Influences of Parents on 7-9-year-old Children’s Physical Activity and Cardiopulmonary Endurance (Preprint)

BACKGROUND - OBJECTIVE To explore and discuss the influences on 7～9-year-old children’s physical activity and cardiopulmonary endurance. METHODS Recruiting 1st and 2nd-grade elementary school students and their parents at an elementary school in Changping District, Beijing. The study made an investigation of PA level, economic and educational status on the subject families, and the other main contents including medical history and family history. The PA data of the parents were measured by the ActiGraph GT3X + accelerometer (Actigraph, Pensacola, FL, USA), and the children’s PA data were obtained by the revised PAQ-A. 50m*8 shuttle run were carried out to test the children’s cardiopulmonary endurance. RESULTS 36 families were recruited and completed the examination. There was a significant difference in the children’ PA scores between sPAf(PA sufficient family) (3.02±0.53) and iPAf(PA insufficient family) (2.61±0.58)(P<0.05), and the BMI of the two groups (15.63±1.95 vs17.77±3.67) showed great difference(P<0.01). The child from sPAf had better cardiopulmonary endurance than those from iPAf. The parent of high income, a high educational background had higher moderate to vigorous PA, and so did their child. There was a high positive correlation of the sedentary time and light PA every day of the husband and wife in a family. CONCLUSIONS The influence factors that affected the 7~9-year-old children’s PA level and cardiopulmonary endurance included their parent’s PA level, economic income, educational background, especially the mother’s PA played a prominent part. The study found there existed interaction of respective PA levels inside the couple.

Principles of choreographic education in primary art institutions

The purpose of the article is to determine the basic principles of choreographic education in primary art institutions. Methodology. The methods of analysis and synthesis are used in the work. Based on the analysis of classes with different age groups of children on the basis of the choreographic department of Kaluga Children's Music School of Ivano-Frankivsk region identified the basic principles of choreographic education, which contribute to the improvement and development of children's performance, creative thinking, discipline and aesthetic taste to dance. The method of synthesis allowed us to determine the main criteria for teaching choreography for preschoolers. The scientific novelty of the work is that for the first time the basic principles of education and choreography lessons were comprehensively studied. The paper analyzes the trends in the development of choreographic education in primary art institutions; the concept of "children's choreography" is defined as one of the bases of formation of dancing abilities and "foundation" for further development of children in the direction of choreographic art;. It is investigated that the newest information technologies in the field of choreographic art allow: to strengthen the efficiency of knowledge of children; create a positive impression in choreography lessons; provide high educational diversity; increase success; to improve performing skills; rationally organize educational indicators; increase academic achievement. Conclusions. The author concludes that the use of the latest methods and techniques of teaching choreography will lead to high success, increase performance, which will determine in the future the path of children to further professional choreographic education. Keywords: children's creativity, dance, performing skills, didactic requirements, teaching methods.

Research of special abilities of future informatics teachers in the process of training to work with gifted children

The article substantiates the relevance of improving the training of future informatics teachers to work with gifted children in accordance with the needs of society in the context of new educational standards. The analysis of the works of domestic and foreign authors devoted to research in the area under consideration is presented. A brief description of a special module “Work of an informatics teacher with gifted children”, developed by one of the authors of the article, is presented and included in the work program of the discipline “Methods of teaching informatics”. The comparative results of the input and output questionnaires of students are given, which make it possible to identify the level of knowledge of the psychological characteristics of children with high educational needs among future teachers, as well as the levels of subject and methodological readiness to work with this category of pupils. The results of the study of the personal qualities of the participants in the pedagogical experiment, obtained using test diagnostic techniques, are described. In the process of experimental work, the effectiveness of the combination within the framework of one course of psychological, subject and methodological components of training of a future informatics teacher for educational activities with gifted pupils has been substantiated. The results of the study may be of interest to teachers and methodologists of institutions of higher and secondary education, courses of advanced training for teachers.

Aesthetic Disposition, Educational Capital, Personality Trait Openness, and Sex: A Study of French High-School Students

Aesthetic disposition has been defined as the propensity to prioritize form over function and to approach any object as potentially valuable from an aesthetic standpoint. In this study, we examined whether and how aesthetic disposition was predicted by educational capital, personality trait openness, and sex. In addition, we investigated the association of educational capital and sex with openness. We compared students from a general high school (“high” educational-capital group) with students from a vocational high school (“low” educational-capital group). We found that (a) aesthetic disposition was positively associated with educational capital and, to a lesser extent, with openness, (b) sex was of minor importance in the distribution of aesthetic disposition, and (c) openness was positively linked to educational capital and unrelated to sex. Our findings support the view that educational capital plays an important role in the social distribution of aesthetic disposition and highlight a link between education and openness.

