Search

ZEP : Zeitschrift für internationale Bildungsforschung und Entwicklungspädagogik 45 (2022) 2, S. 16-19, Sozialarbeiterische Interventionen am Beispiel des Projekts Querbeet im Kontext von Exklusionstendenzen im urbanen Raum: Durch das Wachsen moderner Städte erhöht sich auch der Druck auf den angespannten Wohnungsmarkt. Menschen ohne festen Wohnsitz und mit Suchterkrankungen werden im urbanen Raum als abweichend markiert und aus sozialen Bezügen exkludiert. Anhand des Projekts Querbeet wird eine pflanzengestützte sozialarbeiterische Intervention dargestellt, die auf urbane Problemlagen reagiert und die Integration marginalisierter Bevölkerungsgruppen anstrebt. (DIPF/Orig.), Social work interventions shown by the example of the project Querbeet in the context of excluding tendencies in urban spaces: Urban growth leads to increasing strain on the already intense housing market. Homeless or addicted people in urban environments are marked as divergent and excluded from social contexts. The project Querbeet is used as an example for plant supported social work, that reacts to urban problems and to improve integration of marginalized population groups. (DIPF/Orig.)

The five-dimensional curiosity-scale revised (5DCR) by Kashdan et al. (Citation2020) is the most comprehensive curiosity inventory available to date. 5DCR measures six facets of curiosity with four items each. Here, we present a German-language adaptation of the 5DCR and comprehensively validate this adaptation in a diverse sample of adults from Germany (N = 486). Moreover, we provide new evidence on the original English-language 5DCR in a parallel sample from the UK (N = 483). In both countries, we investigate the six facets' reliability, factorial validity, and convergent and discriminant validity with a large set of individual-differences constructs. In addition, we analyze the measurement invariance of the curiosity facets across the UK and Germany and across socio-demographic subgroups defined by age, sex, and education. Findings demonstrate that the new German-language adaptation of 5DCR and its English-language source version show psychometric properties similar to the original studies by Kashdan et al. (Citation2020) in the United States. All six curiosity facets reach at least partial scalar invariance across cultures, sex, education, and mostly also across age groups. The findings support the six-faceted theory of curiosity and show that 5DCR allows for a valid assessment of curiosity across cultures.

This article presents findings about the impact of the first Covid‐related lockdown on the face‐to‐face (FTF) interpersonal contact networks of the Hungarian adult population. Our primary objective is to understand how the size, composition, and quality of such networks have changed. We base our analysis on the contact‐diary method. Our data were collected from two representative surveys of the Hungarian adult population: one in 2015 (N = 372) and one in May 2020 (N = 1001) during the first wave of the Covid‐19 epidemic. No decline in the overall bonding social capital can be detected; however, social isolation has increased. A restructuring has occurred: a considerable increase manifests in the proportion of kin ties, especially children, and a decrease in the importance of non‐kin ties, with a particularly sharp decline in friendships. FTF contacts indicate an increased emotional intensity (except for non‐kin, non‐household members) and an increase in the length of conversations, but there is a decrease in the frequency of meeting alters. The changes wrought different effects on different age groups, with the restrictions most negatively affecting the size of FTF contact networks for respondents aged 60 years or older. Our findings point to the stability and resilience of close family relations, yet the doubling of social isolation as early as May 2020 underlines fears about the pandemic’s potentially detrimental effects on social connectedness. The decline in friendship ties (and most probably in other weak ties) may lead to a reduction not only in the amount and scope of accessible social capital but also to a weakening social integration.

In diesem Beitrag wird das Engagement f��r die Fridays for Future (FFF)-Bewegung aus bildungswissenschaftlicher Perspektive in den Blick genommen. Aktives Engagement f��r die FFF-Bewegung wird als Lern- und Erfahrungsraum verstanden und ausgew��hlte Befunde einer Online-Befragung (n=194) vorgestellt. Zum einen werden spezifische Charakteristika der FFF-Bewegung mit Blick auf Lern- und Bildungsprozesse skizziert, zum anderen empirische Analysen zu verschiedenen Beteiligungsm��glichkeiten dargestellt. Dabei wird die Vielfalt der Beteiligungsformate und die Motivation der Engagierten n��her betrachtet und danach gefragt, ob sich je nach Beteiligungsform Unterschiede in den Motiven und der Selbstwirksamkeitserwartung finden lassen. Die Ergebnisse werden weiterf��hrend mit Blick auf potenzielle Lernerfahrungen diskutiert. (DIPF/Orig.), In this article, engagement in the Fridays for Future (FFF) movement is examined from an educational point of view. Framing active engagement in the FFF movement theoretically as a learning opportunity, selected findings from an online survey (n=194) are presented. In a theoretical perspective, specific characteristics of the FFF movement are outlined with regard to learning and educational processes. Starting point of the empirical analyses are different possibilities of participation. On the one hand, an insight into the various participation formats is given. On the other hand, it is asked what motivates those involved to work for sustainable development and whether differences in motives and self-efficacy can be found depending on the form of participation. The results will be linked back to the theoretical frame of reference and discussed further. (DIPF/Orig.)

The present study aimed to predict job control (i.e., task discretion) based on class and occupation with skill use as a (hypothesized) mechanism in four Western European countries by using the OECD adult skill survey (PIAAC). The countries were Denmark, Belgium, Italy, and the United Kingdom (UK). The study used a Bayesian approach that included multilevel models combined with measurement models. The study uses the international standard classification of occupations with two digits (clustering variable) as well as the European socioeconomic classification (ESeC) measured with three social classes. The results indicate that greater worker technical skills (computer use) and social skills (e.g., negotiate and influence) predict higher levels of job control. Social classes interact with skills to predict job control (except Belgium). Occupational computer skills predict job control (in Belgium and Italy). In conclusion, the study supports predictions by neo-Durkheimians, neo-Weberians, New Structuralists, and relational approaches to inequality.

Abstract. A growth mindset is a belief that personal characteristics, specifically intellectual ability, are malleable and can be developed by investing time and effort. Numerous studies have investigated the associations between a growth mindset and academic achievement, and large intervention programs have been established to train adolescents to develop a stronger growth mindset. However, methodological research on the adequacy of the measures used to assess a growth mindset is scarce. In our study, we conducted one of the first comprehensive assessments of the psychometric properties of Dweck’s widely used three-item Growth Mindset Scale in two samples (adolescents aged 14–19 years and adults aged 20–64 years). We test the comparability (i.e., measurement invariance) of the scale across these age groups. Furthermore, using the same two samples, we identified and validated a single-item measure to assess growth mindset in settings with severe time constraints. Results reveal that both the three-item and the single-item scales have acceptable psychometric properties regarding reliability, comparability, and validity. However, the results did not support some of the central tenets of mindset theory, such as that a growth mindset is positively linked to goal regulation and achievement, calling for future research on the criterion validity of a growth mindset.

