No description available.

INTRODUCTION: Students from low-income backgrounds (LIB) have been underrepresented in Canadian medical schools for over fifty years. Despite our awareness of this problem, little is known about the experiences of aspiring physicians from LIB in Canada who are working towards medical school admission. As a result, we do not have insight into the barriers and facilitators that may be used to increase the representation of students from LIB in Canadian medical schools. METHODS: This thesis describes a qualitative description interview study aimed at understanding the experiences of aspiring physicians from LIB as they attempt to gain entry to medical school. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 15 participants at different stages of their undergraduate, master’s, and non-medical professional education. RESULTS: We used the theories of intersectionality and identity capital as a theoretical framework for identifying barriers and facilitators to a career in medicine. Participants experienced social, identity-related, economic, structural, and informational barriers to a career in medicine. Intrinsic facilitators included motivation, self-confidence, attitude, strategy, information seeking and sorting, and financial literacy and increasing income. Extrinsic facilitators were social, informational, financial, and institutional in nature. CONCLUSION: This study fills existing gaps in the literature by identifying the pre-admissions barriers and facilitators encountered by aspiring physicians from LIB. This information will be useful to medical schools, organizations, and researchers interested in supporting underrepresented groups. Given that medical students from LIB are more likely to serve underserved populations, this is relevant to Canadian medical schools’ social accountability commitment to producing physicians that meet the health needs of marginalized and vulnerable patients. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc) / GOALS: This thesis describes an interview study aimed at understanding the experiences of aspiring physicians from low-income backgrounds (LIB) as they attempt to gain entry to medical school. Interviews were conducted with 15 participants at different stages of their undergraduate, master’s, and non-medical professional education. CONTRIBUTIONS: This study fills existing gaps in the literature by identifying the pre-admissions barriers and facilitators encountered by aspiring physicians from LIB. Participants experienced social, identity-related, economic, structural, and informational barriers to a career in medicine. Intrinsic facilitators included motivation, self-confidence, attitude, strategy, information seeking and sorting, and financial literacy and increasing income. Extrinsic facilitators were social, informational, financial, and institutional. This information will be useful to medical schools, supportive organizations and researchers interested in supporting underrepresented groups.

The purpose of this study was: (1) to investigate Kuwait University (KU) students' attitudes toward seeking professional psychological help; and (2) to investigate if family, friends, and societal support played a role in the student's decision to seek professional psychological help as measured by the Family, Friends, and Societal Support Scale (FFSS), which was developed by the author. Other assessment tools used in the study included: (1) Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help Scale (ATSPPHS) as developed by Fischer and Turner (1970); (2) Orientation Toward Utilization of Social Resources (OTUSR) as developed by Vaux, Burda, and Stewart (1986); (3) a modified Life Stress Events Scale (LSE) based on 18 items selected from the 43 items Social Readjustment Scale published by Holmes and Rahe (1967); and (4) Demographic Data Sheet (DDS). A total of 529 participants completed all five assessment tools. The results indicated that KU students have less favorable attitudes toward seeking professional psychological help than groups studied by other researchers. The results also supported previous research, which found females, in general, to have more favorable attitudes toward seeking professional help than males. Individuals who received previous counseling were more likely to have favorable attitudes toward seeking professional help than those who did not receive such help. Students who majored or minored in psychology had more favorable attitudes toward counseling than those who were not psychology majors or minors. The newly developed scale, FFSS, was an effective predictor of KU students' attitudes toward seeking professional psychological help and explained more variance in ATSPPHS scores than any other predictors used in the study. / Ph. D.