Health Inequality Analysis in Europe: Exploring the Potential of the EQ-5D as Outcome

Objective: This study explored the additive value of the multi-item EuroQol 5-Dimension 5-Level (EQ-5D-5L) as an outcome measure in health inequality analyses, relative to the single-item EuroQol visual analog scale (EQ VAS).Methods: A sample comprising the general population from Italy, the Netherlands, and United Kingdom (UK) completed the EQ-5D-5L and the EQ VAS. The level of education was selected as a proxy for socio-economic status (SES). EQ-5D-5L level sum scores (LSS) were compared against EQ VAS scores. Stratified and multivariable analyses were used to study the associations between SES and the LSS/EQ VAS relative to the presence of chronic health conditions.Results: A total of 10,172 people participated in this study. In the UK and Netherlands, the LSS was worst for respondents with a low educational level and better for respondents with middle and high educational levels. For Italy, the LSS was best for respondents with a middle educational level compared to respondents with low and high educational levels. The same patterns were observed for the EQ VAS, but differences were slightly smaller. Multivariable analyses showed generally stronger predictive relations in the UK, and with the LSS. The presence of chronic health conditions and being unable to work were independent strong predictors, canceling out the effects of education.Conclusions: In three different European countries, the EQ-5D measures show the presence of education-dependent health inequalities, which are universally explained in regression analysis by independently the presence of chronic health conditions and the inability to work. In stratified analysis, the EQ-5D-5L LSS discriminates slightly better between participants with different levels of SES compared to the EQ VAS.

Validation of the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire-Long Version II (COPSOQ II) in Greek employees

The aim of this study was to validate the long second version of the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ II) in the Greek language. The study was carried out in two phases following a mixed-method design. Six hundred and fifty-two Greek employees (response rate 93.3%) responded in the second phase of the study, either online or in writing. Both types of participation to the study were confidential for the participants and the companies as well. Most participants were females (68.1%), married (47.4%), aged 30-49 years (60.9%), with high educational level (60.4%). The majority were occupied in the health and the social care services (37.4%) and employed by the private sector (63.2%). Internal consistency of the GR-COPSOQ II was assessed with the Cronbach alpha criterion (Cronbach’s a) and it was acceptable (0.8>α>0.7) for most of the scales. Mean scores were high in many scales that describe exposure to psychosocial risk factors at the workplace. Construct validity was established by exploratory factor analysis (EFA) for the entire study sample and scales. In conclusion, the Greek version of the COPSOQ-II (GR-COPSOQ II) has good psychometric properties and can be recommended as a valid tool for the assessment of psychosocial risk in Greek employees.

Type 1 diabetes self-care in urban schools in India

Objectives: Children with type 1 diabetes (T1D) need a supportive, non-stigmatizing school environment for self-care activities such as checking blood glucose (BG) and taking pre-meal insulin. Data about T1D self-care in schools in developing countries are scarce. We looked at diabetes self-care activities at school, and attitudes of school staff toward diabetes care. Material and Methods: We interviewed, over an 8-week period, consecutive patient-parent dyads attending T1D clinics in North (Delhi, Gurgaon, and Kanpur), West (Aurangabad), and South (Hyderabad) India. Results: We received responses from 397 patients, 51% of boys. Mean age was 11.7 years (SD: 3.7), mean age at diagnosis 7.2 years (SD: 3.7), and mean diabetes duration 4.5 years (SD: 3.5). A majority (69.8%) were attending private (fee paying) schools (PS) and the rest were studying at government (subsidized/free) schools (GS). More than half of the parents had high educational status: graduate or more (mothers: 52.1%, fathers: 56.9%). Parents visited school daily in 17.1%, significantly more if they had high educational status and if the child was <6 years. Less than half (47.4%) were administering a pre-meal insulin bolus at school (self-injection: 33%, by parent: 12.9%, and by staff: 1.5%); only 24.4% were checking BG regularly (< once per week) at school. The odds of performing diabetes self-care activities at school were significantly higher in children attending PS compared to GS (OR: 3.17, 95% CI: 1.99–5.03 for taking insulin, OR: 3.24, 95% CI: 1.75–5.98 for regular BG checking). The odds of taking insulin at school were also higher with higher parental education (OR: 2.81, 95% CI: 1.87–4.24 for mother’s education, OR: 3.02, 95% CI: 1.99–4.57 for father’s). Testing and injecting we done in classroom (26.2%); medical room (16.1%), staffroom (7.8%), or toilet (2.5%). School insisted on secrecy in 12.6%, excluded children with T1D from sports/excursions in 17.9%, refused permission for injecting in 4.3%, for testing 15.9%, and for pre-activity snack 7.6%. This non-supportive behavior was equal in PS and GS. PS had slightly better care infrastructure such as availability of glucometer (29.6% vs. 3.3%), sick room (21.7% vs. 0.3%), and dedicated nurse (9.7% vs. none). Conclusion: Half of our children were able to manage T1D self-care in school, as schools were often supportive, whether private or government. Parental educational status was positively associated with better care. Although self-care was better in PS and they had better infrastructure, there is much scope for improvement.