Hintergrund: Sexuell übertragbare Infektionen (STI) sind ein relevanter Risikofaktor für die sexuelle Gesundheit des Einzelnen und der Bevölkerung. Für eine zielgruppenspezifische Präventionsarbeit ist der Wissensstand zu STI in verschiedenen Bevölkerungsgruppen daher von besonderem Interesse. Ziel: Ziel der vorliegenden Arbeit ist es, den Wissensstand zu neun STI in der deutschen Bevölkerung zu analysieren. Dafür werden Zusammenhänge mit soziodemografischen Variablen, sexualitätsbezogenen Merkmalen sowie der subjektiven Zufriedenheit mit dem Informationsstand untersucht. Methode: Die GeSiD-Studie "Gesundheit und Sexualität in Deutschland" erhob von 4955 Personen per Face-to-Face-Interview repräsentative quantitative Daten zum Wissensstand zu STI. Als Auswahlverfahren wurde eine zweifache Zufallsstichprobe gezogen. Dafür wurden zunächst 200 Sample Points (Gemeinden) in ganz Deutschland regional proportional ausgewählt. Anschließend wurde eine Zufallsstichprobe von Adressen über die jeweiligen Einwohnermeldeämter gezogen. Die Teilnahmequote betrug 30,2 %; das Durchschnittsalter lag bei 46,3 Jahren. Ergebnisse: Wissen über HIV/Aids war in allen Altersgruppen weit verbreitet. Andere STI waren deutlich weniger bekannt. Besonders wenig informiert zeigten sich Ältere und Befragte mit niedrigem Bildungsstand, regionaler sozialer Benachteiligung sowie mit Migrationshintergrund. Eine höhere Anzahl von SexualpartnerInnen hing mit einem besseren Wissensstand zusammen. Gut informiert zeigten sich Personen, die sich nicht als heterosexuell beschreiben, sowie Personen, die schon einmal an einer STI erkrankt waren. Fazit: Heterosexuelle Erwachsene in Deutschland sind unzureichend über STI informiert. Zielgruppenspezifische Anstrengungen zur Verbesserung des Wissens über STI sind nötig, um sexuelles Risikoverhalten zu vermindern und die Inanspruchnahme von Präventionsangeboten zu verbessern. Background: Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are a relevant risk factor for the sexual health of individuals and the population. Therefore, the level of awareness and knowledge about STIs in different population groups is of particular interest for specific prevention work. Objectives: The aim of this study was to analyze the awareness of and knowledge about nine STIs in the German population. To do so, the study examined correlations with sociodemographic variables, sexuality-related characteristics, and subjective satisfaction with the level of information. Methods: The GeSiD study "German Health and Sexuality Survey" collected representative quantitative data from 4955 persons via face-to-face interviews on the state of knowledge about STIs. As a selection procedure, a two-step random sample was collected. Firstly, 200 sample points (municipalities) were initially selected proportionally across Germany. Secondly, a random sample of addresses was drawn from the respective residents’ registration offices. The participation rate was 30.2%; the average age was 46.3 years. Results: Knowledge about HIV/AIDS was widespread in all age groups, but other STIs were significantly less known. Older people and respondents with a low level of education were particularly poorly informed. Local social disadvantage and a family history of migration were also negatively correlated with knowledge about STIs. A higher number of sexual partners is related to a better level of knowledge. In addition, persons who do not describe their sexual orientation as heterosexual as well as those with a history of STIs were well informed. Conclusion: Heterosexual adults in Germany are insufficiently informed about the risks of STIs. Therefore, target-group-specific efforts are needed to improve knowledge about STIs in order to reduce sexual risk behavior and improve the utilization of prevention programs among socially disadvantaged groups.

Within the ever-growing body of research on sickness presenteeism, studies of perceived consequences are scarce and equally rare are joint considerations of beneficial and harmful effects. This study examined how experienced and expected consequences of the behavior are related to presenteeism. Positive and negative effects were considered simultaneously and comprehensively. This approach allowed us to capture the trade-off process of individuals in deciding to work or call in sick when ill. In a cross-sectional online survey, 591 working adults in Germany rated a thoroughly developed pool of specific experienced or potential consequences of working while sick and gave an overall judgment of effects. The results show that perceptions of effects are consistent with behavior. Individuals who exhibit presenteeism do so primarily because of work-related effects such as the completion of one’s work tasks and the meeting of deadlines. Few specific effects stand out and can largely explain attendance behavior and the overall assessment of effects. The findings are consistent with the assumptions of the health belief model and the expectancy value theory of work motivation and they relate to the health-performance framework. They demonstrated that benefits and costs of the behavior are simultaneously weighed in the decision to engage in presenteeism or not.

Psychological research, including research into adult reading, is frequently based on convenience samples of undergraduate students. This practice raises concerns about the external validity of many accepted findings. The present study seeks to determine how strong this student sampling bias is in literacy and numeracy research. We use the nationally representative cross-national data from the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies to quantify skill differences between (i) students and the general population aged 16–65, and (ii) students and age-matched non-students aged 16–25. The median effect size for the comparison (i) of literacy scores across 32 countries was d = .56, and for comparison (ii) d = .55, which exceeds the average effect size in psychological experiments (d = .40). Numeracy comparisons (i) and (ii) showed similarly strong differences. The observed differences indicate that undergraduate students are not representative of the general population nor age-matched non-students.

Self-concept related to the use of information and communication technology (ICT-SC) is reflected in how people feel and behave when confronted with digital technologies. Although evidence from variable-centered analyses suggests a hierarchical and multidimensional structure of ICT-SC in heterogeneous populations, it is not yet known whether different profiles of general ICT-SC and specific ICT-SC domains (communicate, process and store, generate content, safe application, solve problems) exist. This study aims to extend previous research using person-centered analyses and to examine whether different profiles of ICT-SC can be identified in a heterogeneous adult population (18–69 years) from Germany and how these profiles relate to gender. Results of a latent profile analysis (German quota sample, N = 369) indicate a reliable three-profile solution. Profile I (n = 48) is characterised by rather low ICT-SC with relative profile strengths in the verbal-interactive domains (communicate, process and store). Profile II (n = 149) is characterised by low to average ICT-SC across ICT-SC domains. Profile III (n = 172) is characterised by high ICT-SC with profile strengths in the technical-analytical domains (safe application, solve problems). Gender did not correlate significantly with profile membership. We discuss the practical implications of the results for ICT-SC interventions and suggest directions for future research.

