Equity and Guidance : The challenge of following up young graduates

In this paper we present a support strategy of guidance for the young people from vulnerable population, both urban and rural, who have completed high school and are involved in an extension program so called Equity and guidance: the challenge of a proposal in state educational institutions from the La Plata, Berisso and Ensenada districts. This program gives them a reflection space to analyze their personal, social and community situation as a self-managed process towards a project of life. For some time we have supported young people with the purpose of helping them to make a life project. When doing so, we've always noticed the need of finding strategies to provide reasons to carry on the project of completing high school, to search new knowledge, request scholarships, to think of alternatives according to their circumstances, etc. In this sense, the Project: ?Equity and Guidance: the challenge of following up young graduates? is a revealing experience since it shows the urgent need to provide real means to enable communities we work with to make the most of opportunities. For the young people who belong to a vulnerable community, a project of life doesn't mean just thinking of the choice of careers, trainings or jobs. It also means to find how to make it possible in their daily life. Everything we make, think and manage in this project has the same purpose: help them so they can make a life project according to their subjectivity

Reflexiones en torno al proceso de implementación de un programa social en el campo de la actividad física en poblaciones vulnerables : Aportes para la formación del profesorado de Educación Física y la mejora de las políticas públicas

En este artículo se propone describir y analizar el proceso de implementación de un Programa social de intervención en poblaciones vulnerables a través del deporte, la actividad física y el juego recreativo que se desarrolla desde 2011 en tres espacios socio-residenciales de villa o asentamiento urbano informal del Partido de la Matanza. El programa social es analizado en diferentes aspectos claves de su proceso de implementación. Estos aspectos fueron abordados a través de una investigación cualitativa con objetivos amplios y un enfoque integral, en esta oportunidad se reflexiona sobre un avance de investigación que privilegia las percepciones y representaciones de los docentes técnicos que ejercieron el rol docente en el marco del Programa y se realizan algunos aportes para pensar la mejora en las futuras acciones y en la formación del profesorado.Se realizaron 6 grupos focales y se estima que los insumos generados serán útiles para la mejor planificación de las prácticas docentes y formación específica de los futuros profesores. Asimismo, se espera poder aportar elementos de análisis y de juicio para la gestión de políticas públicas en el campo del deporte y la actividad física como estrategia de integración social

Equity and Guidance : The challenge of following up young graduates

In this paper we present a support strategy of guidance for the young people from vulnerable population, both urban and rural, who have completed high school and are involved in an extension program so called Equity and guidance: the challenge of a proposal in state educational institutions from the La Plata, Berisso and Ensenada districts. This program gives them a reflection space to analyze their personal, social and community situation as a self-managed process towards a project of life. For some time we have supported young people with the purpose of helping them to make a life project. When doing so, we've always noticed the need of finding strategies to provide reasons to carry on the project of completing high school, to search new knowledge, request scholarships, to think of alternatives according to their circumstances, etc. In this sense, the Project: ?Equity and Guidance: the challenge of following up young graduates? is a revealing experience since it shows the urgent need to provide real means to enable communities we work with to make the most of opportunities. For the young people who belong to a vulnerable community, a project of life doesn't mean just thinking of the choice of careers, trainings or jobs. It also means to find how to make it possible in their daily life. Everything we make, think and manage in this project has the same purpose: help them so they can make a life project according to their subjectivity

Haiti : The 'invisibility' of a territory to build projects that strengthen their autonomy

