For aging populations age 65 years and older, lack of social engagement, or social isolation, is a public health issue that can have serious health implications. The ability to engage socially can decrease with aging populations due to many factors, such as health status and mobility. As social engagement decreases, the potential for serious diseases, such as dementia, increases. Limited social connections and engagement can be linked to healthcare utilization through increased rates of re-hospitalization as well as potentially decreased ability to and increased need to regularly access physician services. The aim of this research is to expand on the existing body of work in the area of care access and social isolation among aging populations, to examine the relationship between physician office visits and social activity and what differences may exist between those who live in urban and non-urban settings. A cross-sectional analysis was conducted using data from the Fall 2019 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS). The number of physician office visits participants have annually was the variable of primary interest. Physician visits were categorized dichotomously into moderate or no use and high use. Individuals with 11 or more visits were considered to be high utilizers within this data set and those with 10 visits or less as low. The key independent variables in this analysis are social activities and geography of the respondent. Social activities are defined has having social limitations, from respondents indicating limited activities most or all of the time in the past month, or low limitations, indication of some or no limitation of activities within the past month. Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) was used to categorize respondents as residing in an urban or rural community. The study population included 11,670 individuals over the age of 65. Approximately 15% of respondents were categorized as high health service utilizers and 85% were low or average. Only 7% of respondents were noted as having high levels of restrictions on social activities. The majority (81%) of respondents were classified as residing in a metro area compared to 19% residing in non-metro areas. High restrictions on social activities were associated with higher numbers of physician visits Approximately 10.6% of individuals with high social restrictions were also categorized as having higher numbers of physician visits compared to 6.6% among those with low social restrictions (OR=1.667; 95%CI: 1.47-1.89). No associations between geography and physician visits were noted. This study found a relationship between restricted social engagement and higher utilization of physician services. These findings were not consistent when adjusting for additional covariates of interest. Because poor general health can play a large part in both the ability to engage socially and high utilization of physician visits in aging populations, these findings underscore the importance of enhancing community services and opportunities for social engagement as health policy tools for improving health and quality of life for aging individuals.

This study focused on intervention using a humanoid robot to facilitate social engagement and joint attention in four children with autism. Intervention was conducted over a three month period, with each child receiving pre-testing, intervention, and post-testing. Intervention was based on the SCERTS model (Prizant, Wetherby, Rubin, & Laurent, 2003). Pre- and post-testing involved interactions with a parent, a familiar adult interaction, a less-familiar adult interaction, and a triadic interaction. This study focuses on the baseline and follow-up testing from the interaction with the familiar adult. Following a period of traditional intervention, sessions involving a humanoid robot (named Troy) were conducted. The robot was integrated into the therapy in a low dose model, meaning that during a 50-minute therapy session, approximately 10 minutes were designated to interactions using the robot to facilitate the interaction. Pre- and post-intervention assessments were recorded, analyzed, and coded for social engagement behaviors. Results comparing baseline to follow-up assessments of the interactions with the familiar adult indicated that the most notable changes were observed in reciprocal action and eye contact. Little change was noted in initiation of social engagement, symbolic play, and language. The implications of these results are discussed and recommendations for future research are provided.

This study is a small portion of a larger work examining the effects of low dosage robot use in interactive and social engagement therapy for children with autism. The purpose of this study was to investigate the participation of the subjects during song activities. Four children were used as participants, each receiving a total of 20 play-based treatment sessions targeting engagement and social interaction. The clinician incorporated the robot into these treatment sessions for 10 minute long segments within a 50 minute session. The current study analyzed these 10 minute segments with the robot, coding turn-taking behaviors. Results indicated that, at least for a time, the robot facilitated improvement in these behaviors for two of the four children. The other two children demonstrated no improvements. These results are discussed, and the limitations of the study and recommendations for future research are examined.

This quantitative study explored the obstacles African American male students face that can hinder their academic progress at community colleges within the rural regions of Louisiana. This study viewed the collective experiences of African American males in community colleges in order to improve their academic outcomes, completion, and retention rates. This study also explored the African American male’s educational experiences and the personal and academic obstacles they faced as students in the community college environment. This study used a research design that collected data from African American male students in two rural Louisiana community colleges. This study utilized a survey as the means to collect data. The dependent variables in this study were age, first-generation college student status, academic goal, and full-time or part-time job status. The independent variables were institutional factors that affect students’ completion rates, role of relationships with instructors, and impediments to social engagement in the community college environment. There were 100 African American male students who participated in the survey. The survey included 25 questions. There were 4 questions that measure participants’ demographics. The demographics being measured were age range, first-generation college student status, academic goal, and job status. There were 7 questions that measured the institutional factors that may affect completion rates. There were 9 questions that measured the experiences with faculty. There were 5 questions that measured student engagement socially and academically on campus. Answers were given based on a Likert scale or a list of responses from which to choose. Data analyses used to address the research questions include descriptive statistics for Research Questions 1-3 and one-way ANOVA for Research Question 4. Results from this study showed a statistically significant relationship between the African American male students’ demographics and institutional factors, relationship with instructors, and social engagement as a predictor for retention and graduation rates. This study provided data for community college administrators, state and federal-level policy makers, and faculty to help improve degree, diploma, and certificate attainment of African American males in community colleges.