Die Autoren blicken auf das System Schule unter besonderer Berücksichtigung adultistischer Diskriminierungen. Dabei zeigen sie die hierarchische Struktur der Institution Schule auf, die den Autoren nach durch systematische Diskriminierung von Schüler*innen bzw. adultistische Praktiken geprägt ist. Ausgehend von den Ursachen, die Adultismus stetig reproduzieren, gehen sie abschließend der Frage nach, wie Kinder und Erwachsene diesen Diskriminierungsformen widerstehen können und welche Alternativen sich anbieten. (DIPF/Orig.)

Ethnic identity is defined in terms of the interaction between exploration of and commitment to a given cultural background. The present study investigated the effect of individual background, role transitions, and the social environment on the development of ethnic identity in a sample of German adults aged 21-73 years (N = 2,940). Additionally, identity transitions and the moderating effect of disequilibrating life events on identity over time were examined (N = 827). Overall, results are consistent with findings for other identity domains: Respondents could be assigned to one of four identity stages, ranging from unexamined to achieved identity. Particularly, the individual background and the extent of community involvement affected ethnic identity formation in adulthood. Longitudinal analyses revealed that only one-third of respondents had remained in the same identity stage; most individuals had transitioned forward or backward. Changes in ethnic identity were not moderated by disequilibrating life events.

Hintergrund: Rauchen ist ein bedeutendes Gesundheitsrisiko und die führende Ursache vorzeitiger Sterblichkeit. Passivrauch verursacht dieselben negativen gesundheitlichen Folgen wie das Rauchen, wenn auch in einem geringeren Ausmaß. Die Verringerung des Tabakkonsums und der Schutz vor Passivrauch sind daher wichtige gesundheitspolitische Ziele. Methode: Die Studie Gesundheit in Deutschland aktuell (GEDA 2019/2020-EHIS) ist eine telefonische Querschnittbefragung (04/2019 bis 09/2020) der in Deutschland lebenden Wohnbevölkerung mit Fragen zum aktuellen Rauchverhalten und zur Passivrauchbelastung. Die Analysestichprobe umfasst 22.708 Personen ab 18 Jahren. Ergebnisse: 24,0 % der Frauen und 33,9 % der Männer ab 18 Jahren rauchen aktuell, zumindest gelegentlich. Bei beiden Geschlechtern rauchen Erwachsene ab 65 Jahren deutlich seltener als Erwachsene in den jüngeren Altersgruppen. 4,1 % der Erwachsenen, die selbst nicht rauchen, sind täglich Passivrauchbelastung in geschlossenen Räumen ausgesetzt. Das betrifft besonders junge Erwachsene und Männer. Es bestehen Bildungsunterschiede im Tabakkonsum und in der Passivrauchbelastung zuungunsten von Erwachsenen aus unteren Bildungsgruppen. Schlussfolgerungen: In Deutschland besteht weiterhin Handlungsbedarf für eine effektive Maßnahmen der Tabakprävention, Rauchentwöhnung und Tabakkontrollpolitik, die in allen Bevölkerungsgruppen wirken und die Belange sozial benachteiligter Gruppen berücksichtigen

Background: Sedentary behaviour is increasingly perceived as a risk factor for the development of diseases and for increased mortality. In particular, increased time spent sitting in combination with low physical activity seems to have negative health consequences. Methods: In the nationwide cross-sectional study German Health Update (GEDA 2019/2020-EHIS), the indicator ‘sitting’ was captured by the self-report of the participants. Results: For at least eight hours a day, 16.7% of women and 22.3% of men sit: Men more often than women, younger persons more often than older persons and the proportion increases significantly from the low to the high education group. Similarly, about one fifth of adults in Germany sit for at least four hours a day and do not engage in physical activity in their leisure time. Conclusion: The results indicate that preventive measures are needed to reduce time spent sitting and increase physical activity

We investigated age-related decline in adult learning of Dutch as an additional language (Ln) in speaking, writing, listening, and reading proficiency test scores for 56,024 adult immigrants with 50 L1s who came to the Netherlands for study or work. Performance for all four language skills turned out to decline monotonically after an age of arrival of about 25 years, similar to developmental trajectories observed in earlier aging research on additional language learning and in aging research on cognitive abilities. Also, linguistic dissimilarity increased age-related decline across all four language skills, but speaking in particular. We measured linguistic dissimilarity between first languages (L1s = 50) and Dutch (Ln) for morphology, vocabulary, and phonology. Our conclusion is that the L1 language background influences the effects of age-related decline in adult language learning, and that the constraints involved reflect both biological (language learning ability) and experience-based (acquired L1 proficiency) cognitive resources., Studies in second language acquisition;45(1)

This thematic issue discusses risks, opportunities, and challenges of digital child- and adulthood based on different theoretical and methodological perspectives. It focuses on three topics: First, the challenges children and adolescents face in developing skills for dealing with promotional content are highlighted. Second, several contributions discuss the actions of parents and instructors and their function as role models for children and adolescents. They outline the tension between the consequences of intensive media use by children and adolescents and a responsible approach to digital media as often demanded by parents and teachers. Finally, the last contribution gives an insight into how the political socialization of adolescents can manifest itself in the digital space. The multi-methodological, multi-perspective, and multi-theoretical contributions of this thematic issue illustrate the intergenerational relevance of digital child- and adulthood.

Hintergrund: Sitzendes Verhalten wird zunehmend als ein Risikofaktor für die Entstehung von Erkrankungen und für eine erhöhte Sterblichkeit wahrgenommen. Insbesondere erhöhte Sitzzeiten in Kombination mit geringer körperlicher Aktivität scheinen negative Gesundheitsfolgen zu haben. Methode: In der bundesweiten Querschnittstudie Gesundheit in Deutschland aktuell (GEDA 2019/2020-EHIS) wurde der Indikator „Sitzen“ durch die Selbstangabe der Teilnehmenden erfasst. Ergebnisse: Für mindestens acht Stunden am Tag sitzen 16,7 % der Frauen und 22,3 % der Männer: Männer häufiger als Frauen, Jüngere häufiger als Ältere und der Anteil nimmt von der unteren zur oberen Bildungsgruppe deutlich zu. Ebenso sitzt etwa ein Fünftel der Erwachsenen in Deutschland mindestens vier Stunden am Tag und übt keine körperliche Aktivität in der Freizeit aus. Schlussfolgerung: Die Ergebnisse weisen darauf hin, dass präventive Maßnahmen notwendig sind, um Sitzzeiten zu reduzieren und körperliche Aktivität zu steigern

To explore social media use in New Zealand, a sample of 1001 adults aged 18 and over were surveyed in November 2021. Participants were asked about the frequency of their use of different social media platforms (text message included). This report describes how often each of the nine social media sites and apps covered in the survey are used individually on a daily basis. Differences based on key demographics, i.e., age and gender, are tested for statistical significance, and findings summarised.

