Lifelong Perspective Research Articles

Older workers and post-retirement employment: A proposed decent work agenda

The United Nation's Sustainable Development Goal 8 (SDG8) emphasizes decent work and the need to generate employment for vulnerable groups such as women, youth, and low-income rural and urban residents. Though extended retirement age policies to sustain workforce productivity are promulgated across OECD states, within SDG8 there is no evident focus on older citizens’ need for decent work. We believe this goal lacks detail in addressing the specific needs of older and post-retirement workers and their equal vulnerability to inadequate decent work conditions, economic strain, and diminished well-being. We expand on this issue with particular focus on this older cohort's predictors and attainment of decent work and proffer the psychology of working theory as a foundation to redress the inadequacy of SDG8 and formulate recommendations for policy and research to recognize the needs of older and post-retirement workers. This approach is aligned with the Psychology of Sustainability and Sustainable Development framework in a lifelong perspective.

A Protocol for Comprehensive Analysis of Gait in Individuals with Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury.

This is a protocol for comprehensive analysis of gait and affecting factors in individuals with incomplete paraplegia due to spinal cord injury (SCI). A SCI is a devastating event affecting both sensory and motor functions. Due to better care, the SCI population is changing, with a greater proportion retaining impaired ambulatory function. Optimizing ambulatory function after SCI remains challenging. To investigate factors influencing optimal ambulation, a multi-professional research project was grounded with expertise from clinical rehabilitation, neurophysiology, and biomechanical engineering from Karolinska Institutet, the Spinalis Unit at Aleris Rehab Station (Sweden's largest center for specialized neurorehabilitation), and the Promobilia MoveAbility Lab at KTH Royal Institute of Technology. Ambulatory adults with paraplegia will be consecutively invited to participate. Muscle strength, sensitivity, and spasticity will be assessed, and energy expenditure, 3D movements, and muscle function (EMG) during gait and submaximal contractions will be analyzed. Innovative computational modeling and data-driven analyses will be performed, including the identification of clusters of similar movement patterns among the heterogeneous population and analyses that study the link between complex sensorimotor function and movement performance. These results may help optimize ambulatory function for persons with SCI and decrease the risk of secondary conditions during gait with a life-long perspective.

Road works ahead: the journey of an innovative cross-campus hybrid learning space navigating higher education institutions’ organizational setbacks

The most recent UN publication on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which covers issues related to socioeconomic, environmental, and technological development on a global scale towards 2030, has expanded its focus to include tertiary education and the role of Universities in contributing to societal development. SDG 4, particularly, calls for equal access to tertiary education from a lifelong perspective, and consequentially an increasing need for flexible education. It has therefore become pivotal for Higher Education Institutions to promote the implementation of both flexible study programs and related innovative learning environments to sustain learners’ lifelong education and the development of critical skills in an increasingly digitalized world. Innovation, however, has a cost. In Higher Education, innovation must necessarily reconcile academic advantages with economic conveniences. In this paper, we look in retrospect and share our experiences from a major research project linked to creating and implementing an innovative hybrid learning space within the frame of a cross-campus and cross-institution master’s degree based at two Norwegian universities. In the evaluation phase of the project, tension became apparent between the underlying pedagogical visions that sparked the enthusiasm for the project and the challenging reality of having to create, organize, and manage a complex cross-campus and cross-institution study program and build the learning space related to it. It seems that traditional university structures as a closed ecosystem made it difficult to anchor the development of the program in/within/between the organizations. The administration did not seem equipped to manage the uncertainty such an innovative project presented in the form of many new unforeseen, challenging, and unpredictable variables. In two related publications we have specifically discussed the results from the project by focusing on the experiences educators and students collectively reported about working and studying in the ad hoc learning environment developed for the master’s program. We wish now to look back and explore the topic from an organizational perspective where the administration of the cross-campus and cross-institution project acts as a filter between the educators’ pedagogical vision and the students’ experiences. In this exploratory case study, we have opted for a phenomenological investigation and a qualitative approach to research design that is informed by constructivist grounded theory methods. We went back to the educators’ and students’ feedback and tried to understand not just what worked and what did not, but why. What contributed the most to the increasing tension between the initial pedagogical vision of the educators and the practical development of the project in reality? We believe that sharing the experiences harvested from our project along the road can be of help to other researchers and stakeholders in confronting and finding solutions to the challenges that complex innovative projects might constitute for higher education institutions.

