Biomedical knowledge of dementia is not enough to counteract its stigma - quantitative research among future medical and social care staff in Poland.

OBJECTIVES: The aim is to assess the level of stigmatization and knowledge of dementia among university students of medical, rehabilitation and social faculties in Poland. Possible correlates of these concepts and group differences are also investigated. METHODS: We applied quantitative methods using an online questionnaire comprising sociodemographics, the Alzheimer's Disease Knowledge Scale, a vignette of a person with dementia and the modified Family Stigma in Alzheimer's Disease Scale. RESULTS: Students had low levels of dementia knowledge and moderate levels of stigma. Medical science students had significantly better knowledge than the other groups but did not differ in their level of stigma. Relationships between the main variables were complex. Emotional and cognitive stigmatizing attributions were negatively correlated with knowledge about communication and behaviors of people with dementia. Better knowledge on causes and characteristics, as well as on risks and health promotion of the disease also triggered fewer negative attributions toward people with dementia. CONCLUSIONS: If health-related programs are to be effective, they should provide opportunities for the acquisition of relevant knowledge and skills that also address the stigmatization of people living with dementia. Well-established biomedical knowledge on dementia must be supplemented with a person-centered approach and proper communication skills.

Oral cancer awareness among dental students in a private university setting.

INTRODUCTION: There is a great deal of research on the awareness of students and professionals regarding oral cancer. The aim of this study was to find out students' opinions in their final years of dental school training who have clinic time about the importance of correct mucosal examination of the oral cavity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out and a questionnaire was designed and distributed to fourth- and fifth-year dental students. The questionnaire included demographic aspects of the participants and five closed questions related to the importance given to the exploration of the soft tissues during patient visits, the importance of the university training received, their interest in continuing education on this subject, their role as dentists in early diagnosis and whether they consider themselves prepared to diagnose oral cancer. RESULTS: A total of 214 undergraduate dental students participated in the study, 24.3% fourth year and 75.7% fifth year. Moreover, 97.7% of the students considered soft tissue examination to be important or very important, 90.2% of the students surveyed considered the university training received to be important or very important and 66.4% of the students considered that the most qualified professional to diagnose an oral lesion is the dentist. CONCLUSION: In this study, most of the students felt that graduate training in oral cancer is important, as well as soft tissue examination. In addition, the majority considered that the professional most indicated to diagnose oral lesions is the dentist. However, a very small percentage felt prepared to diagnose oral cancer themselves.

Self-reported critical gaps in the essential knowledge and capacity of spatial epidemiology between the current university education and competency-oriented professional demands in preparing for a future pandemic among public health postgraduates in China: a nationwide cross-sectional survey.

BACKGROUND: Spatial epidemiology plays an important role in public health. Yet, it is unclear whether the current university education in spatial epidemiology in China could meet the competency-oriented professional demands. This study aimed to understand the current situation of education and training, practical application, and potential demands in spatial epidemiology among public health postgraduates in China, and to assess the critical gaps in a future emerging infectious diseases (EID) pandemic preparedness and response. METHODS: This study was divided into three parts. The first part was a comparative study on spatial epidemiology education in international public health postgraduate training. The second part was a cross-sectional survey conducted among public health professionals. The third part was a nationwide cross-sectional survey conducted among public health postgraduates at Chinese universities from October 2020 to February 2021. Data was collected by the WeChat-based questionnaire star survey system and analyzed using the SPSS software. RESULTS: International education institutions had required public health postgraduates to master the essential knowledge and capacity of spatial epidemiology. A total of 198 public health professionals were surveyed, and they had a median of 4.00 (IQR 3.13-4.53) in demand degree of spatial epidemiology. A total of 1354 public health postgraduates were surveyed from 51 universities. Only 29.41% (15/51) of universities offered spatial epidemiology course. Around 8.05% (109/1354) of postgraduates had learned spatial epidemiology, and had a median of 1.05 (IQR 1.00-1.29) in learning degree and a median of 1.91 (IQR 1.05-2.78) in practical application degree of spatial epidemiology. To enhance professional capacity, 65.95% (893/1354) of postgraduates hoped that universities would deliver a credit-course of spatial epidemiology. CONCLUSIONS: A huge unmet education and training demand in spatial epidemiology existed in the current education system of public health postgraduates in China. To enhance the competency-oriented professional capacity in preparedness and response to a future pandemic, it is urgent to incorporate the teaching and training of spatial epidemiology into the compulsory curriculum system of public health postgraduates in China.