Bakgrund: Nacksmärta är vanligt förekommande bland universitetsstudenter, där över en fjärdedel av studenterna inom vissa utbildningsgrupper uppger att de haft nacksmärta någon gång under det senaste året. Nacksmärta bland unga vuxna är en riskfaktor för minskad arbetsproduktivitet senare i livet och tidigare besvär är en av de tydligaste riskfaktorerna för nacksmärta bland personer i yrkesverksam ålder. Mycket forskning tyder på att fysisk aktivitet kan minska risken för uppkomst av arbetsrelaterad nacksmärta, men vilken dos, det vill säga hur mycket, fysisk aktivitet som behövs är inte klar. Syfte: Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka sambandet mellan fysisk aktivitet på hög intensitet minst 90 minuter i veckan och uppkomst av nacksmärta bland universitetsstudenter, kontrollerat för förväxlingsvariabler. Metod: En registerstudie genomfördes där data från 92 universitetsstudenter utan nacksmärta vid baslinjen analyserades i en multipel logistisk regressionsmodell. Resultat: Resultatet visade inget signifikant samband mellan fysisk aktivitet på hög intensitet minst 90 minuter i veckan och uppkomst av nacksmärta kontrollerat för förväxlingsvariabler, dock indikerar konfidensintervallet att den möjliga förebyggande effekten är större än den möjliga negativa effekten. Resultatet visade ett signifikant samband mellan uppkomst av nacksmärta och depression bland kvinnor. Sambandet mellan ålder och uppkomst av nacksmärta var inte signifikant men låg nära signifikansnivån. Slutsats: Uppkomst av nacksmärta har en multifaktoriell orsak, och behöver därför förebyggas genom ett mångfacetterat tillvägagångssätt. Vilken dos fysisk aktivitet som behövs för att minska risken för uppkomst av nacksmärta bland universitetsstudenter är däremot fortfarande oklar och mer forskning behövs för utformning av riktlinjer och rekommendationer. / Background: Neck pain is common amongst university students and can lead to neck pain later in their working life with effects such as reduced work productivity and high costs for the society. Studies show that physical activity can have a preventive effect on neck pain, but the dose is indefinite.  Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the association between physical activity at a high intensity at least 90 minutes per week and onset of neck pain amongst university students, controlling for confounding variables.  Method: A register study was conducted and data from 92 university students with no neck pain at baseline was analyzed with a multiple logistic regression model.  Results: The result showed no significant association between physical activity at a high intensity at least 90 minutes per week and onset of neck pain when controlled for confounding variables, although the confidence interval indicates that the possible preventive effect is bigger than the possible negative effect. The result showed a significant association between onset of neck pain and depression amongst women. The association between age and onset of neck pain was not statistically significant but was close to the significance level.  Conclusion: Neck pain has a multifactorial cause and should be prevented through a multifaceted approach. The dose of physical activity that is needed to reduce the risk of developing neck pain amongst university students is still unclear and more research is needed to formulate guidelines and recommendations.

Compared to their white counterparts, college students of color often have to deal with extra stressors associated with racial/ethnic (R/E) discrimination. R/E discrimination has been shown to be associated with a variety of negative outcomes, including increased psychological distress. This study aimed to better understand the negative impacts of R/E discrimination on college students of color by examining an indirect effect model in which discrimination affected psychological distress through perceived social support. Further, the moderating roles of three novel variables: social dominance orientation, collective coping, and internalized racism were explored. We predicted that social dominance orientation and collective coping would weaken the positive association between R/E discrimination and psychological distress whereas internalized racism would strengthen this relation. Participants of this study included 239 students of color recruited from a university in the southern United States who completed a r

Minne, stress och sömn är tre faktorer som påverkar en individs välbefinnande, hälsa och prestation. Sömn- och stressproblematik har under de senaste åren ökat såväl hos vuxna som hos universitetsstudenter. Sömnbesvär och stress är en negativ bidragande faktor till studenters studieresultat. Retrospektiva minnen (RM) är en typ av bakåtriktade minnen medan prospektiva minnen (PM) är en typ av framåtriktade minnen. Det finns tidigare forskning som visar att vuxna tenderar att ha större minnesproblem kopplat till PM än till RM. En anledning till detta kan vara att de använder sig av olika perceptuella och kognitiva processer. Samtidigt finns det forskning som visar att stress påverkar både RM och PM negativt. Studier har visat att sömnproblem har ökat hos studenter under de senaste åren. Studenter utsätts för höga krav i form av föreläsningar, lektioner och examinationer under deras studietid som i sin tur kan leda till ökad stress. Ökad stress kan därmed leda till ökade sömnsvårigheter och försämrade resultat vid minnestester. Föreliggande studie hade som syfte att undersöka sambandet mellan prospektivt minne, retrospektivt minne, stress och sömn hos 90  universitetsstudenter. Den ämnade också undersöka om det fanns några skillnader mellan RM och PM och om dessa skillnader kunde bero på stress och sömn. Samtliga faktorer i studien var baserade på självskattade enkätsvar. Det fanns ett medelstark samband mellan stress och minnessvårigheter samt mellan sömnbesvär och stress. Studenterna upplevde sig ha något sämre PM än RM. Stress och sömn låg inte bakom skillnaden mellan PM och RM. / Memory, stress, and mind are three factors affecting an individual's well-being, health, and performance. In recent years, problems related to sleep and stress have increased both for adults and for university students. Problems related to sleep and stress are a negative contributing factor to a students' study results. Retrospective memories (RM) are a type of backward memories while prospective memories (PM) are a type of forward memories. There is previous research showing that adults tend to have greater memory problems linked to PM rather than to RM. One reason for this may be that they use different perceptual and cognitive processes. On the other hand, there is research showing that stress affects both RM and PM negatively. There are studies showing increased sleeping problems for students in recent years. Students are exposed to high demands because of lectures, lessons, and examinations during their studies, which in turn can lead to increased stress. Increased stress can thus lead to increased sleep difficulties and impaired results in memory tests. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between prospective memory, retrospective memory, stress, and sleep in 90 university students. It also aimed to investigate whether there were any differences between RM and PM and whether these differences could be due to stress and sleep. All factors in the study were based on self-reported questionnaire responses. There was a medium-strong relationship between stress and memory difficulties and between sleep problems and stress. The students felt that they had slightly worse PM than RM. Stress and sleep were not a reason behind the difference between PM and RM.