Um estudo da filosofia de Paul Lengrand sobre educação física ao longo da vida

Abstract: By employing a combination of literature review and logical induction, Paul Lengrand’s lifelong writings regarding philosophy of physical education were methodically gathered, classified and synopsized. An astute analysis has indicated that Paul Lengrand’s lifelong perspective on philosophy of physical education was shaped, in no small measure, by his singular historical context, societal exigencies, and personal encounters. Moreover, it has been revealed that his outlook on philosophy of physical education was an extension of his ardent commitment to lifelong education philosophy, while simultaneously enhancing and refining it. Physical education and sports are important contents of lifelong physical education. Sports should not be seen as a muscle activity, but should be combined with the current situation, morality and art, and the period should be integrated with lifelong education. Centered unequivocally around embracing physical exercise across all junctures of human existence, physical education was regarded as an indispensable dimension of life that exemplifies the durability, gradual progression, and comprehensiveness of lifelong physical education philosophy.

When young people age out of care: Foster care in a life course and network perspective

AbstractResearch highlights the importance of supportive relations for young people leaving care. Foster carers give an important contribution to such support. However, there is less knowledge about foster carers' views about the relational contact after the young person has aged out of care. This article explores foster carers' perspectives building on interviews with foster carers from both Norway and Sweden about their views on relational continuity. Life course and network theory are used as theoretical lenses to understand the opportunities and challenges for further contact both with cares and extended foster family. Findings suggest that foster carers have a lifelong perspective, still the relationship can be uncertain and some result in breaks. Viewed from a life course perspective, the relationships can also be renewed, and foster carers and other members of the foster family seem to be important sources of support for young people with a care background.

Behavioral guidance for improving dental care in autistic spectrum disorders.

Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) impair many aspects of everyday life and may prevent access to dental care, often limiting it to emergencies. Impaired oral health has long-lasting negative consequences on health status and on the acquisition of oral habits (e.g., oral respiration and grinding) or competencies (e.g., proper speech production). Children with ASD may be scared in the dental setting, which is rich in sensory stimuli and requires physical contact. Due to their behavioral manifestations, they represent a challenge for dentists and hygienists. We created a dedicated pathway with behavioral support for children with ASD to allow dental care and possibly limit the use of general anesthesia. We evaluated the effects of behavioral support in a quasi-experimental design by comparing two groups of children with ASD. The first group (n = 84) was visited every 2 months for 3 years and received additional support (visual aids, caregiver training, and longer visit duration). A control group, matched for age and sex, was visited at least twice a year or more, if needed, according to standard healthcare guidelines. Compliance with the schedule was high throughout the 3 years. The degree of collaboration significantly improved after 1 year in the supported group, while the control group did not change. At the end of the study, collaboration remained significantly higher than at the beginning in the supported group. Half of dental treatments were possible without general anesthesia in supported children. No adverse effect was apparent on collaboration due to COVID-19 restrictions. Behavioral techniques improved the compliance of ASD children to regular dentistry visits and treatment. Furthermore, oral hygiene at home was similarly improved, addressing oral health from a lifelong perspective.

