Vulnerable Target Groups Research Articles

Motivations to become a master in social work: a typology of students

ABSTRACTIn the field of social work education, many studies address students’ motivations to become social workers. Most of these studies focus on bachelor‘s students in social work and confirm that altruistic and expressive motivations underlie students’ decisions to enter the social work profession. However, few studies focus on students earning a Master in Social Work (MSW). The purpose of this paper is to explore why students want to earn a master’s degree in social work. An online questionnaire was developed, and the results of six focus group discussions were used. The sample includes 116 graduates from the past 8 years and current students from the MSW programme at the University of Antwerp. We use exploratory factor analysis and identify two types of motivation. In line with earlier studies, we find that the first type is an expressive motivation. These students want to learn more about poverty and social justice and are motivated to improve the life conditions of vulnerable target groups. The second type is an instrumental motivation. These students are oriented towards the development of their professional careers.

Assessing food value chain pathways, linkages and impacts for better nutrition of vulnerable groups

This article offers insights into assessing the effectiveness of post farm-gate agri-food value chains at improving the nutrition intake of vulnerable groups. It develops a conceptual framework integrating the value chain concepts with agriculture and nutrition, and identifies key outcomes and requirements for value chains to be successful at delivering substantive and sustained consumption of nutrient-dense foods by poor households. Other frameworks linking value chains with nutrition have been published, but this article provides the analytical lens to assess post-farm-gate value chains.To achieve improvements in the intake of nutritious foods by the target populations food must be: safe to eat on a sustained basis; nutrient dense at the point of consumption; and consumed in adequate amounts on a sustained basis. This shifts the focus to the role of public actions and policy in terms of shaping the functioning of food value chains.By assessing the limits of what business can and cannot contribute in a given market context, policy-makers and other relevant stakeholders will be more capable of creating an appropriate institutional environment that shapes how value chains operate for the benefit of vulnerable target groups, designing and implementing effective policies and strategies with respect to the role and use of market-based interventions.

A specialist’s perspective on the value of generalist practice: A qualitative network analysis

Summary Social work practice is increasingly confronted with the dilemma of specialisation versus generalism. This article embraces the idea of a network that combines the strengths of specialist and generalist service organisations. We focus on the role of generalist service providers in a network of specialist organisations. We conduct 25 interviews with social workers in a network of service organisations in a single district in Antwerp, Belgium. Social workers ( n = 15) from specialist service organisations are interviewed to determine how they perceive collaboration with social workers from generalist service organisations. We also include the perspectives of 10 respondents affiliated with generalist service agencies. Findings The results show that generalists facilitate interactions between specialists and their clients. Their holistic perspective on the complex problems of very vulnerable clients allows them to fulfil critical functions such as brokering information and mediating when conflicts arise. Application Our analysis provides a better understanding of the role of generalist organisations in a network of specialist service organisations. This article concludes that further research on the importance of collaboration, networks and generalist practice is necessary to further develop a research agenda that focuses on how social work is able to address the complex problems of vulnerable target groups.

Self-Perceived Eating Habits and Food Skills of Canadians

ObjectiveThis study identified and described Canadians' self-perceived eating habits and food skills through the use of population-based data. DesignData from the Canadian Community Health Survey 2013 Rapid Response on Food Skills was used to examine the eating quality and patterns of Canadians. Data were collected from all provinces in January and February 2013. Main Outcome MeasuresRespondent variables (sex, age, Aboriginal/immigrant status) were examined to assess differentiations between socio-demographic groupings (family structure, marital status, education, and income). AnalysisLogistic regression was used to determine whether demographic variables increased the likelihood of certain responses. ResultsForty-six percent of Canadians believe they have excellent/very good eating habits, with 51% categorizing their habits as good or fair. Similarly, the majority report having good food skills. Sex and age were significantly associated with food skills, with women rating their cooking skill proficiency higher than men (72% vs 55%), and older Canadians reporting higher food skill knowledge than their younger counterparts. Conclusions and ImplicationsResults indicate that while portions of the Canadian population have adequate food skills, others are lacking, which may negatively impact their diet. Findings from this study have implications for education and health promotion programs focusing on foods skills, particularly among vulnerable target groups.

