Can gamified online training make high school students more entrepreneurial? Experimental evidence from Rwanda

School meals can support children's health and educational outcomes; however, in the US, only students from households with incomes at or below 185% of the federal poverty level qualify for free or reduced-price meals. Although the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) enables schools in higher poverty areas to offer free meals to all students, many schools do not participate; the temporary implementation of federal Universal Free School Meal (UFSM) policies during the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent state-level policies highlight the need for assessing their impact on participation rates in school meal programs. To examine the impact of federal- and state-level UFSM and related policies on National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP) participation rates during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. This comparative effectiveness research study used a natural experiment created by the COVID-19 pandemic to analyze school-level data from the 2019 to 2020 school-year period to the 2023 to 2024 school-year period. A difference-in-difference analysis with linear mixed-effects models was conducted to assess the impact of federal-level UFSM implementation and deimplementation and state-level policies on SBP and NSLP participation rates. School-level meal claims data were analyzed across 14 states with UFSM or related policies and 11 comparison states, and schools participating in the NSLP and the SBP were included in this analysis. Federal UFSM policy, state-level UFSM policies, CEP participation, and limited expansions of free meal access. Participation rates in SBP and NSLP, measured as percentage-point changes over time. Federal UFSM during the COVID-19 pandemic increased NSLP and SBP participation by 10 percentage points (range, -8 to 18 percentage points) and 8 percentage points (range, 2-20 percentage points), respectively, where percentage points refers to absolute changes in participation rates. Deimplementation in school year 2022 to 2023 reduced participation by 12 percentage points (range, -15 to -4 percentage points) for NSLP and 10 percentage points (range, -18 to -4 percentage points) for SBP. States that maintained UFSM policies showed consistently higher participation rates compared with states that discontinued UFSM, with increases between 9 and 19 percentage points (NSLP) and between 5 and 26 percentage points (SBP) in the first year of policy implementation, relative to the prior year. CEP participation resulted in substantial participation gains (23 percentage points for NSLP, 13 percentage points for SBP). State policies with limited free meal expansions showed no significant effect. Results of this comparative research analysis suggest that UFSM policies may effectively increase school meal participation, indicating the need for sustained state and federal support to increase participation rates and potentially mitigate diet-related disparities and food insecurity among children.

The Tier 1 Program of the Project P.A.T.H.S. (Positive Adolescent Training through Holistic Social Programmes) is a positive youth development program implemented in school settings, utilizing a curricular-based approach. In the third year of the Full Implementation Phase, 19 experimental schools (n = 3,170 students) and 24 control schools (n = 3,808 students) participated in a randomized group trial. Utilizing the six-wave longitudinal data, ANCOVA, and linear mixed models controlling for differences between the two groups in terms of Wave 1 pretest scores, personal variables, and random effects of schools, it was revealed that participants in the experimental schools showed significantly better development than did participants in the control schools at post-test (Wave 6) based on different indicators of positive youth development derived from the Chinese Positive Youth Development Scale and other measures. Students in the experimental schools also displayed a lower level of intention to engage in problem behavior and better school adjustment than did students in the control schools. Similarly, differences between experimental participants who perceived the program to be beneficial and control participants were found.

Four of Guyana's ten administrative regions are inhabited largely by its indigenous peoples, the Amerindians, often in remote communities where poverty and food insecurity are common and access to basic services is limited. Food supplies come from subsistence agriculture, hunting, fishing and costly imports from coastal regions. The diet lacks diversity, chronic undernutrition levels are high and school attendance is poor. In 2006, the Ministry of Education established the Hinterland Community-based School Feeding Program (SFP), whose objectives include raising community participation in schools, increasing student attendance and academic performance, and improving the nutrition of primary schoolchildren. The impact evaluation of the SFP (2007-2009) covered 20 intervention schools and 44 control schools. Stunting rose by 3% in the control group but fell by 3% in the intervention group. The SFP increased attendance by 4.3%. Participation in learning activities improved in intervention schools but declined in control schools. Children in intervention schools performed better in national academic assessment tests. The SFP conferred the greatest benefit on children who had the poorest nutritional status at baseline. Parents participated fully in food production and meal delivery activities. Households benefited through increased employment and a more varied food supply. The SFP also contributed to preserving food security through a period of food price volatility, has a low cost per child relative to other programmes and has reduced dependence on imports. Outstanding challenges include increasing access to agricultural inputs and safe water, and reaching the most remote communities. Preliminary discussions indicate that communities are keen to continue the SFP, and can suggest ways to reduce the cost to the Ministry.