Career outcomes and satisfaction among graduates of a 4-year oral health and welfare baccalaureate program at Niigata University, Japan: A cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: Globally, baccalaureate programs in dental hygiene are increasingly established. In addition, in Japan, many dental hygienists (DHs) and social workers (SWs) are prematurely leaving the workforce. This study aimed to investigate the most recent employment, career outcomes, reasons for a job change, and satisfaction with the job and undergraduate curriculum among graduates of the baccalaureate program at the Department of Oral Health and Welfare (DOHW), Faculty of Dentistry, Niigata University. METHODS: All 262 graduates (graduating classes 1-10) of the DOHW were invited to participate in this survey; an original self-administered questionnaire was distributed to those who consented. Responses were received from 114 (43.5%) graduates. RESULTS: Almost all respondents (89.5%) had dual licensure as both DH and certified SW. They were employed immediately after graduation (99.1%) and at the time of the survey (96.5%). Over 60% of them worked as DHs, mainly in hospitals. SWs mainly worked in administration. Among the 113 respondents who were employed, 39.8% changed jobs at least once. The main reasons for job selection were 'interest in job content' and 'flexible working hours'. Nearly 90% of the respondents felt satisfied or fairly satisfied with their job and their undergraduate education. CONCLUSIONS: A quality 4-year baccalaureate degree program in dental hygiene and social welfare positively influenced graduates' work continuity. Most graduates felt satisfied or fairly satisfied with their job and the undergraduate curriculum. Employment rates within each profession and the prevalence of hospital and administrative roles were higher than national averages. Long-term studies of graduates' career outcomes are warranted.

Change in Neuroticism and Extraversion among Pre-University Education Employees during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Background and objectives: Since the first reports of SARS-CoV-2 infection cases in China, the virus has rapidly spread to many countries, including Romania. In Romania, schools were closed in March 2020 to prevent the virus from spreading; since then, they have been sporadically opened, but only for a short time. Teachers had to adopt online education methods, experiencing real difficulties in their attempts to maintain high-quality teaching, as a result of social distancing from students and colleagues. The current study aimed to evaluate the burden on the neuroticism states of employees in the pre-university education system during the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and Methods: A prospective study was conducted, in which personality trait data from 138 employees were collected via a questionnaire (EPI, Eysenck Personality Inventory), which measured extraversion-introversion and neuroticism scores before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Initially, 150 subjects were invited to participate in the study, although 12 of them refused to participate. Based on the questionnaire not being fully filled in a further three subjects were excluded from the study, leaving a total of 135, of which 115 were woman and 20 were men. Results: The results demonstrate that the subjects included in the study expressed higher neuroticism during the COVID-19 pandemic than in the pre-pandemic period. This change could promote more stress and depression symptoms. Subjects with high school education had significantly lower neuroticism scores over time than those with university education (p = 0.006). Furthermore, we found extraversion scores to be statistically significant in our population (p = 0.022). Conclusion: The gender and living environment of the teachers were not significantly associated with the reduction in the extraversion score, but were more frequently found among older persons and in subjects without higher education. Subjects of Hungarian ethnicity had lower extraversion scores than those of Romanian ethnicity.

Why Students Cheat and How Understanding This Can Help Reduce the Frequency of Academic Misconduct in Higher Education: A Literature Review.

