bland-Altman Bias D were used to examine test-retest reliability. The Spearman correlation coefficients were computed to quantify the correlation between the Malay version LIFE-H 3.1 and the BI and the WHOQoL-BREF, respectively, to examine the concurrent validity of the Malay version LIFE-H 3.1. Furthermore, standard error of measurement and minimal detectable change were calculated. The Malay version LIFE-H 3.1 had excellent test-retest reliability as evidenced by good to excellent intraclass correlation coefficients (0.71-0.95) and minimal Bland-Altman biases (0.01-0.12). The correlations between the Malay version LIFE-H 3.1 and the BI were fair to good (r = 0.28-0.69). The correlations between the Malay version LIFE-H 3.1 and the WHOQoL-BREF were weak to fair, ranging from 0.02 to 0.57. The Malay version LIFE-H 3.1 demonstrates excellent test-retest reliability and satisfactory validity. This questionnaire is an appropriate tool to assess social participation in rehabilitation for native Malay language speakers.

Study of relationship between personal, situational, psychological and socio-economical characteristics with adoption of goat farming technology by the goat keepers

The study revealed that majority of the goat keepers were from middle age group, most of them were illiterate having medium size of family, majority of them were landless having medium level of herd size and majority of them were having medium annual income, low level of social participation, medium use of information sources medium level of knowledge, medium level of scientific orientation and high level of economic motivation regarding improved management practices. It was observed that the characteristics namely, age, education, family size, annual income, social participation, source of information, knowledge, scientific orientation, economic motivation and proximity to urban area had positive and significant relationship with adoption level. However, the relationship between land holding and herd size with adoption level were found non-significantly related.