Introdução: Embora participação social seja considerada um dos pilares das políticas de promoção de um envelhecimento ativo, uma trajetória de declínio de participação na velhice avançada tende a ser mais difundida na literatura. Dada a ausência de consenso teórico, identifica-se a necessidade de especificar a restrição em participação segundo tipos e níveis de atividades sociais e os motivos apresentados por idosos em idade avançada. Objetivo: Identificar motivos relatados por idosos em idade avançada e residentes na comunidade para restrição em participação social, considerando tipos e níveis específicos de atividades sociais. Método: Estudo transversal e descritivo a partir de dados de 205 idosos pertencentes à amostra de seguimento do estudo Fragilidade em Idosos Brasileiros realizadas com indivíduos com mais de 80 anos (FIBRA80+; 2016-2017) coletadas em Campinas (SP) e no Subdistrito de Ermelino Matarazzo (SP, capital). Foram extraídas a) informações sociodemográficas e econômicas; b) indicadores de participação social a partir de um inventário de atividades avançadas de vida diária selecionados e classificadas em níveis hierárquicos de participação; c) respostas abertas relativas aos motivos para a restrição em atividades indicadas pelos idosos. Resultados: Houve maior restrição em atividades de níveis intermediários e distais. Derivou-se seis categorias de motivos para a restrição em participação: Motivos psicológicos, motivos sociais, motivos de saúde, motivos por incapacidades, motivos econômicos e motivos ambientais. Correlações significativas foram encontradas entre idade, escolaridade, renda e corresidência com a atribuição de motivos psicológicos, sociais e de incapacidade. Conclusão: Há variabilidade em participação social na velhice avançada, sendo que os idosos amostra apresentaram maior permanência em atividades de níveis proximais. Entre os que restringem as atividades o fazem em níveis intermediários e distais, com maior atribuição a motivos psicológicos, sociais e de incapacidade / Introduction: Although social participation is considered one of the pillars of active aging promotion policies, a homogeneous path of declining participation in advanced old age tends to be taken as a normative phenomenon. Given the lack of theoretical consensus, we identify the need to specify the restriction on participation according to types and levels of social activities and the motives attributed by elderly individuals. Objective: To identify motives reported by elderly individuals and residents of the community to restrict social participation, considering specific types and levels of social activities. Method: Cross-sectional and descriptive study of data from 205 elderly individuals from the follow-up sample of the Fragility Study in Brazilian Elderly individuals over 80 years old (FIBRA80 +, 2016-2017) collected in Campinas and in the Sub-district of Ermelino Matarazzo in the state of São Paulo. information was extracted on a) sociodemographic and economic data; b) indicators of social participation based on an inventory of advanced activities of daily living selected and classified according to hierarchical levels of participation according to theoretical criteria; c) open answers regarding the motives for restriction on activities indicated by the elderly. Results: There were greater maintenance of participation in proximal activities and greater restriction in activities of intermediate and distal levels. By means of content analysis, we derived six categories of motives for the restriction of participation: psychological, social, health, disability, economic and environmental. Significant correlations were found between sex, age, schooling, income and correspondence with the attribution of psychological, social and disability motives. Conclusion: The study revealed variability in social participation in advanced old age with positive maintenance indexes. Among those who restrict activities, they do so at intermediate and distal levels, with greater attribution to psychological, social, and disability motives

