Language Development of Chinese Adoptees 18-35 Months Old

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tan, T.X.; Yang, Y.

2005-01-01

In this study, we investigated the expressive language development of 186 18-35 months old Chinese girls adopted into American families. The adoptees were adopted between 3 and 25 months (M=11.0, S.D.=3.1) and had lived in the adoptive families for 3-27 months (M=16.2, S.D.=5.8) at the time of the study. The adoptive mothers provided information…

Psychosocial and Cultural Factors Influencing Expectations of Menarche: A Study on Chinese Premenarcheal Teenage Girls

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yeung, Dannii Y. L.; Tang, Catherine So-kum; Lee, Antoinette

2005-01-01

This study explored how psychosocial and cultural factors influenced expectations of menarche among 476 Chinese premenarcheal teenage girls. Results showed that participants' expectations of menarche were largely negative and heavily influenced by cultural beliefs about menstruation. Findings of hierarchical regression analyses revealed that…

Adoption Does Not Increase the Risk of Mortality among Taiwanese Girls in a Longitudinal Analysis.

PubMed

Mattison, Siobhán M; Brown, Melissa J; Floyd, Bruce; Feldman, Marcus W

2015-01-01

Adopted children often experience health and well-being disadvantages compared to biological children remaining in their natal households. The degree of genetic relatedness is thought to mediate the level of parental investment in children, leading to poorer outcomes of biologically unrelated children. We explore whether mortality is related to adoption in a historical Taiwanese population where adoption rarely occurred among kin. Using Cox proportional hazards models in which adoption is included as a time-dependent covariate, we show that adoption of girls does not increase the risk of mortality, as previously suggested; in fact, it is either protective or neutral with respect to mortality. These results suggest that socio-structural variables may produce positive outcomes for adopted children, even compared to biological children who remain in the care of their parents.

A Survey on Chinese Scholars' Adoption of Mixed Methods

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhou, Yuchun

2018-01-01

Since the 1980s when mixed methods emerged as "the third research methodology", it was widely adopted in Western countries. However, inadequate literature revealed how this methodology was accepted by scholars in Asian countries, such as China. Therefore, this paper used a quantitative survey to investigate Chinese scholars' perceptions…

Adoption of Blogging by a Chinese Language Composition Class in a Vocational High School in Taiwan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lou, Shi-Jer; Wu, Shi-Chiao; Shih, Ru-Chu; Tseng, Kuo-Hung

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of adopting blogging upon Chinese language composition instruction in a vocational high school in Taiwan. The researchers developed a model that utilises blogging in Chinese language composition instruction. Forty randomly selected students from a public vocational high school served as the…

Forms of aggression, peer relationships, and relational victimization among Chinese adolescent girls and boys: roles of prosocial behavior

PubMed Central

Wang, Shujun; Zhang, Wei; Li, Dongping; Yu, Chengfu; Zhen, Shuangju; Huang, Shihua

2015-01-01

Through a sample of 686 Chinese adolescents (mean age = 13.73 years; 50% girls), we examined the compensatory and moderating effects of prosocial behavior on the direct and indirect associations between forms of aggression and relational victimization mediated by peer relationships among adolescent girls and boys. The results indicated that only adolescent girls’ relationally aggressive behaviors could be directly linked with their experiences of relational victimization, and both relationally and overtly aggressive adolescent boys and girls might be more often rejected by their peers, which, in turn, could make them targets of relational aggression. Next, we found that prosocial behavior indirectly counteracts the effects of aggression on relational victimization through reducing adolescents’ peer rejection and promoting adolescents’ peer attachment. In addition, relationally aggressive girls with high levels of prosocial behavior might be less rejected by peers; however, they might also have lower levels of peer attachment and be more likely to experience relational victimization. Last, adolescent boys scored higher on risks, but lower on the protective factors of relational victimization than girls, which, to some degree, might explain the gender difference in relational victimization. Finally, we discussed the theoretical and practical implications of these findings. PMID:26347704

[Perception of parental socialization strategies in adoptive and non-adoptive families].

PubMed

Bernedo Muñoz, Isabel María; Fuentes Rebollo, María Jesús; Fernández-Molina, M; Bersabé Morán, Rosa

2007-11-01

Although parental socialization styles have been investigated in recent years, little research has been carried out on the issue of parental styles in adoptive families. The aim of this research is to analyse parental styles both from the point of view of the parents and of adopted and non-adopted adolescents, taking as covariables the adolescents' sex and age. The sample was made up of 55 adopted adolescents (20 boys and 35 girls with an age range of 11-17 years) and their 55 adoptive parents, and 402 non-adopted adolescents (200 boys and 202 girls with an age range of 11-17 years), and their 258 parents. Two scales evaluated parental styles: the Affect Scale and the Rules and Demands Scale. The results showed that, both from the point of view of the parents and of the adolescents, adoptive families are more affective, communicative and inductive, and less critical and indulgent than non-adoptive families. No differences were found between adopted and non-adopted adolescents on the Parents' Rigidity Scale.

A case of an adoptive girl with precocious puberty: the problem of age estimation.

PubMed

De Donno, Antonio; Roca, Roberta; Introna, Francesco; Santoro, Valeria

2013-09-10

Age estimation is one of the main tasks of forensic anthropology and odontology, both on the dead and the living. In living subjects, age estimation may be used to establish an individual's status as a minor in cases involving adoption, criminal responsibility, child pornography, and those seeking asylum, especially where adequate identification documents are lacking. The authors report a case about age assessment of a girl born in Mbujimayi (Democratic Republic of Congo) and later adopted in Italy. The birth certificate issued after finding the child in a state of abandonment (in December 2007), bore date of 12.12.2004, but this was in contrast with the year of birth - 2003 - stated on the certification available to the center that had provided accommodation to the girl in Africa. Her adoptive parents reported that the child had been diagnosed with precocious puberty and was thus under treatment. She weighed 32.5 kg and was 132.5 cm tall. Body mass index (BMI) corresponded to the range between 9.5 and 14 years of age. The assessment of maturity indicators (sexual characteristics) placed the child at the lower limits of Stage II of Tanner's classification (sparse growth of long, slightly darkened, downy straight pubic hair; elevation of the breast and nipple as a small mound with increased diameter of the areolae). The skeletal age was determined by taking X-rays of the hand and wrist using Fels, TW2 and Greulich and Pyle methods. Dental growth was assessed through orthopantomogram using Demirjian's technique. The methods applied were adjusted considering the studies on African population found in the literature, and a skeletal and dental age of 10 years was established. Afterwards, the wrist X-rays performed at the Children's Hospital of Bari, 7 months before our investigation, revealed a skeletal age of 7 years. This evidence showed that, despite the treatment the child had promptly initiated, early puberty had influenced the skeletal growth with an acceleration

Immunogenicity and safety of the HPV-16/18 AS04-adjuvanted vaccine in healthy Chinese girls and women aged 9 to 45 years.

PubMed

Zhu, Fengcai; Li, Juan; Hu, Yuemei; Zhang, Xiang; Yang, Xiaoping; Zhao, Hui; Wang, Junzhi; Yang, Jianguo; Xia, Guodong; Dai, Qinyong; Tang, Haiwen; Suryakiran, Pemmaraju; Datta, Sanjoy K; Descamps, Dominique; Bi, Dan; Struyf, Frank

2014-01-01

Immunogenicity and safety of the human papillomavirus (HPV)-16/18 AS04-adjuvanted vaccine were evaluated in healthy Chinese females aged 9-45 years in 2 phase IIIB, randomized, controlled trials. Girls aged 9-17 years (ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT00996125) received vaccine (n = 374) or control (n = 376) and women aged 26-45 years (NCT01277042) received vaccine (n = 606) or control (n = 606) at months 0, 1, and 6. The primary objective was to show non-inferiority of anti-HPV-16 and -18 immune responses in initially seronegative subjects at month 7, compared with Chinese women aged 18-25 years enrolled in a separate phase II/III trial (NCT00779766). Secondary objectives were to describe the anti-HPV-16 and -18 immune response, reactogenicity and safety. At month 7, immune responses were non-inferior for girls (9-17 years) vs. young women (18-25 years): the upper limit of the 95% confidence interval (CI) for the geometric mean titer (GMT) ratio (women/girls) was below the limit of 2 for both anti-HPV-16 (0.37 [95% CI: 0.32, 0.43]) and anti-HPV-18 (0.42 [0.36, 0.49]). Immune responses at month 7 were also non-inferior for 26-45 year-old women vs. 18-25 year-old women: the upper limit of the 95% CI for the difference in seroconversion (18-25 minus 26-45) was below the limit of 5% for both anti-HPV-16 (0.00% [-1.53, 1.10]) and anti-HPV-18 (0.21% [-1.36, 1.68]). GMTs were 2- to 3-fold higher in girls (9-17 years) as compared with young women (18-25 years). The HPV-16/18 AS04-adjuvanted vaccine had an acceptable safety profile when administered to healthy Chinese females aged 9-45 years.

Mothers' Self-Reported Emotional Expression in Mainland Chinese, Chinese American and European American Families

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Camras, Linda; Kolmodin, Karen; Chen, Yinghe

2008-01-01

This study compared Mainland Chinese, Chinese American and European American mothers' self-reported emotional expression within the family. Mothers of 3-year-old European American (n = 40), Chinese American (n = 39) and Mainland Chinese (n = 36) children (n = 20 girls per group) completed the Self-Expressiveness in the Family Questionnaire (SEFQ),…

Is Early Experience Destiny? Review of Research on Long-Term Outcomes following International Adoption with Special Reference to the British Chinese Adoption Study.

PubMed

Grant, Margaret; Rushton, Alan; Simmonds, John

2016-01-01

The pathway from adverse early experience to adulthood for internationally adopted children is complex in identifying key influences, impacts, and outcomes. This review arose from the authors' involvement in the British Chinese Adoption Study, a recent outcomes study that explored the links between early orphanage care, adoptive experiences, and midadulthood. It differs from previous reviews in focusing on a greater length of time since adoption. Both quantitative and qualitative studies were included to allow for examination of a fuller range of adult-related outcomes rather than mental health scores alone. The sampling, methods, and results of reviewed articles are summarised and a critical commentary is provided. Despite methodological differences and identified strengths and weaknesses, conclusions are drawn on the basis of the evidence available. Special attention is paid to the interpretation of negative outcomes. Findings identify areas that should be explored further in order to gain a fuller understanding of midlife outcomes of people who experienced a poor start in life followed by international adoption. Such studies help in refining lifespan developmental theories.

Immunogenicity and safety of the HPV-16/18 AS04-adjuvanted vaccine in healthy Chinese girls and women aged 9 to 45 years

PubMed Central

Zhu, Fengcai; Li, Juan; Hu, Yuemei; Zhang, Xiang; Yang, Xiaoping; Zhao, Hui; Wang, Junzhi; Yang, Jianguo; Xia, Guodong; Dai, Qinyong; Tang, Haiwen; V Suryakiran, Pemmaraju; Datta, Sanjoy K; Descamps, Dominique; Bi, Dan; Struyf, Frank

2014-01-01

Immunogenicity and safety of the human papillomavirus (HPV)-16/18 AS04-adjuvanted vaccine were evaluated in healthy Chinese females aged 9–45 years in 2 phase IIIB, randomized, controlled trials. Girls aged 9–17 years (ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT00996125) received vaccine (n = 374) or control (n = 376) and women aged 26–45 years (NCT01277042) received vaccine (n = 606) or control (n = 606) at months 0, 1, and 6. The primary objective was to show non-inferiority of anti-HPV-16 and -18 immune responses in initially seronegative subjects at month 7, compared with Chinese women aged 18–25 years enrolled in a separate phase II/III trial (NCT00779766). Secondary objectives were to describe the anti-HPV-16 and -18 immune response, reactogenicity and safety. At month 7, immune responses were non-inferior for girls (9–17 years) vs. young women (18–25 years): the upper limit of the 95% confidence interval (CI) for the geometric mean titer (GMT) ratio (women/girls) was below the limit of 2 for both anti-HPV-16 (0.37 [95% CI: 0.32, 0.43]) and anti-HPV-18 (0.42 [0.36, 0.49]). Immune responses at month 7 were also non-inferior for 26–45 year-old women vs. 18–25 year-old women: the upper limit of the 95% CI for the difference in seroconversion (18–25 minus 26–45) was below the limit of 5% for both anti-HPV-16 (0.00% [–1.53, 1.10]) and anti-HPV-18 (0.21% [–1.36, 1.68]). GMTs were 2- to 3-fold higher in girls (9–17 years) as compared with young women (18–25 years). The HPV-16/18 AS04-adjuvanted vaccine had an acceptable safety profile when administered to healthy Chinese females aged 9–45 years. PMID:25424785

Secular trends in age at menarche among Chinese girls from 24 ethnic minorities, 1985 to 2010

PubMed Central

Song, Yi; Ma, Jun; Agardh, Anette; Lau, Patrick W.C.; Hu, Peijin; Zhang, Bing

2015-01-01

Background Declining age at menarche has been observed in many countries. In China, a decrease of 4.5 months per decade in the average age at menarche among the majority Han girls has recently been reported. However, the trends in age at menarche among ethnic minority girls over the past 25 years remain unknown. Objectives To compare the differences in median age at menarche among girls aged 9–18 years across 24 ethnic minorities in 2010 and to estimate the trends in age at menarche in different ethnic minorities from 1985 to 2010. Design We used data from six cross-sectional Chinese National Surveys on Students’ Constitution and Health (1985, 1991, 1995, 2000, 2005, and 2010). The median age at menarche was estimated by using probit analysis. Results In 2010, the ethnic minorities with the earliest age at menarche were the Koreans (11.79 years), Mongolians (12.44 years), and Zhuang (12.52 years). The three ethnic minorities with the latest age at menarche were the Sala (14.32 years), Yi (13.74 years), and Uighurs (13.67 years). From 1985 to 2010, the age at menarche declined in all 24 minority groups. The Lisu, Kazakh, and Korean minorities showed the largest reductions in age at menarche by 1.79 (p<0.05), 1.69 (p<0.05), and 1.57 (p<0.05) years, respectively, from 1985 to 2010. The Yi, Sala, and Li minorities showed the smallest reductions, with age at menarche declining by only 0.06 (p>0.05), 0.15 (p>0.05), and 0.15 (p>0.05) years, respectively, in the same period. Conclusion A large variation in age at menarche was observed among different ethnic minorities, with the earliest age at menarche found among Korean girls. A reduction in the average age at menarche appeared among most of the ethnic minorities over time, and the largest decrease was observed in Lisu, Kazakh, and Korean girls. Thus, health education should focus on targeting the specific needs of each ethnic minority group. PMID:26220757

Turtle Girls

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nelson, Charles; Ponder, Jennifer

2010-01-01

The day the Turtle Girls received Montel's adoption papers, piercing screams ricocheted across the school grounds instantaneously and simultaneously--in that moment, each student felt the joy of civic stewardship. Read on to find out how a visit to The Turtle Hospital inspired a group of elementary students to create a club devoted to supporting…

Early Menarche and Menstrual Problems Are Associated with Sleep Disturbance in a Large Sample of Chinese Adolescent Girls.

PubMed

Liu, Xianchen; Chen, Hua; Liu, Zhen-Zhen; Fan, Fang; Jia, Cun-Xian

2017-09-01

Little is known about the association between menstruation and sleep disturbance in adolescent girls. This study examined sleep duration, insomnia symptoms, and sleep quality in relation to age at menarche and menstrual problems in a large sample of Chinese adolescent girls. This report represents the baseline data of an ongoing longitudinal study of the Shandong Adolescent Behavior & Health Cohort in Shandong, China. A total of 5800 girls aged 12-18 years (mean age = 15.0, standard deviation = 1.4) participated in the baseline survey. A structured questionnaire was used to assess participants' age at menarche, menstrual cycle interval, menstrual flow length, period irregularity, period pain, body weight and height, and demographics. Internalizing and externalizing problems were measured by the Youth-Self Report of Child Behavioral Checklist. Sleep duration, insomnia symptoms, and sleep quality were assessed by the items adapted from the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. After adjusting for age, school, body mass index, internalizing and externalizing problems, and family covariates, irregular periods (odds ratio [OR] = 1.46, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.06-2.02), period pain (OR = 1.99, 95% CI = 1.44-2.76), and menstrual flow length ≥7 days (OR = 1.21, 95% CI = 1.00-1.48) were significantly associated with insomnia symptoms. Irregular periods (OR = 1.72, 95% CI = 1.30-2.27) and period pain (OR = 1.78, 95% CI = 1.34-2.37) were significantly associated with poor sleep quality. Age at menarche ≤11 years (OR = 1.62, 95% CI = 1.05-2.50) was significantly associated with insomnia symptoms in 12- to 14-year-old girls. Our results suggest that irregular periods and period pain appear to be associated with sleep disturbance and that early menarche may have short-term impact on sleep in adolescent girls. © Sleep Research Society 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Sleep Research Society. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e

Anorexia nervosa in a girl of Chinese origin: psychological, somatic and transcultural factors.

PubMed

Demarque, Mélissa; Guzman, Gabriela; Morrison, Elodie; Ahovi, Jonathan; Moro, Marie Rose; Blanchet-Collet, Corinne

2015-04-01

The increased prevalence of anorexia nervosa reported in non-Western societies inevitably raises the issue of the influence of cultural factors in the genesis and the patterns of this disorder. Anorexia nervosa is not a straightforward Western culture-bound syndrome, although an influence of Western ideals of thinness does exist. The illness seems more related to rapid cultural shifts, either societal or individual, such as those occurring in the migratory process. Migrants and their children have to face the acculturation process and may experience a culture-clash. The pathology can also fulfil a positive acculturative function. This is a case study concerning a second-generation Chinese girl born in France presenting with anorexia nervosa. This case leads us to raise the issue of the choice of diagnostic criteria in relation to cultural background. We will also discuss the impact of the family's migratory history on the construction of identity in adolescence. Finally we will explore the specific features of care provision for anorexia nervosa in a transcultural setting. © The Author(s) 2013.

Earth Girl Volcano: An Interactive Game for Disaster Preparedness

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kerlow, Isaac

2017-04-01

Earth Girl Volcano is an interactive casual strategy game for disaster preparedness. The project is designed for mainstream audiences, particularly for children, as an engaging and fun way to learn about volcano hazards. Earth Girl is a friendly character that kids can easily connect with and she helps players understand how to best minimize volcanic risk. Our previous award-winning game, Earth Girl Tsunami, has seen success on social media, and is available as a free app for both Android and iOS tables and large phones in seven languages: Indonesian, Thai, Tamil, Japanese, Chinese, Spanish, French and English. This is the first public viewing of the Earth Girl Volcano new game prototype.

Partnerships with Girls in Rural Schools in China: A Case Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seeberg, Vilma; Zhao, Lin

A case study of the impact of modest scholarships on the education of poor, rural Chinese girls found a "bonus effect"--an increase in the value placed on female scholarship recipients by their village. In mountainous Shaanxi Province, poor economic conditions led to many girls dropping out of school by grade 4. In one village, the…

Experiences in sport, physical activity, and physical education among Christian, Buddhist, and Hindu Asian adolescent girls.

PubMed

Araki, Kaori; Kodani, Iku; Gupta, Nidhi; Gill, Diane L

2013-01-01

Multicultural scholarship in sport and exercise psychology should help us understand and apply cultural competencies for all to be physically active. In the present study, two Asian countries, Japan and Singapore, were chosen. The participation rate for physical activities among adolescent girls tends to be lower than that of boys in both countries. Thus, the purpose of the project was to gain knowledge and understanding about sociocultural factors that may explain adolescent girls' perceptions and behaviors toward sport, physical activity, and physical education (PE). A qualitative approach using semi-structured interviews with focus groups was used to understand meanings of physical activity among Buddhist Japanese, and Hindu Indians and Christian Chinese from Singapore. Each focus group consisted of four or five girls and female researchers. Based on the analysis, we created four themes which were "cultural identities," "Asian girls and sport/physical activities," "PE experiences," "motivation for future involvement." The Buddhist Japanese, Hindu Indian, and Christian Chinese participants each reported unique physical activity experiences, and all the participants were aware of how Asian culture may affect being physically active. Experiences of PE classes were similar but perceptions of their PE attire were different for Christian Chinese and Hindu Indian adolescent girls. Based on the results, the importance of nurturing cultural competencies and ways to encourage girls to be physically active throughout life were discussed.

Experiences in Sport, Physical Activity, and Physical Education Among Christian, Buddhist, and Hindu Asian Adolescent Girls

PubMed Central

Kodani, Iku; Gupta, Nidhi; Gill, Diane L.

2013-01-01

Multicultural scholarship in sport and exercise psychology should help us understand and apply cultural competencies for all to be physically active. In the present study, two Asian countries, Japan and Singapore, were chosen. The participation rate for physical activities among adolescent girls tends to be lower than that of boys in both countries. Thus, the purpose of the project was to gain knowledge and understanding about sociocultural factors that may explain adolescent girls' perceptions and behaviors toward sport, physical activity, and physical education (PE). A qualitative approach using semi-structured interviews with focus groups was used to understand meanings of physical activity among Buddhist Japanese, and Hindu Indians and Christian Chinese from Singapore. Each focus group consisted of four or five girls and female researchers. Based on the analysis, we created four themes which were "cultural identities," "Asian girls and sport/physical activities," "PE experiences," "motivation for future involvement." The Buddhist Japanese, Hindu Indian, and Christian Chinese participants each reported unique physical activity experiences, and all the participants were aware of how Asian culture may affect being physically active. Experiences of PE classes were similar but perceptions of their PE attire were different for Christian Chinese and Hindu Indian adolescent girls. Based on the results, the importance of nurturing cultural competencies and ways to encourage girls to be physically active throughout life were discussed. PMID:23412952

Scholastic Attainment Following Severe Early Institutional Deprivation: A Study of Children Adopted from Romania

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beckett, Celia; Maughan, Barbara; Rutter, Michael; Castle, Jenny; Colvert, Emma; Groothues, Christine; Hawkins, Amanda; Kreppner, Jana; O'Connor, Thomas G.; Stevens, Suzanne; Sonuga-Barke, Edmund J. S.

2007-01-01

The relationship between severe early institutional deprivation and scholastic attainment at age 11 in 127 children (68 girls and 59 boys) adopted from institutions in Romania was compared to the attainment of 49 children (17 girls and 32 boys) adopted within the UK from a non-institutional background. Overall, children adopted from Romania had…

Girls' Schooling Empowerment in Rural China: Identifying Capabilities and Social Change in the Village

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seeberg, Vilma

2014-01-01

This study proposes an elaboration of the human development capability approach by theorizing empowerment capabilities as an essential aspect of the education of excluded village girls. Seeking to explain Chinese village girls' demand for schooling, the article identifies intangible and instrumental capabilities that have often been overlooked and…

How Self-Objectification Impacts Physical Activity Among Adolescent Girls in Costa Rica.