Objective: Correlational studies have frequently linked neuroticism to lower well-being and poorer social adaptation. In this study, we examined the longitudinal associations of neuroticism with life satisfaction and aspects of social adaptation (i.e., loneliness, number of close friends, and interpersonal trust). Method: Cross-lagged panel models (CLPMs) and random intercepts cross-lagged panel models (RI-CLPMs) were used to analyze the prospective associations between variables in a nationally representative adult sample from Germany (N = 5,663 to 11,079 per analysis; 2-4 measurement waves with lags of 4-5 years). Results: CLPMs indicated that higher neuroticism was related to lower life satisfaction, higher loneliness, fewer friends, and lower interpersonal trust, but not vice versa. At the within-person level, RI-CLPMs revealed similar findings with increased neuroticism predicting decreases in life satisfaction, increases in loneliness, and decreases in interpersonal trust. Indices of social adaptation partially mediated the link between neuroticism and life satisfaction at the between-person but not at the within-person level. Exploratory multigroup analyses support the generalization of the cross-lagged effects of neuroticism on life satisfaction and social adaptation across age, gender, and geographical regions (East versus West Germany). Conclusions: These findings highlight the role of neuroticism in shaping psychosocial outcomes over time.

Practice engagement theory (PET) posits that individuals’ literacy proficiencies develop as a by-product of their engagement in everyday reading and writing practices and, reciprocally, that literacy proficiencies affect levels of engagement in reading and writing practices. This suggests that literacy training which increases engagement in meaningful practices might generate proficiency growth. Research has shown that this approach does indeed seem to be effective in improving (adult) learners’ literacy proficiency. A number of cross-sectional comparisons of participants’ and non-participants’ performance in various training activities, as well as quantitative modelling of adults’ proficiency growth in longitudinal studies have confirmed the theoretical assumptions of PET. The authors of this article describe the first application of PET to literacy and numeracy development in a longitudinal study of a nationally representative adult population. Their investigation followed a sample of adults initially interviewed and assessed in the German component of the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC), adding longitudinal data from three additional waves of the national extension study (PIAAC-L), which included repeated assessments of literacy and numeracy proficiency over a period of three years. The authors’ quantitative modelling of the growth of literacy and numeracy proficiency over time provides strong support for PET. Their comparisons of how various practice engagement indexes predict growth of literacy and numeracy proficiencies indicate that reading engagement is the strongest predictor of literacy growth and maths engagement is the strongest predictor of numeracy growth. The authors conclude their article by considering their findings’ implications for sustainable development, lifelong learning policy and future research into the development of adult literacy and numeracy proficiency.

The coronavirus has closed adults and children at home. We communicate by phone or the Internet. Life has moved online, it has lost its rhythm within traditional systems of school and work. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic spreading around the globe, many states have introduced numerous limitations in adults’ and children’s social functioning. The majority of education and care institutions have been closed, while companies and institutions whose type of activity allows to do so have decided to transform their work patterns into remote work. This new situation has particularly affected children, who, for their own and their families’ safety, have been cut off from the possibility to participate in activities and events that used to be part of their daily lives. In order to look at this situation and analyse the situation of families with children, an online survey questionnaire was conducted among 158 adults that aimed to collect data from below (from the perspective of reflexive adults looking after children in the situation of spatial-mobile limitations). In the article, we discuss changes in parents’ and children’s lives and analyse the social background of the areas discussed.

Der Beitrag beschäftigt sich anhand des Phänomens des Bildungsreisens mit der Verbindung von Bildung und Mobilität. Dabei wird das Verhältnis von Bildung und Mobilität sowohl aus bildungstheoretischer Perspektive betrachtet als auch nachgezeichnet, wie dieses Verhältnis bislang in Erwachsenenbildungsforschung und Erziehungswissenschaft perspektiviert wurde. Schließlich werden Potenziale narrativanalytischer Ansätze für die Beforschung von Bildung und Mobilität skizziert. (DIPF/Orig.), The article deals with the connection of education and mobility based on the phenomenon of educative travels (Bildungsreisen). It focuses on how the relationship between education and mobility has been approached so far in adult education research and educational science. The article ends with outlining the potential of a narrative-analytical research perspective on education and mobility. (DIPF/Orig.)

Productivity benefits of health technologies are ignored in typical economic evaluations from a health payer’s perspective, risking undervaluation. We conduct a productivity-based cost-benefit analysis from a societal perspective and estimate indirect costs of adult pneumococcal disease, vaccination benefits from the adult 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13 Adult), and rates of return to PCV13 Adult for a range of hypothetical vaccination costs. Our context is Turkey’s funding PCV13 for the elderly and for non-elderly adults with select comorbidities within the Ministry of Health’s National Immunization Program. We use a Markov model with one-year cycles. Indirect costs from death or disability equal the expected present discounted value of lifetime losses in the infected individual’s paid and unpaid work and in caregivers’ paid work. Vaccination benefits comprise averted indirect costs. Rates of return equal vaccination benefits divided by vaccination costs, minus one. Input parameters are from public data sources. We model comorbidities’ effects by scalar multiplication of the parameters of the general population. Indirect costs per treatment episode of inpatient community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), bacteremia, and meningitis – but not for outpatient CAP – approach or exceed Turkish per capita gross domestic product. Vaccination benefits equal $207.02 per vaccination in 2017 US dollars. The rate of return is positive for all hypothetical costs below this. Results are sensitive to herd effects from pediatric vaccination and vaccine efficacy rates. For a wide range of hypothetical vaccination costs, the rate of return compares favorably with those of other global development interventions with well-established strong investment cases.

The basic cognitive skill of numeracy is a recognized form of human capital, associated with economic and social well being for individuals and for nations. In this study, we explore how occupational complexity relates to proficiency in numeracy, among adults in full-time employment. We operationalize occupational complexity by constructing three measures of task complexity: complexity with data, complexity with people and complexity with things. Data from the international OECD survey of adult skills, 2012, is employed to investigate both the distribution of these three dimensions of occupational task complexity and how these relate to numeracy in 13 countries. The analysis indicates that data occupational complexity predicts numeracy scores, when controlling for age, gender and educational level. The findings open for a hypothesis that occupational activities may enhance basic skills in adult populations. If elaborated and supported through further studies this finding has practical implications for workplace organization and contributes to theoretical understandings of the development of basic skills in adults.