Myopia and Near Work: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Myopia is a global public health problem affecting quality of life and work productivity. Data is scarce regarding the effects of near work on myopia. Providing a larger meta-analysis with life-long perspective, including adults and occupational exposure seemed needed. We searched PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase and Science Direct for studies reporting myopia prevalence in near work. Myopia was defined as a mean spherical equivalent ≤ -0.50 diopter. We performed a meta-analysis using random-effects model on myopia prevalence, myopia progression per year, and odds ratio (OR) of myopia in near work, completed by subgroup analyses and meta-regressions on patients' characteristics, type of work in adults, geographic zones, time and characteristics of near work. We included 78 studies, representing a total of 254,037 participants, aged from 6 to 39 years. The global prevalence of myopia in near work was 35% (95% CI: 30 to 41%), with a prevalence of 31% (95% CI: 26 to 37%) in children and 46% (95% CI: 30 to 62%) in adults. Myopia progression was -0.39 diopters per year (-0.53 to -0.24 D/year), ranging from -0.44 (-0.57 to -0.31) in children to -0.25 D/year (-0.56 to 0.06) in adults. The odds of myopia in workers exposed vs. non-exposed to near work were increased by 26% (18 to 34%), by 31% (21 to 42%) in children and 21% (6 to 35%) in adults. Prevalence of myopia was higher in adults compared to children (Coefficient 0.15, 95% CI: 0.03 to 0.27). Near work conditions, including occupational exposure in adults, could be associated with myopia. Targeted prevention should be implemented in the workplace.

PS-C34-9: ASSESSMENT OF BLOOD PRESSURE IN TOBACCO CONSUMERS: A PILOT STUDY

Background: Tobacco and hypertension are respectively the first and second leading cause of preventable mortality worldwide. The effect of tobacco on blood pressure is complex with evidence that tobacco increase blood pressure acutely and increase the risk of developing hypertension. Objective: The objective of this study was to examine the impact of tobacco use on blood pressure among tobacco users. Methodology: In this study we recruited total 101 tobacco using subjects and measured their systolic and diastolic blood pressure in the outpatient department (OPD) of KGMU. Results: The effects of tobacco use on the risk of development of hypertension were assessed from a lifelong perspective. Study participants aged between 49 ± 13. Use of tobacco was positively associated with the risk of hypertension. Systolic BP of these tobacco using subjects was 131.86 ± 21.11 mmHg and the diastolic BP of was 84.32 ± 10.95 mmHg. Conclusion: Study concluded that use of tobacco is a risk factor for hypertension and it has association to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular complications. However, both use of tobacco and smoking increase the risk of development of hypertension as well as atherosclerosis. Tobacco causes an acute increase in blood pressure.

Transnational families: The experiences of Polish stayers from a lifelong perspective

AbstractIn migration research, the voice is usually given to those who move, but in this article, those who stay are at the centre of attention. The study aims to present the stayers’ practices of everyday life in transnational families in an attempt to highlight the experience of staying and understand the stayers’ role in the migration project. The study is based on semi‐structured life story interviews conducted in 2020 with people who in the 1980s stayed in the northeastern part of Poland when their relatives migrated internationally. In the almost four‐decade perspective, staying appears as a powerful condition and an active process, closely interrelated with migration. Also, the migration project does not appear dependent so much on the range and availability of communication technologies – limited in the 1980s – but on transnational families’ engagement in that project and desire to accomplish it.

Exploring Mental Health and Holistic Healing through the Life Stories of Indigenous Youth Who Have Experienced Homelessness.

Indigenous youth are the fastest growing population in Canada, yet are marked by profound and disproportionate personal, societal, political, and colonial barriers that predispose them to mental health challenges, employment and educational barriers, and experiences of housing insecurity and homelessness. It is only from the perspectives and experiences of Indigenous community members themselves that we can gain appropriate insights into effective supports, meaningful interventions, and accessible pathways to security. This paper will explore the mental health of Indigenous youth who are at risk of, or who have experienced, homelessness, as well as the lifelong perspectives, teachings, and guidance from Indigenous Elders and traditional knowledge keepers; their perspectives are weaved throughout, in order to provide a more effective means to addressing holistic healing and the mental health needs of Indigenous homeless youth. As educators, researchers and clinicians who have sought to understand this issue in more depth, our analysis aims to raise awareness about the complexities of Indigenous youth homelessness and push back against systemic barriers that contribute to homelessness, fail young people, and subject them to oppression. We also offer recommendations from a clinical perspective in order for clinicians, researchers and those working within communities to serve our Indigenous youth with a diverse set of methods that are tailored and ethical in their approach.