PubMed

Monge-Rojas, Rafael; Fuster-Baraona, Tamara; Garita-Arce, Carlos; Sánchez-López, Marta; Colon-Ramos, Uriyoán; Smith-Castro, Vanessa

2017-02-01

In Latin America, more than 80% of adolescent girls are physically inactive. Inactivity may be reinforced by female stereotypes and objectification in the Latin American sociocultural context. We examined the influence of objectification on the adoption of an active lifestyle among 192 adolescents (14 and 17 years old) from urban and rural areas in Costa Rica. Analyses of 48 focus-groups sessions were grounded in Objectification Theory. Vigorous exercises were gender-typed as masculine while girls had to maintain an aesthetic appearance at all times. Adolescents described how girls were anxious around the prospect of being shamed and sexually objectified during exercises. This contributed to a decrease in girls' desire to engage in physical activities. Among males, there is also a budding tolerance of female participation in vigorous sports, as long as girls maintained a feminine stereotype outside their participation. Self-objectification influenced Costa Rican adolescent girls' decisions to participate in physical activities. Interventions may include: procuring safe environments for physical activity where girls are protected from fear of ridicule and objectification; sensitizing boys about girl objectification and fostering the adoption of a modern positive masculine and female identities to encourage girls' participation in sports.

A Comparison of Premenarcheal Expectations and Postmenarcheal Experiences in Chinese Early Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tang, Catherine So-Kum; Yeung, Dannii Y. L.; Lee, Antoinette Marie

2004-01-01

The present study examined Chinese early adolescents' expectations and experiences of their first menstruation. It included 952 participants, 476 premenarcheal and 476 postmenarcheal girls matched by age and by grade level. Results showed that compared to experiences of postmenarcheal girls, premenarcheal girls anticipated more negative emotional…

The influence of pubertal timing and stressful life events on depression and delinquency among Chinese adolescents.

PubMed

Chen, Jie; Yu, Jing; Wu, Yun; Zhang, Jianxin

2015-06-01

This study aimed to investigate the influences of pubertal timing and stressful life events on Chinese adolescents' depression and delinquency. Sex differences in these influences were also examined. A large sample with 4,228 participants aged 12-15 years (53% girls) was recruited in Beijing, China. Participants' pubertal development, stressful life events, depressive symptoms, and delinquency were measured using self-reported questionnaires. Both early maturing girls and boys displayed more delinquency than their same-sex on-time and late maturing peers. Early maturing girls displayed more depressive symptoms than on-time and late maturing girls, but boys in the three maturation groups showed similar levels of depressive symptoms. The interactive effects between early pubertal timing and stressful life events were significant in predicting depression and delinquency, particularly for girls. Early pubertal maturation is an important risk factor for Chinese adolescents' depression and delinquency. Stressful life events intensified the detrimental effects of early pubertal maturation on adolescents' depression and delinquency, particularly for girls. © 2015 The Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Cephalometric norms for the upper airway of 12-year-old Chinese children.

PubMed

Gu, Min; McGrath, Colman P J; Wong, Ricky W K; Hägg, Urban; Yang, Yanqi

2014-09-13

To establish cephalometric norms for the upper airway of 12-year-old Chinese children, and to assess these norms with regard to gender, age, ethnicity and other craniofacial structures. Lateral cephalograms were obtained from a random sample of 425 12-year-old Chinese children (224 boys and 201 girls) to establish the Chinese norms, and from a matched group of 108 12-year-old Caucasian children (61 boys and 47 girls) as an ethnic comparison. Published data on the upper airway norms of Chinese adults were used to make age comparisons. Nine upper airway and 14 craniofacial variables were measured. Chinese boys tended to have a thicker soft palate (P = 0.008), and less depth in the retropalatal (P = 0.011), retroglossal (P = 0.034) and hypopharyngeal (P < 0.001) pharynx than Chinese girls, whereas no gender dimorphism was found in Caucasian children. Ethnic differences were found in the depth of the retroglossal oropharynx in both genders and the position of the hyoid bone in boys. Compared with Chinese adults, the overall size of the upper airway in Chinese children was smaller. The mandibular body length and the craniocervical inclination were found to be statistically significantly, albeit weakly correlated with upper airway variables. Cephalometric norms for the upper airway of Chinese 12-year-old children were established, indicating gender-specific differences, and some ethnic differences were found in comparison with those of 12-year-old Caucasian children. An association between the mandibular body length and the craniocervical inclination with upper airway variables was also noticeable.

Novel homozygous FANCL mutation and somatic heterozygous SETBP1 mutation in a Chinese girl with Fanconi Anemia.

PubMed

Wu, Weiqing; Liu, Yang; Zhou, Qinghua; Wang, Qin; Luo, Fuwei; Xu, Zhiyong; Geng, Qian; Li, Peining; Zhang, Hui Z; Xie, Jiansheng

2017-07-01

Fanconi Anemia (FA) is a rare genetically heterogeneous disorder with 17 known complement groups caused by mutations in different genes. FA complementation group L (FA-L, OMIM #608111) occurred in 0.2% of all FA and only eight mutant variants in the FANCL gene were documented. Phenotype and genotype correlation in FANCL associated FA is still obscure. Here we describe a Chinese girl with FA-L caused by a novel homozygous mutation c.822_823insCTTTCAGG (p.Asp275LeufsX13) in the FANCL gene. The patient's clinical course was typical for FA with progression to bone marrow failure, and death from acute myelomonocytic leukemia (AML-M4) at 9 years of age. Mutation analysis also detected a likely somatic c.2608G > A (p.Gly870Ser) in the SETBP1 gene. Consistent copy number losses of 7q and 18p and gains of 3q and 21q and accumulated non-clonal single cell chromosomal abnormalities were detected in blood leukocytes as her FA progressed. This is the first Chinese FA-L case caused by a novel FANCL mutation. The somatic gene mutation and copy number aberrations could be used to monitor disease progression and the clinical findings provide further information for genotype-phenotype correlation for FA-L. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

An early-stage epidemic: a systematic review of correlates of smoking among Chinese women.

PubMed

Ding, Ding; Gebel, Klaus; Oldenburg, Brian F; Wan, Xia; Zhong, Xuefeng; Novotny, Thomas E

2014-08-01

Despite the historically low smoking prevalence among Chinese women, there is a trend of future increase. We systematically reviewed the correlates of smoking among Chinese girls and women. We conducted a systematic review of literature on correlates of smoking among Chinese women using Medline and China Academic Journals databases. Following the PRISMA statement, two investigators independently searched for literature, identified and reviewed papers, assessed the quality of the papers, and extracted information. The characteristics of studies and correlates of smoking were synthesized separately for youth and adults. A total of 15 articles (11 on adults, 4 on youth) met the inclusion criteria. Based on these studies, peer smoking was the most consistent correlate of smoking among Chinese girls. Among Chinese women, partner smoking, job-related stress, and exposure to cigarettes made for women were consistent correlates of smoking. Knowledge of harms and negative attitudes towards smoking were found to be negatively associated with smoking. Overall, the evidence base for smoking among Chinese women is limited. Although smoking among Chinese women is still at an early stage, it is becoming more prevalent among specific population subgroups, such as rural-to-urban migrant workers. Although further research is needed, findings from the current study provide a roadmap for research and policy on prevention of smoking among Chinese girls and women.

Chinese Immigrant Families and Bilingualism among Young Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Honig, Alice Sterling; Xu, Yili

2012-01-01

Thirty-five children (17 boys and 18 girls, 4 to 8 years old) in 2-parent Chinese immigrant families had attended English-speaking facilities for 35.0 months (boys) and 32.9 months (girls), respectively. They were tested at home with the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Revised (PPVT-R) and the Mandarin version of PPVT-R. No gender differences were…

Gender atypical behavior in Chinese school-aged children: its prevalence and relation to sex, age, and only child status.

PubMed

Yu, Lu; Winter, Sam

2011-07-01

This study had three purposes: (a) to compare the prevalence of boys' and girls' gender-atypical behaviors (GABs) in a sample of Chinese school-aged children, (b) to examine the developmental pattern of GABs in Chinese boys and girls over the age range in question (6-12 years), and (c) to test the effects of being an only child on children's GAB expression. Parents of 486 boys and 417 girls completed a Child Play Behavior and Activity Questionnaire (CPBAQ) in regard to their own children, and a demographic information sheet. The frequency distribution for each gender-related behavior was calculated. The associations between sex, age, and only-child status, and CPBAQ scale scores were examined. Although most GABs (by their very nature) were exhibited infrequently in Chinese children, it was found that girls displayed GABs more frequently than boys did. The prevalence of GABs rose for girls as they grew older, but fell slightly for boys. The expressions of GABs in only children did not differ from that in children with siblings. Possible effects of Chinese culture (including the current only-child policy) on children's GABs are discussed.

Hb Alesha [β67(E11)Val→Met (GTG>ATG); HBB: c.202G > A] Found in a Chinese Girl.

PubMed

Jiang, Hua; Yan, Jin-Mei; Zhou, Jian-Ying; Li, Dong-Zhi

2016-11-01

Mutations that cause destabilization of the hemoglobin (Hb) tetramer are a rare cause of hemolytic anemia. In contrast to the hemolytic anemia caused by enzyme deficiencies, a dominant mode of inheritance characterizes the unstable Hbs. Hb Alesha [β67(E11)Val→Met; HBB: c.202G>A] is caused by a G>A mutation at codon 67 of the β-globin gene, resulting in a valine to methionine substitution at helix E11. This replacement disrupts the apolar bonds between valine and the heme group, producing an unstable Hb and severe hemolysis. We report this rare hemoglobinopathy in a Chinese girl with severe hemolytic anemia, splenomegaly and frequent requirement for red blood cell (RBC) transfusions.

Girl child: her rights and law.

PubMed

Gokhale, S D

1995-01-01

This article points out the disparity between India's laws to protect female children and their actual living conditions. It is asserted that the role of women needs to be strengthened and that equal rights are executed to the advantage of children. Equality must come at the very beginning of life. Girl children need access to health, nutrition, education, and other basic services. In India, girls are guaranteed an equal right to education, but fewer girls are enrolled in primary school, and very few girls go on to secondary schools. There is no enforcement of compulsory laws, which particularly disadvantage girls from poor families. Girls marry below the legal minimum age. Early childbearing shortens women's life expectancy and adversely affects their health, nutrition, education, and employment opportunities. Prevention of early child marriage should be strictly enforced. Amniocentesis is performed in order to determine the sex of the child and abort female fetuses. The Juvenile Justice Act of 1986 includes special provisions for the protection, treatment, and rehabilitation of girls under 18 years old and of boys younger than 16. This act protects girls trapped in brothels for child prostitution and protects any person engaged in an immoral, drunken, or depraved life. Juvenile Welfare Boards address the problem of neglected girls and offer special protective homes and supervision by probation officers. The act needs to strengthen noninstitutional services, such as sponsorship, family assistance, foster care, and adoption. Girl children grow to womanhood. Effective social development in childhood reaps rewards in adulthood.

Predictors of Changes in Body Image Concerns of Chinese Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Hong; Jackson, Todd

2009-01-01

This nine-month prospective study tested the extent to which risk factors implicated in recent accounts of body dissatisfaction predicted changes in body image concerns of adolescent boys and girls in China. A sample of 593 Chinese adolescents (217 boys, 376 girls) completed measures of weight esteem, appearance esteem and physical stature concern…

Femoral head epiphysis growth and development among Chinese children aged 0-5 years.

PubMed

Luo, Jiayou; Tang, Jin; Zhou, Libo; Zeng, Rong; Mou, Jinsong; Zhang, Lingli

2009-05-01

The aim of this study was to examine the pattern of femoral head epiphysis growth and development among Chinese children. Between January and December, 2007, we randomly sampled 1,450 healthy Chinese children (0-5 years old) from Hunan Provincial Children's Hospital in Changsha, Hunan, China. The diameter of femoral head epiphysis was measured by pelvic X-ray photography and processed by medical image processing software. The growth of femoral head epiphysis in girls was 2-3 months earlier than that in boys. The diameter of femoral head epiphysis increased with advancing age in both girls and boys, but the diameter of femoral head epiphysis in 2, 3, 4, 6, and 10-month-old girls was significantly larger than that in boys. Cubic regression equations between the diameter of femoral head epiphysis and age were created for boys and girls that could be used to predict the diameter of femoral head epiphysis. In conclusion, there was gender difference in femoral head epiphysis growth and development among Chinese children, and our prediction models will provide the guidance for early diagnosis of diseases related to the growth and development of the femoral head epiphysis.

Timing and secular trend of pubertal development in Beijing girls.

PubMed

Chen, Fang-Fang; Wang, You-Fa; Mi, Jie

2014-02-01

Historical research is limited in changes in pubertal development in Chinese girls. We aimed to identify the timing of pubertal characteristics and the secular trend of menarche age among Beijing girls from the 1980s through the 2000s. Six data sets were analyzed, including the Beijing Child and Adolescent Metabolic Syndrome study in 2004, where 9778 Bejing girls aged 6-18 years were studied. The Fetal Origins of Adult Disease study provided retrospective menarche age from 1940 through 1960. Other four studies were conducted in Beijing to obtain supplementary information to assess secular trend in menarche age. Linear regression method was used to analyze the data. Among Beijing girls in 2004, the median age at menarche was 12.1 years, which was 0.6 years earlier in urban than in rural areas. The median age at Breast Tanner Stage 2 was 9.5 ± 1.2 years, representing 9.4 ± 1.1 years and 9.6 ± 1.2 years for urban and rural girls, respectively. In contrast, the median age at Pubic Hair Tanner Stage 2 was 11.1 ± 1.1 years, representing 10.8 ± 1.1 and 11.4 ± 1.1 years for urban and rural girls, respectively. The menarche age of urban girls decreased by 4.2 months per decade, and that of rural girls by 9.6 months per decade from 1980 to 2004. Urban girls mature earlier than rural girls in Beijing. A secular trend towards earlier menarche was observed between the 1980s and the 2000s.

Educating the girl child in rural areas.

PubMed

Tandon, S

1995-01-01

This article discusses the importance of educating female children in India. There is ample evidence worldwide that improvements in girls' education benefit the status of the family and empower women. The World Declaration of Education for All was adopted in Jomtein, Thailand in 1990. It urged access to and improvement in the quality of education of girls and women to remove obstacles that hamper active participation. 1990 was the Year of Literacy and the Year of the Girl Child. Girls lag in education worldwide. The gender gap is widest in India in levels of literacy, school enrollment, school dropouts, and opportunities for vocational training. There is a need to educate the public, particularly mothers, about the value of girls. In rural and backward areas of India, there is fear of educating girls that is related to prevalent practices of exploitation and violence against women. Education and vocational training should be linked with anti-poverty programs. Adult literacy should be linked with girls' education. The National Policy on Education in 1986 targeted removal of sex stereotyping from school curricula and promoted diversified curricula and access of girls to vocational and professional training programs. The policy recommended integrated child care services and primary education. The national action plan for the 1990s focuses on protection, survival, and development of the girl child in India. Special schools for developing skills in nutrition, cooking, sewing, home economics, and child development should be set up in villages for girls 12-20 years old. The gap in girls' education is attributed to apathy and resistance of parents, unfavorable attitudes toward coeducation, poverty of parents, shortages of schools, and poor quality instruction. Girls' continuing education should be ensured by incentives, such as free books and clothes; time tables conducive to work; support systems; and work schemes.

The lived experience of girl-to-girl aggression in marginalized girls.

PubMed

Zenz Adamshick, Pamela

2010-04-01

Girl-to-girl aggression is increasingly being recognized as a health problem, and the number of teenage girls involved in serious fighting is on the rise. Research on the experiences of girl-to-girl aggression in marginalized girls who are out of the mainstream because of poor relationship skills and physical aggression is notably absent, yet this group is at heightened risk for persistent violence. In this study I used the interpretive phenomenological approach to study the lived experience of girl-to-girl aggression in girls who were marginalized and attending an alternative school because of physically aggressive behavior. Data were collected over a 4-month period by means of in-depth interviews and field notes. For this population, girl-to-girl aggression provided self-protection, expressed girls' identity, and was also a means to finding attachment, connection, and friendship. These findings have multidisciplinary implications for interventions with physically aggressive girls, including mentoring programs, in-school support groups, and exploration of a paradigm shift in the use of alternative schools.

Chinese American and Caucasian American Family Interaction Patterns in Spatial Rotation Puzzle Solutions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hutsinger, Carol S.; Jose, Paul E.

1995-01-01

Examined sociocultural influences on mathematics achievement. First generation Chinese American and Caucasian American mother-father-daughter triads were audiotaped as the fifth- and sixth-grade girls solved a spatial puzzle. Chinese American triads were quieter, more respectful, more serious, and more orderly, whereas Caucasian American triads…

Prerna: Engendering Empowerment through Girl Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jain, Shipra; Singh, Smita

2017-01-01

Purpose: Quality education can be provided to underprivileged section in developing economies by the collaborative effort of private-paid schools. The purpose of this paper is to explore and highlight the model which can be adopted by a private school in imparting education to girls coming from lower income strata. It also highlights how synergies…

Teaching "Red Scarf Girl". A Facing History and Ourselves Study Guide

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kanner, Elisabeth Fieldstone

2009-01-01

Ji-li Jiang's extraordinary memoir "Red Scarf Girl" transports readers to a tumultuous time in Chinese history--the first two years of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution. Caught between conflicting forces--joining the Revolution's call for rebellion, protecting her family, and fitting in with her peers--Jiang describes how her…

Adolescents' perceptions of paternal and maternal parenting styles in a Chinese context.

PubMed

Shek, D T

1998-09-01

Chinese secondary school students (N = 429) were asked to respond to instruments measuring their perception of parents' global parenting styles and specific parenting practices. Results showed that there were significant differences between reported paternal parenting and maternal parenting characteristics, with fathers perceived as relatively less responsive, less demanding, less concerned, and more harsh. Adolescent girls' perceptions of fathers' parenting characteristics generally did not differ from those of the boys, but the girls tended to perceive their mothers as more demanding but less harsh. The present findings provide some support for the popular Chinese saying, "strict father, kind mother," but they also suggest that it requires redefinition.

Cortisol Response to Psychosocial Stress in Chinese Early Puberty Girls: Possible Role of Depressive Symptoms.

PubMed

Sun, Ying; Deng, Fang; Liu, Yang; Tao, Fang-Biao

2015-01-01

Objective. The present study aimed at investigating unique patterns of salivary cortisol reactivity and recovery in response to a social stressor among girls with early puberty and exploring possible role of depressive symptom in this association. Design. Case-control study. Patients. Fifty-six girls with early puberty and age- and body mass index- (BMI-) matched normal puberty controls (n = 56) were selected. Measurements. Salivary cortisol was measured in response to the Groningen Social Stress Test for Children. Results. Girls with early puberty had higher cortisol concentration at the end of the GSST (C3), cortisol concentration 20 min after the end of the GSST (C4), and AUC increment (AUCi) compared to non-early puberty girls. Depressive symptoms correlated with blunted HPA reactivity among girls with early puberty. Conclusion. This study demonstrated the disturbance effect of objectively examined early pubertal timing on HPA axis responses. It also suggested that stress reactivity might be blunted for individuals with depressive symptoms.

Sex Equity: Increasing Girls' Use of Computers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lockheed, Marlaine E.; Frakt, Steven B.

1984-01-01

Indicates that although computer science has been free of male domination, the stereotype of computers as male machines is emerging with increasing growth in microcomputer use by children. Factors that account for this development and some strategies teachers can adopt to equalize computer use by boys and girls are presented. (MBR)

Perceived discrimination and antisocial behaviour among Chinese rural-to-urban migrant adolescents: Mediating effects of social support.

PubMed

Jia, Xuji; Liu, Xia

2017-08-01

Using cross-sectional data from rural-to-urban migrant adolescents in urban areas of Beijing, China, we examined the mediating effects of social support (i.e. teacher support and classmate support) in the relationship between perceived discrimination (PD) and antisocial behaviour (ASB) among Chinese migrant adolescents. Participants were 897 adolescents (459 boys and 438 girls, mean age = 13.34 years) from four migrant schools (68.8%) and four public schools (31.2%). Participants completed self-report questionnaires concerning PD, ASB, teacher support and classmate support. Results indicated that Chinese migrant adolescents who perceived more discrimination were more likely to engage in ASB. Teacher support partially mediated the relationship between PD and ASB. Gender moderated this mediational relationship, such that teacher support exerted a mediating role among girls, but not boys. The findings suggest that reductions in teacher support may partially account for the effect of PD on ASB among Chinese migrant adolescents girls. © 2016 International Union of Psychological Science.

National Trends in Hemoglobin Concentration and Prevalence of Anemia among Chinese School-Aged Children, 1995-2010.

PubMed

Song, Yi; Wang, Hai-Jun; Dong, Bin; Wang, Zhiqiang; Ma, Jun; Agardh, Anette

2017-04-01

To assess the trend of sex disparity in hemoglobin concentration and prevalence of anemia among Chinese school-aged children from 1995 to 2010. Data were collected from 360 866 children aged 7, 9, 12, 14, and 17 years during 4 cross-sectional surveys (1995, 2000, 2005, and 2010) of the Chinese National Surveys on Students Constitution and Health. Shifts in hemoglobin concentration distributions were compared by sex. Average shifts and sex differences were calculated with quantile regression models. Logistic regression was used to estimate the prevalence odds ratio of sex for prevalence of anemia in different surveys. The mean hemoglobin concentration increased among Chinese children between 1995 and 2010, from 132.7 to 138.3 g/L in boys, and from 127.7 to 132.3 g/L in girls. The prevalence of anemia decreased from 18.8% in 1995 to 9.9% in 2010. It was higher in rural than urban children among all age groups. The prevalence odds ratios of girls versus boys for anemia increased in both urban and rural areas over time. Hemoglobin concentration and prevalence of anemia improved among Chinese school-aged children over time. Hemoglobin concentration improved faster in boys than girls and as a result the relative prevalence of anemia in girls compared with boys increased. Sex-specific preventive guidelines and public health policies for childhood anemia are needed in China. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Reference charts of sitting height, leg length and body proportions for Chinese children aged 0-18 years.