Contexts, Mechanisms, and Outcomes That Matter in Dutch Community-Based Physical Activity Programs Targeting Socially Vulnerable Groups.

This article presents a practitioner-based approach to identify key combinations of contextual factors (C) and mechanisms (M) that trigger outcomes (O) in Dutch community-based health-enhancing physical activity (CBHEPA) programs targeting socially vulnerable groups. Data were collected in six programs using semi-structured interviews and focus groups using a timeline technique. Sessions were recorded, anonymized, and transcribed. A realist synthesis protocol was used for data-driven and thematic analysis of CMO configurations. CMO configurations related to community outreach, program sustainability, intersectoral collaboration, and enhancing participants' active lifestyles. We have refined the CBHEPA program theory by showing that actors' passion for, and past experiences with, physical activity programs trigger outcomes, alongside their commitment to socially vulnerable target groups. Project discontinuity, limited access to resources, and a trainer's stand-alone position were negative configurations. The authors conclude that local governance structures appear often to lack adaptive capacity to accommodate multilevel processes to sustain programs.

Een zoektocht naar de identiteit van het sociaalwerkonderzoek: een reflectie over de kenmerken van een academische discipline

Een zoektocht naar de identiteit van het sociaalwerkonderzoek: een reflectie over de kenmerken van een academische discipline

Healthy ageing in Europe: prioritizing interventions to improve health literacy.

BackgroundHealth literacy (HL) is low for 40–50 % of the population in developed nations, and is strongly linked to many undesirable health outcomes. Older adults are particularly at risk. The intervention research on health literacy in ageing populations project systematically created a large inventory of HL interventions targeting adults age 50+ , to support practical production of policy and practice guidelines for promoting health literacy in European populations.MethodsWe comprehensively surveyed international scientific literature, grey literature and other sources (published 2003+) for implemented HL interventions that involved older adults. Studies were screened for eligibility criteria and further selected for aspects important in European public health policy, including priority diseases, risk factors and vulnerable target groups. Interventions were prioritised using a multiple criteria tool to select final interventions that also featured strong evidence of efficacy and a broad range of strategies.ResultsFrom nearly 7000 written summaries, 1097 met inclusion criteria, of which 233 were chosen for scoring and ranking. Of these, seven had the highest multi-criteria scores. Eight more articles were selected based on rounded criteria including a high multi-criteria score as well as elements of innovation. Final selections were 18 articles describing 15 programmes, which feature strong evidence of efficacy among important diseases or risk factors and vulnerable groups, or that had success with elements of innovation were identified. Most programmes tried to increase skills in communication, self-management and understanding healthcare or lifestyle choices.ConclusionsThese programmes have multiple positive attributes which could be used as guidance for developing innovative intervention programmes to trial on European older adults. They provide evidence of efficacy in addressing high priority diseases and risk factors.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13104-016-2056-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Health literacy among vulnerable target groups

Hintergrund Health Literacy (HL) zielt auf die Suche, die Rezeption und den Umgang mit gesundheitsbezogenen Informationen. Bislang mangelte es jedoch an einem deutschsprachigen Befragungsinstrument, das explizit die Erhebung bei vulnerablen Gruppen wie bildungsfernen Jugendlichen, alteren Menschen und Menschen mit Migrationshintergrund ermoglicht. Ziel des Beitrags ist es, den Fragebogen HLS-NRW-Q, der sich speziell an diese Zielgruppen richtet und dessen Entwicklungsprozess vorzustellen.

