Personal Background Factors Research Articles

Influence of Personal and Work Environments on Work-Life Balance Among Emergency Medical Technicians.

Introduction Work-life balance (WLB) is a critical concern for emergency medical technicians (EMTs) because it significantly affects the provision of comprehensive emergency medical services (EMS). This study investigated personal and work-related factors influencing work-to-family negative spillover (WFNS), a key element of WLB, among EMTs. Methods A web-based survey was conducted from July 26 to September 13, 2021, among EMTs in Hokkaido, Japan. The study included 21 facilities that were randomly selected from 42 fire stations. The Japanese version of the Survey Work-Home Interaction-NijmeGen (SWING-J) was used to measure WFNS. Personal background factors, such as age, sex, years of work experience, and education, were surveyed. We also evaluated work environment factors, such as weekly working hours, monthly night shifts, monthly overtime hours, and yearly paid vacation days. Unpaired Student's t-tests, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and multilevel generalized linear model (MGLM) analyses were used to explore the relationships between WFNS and personal and work-related factors. Results A total of 912 respondents were included in our analysis. They were predominantly male (98.2%), with an average EMT work experience of 12.7 years and a mean WFNS score of 1.16 (standard deviation (SD) = 1.67). MGLM analysis, adjusting for covariates, identified years of work experience (β = -0.129, p = 0.001), monthly overtime hours (β = 0.184, p < 0.001), and yearly paid vacation days (β = -0.170, p < 0.001) as independent factors associated with WFNS. Conclusion This study suggested that adjusting WFNS among EMTs could be achieved by reducing overtime hours and fostering an organized approach to paid leave within the work environment.

성장혼합모형(GMM)을 적용한 장애인의 직업능력 유형과 영향요인

In this study, using data from the 1st year (2015) to the 6th year (2021) of the 2nd wave of the Korea Employment Agency for the Disabled's Panel Survey of Employment for the Disabled (PSED), In order to identify the categorization of the vocational ability of the disabled according to the classification and the influence of ecological factors that affect these categorization, a growth mixture model analysis was conducted. Analysis results, First, it was confirmed that individual differences were significant in the change trajectory of the disabled's vocational ability. Second, as a result of analyzing the growth mixture model for the trajectory of change in the vocational ability of the disabled, it was confirmed that there are three potential classes. The largest proportion of the disabled people's vocational ability was likely to belong to the 'high level maintenance type', followed by the 'low level continued type' and the 'high level reduced type'. Third, among the personal background factors of the disabled, the lower the 'age' and 'spouse', the higher the probability of belonging to the 'high level maintenance type' rather than the 'high level reduction type group' or 'low level continuing type' of vocational ability. . Among the disability characteristics factors, the more 'persons with physical disabilities' and 'mild disabilities', the higher the probability of belonging to the 'high level maintenance type' rather than the 'high level reduction type group' or 'low level continued type' of vocational ability. Among the occupational characteristics factors, the more 'jobs', the higher the 'education level', and the 'health status', the higher the 'high level maintenance type' rather than the 'high level reduction type group' or 'low level continuous type' of vocational ability. I'd say it's more likely to belong.

Bear in mind: the role of personal background in semantic animal fluency - The SMART-MR study.

Semantic fluency is a prominent neuropsychological task, typically administered within the category 'animals'. With the increasing development of novel item-level metrics of semantic fluency, a concern around the validity of item-level analyses could be that personal background factors (e.g., hobbies like birdwatching or fishing) may disproportionally influence performance. We analyzed animal fluency performance at the item level and investigated the prevalence of individuals with abundant knowledge in specific classes of animals (e.g., birds, fish, insects) and the relationship of such knowledge with personal background factors and other cognitive tasks (episodic memory and executive functioning). Participants included 736 Dutch middle-aged to older adults from the SMART-MR cohort (mean age 58 ± 9.4 years, 18% women). Individuals were asked to name as many animals as possible for 2 min. Number of people with abundant animal class knowledge was calculated for the ability to recall a series of minimum ≥5 and up to ≥15 animals within a specific class with at most one interruption by an animal from another class. Subsequent analyses to investigate relationships of abundant class knowledge with sociodemographic characteristics (t-tests and chi-square tests) and cognitive performance (linear regressions) were performed for a cut-off of ≥10 animals within a specific class (90th percentile), with a sensitivity analysis for ≥7 animals (67th percentile). A total of 416 (56.2%) participants recalled a series of ≥5 animals from a specific class, 245 (33.3%) participants recalled ≥7, 78 (10.6%) participants recalled ≥10, and 8 (1.1%) participants recalled ≥15. Those who recalled a series of at least 10 animals within a class were older, more often men, and more often retired than those who did not. Moreover, they had a higher total score on animal fluency, letter fluency (i.e., executive functioning), and episodic memory tasks compared to those who did not. Our results suggest that the benefit of abundant animal class knowledge gained by personal background does not disproportionally influence animal fluency performance as individuals with such knowledge also performed better on other cognitive tasks unrelated to abundant knowledge of animal classes.