Past Migrations and Their Consequences from a Lifelong Perspective: Reflections of Polish 1980s Migrants

W dzisiejszym dynamicznym świecie zjawisko migracji ma coraz większy zasięg, jest bardziej złożone i analizowane z wielu perspektyw. Jedną z nich są migracje dawne. W 2020 roku zostało przeprowadzone badanie wśród Polaków, którzy migrowali za granicę w latach osiemdziesiątych XX wieku. Jego wyniki określają nie tylko kolejne punkty widzenia na przeszłe doświadczenia migracyjne, ale przede wszystkim ich konsekwencje w perspektywie całego życia. Zaspokojone wówczas potrzeby finansowe spowodowały znaczną poprawę warunków życia rodzin migrantów, a w wielu przypadkach przyczyniły się również do poprawy ich sytuacji materialnej w późniejszym życiu. Jednak w perspektywie całego życia, niezależnie od korzyści finansowych, migracje te, okazując się zagrożeniem dla szeroko rozumianej stabilności rodziny, zostały ocenione jako życiowy błąd.

Chinese Worker’s Livelihood Strategies: A Zhejiang Case Study in the Garment Industry

This article evaluates the possibilities of individual agency in the case of a group of workers employed by a large garment factory in Zhejiang Province. The issue of workers’ ability to exercise power is tested by two sets of facts: workers’ job histories and workers’ household expenses. The author argues that workers’ agency is largely dependent upon gender, age, place of origin, and living arrangements. Workers’ main power is the possibility to quit a job. The overall conclusion is that agency remains limited by the precariousness of workers’ lives from a lifelong perspective.

Recurrence of Graves' Disease: What Genetics of HLA and PTPN22 Can Tell Us.

BackgroundApproximately half of patients diagnosed with Graves’ disease (GD) relapse within two years of thyreostatic drug withdrawal. It is then necessary to decide whether to reintroduce conservative treatment that can have serious side effects, or to choose a radical approach. Familial forms of GD indicate a significant genetic component. Our aim was to evaluate the practical benefits of HLA and PTPN22 genetic testing for the assessment of disease recurrence risk in the Czech population.MethodsIn 206 patients with GD, exon 2 in the HLA genes DRB1, DQA1, DQB1 and rs2476601 in the gene PTPN22 were sequenced.ResultsThe risk HLA haplotype DRB1*03-DQA1*05-DQB1*02 was more frequent in our GD patients than in the general European population. During long-term retrospective follow-up (many-year to lifelong perspective), 87 patients relapsed and 26 achieved remission lasting over 2 years indicating a 23% success rate for conservative treatment of the disease. In 93 people, the success of conservative treatment could not be evaluated (thyroidectomy immediately after the first attack or ongoing antithyroid therapy). Of the examined genes, the HLA-DQA1*05 variant reached statistical significance in terms of the ability to predict relapse (p=0.03). Combinations with either both other HLA risk genes forming the risk haplotype DRB1*03-DQA1*05-DQB1*02 or with the PTPN22 SNP did not improve the predictive value.Conclusionthe DQA1*05 variant may be a useful prognostic marker in patients with an unclear choice of treatment strategy.