The COVID-19 crisis is unique in that it is caused by a pandemic and has created a special context for entrepreneurship in 2020. The motivation for this study is, firstly, to concretise and accurately quantify the impacts of the pandemic on entrepreneurship. Secondly, to clearly identify the specific business risks emerging or intensifying in the context of the pandemic; and thirdly, to distinguish between the impact of the economic crisis and the pandemic on entrepreneurship. This paper aims at studying the risks of entrepreneurship amid the COVID-19 pandemic and crisis. The paper’s sample consists of the top 10 countries that are leaders by the COVID-19 case rate in the world, starting 22 October 2020 up to 22 February 2022. The method of trend analysis is used to find and quantitatively measure the manifestations of the pandemic (case rate and mortality) on the entrepreneurial risks. Economic and mathematical modelling, with the help of correlation and regression analysis, showed that healthcare factors—the COVID-19 case rate and mortality—are not the key reasons for high entrepreneurial risks in 2020 and have a small influence on them. This paper’s contribution to the literature consists in specifying the cause-and-effect links between the COVID-19 pandemic and crisis and entrepreneurial risks. The theoretical significance of the results obtained consists in their proving the uniqueness of the COVID-19 crisis from the position of entrepreneurial risks. The paper’s originality consists in specifying the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on entrepreneurial risks, explaining—thoroughly and in detail—the essence of these risks, and opening possibilities for highly-effective risk management.

Differences in stress levels between junior high school students and college students during online learning

ABSTRACTThis study examined the association between the high school counselor–parent relationship and students’ postsecondary enrollment (PSE) in a nationally representative sample of 4,406 parents selected from the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009. Findings indicated that parents’ postsecondary expectations, their participation in schools, and STEM engagement were all positively related to students’ postsecondary enrollment. Parent contact with the school counselor was negatively associated with taking postsecondary classes.

The purpose of our study is to evaluate athletic identity (AI) and mental health measures of youth and young adult athletes during the COVID-19 pandemic. This cross-sectional study recruited athletes aged 11–25 years from universities, high schools, and middle schools in California and New York. Participants were emailed a link to an anonymous, cross-sectional electronic survey. The measure included the athletic identity measurement scale (AIMS), the Patient Health Questionnaire-4 (PHQ-4), and demographic variables. Chi-square, Fisher’s Exact Test, and linear regression were used to examine the relationships between AI, symptoms of anxiety, and symptoms of depression by age, gender, and race. The survey was completed by 653 participants. AI was stratified by tertiary percentiles. The odds of positively scoring for symptoms of anxiety were 60% higher for participants in college compared with high school (OR: 1.60, 95% CI: [1.09, 2.35]). Conversely, the odds of scoring positively for symptoms of depression were 68% higher for participants in high school compared to college (OR: 1.68, 95% CI: [1.09, 2.59]). The odds of scoring positively for symptoms of depression were higher for athletes who scored as high AI, compared to those who scored as moderate (OR: 1.72, 95% CI: [1.11, 2.68]) or low (OR: 1.93, 95% CI: [1.20, 3.12]). The odds of scoring positively for symptoms of anxiety on the PHQ-4 were 3.2 times higher for participants who identified as female (OR: 3.19, 95% CI: [2.31, 4.41]), and the odds of scoring positively for symptoms of depression were 2.4 times higher for participants who identified as female (OR: 2.35, 95% CI: [1.56, 3.54]). Female athletes experienced symptoms of depression and anxiety at significantly higher rates than male athletes during the COVID-19 pandemic. High school students experienced fewer symptoms of anxiety, but greater symptoms of depression as compared to the collegiate group, while college students experienced greater odds of symptoms of anxiety. Athletes in the high AI group were more likely to report symptoms of depression than moderate or low identity groups. Female athletes reported lower AI than male athletes, but still had greater symptoms of anxiety and depression.

The Perceptions and Experiences of Health-Care Providers During COVID-19 Pandemic in Karachi, Pakistan: An Exploratory Qualitative Study

Background: The Internet is becoming increasingly important in providing medical knowledge. Students facing such information-rich environment, may not pay adequate attention to appropriate use of information sources. Aim of the study:The study aimed to evaluate the use of Internet for obtaining medical information by high school students (HSS) and medical students (MS), especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.Material and methods:Two anonymous online surveys were distributed through social media among Polish HSS and MS. The questionnaires of 562 HSS and 332 MS, representing 12 medical universities, were analysed.Results:33,7% MS and 12,6% HSS use Internet to obtain medical knowledge several times a day. 63% of all students believe that the COVID-19 pandemic increased this frequency. To accomplish that, 76% MS and 61.6% HSS frequently use search engines. 61% MS and 30,4% HSS often use Wikipedia. News websites are often used by 58.7% HSS and 19,3% MS. Medical databases e.g. PubMed are usually used by 28% MS. Both MS and HSS rated the author's specialty overlapping with the issue as the most important factor affecting the reliability of medical information sources (4.14 and 5.51 points on a 0-5 scale, respectively). 62,4% MS believe medical studies have significantly changed their perception of the credibility of medical knowledge sources. 50% HSS and 42,5% MS, when encountering incorrect medical information, never take any action to clarify it. 87,4% MS and 70% HSS express the need for additional classes on COVID-19 in their school curriculum.Conclusions:The Internet is widely used by HSS and MS as a source of medical knowledge. It is important to emphasize the need to develop the ability to select reliable medical information among users of the virtual world. Students understand the need to evaluate the credibility of sources, however they often do not take any action when confronted with erroneous information.