Lost in Transportation? Ethical Implications of Story Domain, Teller, and Receiver for the Narrative Transportation Effect

The recent adoption of storytelling to promote harmful products and services indicates that storytelling poses a key business ethics issue. Extant research demonstrates that a story can persuade story-receivers through the experience of narrative transportation. We introduce the business ethics concerns that storytelling raises because of the superior persuasiveness of the narrative transportation effect, stories’ use to promote harmful products and services, and their reach to vulnerable target groups. By means of a meta-analysis, we further show that the narrative transportation effect is strengthened when (1) the story pertains to marketing (vs. other domains), (2) is told by multiple storytellers, and (3) is received by one story-receiver at a time. We also discuss the ethical implications of these moderators.

Familial risk and protective factors in alcohol intoxicated adolescents: psychometric evaluation of the family domain of the Communities That Care Youth Survey (CTC) and a new short version of the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ).

BackgroundAlcohol intoxicated adolescents (AIA) in emergency department are an important target group for prevention and valid information on their familial risk and protective factors (RPF) is crucial for implementing customized family-based counseling in hospitals. We therefore, examined the psychometric characteristics of scales which assess familial RPF.MethodsWe used seven family scales from the Communities That Care Youth Survey Instrument (CTC-F7); four assess risk factors: family conflicts, poor family management, parental attitudes favorable towards drug use/antisocial behavior; three assess protective factors: family attachment, opportunities and rewards for prosocial involvement. To assess physical and emotional abuse and emotional neglect, we created a new scale composed of six items from the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ-6). We tested these eight scales on 342 AIA aged 13-17. Based on the classical test theory we calculated descriptive item and scale statistics and internal consistency. We assessed construct validity by confirmatory factor analysis with Maximum Likelihood (ML) estimation in a sample with imputed missing values (EM-Algorithm). To check robustness, we repeated the analyses with complete cases, with multiple imputed data, and with methods suitable for categorical data. We used SPSS 21, AMOS 21 and R (randomForrest and lavaan package).ResultsThree of seven CTC-F scales showed poor psychometric properties in the descriptive analysis. A ML-confirmatory model with five latent factors fitted the remaining CTC-F scales best (CTC-F5). The latent structure of the CTQ-6 is characterized by three first-order factors (physical abuse, emotional abuse, emotional neglect) and one second-order factor. The global goodness-of-fit indices for the CTC-F5 and the CTQ-6 demonstrated acceptable fit (for both models: TLI and CFI>0.97, RMSEA<0.05). The confirmatory evaluation based on complete cases (n=266), on multiple imputed data, and with alternative estimation methods produces global and local model-fit indices that are comparable to those from the main analysis. The final subscales CTC-F5 and CTQ-6 show acceptable to good internal consistency (α>0.7).ConclusionsThe final CTC-F5 and the newly developed CTQ-6 demonstrate acceptable to good psychometric properties for the AIA sample. The CTC-F5 and the CTQ-6 facilitate a psychometrically sound assessment of familial RPF for this vulnerable and important target group for prevention.

Proefwonen voor mensen met een verstandelijke beperking en/of psychiatrische problemen

Proefwonen voor mensen met een verstandelijke beperking en/of psychiatrische problemen

Marketing Placebo Effects – From Behavioral Effects to Behavior Change?