This paper discusses the ways in which women aged 50, in two different cultural contexts (United Kingdom and Italy) narrate and portray turning points in their life course. Particular emphasis is put on the relationships between identity, learning and agency that emerge through work, family and life experiences. The reference paradigm is adopted from Narrative Learning Theory and the approach is qualitative and comparative in analysing the participant’s voice. For the UK sample, the data sources are 16 semi-structured interviews, including drawings representing the life course, selected from the study deposited in the UK Archives Data under the “Social Participation and Identity” project; for the Italian sample, the data sources are 28 semistructured interviews and drawings, based on the same selected items of the UK interviews and provided by women living in the North-East of Italy. This study will show how women’s representations of their life course and of turning points in their lives reveal different propensities to reflect on and learn from their own lives. The comparative perspective highlights, through two-level analysis (micro and macro) and by contrasting cultural, relational and social contexts, variations in ways these women are enabled or restricted in moving their lives forward. The research also contributes to methodological insight into the use of drawings in elucidating life course narratives.

Existing theories of aging suggest that there may be similarities and differences in how COVID-19 impacts older people’s psychosocial adaptation compared to younger age groups, particularly middle-aged individuals. To assess the degree to which these impacts vary, we analyzed data from 3098 participants between the ages of 40 and 79 from an online survey in Germany. Data were collected at three measurement occasions between the start of the nationwide lockdown in mid-March 2020 and the end of the lockdown in early August 2020. The survey focused on everyday experiences during the COVID-19 crisis and collected various satisfaction ratings (e.g., general life satisfaction, satisfaction with family life, satisfaction with social contacts). At baseline, participants also provided retrospective ratings of satisfaction for the period before the COVID-19 crisis. In our analyses, we compared satisfaction ratings of middle-aged (40–64 years) and older individuals (65–79 years) and found that both middle-aged and older participants experienced the greatest decreases in satisfaction with social contacts, with more pronounced decreases seen in middle-aged participants. A similar pattern was observed for general life satisfaction, but the overall decreases were less pronounced in both groups compared to the decreases in satisfaction with social contacts. We also observed a partial recovery effect in all measures at the last measurement occasion, and this effect was more pronounced in older adults. Findings were also confirmed using age as a continuous variable and checking for linear and nonlinear effects of outcomes across the age range. Although ageism arose during the pandemic in the sense that older adults were labeled as a “risk group,” particularly at the start of the outbreak, we found consistently with other studies that middle-aged adults’ satisfaction decreased to a greater extent than that of older adults. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10433-021-00655-1.

Background Obesity has been postulated to be a consequence of economic disadvantage. However, epidemiological studies failed to demonstrate a consistent link between income and body fat indicators. We examined income as a possible cause of obesity in an East German general population, focusing on appropriate representation of study variables, as well as on confounding and modification of the income-obesity association. Methods We used data of 9599 participants in the baseline examination of the LIFE-Adult-Study, conducted in the city of Leipzig from 2011 to 2014. Body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) as obesity measures were based on standardised measurements, net equivalised income (NEI) on self-reports. We estimated adjusted means of BMI and WC within NEI categories representing the range from risk of poverty to affluence. We stratified the analyses by gender, age, and education. Results A substantial part of the age-adjusted associations of income with obesity measures was attributable to other SES indicators. Adjusted for these variables, NEI was comparably associated with BMI and WC. Among women, BMI and WC decreased across NEI categories. The inverse associations tended to be stronger at non-working age (≥ 65 years) than at working age (2 for BMI and 2 to 4 cm for WC. Conclusions Our investigation indicates an association between income and body fatness in an East German adult population that depends on the sociodemographic context of the people. However, it does not suggest that income disparities are a major driver of body fat accumulation in this population. Differential selection of study participants, error in the measurement of long-term income, and possibly reverse causality may have affected our conclusions.

In this article, we examine selected health indicators for the adult population aged 18 years and older in Germany (n=22,708) from the German Health Update (GEDA 2019/2020-EHIS) conducted between April 2019 and September 2020. These indicators include those of self-assessed health and depressive symptoms as well as chronic physical diseases and conditions. In young adulthood (18 to 44 years), over 80% of participants report good or very good subjective health. During this phase of life, most chronic diseases and conditions are rare, although allergies are frequent, and bronchial asthma and depressive symptoms are not uncommon. From mid adulthood (45 years and older), there is a gradual increase in the prevalence of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and osteoarthritis. Over 60% of older adults (65 years and older) report a chronic disease or long-term health problem, while only half continue to report good or very good subjective health. During this stage of life, allergies and depressive symptoms become less prevalent. For some diseases, there are also differences according to gender and level of education. This article demonstrates the high public health relevance of age-associated chronic physical diseases and health related limitations in everyday life in an ageing society as well as the need to provide care for certain health conditions already in young adulthood.

The global rise of life expectancy at birth has attracted worldwide interest, especially in understanding the pace of mortality transition in developing countries. In this study, we assess the progress of mortality transition in India during four decades between 1970 and 2013. We estimate measures of mortality compression and variability in age at death to assess the trends and patterns in mortality compression for India as a whole and its twelve biggest states. The results reveal an unequivocal convergence pattern in mortality compression across the states underpinned by the reduction in premature mortality and emerging homogeneity in mortality. Results by gender show that women are more homogenous in their mortality across the country because of an explicit reduction in the Gini coefficients at age 10 by the age group of 15-29 years. Mortality compression has changed in recent decades because of the increased survival of women in their reproductive ages, which marked a distinct phase of mortality transition in India. The pace of mortality transition, however, varies; adult mortality decline was greater than senescent mortality decline. These results show that India has passed the middle stage of mortality transition and has entered an early phase of low mortality.

A tension raised in recent scholarship is that between numeracy as a social practice and numeracy as a functional skill set. Such frameworks for conceptualizing numeracy pose a challenge to assessment because what individuals do with numeracy is not the same as what individuals can do (or express) in an assessment setting. This study builds on work related to numeracy assessment through a validity examination of a portion of a well-known assessment: the OECD’s Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC). In following a path set out by standards for assessment, I ask: What does the PIAAC numeracy assessment claim to measure? What are the intended uses of the assessment? How are we to interpret scores with those uses in mind? And to what degree do evidence and theory support interpretations for those uses? The main finding from this work is that while score interpretations from the PIAAC numeracy assessment may be valid for the use of describing proficiency distributions for specific groups, the construct of interest—numerate behavior—is not what is measured. Moreover, evidence distinguishing what is measured from other constructs, such as the OECD’s conception of literacy, is largely absent. This study contributes to existing literature on numeracy assessment by providing sources of evidence to consider in making judgments about validity for an assessment. It also suggests that, as scholars, we carefully hedge the ways that we talk about large-scale assessments, and in relation, what individuals can or cannot do based on results from such assessments.