Academic integrity is fundamental to effective education and learning yet cheating continues to occur in diverse forms within the higher education sector. It is essential that students are educated about, and understand the importance of, good academic practice. Strict standards of academic integrity help to ensure that knowledge is acquired in an honest and ethical manner, creating fairness and equity for students, ultimately enriching the student experience at university and the wider society's trust in the value of university education. This literature review synthesizes the many varied reasons why students cheat, as presented in a large body of existing literature. We then turn our attention to what we can do as educators to help reduce the rates of academic misconduct. Factors influencing the propensity of students to cheat are diverse but relatively well understood. Whilst policing and applying appropriate punishments should be part of institutional responses to academic misconduct, it is clear that this is only part of the solution. We emphasize the need for a much broader range of proactive activities to be brought to bear. Many of these are educational in nature and should have benefits for students, staff and institutions beyond discouraging academic misconduct. Resource implication should not be a barrier to their implementation.

Factors predicting University students' behavioral intention to use eLearning platforms in the post-pandemic normal: an UTAUT2 approach with 'Learning Value'.

The use of eLearning platforms has made it possible to continue the learning process in universities, and other educational institutions, during the Covid pandemic. Students' acceptance of eLearning is important because it is associated with their engagement in the online teaching-learning environment. This study used the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT2: Venkatesh et al., 2012) to determine the factors predicting the behavioral intention of university students' to use eLearning platforms in the post-pandemic era. UTAUT2 was extended to include the constructs 'Learning Value' and 'Empowerment in Learning'. 314 students from different universities across Greece participated by completing an online questionnaire. Performance Expectancy, Social Influence, Hedonic Motivation, Learning Value and Habit had a significant impact on students' intention to use eLearning platforms to learn, while Facilitating Conditions and Learning Value had a direct impact on actual use. The findings enhance the research applying the UTAUT2 model, with the Learning Value, for the investigation of students' intention to use eLearning platforms in the post-Covid era. We suggest for Learning Value to be included in future research in an educational context.

Religious Perfectionism Scale: Assessment of Validity and Reliability Among Undergraduate Students in Iran.

Religious perfectionism is a construct that may help to either improve mental health or cause mental health difficulties. The Religious Perfectionism Scale (RPS; Wang in J Relig Health 59: 318-333, 2020) is a useful tool for assessing religious perfectionism around the world, but its psychometric properties have yet to be tested in Iran. The sample in the present study consisted of 300 Iranian undergraduate students (180 females) from Azad University who completed the RPS, the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-2, and the Moral Perfectionism Scale. The impact score was used to determine face validity, and the values of the impact score for all translated items were greater than 1.5, meaning that the items had satisfactory face validity. The Content Validity Index (CVI) values were above the acceptable cutoff score of 0.7, indicating the acceptable content validity of items. The Content Validity Ratio (CVR) scores were greater than the cutoff score of the Lawshe table (.78), indicating the satisfactory essentiality of the items. To measure construct validity, the results of a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) using AMOS software confirmed the scale with two subscales (zealous religious dedication and religious self-criticism). No item was removed from the scale as all factor loading values were greater than 0.49. The findings support the psychometric properties of the scale for measuring religious perfectionism among undergraduate students in Iran.

[Advanced practice nurse at the Centre Hospitalier Intercommunal de Créteil, a first]. / La pratique infirmière avancée, une offre de soins complémentaire.

Claire Devroedt graduated in July 2012 and took up her post as a nurse at the Intercommunal Hospital of Créteil (94) in September of the same year. She practised in conventional pulmonology before joining the oncology department in 2017 as nurse coordinator. She has since completed the advanced practice course, which improves access to care by diversifying the activity of carers. Here is her account of her journey towards this new and innovative practice in the care offer.

Pre-University education curriculum reform and the generic learning skills of medical school entrants: Lessons learned from South Africa.

Background: Pre-university education curriculum changes may increase the skills and knowledge gap between secondary (high school) and tertiary (university) education that have been identified as having a major impact on the success of students from underresourced educational backgrounds. This study investigated the impact of extensive pre-university curriculum revision on the generic learning skills of entrants to South African medical schools, which admit students directly from high school. Methods: In this prospective study, students entering four medical schools during 2008-2011 were surveyed to determine their practice of and confidence in information handling, managing own learning, technical and numeracy skills, and computer, organizational, and presentation skills in the 12-month preceding entry. The 2008 entrants were the final cohort of the old secondary school curriculum. The mean levels of practice or confidence of entrants to the four medical schools, during 2008-2011, were compared using analysis of variance. The Bonferroni's test was used for further pair-wise comparison of cohorts of students either entering in different years or different institutions. Results: While entrants at the four medical schools did not demonstrate a consistent or sustained change in their practice of or confidence in each skill category over the period of study, there were some significant differences between entrants at the respective institutions. Furthermore, entrants to one medical school were consistently less confident of their skills, despite more practice. These findings are best accounted for by the long-standing history of inequitably resourced pre-university education in South Africa. Discussion: These findings highlight the need for close monitoring of the impact of pre-university education changes on the learning skill profiles of university entrants, in order to design effective university programs which enable students from diverse backgrounds to participate and adequately meet curricula demands.