Attracting adolescents to become doctors and nurses: differential importance of personal and environmental factors in 61 economies

BackgroundDoctors and nurses play a fundamental role in maintaining global health systems and achieving universal health care coverage. However, significant shortages persist, and little is known about the popularity of these careers among young people in various economies or the relative impact of personal inputs and contextual factors.MethodsUsing data from the large-scale Programme of International Student Assessment (PISA) 2018, we showed the recent distribution of adolescents' medical (doctor) and nursing career expectations in 61 economies. With multilevel logistic and hierarchical linear regression, we examined the relative importance of economic indicators, health work conditions, and personal background factors in affecting adolescents' health career expectations.ResultsApproximately 11% of adolescents expected to be doctors in each economy, while only 2% expected to be nurses. Adolescents were attracted to health professions mainly by system-level favourable conditions (accounting for 1/3 variance), including (a) government health expenditure beyond that expected gross domestic product (GDP); (b) a safe working environment for doctors in wealthy nations; and (c) high salaries for nurses in less-developed economies. In contrast, adolescents' background (gender, social status, and academic ability) was less influential, explaining only 10% of the differences.ConclusionsIn the technological and digital era, high-ability students are equally competitive for emerging careers other than doctors and nurses. In developing countries, a high salary package and societal respect are enough to attract adolescents to nursing careers. In contrast, for developed countries, extra expenditures beyond regular GDP allocation and a safe work environment are crucial in attracting adolescents to become doctors. Salary may effectively attract international-trained doctors and nurses, but the work environment will likely emerge as an essential factor in retaining migrants in their positions.Trial registration number: No human participants were involved in this study.

Review of research into teachers’ beliefs at home and abroad

Teachers’ belief is an important research field in teacher education research, and related practices and research have been increasing in recent years. This paper summarizes and sorts out the research on foreign language teachers’ beliefs in primary and secondary schools at home and abroad from four aspects: the definition of the concept of teachers’ beliefs, the influencing factors of teachers’ beliefs, the research on the relationship between teachers’ beliefs and teaching practices, and the research on teachers’ beliefs and teachers’ professional development. Specifically, teachers’ beliefs are the views, attitudes, and psychological tendencies that teachers hold for truth about teaching-related factors in the teaching process. Its formation and change are mainly affected by personal background factors and social environment factors; Teachers’ beliefs and teaching behaviors influence each other, but they are not always consistent; Teacher professional development is the driving force behind changes in teachers’ beliefs. Finally, the paper points out that the future research on teachers’ beliefs in China can also expand the research objects, pay attention to the application of qualitative research methods, and focus on the dynamic research of teachers’ beliefs and the research related to teachers’ beliefs and teachers’ professional development.

The importance of personal and contextual background factors on declaration of STEM majors: A focus on Native American undergraduates

AbstractUtilizing Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT), we investigated the importance of identity‐based factors such as personal inputs and contextual affordances (e.g., having children, being married or employed, school‐family conflict, stress, participating in Native American cultural activities) in understanding Native American undergraduates' intentions and decision to major in STEM fields. Past studies have examined the role of SCCT in undergraduate students' major choice and the underrepresentation of certain marginalized groups in STEM majors. Yet few studies have examined if these relationships extend to Native American undergraduates or how the SCCT model may vary based on the complex identities Native American peoples may hold. The findings highlight the importance of contextualizing major choice through a Native American lens. For Native American students, we find being married or employed, having children, and family stress negatively impact intent to major in STEM fields. We also find support for several SCCT variables and intent to major in STEM disciplines. Specifically, we discuss fostering identity as a scientist as a fruitful avenue for increasing intent to major in STEM fields. Results are compared to a White undergraduate group and implications are discussed for institutions of higher education and Tribal governments and leaders.