There are numerous ways to measure or estimate parental attachment, from which can be deduced a positive, neutral, or negative relationship between adult child and parent. A standardized measure of parental attachment was administered to participants in this study, in order to determine a rating scale that can be worked with statistically to determine possible connections between the attachment measure and GP A. To that end, this study used the Revised Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment, (IPPA-R). The relationship between parent and child has profound effects on an individual throughout their life. Even in adulthood, the attachment of adult children to their parents affects their attitudes and achievement. It is a relationship common to all. Even if the person is orphaned or abandoned, if this relationship between parental attachment and adult achievement can be demonstrated statistically, it may lead the way in learning to focus the positive power of parental attachment into measurable achievement for the adult child. It is hoped that this research may lead to further study about parental attachment and the impact it may have on academic achievement, and perhaps extrapolated to increasing achievement in other areas. The goal of this study was to measure the influence of parental attachment upon the academic achievement of adult children, measured by the Revised Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment (IPPA-R) developed by Amsden and Greenberg (2009). The IPPAR is a revision to the original Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment, first developed by Amsden and Greenberg in 1987. The original version had questions that were directed toward both parents together, such as "My parents respect my feelings ... " (Amsden & Greenberg, 1987). In the IPPA-R, the same question was broken down into questions for both father and mother. The same question in the IPPA-R would be, "My mother respects my feelings ... " and "My father respects my feelings ... " (Amsden & Greenberg, 1987). Participants for this study were recruited from a junior level Psychology class at the University of Central Florida. Extra credit was awarded for participation. A total of 106 students participated in this study. Of the total 106 surveys submitted, 3 surveys were incomplete, thereby reducing the number of participants to 103. Informed consent was provided by participants at the beginning of the survey. Along with the mother and father sections of the IPPA-R, the questionnaire included demographic inquiries, such as race, age and gender. Along with these questions, the request for grade point average (GPA) was included. Academic achievement was measured by GPA at the university level. GPA was recorded on a 1-4 scale, using 2 decimal points. The independent variable in this study was parental attachment with seven levels. GPA served as the dependent measure. Data were analyzed using a one way between subject Analysis of Variance, (ANOV A). GPA did not significantly differ as a function of parental attachment, F(6,97)= 1.758, p=0.116. Previous research using the IPPA-R as a psychometric tool has shown significant effects when parental attachment is compared to psychological well-being (Gullone & Robinson, 2005), as well as other, more diverse variables, such as tendencies toward drug abuse among female teenagers (Renes & Strange, 2009) and commitment to career choices (Ward, 2003). This study made use of the IPPA-R measure, as the above mentioned research did, but the dependent variable of GPA was different than other research using the IPPAR. Most research with the IPPA-R seeks to measure psychological well being, or some aspect of it. The present research differed from previous studies in that this project used academic achievement as the dependent variable. Academic achievement at the university level can be extremely important to life and career directions adult children may choose. Despite the lack of statistical evidence, several interesting issues were raised. These issues, as well as possible directions for future research, are discussed.