Experiences of students with chronic illness in university education in Ireland.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of university students with a chronic illness in Ireland. The study also aimed to gain insight into students' experiences with Disability Support Services (DSS) and identify gaps where additional supports and resources are needed. DESIGN: Cross-sectional qualitative study. METHODS: Fourteen students from three Irish universities participated in semi-structured interviews. The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analysed through the six-step process of reflexive thematic analysis. RESULTS: Four themes were developed: (1) The burden of managing a chronic illness alongside university education; (2) Interruptions, disruptions and alterations to college life; (3) Flexible supports for fluctuating conditions; (4) Achieving in educating while living with a chronic illness. CONCLUSIONS: Participants reported a physical and emotional burden. Despite engaging in rigorous management strategies, many participants missed lectures and socialising with peers. Some found the supports from DSS to be useful, however many were unsure if they qualified for support, or found the supports available to be generic and inadequate for their needs. There is significant scope for the delivery of both teaching and DSS to be improved for this cohort, ensuring that all students, regardless of their health status, have equal opportunities for success.

Development and validation of a mental hyperactivity questionnaire for the evaluation of chronic stress in higher education.

BACKGROUND: Examination and understanding of neural hyperactivity are some of the greatest scientific challenges faced in the present day. For this reason, the present study aimed to examine this phenomenon in the context of higher education. METHOD: Likewise, this work will enable an instrument to be created to appropriately and reliably estimate neural hyperactivity associated with chronic stress in university students undertaking a Physiotherapy degree. RESULTS: Analysis of content validity was carried out according to agreement and consensus between nineteen experts with Education Science or Psychology degrees, via the Delphi method. On the other hand, face validity was established by administering the questionnaire to a sample of 194 university students aged between 18 and 45 years (M = 30.48%; SD = 13.152). CONCLUSION: The final self-report measure, denominated mental hyperactivity, was composed of 10 items which showed adequate fit with regards to face and content validity (α = 0.775). Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed that the questionnaire was unidimensional.

University-based academic programs in addiction studies in the regions of Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand: An overview.

INTRODUCTION: Current trends in the addiction field reflect a significant emphasis on the workforce development and education. There are already some data about university-based addiction studies programs, but not much from Australasia. METHODS: The aim is to provide an overview and describe the academic programs for addiction professionals in Australia and Aotearoa NZ. The research was conducted in 2017 and updated in 2023. Firstly, university websites were searched using pre-defined keywords, followed by a content analysis of the identified programs. The data were analysed and interpreted by using descriptive statistics. RESULTS: We found 21 universities in Australia (13) and Aotearoa NZ (8) where 46 single programs are provided. There are three bachelor programs, nine masters, and the majority of degrees include (post)graduate certificates and diplomas. No doctorate programs are identified. The taught courses provide comprehensive coverage of the addiction field topics. Twelve programs state clearly that there is clinical practice/internship included. Application to most programs requires completion of a relevant degree and in some cases possible clinical experience. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: In comparison to educational options in other regions, we observe a trend towards preparing university graduates for the workforce, thereby expanding the range of programs at lower levels. Most programs possibly represent clinically oriented education primarily specialising in addictions, and graduate programs in addictions for professionals with other disciplinary bases. Great emphasis is given to the quality standards of education, and also to relationship between education and labour market. Findings help opening opportunities to collaborate globally.

Education and socioeconomic status as predictors of refugee mental health: insights from a study of Jordan-based Syrian refugee sample.