PubMed

Zhang, Ya-qin; Li, Hui

2015-01-01

The reference charts of sitting height (SH), subischial leg length (LL) and the sitting height/leg length ratio (SH/LL) are useful tools in assessing body proportion for clinicians and researchers in related areas. However, reference charts of body proportions for Chinese children and adolescents are limited. To construct reference charts of SH, LL and SH/LL for Chinese children and adolescents. Stature and sitting height of 92 494 (46 240 boys and 46 254 girls) healthy Han nationality children, aged 0-18 years, were measured in two national large-scale cross-sectional surveys in 2005 in China. SH/LL was selected as the indicator of body proportion. References of SH, LL and SH/LL were constructed using the LMS method. The reference charts demonstrated that SH and LL increased with age. Growth in SH slowed by the age of 17 years in boys and 15 years in girls. Similarly, growth in LL slowed at 16 years in boys and 14 years in girls. The SH/LL ratio declined from birth (2.00 in boys and 2.03 in girls) to 13 years in boys (1.11) and to 11 years in girls (1.13), then increased slightly to the age of 18 (1.16 in boys and 1.18 in girls). The gender difference of SH/LL was not significantly different before the age of 11 years. After the age of 11, SH/LL appeared elevated in girls compared to boys. The reference charts of SH, LL and SH/LL are useful tools for assessing body proportions for Chinese children and adolescent individuals.

Perception of Child Weight and Feeding Styles in Parents of Chinese-American Preschoolers.

PubMed

Chang, Lucy Y; Mendelsohn, Alan L; Fierman, Arthur H; Au, Loretta Y; Messito, Mary Jo

2017-04-01

Parent perception of weight and feeding styles are associated with obesity in other racial groups but have not been explored in-depth in Chinese-American preschoolers. Cross-sectional survey of 253 Chinese-American parents with preschoolers was performed in a community clinic. Regression analysis was used to assess relationships between parental perception of weight and feeding styles. Parent under-perception of weight was common but more likely in boys than girls (χ 2  = 4.91, p = 0.03). Pressuring was also greater in boys [adjusted mean difference (95% CI) 0.24 (0.004, 0.49)]. In girls, pressuring was lower for children perceived as overweight [adjusted mean difference in CFQ scores -0.75 (-1.27, -0.23)]; in boys, pressuring was high regardless of perceived child weight. Weight perceptions and feeding styles related to childhood obesity in other groups were identified in Chinese-American families. Parent under-perception of child weight and pressure to eat were more common in boys. These factors should be addressed in Chinese-American preschooler obesity prevention programs.

Chinese American adolescents: perceived parenting styles and adolescents' psychosocial health.

PubMed

Yuwen, W; Chen, A C C

2013-06-01

Asian Americans are one of the fastest-growing minority groups in the USA, and Chinese constitute the largest group. Evidence suggests that Asian American adolescents experience higher levels of depressive symptoms than their same-gender white counterparts. Quantitative findings suggest associations between parenting factors and Chinese American adolescents' mental health. A qualitative understanding regarding Chinese American adolescents' perceived parenting styles and its relationship with adolescents' psychosocial health is warranted. To gain an in-depth understanding of Chinese American adolescents' perceived parenting styles and how parenting styles might influence adolescents' psychosocial health. In this qualitative study, we recruited 15 Chinese American adolescents aged 12-17 years in a southwest metropolitan area. We conducted two focus group interviews. Participants also filled out a brief questionnaire that included their socio-demographic information, immigration history and level of acculturation. Participants reported perceiving that parents had high expectations about academic performance and moral values. They also perceived stricter family rules regarding choices of friends compared with their non-Asian peers. Parents tended to be more protective of girls than of boys. Both Chinese American boys and girls reported poor or ineffective communication with their parents, which contributed to increased conflict between parents and adolescents and emotional distress of the adolescents. The findings provide evidence for nurses to develop linguistically and culturally tailored resources (e.g. parent support groups, programs aimed to improving parent-child communication) or connect these families with existing resources to enhance parenting skills and consequently reduce emotional distress of their adolescent children. © 2012 The Authors. International Nursing Review © 2012 International Council of Nurses.

Loneliness of Indonesian and Chinese Adolescents as Predicted by Relationships with Friends and Parents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Junsheng; Li, Dan; Purwono, Urip; Chen, Xinyin; French, Doran C.

2015-01-01

This study explored the extent to which loneliness of Indonesian and Chinese adolescents was predicted by their intimacy and conflict with friends and parents. The total sample included 1,833 thirteen- and fifteen-year-old adolescents recruited from urban schools. Boys reported more loneliness than girls, and Chinese boys reported more loneliness…

Sociocultural Experiences of Bulimic and Non-Bulimic Adolescents in a School-Based Chinese Sample

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jackson, Todd; Chen, Hong

2010-01-01

From a large school-based sample (N = 3,084), 49 Mainland Chinese adolescents (31 girls, 18 boys) who endorsed all DSM-IV criteria for bulimia nervosa (BN) or sub-threshold BN and 49 matched controls (31 girls, 18 boys) completed measures of demographics and sociocultural experiences related to body image. Compared to less symptomatic peers, those…

[Trends in overweight and obesity among Chinese children of 7-18 years old during 1985-2014].

PubMed

Wang, S; Dong, Y H; Wang, Z H; Zou, Z Y; Ma, J

2017-04-06

Objective: To investigate the trends in overweight and obesity in Chinese students during 1985-2014. Methods: Data were collected from the Chinese National Survey on Students Constitution and Health in 1985, 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010, and 2014, with the sample size of 409 946, 204 977, 216 786, 234 421, 215 319, and 214 354, respectively. The prevalence of overweight and obesity as well as the increase rates were calculated based on the body mass index (BMI) percentile criteria of Working Group on Obesity in China (WGOC). Results: The prevalence of overweight and obesity in 2014 was 19.4% (41 608/214 354) among 7-18 y Chinese children. The prevalence of overweight and obesity was 24.2% (25 975/107 216) among boys, and 14.6% (15 633/107 138) among girls, with the prevalence among boys exceeding girls ( P< 0.001). The prevalence of overweight and obesity was 22.3% (23 911/107 239) among urban students, and 16.5% (17 697/107 115) among rural students, with the prevalence among urban students exceeding rural students ( P< 0.001). The prevalence in 2014 differed among provinces, ranging from 2.3% (Hainan Province 166/7 200) to 16.3% (Tianjin 168/7 186). During 1985-2014, the prevalence of overweight and obesity among 7-18 y Chinese children increased continuously, with the annual increase rate of overweight ranging 0.27%-0.63%, and the annual increase rate of obesity ranging 0.10%-0.58%. The annual increase rates in 2010-2014 of obesity among the urban boys, urban girls, rural boys and rural girls were 0.62%, 0.42%, 0.79%, and 0.49%,respectively, peaking the annual increase rates during 1985-2014. Conclusion: The prevalence of overweight and obesity among 7-18 y Chinese children increased continuously during 1985-2014, with the annual increase rate of obesity in 2010-2014 peaking the increase rates during 1985-2014. There were gender and regional differences in the prevalence of overweight and obesity among 7-18 y Chinese children in 2014.

Twins and virtual twins: Do genetic (as well as experiential) factors affect developmental risks?

PubMed

Segal, Nancy L; Tan, Tony Xing; Graham, Jamie L

2015-08-01

Factors underlying developmental delays and psychosocial risks are of interest to international adoption communities. The current study administered a Pre-Adoption Adversity (PAA) Questionnaire to mostly American parents raising (a) adopted Chinese twins or (b) same-age unrelated adopted siblings. A goal was to replicate earlier analyses of pre-adoption adversity/adjustment among adopted preschool-age Chinese girls. A second goal was to conduct genetic analyses of four content areas (Developmental Delays at Adoption, Initial Adaptation to Adoption, Crying/Clinging, and Refusal/Avoidance) derived from the PAA Questionnaire. A key finding was that age at adoption added less than other predictors to adoptees' externalizing and internalizing behaviors. Family factors (e.g., parental education) contributed significantly to behavioral outcomes among the adopted Chinese twins. Genetic effects were indicated for all four content areas, with shared environmental effects evident for Developmental Delays at Adoption and Crying/Clinging. Future investigators should consider incorporating genetically sensitive designs into developmental research programs. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Predictors of dating violence among Chinese adolescents: the role of gender-role beliefs and justification of violence.

PubMed

Shen, April Chiung-Tao; Chiu, Marcus Yu-Lung; Gao, Jianxiu

2012-04-01

In Chinese societies, violence among adolescent dating partners remains a largely ignored and invisible phenomenon. The goal of this study is to examine the relationships among gender-role beliefs, attitudes justifying dating violence, and the experiences of dating-violence perpetration and victimization among Chinese adolescents. This study has used self-reporting measures to collect data from a probability sample of 976 adolescents (mean age = 15.9) in three Chinese societies: Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Shanghai. Research results reveal a high prevalence of dating violence (including physical violence, sexual violence, and controlling behavior) among Chinese adolescents with dating experience: the perpetration rate is 27.3% and the victimization rate is 39%. Study results demonstrate that adolescents who endorse traditional gender-role beliefs tend to view dating violence as acceptable behavior. Boys' endorsement of traditional gender roles, boys' attitudes justifying boy-on-girl violence, and boys' attitudes against girl-on-boy violence predict boys' actual sexual-violence behavior. Moreover, boys' attitudes justifying boy-on-girl dating violence is the strongest predictor of boys' perpetration of physical and sexual dating violence. This study also shows that boys' hostility is a significant predictor of boys' controlling behavior. Programs for preventing dating violence should include components designed to challenge traditional gender-role beliefs and attitudes justifying dating violence.

Smoking in korean-chinese middle school students: prevalence and risk factors.

PubMed

Park, Soonbok E; Yun, Soon-Nyung; Cui, Wenying; Kim, Hyang

2013-06-01

Cigarette smoking is rising among Chinese adolescents, and adolescent smoking is a crucial public health issue. Despite the number of studies that have explored the prevalence and various aspects of adolescent smoking in China, we know of no data currently available on smoking behavior among Korean-Chinese adolescents. This article studies the prevalence of smoking and factors affecting smoking behavior among Korean-Chinese adolescents. Data were collected from six Korean-Chinese middle schools in the Yanbian region of Jilin, China. The differences in data from three groups (never-smokers, ever-smokers, and current smokers) were analyzed using χ2 tests and analysis of variance. Logistic regression was used to analyze the factors affecting smoking behavior. Among the 2,116 participants, 7.3% of the boys and 3.7% of the girls were ever-smokers, and 7.2% of the boys and 0.8% of the girls were current smokers. Differences among groups in terms of gender, number of friends currently smoking, parental smoking behavior, academic performance, alcohol consumption, and intention not to smoke were all significant (p < .001, .05). Compared with never-smoking and ever-smoking students, currently smoking students perceived a significantly less antismoking environment (p = .000). The smoking rate was 2.24 times higher in boys than girls and was 11.57 times higher in students who had three smoking friends compared with those who had no smoking friends. The findings may help develop more effective intervention approaches to prevent adolescent smoking. Preventive programs should involve smoking parents by increasing the value they place on their children's nonsmoking behavior and equipping them to help deter adolescent smoking.

Adoption age effects on english language acquisition: infants and toddlers from China.

PubMed

Krakow, Rena A; Tao, Shannon; Roberts, Jenny

2005-02-01

Children adopted from China represent the single largest group of internationally adopted children in this country. Because the adoptive families typically do not speak any Chinese language or dialect, most of these children experience an abrupt shift in their language environment. How age of adoption affects the course of English language development of children adopted from China is the focus of this study. All of the children in this study were either infants or toddlers at the time of adoption and all came from the same orphanage. The results showed that the older children (toddlers) were at both an advantage and a disadvantage when it came to English language development. The advantage of being older was that they learned faster. The disadvantage of being older was that there was more for them to learn to become age-appropriate in their English language development. There was, however, no evidence to suggest that the language switch from a Chinese- to an English-language environment was a formidable obstacle for either the infants or the toddlers.

CHINESE-MANDARIN FOR SECONDARY SCHOOL, PART 1--TEACHER'S HANDBOOK.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

San Francisco State Coll., CA.

THIS TEACHER'S HANDBOOK IS FOR LANGUAGE LABORATORY INSTRUCTION IN MANDARIN CHINESE IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS. THE MATERIALS ARE PLANNED ACCORDING TO THE CHINESE CURRICULUM ADOPTED BY THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON CHINESE LANGUAGE INSTRUCTION IN CALIFORNIA PUBLIC SCHOOLS, AND CONSTITUTE THE FIRST LEVEL OF A 4-YEAR SEQUENCE TO BE USED BY NINTH-GRADE…

Mothers' Racial, Ethnic, and Cultural Socialization of Transracially Adopted Asian Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnston, Kristen E.; Swim, Janet K.; Saltsman, Brian M.; Deater-Deckard, Kirby; Petrill, Stephen A.

2007-01-01

This study examined maternal and child predictors of White mothers' cultural socialization/pluralism and preparation for bias of Chinese and Korean adopted children in families participating in the Northeast-Northwest Collaborative Adoption Project. Mother's psychological connection to Asian Americans, but not White identity, and children's age…

Children adopted from China: a prospective study of their growth and development.

PubMed

Cohen, Nancy J; Lojkasek, Mirek; Zadeh, Zohreh Yaghoub; Pugliese, Mirella; Kiefer, Heidi

2008-04-01

China has become a lead country for international adoption because of the relatively young age of the children and reported positive conditions of the orphanages. This study examined the process and outcome of growth and development of children adopted from China over their first two years with their adoptive families. Seventy infant girls adopted from China at 8 to 21 months of age (Mean age = 13 months) were examined on arrival in Canada and 6, 12, and 24 months later. Comparisons were made with non-adopted Canadian girls of similar age and from a similar family background as adoptive parents on indices of growth and standardized measures of mental, psychomotor, and language development. At arrival, children adopted from China were smaller physically and exhibited developmental delays compared to current peers. Children adopted from China were functioning in the average range on physical and developmental measures within the first 6 months following adoption. However, they were not performing as well as current peers until the end of their second year after adoption. Even then, there was developmental variation in relation to comparison children and continuation of relatively smaller size with respect to height, weight, and head circumference. Physical measurement was related to outcomes at various points on all developmental measures. Deprivation in experience in the first year of life has more long-lasting effects on physical growth than on mental development. The variable most consistently related to development was height-to-age ratio. As a measure of nutritional status, the findings reinforce the critical importance of early nutrition.

Popular Culture and Moral Panics about "Children at Risk": Revisiting the Sexualisation-of-Young-Girls Debate

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tsaliki, Liza

2015-01-01

In an attempt to resist moral panics over children's media consumption, and especially girls' consumption of hyper-sexualised popular media, this paper aims to offer a more positive account of popular culture and young children's, especially girls', engagement with it. By adopting a historical approach to modern childhood and the moral panics…

Different Is Not Deficient: Contradicting Stereotypes of Chinese International Students in US Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heng, Tang T.

2018-01-01

Mainland Chinese students form the largest international tertiary student population in the USA, yet most discourse around them tends to adopt a deficit perspective. Adopting a hybridized sociocultural framework, this qualitative study follows 18 Chinese undergraduates over one year to examine how challenges they face are influenced by…

Visuomotor Integration and Executive Functioning Are Uniquely Linked to Chinese Word Reading and Writing in Kindergarten Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chung, Kevin Kien Hoa; Lam, Chun Bun; Cheung, Ka Chun

2018-01-01

This cross-sectional study examined the associations of visuomotor integration and executive functioning with Chinese word reading and writing in kindergarten children. A total of 369 Chinese children (mean age = 57.99 months; 55% of them were girls) from Hong Kong, China, completed tasks on visuomotor integration, executive functioning, and…

Girls' Education in the United States and Ghana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davenport, Elizabeth K.; Sutton, Lenford; Agezo, Clement Kwadzo

2006-01-01

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan (2000) delivered a speech at the World Education Forum in Dakar, Senegal, stating that, of the 110 million children in the world who should be in school but are not, two-thirds are girls. The lack of equality is contrary to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted in 1948, in which governments committed to…

"Girls Are Worse": Drama Queens, Ghetto Girls, Tomboys, and the Meaning of Girl Fights

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Waldron, Linda M.

2011-01-01

This article uses a race-class-gender intersectional approach to analyze qualitative interviews with girls at two public high schools to better understand a common perception that "girls are worse" when it comes to school fights. Several different understandings of why girls fight emerged from the data. On one hand, girls' perception of…

How Environmental Uncertainty Moderates the Effect of Relative Advantage and Perceived Credibility on the Adoption of Mobile Health Services by Chinese Organizations in the Big Data Era.

PubMed

Chen, Xing; Zhang, Xing

2016-01-01

Despite the importance of adoption of mobile health services by an organization on the diffusion of mobile technology in the big data era, it has received minimal attention in literature. This study investigates how relative advantage and perceived credibility affect an organization's adoption of mobile health services, as well as how environmental uncertainty changes the relationship of relative advantage and perceived credibility with adoption. A research model that integrates relative advantage, perceived credibility, environmental uncertainty, and an organization's intention to use mobile health service is developed. Quantitative data are collected from senior managers and information systems managers in 320 Chinese healthcare organizations. The empirical findings show that while relative advantage and perceived credibility both have positive effects on an organization's intention to use mobile health services, relative advantage plays a more important role than perceived credibility. Moreover, environmental uncertainty positively moderates the effect of relative advantage on an organization's adoption of mobile health services. Thus, mobile health services in environments characterized with high levels of uncertainty are more likely to be adopted because of relative advantage than in environments with low levels of uncertainty.

How Environmental Uncertainty Moderates the Effect of Relative Advantage and Perceived Credibility on the Adoption of Mobile Health Services by Chinese Organizations in the Big Data Era

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Despite the importance of adoption of mobile health services by an organization on the diffusion of mobile technology in the big data era, it has received minimal attention in literature. This study investigates how relative advantage and perceived credibility affect an organization's adoption of mobile health services, as well as how environmental uncertainty changes the relationship of relative advantage and perceived credibility with adoption. A research model that integrates relative advantage, perceived credibility, environmental uncertainty, and an organization's intention to use mobile health service is developed. Quantitative data are collected from senior managers and information systems managers in 320 Chinese healthcare organizations. The empirical findings show that while relative advantage and perceived credibility both have positive effects on an organization's intention to use mobile health services, relative advantage plays a more important role than perceived credibility. Moreover, environmental uncertainty positively moderates the effect of relative advantage on an organization's adoption of mobile health services. Thus, mobile health services in environments characterized with high levels of uncertainty are more likely to be adopted because of relative advantage than in environments with low levels of uncertainty. PMID:28115932

[Functional targets of Chinese herbal medicine].

PubMed

Xiao, Bin; Wang, Yun

2010-12-01

In order to elucidate the mechanisms of Chinese herbal medicine, much work has been done based on chemical constituent-target in the molecular system. It cannot comply with the holistic efficacy of Chinese herbal medicine. Thus, the authors of this paper proposed to study the functional target adopted from Western medicine. The data of Chinese herbal function were collected from 2005 edition of The People's Republic of China Pharmacopoeia. A total of 135 functional targets were found, and a network about functional target and mode of action was built. The authors also explored the applications of functional target and the network combined with Sijunzi Decoction and Mahuang Decoction. The results, reflecting the feature of Chinese herbal medicine, will not only be helpful to elucidate the holistic mechanisms of Chinese herbal medicine, but also beneficial to studying the theory of Chinese formulas and developing new formulas.

Operation Minerva Rocky View: Mentoring Young Girls in Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Makosz, Jean; And Others

Operation Minerva is a science conference which originated in Calgary (Alberta, Canada) to provide young girls with positive experiences in math, the sciences, and technology. The program was adopted by a group of Rocky View teachers and parents who revised the program to meet the needs of their rural students. The program involved 40 eighth grade…

The approaches Hong Kong Chinese mothers adopt to teach their preschool children to prevent influenza: a multiple case study at household level.

PubMed

Lam, Winsome; Fowler, Cathrine; Dawson, Angela

2016-01-01

In Hong Kong, the population is at risk of seasonal influenza infection twice a year. Seasonal influenza is significantly associated with the increased hospitalization of children. Maintaining personal hygiene and vaccination are the most effective measures to prevent influenza infection. Research demonstrates a positive relationship between the health practices applied by parents and the behaviour of their children highlighting the importance of parental heath education. However, there is minimal research that provides an understanding of how Hong Kong Chinese parents teach their children to prevent seasonal influenza. Mixed methods research was undertaken that employed a multiple-case study approach to gain an understanding of parental teaching practices regarding seasonal influenza prevention. Purposive intensity sampling was adopted to recruit twenty parents and their healthy children. A thematic analysis was employed to examine the qualitative interview data and the quantitative survey data were examined descriptively. These data were then integrated to provide a more rigorous understanding of parental teaching strategies. Comparisons were made across cases to reveal commonalities and differences. Five major themes were identified: processes parents used to teach personal hygiene; parent-child interaction during teaching; approaches to managing children's health behaviours; enhancing children's healthy practices; and parents' perspective of the role of the nurse in health promotion. This study provided valuable insight into the approach of Hong Kong Chinese parents in teaching their children to prevent seasonal influenza. The results indicate that parents can be better supported to develop effective strategies to teach their preschool children hygiene practices for seasonal influenza prevention. Partnerships with community nurses can play a role in building effective parent-child interactions to enhance children's learning and adoption of healthy practices.

A grounded theory of how social support influences physical activity in adolescent girls.

PubMed

Laird, Yvonne; Fawkner, Samantha; Niven, Ailsa

2018-12-01

Adolescent girls are not sufficiently active to achieve health benefits. Social support from friends and family has been positively associated with physical activity in adolescent girls; however it is unclear how social support influences physical activity behaviour. This study aimed to develop a grounded theory of how social support influences physical activity in adolescent girls. A qualitative, constructivist grounded theory approach was adopted. Individual interviews explored adolescent girls' perspectives of how significant others' influenced their physical activity through providing social support, and through modelling physical activity. Participants perceived social support to influence physical activity behaviour through performance improvements, self-efficacy, enjoyment, motivation and by enabling physical activity. Improvements in performance and self-efficacy were also linked to motivation to be active. Girls perceived modelling to influence behaviour through providing opportunities for them to be physically active, and by inspiring them to be active. The grounded theory outlines adolescent girls' perceptions of how significant others influence their physical activity and provides a framework for future research examining the role of social support on physical activity.

Social-Emotional Adjustment and Attachment in Children Adopted from China: Processes and Predictors of Change

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cohen, Nancy J.; Farnia, Fataneh

2011-01-01

This study examined the processes and predictors of change in maternal ratings of internalizing and externalizing symptoms and attachment security in 70 infant girls adopted from China at a mean age of 13.5 months. These children's mental and language development were also directly assessed. The adopted children were assessed within the first…

Socio-Demographic and Economic Correlates of Overweight Status in Chinese Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Xie, Bin; Chou, Chih-Ping; Spruijt-Metz, Donna; Reynolds, Kim; Clark, Florence; Palmer, Paula H.; Gallaher, Peggy; Sun, Ping; Guo, Qian; Johnson, C. Anderson

2007-01-01

Objective: To investigate overweight prevalence and socio-demographic and economic correlates in Chinese adolescents. Methods: Weight, height, waist circumference, and socio-demographic and economic variables of 6863 middle and high school students were measured. Results: 10% of girls and 17% of boys were overweight. Waist circumference and…

Novel growth hormone receptor mutation in a Chinese patient with Laron syndrome.