Abstract Food decisions occur very frequently and are influenced by a variety of individual as well as contextual factors. Physical product attributes, including for example, caloric density, water content and sweetness are important drivers of food choice and preferences. However, food products are usually not evaluated solely based on their nutritional content. In addition, most products are packaged and carry abstract attributes, such as quality claims, and brand names. Critically, these product attributes, not products attributes also influence food consumption, reported consumption enjoyment, and product demand. A variety of these marketing actions were shown to alter consumption experiences of otherwise identical products, inducing a so-called marketing placebo effect (MPE). Here, we review studies providing insights into the various behavioral and neural processes underlying the response to these contextual marketing cues. An extensive amount of studies has shown impressive, sometimes peculiar and also disquieting effects of branding, logos, labels and prices on behavioral measures. We will illustrate the plethora of affected behaviors, ranging from increased taste pleasantness ratings for higher-priced wines to enhanced cognitive performance after drinking a higher-priced energy drink, compared to the identical lower-priced counterparts. Credence attributes, such as organic or social sustainability labels, have been gaining relevance in many industrialized countries, and influence product demand and consumption experience. We will therefore introduce studies that systematically investigated the effects of credence claims, elucidate possible mechanisms, and emphasize the negative consequences when misusing such claims. As children are an important and vulnerable target group for marketing actions, we will also specifically present studies conducted in children. These studies highlight the influence of marketing actions on children’s taste perception, product demand, and effort to obtain a certain product. We will shortly introduce the neurobiology of food choices, and present suggested processes underlying MPEs. Converging evidence confirms that MPEs are not a mere result of demand effects, but that they influence the neural responses to products down to a primary somatosensory level. We will show that marketing claims are very effective in influencing expectations and subsequent consumption experience. Therefore, we suggest that public policy interventions may build upon MPE research, and we will provide evidence for this supposition. Throughout this review, we present insights from a variety of different disciplines, including marketing, psychology, neuroscience and nutrition science. Albeit far from exhaustive, this non-systematic review aims at providing a joint perspective from various fields, highlighting that future research endeavor is certainly auspicious.

An outbreak of pertussis in rural Texas: an example of the resurgence of the disease in the United States.

During 2012, an increase in the number of pertussis cases or outbreaks was reported among most states within the United States. The majority of these cases included previously vaccinated children between the ages of 7-10 years. This underscores the growing concern regarding current immunization practices and vaccine efficacy, especially as it pertains to pertussis prevention within this age group. In the fall of 2012, an outbreak of pertussis occurred within a school district in a rural Texas county that was reflective of this national pattern. Our objective is to describe this outbreak, highlight the similarities with the national trend, and identify strategies for better disease prevention. The cases in this outbreak were interviewed and laboratory testing done. Information regarding exposure and immunization history among cases was obtained. Immunization audits of the affected institutions were also conducted. We performed a descriptive analysis of the collected data using EPI-INFO software v.3.5.3. A total of 34 cases were identified in this outbreak, of which 23 were PCR confirmed and 11 were epidemiologically linked. Ages ranged from 5 months to 12 years, and 62 % were among children aged 7-10 years. All cases were up-to-date on their pertussis vaccinations. Immunization coverage rate was over 90 % within each of the affected institutions. The characteristics of this outbreak bear striking similarities to the current national trend in terms of age groups and immunization status of the affected cases. Increased focus on this vulnerable target group, including heightened scrutiny of vaccine efficacy and delivery, is indicated.

Comment on: Homocysteine and vitamin B12 status and iron deficiency anemia in female university students from Gaza, Palestine.

Iron is the most abundant heavy metal in the earth’s crust and is required by almost all organisms.1 In the human body iron is required by and present in all cells and has several vital functions.2 Anemia due to iron deficiency is the commonest type of nutritional anemia worldwide, and occurs when body iron stores become inadequate for the needs of normal erythropoiesis. Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) results from an imbalance between iron intake and iron losses or utilization.3 Vitamin B12 deficiency is another type of nutritional deficiency that is encountered among the elderly of rich countries, but it is more prevalent in poorer populations around the world.4 On the other hand, increased levels of homocysteine (hyperhomocysteinemia) are found to be associated with coronary atherosclerosis and cerebrovascular disorders.5 In the current issue of the Revista Brasileira de Hematologia e Hemoterapia, Sirdah et al. present original data about serum homocysteine and vitamin B12 status in female university students (18–22 years old) diagnosed with IDA.6 The authors explored the association between the markers of IDA (serum ferritin, hemoglobin concentration, red blood cell mass) and the serum levels of homocysteine and vitamin B12. The importance of the study can be viewed in respect to different aspects. The study is among the very few scientific works that tried to find an association between anemia, specially IDA, homocysteine, and vitamin B12. Also it covers a very vulnerable target group for developing IDA, females of the childbearing age. Moreover, the study was carried out in the Gaza Strip of Palestine where

Development of a locally sustainable functional food based on mutandabota, a traditional food in southern Africa