Background: The Syrian civil war is considered as the greatest humanitarian crisis in modern history, which has resulted in a major refugee crisis. A significant concern is the high prevalence of mental disorders such as depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among Syrian refugees. While the focus of most refugee mental health research has been pre-migration trauma, post-migration challenges and stressors, which can also be significant determinants of mental health, are often ignored. The purpose of this study was to assess mental health of Syrian refugees as compared to local Jordanians, and to examine sociodemographic factors and perceived stressors that are associated with mental distress among participants. Methods: This was a cross sectional study conducted in northern region of Jordan among Syrian refugee and Jordanian adults. We used the validated Arabic version of Afghan Symptoms Checklist (ASC) to assess mental distress among participants. Results: A total of 929 subjects (43% Syrian refugees, 56% females) participated in this study. Disparities in education, monthly income, and health insurance were significant between Syrian refugees and Jordanians, p < 0.001. The mean score in ASC was significantly higher among Syrian refugees, particularly among refugee females (mean ASC score ± standard deviation: Syrian refugee females: 58.22 ± 1.13; Syrian refugee males: 45.31 ± 1.28; Jordanian females: 51.06 ± 0.91; Jordanian males: 46.45 ± 1.08, p = 0.002). Multivariable linear regression showed that the estimated difference in the mean of ASC score between males and females is 7.42 (p < 0.001), and the estimated mean difference between Syrian refugees and Jordanians is 2.76 (p = 0.019). Interestingly, the estimated mean of ASC scores for individuals with high education level is decreased by 4.18 as compared to individuals with lower education level (high school or less), p < 0.001. Conclusion: Education level was highly predictable of mental distress of Syrian refugees, particularly female refugees. Enhancing higher educational opportunities is proposed for improving socioeconomic status of refugees which might serve as a buffering strategy for mental distress among this vulnerable population.

A pilot study on gamified and conventional e-quizzes reinforcing human histology among first-year medical and physiotherapy students.

The present retrospective, descriptive, and quasi-experimental study aimed to explore students' perceptions of traditional teaching combined with gamified and nongamified e-tests for postlecture reinforcement. Midterm knowledge retention and academic performance were also analyzed. The study was conducted from February 2021 to May 2022, involving a single group of first-year medical and physiotherapy students enrolled in equivalent core subjects on human histology at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC). Lectures were supplemented with gamified Quizizz (QQ) or nongamified Moodle questionnaires (MQ) after lecture (t0) and 30 days later (t30). From 171 attendees, 162 volunteers were surveyed on their perceptions on the experience. Furthermore, 97 volunteers participated in the DOCENTIA-ULPGC survey on the students' satisfaction, and 123 participants individually answered 20 QQ and 20 MQ. Data were analyzed using the program Jamovi 2.3.24. The survey on volunteers' perception comprised 11 Likert items and 3 numerical scale items. The former showed acceptable internal consistency (ω-McDonald, 0.70) and validity (KMO, 0.58). Both types of e-questionnaires facilitated learning and motivated pre-reading contents but QQs were preferred. Reinforced lectures were rated higher than those unreinforced. Volunteers expressed higher overall satisfaction though DOCENTIA-ULPGC survey than the prepandemic control group. Average scores peaked at t0 with higher MQ rates. At t30, MQ and QQ scores were acceptable and similar. Participants' outcomes in the final exam tended to improve compared to the prepandemic control group, but without statistical significance. In summary, gamified and nongamified e-quizzes enhanced the student satisfaction and motivation and facilitated midterm knowledge retention.

Evolution of environmental chemistry study program curricula in tertiary education: a case study and general implications.

Societal and scientific progress has led to the formation of new study programs, often with multidisciplinary curricula. Guarantors and teachers of such programs must be prepared to quickly adapt to the needs and demands of students, society, the job market, and the commercial sphere since many issues start surfacing during the first years of the programs' life. Here we share our experience with such a process in the study program "Environment and Health" taught since 2019 at Masaryk University in Brno, Czech Republic. Feedback from students and alumni allows for improvement of the curriculum and organization of the program. We show feedback loops from three perspectives: Feedback from immediate short-term experience can be incorporated within a year, medium-term feedback loops can manifest after several years, and long-term ones even decades. While current students usually perceive only short- or medium-term issues, the philosophy and structure of the program must be built by predicting societal and commercial needs in the following decades. Such long-term aspects are often counterintuitive to students' vision, but still have to be considered for the program to remain attractive to new applicants. Balancing the original vision, preparing and applying changes, and dealing with feedback on all levels are key managerial challenges of successful study programs.