PubMed

Hui, Hamilton N T; Metherell, Louise A; Ng, K L; Savage, Martin O; Camacho-Hübner, Cecilia; Clark, Adrian J L

2005-02-01

Laron syndrome, growth hormone (GH) insensitivity syndrome, caused by a mutation of the GH receptor (GHR) gene, is extremely rare in the Chinese population. We report a Chinese girl diagnosed with Laron syndrome at age 1.9 years with height -4.9 SDS, basal GH 344 mIU/ml, IGF-I <12 ng/ml, IGFBP-3 <0.2 mg/ml, and undetectable GHBP. A novel mutation of the GHR, not previously described, was identified at the donor splice site of intron 6.

Girl Scout Camps and Badges: Engaging Girls in NASA Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harman, P. K.; DeVore, E. K.

2017-12-01

Reaching for the Stars: NASA Science for Girl Scouts (Girl Scout Stars) disseminates NASA STEM education-related resources, fosters interaction between Girl Scouts and NASA Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), and engages Girl Scouts in NASA science and programs through space science badges and summer camps. A space science badge is in development for each of the six levels of Girl Scouts: Daisies, Grades K - 1; Brownies, Grades 2 -3; Juniors, Grades 4 -5; Cadettes, Grades 6 -8; Seniors, Grades 9 -10: and Ambassadors, Grades 11 -12. Daisy badge will be accomplished by following three steps with two choices each. Brownie to Ambassador badges will be awarded by completing five steps with three choices for each. The badges are interwoven with science activities, role models (SMEs), and steps that lead girls to explore NASA missions. External evaluators monitor three rounds of field-testing and deliver formative assessment reports. Badges will be released in Fall of 2018 and 2019. Girl Scout Stars supports two unique camp experiences. The University of Arizona holds an Astronomy Destination, a travel and immersion adventure for individual girls ages 13 and older, which offers dark skies and science exploration using telescopes, and interacting with SMEs. Girls lean about motion of celestial objects and become astronomers. Councils send teams of two girls, a council representative and an amateur astronomer to Astronomy Camp at Goddard Space Flight Center. The teams were immersed in science content and activities, and a star party; and began to plan their new Girl Scout Astronomy Clubs. The girls will lead the clubs, aided by the council and amateur astronomer. Camps are evaluated by the Girl Scouts Research Institute. In Girl Scouting, girls discover their skills, talents and what they care about; connect with other Girl Scouts and people in their community; and take action to change the world. This is called the Girl Scout Leadership Experience. With girl-led, hands on

Age estimation in northern Chinese children by measurement of open apices in tooth roots.

PubMed

Guo, Yu-Cheng; Yan, Chun-Xia; Lin, Xing-Wei; Zhou, Hong; Li, Ju-Ping; Pan, Feng; Zhang, Zhi-Yong; Wei, Lai; Tang, Zheng; Chen, Teng

2015-01-01

The aim of this study was to assess the accuracy of Cameriere's methods on dental age estimation in the northern Chinese population. A sample of orthopantomographs of 785 healthy children (397 girls and 388 boys) aged between 5 and 15 years was collected. The seven left permanent mandibular teeth were evaluated with Cameriere's method. The sample was split into a training set to develop a Chinese-specific prediction formula and a test set to validate this novel developed formula. Following the training dataset study, the variables gender (g), x 3 (canine teeth), x 4 (first premolar), x 7 (second molar), N 0, and the first-order interaction between s and N 0 contributed significantly to the fit, yielding the following linear regression formula: Age = 10.202 + 0.826 g - 4.068x 3 - 1.536x 4 - 1.959x 7 + 0.536 N 0 - 0.219 s [Symbol: see text] N 0, where g is a variable, 1 for boys and 0 for girls. The equation explained 91.2 % (R (2) = 0.912) of the total deviance. By analyzing the test dataset, the accuracy of the European formula and Chinese formula was determined by the difference between the estimated dental age (DA) and chronological age (CA). The European formula verified on the collected Chinese children underestimated chronological age with a mean difference of around -0.23 year, while the Chinese formula underestimated the chronological age with a mean difference of -0.04 year. Significant differences in mean differences in years (DA - CA) and absolute difference (AD) between the Chinese-specific prediction formula and Cameriere's European formula were observed. In conclusion, a Chinese-specific prediction formula based on a large Chinese reference sample could ameliorate the age prediction accuracy in the age group of children.

Games and Sport of Southern California's Chinese-Americans.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Emery, Lynne

Despite exclusion from the mainstream of society in the late 1800s and the early part of this century, Chinese American youth in the Los Angeles (California) area adopted the sports of this country. Chinese American baseball and basketball teams competed with each other and with teams from the Japanese American community. Football was also played…

Social modeling of food purchases at supermarkets in teenage girls.

PubMed

Bevelander, Kirsten E; Anschütz, Doeschka J; Engels, Rutger C M E

2011-08-01

Ample experimental research has demonstrated the impact of peer influence on food intake in adolescents and adults. However, none of these studies focused social modeling effects on food purchases in supermarkets. This study investigated whether the food purchase behavior of a confederate peer would be adopted by the participant. Teenage girls (N=89) were asked to perform a shopping task in a local supermarket. They had to shop with a same-sex confederate peer who had been instructed earlier to purchase either five low-kilocaloric food products, five average-kilocaloric or five high-kilocaloric food products. Significant main effects for the experimental purchase condition and hunger were found on the amount of kilocalories of the purchased food products. Teenage girls who shopped with a peer in the high-kilocaloric condition purchased higher kilocaloric food products relative to the girls who shopped with a peer in the low-kilocaloric condition. In addition, girls who reported to be hungry purchased higher kilocaloric food products in general. These findings might imply that teenage girls follow unhealthy food purchases of a peer during shopping. Health promotion might benefit from our findings by also focusing on food purchases and not only food intake. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Space Science in Chinese Schools: Solar Eclipse 22nd July 2009

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baruch, John; Huang, Qian; ShongYi, Liu; Li, Li Su; Machell, James; Marley, Scott; Pickwick, Alan; Vlastuin, Marcel; Waley, Vlad; Zhang, Yie Niu

2009-01-01

In China, "Space Science" and "Our Place in the Universe" form part of the geography syllabus. Such cultural challenges are part of the everyday intellectual gymnastics necessary to sustain European-Chinese school collaborations. Belle Vue Girls' School in Bradford has an ongoing collaboration with Chang Zheng Secondary School…

Teachers' Perceptions of Female Student Aggression at an All-Girls School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Winter, Clare Rebecca; McKenzie, Karen

2017-01-01

There has been limited research into how teachers view and respond to relational aggression in girls. The existing research is largely quantitative and questionnaire based and has indicated that gender stereotypes may influence teachers' perceptions of female aggression. The present study adopted a qualitative approach, using semi-structured…

Bicultural Socialization among Adoptive Families : Where There Is a Will, There Is a Way

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomas, Kristy A.; Tessler, Richard C.

2007-01-01

Although bicultural competence has been viewed as an advantage for immigrants and other ethnic minorities in American society, we do not know whether bicultural socialization is similarly advantageous for children in families formed through international, transracial adoption. This study examines what factors enable adoptive Chinese children to…

Girl Scout Stars: Engaging Girl Scouts in the 2017 Total Eclipse

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harman, P. K.

2017-12-01

Reaching for the Stars: NASA Science for Girl Scouts (Girl Scout Stars) engages Girl Scouts in observing the 2017 eclipse. Three councils are host-sponsors of Girl Scout Total Eclipse Destinations,. Total Eclipse of the Heartland, sponsored by Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois, begins with planetarium, and science center visits in St. Louis, and transits to Carbondale for the eclipse. The Great Eclipse Adventure, sponsored by the Girl Scouts of the Missouri Heartland, features hands-on science activities led by Astronomy and Physics faculty and grad students at University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, and observing the eclipse at a camp nearby. Eyes to the Sky: A Once in a Lifetime Destination, by the Girl Scouts of South Carolina - Mountains to Midlands, visits a Challenger Center, a planetarium, and observatory, and culminates at Camp MaBak, Marietta, SC. Girl Scout Destinations are travel adventures, for individual girls ages 11 and older, that are inspiring, life-changing experiences. Destinations are determined via an application and review process by Girls Scouts of the USA. Girl Scout Stars also developed an Eclipse Activity Guide and kit box of materials, distributed the materials to 91 Girl Scout Councils, and delivered webinar training to councils. The eclipse materials enrich the girls' summer camp experiences with activities that promote understanding the Sun-Earth-Moon relationship, the solar system and safe eclipse viewing; and that feature science practices. Examples of the reach of the kit boxes are Girl Scouts of Montana and Wyoming Total Eclipse Event in Casper, WY, and the Girl Scouts of Northern California summer camps featuring the activities. In Girl Scouting, girls discover their skills, talents and what they care about; connect with other Girl Scouts and people in their community; and take action to change the world. This is called the Girl Scout Leadership Experience. With girl-led, hands on activities where girls can team up and work together

Vocational Interest as a Correlate of Re-Entry of Girls into School in Edo State, Nigeria: Implications for Counselling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alika, Ijeoma Henrietta; Egbochuku, Elizabeth Omotunde

2012-01-01

The study investigated the relationship between vocational interest socio-economic status and re-entry of girls into school in Edo State. The research design adopted was correlational because it sought to establish the relationship between the independent variable and the dependent variable. A sample size of 306 girls who re-enrolled in institutes…

Body weight and body shape concerns and related behaviours among Indian urban adolescent girls.

PubMed

Som, Nivedita; Mukhopadhyay, Susmita

2015-04-01

To assess the associations of body weight and body shape concerns and related behaviours with actual weight status among urban adolescent girls. In the present cross-sectional study, a self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data on body weight and body shape concerns and related behaviours. Sociodemographic information was collected using a pre-tested schedule. Weight and height of each girl were measured to assess actual weight status. Twin cities of Kolkata and Howrah, West Bengal, India. A total of 1223 adolescent girls aged 14-19 years were selected from nine schools in Kolkata and Howrah in West Bengal. Many overweight girls perceived themselves as overweight and engaged in weight-reducing activities. However, several normal-weight girls also perceived them as overweight and attempted to lose weight. Unhealthy eating practices to reduce weight were followed by both overweight and normal-weight girls and even by a few underweight girls. Multivariate binary logistic regression showed a significant association between actual weight status and use of unhealthy weight-loss measures. The likelihood of adopting unhealthy eating practices was significantly higher among overweight than normal-weight girls. Health education programmes should be introduced at schools to promote effective weight-control practices that help dispel myths about weight loss.

India's "nowhere" girls. Voices of girls 1: India.

PubMed

Joshi, S

1998-01-01

In India, a 12-year-old girl rises before dawn to complete household chores before heading off to work in the fields herding animals or plucking weeds. When this work is unavailable, she migrates to quarries or brick kilns with her landless parents. This scenario is not unusual, as millions of Indian girls are denied schooling so they can contribute to their family's income. Child agricultural laborers are invisible in official statistics, and girls have a harder life than their brothers who have no household duties and are given more to eat. A large number of girls work in factories or homes producing matches, incense, cigarettes, locks, or brassware or polishing gems. There are no statistics describing how many girls are domestic servants in Bombay or rag-pickers, fish-cleaners, or beggars, but an estimated 500,000 girls under age 15 work as prostitutes. Child labor is defined as work that is detrimental to a child's growth and development, and there are 20-100 million child laborers in India. In Bombay, most girl laborers live and work in conditions that threaten their health, and they experience malnutrition and its attendant diseases as well as occupational hazards. Girls also suffer from the son preference that reduces the amount of time girls are breast fed, the amount of health care they receive, their access to education, and their marriage age. Legislation against child labor has proved ineffectual and will continue to be useless until poverty is reduced in India, educational statutes are enforced, and other policy issues are addressed.

Policy support, economic incentives and the adoption of irrigation technology in China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cremades, R.; Wang, J.; Morris, J.

2014-11-01

The challenges China faces in terms of water availability in the agricultural sector are exacerbated by the sector's low irrigation efficiency. To increase irrigation efficiency, promoting irrigation technology has been emphasized by policy makers in China. The overall goal of this paper is to understand the effect of policy support and economic incentives on the adoption of irrigation technology in China. Based on a unique dataset collected at household and village levels from seven provinces in China, results indicated that household-based irrigation technology has become noticeable in almost every Chinese village. In contrast, only about half of Chinese villages have adopted community-based irrigation technology. Despite the relatively high adoption level of household-based irrigation technology at the village level, its actual adoption on crop-sown areas was not high, and it was even lower for community-based irrigation technology. The econometric analyses results revealed that policy supports via subsidies and extension services have played an important role in promoting the adoption of irrigation technology. Strikingly, the present irrigation pricing policy has played significant but contradictory roles in promoting the adoption of different types of irrigation technology. Irrigation pricing showed a positive impact on household-based irrigation technology, and a negative impact on community-based irrigation technology, possibly related to their substitution relationship, because having higher adoption of household-based irrigation technology reduce the incentives to invest in community-based irrigation technology. The paper finally concludes and discusses some policy implications.

Older people's adoption of e-learning services: a qualitative study of facilitators and barriers.

PubMed

Bai, Xue; He, Yiqin; Kohlbacher, Florian

2018-05-14

This research investigates the facilitators and barriers for older people to adopt e-learning services using qualitative data of older people in a Chinese city. A qualitative approach was applied to explore the perceived facilitators and obstacles toward e-learning adoption with 10 older Chinese aged over 50. The results indicate the following: (1a) Age-related changes and cohort effects were found to be the internal barriers for the adoption of e-learning. (1b) Equipment problems, lack of time, and the availability of alternatives were found to have negative effects on the acceptance of e-learning services. It is notable that alternatives including the University of the Third Age (U3A) were found to be more attractive for older Chinese. (2a) Work requirements and flexibility of e-learning services were found to have direct effects on the acceptance of services. (2b) User-friendly design and stimulation from family would facilitate older people to adopt. Practical implications of this research include that policymakers should consider investing more in education in later life and introducing e-learning services in public lectures and tutorials and that the age-related barrier should be taken into consideration in the design phase of e-learning services. U3As should consider integrating e-learning approaches and cooperating with the community.

Measurement of pubertal status with a Chinese self-report Pubertal Development Scale.

PubMed

Chan, Noel P T; Sung, Rita Y T; Nelson, E Anthony S; So, Hung K; Tse, Yee K; Kong, Alice P S

2010-05-01

This cross sectional study of 290 Chinese children aged 8-18 years, evaluated a Chinese version of the self-reported Pubertal Development Scale (PDS) against both raters' and self-reported Tanner assessment of pubertal status. Children completed both the self-reported PDS and self-reported Tanner pubertal questionnaire prior to physical examination through visual depiction by a same gender rater. Puberty Category Scores (PCS) which were derived from the PDS, was used to categorize children into one of five pubertal development stages. Tanner derived composite stage (TDCS) which was derived from the Tanner pubertal questionnaires, was used to compare with PCS to obtain the inter-rater agreement. Moderately high agreements were found between raters' TDCS and PCS in girls [weighted kappa (WK) 0.57 (0.44, 0.71); Kendalltau-b 0.60 (0.51, 0.69)] and in boys [WK 0.58 (0.47, 0.69), Kendalltau-b 0.50 (0.38, 0.62)]. The correlation between self-reported PDS and rater's assessment was substantial in girls [Kendalltau-b 0.61 (0.54, 0.69)] and moderate in boys [Kendalltau-b 0.49 (0.38, 0.61)]. The Hong Kong Chinese children and adolescents were able to reliably estimate their own sexual maturation status (SMS) using a Chinese version PDS. This instrument may be useful in epidemiological studies when cost, privacy and other concerns preclude the use of other SMS assessment tools.

Gender Stereotyping and Affective Attitudes Towards Science in Chinese Secondary School Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Mingxin; Hu, Weiping; Jiannong, Shi; Adey, Philip

2010-02-01

This study explores explicit and implicit gender-science stereotypes and affective attitudes towards science in a sample of Chinese secondary school students. The results showed that (1) gender-science stereotyping was more and more apparent as the specialization of science subjects progresses through secondary school, becoming stronger from the 10th grade; girls were more inclined to stereotype than boys while this gender difference decreased with increasing grade; (2) girls tend to have an implicit science-unpleasant/humanities-pleasant association from the 8th grade, while boys showed a negative implicit attitude towards science up to the 11th grade. In self-report, girls preferred humanities to science, while boys preferred science to humanities; (3) implicit affective attitude was closely related to implicit stereotype. In particular, implicit affective attitude has a stronger predictive power on stereotype than the other way around, the result of which may have more significance for girls.

Gender differences and dynamics shaping the adoption life cycle: review of the literature and recommendations.

PubMed

Freeark, Kristine; Rosenberg, Elinor B; Bornstein, Jane; Jozefowicz-Simbeni, Debra; Linkevich, Michael; Lohnes, Kelly

2005-01-01

The role of gender in the experiences of adoptive family members has received little systematic attention. Gender differences in response to different tasks and phases of the adoption life cycle are described. Gendered dynamics within the adoptive family, for birth parents, and in the field of adoption are highlighted. Birth fathers and adoptive fathers are typically marginalized, which leaves women to address emotion, connection, and communication, and family dialogues about adoption may engage daughters more successfully than sons. The article reviews reasons why differential rates of problem behavior for adopted boys and girls may result from gender differences in emotional expressiveness, social support seeking, and identity formation. Implications of the feminization of adoption are explored, and recommendations for practice and research are proposed.

Missing girls and son preference in rural India: looking beyond popular myth.

PubMed

Bandyopadhyay, Mridula

2003-12-01

Survival chances of girls in parts of South and East Asia have been adverse. Female foeticide, infanticide, abandonment, out-adoption, under-reporting of female births, and selective neglect of girls leading to higher death rates, have contributed to this adversity. Here, I reflect on an observed skewed sex ratio at birth in rural West Bengal, and discuss female foeticide, infanticide, son preference, and abortion. More boys were recorded at birth, and the majority of women desired sons. Trajectories of selective neglect of and discrimination against daughters have been researched extensively, but the related issues of female foeticide and infanticide have been less examined.

Reaching for the Stars: NASA Science for Girl Scouts (Girl Scout Stars)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DeVore, Edna; Harman, Pamela; Girl Scouts of the USA; Girl Scouts of Northern California; University of Arizona; Astronomical Society of the Pacific; Aires Scientific

2017-01-01

Girl Scout Stars aims to enhance STEM experiences for Girl Scouts in grades K-12. New space science badges are being created for every Girl Scout level. Using best practices, we engage girls and volunteers with the fundamental STEM concepts that underpin our human quest to explore the universe. Through early and sustained exposure to the people and assets of NASA and the excitement of NASA’s Mission, they explore STEM content, discoveries, and careers. Today’s tech savvy Girl Scout volunteers prefer just-in-time materials and asynchronous learning. The Volunteer Tool Kit taps into the wealth of NASA's online materials for the new space science badges. Training volunteers supports troop activities for the younger girls. For older girls, we enhance Girl Scout summer camp activities, support in-depth experiences at Univ. of Arizona’s Astronomy Camp, and “Destination” events for the 2017 total solar eclipse. We partner with the Night Sky Network to engage amateur astronomers with Girl Scouts. Univ. of Arizona also leads Astronomy Camp for Girl Scout volunteers. Aires Scientific leads eclipse preparation and summer sessions at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center for teams of volunteers, amateur astronomers and older Girl Scouts.There are 1,900,000 Girl Scouts and 800,000 volunteers in the USA. During development, we work with the Girl Scouts of Northern California (50,000 girl members and 31,000 volunteers) and expand across the USA to 121 Girl Scout councils over five years. SETI Institute leads the space science educators and scientists at Astronomical Society of the Pacific, Univ. of Arizona, and Aires Scientific. Girl Scouts of the USA leads dissemination of Girl Scout Stars with support of Girl Scouts of Northern California. Through professional development of Girl Scout volunteers, Girl Scout Stars enhances public science literacy. Girl Scout Stars supports the NASA Science Mission Directorate Science Education Objectives and NASA’s STEM Engagement and

Temperament, Harsh and Indulgent Parenting, and Chinese Children's Proactive and Reactive Aggression

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Xu, Yiyuan; Farver, Jo Ann M.; Zhang, Zengxiu

2009-01-01

This study examined the additive and interactive effects of temperament and harsh and indulgent parenting on Chinese children's proactive and reactive aggression. Participants were 401 children (M [subscript age] = 9.29 years, 203 girls) and their parents who were recruited from 2 elementary schools in Shanghai, People's Republic of China. The…

Development of a Dietary Index to Assess Overall Diet Quality for Chinese School-Aged Children: The Chinese Children Dietary Index.

PubMed

Cheng, Guo; Duan, Ruonan; Kranz, Sibylle; Libuda, Lars; Zhang, Lishi

2016-04-01

A composite measure of diet quality is preferable to an index of nutrients, food groups, or health-promoting behaviors in dietary assessment. However, to date, such a tool for Chinese children is lacking. Based on the current Chinese Dietary Guidelines and Dietary Reference Intakes, a dietary index for Chinese school-aged children, the Chinese Children Dietary Index was developed to assess overall diet quality among children in South China. Dietary data were recorded using 24-hour recalls among 1,719 children aged 7 to 15 years between March and June 2013. Inactivity data and sociodemographic information were also collected. The Chinese Children Dietary Index included 16 components, which incorporated nutrients, foods/food groups, and health-promoting behaviors. The range of possible Chinese Children Dietary Index scores was 0 to 160, with a higher score indicating better diet quality. Pearson/Spearman correlation was used to assess relative validity using correlations between total Chinese Children Dietary Index score and age, body mass index (BMI; calculated as kg/m(2)), inactivity, whole-grain intake, frequency of fried-foods intake, nutrient adequacy ratios for energy intake and 12 nutrients not included in the Chinese Children Dietary Index, and the mean adequacy ratio. Finally, a stepwise multiple regression analysis was performed to indicate the factors correlated with Chinese Children Dietary Index. Mean Chinese Children Dietary Index score of this sample was 88.1 points (range=34.2 to 137.8), the Chinese Children Dietary Index score of girls was higher than that of boys and decreased with higher age. Children with higher Chinese Children Dietary Index had lower body mass index and spent less time being inactive. Positive associations were observed between Chinese Children Dietary Index and the majority of nutrient adequacy ratios and the mean adequacy ratio. Age, paternal educational level, and family size were correlated with Chinese Children Dietary

Social and Psychological Factors Related to Risk of Eating Disorders Among High School Girls.

