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Background: Cluttering is a fluency disorder characterized by an abnormally fast or irregular speech delivery rate along with disfluencies that are frequent but are not judged to be stuttering. Data on cluttering prevalence in the general population are scarce, as well as its association with psychological well‐being indices, such as anxiety, and depressive symptoms. Aims: To estimate cluttering prevalence among undergraduates, as well as its relationship with psychological and well‐being indicators. Methods & Procedures: To address these issues, a large sample (n = 1582) of undergraduates completed a questionnaire that provided a lay definition of cluttering and were asked to identify themselves as clutterers (SI‐Clut), as well as to indicate the presence of several psychological and mental well‐being indices. Outcomes & Results: A total of 276 respondents (23%) self‐identified as clutterers (now or in the past), with 55.1% of those being male. Only 56 respondents (3.5% of the total sample; about 21% of SI‐Clut) reported having received speech therapy for cluttering. Relative to students self‐identifying as non‐clutterers, self‐identification of cluttering was associated with higher levels of psychosomatic symptoms, depressive symptoms and stress, indicating a tendency toward internalizing psychopathology, along with lower self‐esteem, and lower subjective happiness. Conclusions & Implications: The current findings point to the high prevalence of students self‐identifying as clutterers, along with a significant link between cluttering and mental distress. Therefore, it is important to increase public awareness of cluttering, its diagnosis and treatment. From the clinical perspective, the elevated levels of somatic complaints, anxiety and depression may represent internalizing psychopathology, associated with more covert rather than overt symptomatology. Such symptom manifestation calls for special attention from the speech–language pathologists providing cluttering therapy, using designated well‐being or mental health screening tools. Although data on standard cluttering treatment are limited, it should be customized to the client's unique difficulties. Speech–language pathologists' understanding of cluttering, which includes both speech characteristics as well as psychological and social aspects of well‐being, may assist them in implementing effective treatments. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS: What is already known on the subject: Cluttering is a fluency disorder characterized by an abnormally fast or irregular speech rate, along with various disfluencies and articulatory imprecision. It may co‐occur with other disorders, such as learning disabilities, and attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Data on cluttering prevalence and its association with psychological well‐being indices, such as anxiety and depression, are limited. What this paper adds to existing knowledge: A total of 276 undergraduates (23%) self‐identified as clutterers, of whom 55.1% were males. A total of 56 respondents (3.5% of the total sample, and about 21% of undergraduates self‐identified as clutterers) reported having received speech therapy for cluttering. Psychosomatic symptoms, depressive symptoms and stress levels were higher among these students, suggesting a tendency toward internalizing psychopathology, along with a lower sense of self‐esteem and subjective happiness. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work?: The high prevalence of students self‐identifying as clutterers, along with the low percentage of respondents who received speech therapy for cluttering, emphasize the need to raise public awareness of the problem, its diagnosis and treatment (Reichel et al., 2010). The association between cluttering and mental distress requires speech–language pathologists to be aware that cluttering may have covert symptomatology, similar to stuttering, which should be addressed in therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The rapid globalization along with the growing trend of openness and sharing approach enabled widespread of digital technologies all over the world. However, we can still find differences between countries in technology use and perceptions of usefulness for learning. Understanding students' use of educational technology and their perceptions of its usefulness is especially significant today, given the rapid penetration of online learning into higher education as a response to Covid‐19. Objectives: This research aimed to understand students' actual experiences with digital technologies during their academic studies and their perceptions of technology usefulness across institutional and international contexts (Israel and Australia). Methods: This quantitative study used data from a large‐scale bi‐national online survey of 3003 students in both countries. Comparative analyses were conducted. In addition, factor analysis was used to identify latent factors from 16 variables of students' perceptions of the usefulness of digital resources usefulness. Results and conclusion: The results revealed significant differences in technology usage and its perceived usefulness between students in the two countries. They confirmed the predominance of 'official' digital resources, such as learning management systems and online library resources. However, large percentages also reported the