Gamification in the classroom: Kahoot! As a tool for university teaching innovation.

Objectives: The purpose of this study has been to evaluate the use of gamification in the classroom, in terms of its effects on attention, concentration, creativity, and generic capabilities, for university students enrolled in a Bachelor's degree program in Physiotherapy. Methods: An experimental design was implemented, using three groups differentiated by their time of exposure to the game (0 min, 30 min, or 60 min per week). The sample consisted of 73 s-year students from a Bachelor's degree program in Physiotherapy. The theoretical content for each class was taught during a period of 4 months, reinforced by use of the Kahoot! Online platform. Selective attention and concentration were evaluated using the d2 Test of Attention; creative intelligence using the Creative Intelligence Test (CREA); and generic capabilities using the capabilities subscale of the Student Engagement Questionnaire (SEQ). Results: The study's participants had a mean age of 19.51 ± 0.9 years, and it has demonstrated that use of Kahoot! For longer periods of time, i.e., more than 60 min per day, can improve essential skills in university students, such as attention, creativity, critical thinking, self-managed learning, adaptability, problem solving, and computer literacy. This study's results show that integrating Kahoot! Into the educational environment, especially with longer sessions that allow for deeper immersion in the game, produces benefits by stimulating various cognitive aspects and enhancing complex skills. Conclusion: This study has demonstrated that use of Kahoot! Improves key skills such as attention, creativity, and critical thinking, especially when longer sessions are used. It is also suggested that its use should be balanced with other educational activities, in order to achieve comprehensive development for the students.

Peer mentoring experience related to information and communication technologies. A qualitative study.

INTRODUCTION: Quality and inclusive education must include Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), which is a growing trend in educational environments since the COVID-19 pandemic. These technologies have transformed learning towards more collaborative and interactive models, but they also pose a barrier due to the lack of skills or knowledge about their use. This circumstance has been identified among some first-year nursing students. OBJECTIVE: The present study focuses on exploring the perception of students who participated in the experience of peer mentoring to improve adaptation to the use of Information and Communication Technologies. DESIGN AND METHODS: The study employed a descriptive qualitative approach, relying on in-depth interviews and a focus group conducted with 29 students who participated in the project between 2020 and 2023. Additionally, sociodemographic data and information about Information and Communication Technologies were collected through a self-administered questionnaire. RESULTS: The findings indicate that mentors exhibited higher competencies than those being mentored, yet the experience was positive and satisfying for both, emerging as an effective strategy to facilitate learning. Another noteworthy result is the performance of younger students in the role of mentors, a fact that contradicts similar experiences. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, peer mentoring emerges as a valid strategy for acquiring digital competencies and Information and Communication Technologies among first-year nursing students, fostering more inclusive learning environments.

The Role of Higher Education in Shaping Essential Personality Traits for Achieving Success in Entrepreneurship in Spain.

Research on university education and its role in developing personality traits essential to achieving success in entrepreneurship is required because of the significance of entrepreneurship for advancements in the economic, social, technological, and environmental spheres. Additionally, the value of a university education in shaping an individual's personality, and the necessity of emphasizing entrepreneurship in higher education for students to achieve real success, should be a priority in our society. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to explore how university education influences personality traits that are key to success in entrepreneurship in Spain. To achieve this objective, a qualitative methodology based on the study of 11 cases has been adopted. The results allow us to conclude that university education has a decisive influence on the development of the personality traits that integrally determine entrepreneurial success as the culmination of the final stage of the maturation process; however, a university education is not fundamental to the development of these traits. Nevertheless, entrepreneurs emphasized that the personality traits analyzed need to be reinforced explicitly in university education since they effectively positively impact the success of entrepreneurial initiatives.