Factors Affecting Clinical Decision-Making Among Dentists and Dental Students: A Crosssectional Study.

To determine the association between clinical decision-making approaches and personal and professional background factors. An electronic questionnaire was sent to 550 dentists and dental students all over Saudi Arabia from October 2019 to January 2020. The questionnaire assessed personal and professional background factors in addition to three different clinical scenarios, and each participant was asked to rate the importance of some factors that might affect clinical decision-making on a visual analog scale (VAS). Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was performed to assess the association between the exposure variables (background and professional factors) and the outcome variables, which were the three clinical decision-making approaches (patient-related, clinical-case, and operator-related factors). Regression coefficients (B), 95% CI, and the adjusted R2 of the models were calculated. A total of 420 participants responded to the questionnaire (76.36% response rate). Clinical-case factors had the highest mean scores, while the operator-related factors had the lowest mean scores. Men were significantly less likely than women to consider any factor decisive (P < .001). General dentists and specialists other than prosthodontists/restorative dentists assigned significantly lower importance to operator-related factors (P = .003) and clinical-case factors (P = .005). However, there was no statistically significant difference between undergraduate students and prosthodontists/restorative dentists in considering all decisive factors. Clinical-case factors were of greater importance compared to operator- and patient-related factors. General practitioners and specialists other than prosthodontists/restorative dentists gave lower attention to operator-related and clinical-case approaches, while experienced dentists showed greater importance to clinical-case and operator-related factors.

학제에 따른 조리전공 대학졸업생의 개인배경, 대학생활, 취업준비활동 요인이 취업 여부에 미치는 영향

This study is to identify the factors that determine if college graduates majored in culinary arts will be employed. To achieve this purpose, this study used the survey data of 350 culinary arts-related graduates who participated in the GOMS conducted by the Korea Employment Information Service for the past three years. The analysis results are summarized as follows: First, personal background factors such as gender, age, health status, and parental educational background of graduates did not affect their employment status regardless of their school system. Second, in the case of 2-3 year college graduates, the grades, major satisfaction, number of job experiences, and status of acquiring licenses had a positive effect on their employment status. However, the status of job experience and experience of job-seeking activities had a negative effect on their employment status. Third, in the case of 4-year university graduates, the grades and status of acquiring licenses had a positive effect on their employment status. On the other hand, the experience of job-seeking activities, training experience, and the number of certificates obtained had a negative effect on their employment status. Therefore, guiding employment for graduates at the university should provide individualized employment approach depending on their school system, college life, and employment preparation activities.

Student Characteristics, Institutional Factors, and Outcomes in Higher Education and Beyond: An Analysis of Standardized Test Scores and Other Factors at the Institutional Level with School Rankings and Salary.

When seeking to explain the eventual outcomes of a higher education experience, do the personal attributes and background factors students bring to college matter more than what the college is able to contribute to the development of the student through education or other institutional factors? Most education studies tend to simply ignore cognitive aptitudes and other student characteristics—in particular the long history of research on this topic—since the focus is on trying to assess the impact of education. Thus, the role of student characteristics has in many ways been underappreciated in even highly sophisticated quantitative education research. Conversely, educational and institutional factors are not as prominent in studies focused on cognitive aptitudes, as these fields focus first on reasoning capacity, and secondarily on other factors. We examine the variance in student outcomes due to student (e.g., cognitive aptitudes) versus institutional characteristics (e.g., teachers, schools). At the level of universities, two contemporary U.S. datasets are used to examine the proportion of variance accounted for in various university rankings and long-run salary by student cognitive characteristics and institutional factors. We find that depending upon the ways the variables are entered into regression models, the findings are somewhat different. We suggest some fruitful paths forward which might integrate the methods and findings showing that teachers and schools matter, along with the broader developmental bounds within which these effects take place.