PubMed

Alfoukha, Marwa M; Hamdan-Mansour, Ayman M; Banihani, Manar Ali

2017-01-01

Prevalence of eating disorders (EDs) has increased among adolescents in Arabic and Western countries. The purposes are to identify the risk of ED and psychosocial correlates of risk of ED among high school girls in Jordan. The researchers employed a cross-sectional, correlational design using 799 high school girls from governmental and private schools in the central region of Jordan. The results indicate that prevalence of the risk of ED was 12%. The risk of ED had significant and positive correlation with body shape dissatisfaction, self-esteem, psychological distress, and pressure from family, peers, and media ( p < .001). Body shape dissatisfaction, low self-esteem, negative peer pressure, and being young were significant predictors of the risk of EDs. Risk of ED is highly prevalent among high school girls, and school nurses need to adopt a model of care addressing the risk factors while caring for high school girls.

How do school girls deal with dysmenorrhoea?

PubMed

Chaudhuri, Aditi; Singh, Amarjeet

2012-05-01

To estimate the prevalence of primary dysmenorrhoea among the school girls, to determine its impact on their routine life and to ascertain the practices adopted by them for management of primary dysmenorrhoea, a cross-sectional study was conducted in two schools of Chandigarh, India. Two hundred twenty-four school girls in the standard VIII to X of the selected schools, who had attained menarche, were included in the study. A modified menstrual distress questionnaire was used to score the severity of dysmenorrhoea and its impact on their life. Visual analogue scale for pain was used to measure pain during menstruation. Analysis was done by percentage, mean and standard deviation. Prevalence of dysmenorrhoea was 59.82%. Sickness absenteeism due to dysmenorrhoea was reported in 25.8% girls. According to visual analogue scale for pain scoring, 52.3% had moderate pain and 25% cases had severe pain. Menstrual distress questionnaire scores showed mood swings, irritability, difficulty in concentrating, poor school performances were common problems; 8.6% of the study population went for physicians' consultation, 15.6% took painkillers, 12.5% used hot water bottles, 3.1% practised exercise, 26.6% practised dietary modifications for reducing pain. Most of the cases were partially or completely relieved by these measures. Dysmenorrhoea is rapidly developing as a public health problem with its high prevalence, the degree of discomfort felt by the sufferer as well as the reduction in their quality of life. School based counselling of the suffering girls can be useful for empowering them with different options for managing their menstrual pain.

An Evaluation of Implementing Koha in a Chinese Language Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chang, Naicheng; Tsai, Yuchin; Hopkinson, Alan

2010-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to evaluate issues of different scripts in the same record (in MARC21 and Chinese machine-readable cataloguing (CMARC)) and Chinese internal codes (i.e. double-byte character set) when implementing Koha. It also discusses successful efforts in promoting the adoption of Koha in Taiwan, particularly the…

Evaluating internal and ocular residual astigmatism in Chinese myopic children.

PubMed

Liu, Yanlin; Cheng, Yong; Zhang, Yue; Zhang, Lu; Zhao, Mingwei; Wang, Kai

2017-11-01

To investigate the nature of internal astigmatism (IA) and ocular residual astigmatism (ORA) in Chinese myopic children and to identify factors that may influence IA and ORA. A total of 206 eyes of 206 myopic children (97 boys and 109 girls; 10.95 ± 2.2 years) were enrolled in this cross sectional study. Total ocular astigmatism (TOA), anterior corneal astigmatism (ACA), posterior corneal astigmatism (PCA) and total corneal astigmatism (TCA) were measured directly using either a Hartmann-Shack wavefront sensor or a Pentacam. IA and ORA were calculated by Fourier vector analyses (the definitions of IA and ORA are: IA = TOA - ACA - PCA, ORA = TOA - ACA). Spearman or Pearson correlation was adopted to detect multiple factors that may influence IA and ORA, which were then predicted by linear regressions. Modified compensation factors were applied to evaluate the inter-relationship between corneal astigmatism and ORA. While the mean values of IA and ORA were -0.52 DC × 94.8° and -0.63 DC × 93.0°, respectively, the percentage of ORA power over 1.00 D was as high as 28.64%. Full or under-compensation of ACA by ORA predominated in the enrolled subjects. The mean ORA J 0 and J 45 were -0.311 ± 0.236 and -0.032 ± 0.156 D, respectively, negatively correlated with the corresponding ACA components (J 0 : r = -0.276, J 45 : r = -0.616, p < 0.001). While age was not correlated with either IA or ORA (p > 0.1), the power of IA or ORA was correlated inversely with the axial length (IA: r = -0.193, p = 0.005; ORA: r = -0.169, p = 0.015) and positively with the spherical equivalent refraction (IA r = 0.195, p = 0.005; ORA r = 0.213, p = 0.002) and power of corneal astigmatism (IA-ACA: r = 0.302, IA-TCA: r = 0.368, ORA-ACA: r = 0.334, ORA-TCA: r = 0.293). Girls had larger IA powers than boys (0.741 ± 0.345 D vs 0.651 ± 0.340, p = 0.036). Full or under-compensation of ACA by ORA is common in Chinese myopic children, and the

Chinese Adolescents' Social Status Goals: Associations with Behaviors and Attributions for Relational Aggression

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wright, Michelle F.; Li, Yan; Shi, Junqi

2014-01-01

This study examined two social status goals in relation to aggressive and prosocial behaviors as well as attributions for relational aggression among 477 (244 girls) Chinese early adolescents. Findings indicate that, after controlling for each other, the social preference goal was negatively related to self-reported overt aggression, and…

Promote Democratic Citizenship among Rural Women: A Chinese NGO's Two Models

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhao, Xu; Haste, Helen

2012-01-01

A Beijing-based non-governmental organization (NGO) strives to empower rural Chinese women and migrant girls by increasing their awareness of constitutional rights and promoting their capacities to exercise their civil and political rights. This article reports the NGO leaders' perceptions of the goals, strategies, and challenges in their…

Reaching for the Stars: NASA Space Science for Girl Scouts (Girl Scout Stars)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DeVore, E. K.; Harman, P. K.; Berg, J.; Friedman, W.; Fahy, J.; Henricks, J.; Chin, W.; Hudson, A.; Grissom, C.; Lebofsky, L. A.; McCarthy, D.; Gurton, S. P.; White, V.; Summer, T.; Mayo, L.; Patel, R.; Bass, K.

2016-12-01

Girl Scout Stars aims to enhance science, technology, engineering and mathermatics (STEM) experiences for Girl Scouts in grades K-12 through the national Girl Scout Leadership Experience. New space science badges are being created for every Girl Scout level. Using best practices, we engage girls and volunteers with the fundamental STEM concepts that underpin our human quest to explore the universe. Through early and sustained exposure to the people and assets of NASA and the excitement of NASA's Mission, they explore STEM content, discoveries, and careers. Today's tech savvy Girl Scout volunteers prefer just-in-time materials and asynchronous learning. The Girl Scout Volunteer Tool Kit taps into the wealth of online materials provided by NASA for the new space science badges. Training volunteers supports troop activities for the younger girls. For older girls, we enhance Girl Scout summer camp activities, support in-depth experiences at University of Arizona's Astronomy Camp, and "Destination" events for the 2017 total solar eclipse. We partner with the Night Sky Network to engage amateur astronomers with Girl Scouts. Univeristy of Arizona also leads Astronomy Camp for Girl Scout volunteers. Aires Scientific leads eclipse preparation and summer sessions at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center for teams of volunteers, amateur astronomers and older Girl Scouts. There are 1,900,000 Girl Scouts and 800,000 volunteers in the USA. During development, we work with the Girl Scouts of Northern California (50,000 girl members and 31,000 volunteers) and expand across the USA to 121 Girl Scout councils over five years. SETI Institute leads the experienced space science educators and scientists at Astronomical Society of the Pacific, University of Arizona, and Aires Scientific. Girl Scouts of the USA leads dissemination of Girl Scout Stars to Councils across the USA with support of Girl Scouts of Northern California. Through professional development of Girl Scout volunteers, Girl

N170 Tuning in Chinese: Logographic Characters and Phonetic Pinyin Script

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Qin, Rui; Maurits, Natasha; Maassen, Ben

2016-01-01

In alphabetic languages, print consistently elicits enhanced, left-lateralized N170 responses in the event-related potential compared to control stimuli. In the current study, we adopted a cross-linguistic design to investigate N170 tuning to logographic Chinese and to "pinyin," an auxiliary phonetic system in Chinese. The results…

Digital Media and "Girling" at an Elite Girls' School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Charles, Claire

2007-01-01

In this article, I draw on Judith Butler's notion of performativity to investigate the role of digital technologies in processes of gendered subjectification (or "girling") in elite girls' education. Elite girls' schooling is a site where the potential of digital technologies in mediating student-led constructions and explorations of…

Reaching Girls

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jacobs, Charlotte E.; Kuriloff, Peter J.; Cox, Amanda B.

2014-01-01

If educators want to engage girls in learning, they must align teaching practices with girls' specific needs. In a study modeled after Reichert and Hawley's study of boys, the authors learned that lessons with hands-on learning, elements of creativity, multimodal projects, and class discussions all worked to stimulate girls'…

Emotion Regulation Strategies in European American and Hong Kong Chinese Middle School Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wan, Kayan Phoebe; Savina, Elena

2016-01-01

This study explored emotion regulation strategies in middle school European American (N = 54) and Hong Kong Chinese (N = 89) children. Children were presented with scenarios describing a fictitious girl/boy who encountered situations eliciting sadness, anger, and fear. Based on Gross' theory (1998), the survey of emotion regulation strategies was…

Knowledge of Metabolic Syndrome in Chinese Adults: Implications for Health Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lo, Sally Wai Sze; Chair, Sek Ying; Lee, Iris Fung Kam

2016-01-01

Objective: The objective of this study was to assess knowledge of metabolic syndrome (MS) among Chinese adults and provide directions for designing healthcare promotion schemes for improving MS awareness in the community. Design: The study adopted a cross-sectional design and a convenience sampling method. Method: Chinese adults aged 18-65 years…

Girls' Aggressive Behavior

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Owens, Larry; Shute, Rosalyn; Slee, Phillip

2004-01-01

In contrast to boys' bullying behavior which is often overt and easily visible, girls' aggression is usually indirect and covert. Less research has been conducted on the types of bullying that girls usually engage in. Using focus groups composed of teenaged girls, Dr. Owens and colleagues examine the nature of teenage girls' indirect aggression.

Myopia prevalence in Chinese-Canadian children in an optometric practice.

PubMed

Cheng, Desmond; Schmid, Katrina L; Woo, George C

2007-01-01

The high prevalence of myopia in Chinese children living in urban East Asian countries such as Hong Kong, Taiwan, and China has been well documented. However, it is not clear whether the prevalence of myopia would be similarly high for this group of children if they were living in a Western country. This study aims to determine the prevalence and progression of myopia in ethnic Chinese children living in Canada. Right eye refraction data of Chinese-Canadian children aged 6 to 12 years were collated from the 2003 clinical records of an optometric practice in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. Myopia was defined as a spherical equivalent refraction (SER) equal or less than -0.50 D. The prevalence of myopia and refractive error distribution in children of different ages and the magnitude of refractive error shifts over the preceding 8 years were determined. Data were adjusted for potential biases in the clinic sample. A questionnaire was administered to 300 Chinese and 300 Caucasian children randomly selected from the clinic records to study lifestyle issues that may impact on myopia development. Optometric records of 1468 children were analyzed (729 boys and 739 girls). The clinic bias adjusted prevalence of myopia increased from 22.4% at age 6 to 64.1% at age 12 and concurrently the portion of the children that were emmetropic (refraction between -0.25 and +0.75 D) decreased (68.6% at 6 years to 27.2% at 12 years). The highest incidence of myopia for both girls ( approximately 35%) and boys ( approximately 25%) occurred at 9 and 10 years of age. The average annual refractive shift for all children was -0.52+/-0.42 D and -0.90+/-0.40 D for just myopic children. The questionnaire revealed that these Chinese-Canadian children spent a greater amount of time performing near work and less time outdoors than did Caucasian-Canadian children. Ethnic Chinese children living in Canada develop myopia comparable in prevalence and magnitude to those living in urban East Asian

Predictors of changes in body image concerns of Chinese adolescents.

PubMed

Chen, Hong; Jackson, Todd

2009-08-01

This nine-month prospective study tested the extent to which risk factors implicated in recent accounts of body dissatisfaction predicted changes in body image concerns of adolescent boys and girls in China. A sample of 593 Chinese adolescents (217 boys, 376 girls) completed measures of weight esteem, appearance esteem and physical stature concern in addition to demographics, internalization of attractiveness ideals, negative affect, and appearance pressure, teasing, and comparison at baseline and nine-month follow-up. For girls, initial levels of social comparison, and internalized attractiveness ideals predicted decreases in body esteem over time. Time 1 negative affect contributed to changes in both appearance esteem and weight esteem for boys. Baseline level of stature concerns and reported height were the only predictors of later stature concerns within each sex. In sum, this study suggests specific factors previously implicated in Western accounts also have utility for understanding body image concerns of adolescents in China.

Policies, economic incentives and the adoption of modern irrigation technology in China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cremades, R.; Wang, J.; Morris, J.

2015-07-01

The challenges China faces in terms of water availability in the agricultural sector are exacerbated by the sector's low irrigation efficiency. To increase irrigation efficiency, promoting modern irrigation technology has been emphasized by policy makers in the country. The overall goal of this paper is to understand the effect of governmental support and economic incentives on the adoption of modern irrigation technology in China, with a focus on household-based irrigation technology and community-based irrigation technology. Based on a unique data set collected at household and village levels from seven provinces, the results indicated that household-based irrigation technology has become noticeable in almost every Chinese village. In contrast, only about half of Chinese villages have adopted community-based irrigation technology. Despite the relatively high adoption level of household-based irrigation technology at the village level, its actual adoption in crop sown areas was not high, even lower for community-based irrigation technology. The econometric analysis results revealed that governmental support instruments like subsidies and extension services policies have played an important role in promoting the adoption of modern irrigation technology. Strikingly, the present irrigation pricing policy has played a significant but contradictory role in promoting the adoption of different types of modern irrigation technology. Irrigation pricing showed a positive impact on household-based irrigation technology, and a negative impact on community-based irrigation technology, possibly related to the substitution effect that is, the higher rate of adoption of household-based irrigation technology leads to lower incentives for investment in community-based irrigation technology. The paper finally concludes and discusses some policy implications.

Listening to Girls and Boys Talk about Girls' Physical Activity Behaviors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vu, Maihan B.; Murrie, Dale; Gonzalez, Vivian; Jobe, Jared B.

2006-01-01

As part of the formative assessment for the Trial of Activity for Adolescent Girls (TAAG), a multicenter study to reduce the decline of physical activity in adolescent girls, girls and boys with diverse ethnicity from six states participated in focus groups and semistructured interviews. Data from 13 girls' focus groups (N = 100), 11 boys' focus…

Teacher-child relationship quality and academic achievement of Chinese American children in immigrant families.

PubMed

Ly, Jennifer; Zhou, Qing; Chu, Keira; Chen, Stephen H

2012-08-01

This study examined the cross-sectional relations between teacher-child relationship quality (TCRQ) and math and reading achievement in a socio-economically diverse sample of Chinese American first- and second-grade children in immigrant families (N=207). Teachers completed a questionnaire measuring TCRQ dimensions including closeness, conflict, and intimacy, and children completed a questionnaire measuring overall TCRQ. Standardized tests were used to assess children's math and reading skills. Analyses were conducted to (a) test the factor structure of measures assessing TCRQ among Chinese American children, (b) examine the associations between teacher- and child-rated TCRQ and children's academic achievement, controlling for demographic characteristics, and (c) examine the potential role of child gender as a moderator in the relations between TCRQ and achievement. Results indicated that teacher-rated TCRQ Warmth was positively associated with Chinese American children's reading achievement. Two child gender-by-TCRQ interactions were found: (a) teacher-rated TCRQ Conflict was negatively associated with girls' (but not boys') math achievement, and (b) child-rated Overall TCRQ was positively associated with boys' (but not girls') reading achievement. These findings highlight the valuable role of TCRQ in the academic success of school-aged children in immigrant families. Copyright © 2012 Society for the Study of School Psychology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Validation of a Questionnaire to Measure Mastery Motivation among Chinese Preschool Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leung, Cynthia; Lo, S. K.

2013-01-01

The aim of this study was to validate a questionnaire on mastery motivation (task and effort) for use with Chinese preschool children in Hong Kong. A parent version and a teacher version were developed and evaluated. Participants included 457 children (230 boys and 227 girls) aged four and five years old, their preschool teachers and their…

Cognitive and Environmental Correlates of Rapid Automatized Naming in Chinese Kindergarten Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Cuina; Georgiou, George K.

2017-01-01

Although rapid automatized naming (RAN) is one of the best predictors of reading across languages, its nature remains elusive. In the present study, we aim to elucidate the nature of RAN by examining the cognitive and environmental correlates of RAN. One hundred forty-one second-year kindergarten Chinese children (71 girls, 70 boys; mean age =…

A grounded theory of how social support influences physical activity in adolescent girls

PubMed Central

Fawkner, Samantha

2018-01-01

ABSTRACT Purpose: Adolescent girls are not sufficiently active to achieve health benefits. Social support from friends and family has been positively associated with physical activity in adolescent girls; however it is unclear how social support influences physical activity behaviour. This study aimed to develop a grounded theory of how social support influences physical activity in adolescent girls. Methods: A qualitative, constructivist grounded theory approach was adopted. Individual interviews explored adolescent girls’ perspectives of how significant others’ influenced their physical activity through providing social support, and through modelling physical activity. Results: Participants perceived social support to influence physical activity behaviour through performance improvements, self-efficacy, enjoyment, motivation and by enabling physical activity. Improvements in performance and self-efficacy were also linked to motivation to be active. Girls perceived modelling to influence behaviour through providing opportunities for them to be physically active, and by inspiring them to be active. Conclusion: The grounded theory outlines adolescent girls’ perceptions of how significant others influence their physical activity and provides a framework for future research examining the role of social support on physical activity. PMID:29405881

[Association of physical activities, sedentary behaviors with overweight/obesity in 9-11 year-old Chinese primary school students].

PubMed

Chen, L; Li, Q; Song, Y; Ma, J; Wang, H J

2016-06-18

To explore the association of physical activities, sedentary behaviors with overweight/obesity in Chinese children aged 9-11 years, analyze the gender difference and heterogeneity of the association across different provinces, and provide evidence for prevention and control of overweight and obesity. Using the data of 40 692 children aged 9-11 years from Chinese National Survey on Students' Constitution and Health in 2010, the height and weight were measured and the time spent in physical activities, screen behaviors and homework were collected. We analyzed the associations among physical activities, sedentary behaviors and overweight/obesity in boys and girls separately, and assessed the heterogeneity of associations across different provinces with Meta-analysis. The prevalence of overweight/obesity of the boys (27.1%) was higher than that of the girls (12.9%), compared with the rural students (15.6%), the situation of overweight/obesity of the urban students (23.8%) was more serious, the prevalences of overweight/obesity were separately 22.6%, 19.2% and 17.5% among developed, middle-developed and undeveloped social economic status subgroups. The boys with physical activities no more than 1 hour per day were more likely to be overweight/obese, with the OR of 1.09 (95%CI: 1.02, 1.17). The girls with screen time more than 1 hour per day or homework time more than 2 hours per day were more likely to be overweight/obese, with the ORs of 1.13 (95%CI: 1.02, 1.26) and 1.18 (95%CI: 1.03, 1.35) respectively. The high level of sedentary behaviors (more than 135 min per day) was associated with overweight/obese in the girls, and the OR was 1.19 (95%CI: 1.08, 1.33). There was no significant heterogeneity of effect values between physical activities and overweight/obesity in the boys and between sedentary behaviors and overweight/obesity in the girls across the different provinces (P> 0.05). The associations among physical activities, sedentary behaviors and overweight

Scaffolding Preschool Children's Problem Solving: A Comparison between Chinese Mothers and Teachers across Multiple Tasks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sun, Jin; Rao, Nirmala

2012-01-01

This study compared Chinese mothers' and teachers' scaffolding of preschool children in different problem solving tasks. Participants were 57 children (including 29 girls) from seven kindergartens in Beijing, their mothers and teachers. Mothers varied in educational levels while all teachers were professionally qualified. Children solved four…

An Examination of the Behavioral Correlates of Subtypes of Nonsocial Play among Chinese Preschoolers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nelson, Larry J.; Hart, Craig H.; Yang, Chongming; Wu, Peixia; Jin, Shenghua

2012-01-01

This study examined via teacher reports the behavioral correlates of different forms of nonsocial play among Chinese preschoolers, as well as potential gender differences in the linkages in a sample of preschoolers (249 boys, 257 girls) from two cities in mainland China. Measurement models estimated with two-group confirmatory factor analyses…

Death Preparation of Chinese Rural Elders.

PubMed

Liu, Yanping; van Schalkwyk, Gertina J

2018-05-14

In this qualitative study, we explored how Chinese rural elders narrate death-related issues and death preparation. Adopting a phenomenological approach, we interviewed 14 participants regarding the particular actions they employ to prepare for death. The findings revealed a death preparation system for rural Chinese elders that is instrumental in how they converse about death, wish for a good death, make objects and symbols, and anticipate an afterlife as a worshiped ancestor rather than a wandering ghost. Family and family honour provide the context for death preparation. We discuss implications and the need for the death preparation education of younger generations.

Cognitive Distortions about Sex and Sexual Offending: A Comparison of Sex Offending Girls, Delinquent Girls, and Girls from the Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kubik, Elizabeth K.; Hecker, Jeffrey E.

2005-01-01

Cognitive distortions about sexual offending were examined in 11 girls who committed sexual offenses, 12 girls who committed non-sexual criminal offenses, and 21 girls with no history of sexual or non-sexual offending. Participants responded to 12 vignettes that described sexual contact between an adolescent girl and a younger boy. The vignettes…

The Role of Mothers' and Adolescents' Perceptions of Ethnic-Racial Socialization in Shaping Ethnic-Racial Identity among Early Adolescent Boys and Girls

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hughes, Diane; Hagelskamp, Carolin; Way, Niobe; Foust, Monica D.

2009-01-01

The current study examined relationships between adolescents' and mothers' reports of ethnic-racial socialization and adolescents' ethnic-racial identity. The sample included 170 sixth graders (49% boys, 51% girls) and their mothers, all of whom identified as Black, Puerto Rican, Dominican, or Chinese. Two dimensions of ethnic-racial socialization…

Weight misperception and psychosocial health in normal weight Chinese adolescents.