use of 'non‐official' digital resources, including academic search services; subject‐related videos and audio recordings on content‐sharing websites such as YouTube and Wikipedia; and communication and/or collaboration with other students through social networks. Thus, universities need to consider the potential use of incorporating these resources for improving teaching and learning. Moreover, understanding the differences will assist in implementing tailored techno‐pedagogical solutions to the students. Lay Description: What is currently known about the subject matter: Technologies can enhance learning experiences, however the actual usage and sense of usefulness by higher education students is not well understood.Most technologies are under‐utilized for learning purposes, partly because the quality of students' learning experience is not yet guaranteed.Learning‐environment culture is important factor in the adoption of digital resources and practices in academic studies. What the paper adds to this: A large‐scale bi‐national survey of 3003 students at Monash University in Australia and Tel Aviv University in Israel adds to our empirical understanding of student use and perception of usefulness of digital technologies for their studies.'Official' digital resources, such as LMS and online library resources as well as 'non‐official' digital resources, including specialized academic search services, subject‐related videos and audio recordings on content‐sharing websites and communication were found to be in predominance.Significant international differences in technology usage and its perceived usefulness were found in 'official' and 'non‐official' digital resources. Implication of the study findings: Students use a range of 'non‐official' technologies to support their studies, which suggests universities need to consider the potential use of incorporating these resources and practices.The advantage of the digital technologies for academic learning is not utilized yet. We still have work to do in order to cross the chasm.The high usage and perceived usefulness of the external video materials (OER, such as MOOCs) raise questions regarding how to integrate them in academic learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Treatment of paediatric trauma requires specialized infrastructure, medical equipment, medical staff and ancillary support personnel that have been specifically trained for such tasks. Aims and Objectives: To examine the perceptions and attitudes of physicians and nurses in general and paediatric emergency departments (PEDs) on training, confidence, and management of paediatric trauma in order to facilitate the establishment of an optimal model for admitting and treating paediatric trauma patients. Design: Drawing on published literature and a previously conducted qualitative study that explored the provision of medical care to paediatric trauma patients, we conducted an attitude survey. Methods: A 26‐item paper‐based questionnaire was distributed by nurse managers to all staff working within general EDs and PEDs of 22 medical centres across Israel. Results: Of 843 physicians and nurses who completed the survey, 61.1% considered PEDs the most appropriate facility for treating both minor and severe paediatric trauma, 88.5% believed that minor paediatric trauma should be treated in designated paediatric trauma centres, and 53.6% deemed that paediatric emergency medicine specialists are the most suitable primary decision makers in paediatric trauma. PED teams expressed greater professional confidence for treating paediatric trauma and multiple casualty incident patients. Greater professional confidence was positively correlated with paediatric trauma training, greater exposure to paediatric trauma cases, and working in larger medical centres. Conclusions: The results of the current study suggest that PEDs are perceived to be more appropriate for dealing with paediatric trauma. Also, treatment of severe trauma may be more appropriate in centres that admit large numbers of paediatric trauma cases. Relevance to clinical practice: Emergency medicine teams should undergo training for dealing with paediatric trauma. Such training would develop their skills, increase their confidence, and enhance their emotional abilities to cope with paediatric trauma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID‐19) at the beginning of 2020 forced most higher education institutions to shift immediately from traditional learning to distance learning and emergency remote teaching (ERT). Objectives: This research aimed to capture the authentic sounds of this unusual learning experience from the field while it was still fresh and to explore congruence with existing models of online learning success factors. We also aimed to examine the differences between freshman students and more advanced students (second year onwards) with regard to the emerging data and its respective model. Methods: During the second semester of 2020, 170 Tel Aviv university students majoring in various fields responded to an online questionnaire consisting of open‐ended questions. Results and conclusions: The researchers classified the themes retrieved from 1559 statements into a framework of critical success factors for distance learning. The framework included five dimensions: course, student, instructor, learning environment and institution. Well‐known benefits of distance learning emerged, among them flexibility