Haiti, conocida en la época colonial como 'la Perla de las Antillas', su economía se organizó entorno a la producción de azúcar que proveían a través de Francia al resto de Europa. De este modo 70de la producción de azúcar era consumido en Europa y más del 60del café. Con una lógica que perseguía obtener los máximos rindes, buscaron mano de obra esclava en el África Subsahariana, población que directamente reemplazó a la originaria. Así comienza a plantearse el desarrollo de un tipo de economía en Haiti, que traería graves consecuencias ambientales hasta la actualidad. Hoy es el país más pobre de América, con una esperanza de vida de alrededor de 60 años, y la tasa de analfabetismo del 52. Ubicado en un área tropical, es frecuente que sufra el impacto de las tormentas tropicales y ciclones que, como consecuencia de una tala desmedida de laforestación originaria, las inundaciones acentúan los problemas, a lo que se suman los problemas sanitarios inherentes a un nivel de vida con tantas carencias; y a la preponderancia de minifundios en el área rural, llevan a conformar un escenario de enorme vulnerabilidad. En el año 2010, una triste noticia pondría a Haïti en el centro de la escena mundial: el terremoto de marzo de ese año que afectara el área de Puerto Príncipe dejando alrededor de 300.000 muertos y más de un millón de damnificados. En la actualidad la presencia debarrios enteros viviendo en carpas en espacios públicos, son una expresión de la vigencia de dicho evento. Sin embargo, desde mediados de la década pasada tienen lugar proyectos que intentan territorializar una experiencia argentina de reconocido impacto en procura de atender las necesidades de la población con mayor vulnerabilidad que habita en los espacios rurales. Se trata del Programa Pro Huerta, que desde hace más de veinte años se desarrolla en Argentina y se propuso en el ámbito de este país desde la perspectiva de la cooperación internacional. De este modo, en distintos departamentos de Haiti con el trabajo en conjunto de diversos países ponen en marcha un proyecto social de seguridad alimentaria. La finalidad es el análisis de la territorialización de la experiencia Pro Huerta Haiti a partir del enfoque de cooperación internacional del cual Argentina participa junto con Canadá y Haiti. Entre los resultados y aportes de esta investigación, se pudo constatar que en Haïtí se fortalecen las redes sociales, la familia, el trabajo solidario, la salud y en conjunto contribuyen a fortalecer la soberanía alimentaria, en un país con grandes carencias y gran vulnerabilidad. Asimismo, es interesante resaltar que el modelo de Cooperación Sur-Sur que la Argentina desarrolla, desde una visión horizontal donde nuestro país camina junto a Haití y Canadá en el aprendizaje cotidiano del crecimiento conjunto, donde cada país tiene mucho por seguir aprendiendo

Equity and Guidance : The challenge of following up young graduates

In this paper we present a support strategy of guidance for the young people from vulnerable population, both urban and rural, who have completed high school and are involved in an extension program so called Equity and guidance: the challenge of a proposal in state educational institutions from the La Plata, Berisso and Ensenada districts. This program gives them a reflection space to analyze their personal, social and community situation as a self-managed process towards a project of life. For some time we have supported young people with the purpose of helping them to make a life project. When doing so, we've always noticed the need of finding strategies to provide reasons to carry on the project of completing high school, to search new knowledge, request scholarships, to think of alternatives according to their circumstances, etc. In this sense, the Project: ?Equity and Guidance: the challenge of following up young graduates? is a revealing experience since it shows the urgent need to provide real means to enable communities we work with to make the most of opportunities. For the young people who belong to a vulnerable community, a project of life doesn't mean just thinking of the choice of careers, trainings or jobs. It also means to find how to make it possible in their daily life. Everything we make, think and manage in this project has the same purpose: help them so they can make a life project according to their subjectivity

Reflexiones en torno al proceso de implementación de un programa social en el campo de la actividad física en poblaciones vulnerables : Aportes para la formación del profesorado de Educación Física y la mejora de las políticas públicas