Healthy lifestyle by race/skin color and educational level in Brazil

This study aimed to describe the prevalence of healthy lifestyles and examine its association to the combined effects of race and educational level in Brazil. Cross-sectional study. Data were obtained from the 2013 National Health Survey. Race was categorized as white, brown, or black, and educational level as low, medium, or high. To assess the combined effects of race and educational level, a combined variable was created. Healthy lifestyle factors were: non current smoker; non risk use of alcohol; daily consumption of fruit, and vegetables and being active. Lifestyle status was categorized as less healthy or healthier. Of the 59,249 participants, 18.4% of the whites and 6.8% of blacks reported higher education, respectively. Healthy lifestyle status differed by race and educational level. The prevalence of 3 or more parameters were higher than 80% among individuals with high educational levels, regardless of race. The association of healthy lifestyle status with the combined effects of both race and educational levels remained significant after adjustments, except in blacks and browns with high educational levels. Education may be one of an important structural determinant of health status in Brazil, especially among blacks and browns. Investments in education can be helpfull to reduce racial inequalities.

STUDENT SCIENTIFIC SOCIETY AS A CENTER FOR FUTURE SOCIAL SPECIALISTS’ TRAINING

The purpose of the student scientific society is to organize student research, promote the quality of scientific and practical training of students, expand their general and professional worldview, meet other needs and interests, which is an integral part of the successful development of the institution. Therefore, students of the faculty are active participants in All-Ukrainian competitions of scientific works, student Olympiads, where they constantly certify a high educational, methodological, and scientific level of training, receiving victories and prizes. The purpose of the study is to cover and analyze the student scientific society in higher education and at the Faculty of Social and Psychological Education of PTUSPU, in particular, as the main centre of organization and involvement of students in research. Methodology. The features of the student scientific society have been revealed using methods of analysis, synthesis and generalization of regulations and documents, its research work at the faculty. Results and practical significance. It has been found that the activities of the faculty of the Student Scientific Society contribute to the intensification of the student's research work as one of the most important means of improving the quality of training with higher education and the development of scientific thinking and creativity. It is determined that due to the activity of the society students develop skills of independent scientific activity.

Shoring up economic refugees: Venezuelan migrants in the Ecuadoran labor market

Ecuador became the third largest receiver of the 4.3 million Venezuelans who left their country in the last five years, hosting around 10 per cent of them. Little is known about the characteristics of these migrants and their labor market outcomes. This article fills this gap by analyzing a new large survey (EPEC). On average, Venezuelan workers are highly skilled and have high rates of employment, compared with Ecuadorans. However, their employment is of much lower quality, characterized by low wages, and high rates of informality and temporality. Venezuelans have experienced significant occupational downgrading, relative to their employment prior to emigration. As a result, despite their high educational attainment, Venezuelans primarily compete for jobs with the least skilled and more economically vulnerable Ecuadoran workers. Our simulations suggest that measures that allow Venezuelans to obtain employment that matches their skills, such as facilitating the conversion of education credentials, would increase Ecuador’s GDP between 1.6 and 1.9 per cent and alleviate the pressure on disadvantaged native workers. We also show that providing work permits to Venezuelan workers would substantially reduce their rates of informality and increase their average earnings.