PubMed

Lo, Wing-Sze; Ho, Sai-Yin; Mak, Kwok-Kei; Lai, Hak-Kan; Lai, Yuen-Kwan; Lam, Tai-Hing

2011-06-01

To investigate the association between weight misperception and psychosocial health problems among normal weight Chinese adolescent boys and girls. In the Youth Smoking Survey 2003-04, 20 677 normal weight students aged 11-18 years from 85 randomly selected schools throughout Hong Kong were analysed. Students who perceived themselves as very thin, thin, fat or very fat were classified as having weight misperception in contrast to the reference group who correctly perceived themselves as normal weight. Psychosocial health outcomes included headache, feeling stressful, feeling depressed, poorer appetite, sleepless at night, having nightmares and less confidence in getting along with friends. Logistic regression yielded adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for each outcome by weight misperception in boys and girls separately. In girls, misperceived fatness was associated with all outcomes, while misperceived thinness was associated with poorer appetite and less confidence. Boys who misperceived themselves as very thin or fat had greater odds of all outcomes except having nightmares. In general, greater ORs were observed for misperceived fatness than thinness in girls, but similar ORs were observed in boys. Misperceived thinness and fatness accounted for 0.6% to 45.1% of the psychosocial health problems in adolescents. Normal weight adolescents with weight misperception were more likely to have psychosocial health problems, and the associations were stronger for extreme misperceptions (i.e., very fat or very thin) in both boys and girls.

Gender differences in brain development in Chinese children and adolescents: a structural MRI study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Xiaojuan; Jin, Zhen; Chen, Kewei; Peng, Danling; Yao, Li

2008-03-01

Using optimized voxel-based morphometry (VBM), this study systematically investigated gender differences in brain development through magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data in 158 Chinese normal children and adolescents aged 7.26 to 22.80 years (mean age 15.03+/-4.70 years, 78 boys and 80 girls). Gender groups were matched for measures of age, handedness, education level. The customized brain templates, including T I-weighted image and gray matter (GM)/white matter (WM)/cerebro-spinal fluid (CSF) prior probability maps, were created from all participants. Results showed that the total intracranial volume (TIV), global absolute GM and global WM volume in girls were significantly smaller than those in boys. The hippocampus grew faster in girls than that in boys, but the amygdala grew faster in boys than that in girls. The rate of regional GM decreases with age was steeper in the left superior parietal lobule, bilateral inferior parietal lobule, left precuneus, and bilateral supramarginal gyrus in boys compared to girls, which was possibly related to better spatial processing ability in boys. Regional GM volumes were greater in bilateral superior temporal gyrus, bilateral inferior frontal gyrus and bilateral middle frontal gyrus in girls. Regional WM volumes were greater in the left temporal lobe, right inferior parietal and bilateral middle frontal gyrus in girls. The gender differences in the temporal and frontal lobe maybe be related to better language ability in girls. These findings may aid in understanding the differences in cognitive function between boys and girls.

Does the reporting of randomized clinical trials published in Chinese pediatrics journals improve after the CONSORT Statement is adopted?

PubMed

Ma, Bin; Ke, Fa-yong; Chen, Zhi-min; Qi, Guo-qing; Li, Hai-min; Liu, Wen-jie; Zhang, Yuan; Hu, Qing; Yang, Ke-hu

2012-09-01

There is no systematic assessment whether the quality of reporting has been improved since the CONSORT Statement was introduced into China in 1997. The aim of this study is to determine whether the use of the CONSORT Statement is associated with improved quality of reporting of RCTs published in Chinese pediatrics journals. Six core Chinese pediatrics journals that included Journal of Clinical Pediatrics, Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics, Chinese Journal of Practical Pediatrics, Chinese Journal of Evidence-based Pediatrics, Chinese Journal of Pediatrics, and Chinese Journal of Pediatric Surgery were searched from inception through Dec. 2010. The CONSORT checklists were used to assess the quality of reporting. Data was collected using a standardized form. Analyses were performed using SPSS 15.0 software. A total of 619 RCTs were included. The quality of reporting has improved significantly in aspects such as introduction, recruitment, baseline data, and ancillary analyses (p<0.05), but not in several important methodological components, including sample size calculation (0.63% vs.1.08%), randomization sequence generation (3.18% vs. 7.58%), allocation concealment (0% vs. 1.08%), and blinding (0% vs. 0.87%). The quality of reporting of RCTs has not significantly improved since the CONSORT Statement was introduced into China. The reporting remains poor, and often inadequate for assessment of the rigor of studies. Chinese pediatrics journals should reinforce the use of the CONSORT Statement in the reporting of trials. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Girl Game Company: Engaging Latina Girls in Information Technology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Denner, Jill; Bean, Steve; Martinez, Jacob

2009-01-01

This article describes the Girl Game Company's involvement in teaching Latina girls to design and program computer games while building a network of support to help them pursue IT courses and careers. Afterschool programs like the Girl Game Company can fill an important gap by providing opportunities for underserved youth to build IT fluency. A…

Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging of multiple focal nodular hyperplasias of the liver with congenital absence of the portal vein in a Chinese girl: case report and review of the literature.

PubMed

Zhang, Kun; Wang, Qingjun; Wang, Haiyi; Ye, Huiyi; Guo, Aitao; Duan, Weidong

2014-11-26

Patients with congenital absence of the portal vein (CAPV) often suffer from additional medical complications such as hepatic tumors and cardiac malformations. Congenital absence of the portal vein (CAPV) is a rare malformation. We present a case of a 16-year-old Chinese girl with CAPV with multiple pathology-proven hepatic focal nodular hyperplasias (FNHs) and ventricular septal defect (VSD). The CT and MRI features of this case are described, and previously reported cases are reviewed. CAPV is a rare congenital anomaly and in such patients, clarifying the site of portosystemic shunts, liver disease, and other anomalies is critical for appropriate treatment selection and accurate prognosis determination. Close follow-up, including laboratory testing and radiologic imaging, is recommended for all CAPV patients.

Do Village Girls Gain Empowering Capabilities through Schooling and What Functionings Do They Value?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seeberg, Vilma; Luo, Shujuan

2012-01-01

This paper explores the relationship between girls' schooling and empowerment in western China in the first decade of the 21st century. This paper adopted a capability-empowerment framework based on Sen's capability approach into which were integrated concepts by Bourdieu, Appadurai, Nussbaum, Kabeer, and Unterhalter, to help to understand the…

Examining Means of Reaching Adolescent Girls for Iron Supplementation in Tigray, Northern Ethiopia

PubMed Central

Mulugeta, Afework; Tessema, Masresha; H/sellasie, Kiday; Seid, Omer; Kidane, Gebremedhin; Kebede, Aweke

2015-01-01

Background: Iron deficiency is the most prevalent nutritional deficiency in adolescent girls from the developing world. One of the recommended interventions to improve iron status in adolescent girls is iron supplementation. Yet the provision of iron supplements to adolescent girls proved to be a challenging task for the health systems across the developing world. Objective: The objective of the study was to examine means of reaching adolescent girls for iron supplementation in Northern Ethiopia. Methodology: Analytical cross-sectional study consisting of both quantitative and qualitative approaches to data collection and analysis was used in this study. Stratified multi-stage systematic random sampling technique was adopted and primary quantitative data were collected from 828 (578 school attending and 250 non school attending) adolescent girls recruited from nine districts of Tigray. The primary quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS version 20 software. The qualitative data collected through key informant interviews and focus group discussions were transcribed verbatim and qualitatively analyzed. Results: The mean (SD) age of the girls was 16.7 (1.4) years. Four hundred forty seven (54%), 355 (42.9%) and 26 (3.1%) of the adolescent girls had low, medium and high diet diversity scores, respectively. More than half, 467 (56%), of the adolescent girls believed that adolescent girls were overloaded with household jobs everyday compared to boys from their respective communities. Key informants said that, there is no adolescent nutrition message promoted in the study area. Low community awareness, perceiving iron tablet as a contraceptive, religious and cultural influences, and lack of confidence in supplementation value of iron tablets, are some of the potential barriers mentioned by the key informant and focus group discussion participants. Schools (45%), health centers (27%) and health posts (26%) were the preferred public facilities for provision of iron

Examining Means of Reaching Adolescent Girls for Iron Supplementation in Tigray, Northern Ethiopia.

PubMed

Mulugeta, Afework; Tessema, Masresha; H/Sellasie, Kiday; Seid, Omer; Kidane, Gebremedhin; Kebede, Aweke

2015-11-02

Iron deficiency is the most prevalent nutritional deficiency in adolescent girls from the developing world. One of the recommended interventions to improve iron status in adolescent girls is iron supplementation. Yet the provision of iron supplements to adolescent girls proved to be a challenging task for the health systems across the developing world. The objective of the study was to examine means of reaching adolescent girls for iron supplementation in Northern Ethiopia. Analytical cross-sectional study consisting of both quantitative and qualitative approaches to data collection and analysis was used in this study. Stratified multi-stage systematic random sampling technique was adopted and primary quantitative data were collected from 828 (578 school attending and 250 non school attending) adolescent girls recruited from nine districts of Tigray. The primary quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS version 20 software. The qualitative data collected through key informant interviews and focus group discussions were transcribed verbatim and qualitatively analyzed. The mean (SD) age of the girls was 16.7 (1.4) years. Four hundred forty seven (54%), 355 (42.9%) and 26 (3.1%) of the adolescent girls had low, medium and high diet diversity scores, respectively. More than half, 467 (56%), of the adolescent girls believed that adolescent girls were overloaded with household jobs everyday compared to boys from their respective communities. Key informants said that, there is no adolescent nutrition message promoted in the study area. Low community awareness, perceiving iron tablet as a contraceptive, religious and cultural influences, and lack of confidence in supplementation value of iron tablets, are some of the potential barriers mentioned by the key informant and focus group discussion participants. Schools (45%), health centers (27%) and health posts (26%) were the preferred public facilities for provision of iron supplements to student adolescent girls whereas

Resilient Girls--Factors That Protect against Delinquency. Girls Study Group

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hawkins, Stephanie R.; Graham, Phillip W.; Williams, Jason; Zahn, Margaret A.

2009-01-01

According to data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, from 1991 to 2000, arrests of girls increased more (or decreased less) than arrests of boys for most types of offenses. By 2004, girls accounted for 30 percent of all juvenile arrests. However, questions remain about whether these trends reflect an actual increase in girls' delinquency or…

Knee arthroscopy in Chinese children and adolescents: an eight-year prospective study.

PubMed

Maffulli, N; Chan, K M; Bundoc, R C; Cheng, J C

1997-02-01

In the period January 1985 to December 1992, 69 Chinese boys and 20 Chinese girls (average 14.6 years, age range 6 to 16 years) with a total of 92 involved knees underwent examination under anaesthesia and knee arthroscopy. Two thirds of the patients were engaged in sports activities. A haemarthrosis was present in 51 patients. In one patient, Staphylococcus aureus was shown, and in two children a serous-purulent aspirate grew Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The lateral meniscus was torn in four knees and the medial meniscus in six. An intact discoid lateral meniscus was found in five girls. Three partial anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears, three complete ACL tears and two posterior cruciate ligament tears were diagnosed. One child had an osteochondral defect of the lateral femoral condyle accompanying an ACL and a lateral meniscal tear. Nonspecific synovitis of unknown etiology was diagnosed in six patients who had presented subacutely with at least a 2-month history of a symptomatic monoarticular knee effusion with low grade local inflammation and no history of major trauma. The synovitis gradually resolved over a 6- to 10-month period after arthroscopy. Knee arthroscopy in children and adolescent patients is safe, gives a high diagnostic accuracy, and allows treatment of a variety of intraarticular conditions. This study also demonstrates that the range of intraarticular knee problems found in Chinese children and adolescents differs from that described in their Western counterparts.

Relations between Popularity and Prosocial Behavior in Middle School and High School Chinese Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lu, Ting; Li, Ling; Niu, Li; Jin, Shenghua; French, Doran C.

2018-01-01

The concurrent and longitudinal associations between popularity, likeability, and prosocial behavior were evaluated in this three-year study of middle school and high school Chinese adolescents. The initial sample included 766 middle school (mean age = 13.3 years) and 668 high school participants (mean age = 16.6 years); there were 880 (399 girls)…

Girl Talk: A Smartphone Application to Teach Sexual Health Education to Adolescent Girls

PubMed Central

Brayboy, Lynae M.; Schultz, Lucy; Landgren Mills, Benedict S.; Spencer, Noelle; Sepolen, Alexandra; Mezoian, Taylor; Wheeler, Carol; Clark, Melissa A.

2017-01-01

Study Objective Produce Girl Talk, a free smartphone application containing comprehensive sexual health information, and determine the application’s desirability and appeal among teenage girls. Design, Setting and Participants 39 girls ages 12–17 from Rhode Island participated in a two-phase prospective study. In Phase I, 22 girls assessed a sexual health questionnaire in focus groups. In Phase 2, 17 girls with iPhones® used Girl Talk for two weeks and answered the revised sexual health questionnaire and interview questions before and after use. Main Outcome Measures Participants’ responses to the sexual health questionnaire, interviews and time viewing the application were used to determine feasibility and desirability of Girl Talk. Results Girl Talk was used on average for 48 minutes during participants’ free time on weekends for 10–15 minute intervals. Reported usefulness of Girl Talk as a sexual health application increased significantly from baseline to follow-up (35.3% vs. 94.1%; p < .001). Knowledge improved most in topics related to Anatomy and Physiology (4.2%), Sexuality and Relationships (3.5%) and STI Prevention (3.4%). Most participants (76.5%) were exposed to sexual health education prior to using Girl Talk, but 94.1% of participants stated that the application provided new and/or more detailed information than health classes. Conclusion Girl Talk can potentially connect teenage girls to more information about sexual health versus traditional methods, and participants recommended the application as a valuable resource to learn about comprehensive sexual health. PMID:27393638

Recreational screen-time among Chinese adolescents: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Jiang, Xiao-Xiao; Hardy, Louise L; Ding, Ding; Baur, Louise A; Shi, Hui-Jing

2014-01-01

Rapid urbanization in China has led to a proliferation of electronic entertainment media among youth. Prolonged screen time (ST; includes watching television and playing on computers, video game consoles, or mobile phones) is linked to poor health profiles. The aim of this study was to report recreational ST behaviors and ST correlates among Chinese adolescents living in two regions with different degrees of urbanization. A cross-sectional, school-based survey (n = 3461 adolescents; aged 12-14 years old) living in inner-city Shanghai and a peri-urban region of Hangzhou. Students completed a questionnaire including family characteristics, daily ST, and information on family environment related to screen use. Recreational ST was categorized into two groups according to recommendations by the American Academy of Pediatrics (< or ≥2 h/day). Parents reported their own ST and also reported educational attainment as a proxy for socioeconomic status. ST was higher among boys than girls and on weekends than weekdays. Peri-urban girls were more likely to exceed 2 h/day ST compared to inner-city girls on weekends. Having a father with no university degree, mother's TV viewing ≥2 h/day, no ST rules at home, and eating meals in front of the TV were associated with higher ST on both weekdays and weekends, and regional differences were found for weekend ST. TV viewing and playing on the computer were the most prevalent ST behaviors among Chinese adolescents. Mobile phone playing was less prevalent but persistent throughout the week. More population-level surveillance and research is needed to monitor the trends in ST behaviors and to better understand the characteristics of those who are at risk.

A longitudinal analysis of the impact of childhood stress on weight status among Chinese youth.

PubMed

Tanenbaum, H C; Li, Y; Felicitas-Perkins, J Q; Zhang, M; Palmer, P; Johnson, C A; Xie, B

2017-05-01

Limited research has explored longitudinal impact of stress on negative health outcomes, including overweight and obesity in Asian societies. Using data from a longitudinal school-based health promotion study conducted in Wuhan, China from 1999 to 2004, this study investigated the longitudinal effects of childhood stress exposure, including stressors related to school, family, peers, violence and health on overweight, and obesity risk during the transition to adolescence among 2179 Chinese adolescents. Results showed that health stressors were consistently related to higher BMI Z score for both boys and girls baseline, it also predicted higher likelihood of overweight status over time for girls. This finding highlights a particularly challenging time period for girls, suggesting a particular challenging time they face at the intersection of puberty and demanding school environment.

Comparing Neuropsychological Profiles between Girls with Asperger's Disorder and Girls with Learning Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McKnight, Megan E.; Culotta, Vincent P.

2012-01-01

Research examining neuropsychological profiles of girls with Asperger's disorder (AD) is sparse. In this study, we sought to characterize neurocognitive profiles of girls with AD compared to girls with learning disabilities (LD). Two groups of school-age girls referred for neuropsychological assessment participated in the study. A total of 23…

A 6-year Longitudinal Study of Self-harm and Suicidal Behaviors among Chinese Adolescents in Hong Kong.

PubMed

Law, Ben M F; Shek, Daniel T L

2016-02-01

To examine the trajectories of self-harm and suicidal behaviors among Chinese adolescents in Hong Kong and to investigate the related predictors, including gender, family nonintactness, economic disadvantage, positive youth development, and family functioning. We used quantitative data from a large sample of adolescent participants. Participants initially joined this study when they were in grade 7 (wave 1), and they were followed from grade 8 (wave 2) to grade 12 (wave 6). The participants consisted of 2023 grade 12 students from 28 secondary schools in Hong Kong. A multistage cluster random sampling method was adopted. Self-harm and suicidal behaviors. The trajectories of self-harm and suicidal behaviors in general declined from grade 7 to grade 12. Regarding the effect of gender, whereas adolescent girls showed a higher prevalence for self-harm and suicidal behaviors at baseline and other waves, adolescent boys showed a pronounced decline in self-harm rates. Adolescents from nonintact families were more likely to self-harm or engage in suicidal behaviors at wave 6. Economic disadvantage at wave 4 predicted higher suicidal behavior among adolescents but not self-harm at wave 6. Regarding positive youth development, several protective factors that include cognitive-behavioral competencies, prosocial attributes, general positive youth development qualities, and positive identity could help reduce self-harm and suicidal behaviors at different time points. Regarding the role of family functioning, more family conflicts predicted higher suicidality in adolescence (self-harm and suicidal behaviors), and family communication affected self-harming behaviors at wave 6. The trajectories of self-harm and suicidal behaviors decline from early to late adolescence among Chinese adolescents. Positive youth development and constructive family functioning are critical to help reduce suicidal behaviors. Regarding increased risk, more attention should be paid to adolescent girls

Have Chinese water pricing reforms reduced urban residential water demand?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, B.; Fang, K. H.; Baerenklau, K. A.

2017-06-01

China continues to deal with severe levels of water scarcity and water pollution. To help address this situation, the Chinese central government initiated urban water pricing reforms in 2002 that emphasized the adoption of increasing block rate (IBR) price structures in place of existing uniform rate structures. By combining urban water use records with microlevel data from the Chinese Urban Household Survey, this research investigates the effectiveness of this national policy reform. Specifically, we compare household water consumption in 28 cities that adopted IBR pricing structures during 2002-2009, with that of 110 cities that had not yet done so. Based on difference-in-differences models, our results show that the policy reform reduced annual residential water demand by 3-4% in the short run and 5% in the longer run. These relatively modest reductions are consistent with the generous nature of the IBR pricing structures that Chinese cities have typically chosen to implement. Our results imply that more efforts are needed to address China's persistent urban water scarcity challenges.

Girl Talk: A Smartphone Application to Teach Sexual Health Education to Adolescent Girls.

PubMed

Brayboy, Lynae M; Sepolen, Alexandra; Mezoian, Taylor; Schultz, Lucy; Landgren-Mills, Benedict S; Spencer, Noelle; Wheeler, Carol; Clark, Melissa A

2017-02-01

Produce Girl Talk, a free smartphone application containing comprehensive sexual health information, and determine the application's desirability and appeal among teenage girls. Thirty-nine girls ages 12 to 17 years from Rhode Island participated in a 2-phase prospective study. In phase I, 22 girls assessed a sexual health questionnaire in focus groups. In phase II, 17 girls with iPhones used Girl Talk for 2 weeks and answered the revised sexual health questionnaire and interview questions before and after use. Participants' responses to the sexual health questionnaire, interviews, and time viewing the application were used to determine feasibility and desirability of Girl Talk. Girl Talk was used on average for 48 minutes during participants' free time on weekends for 10- to 15-minute intervals. Reported usefulness of Girl Talk as a sexual health application from baseline (6 participants) to follow-up (16 participants) increased significantly (35.3% vs 94.1%; P < .001). Knowledge improved most in topics related to anatomy and physiology (70.5% to 74.7% out of 7 questions), sexuality and relationships (76.5% to 80.0% out of 10 questions), and STI prevention (75.6% to 79.0% out of 7 questions). Most phase II participants (13 out of 17, or 76.5%) were exposed to sexual health education before using Girl Talk, but 16 out of 17 participants (94.1%) stated that the application provided new and/or more detailed information than health classes. Girl Talk can potentially connect teenage girls to more information about sexual health vs traditional methods, and participants recommended the application as a valuable resource to learn about comprehensive sexual health. Copyright © 2016 North American Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Am I too fat to be a princess? Examining the effects of popular children's media on young girls' body image.

PubMed

Hayes, Sharon; Tantleff-Dunn, Stacey

2010-06-01

The current study investigated the effects of brief exposure to appearance-related media on young girls' body image. One hundred and twenty-one girls aged 3-6 years old participated. Results indicated that exposure did not affect body dissatisfaction or engagement in appearance-related play behaviours. This is the first empirical study to provide support for previous findings that suggest media exposure does not affect body image in young girls. In contrast to older populations, it is possible that young children may adopt the persona of attractive characters with whom they identify rather than comparing themselves to the characters. Although nearly all girls liked the way they looked, self-report data indicated that nearly one-third of the participants would change something about their physical appearance and nearly half of the girls worried about being fat. Exposure to appearance-related media did not exacerbate concerns.

Educating girls.

PubMed

Bellew, R; Raney, L; Subbarao, K

1992-03-01

20 years of research has established that the economic and social benefits of women's primary and secondary schooling are far reaching. The more educated a population's women are, the fewer children they have, and the ones they do have are healthier. However, social tradition and other economic considerations often force families to exclude young girls from education in favor of boys. The safety of young girls is one consideration as well as their value as household labor. There is also a false impression that the good of the community is served if boys are educated, but not so the same for girls. Evidence has been complied to show that in populations where women are more educated, the level of poverty is lower. Because society gains by educating its girls, how can governments change the traditions that have educating its girls, how can governments change the traditions that have previously kept girls under educated? The government of Bangladesh and Guatemala have been very successful with scholarship programs at the primary and secondary level. In Bangladesh the enrollment of females in secondary school almost doubled. The program is also credited with increasing attendance of primary schools, increasing labor force participation, postponing the age of marriage and reducing fertility. Between 1972-80 there were 105 Bank assisted primary and secondary school programs. Of these 20% identified the presence of genderissues, but only 10% included significant actions to improve females enrollment. Between 1981-1991 about half of the Bank assisted programs identified the presence of gender issues, and a quarter included significant actions to improve female enrollment.

Quality of reporting of trial abstracts needs to be improved: using the CONSORT for abstracts to assess the four leading Chinese medical journals of traditional Chinese medicine.