and personalized learning pace. Nevertheless, the findings revealed that the rapid transition to distance learning posed challenges and difficulties, mainly concerning the readiness of students and instructors for this form of teaching and learning. The number of statements in instructor dimension indicated the importance of providing support and training to instructors and staff. Significant differences were found in students' perceptions according to the year standing. More advanced students made more 'internal' references, attributing more statements to student and learning environment dimensions. In contrast, freshman made more 'external' references, attributing more statements to instructor and course dimensions than students in their second year and onwards. Major takeaways: The results may help in planning and preparing for times of crisis. From a broader perspective, the findings may help in designing ways to incorporate distance learning. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic?There are several critical success factor models for implementing distance learning.Academic experience influences students' perceptions of distance learning.Year of studies is known to exert an influence on students' attitudes and degree of satisfaction from distance learning.At the onset of COVID‐19, higher education shifted immediately to ERT. What this paper adds?Authentic view of students' ERT experience in the first weeks of the COVID‐19 outbreak.Adaptive framework for Distance Learning Success Dimensions (DLSD).Advantages and disadvantages for students forced into ERT.Freshmen and advanced students have different perceptions of instructor and course DLSD.Advanced students focus on student dimension, while freshmen focus on Instructor dimension. Implications for practice and/or policyUsing developed DLSD framework for planning, designing and evaluating in crises and routine times.Providing empirical evidence for perceptual differences between freshmen and experienced students.Students' differing perceptions of helpful and unhelpful factors point to diverse needs.Flexible learning times and assignment due dates are crucial for students in ERT.Technical training for instructors may contribute to remote teaching effectiveness.Scaffolds for freshmen may enhance their ERT experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of online collaborative learning experiences on students' digital collaboration skills and on the sustainability of e‐collaboration in schools' culture—comparing individualistic versus collectivistic cultures. In addition, we explored how the leadership experience of schools' ICT coordinators was predicted by their sense of professionalism and cognitive, emotional and social aspects of perceived learning (PL), while leading the collaborative projects. The participants were ICT coordinators from 513 Israeli schools; 214 of whom were Hebrew‐speakers, and 299 Arabic‐speakers. The participants were asked to complete an online questionnaire, which included multiple‐choice and open‐ended questions. The results showed significant differences between a variety of the coordinator‐related variables as a function of learning culture (more individualistic vs.more collectivistic). Coordinators' leadership experience was a powerful predictor of students' digital collaboration skills, but did not predict the sustainability of e‐collaboration. Coordinators' emotional PL predicted the sustainability of collaboration in both schools with more individualistic and with more collectivistic learning cultures. The implications of the findings for educational theory and practise are discussed. Lay Description: Practitioner notesWhat is already known about this topicOnline collaboration has the potential to develop digital literacy skills of students, and affects a variety of academic, psychological and social outcomes.Community interactions are related to cultural collectivism and reflect the important impact of environment on the individual.What this paper addsWe examine students' e‐collaboration skills and sustainability of e‐collaboration in schools.The ICT coordinators' characteristics differ between individualistic vs. collectivistic schools.Students' digital collaboration skills were not affected by these differences between the schools.ICT coordinators' leadership predicted student e‐collaboration skills, but not e‐collaboration sustainability.Implications for practice and/or policyProfessional development and longitudinal support are essential for teachers in e‐collaboration initiatives, but should be gradually diminished for sustainability.Support needs to be provided with reference to the cultural differences and to the particular difficulties documented in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The Israeli population, encompassing 9 million citizens, is comprised of diverse communities. The Ministry of Health genetic screening program for reproductive purposes was introduced in 2013. This program is mainly aimed at severe incurable diseases with high rates of infant and childhood morbidity and/or mortality, with a carrier frequency of at least 1:60 and/or a disease frequency of 1 in 15 000 live births. In this paper, we present the results of the national genetic carrier-screening program implementation.Material and Methods: Data acquisition for this study was performed by retrospectively searching Ministry of Health database, which includes the reports of 