The Evaluation of Reemployment Programs: Between Impact Assessment and Theory-Based Approaches

Author(s):  
Arie Glebbeek ◽  
Els Sol

In spite of a much improved labor market, the outcome of a leading evaluation report on reemployment programs in the Netherlands turned out negative. This result might be due to limitations of the evaluation method used by the researchers, who had to content themselves with a nonexperimental approach. Currently, for many evaluation researchers, the experimental method stands out as the superior design, especially when combined with a meta-analysis over several trials. We show, however, that experimental evaluations do not solve the uncertainties in this field. Meta-analyses of evaluation studies in Europe and the United States produced strikingly mixed results. Efforts to trace their diversity to variations in reemployment programs have not been very successful. This is mainly because of the “black box character” of many experimental evaluations, which offer little information about the content of the programs. Following “realistic evaluation,” we argue for a focus on the theories behind these programs in evaluation research. To this end, reemployment services are depicted in twelve core (mediating) mechanisms.

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (8) ◽  
pp. 904-909 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takeshi Hamamura ◽  
Berlian Gressy Septarini

Self-esteem is increasing in the United States according to temporal meta-analyses of the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. However, it remains unclear whether this trend reflects broad social ecological shifts toward urban, affluent, and technologically advanced or a unique cultural history. A temporal meta-analysis of self-esteem was conducted in Australia. Australia shares social ecological and cultural similarities with the United States. On the other hand, Australian culture is horizontally individualistic and places a stronger emphasis on self-other equality compared to American culture. For this reason, the strengthening norm of positive self-esteem found in the United States may not be evident in Australia. Consistent with this possibility, the findings indicated that self-esteem among Australian high school students, university students, and community participants did not change between 1978 and 2014.


2011 ◽  
Vol 101 (9) ◽  
pp. 1122-1132 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. A. Paul ◽  
L. V. Madden ◽  
C. A. Bradley ◽  
A. E. Robertson ◽  
G. P. Munkvold ◽  
...  

The use of foliar fungicides on field corn has increased greatly over the past 5 years in the United States in an attempt to increase yields, despite limited evidence that use of the fungicides is consistently profitable. To assess the value of using fungicides in grain corn production, random-effects meta-analyses were performed on results from foliar fungicide experiments conducted during 2002 to 2009 in 14 states across the United States to determine the mean yield response to the fungicides azoxystrobin, pyraclostrobin, propiconazole + trifloxystrobin, and propiconazole + azoxystrobin. For all fungicides, the yield difference between treated and nontreated plots was highly variable among studies. All four fungicides resulted in a significant mean yield increase relative to the nontreated plots (P < 0.05). Mean yield difference was highest for propiconazole + trifloxystrobin (390 kg/ha), followed by propiconazole + azoxystrobin (331 kg/ha) and pyraclostrobin (256 kg/ha), and lowest for azoxystrobin (230 kg/ha). Baseline yield (mean yield in the nontreated plots) had a significant effect on yield for propiconazole + azoxystrobin (P < 0.05), whereas baseline foliar disease severity (mean severity in the nontreated plots) significantly affected the yield response to pyraclostrobin, propiconazole + trifloxystrobin, and propiconazole + azoxystrobin but not to azoxystrobin. Mean yield difference was generally higher in the lowest yield and higher disease severity categories than in the highest yield and lower disease categories. The probability of failing to recover the fungicide application cost (ploss) also was estimated for a range of grain corn prices and application costs. At the 10-year average corn grain price of $0.12/kg ($2.97/bushel) and application costs of $40 to 95/ha, ploss for disease severity <5% was 0.55 to 0.98 for pyraclostrobin, 0.62 to 0.93 for propiconazole + trifloxystrobin, 0.58 to 0.89 for propiconazole + azoxystrobin, and 0.91 to 0.99 for azoxystrobin. When disease severity was >5%, the corresponding probabilities were 0.36 to 95, 0.25 to 0.69, 0.25 to 0.64, and 0.37 to 0.98 for the four fungicides. In conclusion, the high ploss values found in most scenarios suggest that the use of these foliar fungicides is unlikely to be profitable when foliar disease severity is low and yield expectation is high.


PeerJ ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. e1340 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria A. Parker ◽  
James C. Anthony

Background.When 12-to-21-year-olds start using prescription pain relievers extra-medically, some of them transition into opioid dependence within 12 months after such use. Our main aim for this epidemiological research on 12-to-21-year-olds in the United States (US) is to estimate the risk of becoming a newly incident case of opioid dependence within 12 months after onset of using prescription pain relievers extra-medically (EMPPR).Methods.Meta-analyses from multiple independent replication samples now are possible, based upon nationally representative survey samples of US adolescents age 12–21 years. All 12-to-21-year-olds were sampled and recruited for the US National Surveys on Drug Use and Health, with standardized assessments of EMPPR use and opioid dependence (NSDUH, 2002–2013).Results.Peak risk for a transition from start of EMPPR use to opioid dependence within 12 months is seen at mid-adolescence among 14-to-15-year-olds (6.3%, 8.7% per year), somewhat earlier than peak risk for starting EMPPR use (seen for 16-to-19-year-olds at 4.1%, 5.9% per year). Applied to 12-to-21-year-olds in the US between 2002–2013, an estimated 8 million started using PPR extra-medically. Each year, roughly 42,000 to 58,000 transitioned into opioid dependence within 12 months after onset of such use.Discussion.These epidemiological estimates for the US in recent years teach us to expect one transition into adolescent-onset opioid dependence within 12 months for every 11–16 newly incident EMPPR users, yielding perhaps 120 newly incident opioid dependent cases in need of practitioner attention or treatment services, each day of each year. This evidence can be used to motivate more effective public health prevention, outreach, and early intervention programs as might prevent or delay occurrence of EMPPR use and opioid dependence.


