From curiosity to crime: Exploring pathways into criminal hacking

In people with advanced respiratory disease, we examined (i) the impact ofCOVID-19–related physical and social isolation on physical activity and (ii)relationships between time spent in isolation and disability in activities ofdaily living. Cross-sectional analysis was conducted in adults with advancednon-small cell lung cancer, chronic obstructive lung disease or interstitiallung disease. Measures included change in physical activity since physically andsocially isolating (Likert scale) and disability (Barthel Index and Lawton–BrodyIADL scale) or difficulty (World Health Organisation Disability AssessmentSchedule-2.0) in daily activities. Multiple logistic regression was used toexamine factors associated with disability in daily activities. 194/201participants were isolating for a median [IQR] 5 [3–8]-month period, oftenleading to lower levels of physical activity at home (n = 94,47%), and outside home (n = 129, 65%). 104 (52%) and 142 (71%)were not fully independent in basic and instrumental activities of daily living,respectively. 96% reported some degree of difficulty in undertaking dailyactivities. Prolonged physical and social isolation related to increaseddisability in basic (r = −0.28, p < 0.001) and instrumental(r = −0.24, p < 0.001) activities of daily living, andgreater difficulty in daily activities (r = 0.22, p = 0.002).Each month spent in physical or social isolation was independently related todisability in basic activities of daily living (odds ratio [OR], 1.17 [95% CI:1.03–1.33], p = 0.013). These findings suggest disability indaily activities is associated with prolonged physical or social isolation,which may present as difficulty in people who are fully independent.Post-isolation recovery and rehabilitation needs should be considered for allpeople deemed extremely clinically vulnerable.

The role of perceived organizational support, distributive justice and motivation in reactions to new information technology

BackgroundRaising the median age at first sexual intercourse and first marriage among females is a policy goal of the Ethiopian government. Education figures prominently in the government’s plans for achieving its goals, including primary and secondary schools; higher education; and out-of-school interventions such as youth centers, peer clubs, and youth associations In this study, we tested whether adolescents and youth who had high educational and occupational expectations at younger ages were at a lower risk of first sexual intercourse and marriage during adolescence and early adulthood.MethodsData came from multiple waves of a longitudinal survey of households and adolescents conducted in southwestern Ethiopia. A measure of career expectations was created from educational and occupational expectations measured at baseline when the adolescents were ages 13–17. The occurrence and timing of first sexual intercourse (called first sex) and marriage were measured four years later in a wave 3 survey. Discrete-time logistic hazard regression models were applied to a person-year file to predict first sex for males and females separately and first marriage for females.ResultsMale and female adolescents who had high career expectations at young ages were at a significantly lower risk of first sex during adolescence and early adulthood. Unlike the delaying effect of being in school, the effect of high career expectations did not wear off as adolescents aged. Among female adolescents, delaying first sex, staying in school, and having parents who desired them to marry at older ages were all associated with a significantly lower risk of marriage during adolescence and early adulthood.ConclusionsThe educational and occupational expectations and family plans that youth develop early in adolescence influence the timing of the transition into sexual activity and marriage. Ethiopian youth who develop high career expectations delay first sex, which for female youth is a key predictor of age at first marriage. Adolescents’ perceptions of parents’ expectations for them are strongly associated with their own expectations and behavior.