18 genetic laboratories performing genetic screening tests.Results: During 2015-2017, a total of 919 820 carrier-screening genetic tests were executed. The overall number rose by 14.9% over these years. For about two-thirds of the presented disorders, carrier frequency was within the expected range. A decrease of 57% was noted in the observed number of patients with spinal muscular atrophy born during 2014-2017, compared with the expected rate. Familial dysautonomia, Canavan and Tay-Sachs diseases yielded a very low prevalence.Conclusions: Our results highlight the impact of a national genetic carrier-screening program. Couples at risk of an affected fetus mostly choose to perform preconception or prenatal diagnosis and to act accordingly. Our country has several characteristics enabling us to achieve this success, including considerable rates of endogamy and consanguineous marriages, increased frequency of founder mutations, and high fertility rates. In addition, wide accessibility of the tests and good compliance of the population must be noted. Still, raising the awareness and continuing education of population and caregivers about the importance and efficiency of carrier screening remains an important issue. Finally, expanding the existing tests into a uniform, wide genetic panel seems to be the next goal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Significant barriers can block the provision of palliative care at the end of life in the intensive care unit (ICU). However, the relationship between perceptions of ICU quality palliative care and barriers to palliative care at the end of life is not well documented. Aims and objectives: To describe ICU nurses' perceptions of quality palliative end‐of‐life care, barrier intensity and frequency to palliative care and their association with one another. Design This was a descriptive, correlational, cross‐sectional design. Methods: A convenience sample of 126 ICU nurses from two hospitals in Israel was recruited for the study. Participants completed three pencil‐and‐paper questionnaires (a personal characteristics questionnaire, the Quality of Palliative Care in the ICU and a revised Survey of Oncology Nurses' Perceptions of End‐of‐Life Care). Respondents were recruited during staff meetings or while on duty in the ICU. Ethical approval was obtained for the study from participating hospitals. Results: The item mean score of the quality of palliative end‐of‐life care was 7·5/10 (SD = 1·23). The item mean barrier intensity and frequency scores were 3·05/5 (SD = 0·76) and 3·30/5 (SD = 0·61), respectively. A correlation of r = 0·46, p < 0·001 was found between barrier frequency and intensity and r = −0·19, p = 0·04 between barrier frequency and quality palliative end‐of‐life care. Conclusions: ICU nurses perceived the quality of palliative care at the end of life as moderate despite reports of moderate barrier levels. The frequency of barriers was weakly associated with quality palliative end‐of‐life care. However, barrier intensity did not correlate with quality palliative end‐of‐life care at a statistically significant level. Further research that investigates other factors associated with quality ICU palliative care is recommended. Relevance to clinical practice: Barriers to palliative care are still common in the ICU. Increased training and education are recommended to decrease barriers and improve the quality of ICU palliative care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose To examine differences in spirituality, purpose in life, and attitudes toward organ donation between people who signed and those who did not sign an organ donor card. Design A descriptive cross-sectional survey conducted in Israel with a sample of 312 respondents from the general population, of whom 220 (70.5%) signed an organ donor card. Data were collected during April-June 2013. Methods Participants completed a paper questionnaire and a Web-based questionnaire consisting of four sections: spiritual health, purpose in life, attitudes toward organ donation, and social-demographic questions. Descriptive statistics, t test, chi-square test, and a logistic regression analysis were performed. Findings Differences in mean scores between respondents who signed an organ donor card and those who did not were indicated in transcendental spirituality ( p < .01), purpose in life ( p < .05), and attitudes toward organ donation ( p < .01). No statistically significant difference was found between the groups in the overall spirituality mean score. The spiritual transcendental dimension, individual's purpose in life, and attitudes toward organ donation explained 34.3% of the variance of signing an organ donor card. Conclusions Signing an organ donor card was found to be correlated with high purpose in life, positive attitudes toward organ donation, and low level of transcendental spirituality. Clinical Relevance Nurses should assess the patient's spiritual needs in order to construct appropriate programs for promoting signing an organ donor card. Nurses who signed an organ donor card should be encouraged to share this information with their patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What is already known about this subject The FEAHQ was originally developed in Israel and designed for use in family-based weight-management interventions that emphasized changes in the environment and in parents' knowledge, behaviors, and modeling., A key distinction of