A probiotic dairy product was developed on the basis of a traditional dish called mutandabota to enable resource-poor populations in southern Africa to benefit from a functional food. Mutandabota is widely consumed in rural southern Africa, making it an ideal food matrix to carry probiotics. First, a process to produce probiotic mutandabota was designed. Raw cow milk was boiled and subsequently cooled to ambient temperature (25°C). Next, dry pulp from the fruit of the baobab tree (Adansonia digitata L.) was added to the milk at a concentration of 4% (wt/vol). This mixture was inoculated with the probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus yoba and left to ferment for 24h, while the growth of the bacterial culture was monitored. Final ingredients were then added to produce probiotic mutandabota that had 14% (wt/vol) baobab fruit pulp and 7% (wt/vol) sugar in cow milk. The pH of probiotic mutandabota was pH 3.5, which ensures that the product is microbiologically safe. The viable plate count of L. rhamnosus yoba increased from 5.8±0.3 log cfu/mL at the point of inoculation to 8.8±0.4 log cfu/mL at the moment of consumption, thereby meeting the criterion to have a viable count of the probiotic bacterium in excess of 6 log cfu/mL of a product. Baobab fruit pulp at 4% promoted growth of L. rhamnosus yoba with a maximal specific growth rate (μmax) of 0.6±0.2/h at 30°C. The developed technology, though specific for this particular product, has potential to be applied for the delivery of probiotics through a variety of indigenous foods in different regions of the world. Upon consumption, probiotic mutandabota is expected to improve the population's intestinal health, which is especially relevant for vulnerable target groups such as children and elderly people.

Psychosocial Status and Mental Health in Adolescents before and after Bariatric Surgery: A Systematic Literature Review

Objective: As long-term results of conservative treatment for obesity are discouraging, bariatric surgery is becoming a treatment option for extremely obese adolescents. However, mental and behavioral problems need to be respected when treating this vulnerable target group. Methods: A detailed systematic literature review on pre- and post-operative depressive, anxiety and eating disorder symptoms of adolescent patients was performed in PsychINFO, PubMed and Medline electronic databases. Results: Twelve studies met the inclusion criteria. Although strength of evidence was limited, results suggested that pre-operatively a third of adolescents suffered from moderate to severe depressive disorder symptoms and a quarter from anxiety disorder symptoms, while a substantial number showed eating disorder symptoms. Post-operatively, levels of depressive disorder symptoms significantly improved. Original articles on outcomes of eating and anxiety disorder symptoms after weight loss surgery were not found. Conclusions: Further attention is needed on consistent clinical assessment of mental health disturbances and their consecutive treatment in adolescents. Future research should also focus on psychological and psychosocial predictors of weight loss after bariatric surgery.

Experiences of using a memory aid to structure and support daily activities in a small-scale group accommodation for people with dementia

Use of technology to structure and support the daily activities of the residents in a small-scale group accommodation (SSGA) for dementia is a new innovation in the Netherlands. This paper presents the process of development of this new way of structuring activities and the findings of a pilot study looking at the experiences of using this device in people with dementia. A qualitative method was chosen, data were collected using individual interviews with the residents (n = 6), focus groups interviews with informal carers (n = 5) and members of staff (n = 6). Data were analysed using Ritchie & Spencer's framework (1994). Three main themes emerged: issues regarding the implementation, needs for further development and the learning experiences acquired during the development. The majority of the residents were happy with the use and function of the memory aid. However, the occurrence of installation errors, limited ease of use and a lack of knowledge regarding the function and use of the memory aid were issues that prevented a successful implementation. Findings highlighted shared views about ways of improving through adaptation of the software program and additional technological applications; internet connectivity, improving its accessibility by using a remote control and adding videos and photos. Lessons are learned about the use and transferability of this innovation in people with dementia and other vulnerable target groups including those with learning disabilities as well as its limitation and the needs for further development.