Review Questions/Objectives The objective of this review is to synthesise the best available evidence on the effectiveness of population based (public health) risk reduction programs and services (interventions) on sexual and reproductive health risk taking among young people (aged 10 to 24 years old) in developing countries (countries with low and middle gross national income (GNI) per capita as defined by World Bank). The specific review questions are: 1. What is the effectiveness of population based (public health) risk reduction programs and services (interventions) on risky sexual behaviors among young people? 2. What are the characteristics of population based interventions that are effective in reducing risky behaviors among young people? 3. What specific outcome measures best assess the impact of interventions that effectively reduce sexual risk taking among adolescents in developing countries? Inclusion Criteria a. Types of Participants The review will consider individuals of ages 10 to 24 years residing in developing countries. b. Types of interventions The review will consider population based (public health) risk reduction programs and services that target young people in developing countries. c. Types of Outcomes Anticipated outcomes related to reduction in risky sexual behavior among young people include the following: Primary outcomes: Abstinence rates, rates of early/premarital sexual initiation, numbers of sexual partners, condom use at first sex, consistent and correct contraceptive (condom) use during sexual encounters among the study population, alcohol and/or substance use prior to or during sexual encounters (short term outcomes). Secondary outcomes: Pregnancies and their outcomes including rates of abortion, births (live and still), etc., STI rates, HIV/AIDS rates, maternal mortality and educational attainment levels of adolescents in the study population (Long term outcomes).

Background: There is concern in the education community regarding gender differences in reading, as girls regularly outperform boys. There is also concern about the consequences of low motivation for children's engagement in reading and learning. An important question is whether boys' motivation is more closely linked to their attainment compared with girls. Purpose: The aim of the study was to examine how closely children's reading skill correlates with their intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and competency beliefs. There was a particular focus on gender. Sample: There were 492 children (240 boys) aged 7–11 in this study from four primary schools in England, UK. Design and methods: Children completed a reading comprehension assessment and a questionnaire examining intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and competency beliefs relating to reading and schoolwork. For analysis, children were split into a younger (age 7–8) and older (age 9–11) age group. Results: In both the younger and older groups, the boys' competency beliefs in reading and intrinsic motivation for reading and schoolwork were significantly more closely associated with their level of reading skill, in comparison with the girls. Conclusions: The closer reciprocal relationship between boys' intrinsic motivation, competency beliefs and reading skill could be interpreted in at least two ways. Firstly, boys' motivation and beliefs in their ability may be more dependent on their success in reading. Alternatively, boys' motivation and competency beliefs may play a more significant role in the effort they put into reading.

PurposeTo examine the association of sociodemographic and health-related determinants with social isolation in relation to family and friends in the oldest-old.MethodsDatabase was the multi-center prospective AgeCoDe/AgeQualiDe cohort study assessed at follow-up wave 5 (N = 1148; mean age 86.6 years (SD 3.0); 67% female). Social isolation was assessed using the short form of the Lubben Social Network Scale (LSNS-6). The LSNS-6 contains two sets of items establishing psychometrically separable subscales for isolation from family and friends (ranges 0–15 points), with lower scores indicating higher isolation. Cross-sectional linear (OLS) regression analyses were used to examine multivariate associations of sociodemographic and health-related determinants with social isolation from family and friends.ResultsOverall, n = 395 participants (34.6%) were considered socially isolated. On average, isolation was higher from friends (mean 6.0, SD 3.8) than from family (mean 8.0, SD 3.5). Regression results revealed that in relation to family, males were more socially isolated than females (β = − 0.68, 95% CI − 1.08, − 0.28). Concerning friends, increased age led to more isolation (β = − 0.12, 95% CI − 0.19, − 0.05) and functional activities of daily living to less isolation (β = 0.36, 95% CI 0.09, 0.64). Independent of the social context, depression severity was associated with more social isolation, whereas cognitive functioning was associated with less social isolation.ConclusionsDifferent determinants unequally affect social isolation in relation to family and friends. The context of the social network should be incorporated more strongly regarding the detection and prevention of social isolation to sustain mental and physical health.

Scientific literacy is an important prerequisite for societal participation as well as a basis for a scientific career. Despite the major efforts made to improve science education intrinsic motivation for learning science is low in many countries and there is a lack of young aspiring careers in the sciences. According to self-determination theory and stage-environment fit theory the need for autonomy is a key factor for the development and maintenance of intrinsic motivation. In the present study we examined differences of regular science classes and science labs regarding perceived autonomy support, intrinsic motivation, and identified regulation in a sample of 649 secondary school students. In grades five and six perceived autonomy support and intrinsic motivation were high both, in science classes and in science labs. At grades seven and eight perceived autonomy support and intrinsic motivation were still high in science labs but not in sciences classes. These results support the assumptions of stage-environment fit theory that the decline in intrinsic motivation during early adolescence can be countered by enhancing autonomy support. Furthermore, in science labs there was no gender-gap in intrinsic motivation and identified regulation.