Factors affecting elementary and junior high school teachers’ behavioral intentions to school disaster preparedness based on the theory of planned behavior

Taiwan's geographical location and environmental conditions present multiple hazards which, coupled with high population density and intensive land development, can easily result in significant impact from natural disasters. The key to reduce disaster risks lies in changing human behavior, diminishing man-made impact, and enhancing people's ability to cope with the consequences of disasters. In addition to the physical science, research on disasters should discuss psychological factors influencing people's intention to engage in disaster preparedness behavior. Schools are important facilities for education and, as a result, the practice and robustness of disaster management in the school has a profound influence on the disaster resilience of the campus and even the society as a whole. Understanding the potential factors influencing teachers' intention to engage in school disaster preparedness behavior is vital in that they are the main executors of school disaster preparedness. The theory of planned behavior (TPB) is the most commonly applied behavioral theory to discuss human's disaster preparedness behavior. From the perspective of disaster psychology, this study explored whether the TPB model could be used to explain the psychological perception variables of teachers' school disaster preparedness behavior, and further look into the personal background factors that affect teachers' intention and actual action in school disaster preparedness. This study collected sample data of elementary and junior high school teachers in Taiwan through questionnaire surveys. Subsequently, structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to propose the TPB model and ANOVA was used to explore the influence of personal background factors. The results showed that attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control all influenced the degree to which teachers engage in school disaster preparedness behavior, which is conformable to the TPB. Specifically, attitude was the main impact factor, which affected teachers' ability to take action through behavioral intention, whereas perceived control directly affected the degree to which teachers engage in disaster preparedness behavior. On the other hand, teachers' voluntariness was a key personal factor that affected teachers' intention and behavior in school disaster preparedness.

Would Organizational Climate and Job Stress Affect Wellness? An Empirical Study on the Hospitality Industry in Taiwan during COVID-19.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, hospitality employees face a tremendous amount of job stress due to the decline in revenue and close contact with people. This study has three aims: first, to analyse the status quo of organizational-climate job stress on employee wellness in the hospitality industry during COVID-19; second, to discuss the correlation between organizational-climate job stress and employee wellness in the hospitality industry; and third, to analyze the associations between of personal background and organizational climate on job stress and wellness in the hospitality industry. This research uses a survey method to examine these issues. Participants were employees of franchise hotel branches in Taipei City, which yielded 295 effective sample sizes from five chain hotels. The personal background factor questionnaire, organizational climate questionnaire, job stress questionnaire, and wellness questionnaire served as the main research tools. In this study, Factor analysis, Pearson Correlation and Multiple Regression Analysis were used for sample analysis. The results revealed a significant relationship between organizational-climate job stress with wellness. Personal background factors, organizational climate, and job stress would affect the wellness of employees. As a result, the present research provides empirical evidence for the impact of organizational climate and job stress on employee wellness in the hospitality industry in Taiwan during COVID-19. The study’s findings, as well as its theoretical and practical implications, are discussed. The main contribution of this study is that the results serve as a reference for hospitality business owners to design better organizational environments for their employees, plan human-resource-related strategies, and provide training for their employees during a pandemic.

The institutionalization of public sector accounting reforms: the role of pilot entities

PurposeThis paper aims at understanding the action of pilot entities, in order to ultimately infer about their role to the overall reform process of public sector accounting (PSA).Design/methodology/approachTaking the Portuguese case as a reference, the new institutional theory (isomorphism perspective) and institutional logics are used to explain the action and stance of pilot entities in the implementation process of reforms.FindingsPilot experiments are expected to provide feedback on the main difficulties felt in the implementation of a new PSA system, helping to define a global strategy to overcome those problems and to improve the system to be generally and finally put into practice. Nevertheless, entities seem to find it important to be pilots, more for individual advantages than for the common benefit of the reform as a whole. Therefore, in order for them to actually be important actors in the reform process, pilots need to be included in the decision process, better realizing the benefits of the new IPSAS-based system and be provided with the proper technical, human and financial support.Research limitations/implicationsThis research suffers from some limitations, namely concerning the use of questionnaires. The findings may, in some points, reflect the perceptions of the respondents and not the actual reality. Additionally, the respondents were not asked about any personal background factors, which may influence their answers. Also, they did not allow relating the new PSA system features with the way pilot entities (re)acted. In regard to the implications for practice, the study points to a need for decision-makers and external support bodies to work more closely with pilot entities in the overall design and implementation of PSA reforms. Pilot entities need to understand the importance and usefulness of changes, and reform authorities need to better recognize their institutional reality and the support they require. Only in this way, the use of pilots can make a difference in the implementation of PSA innovations.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to theory by adding to a better understanding of the role of the ones acting in the development and implementation of PSA innovations, enlightening on how pilot entities can act/react. Despite several studies on PSA reforms, very few so far have addressed pilot entities in particular, their attitude and actual contribution toward PSA reforms, and why. The case of Portugal as a frontrunner in adopting an IPSAS-based system within the EU helps contribute to that understanding in the setting of European countries.