O presente trabalho tem por objetivo refletir acerca dos papéis de intelectual e escritor engajado desempenhados pelo autor pernambucano radicado em São Paulo Marcelino Freire. Para tanto, fez-se, num primeiro momento, um percurso por algumas definições de intelectual, com o propósito de compreender a função desse sujeito na contemporaneidade, e procurou-se verificar e exemplificar como ocorre o engajamento de intelectuais na literatura. Em seguida, discutiu-se o agenciamento de Freire tanto na cena cultural como curador, palestrante, colunista, por exemplo quanto literária. Por último, a fim de diagnosticar como ocorre o engajamento mais especificamente na escrita ficcional freiriana, analisamos cinco contos do autor cuja temática central é o racismo ainda presente na sociedade brasileira e, ao mesmo tempo, a resistência do povo negro, a saber: Faz de conta que não foi. Nada. (Angu de sangue), Trabalhadores do Brasil, Solar dos Príncipes e Curso superior (Contos negreiros) e Favela Fênix (Amar é crime). / This paper aims to explore Pernambuco-born and São Paulo-based author Marcelino Freires place as an intellectual and engaged writer. In order to do so, at first we analyzed some definitions of intellectual, with the purpose of understanding the function of this subject in the contemporary world, and we sought to verify and exemplify how intellectuals social and political engagement occurs in literature. Then Freire\'s performance was discussed both in the cultural scene as a curator, speaker and columnist, for example as well as in the literary scene. Finally, in order to establish how social and political engagement occurs more specifically in Freires fictional writing, five short stories by the author in which the theme is racism still present in Brazilian society and, at the same time, the resistance of the black people were analyzed, namely: Faz de conta que não foi. Nada. (Angu de sangue), Trabalhadores do Brasil, Solar dos Príncipes e Curso superior (Contos negreiros) e Favela Fênix (Amar é crime).

Este trabalho surgiu do interesse em compreender as relações entre o Projeto UNI: Uma Nova Iniciativa na Formação dos Profissionais de Saúde: União com a Comunidade e os movimentos populares de saúde a ele relacionados. Desenvolveu-se como um estudo de caso na região Sul do município de Londrina – PR, através da utilização de um método qualitativo que compreendeu análises documentais, entrevistas semi-estruturadas individuais e coletivas, bem como contribuições etnográficas, através das observações realizadas em campo. Os resultados obtidos foram descritos e discutidos dentro de sete categorias analíticas construídas e teoricamente relacionadas ao trabalho, sendo elas: articulação, autonomia, organização, parceria, cultura política, oposição e participação. A análise destas categorias revelou um significativo impacto positivo do Projeto UNI nas organizações comunitárias, ao longo dos últimos oito anos, as quais conquistaram maior capacidade e instrumentos de luta, ampliando sua participação na sociedade, principalmente nos espaços criados pelo Sistema Único de Saúde. / This study was developed from the interest in understanding the relationship between the UNI Project: a New Iniciative in Health Professionals´ Education: Community Based and the Health Community Groups related to it. It is a case study about the southern district of Londrina, a city in Paraná State. Using qualitative approachs, the author analyzed documents, individual and colective semi-structured interviews, as well as ethnographic information gathered in the field observation. The results were presented and discussed though seven analitycal categories: articulation, autonomy, organization, partnership, political culture, opposition and participation. The final considerations showed an extremaly positive impact of the Project on these Community Groups during the last eight years. The community has become more participative in the defense of their rights, especially regarding the local public health system.

