Suchergebnisse

Purpose
The purpose of this study was to explore college students' understanding of sustainability and, specifically, the extent to which students see social justice as being integral to sustainability.


Design/methodology/approach
Between fall 2015 and 2017, an online survey study was deployed to students at a Midwestern University in the USA to assess attitudes and concerns about environmental issues and awareness of the university's activities related to these issues. This analysis included ten assessment items from a larger study, of which 1,929 participants were included in the final sample. A chi-square goodness-of-fit and variable cluster analysis were performed on the included items.


Findings
Items such as "recycling," "economic viability" and "fair treatment of all" were identified as integral to the concept of sustainability, while items such as "growing organic vegetables" and "reducing meat consumption" had high levels of "not applicable" and "don't know" responses, with differences arising across gender and class standing. Social justice-related items were seen as more distally connected to sustainability.


Research limitations/implications
This study is limited by a non-random sample of students.


Practical implications
College students tend not to recognize the integral nature of social justice or the relevance of food to sustainability, providing an opportunity for universities to better prepare their students for a sustainable future.


Social implications
Universities might adopt policies and curricula that address these areas of ignorance.


Originality/value
This study is among the first to identify specific areas of college students' lack of understanding about sustainability.

Background Indigenous food systems have been displaced with the emergence of colonization, industrialization, and cultural, economic, political, and environmental changes. This disruption can be seen in marked health and food environment disparities that contribute to high obesity and diabetes mellitus prevalence among Native American peoples. Methods A Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) approach was used to document food environment experiences among residents of the Flathead Reservation in rural Montana. Participants were identified using purposive sampling techniques to participate in a survey and a semi-structured interview. Descriptive statistics helped to describe participant demographics, food access variables, and household food security status. Food environment perceptions were analyzed using the constant comparison method among trained researchers. Results Participants completed surveys (n = 79) and interviews (n = 76). A large number participated in federal nutrition assistance programs. Many self-reported experiencing diet-related chronic diseases. Major themes included the community food environment, dietary norms, and food-health connections. Subthemes were represented by perceptions of food environment transitions and the important role of food in familial life. Further, opportunities and challenges were identified for improving community food environments. Conclusions Perceptions of the food environment were linked to strategies that could be targeted to improve dietary quality along a social-ecological model continuum. There is need for skill-based education that directly addresses the time and monetary constraints that were commonly experienced by residents. Coinciding food environment interventions to promote dietary quality that engage community members, store management, and government policy stakeholders are also needed to reestablish healthy Native American food systems and environments within this community.

Cătălina Giurgi-Oncu,1,2 Cristina Bredicean,1,3 Mirela FrandeÈ™,4 Virgil Enătescu,1,2 Ion Papavă,1,2 Ioana RiviÈ™,5 Sorin Ursoniu6 1Department of Neuroscience, Discipline of Psychiatry, "Victor BabeÈ™" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, TimiÈ™oara, Romania; 2"Pius Brînzeu" County Emergency Clinical Hospital, TimiÈ™oara, Romania; 3"Dr. Victor Popescu" Military Clinical Emergency Hospital, TimiÈ™oara, Romania; 4Department of Functional Sciences, Discipline of Medical Informatics and Biostatistics, "Victor BabeÈ™" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, TimiÈ™oara, Romania; 5"Carol Davila" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania; 6Department of Functional Sciences, Discipline of Public Health, Center for Translational Research and Systems Medicine, "Victor BabeÈ™" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, TimiÈ™oara, RomaniaCorrespondence: Cristina BrediceanDepartment of Neuroscience, Discipline of Psychiatry, "Victor BabeÈ™" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, No. 2 Eftimie Murgu Square, TimiÈ™oara, 300041, RomaniaTel +40722424301Email bredicean.ana@umft.roBackground: Depression is an increasingly prevalent chronic mental health condition that involves a range of potentially negative implications, in the long term. Theory of Mind (ToM) serves to form and maintain social relationships, by accurately identifying thoughts and emotions in others. Defective ToM abilities have been noted in people with a history of clinical depression.Purpose: To identify whether impairments of emotion recognition are correlated with a lower subjective feeling of wellbeing in people diagnosed with a chronic depressive illness.Patients and Methods: In a cross-sectional analysis of a recurrent depressive disorder (RDD, as per WHO ICD-10 nosology) cohort (n=57), the BECK depression scale and the "Reading the mind in the eyes" test were employed for the diagnosis of clinical symptoms, and for the evaluation of individual ToM skills, respectively. Wellbeing was quantified using the FANLCT scale.Results: The wellbeing of service-users decreased significantly, in correlation with their defective emotion recognition abilities. Additionally, a low capacity for the correct perception of emotions in other people appears to significantly influence the social relationships status, with scores of 14.00 (10.00– 18.50) at low capacity vs 23.00 (17.58– 24.75) at normal capacity (Mann–Whitney U-test, p < 0.001). Our study findings indicate that a normal ability for a correct recognition of emotions in others is significantly and strongly correlated with adequate social relationships (Spearman r = 0.757, p < 0.05).Conclusion: Wellbeing is significantly correlated with the individual ability for a correct recognition of emotions in others.Keywords: theory of mind, wellbeing, depressive disorder, emotion recognition, social functioning

BACKGROUND: Indigenous food systems have been displaced with the emergence of colonization, industrialization, and cultural, economic, political, and environmental changes. This disruption can be seen in marked health and food environment disparities that contribute to high obesity and diabetes mellitus prevalence among Native American peoples. METHODS: A Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) approach was used to document food environment experiences among residents of the Flathead Reservation in rural Montana. Participants were identified using purposive sampling techniques to participate in a survey and a semi-structured interview. Descriptive statistics helped to describe participant demographics, food access variables, and household food security status. Food environment perceptions were analyzed using the constant comparison method among trained researchers. RESULTS: Participants completed surveys (n = 79) and interviews (n = 76). A large number participated in federal nutrition assistance programs. Many self-reported experiencing diet-related chronic diseases. Major themes included the community food environment, dietary norms, and food-health connections. Subthemes were represented by perceptions of food environment transitions and the important role of food in familial life. Further, opportunities and challenges were identified for improving community food environments. CONCLUSIONS: Perceptions of the food environment were linked to strategies that could be targeted to improve dietary quality along a social-ecological model continuum. There is need for skill-based education that directly addresses the time and monetary constraints that were commonly experienced by residents. Coinciding food environment interventions to promote dietary quality that engage community members, store management, and government policy stakeholders are also needed to reestablish healthy Native American food systems and environments within this community.

The increased demand for basic emergency obstetric and neonatal care (BEmONC) services in Sierra Leone since the launch of the nationwide free maternity care initiative in 2010 has strained the capacity of the system to provide high‐quality care. In 2014, members of our research team visited all 97 functioning primary health‐care facilities in Bombali district in the Northern Province of Sierra Leone to evaluate gaps in access to BEmONC. Although most facilities had the equipment necessary for maternal and neonatal care, these were often not in satisfactory condition. Most of the facilities did not stock all of the essential medicines for BEmONC, and less than 10 percent of the facilities had sufficient stocks of unexpired and properly stored medications. Stronger supply chains will be necessary to improve health system performance in Sierra Leone, reduce maternal mortality, increase neonatal survival, and achieve targets associated with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).