Sex difference in the association of obesity with personal or social background among urban residents in Japan.

The development of obesity is influenced by genetic and environmental factors and is associated with a variety of health problems. To gain insight into environmental factors that contribute to obesity, we analyzed the relation of personal or social background to obesity in men and women separately with the use of data from a community-based questionnaire survey of 5425 residents aged 20 to 64 years of Kobe, a representative large city in Japan. Obesity and normal weight were defined as a body mass index (BMI) of ≥25 and of ≥ 18.5 and < 25 kg/m2, respectively, according to the diagnostic criteria of the Japan Society for the Study of Obesity. The personal or social background factors examined included marital status, family structure, employment, household income, residence type, welfare enrollment, economic conditions of current life, educational level, extracurricular activity in school, living conditions at 15 years of age, and childhood adversity. We found that the prevalence of obesity was 27.2% and 10.6% in men and women, respectively. Among women, unmarried status, a low household income, welfare enrollment, difficult current economic conditions, a low educational level, and childhood adversity were associated with obesity, whereas none of the personal or social background factors examined were associated with obesity in men. Our results suggest that the development of obesity in women is strongly influenced by personal or social background, and such factors should be taken into consideration in the management of this condition in women.

The Relationship between Young Women’s Work-Family Orientations and Educational Transitions in Early Adulthood

The primary aim of this paper is to examine the links between young women’s schematic configurations about work and family with their educational attainment at critical transitions of early adulthood. More specifically, as opposed to assessing the effect of educational expectations and personal background factors on educational outcomes separately or independently, the present research examines the significance of young women’s schematic profiles, that is, work-family orientations, highlighting the interconnectedness of how young women combine various attitudes and expectations about family, education, and work. Thus, this paper investigates the extent to which belonging to certain latent classes of work-family orientations are associated with the amount of education women are obtaining in early adulthood. Using data from the Relationship Dynamics and Social Life study, I examine how combinations of work-family schemas are associated with young women’s levels of education, and the role of personal background variables in shaping these work-family orientations.

Who Says “I Do”? Financial Resources and Values on Relationship Choices of Emerging Adults

This study examined potential impacts of financial resources and values on emerging adults' choice in committed relationships (N= 424, 26–35 years). Guided by Deacon and Firebaugh's (1988) Family Resource Management theory, financial self-sufficiency and forming a committed relationship were conceptualized as two salient goals of emerging adulthood. Multinomial logistic regression was used to determine the effects of financial self-sufficiency, values, and personal background factors on choice of committed relationship status. Findings indicated that emerging adults with fewer financial resources chose to live apart; however, the effects of career values were a stronger predictor of their relationship status. In contrast, neither financial resources nor career values differentiated between cohabiting and married emerging adults.

Personal Background and Environmental Factors: Entrepreneurial Intention Differences and Similarities among Cameroonian Students

Personal Background and Environmental Factors: Entrepreneurial Intention Differences and Similarities among Cameroonian Students Kenmegni, Noumigue Guy Roland, Assiga, Marie Fabien Bertrand Abstract This paper attempts to explore the relationship between personal background (age, gender, education level and previous work experience), environmental factors (main residential area in primary and higher school, household head‟s occupation) and entrepreneurial intentions of Cameroonian students. The study adopts a structured questionnaire aimed at handling a survey administered to 1420 students from Universities and higher learning Institutions located in Yaounde and Bamenda. The data collected are analysed through descriptive analysis and statistic tools such as, Independence Sample T-test and One-way ANOVA. It is establish that there is a high level of intentions among students to start entrepreneurial ventures immediately or in the future. Further-more student‟s level of study, main residential area in primary and higher school, household head occupation and prior experience are said to differentiate significantly their entrepreneurial intentions. While student‟s age and gender do not distinguish their entrepreneurial interest significantly. The results suggest a need to provide students with training jobs, aimed at gaining experience along with their educational programs and also adjusting their curricula according to their year of study. Full Text: PDF DOI: 10.15640/jsbed.v8n1a2