PubMed

Wang, Ling; Li, Yulin; Li, Jing; Zhang, Mingming; Xu, Lin; Yuan, Wenming; Wang, Gang; Hopewell, Sally

2010-07-08

Due to language limitations, the abstract of journal article may be the only way for people of non-Chinese speaking countries to know about trials in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). However, little is known about the reporting quality of these trial abstracts. Our study is to assess the reporting quality of abstracts of randomized controlled trials (RCT) published in four leading Chinese medical journals of TCM, and to identify any differences in reporting between the Chinese and English version of the same abstract publication. Two reviewers hand-searched the Chinese Journal of Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine, the Chinese Journal of Integrative Medicine, the China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica and the Chinese Acupuncture & Moxibustion for all abstracts of RCTs published between 2006 and 2007. Two reviewers independently assessed the reporting quality of the Chinese and English version of all eligible abstracts based on a modified version of the CONSORT for reporting randomised trials in journal and conference abstracts (CONSORT for abstracts). We identified a total of 345 RCTs of TCM with both a Chinese and English abstract. More than half of Chinese abstracts reported details of the trial participants (68%; 234/345), control group intervention (52%; 179/345), the number of participants randomized (73%; 253/345) and benefits when interpreting the trial results (55%; 190/345). Reporting of methodological quality or key features of trial design and trial results were poor; only 2% (7/345) included details of the trial design, 3% (11/345) defined the primary outcome, 5% (17/345) described the methods of random sequence generation, and only 4% (13/345) reported the number of participants analyzed. No abstracts provided details on allocation concealment and trial registration. The percentage agreement in reporting (between the Chinese and English version of the same abstract) ranged from 84% to 100% across individual checklist item. The reporting

Quality of reporting of trial abstracts needs to be improved: using the CONSORT for abstracts to assess the four leading Chinese medical journals of traditional Chinese medicine

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Due to language limitations, the abstract of journal article may be the only way for people of non-Chinese speaking countries to know about trials in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). However, little is known about the reporting quality of these trial abstracts. Our study is to assess the reporting quality of abstracts of randomized controlled trials (RCT) published in four leading Chinese medical journals of TCM, and to identify any differences in reporting between the Chinese and English version of the same abstract publication. Method Two reviewers hand-searched the Chinese Journal of Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine, the Chinese Journal of Integrative Medicine, the China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica and the Chinese Acupuncture & Moxibustion for all abstracts of RCTs published between 2006 and 2007. Two reviewers independently assessed the reporting quality of the Chinese and English version of all eligible abstracts based on a modified version of the CONSORT for reporting randomised trials in journal and conference abstracts (CONSORT for abstracts). Results We identified a total of 345 RCTs of TCM with both a Chinese and English abstract. More than half of Chinese abstracts reported details of the trial participants (68%; 234/345), control group intervention (52%; 179/345), the number of participants randomized (73%; 253/345) and benefits when interpreting the trial results (55%; 190/345). Reporting of methodological quality or key features of trial design and trial results were poor; only 2% (7/345) included details of the trial design, 3% (11/345) defined the primary outcome, 5% (17/345) described the methods of random sequence generation, and only 4% (13/345) reported the number of participants analyzed. No abstracts provided details on allocation concealment and trial registration. The percentage agreement in reporting (between the Chinese and English version of the same abstract) ranged from 84% to 100% across individual

[Analysis on traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions treating cancer based on traditional Chinese medicine inheritance assistance system and discovery of new prescriptions].

PubMed

Yu, Ming; Cao, Qi-chen; Su, Yu-xi; Sui, Xin; Yang, Hong-jun; Huang, Lu-qi; Wang, Wen-ping

2015-08-01

Malignant tumor is one of the main causes for death in the world at present as well as a major disease seriously harming human health and life and restricting the social and economic development. There are many kinds of reports about traditional Chinese medicine patent prescriptions, empirical prescriptions and self-made prescriptions treating cancer, and prescription rules were often analyzed based on medication frequency. Such methods were applicable for discovering dominant experience but hard to have an innovative discovery and knowledge. In this paper, based on the traditional Chinese medicine inheritance assistance system, the software integration of mutual information improvement method, complex system entropy clustering and unsupervised entropy-level clustering data mining methods was adopted to analyze the rules of traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions for cancer. Totally 114 prescriptions were selected, the frequency of herbs in prescription was determined, and 85 core combinations and 13 new prescriptions were indentified. The traditional Chinese medicine inheritance assistance system, as a valuable traditional Chinese medicine research-supporting tool, can be used to record, manage, inquire and analyze prescription data.

Frontal facial proportions of 12-year-old southern Chinese: a photogrammetric study.

PubMed

Yeung, Charles Yat Cheong; McGrath, Colman Patrick; Wong, Ricky Wing Kit; Hägg, Erik Urban Oskar; Lo, John; Yang, Yanqi

2015-08-14

This study aimed to establish norm values for facial proportion indices among 12-year-old southern Chinese children, to determine lower facial proportion, and to identify gender differences in facial proportions.A random population sample of 514 children was recruited. Fifteen facial landmarks were plotted with ImageJ (V1.45) on standardized photos and 22 Facial proportion index values were obtained. Gender differences were analyzed by 2-sample t-test with 95% confidence interval. Repeated measurements were conducted on approximately 10% of the cases.The rate of adopted subjects was 52.5% (270/514). Intraclass correlation coefficient values (ICC) for intra- examiner reliability were >0.87. Population facial proportion index values were derived. Gender differences in 11 of the facial proportion indices were evident (P < 0.05).Upper face-face height (N- Sto/ N- Gn), vermilion height (Ls-Sto/Sto-Li), upper face height-biocular width (N-Sto/ExR-ExL) and nose -face height (N-Sn/N-Gn) indices were found to be larger among girls (P < 0.01). Males had larger lower face-face height (Sn -Gn/ N-Gn), mandibulo-face height (Sto-Gn/N-Gn), mandibulo-upper face height (Sto-Gn/N-Sto), nasal (AlR-AlL/N-Sn), upper lip height-mouth width (Sn-Sto/ChR-ChL), upper lip-upper face height (Sn-Sto/N-Sto) and upper lip-nose height (Sn-Sto/N-Sn) indices (P < 0.05).Population norm of facial proportion indices for 12-year-old Southern Chinese were derived and mean lower facial proportion were obtained. Sexual dimorphism is apparent.

Longitudinal Changes in Beliefs by Stage of Physical Activity Adoption in Iranian Girls

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taymoori, Parvaneh; Berry, Tanya R.

2015-01-01

Background: The aims of this study were to examine the relationships among physical activity (PA)-related beliefs and to determine to what extent Iranian adolescents in different stages of PA adoption differ in perceived benefits and barriers during a 3-year transition from junior high school to high school. Methods: Data were collected from…

A longitudinal investigation of children internationally adopted at school age.

PubMed

Helder, Emily J; Mulder, Elizabeth; Gunnoe, Marjorie Linder

2016-01-01

Most existing research on children adopted internationally has focused on those adopted as infants and toddlers. The current study longitudinally tracked several outcomes, including cognitive, behavioral, emotional, attachment, and family functioning, in 25 children who had been internationally adopted at school age (M = 7.7 years old at adoption, SD = 3.4, range = 4–15 years). We examined the incidence of clinically significant impairments, significant change in outcomes over the three study points, and variables that predicted outcomes over time. Clinically significant impairments in sustained attention, full-scale intelligence, reading, language, executive functioning, externalizing problems, and parenting stress were common, with language and executive functioning impairments present at higher levels in the current study compared with past research focusing on children adopted as infants and toddlers. Over the three study points, significant improvements across most cognitive areas and attachment functioning were observed, though significant worsening in executive functioning and internalizing problems was present. Adoptive family-specific variables, such as greater maternal education, smaller family size, a parenting approach that encouraged age-expected behaviors, home schooling, and being the sole adopted child in the family were associated with greater improvement across several cognitive outcomes. In contrast, decreased parenting stress was predicted by having multiple adopted children and smaller family sizes were associated with greater difficulties with executive functioning. Child-specific variables were also linked to outcomes, with girls displaying worse attachment and poorer cognitive performance and with less time in orphanage care resulting in greater adoption success. Implications for future research and clinical applications are discussed.

The Role of Women in Chinese Society.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Biaggio, Mary Kay

Historically, men's and women's roles in China have been highly structured. The People's Republic of China has stressed the importance of women overcoming historical oppression and has adopted policies aimed at emancipating women. When the Chinese Communist Party took control of China in 1949, the new government clearly stated the importance of…

Do internationally adopted children in the Netherlands use more medication than their non-adopted peers?

PubMed

van Ginkel, Joost R; Juffer, Femmie; Bakermans-Kranenburg, Marian J; van IJzendoorn, Marinus H

2016-05-01

Empirical evidence has shown that international adoptees present physical growth delays, precocious puberty, behavioral problems, and mental health referrals more often than non-adoptees. We hypothesized that the higher prevalence of (mental) health problems in adoptees is accompanied by elevated consumption of prescription drugs, including antidepressants, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medication, and medication for growth inhibition/stimulation. In an archival, population-based Dutch cohort study, data on medication use were available from the Health Care Insurance Board by Statistics Netherlands from 2006 to 2011. The Dutch population born between 1994 and 2005 and alive during the period of measurement was included (2,360,450 including 10,602 international adoptees, of which 4447 from China). Their mean age was 6.5 years at start (range 1-12 years) and 11.5 years at the end of the measurement period (range 6-17 years). Chinese female adoptees used less medication for precocious puberty (as treatment for precocious puberty; odds ratio (OR) = 0.57, effect size Cohen's d = -0.31) and contraception (OR = 0.65, d = -0.24) than non-adoptees. For both males and females, non-Chinese adoptees used more medication for ADHD than non-adoptees (males: OR = 1.22, females: OR = 1.32), but the effect was small (males: d = 0.11, females: d = 0.15). Adoptees in the Netherlands generally do not use more medication than their non-adopted peers. • Meta-analytical evidence shows that international adoptees present physical growth delays and mental health referrals more often than non-adopted controls. • With the exception of one Swedish study on ADHD medication, there is no other systematic research on medication use of international adoptees. What is New: • All differences in medication use between international adoptees in the Netherlands and non-adopted controls were below the threshold of a small effect with the exception

Perspectives of best Practices for Learning Gender-Inclusive Science: Influences of Extracurricular Science for Gifted Girls and Electrical Engineering for Women

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wood, Shaunda L.

Gifted girls in elementary school must follow the set curriculum, but their choices of extracurricular activities may indicate future subject preferences. This study attempted to explore the perceptions of gifted girls regarding how the family, home, and school environments influenced their choices to take extracurricular science classes. A mixed methodology was adopted: qualitative, to understand the girls' perceptions of influence, and quantitative, to measure their attitudes toward science. Influential factors identified in this study highlight fun as occurring with the highest frequency and four emergent factors: doubt, traditional sex roles, boredom, and group work. In addition, findings from a focused case study of a graduate electrical engineer are interwoven with the girls' perspectives of science. The varying ages and experiences with science of the participants provide interesting views. This study adds knowledge to the field of science education, specifically on withingender differences of gifted girls and women in engineering.

Child and family-related predictors of psychological outcomes in children adopted from abroad; what is the role of caregiver time?

PubMed

Rita, Niina; Elovainio, Marko; Raaska, Hanna; Lahti-Nuuttila, Pekka; Matomäki, Jaakko; Sinkkonen, Jari; Lapinleimu, Helena

2017-08-01

International adoptees need to cope with stressful transitions and to develop secure attachment with their caregivers at the same time. Although most children adopted from abroad adjust fine, they are at increased risk of psychological problems. We investigated whether both child and family-related factors are associated with later psychological problems and whether the length of time spent at home after adoption before daycare moderates these associations among internationally adopted children in Finland (FinAdo, Finnish Adoption Study). The sample consisted of 1,265 children (708 girls, 557 boys) who arrived in Finland before they started school (mean age 2 years at arrival). Later behavioral problems were measured using the Child Behavior Check List (CBCL). According to our results, male gender, older age, child's early clinical symptoms (problems of sensory processing) and single parenthood were associated with later behavioral problems measured by CBCL scores. Longer stay at home before the start of daycare or school modified these results. Longer stay at home was associated with less later behavioral externalizing problems in girls but not in boys compared to those who spent a shorter time at home. © 2017 Scandinavian Psychological Associations and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Intrinsic Motivation of Chinese Learning in Predicting Online Learning Self-Efficacy and Flow Experience Relevant to Students' Learning Progress

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hong, Jon-Chao; Hwang, Ming-Yueh; Tai, Kai-Hsin; Lin, Pei-Hsin

2017-01-01

Students of Southeast Asian Heritage Learning Chinese (SSAHLC) in Taiwan have frequently demonstrated difficulty with traditional Chinese (a graphical character) radical recognition due to their limited exposure to the written language form since childhood. In this study, we designed a Chinese radical learning game (CRLG), which adopted a drill…

Recreational Screen-Time Among Chinese Adolescents: A Cross-Sectional Study

PubMed Central

Jiang, Xiao-Xiao; Hardy, Louise L.; Ding, Ding; Baur, Louise A.; Shi, Hui-Jing

2014-01-01

Background Rapid urbanization in China has led to a proliferation of electronic entertainment media among youth. Prolonged screen time (ST; includes watching television and playing on computers, video game consoles, or mobile phones) is linked to poor health profiles. The aim of this study was to report recreational ST behaviors and ST correlates among Chinese adolescents living in two regions with different degrees of urbanization. Methods A cross-sectional, school-based survey (n = 3461 adolescents; aged 12–14 years old) living in inner-city Shanghai and a peri-urban region of Hangzhou. Students completed a questionnaire including family characteristics, daily ST, and information on family environment related to screen use. Recreational ST was categorized into two groups according to recommendations by the American Academy of Pediatrics (< or ≥2 h/day). Parents reported their own ST and also reported educational attainment as a proxy for socioeconomic status. Results ST was higher among boys than girls and on weekends than weekdays. Peri-urban girls were more likely to exceed 2 h/day ST compared to inner-city girls on weekends. Having a father with no university degree, mother’s TV viewing ≥2 h/day, no ST rules at home, and eating meals in front of the TV were associated with higher ST on both weekdays and weekends, and regional differences were found for weekend ST. Conclusions TV viewing and playing on the computer were the most prevalent ST behaviors among Chinese adolescents. Mobile phone playing was less prevalent but persistent throughout the week. More population-level surveillance and research is needed to monitor the trends in ST behaviors and to better understand the characteristics of those who are at risk. PMID:24930472

The Integration of Quality-Oriented Education and Instrument-Driven Training in Chinese College English Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jian, Shi

2013-01-01

College English Teaching (CET) plays an important and basic part in the whole college education system in China and whether it should adopt the quality-centered education or tool-oriented training remains controversial in current Chinese CET practices. After comparing several basic concepts and analyzing the existing problems in Chinese practical…

Understanding trends in blood pressure and their associations with body mass index in Chinese children, from 1985 to 2010: a cross-sectional observational study.

PubMed

Dong, Bin; Wang, Zhiqiang; Song, Yi; Wang, Hai-Jun; Ma, Jun

2015-09-11

Understanding trends in blood pressure (BP) in childhood is crucial to addressing and reducing the burden of adulthood hypertension and associated mortality in the future. In view of growing obesity in Chinese children, we sought to investigate the trends in BP and the influence of body mass index (BMI) on them. We included 1,010,153 children aged 8-17 years, with completed records from a large national successive cross-sectional survey, the Chinese National Survey on Students' Constitution and Health, between 1985 and 2010. BP was measured according to the recommendation of the National High Blood Pressure Education Program Working Group, and the elevated BP was based on sex-, age- and height-specific 95th centile of the recommendation. The adjusted mean systolic BP in boys and girls decreased by 3.9 and 5.6 mm Hg between 1985 and 2005, and increased by 1.3 and 1.0 mm Hg between 2005 and 2010, respectively. Corresponding adjusted prevalence of elevated systolic BP in boys and girls declined from 5.1% and 5.5% to 3.5% and 2.5% between 1985 and 2005, and increased to 4.9% and 3.5% in 2010, respectively. Adjusted mean BMI of boys and girls in 2010 was 2.0 and 1.2 kg/m(2) higher than those in 1985, respectively. The prevalence of obesity rose from 0% to 3.4% in boys and 0.9% in girls. Further adjusting for BMI did not change these trends in systolic BP. A similar pattern was also observed in diastolic BP. After declining for 20 years, BP levels in Chinese children started to climb upwards. These trends in BP cannot be fully explained by BMI. The investigation of other determinants of BP may provide additional opportunity to curb the current upward BP trend in Chinese children. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Planning, Supervision and Quality of Instructional Leadership of Girls' Day Secondary Schools in Kaduna State, Nigeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duruh, Benjamin C.

2018-01-01

This study investigated the Planning, Supervision and Quality of Instructional Leadership of Girls' Day Secondary Schools in Kaduna State. The research design adopted was a survey design. The independent variables were the respondents which include principals, teachers, students, parents and government officials while dependent variable includes…

The social ecology of girls' bullying practices: exploratory research in two London schools.

PubMed

Jamal, Farah; Bonell, Chris; Harden, Angela; Lorenc, Theo

2015-06-01

This exploratory study adopts a socio-ecological approach to examine the context of school bullying. It asks: (1) what are students' accounts of bullying practices?; (2) how are these enabled and constrained by the school-environment?; (3) how is gender implicated? Qualitative data were collected from girls in two schools in London via focus groups (one in each school; students aged 12-15) and seven semi-structured interviews (in one school; students aged 16-18); and from school policy documents. Our interpretation of girls' accounts, informed by Giddens' structuration theory, suggests that bullying practices were spatially patterned in the schools and often characterised by the regulation of girls' sexuality and sexual-harassment. Repeated acts of aggression were fluid with regard to the bully and victim role, challenging the dominant view of bullying as characterised by consistent disparities in power between individuals. Schools structured bullying behaviour via policies and practices that ignored these forms of abuse and which focused on and may have been complicit in the making of stable 'bully' and 'victim' roles, thus indirectly contributing to the reproduction of unhealthy relationships between students. In terms of gender, traditional gendered and sexual discourses appear to structure the identities of the schools and girls in our study. © 2015 Foundation for the Sociology of Health & Illness.

Chinese American family food systems: impact of Western influences.

PubMed

Lv, Nan; Brown, J Lynne

2010-01-01

To investigate the family food system in first-generation Chinese American families. Qualitative interviews using reciprocal determinism constructs to understand influences on food choices. Weekend Chinese schools in Pennsylvania. Twenty couples with at least 1 child aged 5 or older enrolled in a Chinese school in 1 of 3 sites in Pennsylvania. Factors influencing adoption of Western food. Thematic analysis with constant comparison of interview transcripts and descriptive statistics of demographic data. Families were divided into "modified" and "traditional" patterns based on degree of parental retention of the Chinese dinner pattern. Many Chinese American families consumed convenient American food at breakfast, whereas they ate mainly Chinese food for lunch and dinner. Most parents reported their children were picky eaters and learned to prefer Western food to traditional Chinese food in institutional settings. Conflicts arose with children's requests for Western food disliked by their parents. Parents were especially frustrated about their children's refusal to eat vegetables. Most struggled to control children's food choices with inconsistent rules and inequitable rule enforcement at dinner. The father's view of the importance of the Chinese dinner pattern had the most impact on its retention in the face of children's demands. Chinese American parents established rules backed by parental power to maintain a Chinese meal pattern. They appear to need guidance to identify healthful Western food items that satisfy children's preferences while preserving their vegetable intake. Copyright 2010 Society for Nutrition Education. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cultural Orientation as a Moderator of the Relationship Between Chinese American Adolescents’ Discrimination Experiences and Delinquent Behaviors

PubMed Central

Deng, Shiying; Vaughan, Phillip W.; Li, Jing

2009-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among Chinese American adolescents’ discrimination experiences, cultural orientations, and delinquent behaviors. Data were collected from three hundred and eleven Chinese American adolescents (58% girls) and their parents when the adolescents were 7th or 8th graders and again 4 years later. The data analyses demonstrated that adolescents’ perceptions of discrimination and victimization experiences were significantly related to their delinquent behaviors conditionally based upon their cultural orientation. Specifically, adolescents’ high Chinese cultural orientation amplified the negative impact of discriminatory experiences on delinquent behaviors whereas high Western cultural orientation protected them against that impact. The significance of both ethnic and mainstream cultural orientations for understanding ethnic minority adolescents’ adjustment and improving their adjustment outcomes is discussed. PMID:19834795

Understanding Girls' Friendships, Fights and Feuds: A Practical Approach to Girls' Bullying

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Besag, Valerie

2006-01-01

Girls' bullying is more subtle and less physical than that perpetrated by boys; however, it can be just as powerful, and the emotional repercussions of bullying among girls can be more destructive and longer lasting than the effects of more obvious forms of bullying. Teachers report that quarrels between girls are far more time-consuming and…

Girl child and family in Maharashtra.

PubMed

Pandey, D

1995-01-01

This article discusses the problems of the girl child at the family level in India. Analysis is based on a field study in Maharashtra state and other studies included in a government report on the "Girl Child and the Family." The family context strongly impacts child growth and development. Evidence indicates that a girl child faces discrimination and inequality. Every sixth female death is attributed to gender discrimination. Household tasks prevent girls' school enrollment. Children learn role expectations at home. Daughters are taught their duties and obligations as if they were a piece of property. 25% of the parents in the sample considered a girl's birth with indifference and unhappiness. In 11% of cases, girls were not immunized at all. Breast feeding was short. 31.8% of mothers and 25% of in-laws expected the girl's birth to be a boy. 98.2% of mothers did not rely on sex determination of the fetus. Almost 60% of households did not restrict smiling or crying among boys or girls. 70% restricted laughing loudly. 42.4% restricted only girls' laughing out loud. 17% restricted girls' smiling or crying. 46.5% restricted girls' movement to the house. 42% did not allow daughters to speak to the opposite sex. 17% restricted access to the market for daughters. Girls were encouraged to cook, stitch, and dance. 60% of girls preferred to spend time with girl friends. Boys had better access to movies. 57% of girls spent time on housework. 47% became gender aware from mass media. Most felt frightened at menstruation. 88% of girls thought that all should equally attain the same level of education. Girls received an equal share of food and health care. 87% of girls did not work for wages. Those who worked did not control their income.

A Girl Is No Girl Is a Girl_: Girls-Work after Queer Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Busche, Mart

2013-01-01

This contribution gives an overview over 40 years of girls-work in Germany. It highlights certain topics and theoretical implications and emphasises especially the realisation of queer theory and deconstructivism in the last 10 years. (Contains 4 notes.)