Climate change poses the most significant threat to sustainable tourism in the 21st century, impacting destinations globally with abnormal weather phenomena. Climate change not only affects the environment but also our mental health. Extreme weather events linked to climate change increase the risk of anxiety, depressive disorders, and other mental health issues, particularly among young people such as Gen-Z. Nevertheless, climate change anxiety has shown potential to motivate eco-friendly actions, including travel choices. The current research gap exists concerning how climate change anxiety influences travel decision-making. Understanding this relationship is crucial for comprehending the psychological factors driving environmentally responsible decisions. In the present study, the protection motivation theory offers the theoretical lenses for understanding responses to fear stimuli and the motivation for protective actions. This study utilized a nonequivalent quasi-experimental design with focus groups to investigate the impact of climate change anxiety on travel choices among Gen-Z university students. Two groups, a treatment group and a comparison group, were exposed to different climate change videos designed to evoke higher or lower levels of anxiety. While the video shown to the treatment group successfully heightened climate change anxiety, the study found that increased anxiety did not necessarily result in sustainable travel choices. Instead, it often led to feelings of apathy and desensitization. The research identified lack of self-efficacy, cost and time as the main barriers for university students to consider more environmentally travels. It highlights the need for better climate change communication to inspire positive action, emphasizing a vision of a better future. The study’s results offer a baseline for future research aimed at understanding effective climate change communication strategies that prompt pro- environmental actions. Interventions aimed at reshaping travel decision-making, which take into account climate change anxiety and evolutionary biases influencing travel choices, can offer valuable insights for public campaigns promoting sustainable consumption among Gen Z. By nudging tourists and making sustainability the default choice, these interventions could effectively encourage more eco-friendly travel decisions.

This study was designed to identify the unique shaping of the university/student relationship through the lens of the in loco parentis concept. The questions asked were to what extent has in loco parentis defined the relationship of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and its students through the institution's history as framed by: (a) the institution's mission, (b) university governance, (c) the definition of in loco parentis, and (d) institutional culture? Has in loco parentis found its sustenance at this institution through legal or cultural justification, or both? Qualitative case study methodology was utilized to examine in loco parentis within four time periods: (a) Shaping of a Land Grant University, 1891-1907, (b) Expansion of VPI Post World War II, 1945-1955, (c) Establishing the University, 1945-1955, and (d) Framing the Present, 1988- 1992. The research concluded that in loco parentis was historically grounded in the legal interpretation provided by the court. In loco parentis was sustained within this study by the culture of one particular land grant university grounded in its original charge of structuring a military lifestyle. The legal system provided a steady and constant external sustenance of in loco parentis and the institutional culture provided internal justification for in loco parentis as demonstrated within the history and tradition of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Each time period studied provided a view of the University that defined its role to its students in place of parent under the dominant influence of presidential leadership. / Ph. D. / incomplete_metadata

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has had an impact on nearly all people. Vaccines provide an effective tool to combat the pandemic, however, vaccination hesitancy remains an issue. This study aims to investigate (a) students' attitudes toward the pandemic, (b) potential differences in attitudes between university students and the general population, and (c) to examine predictors of vaccination intention in both samples. Methods: In this cross-sectional study data from two research projects were analyzed and compared. First, attitudes toward the COVID-19 pandemic in German university students were assessed within a cross-sectional anonymous online survey (March-April 2021, N = 5,639) and analyzed quantitatively and also qualitatively (free text field answers examined positive and negative aspects of the pandemic). Second, data from a cross-sectional survey within the COVID-19 Snapshot Monitoring project (COSMO; 29th wave of data collection, December 2020, N = 1,387) in the German general population was analyzed. Both samples, were compared in sharedly used variables, regarding attitudes toward the pandemic and vaccination intention, and factors associated with vaccination (logistic regression analyses). Results: In comparison to the general population, university students were significantly more likely to report being worried about/thinking about the coronavirus and to perceive the coronavirus as overrepresented in the media (all p < 0.001). University students reported a more supportive attitude toward vaccinations in general (students: M = 4.57, SD = 0.85; general population: M = 3.92, SD = 1.27) and a significantly higher vaccination intention (students: n = 4,438, 78.7%; general population: n = 635, 47.7%) than the general population (p < 0.001). Regression analyses revealed that in university students, vaccination intention was significantly predicted by not having children, a supporting attitude toward vaccinations in general, the belief that the coronavirus is overrepresented in the media, and less thinking about/worrying about the coronavirus (all p < 0.05). In the general population, vaccination intention was significantly associated with male gender, higher age, not having children, a supporting attitude toward vaccinations in general, and the belief that the coronavirus is overrepresented in the media (p < 0.05). The qualitative analysis among university students revealed that the most frequently stated positive aspect of the pandemic was to be more flexible due to digitalization (n = 1,301 statements, 22.2%) and the most frequently stated negative aspect was restriction in social life (n = 3,572 statements, 24.2%). Conclusion: The results indicate differences in the attitudes toward the pandemic between university students and the general population. In addition, differences regarding factors associated with vaccination intention were found in both samples. These results could be important to be considered when designing and targeting vaccination campaigns aiming at informing different population or age groups.