The Role of Media and Islamic Criminal Legislation in Reducing Crime (From the perspective of students of the University of Jordan)

The study aimed to know the role of the media and its various styles, as well as the role of Islamic criminal legislation in reducing crime and identifying the obstacles that limit the effectiveness of the media in the prevention of crime. A random sample of 600 students was selected at different university levels at the University of Jordan, as well as personal background factors (independent variables): sex, place of residence, specialty, so that eleven different positions were identified, asking the respondents to determine their opinion on their respective trends. Keywords : Role, Media, Islamic Criminal Legislation, Crime DOI : 10.7176/JPCR/44-05 Publication date : September 30th 2019

Predictive models of biology students’ convictions towards bioethical issues

This study aimed at determining B.S. Biology students’ comprehension of the Bioethics principles and conviction schemas towards bioethical issues; as well as at identifying predictors for comprehension of bioethical principles and convictions and creating model constructs of predictors which are fit for the data. One-hundred sixteen Filipino Biology majors were pre and post-tested for comprehension of bioethics principles and convictions towards bioethical issues. Predictors for comprehension and convictions among personal and family background factors, global and primary personality factors, and mental ability were identified through step-wise multiple regression. Constructed path models were tested for goodness of fit using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Results showed that case study discussion and the bioethics course had positive effects on comprehension of the bioethics principles and on convictions towards bioethical issues. Predictors for comprehension of Bioethics principles before intervention were verbal ability, warmth, and exposure to media. Sex and openness to change were predictors for pre-convictions. Post-conviction predictors were anxiety, self-control, extraversion, liveliness, and perfectionism. Four out of five model constructs were accepted based on model fit criteria. In conclusion, personal factors, i.e., sex and personality factors are contributors in bioethical convictions; not cognitive factors like mental ability or comprehension of Bioethics principles; implying that bioethical convictions are already pre-conceived and that empathy-based experiences may strengthen convictions towards bioethical issues.

Language support competence and language proficiency of early years professionals in monolingual and bilingual settings: Similarities and differences

AbstractEarly Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) professionals need specific knowledge and abilities to support children’s language development: language support competence (LSC). Research has shown varying levels of LSC of the personnel in early childhood education centers. However, only early childhood educators in monolingual institutions promoting the majority language were included in these studies. The growing interest in bilingual education in early childhood in many European countries raises the question whether ECEC professionals in bilingual institutions are better qualified for language-related tasks due to the evident focus on language and multilingualism. In a cross-sectional study, LSC and language proficiency of 115 ECEC professionals in monolingual and 24 ECEC professionals in bilingual early childhood education centers in Germany were assessed with standardized tests. Participants in bilingual institutions reached higher knowledge scores but did not differ from their colleagues in monolingual institutions in their abilities or language proficiency. Correlational and regression analyses revealed that LSC is related to several personal and professional background factors such as level of education or participation in professional development courses. The results are discussed with respect to language support practices in early childhood education and possible selection processes in personnel recruitment.

The mediating impact of personality traits on entrepreneurial intention of women in Northern Montenegro

Entrepreneurs are imperative for the long-term economic growth of any country. By taking different factors in considerations, researchers are trying to discover how important entrepreneurial intention is. This paper examines the three most important groups of factors affecting entrepreneurial intention of women in the north region of Montenegro. The study uses path analysis to understand the impact of personal background, personality traits, and environmental factors on entrepreneurial intention of women. According to the framework of the study, personal background and environmental factors have an impact on entrepreneurial intention of women through personality traits. The relationships between variables were evaluated using factor analysis, reliability, descriptive statistics, correlations, and regression in this study. The research is based on a sample of 202 women in Northern Montenegro. The study demonstrates that personality traits have a mediating influence between business experience, family support, government support, entry barriers to business, and entrepreneurial intention of women.