Psihološki poremećaji kroz cjeloživotni razvoj / Psychological Disorders across the Life Span

Psychological well-being is an integral part of human ability to lead a fulfilled life, which implies the ability to form and maintain nterpersonal relationships, learning, work, or engaging in various activities and hobbies, and the ability to make decisions or make life choices on a daily basis. The World Health Organization recognized the importance of psychological well-being by defining health as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, not just as absence of disease or helplessness. Contrary to well-being, psychological abnormality can occur to everyone and greatly undermine day-to-day functioning. Prevalence of psychological disorders in BiH is similar to worldwide prevalence: mostly anxious and somatic disorders are present, followed by mood disorders, schizophrenia and personality disorders. The development of psychological disorders is caused by the presence of many risk and protective factors. One of the possible ways of looking at the risk and protective factors is through the developmental perspective which is presented in this paper. It is difficult to set the boundary between child / adolescent and adult psychopathology; it would actually be more useful when it would not exist in the conceptual sense. To truly understand the risks of developing psychopathology, it is necessary for theoreticians and researchers to take a look at psychological disorders through a lifelong perspective.

The role of spiritual lessons and creative arts for adaptation of international doctoral students: a lifelong education perspective

ABSTRACT This article reports a study on the impact of spiritual training lessons as compared to creative arts lessons with a cohort of Indian and Sri Lankan doctoral students immigrated to the US. The aim was to examine programme effectiveness in mitigating their acculturative stress, promoting self-efficacy, and wellbeing. Spiritual training lessons were more effective (p ≤ .01, Hedges’ g = −3.59–3.22); however, creative arts lessons also mitigated acculturative stress of participants (p = .006, Hedges’ g = −0.43). Post-test acculturative stress scores were lower and self-efficacy and wellbeing scores were higher for male students, with technical degrees, Hindu and Sikh students, ever-single, living alone, studying technical subjects, and whose doctoral research was practicum/practice-based. Spiritual training lessons attended and homework lessons mediated the association between significant socio-demographic and academic predictors and changes in outcomes. Creative arts homework lessons also mediated the association between gender, previous qualifications and acculturative stress scores. Spiritual training lessons can be incorporated into induction and continued support programmes for international doctoral students at US universities. Some modifications may be needed for female students, with postgraduate degrees in humanities/social sciences, Christian and Muslim students, currently married, cohabiting with spouse/children/dependents, studying humanities/social science subjects, and doing applied research.

Cost-effectiveness analysis of treatment for Koos 2 and 3 vestibular schwannomas: Wait & scan or radiosurgery

ObjectiveVestibular schwannomas are benign slowly growing tumors, with 3 treatment options: wait and scan, radiosurgery, and microsurgery with specific advantages and disadvantages. Contemporary debate has focused on medium size tumor. The present study used a Markov model to try to identify the cost-effectiveness in a lifelong perspective of the “wait & scan” or “radiosurgery” strategies for Koos 2 and 3 tumors. MethodsThe present model was defined by 5 discrete health states. All decision and chance nodes were assigned a probability of occurrence derived from a thorough review of the related literature. We calculated the expected effects and costs associated with the two strategies, then evaluated the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio. Sensitivity analysis was performed by altering the input values within a clinically reasonable range to assess the effects of uncertainties. ResultsRadiosurgery always requires more costs than wait & scan, and seems to generate small effects. However, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was significantly influenced by the hazard ratio of risk generated by deferred radiosurgery. One-way and two-way sensitivity analysis indicated that radiosurgery always yields negative effectiveness, compared with wait & scan at hazard ratio of less than 3.0, regardless of any other assumptions. ConclusionsTreatment strategy for medium size vestibular schwannoma should primarily be based on the future increased risk of radiosurgery after failure of conservative management. Wait & scan strategy may be the optimum approach for most Koos 2 and 3 tumors, but relatively large Koos 3 tumors are candidates for immediate radiosurgery.