У статті представлено результати теоретичного й емпіричного дослідження впливу інформаційно-комунікаційних технологій (ІКТ) на мовленнєвий досвід дітей молодшого шкільного віку, виявлено напрями подальших досліджень впливу мережі Інтернет середовища на мовленнєвий досвід. Визначено проблему, що полягає у недостатньому врахуванні у педагогічному процесі нецілеспрямованого і неорганізованого використання дітьми інформаційно-комунікаційних технологій. З’ясовано основні теоретичні підходи до вивчення проблеми взаємодії дітей і Інтернет-середовища та основні напрями використання ІКТ у педагогічному процесі. Критичне осмислення наукових теоретичних та практичних розвідок дало змогу виокремити потребу вивчення питання впливу інформаційних ресурсів мережі Інтернет на змістові характеристики мовленнєвого досвіду дітей молодшого шкільного віку. У статті обґрунтовано підхід до вивчення мовлення саме як до мовленнєвого досвіду, докладно описано методику емпіричного дослідження. Дослідження здійснюється в парадигмі теорії мовленнєвого досвіду, згідно з якою останній розглядається як система у свідомості особистості, спрямована на здійснення мовленнєвого освоєння особистістю світу. Зовнішня структура мовленнєвого досвіду, котра складається з мовленнєвої компетентності, мовної картини світу та мовленнєвої культури, виконує функцію опосередкування мовленнєвої взаємодії дитини із світом. У статті визначено провідні функції кожного елементу мовленнєвого досвіду, змістові характеристики та маркери, а також діагностичний інструментарій, за допомогою якого виявляються ці маркери. У результаті здійсненого емпіричного дослідження було виокремлено специфічні змістові характеристики мовленнєвого досвіду дітей молодшого шкільного віку, зумовлені використанням ІКТ: збільшення асортименту та диференціації емоцій одночасно зі зменшенням здатності до їх вербалізації; переважання динамічних фреймових когнітивних структур над статичними; розширення семантичних полів; збільшення ініціативності в комунікації; зменшення ролі правильності мовлення, дотримання граматичних і синтаксичних норм мови; збільшення семантичної гнучкості. Провідним висновком здійсненого дослідження є те, що використання ІКТ здійснює вплив не лише на кількісні показники мовленнєвого досвіду дітей молодшого шкільного віку (рівень мовленнєвого розвитку), а змінює його змістові характеристики.

Unemployment in early career stages has been found to have lasting negative effects on future careers. The culture of worklessness theory attributes these after-effects to a decreasing intrinsic work motivation during unemployment. However, empirical evidence regarding the impact of prolonged unemployment on the intrinsic work motivation of young people is scarce. Drawing on a sample of young adults who were interviewed twice—once at the beginning of an unemployment spell and again one year later—we examine how intrinsic work motivation changed during this period. We use change score models to estimate the effects of unemployment duration, re-employment status, and—for those re-employed—the quality of the new job. In contrast to the culture of worklessness theory, but in line with Jahoda’s theory of latent deprivation, we find that longer unemployment durations induce an overall increase in intrinsic work motivation—especially for those who were no longer unemployed at the time of the second interview and whose new jobs were of higher intrinsic quality than the previous ones. Our findings challenge the idea that prolonged unemployment feeds a self-reinforcing circle of demotivation, highlighting instead the need for intrinsically motivating jobs for young people.

