Management Of Social Problems Research Articles

Creation and validation of an instrument to quantify attitudes, knowledge and difficulties in the approach to social problems

ObjectivesThe aim of the study was to develop and validate a questionnaire to assess attitudes, knowledge and difficulties in the management of social problems by paediatric care providers. MethodsThe development of the tool started with a conceptualization phase, followed by the design, pilot testing and psychometric evaluation of the questionnaire based on the responses obtained from 407 professionals. We performed exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to assess the construct validity of the questionnaire. We used the normed fit index (NFI), the root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA), the χ2 test and the comparative fit index (CFI) to test the goodness of fit. We assessed reliability through the Cronbach’s α coefficient of internal consistency. All quantitative analyses were performed with the Stata/SE software, version16.1. ResultsThe EFA identified twelve factors. All factors exhibited a good internal consistency (Cronbach’s α, 0.8434). The CFA showed the model was a good fit (RMSEA=0.037). The NAI and CAI values were 0.742 and 0.797, respectively. ConclusionsThis questionnaire comprising 138 items distributed in twelve factors is a reliable and valid instrument to analyse the attitudes, knowledge and difficulties in the approach to social problems in children by paediatricians, which will allow the design of interventions according to the needs and deficiencies identified through it.

Creación y validación de un instrumento para cuantificar actitudes, conocimientos y dificultades en el abordaje de los problemas sociales

ObjectivesThe aim of the study was to develop and validate a questionnaire to assess attitudes, knowledge and difficulties in the management of social problems by paediatric care providers. MethodsThe development of the tool started with a conceptualization phase, followed by the design, pilot testing and psychometric evaluation of the questionnaire based on the responses obtained from 407 professionals. We performed exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to assess the construct validity of the questionnaire. We used the normed fit index (NFI), the root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA), the χ2 test and the comparative fit index (CFI) to test the goodness of fit. We assessed reliability through the Cronbach's α coefficient of internal consistency. All quantitative analyses were performed with the Stata/SE software, version 16.1. ResultsThe EFA identified 12 factors. All factors exhibited a good internal consistency (Cronbach's α, .8434). The CFA showed the model was a good fit (RMSEA=.037). The NAI and CAI values were .742 and .797, respectively. ConclusionsThis questionnaire comprising 138 items distributed in 12 factors is a reliable and valid instrument to analyse the attitudes, knowledge and difficulties in the approach to social problems in children by paediatricians, which will allow the design of interventions according to the needs and deficiencies identified through it.

Colonialism, Political Identity, Zendeling: Management of Social Problems of Health, Disease and Medical Care during the Colonial Period in Bali: The Netherlands Indies 1908-1942

Colonialism, Political Identity, Zendeling: Management of Social Problems of Health, Disease and Medical Care during the Colonial Period in Bali: The Netherlands Indies 1908-1942

MANAGEMENT MOTIVATION IN THE COMPANIES IN KAZAKHSTAN

A range of socio-economic factors affects the motivation of a company’s labor force. Many of these represent independent subsystems of the company’s overarching approach. They involve various economic and social indicators, but not all are implemented or included in personnel management. Without a dedicated system in place, it is almost impossible to create labor motivation within an enterprise. This research examines personnel services within several oil and gas companies in the Republic of Kazakhstan. These somewhat overlook the socio-economic factors of the region, while developing labor motivation in the framework of the Company Strategy. The paper shows that companies need personnel services to carry out labor relations. This is valuable for equal economic relations between employees and employers, an effective labor market, and the wider management of social problems affecting productivity.

Understanding Urban Practitioners' Perspectives on Social-Mix Policies in Amsterdam: The Importance of Design and Social Space

Throughout recent decades, socially-mixed neighbourhoods have become a key element of urban policy and debate. This paper argues, with Amsterdam as an empirical case, that the design, layout and everyday use of social space—including public and private space—is of key importance in understanding the experiences and perspectives of social-mix policies amongst ‘urban practitioners’, such as planners, architects and management personnel. While the promotion of ‘liveability’, through the management of social problems, is often highlighted as a key element of social-mix policies, the findings presented indicate the degree to which the mixing of different groups according to ethnicity, race and social class presents a number of new challenges for liveability and management within both public and private space. Furthermore, it is argued that these challenges play a significant role in dictating the scale at which social mixing takes place, from the urban block to the street and at the neighbourhood level. It is concluded that a greater amount of attention is needed to such factors in understanding the dynamics of social interaction in public and private communal space when seeking to understand the everyday realities of socially-mixed neighbourhoods.

9 Social problems

It has long been established that social deprivation adversely affects health, including that of the pregnant woman and her baby; it is therefore justifiable to use medical resources in the treatment of social problems. Antenatal inpatient care was originally seen as potentially beneficial for women without major medical problems, but such a philosophy is not reflected in current practice. Current antenatal outpatient services do not address the needs of women with social problems who, viewing such services as hostile, may fail to attend. Special services such as help with drugs problems or HIV counselling or screening may be rejected from fear of prejudice and consequent repercussions. Such prejudice often arises because staff do not fully understand the issues involved. Antenatal care for women with social problems should consider women in the context of their families and social environment and should be provided by a small number of familiar staff forming part of an integrated multidisciplinary team in close and regular contact. Antenatal admission, if it is the woman's wish, should be viewed as justified in the management of social problems; conversely, women should not be pressurized into admission or made to feel guilty if unable to comply. Outpatient antenatal services should be conveniently sited in the community close to other relevant services and should be flexible, not only in terms of organization and format, but also in the roles of the participants. They should be comprehensive, but with special services in addition to, not instead of, routine care, and provided by a team of appropriately trained staff. In the provision of antenatal care for women with social needs, no single format will be universally applicable or desirable, and the precise design and content of the service should be variable according to local requirements and should take account of the women's wishes as well as their needs. Ultimately it will only be if the women perceive the service as being in their interests and as meeting their needs that they will use it; only if they choose to use it, will it have any chance of success.

A social class dependent factor in questionnaire research

Inordinately high numbers of respondents of low socioeconomic status (SES) agreed to certain types of questions of attitude and opinion presented to the 1660 subjects of the Midtown Manhattan Mental Health Study. SES significantly determines responses to impersonal, generalizable questions, particularly when expressed in the form of proverbs, assertive authoritarian statements, or complaints about general social conditions. Agreement distributions consistently biased by SES do not occur when the questions deal with facts related to the respondent or with opinions and attitudes linking the respondent to closely defined persons. The findings fit recent observations that language is an encoding of developmental social class experience, which determines the mode of an individual's management of social problems. The findings also emphasize the need to devise research questionnaires in language which is percieved uniformly by the diverse social classes and which evokes responses equally valid for each social class.