Background Inequalities in health across social class, gender and regional context in Spain are well-known; however, there is a lack of research examining how these dimensions of inequality interact. This study explores self-rated health (SRH) inequalities across intersectional positions of gender, social class and region, and the contribution of material and psychosocial factors to these inequalities. Methods Participants were drawn from the cross-sectional 2015 National Living Conditions Survey of Spanish residents aged 19–88 years (N = 27,215; 77% response rate). Eight intersectional positions were formed by combining dichotomous variables of gender, social class and regional development. Poisson regression was used to estimate intersectional inequalities in SRH as prevalence ratios, and the contributions of material and psychosocial factors. Results Results showed both cumulative and heterogeneous inequalities within and across intersectional positions. Inequalities in the intersection of social class and regional development were best explained by the joint contributions of material and psychosocial factors, while gender inequalities within non-manual social class were better explained by material factors alone. Conclusions The results illustrate the complexity of interacting inequalities in health and their underpinnings in Spain. Local and national policies taking this complexity into account are needed to broadly improve equity in health in Spain.

Highlights • Evidence about differences in digital competencies (digital divide) is contextualized with other core competencies, esp. literacy and numeracy. • The generation a person is born to/in is a factor for digital divide for all subgroups. • The effect of education on digital competency is larger than the effect of generation. • Rather mitigating digital divide as its impact on digital competencies is smaller compared to the impact of literacy and numeracy. • Migration background has a higher impact on digital divide for persons without computer use at the workplace digital divide than for those who use., This paper takes an intersectional perspective to investigate the effect of socio-demographic variables that may constitute to digital divide. The concept of digital divide emerged from a perspective on unequal access to digital technology and relates nowadays primarily the differences in the competencies necessary to handle this technology. To investigate digital divide, the present paper uses the PIAAC framework of digital competencies which is called problemsolving intechnology-richenvironments (PS-TRE). It introduces the approach of intersectionality that describes persons impaired by multiple inequalities. The paper analyzes the impact of these factors on PS-TRE for three subsamples of the German study: (1) employed people who use computers at work and at home, (2) employed people who use computers only at home, and (3) people that are out of the labor force. It analyzes furthermore contributions to digital divide by a comparison of these impacts with literacy and numeracy scores. While employed people with computer use at work and home only had generation as a factor for constituting digital divide, employed people with computer use only at home had migration background as a further factor. Education and cultural capital showed lower impacts on PS-TRE than on literacy and numeracy.

This chapter gives an overview of the most important features of the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) survey as it pertains to two main goals. First, only a well-designed survey will lead to accurate and comparable test scores across different countries and languages both within and across assessment cycles. Second, only an understanding of its complex survey design will lead to proper use of the PIAAC data in secondary analyses and meaningful interpretation of results by psychometricians, data analysts, scientists, and policymakers. The chapter begins with a brief introduction to the PIAAC survey followed by an overview of the background questionnaire and the cognitive measures. The cognitive measures are then compared to what was assessed in previous international adult surveys. Key features of the assessment design are discussed followed by a section describing what could be done to improve future PIAAC cycles.

Practice engagement theory (PET) posits that individuals' literacy proficiencies develop as a by-product of their engagement in everyday reading and writing practices and, reciprocally, that literacy proficiencies affect levels of engagement in reading and writing practices. This suggests that literacy training which increases engagement in meaningful practices might generate proficiency growth. Research has shown that this approach does indeed seem to be effective in improving (adult) learners' literacy proficiency. A number of cross-sectional comparisons of participants' and non-participants' performance in various training activities, as well as quantitative modelling of adults' proficiency growth in longitudinal studies have confirmed the theoretical assumptions of PET. The authors of this article describe the first application of PET to literacy and numeracy development in a longitudinal study of a nationally representative adult population. Their investigation followed a sample of adults initially interviewed and assessed in the German component of the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC), adding longitudinal data from three additional waves of the national extension study (PIAAC-L), which included repeated assessments of literacy and numeracy proficiency over a period of three years. The authors’ quantitative modelling of the growth of literacy and numeracy proficiency over time provides strong support for PET. Their comparisons of how various practice engagement indexes predict growth of literacy and numeracy proficiencies indicate that reading engagement is the strongest predictor of literacy growth and maths engagement is the strongest predictor of numeracy growth. The authors conclude their article by considering their findings’ implications for sustainable development, lifelong learning policy and future research into the development of adult literacy and numeracy proficiency.

This methodological book aims to summarise existing techniques for analysing data resulting from the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC). The present chapter provides an overview of the programme, outlining its goal, the participating countries, the survey cycles, and the research questions that can be addressed with the available data. In addition, the structure of the textbook is described.

As of summer 2019, more than 60 PIAAC datasets from participating countries worldwide were available for research purposes. These datasets can be differentiated, for example, in terms of their accessibility, the extent of the information provided, the population group in focus, and the design of the underlying study. PIAAC Public Use Files, for instance, are freely available and are therefore highly anonymised, whereas PIAAC Scientific Use Files are available only for scientific research purposes and provide access to more detailed variables. The majority of the PIAAC data are available as public use files, but some participating countries (e.g. Germany and the United States) have also made several scientific use files or other extended file versions available to the research community. Some of the available PIAAC datasets focus on specific population groups - for example, the incarcerated adult population in the United States. Regarding the design of the underlying studies, most available datasets are cross-sectional, but some longitudinal data already exist (e.g. PIAAC-L in Germany). The present chapter provides an overview of the structure, accessibility, and use of the PIAAC datasets available worldwide.