A presente investigação tem como objetivo identificar em que medida o engajamento social pode impactar na consistência dos projetos de vida de jovens universitários brasileiros. Para tanto, partiu-se do conceito de projeto de vida de Damon e seus colaboradores (DAMON; MENON; BRONK, 2003; DAMON 2003; DAMON, 2009; BRONK, 2014), apresentando seus elementos centrais: objetivo direcionado, significado, comprometimento e impacto no mundo. A perspectiva teórica destes autores realça a dimensão ética de um projeto de vida, mas também instrumentaliza o reconhecimento dos seus aspectos fundamentais. Embora identificados os elementos centrais de um projeto de vida, sua dimensão ética e os benefícios que produz no ciclo do desenvolvimento, pouco ainda se sabe sobre o que leva um jovem a elaborar um projeto de vida consistente e persistir em sua na concretização (SAVAGE; MARIANO, 2009). Eleger um projeto de vida consistente é fundamental para que este não permaneça no campo da ideação e se traduza em ações concretas, impactando o mundo e a própria trajetória de vida. Diante desta discussão, acredita-se que o engajamento social é uma oportunidade de transformação pessoal e protagonismo, onde o jovem se vê possibilitado de transformar a realidade social do mundo em que vive (CARRANO, 2012; CASTRO, L.R. 2008; RIBEIRO MESQUITA et al., 2016). O engajamento social é uma oportunidade de reconhecer as próprias habilidades e talentos e de reconhecer como é possível utiliza-las para produzir ações que impactem no mundo. Ao mesmo tempo, atuando no meio social, o jovem tem a oportunidade de conhecer demandas e necessidades reais da sociedade. Por este motivo, levantou-se a hipótese de que o engajamento social poderia ser uma importante ferramenta na construção de projetos de vida consistentes. Para atender o objetivo proposto nesta investigação, aplicou-se um levantamento (survey) com 321 jovens universitários brasileiros, estudantes de faculdades públicas e privadas dos mais variados cursos e regiões brasileiras. O resultado desta pesquisa nos permitiu reconhecer a presença e característica do engajamento social e do projeto de vida entre jovens universitários brasileiros e demonstrou que a presença de projetos de vida consistentes apresentou uma frequência maior entre jovens socialmente engajados. Também foi possível verificar que a maior parte dos jovens socialmente engajados percebe uma relação muito próxima entre o engajamento social e a escolha de um projeto de vida. / The present research aims to identify to what extent social engagement can impact the consistency of purpose of Brazilian university students. In order to do so, this analysis was based on the concept of purpose of Damon and his collaborators (DAMON; MENON; BRONK, 2003; DAMON 2003; DAMON, 2009; BRONK, 2014), presenting its central elements: goal, meaning, commitment and impact in the world. The theoretical perspective of these authors emphasizes the ethical dimension of a purpose, but also, allows the recognition of its fundamental aspects. Although the central elements of purpose, its ethical dimension, and the benefits it produces in the development cycle are identified, little is known about what leads a young person to elaborate a consistent purpose and to persist in achieving it (SAVAGE; MARIANO, 2009). Choosing a consistent purpose is fundamental so that it does not remain in the field of ideation and is translated into concrete actions, impacting the world and the life trajectory itself. It is believed that social engagement is an opportunity for personal transformation and protagonism, where the young person is enabled to transform the social reality of the world in which they live (RIBEIRO MESQUITA et al., 2016; CARRANO, 2012; CASTRO, L.R. 2008). Social engagement is an opportunity to recognize one\'s own abilities and talents, and in what ways this can produce actions that impact the world. At the same time, by working in a social environment, young people have the opportunity to meet real demands and needs of society. For this reason, the hypothesis was raised that social engagement could be an important tool in the construction of consistent life projects. To meet the objective proposed in this research, a survey was conducted with 321 Brazilian university students, students from public and private colleges of the most varied Brazilian courses and regions. The result of this research allowed us to recognize the presence and character of social engagement and purpose among Brazilian university students and it demonstrated that the presence of consistent life projects its higher among socially engaged youths. It was also possible to verify that the majority of socially engaged young people perceive a very close relationship between social engagement and the choice of a purpose.

The current literature lacks empirically-supported preventative approaches for kindergarten students who are socially withdrawn and behind in the development of social skills. Furthermore, parents are underutilized in interventions during this critical period of social development. In response to this need, a classroom-based intervention consisting of (a) social skills training, (b) self-evaluation and reinforcement, (c) home notes and parent involvement, and (d) adult mediation was implemented to increase the positive social engagement of three kindergarten students. The effects of this intervention were evaluated on the playground during recess using partial interval recording of target students’ positive or negative engagement with at least one peer. Improvements of social interactions on the playground were demonstrated by each target student during the implementation of the intervention, but only one student maintained these improvements in the follow-up phase. Future studies should investigate whether addressing the limitations of this study would yield stronger results with this under-identified population of students.

The lack of research regarding the potential relationship between the reduction of bullying through participation in faith-based organizations may have failed to expand available bullying intervention methods. Faith-based organizations could assist in reducing bullying via moral instruction, boundary-setting guidance, social engagement techniques, and understanding social engagement with the bully's parents. This study explored the relationship between bullying and involvement in faith-based activities through (a) discovering the association between the reduction of bullying incidence or inclinations and faith-based activities, and (b) identifying the mechanisms responsible for the suppression of bullying orientations and behaviors through faith-based activities. The theoretical construct of the study was Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory and its 5 level classification of diverse social contexts (i.e. microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem, and chronosystem). This theory was utilized in the creation of the central research questions of the study. The data for the questions was gathered through one-on-one interviews with (a) 11 adolescents, (b) 6 parents, and (c) 3 church officials. The interviews were transcribed, and codes and themes identified. The sample group for the research was ninth grade students enrolled at a school in the Midwest. The study found that parents felt more responsible for their influence on their child's attitude toward violence over faith-based activity. However, the organizations were also shown to be effective in contributing to strengthened social relationships and decreased bullying incidences. This study may contribute to social change by providing insight into bullying prevention and mitigation.