Sustainable work in transition. Policy background, concepts and research arenas


 Future of work is today discussed at global level in Agenda 2030 and SDG 8, by ILO and in the Global Deal which is a multi-stakeholder initiative for social dialogue and inclusive growth. Future of work, social innovations and inclusive growth are also central policy missions for the OECD, the European Commission, and its agencies Cedefop, EU-OSHA and Eurofound. The European Pillar of Social Rights highlights the need for a European social model promoting a progressive interplay between economic development, god working conditions and social protection. This article analyses concepts of quality of work, decent work, and sustainable work. Its title comprises different connotation of sustainable work in transition. Firstly, sustainable work has not got significant attention in the policy agenda on sustainable development. Secondly, new forms of work and the dissolution of the traditional workplace and standard employment relations call for a widened use of the content of sustainable work. Thirdly, the Green Deal, low carbon omissions and new energy systems will have substantial impact on work organisation and production systems. Finally, digitalization, labour market transformations and increasing job longevity make job shifts and skills upgrading more common and sustainable work must be seen in a life-course and lifelong perspective.

Just like fireworks in my brain \u2013 a Swedish interview study on experiences of emotions in female patients with eating disorders

BackgroundPatients with eating disorders have reported poorer emotional awareness, more emotional suppression, less use of adaptive emotional regulation strategies, and more use of maladaptive emotional regulation strategies compared to people in healthy control groups.AimTo explore experiences of emotions by a transdiagnostic sample of patients with eating disorders.MethodNine patients with different eating disorder diagnoses at an eating disorder outpatient clinic in Sweden were interviewed for their thoughts on emotions. The interviews were analyzed with Thematic Analysis.ResultFour themes were constructed: “Not knowing what one feels”, “Switch off, run away, or hide behind a mask”, “Emotions in a lifelong perspective”, and “Using eating behaviours to regulate emotions”. The patients described uncertainty regarding whether they experienced emotions correctly. They described how they tried to avoid difficult emotions through suppressive strategies and eating disorder behaviour. All described strategies were inefficient and all emotions were experienced as problematic, even joy. Since joy was used as a mask, the real experience of happiness was lost and mourned.ConclusionAll kinds of emotions were considered problematic to experience, but shame, fear, and sadness were considered worst. It is difficult to know if the emotional difficulties preceded an eating disorder, however such difficulties may have increased as a result of the eating disorder.

The Functional Foundations of Episodic Memory Remain Stable Throughout the Lifespan.

It has been suggested that specific forms of cognition in older age rely largely on late-life specific mechanisms. Here instead, we tested using task-fMRI (n = 540, age 6–82 years) whether the functional foundations of successful episodic memory encoding adhere to a principle of lifespan continuity, shaped by developmental, structural, and evolutionary influences. We clustered regions of the cerebral cortex according to the shape of the lifespan trajectory of memory activity in each region so that regions showing the same pattern were clustered together. The results revealed that lifespan trajectories of memory encoding function showed a continuity through life but no evidence of age-specific mechanisms such as compensatory patterns. Encoding activity was related to general cognitive abilities and variations of grey matter as captured by a multi-modal independent component analysis, variables reflecting core aspects of cognitive and structural change throughout the lifespan. Furthermore, memory encoding activity aligned to fundamental aspects of brain organization, such as large-scale connectivity and evolutionary cortical expansion gradients. Altogether, we provide novel support for a perspective on memory aging in which maintenance and decay of episodic memory in older age needs to be understood from a comprehensive life-long perspective rather than as a late-life phenomenon only.

Portuguese Principals’ Professional Development Needs and Preferred Learning Methods

Due to the crucial role principals have on school outcomes, investing in their training is a cost-effective approach for schools’ improvement. Research shows that principals attribute pertinence to their ongoing professional development. However, little research has been conducted on principals’ training needs from their viewpoint, particularly in Portugal. Through individual interviews (n = 19) and a questionnaire (n = 117) to principals, we collected data that enable us to understand principals’ perceptions on their training needs, focusing on learning areas, skills to be developed and learning methods. Results show considerable variability, reinforcing the relevance of tailored and contextualised approaches to professional development. Globally, principals request management skills and training opportunities that enable them to develop leadership skills (e.g., personal, interpersonal/socioemotional). Moreover, principals need training on instructional and distributed leadership practices. Collaborative and reflective methods are the ones principals prefer. Practical implications for the design of systematic professional development practices, in a lifelong perspective, are also discussed.