Recent literature shows that younger cohorts have lower levels of literacy ceteris paribus in Canada, the United States, Norway and other developed countries. Very few explanations are provided to justify the existence of this negative cohort effect. Yet this decline has serious implications for the economy, education system and society. In this paper, we focus on Canada and replicate the results published in the literature using the same methodology (synthetic cohorts). We use the same data from surveys of adult skills, namely the International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS), the Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey (ALL) and the Survey of Adult Skills, a product of the OECD Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC). Second, we conduct further analyses to better understand the effect of time on adults’ literacy skills. We then show that age has a negative effect on the literacy score, but also that a significant “period” effect (or rather a “survey” effect) can only be explained by a change in the instrument used to measure literacy skills from one survey to another. This article reveals that the negative cohort effect mentioned in the literature may be fallacious as it is exacerbated when the control for measuring instrument distortions is omitted. This paper contributes to advancing knowledge about the effect that age and cohort has on adult literacy levels in Canada. The results weaken the idea of a clear negative cohort effect; much of this effect would in fact be caused by a non-comparable methodology that systematically assigned individuals lower scores in the most recent survey cycles. These findings are important because they highlight the limitations of analyses that can be done with the synthetic cohort method using cross-sectional surveys on adult literacy skills not only in Canada, but also in all other countries where these surveys have been conducted.

This article features supplementary data related to the article "How are adult skills configured?" (R. Scandurra, J. Calero, How are adult skills configured? Int. J. Educ. Res., 99, 2020, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2019.06.004.) The tables show the descriptive statistics of the variables included in the model together with the measurement model and the measure of overall model fit. Moreover, the data article describes the procedures used and can be beneficial for the research community for further research on adult skills. For further information please consult linked data.

1. Zwischen 2002 und 2017 nimmt unter den 46- bis 85-Jährigen die Identifikation mit den großen Volksparteien, insbesondere mit der SPD deutlich ab. Parallel dazu erhalten kleinere Parteien zunehmend mehr Zustimmung. Der Anteil von Personen ohne Parteipräferenz liegt konstant bei etwa einem Viertel. 2. Die 76- bis 85- Jährigen präferieren vergleichsweise häufig die traditionellen Parteien (CDU/ CSU, SPD sowie FDP). Im Vergleich dazu fallen bei den 46- bis 55-Jährigen die Anteile in historisch jüngeren Parteien vergleichsweise groß aus (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen, AfD, andere kleine Parteien). Der Anteil derer ohne Parteipräferenz ist in der ältesten Gruppe halb so groß wie in der jüngsten Altersgruppe. 3. Substanzielle Geschlechterunterschiede in den Parteipräferenzen zeigen sich nicht. Männer neigen etwas häufiger zu kleineren Parteien (AfD, Die Linke, FDP), während sich Frauen etwas häufiger mit keiner Partei identifizieren. 4. In Westdeutschland findet sich die Identifikation mit den lang bestehenden Parteien deutlich häufiger als in Ostdeutschland. Dort erfahren stärker links- sowie rechtsorientierte Parteien einen größeren Zuspruch (Die Linke und die AfD). Personen in ländlichen Gemeinden präferieren häufiger CDU/CSU und AfD. 5. Die SPD erfährt als einzige Partei in allen Bildungsgruppen gleich starke Zustimmung. Personen ohne Berufsabschluss präferieren vergleichsweise häufiger CDU/CSU und AfD; Personen mit Berufs- oder Universitätsabschluss häufiger das Bündnis 90/Die Grünen, Die Linke und die FDP. 6. Personen, die keiner Religionsgemeinschaft angehören, haben vergleichsweise häufiger keine Parteipräferenz oder präferieren die AfD oder Die Linke. 7. Die geringste Lebenszufriedenheit weisen die Personen auf, die sich mit einer der nicht weiter ausdifferenzierten Kleinstparteien oder der AfD identifizieren. 8. Personen ohne Parteipräferenz leben in Haushalten mit dem geringsten Durchschnittseinkommen. Personen mit FDP-Präferenz geben das höchste Durchschnittseinkommen an.

BackgroundIn Germany, three large-scale surveys–the Level One Study (LEO), the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC), and the National Educational Panel Study (NEPS)–provide complementary data on adults’ literacy skills that can be harnessed to study adults with low literacy. To ensure that research on low-literate adults using these surveys arrives at valid and robust conclusions, it is imperative to ascertain the comparability of the three surveys’ low-literacy samples. Towards that end, in the present study, we comprehensively assess the comparability of adults with low literacy across these surveys with regard to their sociodemographic and socioeconomic characteristics.MethodsWe used data from LEO, PIAAC, and NEPS. We identified features of the sample representation and measurement of (low) literacy as potential causes for variations in the low-literacy samples across the surveys. We then compared the low-literacy samples with regard to their sociodemographic and socioeconomic characteristics and performed logistic regressions to compare the relative importance of these characteristics as correlates of low literacy.ResultsThe key insight our study provides is that–despite different sample representations and measurement approaches–the low-literacy samples in the three surveys are largely comparable in terms of their socioeconomic and sociodemographic characteristics. Although there were small differences between the surveys with regard to the distribution of gender, educational attainment, and the proportion of non-native speakers within the group of low-literate adults, results revealed that both the prevalence of low literacy and its correlates were largely robust across LEO, PIAAC, and NEPS. Across all three surveys, lower educational attainment emerged as the most significant correlate of low literacy, followed by a non-German language background, unemployment and low occupational status.ConclusionsOur study provides evidence that all three surveys can be used for investigating adults with low literacy. The small differences between the low-literacy samples across the three surveys appear to be associated with sample representation and certain assessment features that should be kept in mind when using the surveys for research and policy purposes. Nevertheless, our study showed that we do not compare apples with oranges when dealing with low-literate adults across different large-scale surveys.

Le but de cet article est de mettre en évidence les dimensions formatives des pratiques du conseil aux adultes. à partir d’une analyse transversale de deux études de cas portant sur des pratiques récentes dans ce domaine, seront exposés quelques éléments qui participent de l’émergence de nouvelles connaissances chez les individus concernés. Ces éléments sont: i) l’accès facilité et le recours pertinent à une sélection d’informations; ii) l’accompagnement dans l’élaboration du questionnement sur les projets de développement professionnel ou de formation des adultes concernés. Ces éléments sont rendus possibles grâce à la mise en oeuvre par les conseillers de modalités de transmission de nouvelles connaissances, dans lesquelles les dimensions mimétiques, dialogiques et fictionnelles sont particulièrement présentes. (DIPF/Orig.), Ziel dieses Beitrags ist es, die formative Dimension der Erwachsenenberatung anhand der transversalen Analyse von zwei Fallstudien aus der aktuellen Praxis in diesem Bereich hervorzuheben. Die Analyse zeigt auf, welche Beratungssituationen den betroffenen Individuen zu neuen Erkenntnissen verholfen haben. Es handelt sich um folgende Elemente: i) vereinfachter Zugang zu und sachbezogener Umgang mit ausgewählten Informationen, ii) Begleitung bei der Erarbeitung einer Fragestellung im Zusammenhang mit der beruflichen Weiterentwicklung oder eines Bildungsvorhabens. Ermöglicht wird dies durch das von den Beratenden eingesetzte Verfahren, indem zum Transfer von neuen Erkenntnissen die mimetischen, dialogischen und fiktionalen Aspekte besonders präsent sind. (DIPF/Orig.)