En este artículo se propone describir y analizar el proceso de implementación de un Programa social de intervención en poblaciones vulnerables a través del deporte, la actividad física y el juego recreativo que se desarrolla desde 2011 en tres espacios socio-residenciales de villa o asentamiento urbano informal del Partido de la Matanza. El programa social es analizado en diferentes aspectos claves de su proceso de implementación. Estos aspectos fueron abordados a través de una investigación cualitativa con objetivos amplios y un enfoque integral, en esta oportunidad se reflexiona sobre un avance de investigación que privilegia las percepciones y representaciones de los docentes técnicos que ejercieron el rol docente en el marco del Programa y se realizan algunos aportes para pensar la mejora en las futuras acciones y en la formación del profesorado.Se realizaron 6 grupos focales y se estima que los insumos generados serán útiles para la mejor planificación de las prácticas docentes y formación específica de los futuros profesores. Asimismo, se espera poder aportar elementos de análisis y de juicio para la gestión de políticas públicas en el campo del deporte y la actividad física como estrategia de integración social

Haiti : The 'invisibility' of a territory to build projects that strengthen their autonomy

Haiti, conocida en la época colonial como 'la Perla de las Antillas', su economía se organizó entorno a la producción de azúcar que proveían a través de Francia al resto de Europa. De este modo 70de la producción de azúcar era consumido en Europa y más del 60del café. Con una lógica que perseguía obtener los máximos rindes, buscaron mano de obra esclava en el África Subsahariana, población que directamente reemplazó a la originaria. Así comienza a plantearse el desarrollo de un tipo de economía en Haiti, que traería graves consecuencias ambientales hasta la actualidad. Hoy es el país más pobre de América, con una esperanza de vida de alrededor de 60 años, y la tasa de analfabetismo del 52. Ubicado en un área tropical, es frecuente que sufra el impacto de las tormentas tropicales y ciclones que, como consecuencia de una tala desmedida de laforestación originaria, las inundaciones acentúan los problemas, a lo que se suman los problemas sanitarios inherentes a un nivel de vida con tantas carencias; y a la preponderancia de minifundios en el área rural, llevan a conformar un escenario de enorme vulnerabilidad. En el año 2010, una triste noticia pondría a Haïti en el centro de la escena mundial: el terremoto de marzo de ese año que afectara el área de Puerto Príncipe dejando alrededor de 300.000 muertos y más de un millón de damnificados. En la actualidad la presencia debarrios enteros viviendo en carpas en espacios públicos, son una expresión de la vigencia de dicho evento. Sin embargo, desde mediados de la década pasada tienen lugar proyectos que intentan territorializar una experiencia argentina de reconocido impacto en procura de atender las necesidades de la población con mayor vulnerabilidad que habita en los espacios rurales. Se trata del Programa Pro Huerta, que desde hace más de veinte años se desarrolla en Argentina y se propuso en el ámbito de este país desde la perspectiva de la cooperación internacional. De este modo, en distintos departamentos de Haiti con el trabajo en conjunto de diversos países ponen en marcha un proyecto social de seguridad alimentaria. La finalidad es el análisis de la territorialización de la experiencia Pro Huerta Haiti a partir del enfoque de cooperación internacional del cual Argentina participa junto con Canadá y Haiti. Entre los resultados y aportes de esta investigación, se pudo constatar que en Haïtí se fortalecen las redes sociales, la familia, el trabajo solidario, la salud y en conjunto contribuyen a fortalecer la soberanía alimentaria, en un país con grandes carencias y gran vulnerabilidad. Asimismo, es interesante resaltar que el modelo de Cooperación Sur-Sur que la Argentina desarrolla, desde una visión horizontal donde nuestro país camina junto a Haití y Canadá en el aprendizaje cotidiano del crecimiento conjunto, donde cada país tiene mucho por seguir aprendiendo

As lojas sociais como estruturas de apoio aos indivíduos em situação de vulnerabilidade económica

Dissertação de mestrado na área de Educação Social e Intervenção Comunitária

Sistemas de acreditação e certificação hospitalar em Portugal Continetal

Dissertação apresentada à Escola Superior Agrária do Instituto Politécnico de Castelo Branco para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Inovação e Qualidade na Produção Alimentar.

As lojas sociais como estruturas de apoio aos indivíduos em situação de vulnerabilidade económica

Dissertação de mestrado na área de Educação Social e Intervenção Comunitária

HIV infection, viral hepatitis and liver fibrosis among prison inmates in West Africa.