Background: The research investigates how Social Prescribing intervention can be a valuable approach for young people aged 15-34 who are in a NEET situation (Not in Education, Employment or Training) and how was their experience with Link Workers. Approach: We interviewed fifteen young people in a NEET situation from Italy who have participated in the pilot study of C.O.P.E. (Capabilities, Opportunities, Places and Engagement). The study is the first pilot in Italy specifically developed to address social and health needs of these young people through a Social Prescribing model. Link Workers and young people co-designed an Individual Action Plan, based on needs and aspirations, to support one or more of the following pathways: employment, education, training, socialisation, and health/wellbeing Results: Young people participating in the study represented a heterogeneous population. They were divided into two main groups: those already supported by services and those who were not. The willingness to exit their social isolation was the main driver to access the intervention. The Link Workers, compared to other similar roles in existing support networks, represented the missing link in providing a stepped approach to enter or re-enter the labour market, educational and training programmes, socialisation and health/wellness opportunities, thanks to an increase of self-esteem in the young people. All participants have mentioned having received great support and achieved their goals, feeling more accountable and prepared to confront empowered and ready to face and embrace job and other opportunities. They valued this approach and recommended making it accessible at an earlier stage, among school students, to support them in the transition toward adulthood and avoid inactivity and social isolation. Implications: The study reports the perceptions of young people in a NEET situation of Social Prescribing, as proposed by the project C.O.P.E.. It is the first research focusing on the implementation of this model in the Italian context, targeting this group of young people. The paper contributes, therefore, to extend the existing knowledge on Social Prescribing as an opportunity to co-design personalised pathways to support young people to reach their own ambitions and to find their place in their own community.

BackgroundThere is still a lack of evidence examining the association of behavioral and social factors with frailty transitions and mortality. We investigated whether social isolation is associated with different progressions and outcomes of frailty among community-dwelling older adults.MethodsThis community-based cohort study assessed the frailty index and objective social isolation of 31,168 participants (58.3% female; average age: 88.1 ± 11.1 years) from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS) from 1998 to 2018. Four Markov state-transition models were constructed to examine the associations between social isolation and the seven transitions of the frailty trajectory.ResultsAccording to the Markov state-transition model, for every one-point increase in the social isolation score of non-frail participants, the risk of developing prefrailty increased by 4.2% [hazard ratio (HR) = 1.042, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.007–1.079], whereas for prefrail participants, the risk of developing frailty and death increased by 3.9% (HR = 1.039, 95% CI: 1.007–1.073) and 16.1% (HR = 1.161, 95% CI: 1.099–1.226), respectively. For each increase in the social isolation score in the frail population, the risk of death increased by 2.9% (HR = 1.029, 95% CI: 1.004–1.054). Socially isolated persons had a greater cumulative transition probability to prefrailty and frailty. Socially isolated women were more likely to experience prefrailty and frailty than socially isolated men, whereas the latter were more likely to die from prefrailty and frailty than the former.ConclusionsThis study indicates that social isolation may contribute to an increased risk of both the incidence and progression of frailty, elevating deterioration risks in initially non-frail and prefrail populations, while primarily exacerbating mortality risks in those already experiencing prefrailty or frailty.

