Measuring and Analysing Community Action for Health: An Indicator-Based Typology and Its Application to the Case of Barcelona

Social welfare systems face major challenges, particularly in a context of social transformation, austerity and growing inequalities. This process is highly visible in the health sector. In this context, many voices ask for public sector reforms and community action for health as a relevant practice. However, analyses and evaluations of this kind of practices are still limited, particularly beyond the cases of single community health actions or interventions. We still need to identify key indicators for measuring and characterising what community action for health consists of, as well as to what degree this kind of intervention has been developed across a city. Based on a research about 49 neighborhoods in Barcelona, this paper creates an index to measure and characterize community action for health, using different indicators: citizen engagement programs in community health, organizational transformation of the health and social protection systems, stable participatory structures with specific teams, and urban health policies. We apply the index to the case of Barcelona and build a map of community action for health in the city using 4 categories: strong community health development (one neighbourhood), middle (9 neighborhoods), emergent (25 neighborhoods) and without specific community health promotion (14 neighbourhoods). We find that community action for health is extensive within the city of Barcelona, have great potential as a response to the need for change in the relationship between the public (health) sector and the citizenry, but is still implemented unequally across the urban territory in terms of types and methods.     

Changes in preschool children’s social engagement positively predict changes in social competence: A three‐year longitudinal study of portuguese children

To test the hypothesis that social engagement is a foundational aspect of other peer social competence indicators during early childhood, 160 Portuguese preschool children (“3‐year‐olds”) were observed at least in two different school years, using a battery of validated social competence assessments based on direct observations and child interviews. Multilevel growth models tested whether social engagement predicted initial values and linear changes in the other social competence indicators. Results were consistent with the hypothesis, insofar as both initial values and changes in social engagement significantly predicted initial values and changes in other social competence indicators. Additionally, the number of children's reciprocated friendships was also predicted by social engagement. These results are discussed from the perspectives of conceptual frameworks that consider individual differences in social competence during early childhood as a consequence of attachment histories and/or emotional competence.     

The role of woodpeckers (family: Picidae) as ecosystem engineers in urban parks: a case study in the city of Madrid (Spain)

Urban Ecosystems - Many species of the family Picidae, such as the woodpeckers, excavate the tree-cavities where they nest. Frequently the cavities are used during a single breeding season and...     

Optimal classification scores based on multivariate marker transformations

AStA Advances in Statistical Analysis - Modern science frequently involves the study of complex relationships among effects and factors. Flexible statistical tools are commonly used to visualize...     

Choice of the ridge factor from the correlation matrix determinant

Ridge regression is the alternative method to ordinary least squares, which is mostly applied when a multiple linear regression model presents a worrying degree of collinearity. A relevant topic in ridge regression is the selection of the ridge parameter, and different proposals have been presented in the scientific literature. Since the ridge estimator is biased, its estimation is normally based on the calculation of the mean square error (MSE) without considering (to the best of our knowledge) whether the proposed value for the ridge parameter really mitigates the collinearity. With this goal and different simulations, this paper proposes to estimate the ridge parameter from the determinant of the matrix of correlation of the data, which verifies that the variance inflation factor (VIF) is lower than the traditionally established threshold. The possible relation between the VIF and the determinant of the matrix of correlation is also analysed. Finally, the contribution is illustrated with three real examples.     

Using geotagged tweets to track population movements to and from Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria

Population and Environment - After a disaster, there is an urgent need for information on population mobility. Our analysis examines the suitability of Twitter data for measuring post-disaster...     

Concurrent training protocol for men with androgen deficiency in the aging male: a randomized clinical trial

Background: The androgen deficiency in the aging male (ADAM) affects physical, sexual, and psychological aspects with characteristics symptoms of middle-aged men. The practice of regular physical activity and physical exercise can attenuate these symptoms. The aim of this randomized clinical trial is to propose a physical exercise protocol based on concurrent training for middle-aged men with ADAM.

Method: Randomized clinical trial with a 6-month intervention will randomly divided into two groups: experimental group (EG) and control group (CG). Four evaluations will be carried out, (1) pre-intervention; (2) in the first month of intervention; (3) in the third month of intervention; (4) post-intervention, evaluating: physical, psychological, sexual, and hormonal aspects. The intervention protocol with concurrent training will have duration of 6 months; frequency of 3 times weekly, with 60?min per session. The two-way ANOVA test will be used for the inter-group and intra-group comparisons with repeated measurements, and also Sydak’s comparison test.

Conclusion: This protocol was developed with the intent of easing the symptoms of ADAM. In addition, it is believed that the concurrent training protocol could be capable to recover hormonal, physical, psychological, and sexual aspect of middle-aged men with ADAM.     

The Multiscale Importance of Road Segments in a Network Disruption Scenario: A Risk‐Based Approach

This article addresses the problem of the multiscale importance of road networks, with the aim of helping to establish a more resilient network in the event of a road disruption scenario. A new model for identifying the most important roads is described and applied on a local and regional scale. The work presented here represents a step forward, since it focuses on the interaction between identifying the most important roads in a network that connect people and health services, the specificity of the natural hazards that threaten the normal functioning of the network, and an assessment of the consequences of three real‐world interruptions from a multiscale perspective. The case studies concern three different past events: road interruptions due to a flood, a forest fire, and a mass movement. On the basis of the results obtained, it is possible to establish the roads for which risk management should be a priority. The multiscale perspective shows that in a road interruption the regional system may have the capacity to reorganize itself, although the interruption may have consequences for local dynamics. Coordination between local and regional scales is therefore important. The model proposed here allows for the scaling of emergency response facilities and human and physical resources. It represents an innovative approach to defining priorities, not only in the prevention phase but also in terms of the response to natural disasters, such as awareness of the consequences of road disruption for the rescue services sent out to local communities.