The effectiveness of casual advergames on adolescents' brand attitudes

PurposeDespite the proliferation of casual advergames on web sites, there is relatively little scientific evidence on which product‐placement qualities and individual consumer characteristics allow a positive affect transfer from game to brand. The purpose of this paper was to examine the influence of placement conspicuousness, exposure duration, and player gender in an experiment with Spanish‐speaking adolescents under real‐world conditions.Design/methodology/approachThree versions of a casual advergame were created and posted on the popular web site www.jetix.es. Two of the versions embedded ads for M&amp;M chocolate candy, each of which had a different degree of conspicuousness (less versus more conspicuous), and the third version showed no brand placement at all and was used as the control condition. The versions were randomly assigned to 405 participants, and changes in their attitudes to M&amp;Ms were measured.FindingsThe positive affect induced by the casual advergame transferred to M&amp;Ms when it was not inhibited by negative reactions to the brand placement. The transfer of affect occurred after both a brief exposure to the prominent placement and a long exposure to the subtle placement, but no transfer was observed under the opposite set of conditions. Significant transfer in female adolescents but the absence of transfer in their male counterparts suggests a strong gender bias.Practical implicationsThere are two implications for marketers who want to persuade adolescents through casual advergames. First, these marketers should segment their casual advergames by designing subtle placements for games with lasting appeal and prominent placements for games with brief appeal. Second, to strengthen male adolescents' brand preferences, marketers should not focus on casual advergames but search for more appropriate entertainment vehicles.Originality/valueThe theoretical framework relies on an unprecedented combination of classical conditioning and psychological reactance theories. The results are of interest for marketers trying to persuade adolescents as well as for public policy advocates trying to protect this vulnerable target group.

Responding to Disaster with Alternative Education: A Case Study of a Post-disaster Education Project in Bangladesh

The paper presents a case study and lessons learnt from an alternative education project implemented in two cyclone-devastated districts of Bangladesh as a post-disaster response and recovery initiative after the massive cyclone ‘Sidr' in November 2007. A survey revealed that the shattered financial condition of local families along with other problems in the formal education system was causing dropouts and non-attendance. Based on the needs assessment the NGO Islamic Relief Worldwide implemented an alternative education project named ‘Anondo Biddaloy-Alternative Education for ‘Sidr’ Affected Children’. In an effort of creating access to the formal education for the drop-out and nonenrolled children, the project focused on regaining and augmenting their interest towards education by offering a learner friendly, joyful education scheme that combined life skills and livelihood skills education with health and wellbeing aspects. Implementation of the project resulted into introducing and retaining a significant number i.e. almost 80% of its target group in mainstream education. The project thus brought about a major lesson that education with an alternative nature (to the mainstream) can effectively contribute towards ensuring education for vulnerable target groups in a crisis. With an aim of contributing to the academic and practitioner’s knowledge of the community relevant to providing education in post-disaster situation, the paper has specific purposes of sharing the concept and contents of the particular alternative education initiative as well as lessons learnt from it.

Federal aftercare programs for transition-aged youth

This case study examines five federal aftercare support programs for transition-aged youth, including: 1) Temporary Assistance for Needy Families for single parents, 2) TRIO Student Support Services for first generation college students, 3) Second Chance Act for reentry youth, 4) Chaffee Educational and Training Vouchers for foster youth, and 5) Transitional Living Program for homeless youth. Considerable variability in federal funding to states and services provided across these programs are reported. While all five vulnerable target groups likely need aftercare services of the nine types examined, as indicated by the literature, variations in federal funding levels, both among target populations and across states, raise important questions for society and federal and state policy makers. More systematic data collection and reporting systems specifying aftercare services provided and outcomes among those served which are accessible to the public, such as www.cfda.gov and www.usaspending.gov , are recommended. ► Five federal aftercare programs for transition-aged youth are examined. ► Those served are single parents, college students, reentry, foster & homeless youth. ► Per capita funding in 2010 is compared across the 50 states and District of Columbia. ► Nine intervention elements are identified and compared across these five programs.