European journal for Research on the Education and Learning of Adults 8 (2017) 1, S. 7-20, The ‘digital turn’ definitely affects various educational practices and policies. [...] However, the critical reflection on the relevance and the effects of the ‘new’ media in practices and theories of adult education remains fairly underexposed. Therefore, it is highly relevant to explore the perspectives, approaches and methodologies regarding digitalization that are currently practised in the field of research on the education and learning of adults particularly in the European context. (DIPF/Orig.)

This introductory article is intended to open the volume of work prepared by the participants of the 12th UNESCO Janusz Korczak Chair International Summer School. The participants presented these papers at the RC25 ISA Interim International Conference in Warsaw, entitled: "Language and Society. Research Advances in Social Sciences" (26-27.09.2019), exploring the concepts of gender equality and children's equality in liberal and conservative discourses and practices invested in language. The papers in this volume primarily use the methodology of discourse analysis and a range of tools and methods within this framework. The purpose is to shed light on how discourses inform preferences, behaviours and representations, towards the positioning of individuals in society, based on their respective gender and their individual status - whether an adult or a child. It is interesting to explore what is expected of the holders of these positions and whether they are able to confront and renegotiate their situation. The authors look into gendered childhood, analysing if differences can be found in so-called conservative and liberal discourses. The gender aspect of childhood and the resistance towards children’s expected positions interlinked to their gender is visible to diverse degrees in this selection of papers. The concept of social positioning due to one's gender is at the heart of this volume. Therefore, this Editorial forms a theoretical backstage for the volume of works included in the special post-conference issue of Society Register.

European societies are facing great challenges not only in successfully integrating large numbers of culturally, linguistically, and religiously diverse immigrants structurally (e.g. into schools or the labor market), but also in fostering the construction of new identities and preserving social cohesion. In this context, it is crucial to understand the commitment people feel to a cultural environment and the way in which such commitment develops, particularly in new cultural settings. However, there is a lack of research on identity development among adult immigrants and natives and a lack of suitable measurement instruments. To address this, we adapted the Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure–Revised (MEIM-R) for application to immigrant and native adult populations and extended it to measure also national identity. Our aim in the present study was to test the psychometric properties of this new Multigroup Ethnic & National Identity Measure (MENI) in a representative sample (N = 3410) of immigrant and native adults (aged 20-72 years) in a European context, namely Germany. Results based on confirmatory factor analyses support a two-factor structure (commitment and exploration) for MENI and confirm scalar invariance across both the immigrant and native adult populations.

This study examined inequalities in dental check-ups and medical screenings using subjective and objective socioeconomic indicators. Data from 23,464 adults, aged 20 years old and over, who participated in a multi-national survey across Europe (Eurobarometer 72.3) were analysed. Participants&rsquo, socioeconomic position (SEP) was measured by education, difficulty in paying bills and subjective social status. Use of preventive services was measured by attendance for dental check-ups, cancer and cardiovascular screenings in the past 12 months. Socioeconomic inequalities were assessed in two-level logistic regression (adults nested within countries), adjusting for demographic factors and type of healthcare system. There were apparent social inequalities in using all three preventive services. However, only dental check-ups showed consistent and significant inequalities across all socioeconomic indicators with those in the bottom groups in education (odds ratio: 0.51, 95% confidence interval: 0.46&ndash, 0.55), difficulty in paying bills (OR: 0.64, 95% CI: 0.59&ndash, 0.72) and subjective social status (OR: 0.63, 95% CI: 0.57&ndash, 0.69) having lower odds of reporting dental check-ups in the past 12 months than those in the top groups. Cancer screening was not associated with difficulty in paying bills whereas cardiovascular disease screening was not associated with education and subjective social status. Despite the availability of universal health coverage, there were clear social gradients in using preventive services particularly across education and subjective social status groups. The stronger and more consistent gradients observed in dental check-ups compared to cancer and cardiovascular screening could be attributed to difference in the level of coverage of dental and medical services in Europe.

The aim of this paper is to compare two measures of literacy skills used in the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC), i.e. literacy levels and reading components. Different from assessing literacy levels, which cover the entire range of reading skills from very high to very low, the reading components assessment is specifically designed to test the reading skills of the low literate. As literacy skills are an important determinant for labour market success, we examine whether the reading components assessment is a better predictor of employment of the test takers than the general literacy level assessment used in PIAAC. We compare different logistic regression models that include literacy levels and the reading components and use the Wald-test to compare the model fit of each examined model. In a further step we test whether the predictive validity differs between low and high literate test takers. Our results indicate that the PIAAC reading components are more useful in predicting employment of the low literate than the PIAAC literacy levels.

We develop an integrative conceptual framework that seeks to explain individual differences in digital skills. Building on practice engagement theory, this framework views the continued usage of digital technologies at work and in everyday life (ICT use) as the key prerequisite for the acquisition of digital skills. At the same time, the framework highlights that ICT use is itself contingent upon individual and contextual preconditions, most notably literacy skills. We apply this framework to data from two recent German large-scale studies (total N 5,281) that offer objective measures of adults’ digital skills. Findings support our framework’s view of ICT use as a key prerequisite for digital skills. Moreover, they demonstrate that literacy skills have strong associations with digital skills, largely by virtue of their indirect associations through ICT use. By comparison, regional digital cultures evince only limited explanatory power for individual differences in digital skills., Weizenbaum Conference

Contains fulltext : 205917.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Closed access) We use PIAAC data on the literacy and numeracy skills of 49,366 25-to-54-year-olds in 27 countries to shed new light on cross-national variation in the labor market disadvantage of less-educated adults (i.e., those who have not completed upper secondary education). Our empirical analysis focuses on the occupational status gap between less-educated adults and those with a degree at the upper secondary level and yields three main findings. First, individual-level differences in literacy and numeracy skills are an important source of cross-national variation in labor market inequalities by educational attainment, but substantial gaps in occupational status remain even after accounting for individuals' actual skills and further socio-demographics. Second, this remaining occupational status gap rises with a country's level "skills transparency" (i.e., the extent to which formal qualifications are more informative about actual skills): labor market gaps increase as the skills gap between the two educational groups increases and as the within-group distribution of skills becomes more homogeneous. Third, country differences in skills transparency seem to be the primary mediating channel for the inequality-enhancing effect of tracking in secondary education found in previous research. 20 p.