2019 ◽  
Vol 52 (2) ◽  
pp. 312-337 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sung won Kim

Countless meta-analytic studies document the relation between parental involvement and achievement, but they mostly include studies conducted in the United States where parental involvement is framed as a policy issue. This is the first meta-analytic study focusing on East Asian countries characterized by high achievement levels, a comparatively standardized education system, and no policy encouraging family–school relations. A meta-analysis of 15 studies retrieved from an exhaustive search of the literature reveals a positive association between parental involvement and achievement. The strength of the relation was highest for academic socialization, followed by home involvement and school involvement, similar to previous meta-analyses.


Crisis ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Shannon Lange ◽  
Courtney Bagge ◽  
Charlotte Probst ◽  
Jürgen Rehm

Abstract. Background: In recent years, the rate of death by suicide has been increasing disproportionately among females and young adults in the United States. Presumably this trend has been mirrored by the proportion of individuals with suicidal ideation who attempted suicide. Aim: We aimed to investigate whether the proportion of individuals in the United States with suicidal ideation who attempted suicide differed by age and/or sex, and whether this proportion has increased over time. Method: Individual-level data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 2008–2017, were used to estimate the year-, age category-, and sex-specific proportion of individuals with past-year suicidal ideation who attempted suicide. We then determined whether this proportion differed by age category, sex, and across years using random-effects meta-regression. Overall, age category- and sex-specific proportions across survey years were estimated using random-effects meta-analyses. Results: Although the proportion was found to be significantly higher among females and those aged 18–25 years, it had not significantly increased over the past 10 years. Limitations: Data were self-reported and restricted to past-year suicidal ideation and suicide attempts. Conclusion: The increase in the death by suicide rate in the United States over the past 10 years was not mirrored by the proportion of individuals with past-year suicidal ideation who attempted suicide during this period.


Author(s):  
Jyotsana Parajuli ◽  
Judith E. Hupcey

The number of people with cancer and the need for palliative care among this population is increasing in the United States. Despite this growing need, several barriers exist to the utilization of palliative care in oncology. The purpose of this study was to synthesize the evidence on the barriers to palliative care utilization in an oncology population. A systematic review of literature was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. PubMed, CINAHL, and Psych Info databases were used for the literature search. Articles were included if they: 1) focused on cancer, (2) examined and discussed barriers to palliative care, and c) were peer reviewed, published in English, and had an accessible full text. A total of 29 studies (8 quantitative, 18 qualitative, and 3 mixed-methods) were identified and synthesized for this review. The sample size of the included studies ranged from 10 participants to 313 participants. The barriers to palliative care were categorized into barriers related to the patient and family, b) barriers related to providers, and c) barriers related to the healthcare system or policy. The factors identified in this review provide guidance for intervention development to mitigate the existing barriers and facilitate the use palliative care in individuals with cancer.


Author(s):  
Leah H. Schinasi ◽  
Helen V. S. Cole ◽  
Jana A. Hirsch ◽  
Ghassan B. Hamra ◽  
Pedro Gullon ◽  
...  

Neighborhood greenspace may attract new residents and lead to sociodemographic or housing cost changes. We estimated relationships between greenspace and gentrification-related changes in the 43 largest metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) of the United States (US). We used the US National Land Cover and Brown University Longitudinal Tracts databases, as well as spatial lag models, to estimate census tract-level associations between percentage greenspace (years 1990, 2000) and subsequent changes (1990–2000, 2000–2010) in percentage college-educated, percentage working professional jobs, race/ethnic composition, household income, percentage living in poverty, household rent, and home value. We also investigated effect modification by racial/ethnic composition. We ran models for each MSA and time period and used random-effects meta-analyses to derive summary estimates for each period. Estimates were modest in magnitude and heterogeneous across MSAs. After adjusting for census-tract level population density in 1990, compared to tracts with low percentage greenspace in 1992 (defined as ≤50th percentile of the MSA-specific distribution in 1992), those with high percentage greenspace (defined as >75th percentile of the MSA-specific distribution) experienced higher 1990–2000 increases in percentage of the employed civilian aged 16+ population working professional jobs (β: 0.18, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.11, 0.26) and in median household income (β: 0.23, 95% CI: 0.15, 0.31). Adjusted estimates for the 2000–2010 period were near the null. We did not observe evidence of effect modification by race/ethnic composition. We observed evidence of modest associations between greenspace and gentrification trends. Further research is needed to explore reasons for heterogeneity and to quantify health implications.


2016 ◽  
Vol 28 (10) ◽  
pp. 1587-1588 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donovan T. Maust

The use of psychotropic medication among persons with dementia (PWD) both in nursing home (Wetzels et al., 2011) and community settings (Maust et al., 2016) far exceeds what might be expected based on their limited evidence for benefit (Kales et al., 2015). This relatively high use persists despite years of evidence about the potential harms associated with their use in older adults generally and PWD in particular (e.g. Wang et al., 2001; Schneider et al., 2005). However, the solution to relatively high psychotropic use is not to end all psychotropic use, as there are individual patients for whom use of such medication is appropriate. For example, a policy that defines all antipsychotic use as inappropriate may simply lead to increased use of alternatives with even less evidence of benefit, as suggested by the response to antipsychotics’ black box warning in the United States (Kales et al., 2011).


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