BACKGROUND Prisoners represent a vulnerable population for blood-borne and sexually transmitted infections which can potentially lead to liver fibrosis and ultimately cirrhosis. However, little is known about the prevalence of liver fibrosis and associated risk factors among inmates in sub-Saharan Africa. METHODS Screening of liver fibrosis was undertaken in a randomly selected sample of male inmates incarcerated in Lome, Togo and in Dakar, Senegal using transient elastography. A liver stiffness measurement ≥9.5 KPa was retained to define the presence of a severe liver fibrosis. All included inmates were also screened for HIV, Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) and Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infection. Substances abuse including alcohol, tobacco and cannabis use were assessed during face-to-face interviews. Odds Ratio (OR) estimates were computed with their 95 % Confidence Interval (CI) to identify factors associated with severe liver fibrosis. RESULTS Overall, 680 inmates were included with a median age of 30 years [interquartile range: 24-35]. The prevalence of severe fibrosis was 3.1 % (4.9 % in Lome and 1.2 % in Dakar). Infections with HIV, HBV and HCV were identified in 2.6 %, 12.5 % and 0.5 % of inmates, respectively. Factors associated with a severe liver fibrosis were HIV infection (OR = 7.6; CI 1.8-32.1), HBV infection (OR = 4.8; CI 1.8-12.8), HCV infection (OR = 52.6; CI 4.1-673.8), use of traditional medicines (OR = 3.7; CI 1.4-10.1) and being incarcerated in Lome (OR = 3.3; CI 1.1-9.8) compared to Dakar. CONCLUSIONS HIV infection and viral hepatitis infections were identified as important and independent determinants of severe liver fibrosis. While access to active antiviral therapies against HIV and viral hepatitis expands in Africa, adapted strategies for the monitoring of liver disease need to be explored, especially in vulnerable populations such as inmates.

Medication error in mental health:implications for primary care

Medication errors are associated with significant morbidity and people with mental health problems may be particularly susceptible to medication errors due to various factors. Primary care has a key role in improving medication safety in this vulnerable population. The complexity of services, involving primary and secondary care and social services, and potential training issues may increase error rates, with physical medicines representing a particular risk. Service users may be cognitively impaired and fail to identify an error placing additional responsibilities on clinicians. The potential role of carers in error prevention and medication safety requires further elaboration. A potential lack of trust between service users and clinicians may impair honest communication about medication issues leading to errors. There is a need for detailed research within this field.

Medication -related adverse events in older people with dementia:causes and possible solutions

This submission for a PhD by previously published work is based upon six publications in peer reviewed journals, reflecting a 9-year research programme. My research has shown, in a coherent and original way, the difficulty in treating people with dementia with safe and effective medication whilst providing research-founded guidance to develop mechanisms to optimise medication choice and minimise iatrogenic events. A wide range of methods, including systematic reviews, meta-analysis, randomised controlled trials (RCTs), quantitative research and mixed methods were used to generate the data, which supported the exploration of three themes. The first theme, to understand the incidence and causes of medication errors in dementia services, identified that people with dementia may be more susceptible to medication-related iatrogenic disease partly due to inherent disease-related characteristics. One particular area of concern is the use of anti-psychotics to treat the Behavioural and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD). The second and third themes, respectively, investigated a novel pharmacological and health services intervention to limit anti-psychotic usage. The second phase found that whilst the glutamate receptor blocker memantine showed some promise, further research was clearly required. The third phase found that anti-psychotic usage in dementia may be higher than official figures suggest and that medication review linking primary and secondary care can limit such usage. My work has been widely cited, reflecting a substantial contribution to the field, in terms of our understanding of the causes of, and possible solutions to limit, medication-related adverse events in people with dementia. More importantly, this work has already informed clinical practice, patients, carers and policy makers by its demonstrable impact on health policy. In particular my research has identified key lines of enquiry for future work and for the development of my own personal research programme to reduce the risk associated with medication in this vulnerable population.