the FEAHQ from other tools is the ability to evaluate the overall obesogenic environment and, at the same time, each of the family members' eating and activity patterns, reflecting the importance of parenting behaviors and modeling in child weight status., The FEAHQ is a useful clinical tool for identifying target behaviors for treatment and monitoring treatment progress., What this study adds FEAHQ-R includes adjustments made to improve the tool use., New data supporting the psychometric properties of the Revised FEAHQ., Background The Family Eating and Activity Habits Questionnaire ( FEAHQ) is a 32-item self-report instrument designed to assess the eating and activity habits of family members as well as obesogenic factors in the overall home environment (stimulus and behaviour patterns) related to weight. Originally, this questionnaire, which was developed in Israel, was designed for use in family-based weight-management interventions that emphasized changes in the environment, and in parents' knowledge, behaviours and modelling. It was developed for use with children aged 6-11 years and designed for co-completion by parents or caretakers and their children. Over the years, it has been administered in research and clinical settings in Israel, England, Australia and other countries. Its 15-year anniversary calls for an update in the literature regarding adjustments made to improve its use in different settings and with different ethnic populations and the psychometric properties of the revised version. Objective The goal of this paper is threefold: (i) to describe the history and development of the FEAHQ; (ii) to present new data supporting the psychometric properties of the subscales of the Revised FEAHQ ( FEAHQ- R) for ages 6-12 years and (iii) to review the clinical and research literature reporting on FEAHQ subscales. Methods The psychometric properties of the revised questionnaire were evaluated in a randomized control trial and in a naturalistic, community-based study to promote healthy lifestyle among families with children 6-12 years of age from different ethnic populations. Results The tool demonstrated good test-retest reliability when completed by caretakers and very good internal consistency. The questionnaire scores discriminated between obese and normal-weight children and predicted the weight classification of 66% of the participants. Conclusions The FEAHQ-R is a useful clinical tool for identifying target behaviors for treatment and monitoring treatment progress that centers on overweight prevention and weight management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines explanatory mechanisms of differences, in both positive and negative aspects of children's adjustment, between ethnic minority (i.e., Former Soviet Union-FSU origin) and ethnic majority (i.e., Israeli) children living in Israel. Seventy Israeli children (40 girls) and 75 FSU origin children (38 girls) and their parents constituted the study sample. Both mothers and fathers reported on the children's prosocial and externalizing behaviours and provided accounts of their use of corporal punishment. Analyses showed that FSU origin children displayed lower levels of prosocial behaviour as well as higher levels of externalizing problems and that their parents used more corporal punishment than their Israeli counterparts. In addition, a mediation model was determined in which both maternal and paternal use of corporal punishment mediated the link between ethnicity and the child's prosocial behaviour. Furthermore, according to the best fitting structural equation model, ethnicity did not have a direct effect on children's prosocial behaviour. This link was fully mediated by maternal and paternal corporal punishment. No mediation was revealed for the links between ethnicity and externalizing problems. The process of risk is discussed. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Culture plays a vital role in shaping public and professional attitudes towards mental illness. In Arab cultures negative attitudes toward patients experiencing mental illnesses are common. There is a lack of studies that investigate the attitudes of professionals towards patients in inpatient mental health settings. This study aimed to assess the attitudes of professionals towards patients with mental illnesses in the only psychiatric hospital in Palestine. A survey was undertaken using the Attitudes Toward Acute Mental Health Scale (ATAMHS 33). The scale was distributed to a variety of professionals at the only psychiatric hospital in Bethlehem. Data was managed and analysed by using SPSS 15 (a statistical package for social sciences). The participants (mostly nurses) expressed both negative and positive attitudes toward patients, however, results revealed more negative than positive attitudes, particularly in relation to alcohol misuse, medication, patients' ability to control their emotions, and genetic predisposition to mental illness. This paper provides baseline data about the attitude of mental health professionals towards patients experiencing mental illnesses. Education and direct contact with patients with mental illness may not be enough to foster positive attitudes towards them. This may indicate the need to revise educational curriculum at the Palestinian universities and offer more training for mental health professionals in order to change their attitudes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]