Numerous studies have revealed that adolescents with chronic physical or mental conditions (CPMCs) are at an increased risk for depression and anxiety, with serious direct and indirect negative effects on treatment adherence, family functioning, and health-related quality of life. As game-based approaches are effective interventions in treating anxiety and depression, we propose to explore the use of a multiplayer role-playing game (RPG) as a potential intervention for social isolation, anxiety, and depression. The objectives of this study were to (1) determine the feasibility of using Masks, a multiplayer RPG, as an intervention for social isolation, anxiety, and depression in adolescents with CPMCs; (2) evaluate the viability of the research process; and (3) gauge participation in and engagement with RPG-based interventions. This study is a remote synchronous game-based intervention for adolescents with CPMCs aged 14-19 years. Eligible participants completed a web-based baseline survey to assess anxiety, depression, and social isolation and to identify their gaming habits. After completing the baseline survey, they participated in 5 moderated Masks game sessions. In Masks, players assume the roles of young superheroes; select their character types, superpowers; and perform actions determined by the game's rule system and dice rolls. All game sessions were played using Discord, a communication platform commonly used by gaming communities. Games were led and moderated by game masters (GMs). After each game session, participants completed surveys to assess changes in anxiety, depression, and social isolation, and their attitude toward the game and the user experience. The participants also completed an exit survey after all 5 game sessions (modified version of the Patient Health Questionnaire and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire, and 17 open-ended questions). The GMs rated each game session and reported on gameplay, player behavior, comfort, and engagement levels of the players. As of March 2020, six participants were recruited for the pilot study to participate in moderated web-based game sessions of Masks; 3 completed all game sessions and all required assessments. Although the number of participants was too low to draw generalizable conclusions, self-reported clinical outcomes did seem to indicate a positive change in depression, anxiety, and social isolation symptoms. Qualitative analysis of postgame survey data from participants and GMs indicated high levels of engagement and enjoyment. Furthermore, the participants provided feedback about improved mood and engagement related to weekly participation in Masks. Lastly, responses to the exit survey showed interest in future RPG-related studies. We established a workflow for gameplay and evaluated a research protocol for evaluating the impact of RPG participation on isolation, anxiety, and depression symptoms in adolescents with CPMCs. Preliminary data collected from the pilot study support the validity of the research protocol and the use of RPG-based interventions in larger clinical studies. RR1-10.2196/43987.

BackgroundAdequate self-management is the cornerstone of preventing type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) complications. However, T1DM self-management is challenging for young people, who often struggle during the transition from childhood to adulthood. The mobile health (mHealth) app Young with Diabetes (YWD) was developed in collaboration with young people to enhance their T1DM self-management during this transition.ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to explore the influence of YWD on young people’s self-management during a 12-month period.MethodsA qualitative explorative approach was used, comprising a purposive sample of 20 young people (11 females and 9 males, ages 15 to 23 years, with app use of 3 to 64 days) from 3 pediatric and 3 adult departments. Participants were interviewed individually using a semistructured interview guide. Data were collected from January to March 2017 and analyzed using thematic analysis.ResultsA total of 5 themes were identified: (1) not feeling alone anymore (“we are in this together”); (2) gaining competence by sharing experiences and practical knowledge (“they know what they are talking about”); (3) feeling safer (“it’s just a click away”); (4) breaking the ice by starting to share thoughts and feelings and asking for help (“it is an outstretched hand”); and (5) lack of motivating factors (“done with the app”). Young people reported that YWD promoted self-management by peer-to-peer social support, exchanging messages with health care providers, and sharing YWD with parents. Participants recommended YWD as a supplement to self-management for newly diagnosed young people with T1DM and suggested improvements in app content and functionality.ConclusionsThe mHealth app YWD has the potential to support self-management. In particular, peer-to-peer support reduced feelings of loneliness and helped young people to gain knowledge and skills for managing T1DM. A need exists for alternative ways to train health care providers in using YWD and to support collaboration between young people and their parents to further improve young people’s self-management of T1DM.

Risk factors for victimization of younger and older persons: Assessing differences in isolation, intra-individual characteristics, and health factors

This study examines intrinsic motivation's influence on information technology (IT) attitudes and intensions. Intrinsic motivation is modeled as mediating the influence of motivators (i.e., intrinsic job characteristics) and hygiene factors (i.e., pay and supervisory satisfaction) on workplace attitudes (i.e., job satisfaction and affective commitment). In turn, workplace attitudes mediate the influence of intrinsic motivation on turnover intention. The model was tested using data collected from public sector IT workers in the Southeastern United States. Although intrinsic motivation did not fully mediate the influence of motivators and hygiene factors, findings suggest that intrinsic motivation positively influences workplace attitudes and has a mediated influence on turnover intent. Implications for research and practice are offered.