Caring and being cared -for: Perceptions of adolescent males at -risk for school failure

This qualitative study used grounded theory methods and purposeful sampling to explore perceptions on caring and being cared-for. Twenty-four adolescent male participants, identified as at-risk for school failure, completed a two phase interview process exploring these phenomena within three relationships; the relationship with the friend, with the most caring person they knew and with the teacher they felt cared for them. ^ Each participant was asked a predetermined set of open questions in an initial semi-structured interview. In addition each participant was encouraged to explore his own reflections on caring. A second interview allowed for member checking and for the participant to continue sharing his meaning of caring and being cared-for. ^ Line by line analysis with open, axial and selective coding was applied to interview transcripts along with a constant comparative method. Results indicated that the core category integrating all other categories was attachment bonding. Participants' stories manifested characteristics of proximity seeking, secure base, safe haven and distress upon involuntary separation from an attachment figure. ^ Strategies facilitating attachment bonding were influenced by the power positions of the relational players. Participants responded positively to the one-caring when they felt cared-for. Results further indicated that participants did not need to feel a sense of belonging in order to feel cared-for. Teacher behaviors indicating openness for authentic connections with students were specific to teacher's friendliness and professional competence. Teachers who nurtured feelings of being cared-for were uncommon in the participants' educational experience. ^ The number of adolescent males leaving high school prematurely is both a personal problem and a social problem. Despite a “mask” of indifference often exhibited by adolescent males at-risk for school failure, teachers might consider the social/emotional needs of these students when implementing the curriculum. In addition, policy makers might consider the social/emotional needs of this vulnerable population when developing programs meant to foster psychological well-being and connectedness for adolescent males at-risk for school failure. ^

Health Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices among Street Children in LMICs

Background: Worldwide, it is estimated that there are up to 150 million street children. Street children are an understudied, vulnerable population. While many studies have characterized street children’s physical health, few have addressed the circumstances and barriers to their utilization of health services.

Methods: A systematic literature review was conducted to understand the barriers and facilitators that street children face when accessing healthcare in low and middle income countries. Six databases were used to search for peer review literature and one database and Google Search engine were used to find grey literature (theses, dissertations, reports, etc.). There were no exclusions based on study design. Studies were eligible for inclusion if the study population included street children, the study location was a low and middle income country defined by the World Bank, AND whose subject pertained to healthcare.

In addition, a cross-sectional study was conducted between May 2015 and August 2015 with the goal of understanding knowledge, attitudes, and health seeking practices of street children residing in Battambang, Cambodia. Time location and purposive sampling were used to recruit community (control) and street children. Both boys and girls between the ages of 10 and 18 were recruited. Data was collected through a verbally administered survey. The knowledge, attitudes and health seeking practices of community and street children were compared to determine potential differences in healthcare utilization.

Results: Of the 2933 abstracts screened for inclusion in the systematic literature review, eleven articles met all the inclusion criteria and were found to be relevant. Cost and perceived stigma appeared to be the largest barriers street children faced when attempting to seek care. Street children preferred to receive care from a hospital. However, negative experiences and mistreatment by health providers deterred children from going there. Instead, street children would often self treat and/or purchase medicine from a pharmacy or drug vendor. Family and peer support were found to be important for facilitating treatment.

The survey found similar results to the systematic review. Forty one community and thirty four street children were included in the analysis. Both community and street children reported the hospital as their top choice for care. When asked if someone went with them to seek care, both community and street children reported that family members, usually mothers, accompanied them. Community and street children both reported perceived stigma. All children had good knowledge of preventative care.

Conclusions: While most current services lack the proper accommodations for street children, there is a great potential to adapt them to better address street children’s needs. Street children need health services that are sensitive to their situation. Subsidies in health service costs or provision of credit may be ways to reduce constraints street children face when deciding to seek healthcare. Health worker education and interventions to reduce stigma are needed to create a positive environment in which street children are admitted and treated for health concerns.