This article focuses on how length of participation in professional youth work is associated with five outcome variables: prosocial skills, self-mastery, social network, civic participation (volunteering and organizing activities) and finding support from social care services. The study was designed as a longitudinal cohort study of four waves during a 16-month period, gathering the data of 1597 youngsters aged 10–24 who participated in Dutch professional youth work. The results show that, on average, youngsters who participated longer in youth work scored significantly higher on the outcome variables. Respondents did not show individual improvements on outcome variables over the period, but the results demonstrate a cautious positive trend over time in volunteering. Referring youngsters (33%) by youth workers to care services could prevent an exacerbation of existing problems. The results provide knowledge that legitimizes the role of professional youth workers and which can be used by them to improve the support of socially vulnerable youngsters in their personal development and social participation.
BackgroundIn adolescents with non-pathological and pathological joint hypermobility, gait deviations have been associated with pain and fatigue. It remains unclear what distinguishes the non-pathological form of joint hypermobility (JH) from pathological forms (i.e. hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS) or hypermobility spectrum disorders (HSD). Our objective was to identify discriminative clinical characteristics and biomechanical gait features between adolescents with hEDS/HSD, JH, and healthy controls (HC).MethodsThirty-two adolescents were classified into three subgroups (hEDS/HSD=12, JH=5, HC=15). Clinical characteristics (e.g. pain intensity and surface, fatigue, functional disability) were inventoried.The gait pattern was assessed using a three-dimensional, eight-camera VICON MX1.3 motion capture system, operating at a sample rate of 100 Hz (VICON, Oxford, UK). Spatiotemporal parameters, joint angles (sagittal plane), joint work, joint impulse, ground reaction force and gait variability expressed as percentage using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) were assessed and analysed using multivariate analysis. Multivariate analysis data is expressed in mean differences(MD), standard error(SE) and P-values.ResultsThe hEDS/HSD-group had significantly higher fatigue score (+51.5 points, p = <0.001) and functional disability (+1.6, p < .001) than the HC-group. Pain intensity was significantly higher in the hEDS/HSD-group than the other subgroups (JH; +37 mm p = .004, HC; +38 mm, p = .001). The hEDS/HSD-group showed significantly more gait variability (JH; +7.2(2.0)% p = .003, HC; + 7.8(1.4)%, p = <0.001) and lower joint work (JH; −0.07(0.03)J/kg, p = .007, HC; − 0.06(0.03)J/kg, p = .013) than the other subgroups. The JH-group showed significantly increased ankle dorsiflexion during terminal stance (+5.0(1.5)degree, p = .001) compared to hEDS/HSD-group and knee flexion during loading response compared to HC-group (+5.7(1.8) degree, p = .011).SignificanceA distinctive difference in gait pattern between adolescents with non-pathological and pathological joint hypermobility is found in gait variability, rather than in the biomechanical features of gait. This suggests that a specific gait variability metric is more appropriate than biomechanical individual joint patterns for assessing gait in adolescents with hEDS/HSD.
This paper presents the development and construct validation of an instrument for identification of resilient and less-resilient middle adolescents in high school. Purpose of this identification is a qualitative in-depth interview study of perceptions of resilient and less resilient middle-adolescents on their school environment. The qualitative study will function as examination of contentvalidity of the presented instrument. A 33-item Resilient Behavior Questionnaire (VVL) and a 105-item personality questionnaire NPV-J (Dutch Personality Questionnaire- Youngsters) were administered to a sample of 400 middle adolescent high school students (age range 14-16). It was hypothesized that scores on specific components in the VVL would correlate highly with relevant factors of personality in the NPV-J. Principal Component Analysis and Correlation Analysis served as methods of investigation. Results of the quantitative study reveal three components in the VVL and a high correlation between the scores on these components and the resilient personality factor perseverance and non-resilient factor inadequacy in the NPV-J. Discussion focuses on explanation of the results and implications for further development of the VVL.