BackgroundPhysical inactivity is recognised as a public health concern within children and interventions to increase physical activity are needed. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the effect of a school-based healthy lifestyles intervention on physical activity, fruit and vegetable consumption, body composition, knowledge, and psychological variables.MethodA non-randomised controlled study involving 8 primary schools (4 intervention, 4 control). Participants were 589 children aged 7–11 years. The intervention lasted 10 months and comprised a CD-rom learning and teaching resource for teachers; an interactive website for pupils, teachers and parents; two highlight physical activity events (1 mile school runs/walks); a local media campaign; and a summer activity wall planner and record. Primary outcome measures were objectively measured physical activity (pedometers and accelerometers) and fruit and vegetable consumption. Secondary outcomes included body mass index, waist circumference, estimated percent body fat, knowledge, psychological variables. Multi-level modelling was employed for the data analysis.ResultsRelative to children in control schools, those in intervention schools significantly increased their total time in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) (by 9 minutes/day vs a decrease of 10 minutes/day), their time in MVPA bouts lasting at least one minute (10 minutes/day increase vs no change) and increased daily steps (3059 steps per day increase vs 1527 steps per day increase). A similar pattern of results was seen in a subset of the least active participants at baseline. Older participants in intervention schools showed a significant slowing in the rate of increase in estimated percent body fat, BMI, and waist circumference. There were no differences between groups in fruit and vegetable intake. Extrinsic motivation decreased more in the intervention group.ConclusionThe intervention produced positive changes in physical activity levels and body composition. It appeared to have little or no effect on consumption of fruit and vegetables. Schools are a suitable setting for the promotion of healthy lifestyles although more work, particularly focussed on dietary change, is needed in a variety of schools and social settings.

urgent development of effective interventions to prevent rapidly rising childhood obesity in China is needed. Between May 2010 and December 2013, a cluster randomized controlled trial was conducted among 4th graders in eight urban primary schools randomly assigned to intervention or control groups in Nanjing, China. A multi-component intervention program was implemented within the treatment group, while students in the control group followed their usual health education curriculum without additional intervention. At baseline, 638 and 544 students were enrolled in the intervention and control group, respectively. The prevalence of excess body weight was 26.8%, with 27.4% in the intervention group and 26.1% in the control group (p=0.61). The mean (SD) BMI and WC was 18.7 (3.0) and 63.0 (9.2) for participants in intervention schools, and 18.5 (2.9) and 63.6 (8.7) for students in control group, separately (p=0.24 and 0.41, respectively). Compared to those who were not aware of what lifestyle/behavior factors were unhealthy, students who were aware of the unhealthy lifestyle/ behavior factors consumed fewer fried snacks (0.46±0.76 serves/week vs 0.65±0.91 serves/week; p<0.01), soft drinks (160±194 ml/week vs 199±227 ml/week; p<0.01), but larger amount of meat (502±429 g/week vs 449±344 g/week; p=0.03), and reported less screen time (214±232 minutes/week vs 252±264 minutes/week; p<0.01). Moreover, there was no difference within physical activity time between these two groups (257±341 minutes/week vs 218±324 minutes/week; p=0.13). Main characteristics of participants were balanced at baseline within intervention and control schools, but a gap existed between healthy lifestyle knowledge and actual healthy behavior in students. ChiCTR-ERC-11001819.

ObjectiveTo explore healthcare provider’s perspectives and experiences of the barriers and facilitators to treat and manage COVID-19 cases.Design and settingWe conducted an exploratory qualitative study using a purposive sampling approach,...

The article is devoted to the study of economic activity with the participation of municipal entities. The author examines the concepts of “economic activity”, “business activity” and “entrepreneurial activity”. The question of the possibility of participation of municipal entities in economic, business and entrepreneurial activity is raised. The author concludes about the features of participation of municipal entities in economic activity, which are associated with its special publiclegal status, the resolution of local issues and the receipt of income from the management of municipal property.

The study aimed to obtain empirical evidence about the direct impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the active lifestyle of high school students in West Java and the activities carried out during the Covid-19 pandemic. The study population included high school students in West Java, while the samples were chosen randomly, involving 1,715 students representing each district in West Java. The research method used was the descriptive quantitative method. The instrument used was a physical activity questionnaire for children (PAQ-C). Data analysis employed Microsoft Excel and SPSS 24. The results showed that the student's active life behavior before the Covid-19 pandemic was mostly distributed in the high (857 people, 50%) and moderate (824 people, 48%) categories. Meanwhile, during the Covid-19 pandemic, the most distribution was in a low category (847 people, 49%). The level of student active behavior before the covid-19 pandemic was in the high category, while the level of student active behavior during the covid-19 pandemic was in a low category. This data showed that the COVID-19 pandemic decreased the student's active living behavior from the moderate to the low category. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, the activities carried out were jogging, traditional sports, football, volleyball, badminton, basketball, futsal, Pencak Silat, strength training, and gymnastics. Meanwhile, the activities carried out during the pandemic included sunbathing, walking, jogging, cycling, watching more TV, playing games, sleeping, sitting around, and helping the elderly.

Letter: Neurosurgical Management of Spinal Pathology Via Telemedicine During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Early Experience and Unique Challenges.