Sims to Teen Second Life: Transition of the SimSavvy Girls to Tech Savvy Isle

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Barbara Z.; King, Elizabeth; Hayes, Elisabeth

2008-01-01

In its second year, the Tech Savvy Girls Project adopted "Teen Second Life" as a platform for interest-driven learning and designed projects and objects around themes important to them and their futures as technology-using, creative people. By using the building tools in an open-ended virtual world, they were able to pursue interests common to…

The Role of Government Policies in the Adoption of Conservation Tillage in China: A Theoretical Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ding, Ya

2018-01-01

In recent years, many areas of China have been facing increasing problems of soil erosion and land degradation. Conservation tillage, with both economic and ecological benefits, provides a good avenue for Chinese farmers to conserve land as well as secure food production. However, the adoption rate of conservation tillage systems is very low in China. In this paper, the author constructs a theoretical model to explain a farmer’s adoption decision of conservation tillage. The goal is to investigate potential reasons behind the low adoption rate and explores alternative policy tools that can help improve a farmer’s incentive to adopt conservation tillage in China.

Formality of the Chinese collective leadership.

PubMed

Li, Haiying; Graesser, Arthur C

2016-09-01

We investigated the linguistic patterns in the discourse of four generations of the collective leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC) from 1921 to 2012. The texts of Mao Zedong, Deng Xiaoping, Jiang Zemin, and Hu Jintao were analyzed using computational linguistic techniques (a Chinese formality score) to explore the persuasive linguistic features of the leaders in the contexts of power phase, the nation's education level, power duration, and age. The study was guided by the elaboration likelihood model of persuasion, which includes a central route (represented by formal discourse) versus a peripheral route (represented by informal discourse) to persuasion. The results revealed that these leaders adopted the formal, central route more when they were in power than before they came into power. The nation's education level was a significant factor in the leaders' adoption of the persuasion strategy. The leaders' formality also decreased with their increasing age and in-power times. However, the predictability of these factors for formality had subtle differences among the different types of leaders. These results enhance our understanding of the Chinese collective leadership and the role of formality in politically persuasive messages.

Food consumption when travelling abroad: Young Chinese sojourners' food consumption in the UK.

PubMed

Yen, Dorothy Ai-Wan; Cappellini, Benedetta; Wang, Cheng Lu; Nguyen, Bang

2018-02-01

This qualitative study investigates the everyday food choices of 21 Chinese sojourners living in two different localities in the UK. Findings from a thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews reveal how participants adopt a food consumption pattern, negotiating between ordinary and extraordinary food choices, including home-made Chinese food, Chinese restaurant food, global brands, British food, to "foods of the world". Their zooming in and out of different food consumption choices reflects the transformative identity of the sojourners, between their student role during the week and becoming tourists at the weekends, meshing work and tourism during their sojourning in the UK. Theoretically this paper extends the limited understanding of sojourners, showing how their complex food choices reflect their swift transformative identity. Findings also illustrate how consumption patterns adopted by sojourners living in rural areas differ from the ones living in an urban setting. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Legislating separation and solidarity in plural societies: the Chinese in Indonesia and Malaysia.

PubMed

Hwang, Julie Chernov; Sadiq, Kamal

2010-01-01

The Chinese minority plays a dominant role in the economies of Indonesia and Malaysia, a fact that evokes indigenous resentment. However, Indonesia and Malaysia dealt differently with the issue. Malaysia legislated the Malays into the economy and protected Chinese citizenship, making them an integral part of a multicultural state. By contrast, New Order Indonesia adopted policies of economic manipulation, forced assimilation, and unequal citizenship. Only when the New Order regime fell did Chinese integration begin. The policy trajectories of Indonesia and Malaysia offer important lessons for plural states.

Imaging Girls: Visual Methodologies and Messages for Girls' Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Magno, Cathryn; Kirk, Jackie

2008-01-01

This article describes the use of visual methodologies to examine images of girls used by development agencies to portray and promote their work in girls' education, and provides a detailed discussion of three report cover images. It details the processes of methodology and tool development for the visual analysis and presents initial 'readings'…

Using self-determination theory to promote adolescent girls' physical activity: Exploring the theoretical fidelity of the Bristol Girls Dance Project.

PubMed

Sebire, Simon J; Kesten, Joanna M; Edwards, Mark J; May, Thomas; Banfield, Kathryn; Tomkinson, Keeley; Blair, Peter S; Bird, Emma L; Powell, Jane E; Jago, Russell

2016-05-01

To report the theory-based process evaluation of the Bristol Girls' Dance Project, a cluster-randomised controlled trial to increase adolescent girls' physical activity. A mixed-method process evaluation of the intervention's self-determination theory components comprising lesson observations, post-intervention interviews and focus groups. Four intervention dance lessons per dance instructor were observed, audio recorded and rated to estimate the use of need-supportive teaching strategies. Intervention participants (n = 281) reported their dance instructors' provision of autonomy-support. Semi-structured interviews with the dance instructors (n = 10) explored fidelity to the theory and focus groups were conducted with participants (n = 59) in each school to explore their receipt of the intervention and views on the dance instructors' motivating style. Although instructors accepted the theory-based approach, intervention fidelity was variable. Relatedness support was the most commonly observed need-supportive teaching behaviour, provision of structure was moderate and autonomy-support was comparatively low. The qualitative findings identified how instructors supported competence and developed trusting relationships with participants. Fidelity was challenged where autonomy provision was limited to option choices rather than input into the pace or direction of lessons and where controlling teaching styles were adopted, often to manage disruptive behaviour. The successes and challenges to achieving theoretical fidelity in the Bristol Girls' Dance Project may help explain the intervention effects and can more broadly inform the design of theory-based complex interventions aimed at increasing young people's physical activity in after-school settings.

Using self-determination theory to promote adolescent girls' physical activity: Exploring the theoretical fidelity of the Bristol Girls Dance Project

PubMed Central

Sebire, Simon J.; Kesten, Joanna M.; Edwards, Mark J.; May, Thomas; Banfield, Kathryn; Tomkinson, Keeley; Blair, Peter S.; Bird, Emma L.; Powell, Jane E.; Jago, Russell

2016-01-01

Objectives To report the theory-based process evaluation of the Bristol Girls' Dance Project, a cluster-randomised controlled trial to increase adolescent girls' physical activity. Design A mixed-method process evaluation of the intervention's self-determination theory components comprising lesson observations, post-intervention interviews and focus groups. Method Four intervention dance lessons per dance instructor were observed, audio recorded and rated to estimate the use of need-supportive teaching strategies. Intervention participants (n = 281) reported their dance instructors' provision of autonomy-support. Semi-structured interviews with the dance instructors (n = 10) explored fidelity to the theory and focus groups were conducted with participants (n = 59) in each school to explore their receipt of the intervention and views on the dance instructors' motivating style. Results Although instructors accepted the theory-based approach, intervention fidelity was variable. Relatedness support was the most commonly observed need-supportive teaching behaviour, provision of structure was moderate and autonomy-support was comparatively low. The qualitative findings identified how instructors supported competence and developed trusting relationships with participants. Fidelity was challenged where autonomy provision was limited to option choices rather than input into the pace or direction of lessons and where controlling teaching styles were adopted, often to manage disruptive behaviour. Conclusion The successes and challenges to achieving theoretical fidelity in the Bristol Girls' Dance Project may help explain the intervention effects and can more broadly inform the design of theory-based complex interventions aimed at increasing young people's physical activity in after-school settings. PMID:27175102

Prediction Equations of Energy Expenditure in Chinese Youth Based on Step Frequency during Walking and Running

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sun, Bo; Liu, Yu; Li, Jing Xian; Li, Haipeng; Chen, Peijie

2013-01-01

Purpose: This study set out to examine the relationship between step frequency and velocity to develop a step frequency-based equation to predict Chinese youth's energy expenditure (EE) during walking and running. Method: A total of 173 boys and girls aged 11 to 18 years old participated in this study. The participants walked and ran on a…

Diversity in Adoption of Linguistic Features of London English by Chinese and Bangladeshi Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pennington, Martha C.; Lau, Lawrence; Sachdev, Itesh

2011-01-01

This comparative study, conducted in multicultural London, investigates the occurrence in interviews with a researcher and in constructed same-sex peer conversations of five linguistic features characteristic of London English in the speech of two groups of British-born adolescents: ethnic Bangladeshis and ethnic Chinese of Cantonese heritage. The…

Cognitive vulnerability to depression in Canadian and Chinese adolescents.

PubMed

Auerbach, Randy P; Eberhart, Nicole K; Abela, John R Z

2010-01-01

The goal of the current study was to compare diathesis-stress and transactional models of cognitive vulnerability to depression in samples of Canadian (n = 118) and Chinese (n = 405) adolescents. We utilized a six-month multi-wave, longitudinal design in order to examine whether (a) perceived control moderated the association between the occurrence of dependent interpersonal stressors and subsequent increases in depressive symptoms (i.e., a diathesis-stress perspective) and (b) dependent interpersonal stressors mediated the association between perceived control and subsequent increases in depressive symptoms (i.e., a transactional perspective). Results from idiographic, time-lagged, hierarchical linear modeling analyses indicated that for Canadian adolescents both diathesis-stress and transactional models were significant predictors of depressive symptomology. When examining the diathesis-stress model, boys, but not girls, who reported lower perceived control, reported higher levels of depressive symptoms following the occurrence of dependent interpersonal stress. Gender differences, however, were not present in the transactional model. In contrast, transactional, but not diathesis-stress, models were significant in Chinese adolescents, and gender differences did not emerge. Overall, these results may reflect culturally-relevant differences in the etiology of depression in Canadian and Chinese adolescents.

The Emerging Chinese Institutional Architecture in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lo, William Yat Wai

2014-01-01

The article reviews the global landscape of higher education with the anticipation of an emerging Chinese institutional architecture in Asia-Pacific higher education. It starts with a theoretical framework for analyzing the functionalities of values and institutions in international higher education by adopting Joseph Nye's concept of soft power.…

The effects of a science intervention program on the attitudes and achievement of high school girls in science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Steakley, Carrie Capers

This study investigated the effects of a high school science intervention program that included hands-on activities, science-related career information and exposure, and real-world experiences on girls' attitudes and achievement in science. Eighty-four girls, 44 ninth-graders and 40 tenth-graders, and 105 parents participated in the study. Survey data was collected to assess the girls' attitudes toward science in seven distinct areas: social implications of science, normality of scientists, attitude toward scientific inquiry, adoption of scientific attitudes, enjoyment of science lessons, leisure interest in science, and career interest in science. Additional questionnaires were used to determine the extent of the girls' participation in sports and the attitudes of their parents toward science. The girls' cumulative science semester grade point averages since the seventh grade were used to assess academic science achievement. This study found no evidence that participation in the program improved the girls' attitudes or achievement in science. Parent attitudes and years of participation in sports were not accurate predictors of science achievement. Additionally, no significant relationship was detected between the girls' and their parents' perceptions of science. However, the study did suggest that extended participation in sports may positively affect science achievement for girls. This study holds implications for educational stakeholders who seek to implement intervention methods and programs that may improve student attitudes and achievement in science and attract more youth to future science-related careers.

Do Chinese Children With Math Difficulties Have a Deficit in Executive Functioning?

PubMed Central

Wang, Xiaochen; Georgiou, George K.; Li, Qing; Tavouktsoglou, Athanasios

2018-01-01

Several studies have shown that Executive Functioning (EF) is a unique predictor of mathematics performance. However, whether or not children with mathematics difficulties (MD) experience deficits in EF remains unclear. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine if Chinese children with MD experience deficits in EF. We assessed 23 children with MD (9 girls, mean age = 10.40 years), 30 children with reading difficulties and MD (RDMD; 12 girls, mean age = 10.82 years), and 31 typically-developing (TD) peers (16 girls, mean age = 10.41 years) on measures of inhibition (Color-Word Stroop, Inhibition), shifting of attention (Planned Connections, Rapid Alternating Stimuli), working memory (Digit Span Backwards, Listening Span), processing speed (Visual Matching, Planned Search), reading (Character Recognition, Sentence Verification), and mathematics (Addition and Subtraction Fluency, Math Standard Achievement Test). The results of MANOVA analyses showed first that the performance of the MD children in all EF tasks was worse than their TD peers. Second, with the exception of the shifting tasks in which the MD children performed better than the RDMD children, the performance of the two groups was similar in all measures of working memory and inhibition. Finally, covarying for the effects of processing speed eliminated almost all differences between the TD and MD groups (the only exception was Listening Span) as well as the differences between the MD and RDMD groups in shifting of attention. Taken together, our findings suggest that although Chinese children with MD (with or without comorbid reading difficulties) experience significant deficits in all EF skills, most of their deficits can be accounted by lower-level deficits in processing speed. PMID:29928246

Insufficient Sleep Duration and Overweight/Obesity among Adolescents in a Chinese Population.

PubMed

Gong, Qing-Hai; Li, Si-Xuan; Li, Hui; Cui, Jun; Xu, Guo-Zhang

2018-05-15

The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between sleep duration and overweight/obesity among Chinese adolescents. A school-based cross-sectional study was conducted among Chinese adolescents in 2016. In total, 2795 school-aged Chinese children aged 12 to 13 years participated in this study. Participants were asked to complete self-administered surveys during a 45-min class period in their classroom. Details of the questionnaire about health-related behaviors included sleep habits, physical activity, screen time, cigarette use, and alcohol use. Height, weight, waist circumference and hip circumference were directly measured. The mean sleep duration was 8.7 h/day. In total, 43.0% of the participants had a sleep duration of less than 9 h/day. Sleep duration was significantly inversely related to BMI, waist circumference, hip circumference and WHtR in multiple linear regression analyses in both genders. Logistic regression models showed that insufficient sleep (<9 h/day) was associated with high odds of overweight/obesity among both young boys and girls. Insufficient sleep duration was associated with overweight/obesity in Chinese adolescents, and short sleep duration was probably associated with central adiposity, especially among boys.

Social determinants of aggression in a sample of Chinese primary school children.

PubMed

Ekblad, S

1986-05-01

The aim of the present study was to relate children's aggression levels to social determinants of interest (i.e., child-rearing measures, day-care attendance, peer group influence, and TV-watching) in a sample of Chinese children in the People's Republic of China. A sample of 290 primary school students (155 boys and 135 girls, mean age 10.3) in grade four in Beijing were investigated using the Multi-Faceted Aggression Inventory. The children's parents were asked about child-rearing measures and day-care experience for the child. Teachers rated the children's aggression, school achievement level, and membership in the Young Pioneers. Despite acknowledged limitations, the findings in this study gave evidence that according to a person-environment interaction perspective, the Chinese children's individual differences in aggression were influenced by the restricted environment. As aggressive behaviour is undesired and suppressed in the Chinese culture in and outside the home, the Chinese children seemed to show lower levels and less variation of aggression behaviour than children in permissive environments (e.g., Sweden). However, when analysing sex differences in aggression environmental influences alone might not explain the differences.

The health of women and girls: how can we address gender equality and gender equity?

PubMed

Payne, Sarah

2015-01-01

This article focuses on the health of women and girls, and the role of addressing gender inequalities experienced by women and girls. The health of both males and females is influenced by sex, or biological factors, and gender, or socially constructed influences, including gender differences in the distribution and impact of social determinants of health, access to health promoting resources, health behaviors and gender discourse, and the ways in which health systems are organized and financed, and how they deliver care. Various strategies to address the health of women and girls have been developed at intergovernmental, regional, and national level, and by international nongovernmental organizations. These include vertical programs which aim to target specific health risks and deliver services to meet women and girl's needs, and more cross-cutting approaches which aim at "gender" policy making. Much of this work has developed following the adoption of gender mainstreaming principles across different policy arenas and scales of policy making, and this article reviews some of these strategies and the evidence for their success, before concluding with a consideration of future directions in global policy. Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

Girls Don't Move Up.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Salomon, Eva

1992-01-01

Contends that efforts to achieve sexual equality among boys and girls in Austria have not succeeded. Argues that girls have to adapt to male value patterns and standards. Recommends that teachers and parents work together to eliminate sexual bias, encourage boys and girls to work in cooperative groups, and provide girls with more opportunities for…

Girls, girls, girls: Gender composition and female school choice

PubMed Central

Schneeweis, Nicole; Zweimüller, Martina

2012-01-01

Gender segregation in employment may be explained by women's reluctance to choose technical occupations. However, the foundations for career choices are laid much earlier. Educational experts claim that female students are doing better in math and science and are more likely to choose these subjects if they are in single-sex classes. One possible explanation is that coeducational settings reinforce gender stereotypes. In this paper, we identify the causal impact of the gender composition in coeducational classes on the choice of school type for female students. Using natural variation in the gender composition of adjacent cohorts within schools, we show that girls are less likely to choose a traditionally female dominated school type and more likely to choose a male dominated school type at the age of 14 if they were exposed to a higher share of girls in previous grades. PMID:24850996

Girls, girls, girls: Gender composition and female school choice.

PubMed

Schneeweis, Nicole; Zweimüller, Martina

2012-08-01

Gender segregation in employment may be explained by women's reluctance to choose technical occupations. However, the foundations for career choices are laid much earlier. Educational experts claim that female students are doing better in math and science and are more likely to choose these subjects if they are in single-sex classes. One possible explanation is that coeducational settings reinforce gender stereotypes. In this paper, we identify the causal impact of the gender composition in coeducational classes on the choice of school type for female students. Using natural variation in the gender composition of adjacent cohorts within schools, we show that girls are less likely to choose a traditionally female dominated school type and more likely to choose a male dominated school type at the age of 14 if they were exposed to a higher share of girls in previous grades.

Unexpected healers: Chinese medicine in the age of global migration (Lima and California, 1850-1930).

PubMed

Palma, Patricia

2018-03-01

The massive waves of Chinese migrants arriving in California and Lima in the second half of the nineteenth century played a crucial role in expanding Chinese medicine in both settings. From the late 1860s on, herbalists expanded their healing system beyond their ethnic community, transforming Chinese medicine into one of the healing practices most widely adopted by the local population. This article uses a comparative approach to examine the diverging trajectories of Chinese healers in Peru and the USA, as well as the social and political factors that determined how this foreign medical knowledge adapted to its new environments.

The role of puberty, media and popularity with peers on strategies to increase weight, decrease weight and increase muscle tone among adolescent boys and girls.

PubMed

McCabe, Marita P; Ricciardelli, Lina A; Finemore, Jennifer

2002-03-01

The present study was concerned with the impact of pubertal development, relationships with peers and perceived pressure from the media on body dissatisfaction and body change behaviors among adolescent boys and girls. In particular, the study investigated the underresearched area of strategies to increase weight and muscle. The exploration of body change strategies among adolescent boys has been a neglected area of research. Respondents were 1185 adolescents (527 males, 598 females) who were enrolled in Grades 7 and 9. Participants completed measures of pubertal development, media and peer influence, body dissatisfaction and strategies to lose weight, increase weight and to increase muscle. The findings demonstrated that girls were more likely than boys to adopt strategies to lose weight, whereas boys were more likely to adopt strategies to increase muscle tone (but not weight). For boys in both Years 7 and 9, the main predictors of body change strategies were puberty and, to a lesser extent, perceived popularity with peers. The major influences for Years 7 and 9 girls were puberty and the media, but these mainly focused on weight loss. For Year 9 girls, perceived popularity with opposite-sex peers also predicted body dissatisfaction and strategies to increase muscle tone. The implications of these findings for understanding factors related to a range of body change strategies for adolescent boys and girls are discussed.

Teaching the Third World Girl: "Girl Rising" as a Precarious Curriculum of Empathy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Desai, Karishma

2016-01-01

This article examines the recently released "Girl Rising" film and associated campaign to analyze how the guarantee that girls' education is panacea for local, national and global solutions is sedimented through affective logics. I view Girl Rising as a curriculum inclusive of the film, accompanying packaged lesson plans for educators,…

Narratives of Compensated Dating of Girls in Hong Kong Using Routine Activity Theory: Results of a Focus Group Study of Guardians.

PubMed

Li, Jessica C M; Cheung, Chau-Kiu; Jia, Cindy X S; Yu, Yolanda M Y; Nguyen, Ping

2018-02-01

This article presents public discourses on compensated dating of adolescent girls in Chinese society. Data are obtained from eight focus groups comprising 50 guardians at private, parochial, and public levels (i.e., social workers, police officers, parents of students, and community representatives). Qualitative data are used to demonstrate how the guardians conceptualize and contextualize compensated dating as an outcome of the dynamics of societal features. Social features such as contemporary ideologies, Internet technology advancement, commercialization of human relationships, and ambiguity between "right" and "wrong" motivate the service providers and customers of compensated dating, and accelerate their convergence and weakened levels of guardianship in society. This study is the first to connect the features of compensated dating of adolescent girls with recent societal changes using the routine activity approach. The findings confirm the application of the routine activity approach in the phenomenon of girls' compensated dating, and also offer theoretical and practical implications.

REACHING GIRLS AND THEIR FAMILIES.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

ALLEN, NARCIA

AFTER WORKING WITH ADOLESCENT, NEGRO GIRLS FROM 12 TO 20 YEARS OF AGE, ONE SOCIAL WORKER MADE SEVERAL OBSERVATIONS ON THE GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THESE GIRLS. ABOUT 60 PERCENT OF THE GIRLS ARE IN PERPETUAL MOVEMENT AND THEIR ATTENTION SPAN IS VERY SHORT. MANY OF THE GIRLS HAVE VERY INDIRECT AND LIMITED COMMUNICATION WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT…

Outdoor Education in Girl Scouting.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kennedy, Carolyn L.

This book was written to help Girl Scout leaders prepare themselves and the girls with whom they work to enjoy outdoor experiences together. It complements the age-level handbook and leaders' guide, and training provided by the local Girl Scout council. The book contains nine chapters. The first chapter lists age-level characteristics of girls,…

Changing Girls' Education in Peru.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heyman, Cory; Brush, Lorie; Provasnik, Stephen; Fanning, Marina; Lent, Drew; De Wilde, Johan

Access to quality education is a problem for all rural children in Peru, but especially for rural girls, who complete primary school at far lower rates than other Peruvian children. In 1998, USAID launched the Girls' Education Activity (GEA) in Peru, also known as New Horizons for Girls' Education, which aims to increase girls' completion of…

Girl prostitution in India.

PubMed

Mukhopadhyay, K K

1995-01-01

This article discusses the nature, magnitude, causes, and consequences of female child prostitution in India and offers measures for control and prevention of girl prostitution. Data are obtained from the 6-city study of prostitution and the author's own research. An estimated 85% of all prostitutes in Calcutta and Delhi entered the work at an early age. The numbers are rising. The promotion of tourism is linked with prostitution. Girl prostitutes are primarily located in low-middle income areas and business districts and are known by officials. Brothel keepers regularly recruit young girls. An estimated 33% of prostitutes are young girls. In Bangalore, Calcutta, Delhi, and Hyderabad, there are an estimated 10,000 girl prostitutes. UNICEF estimates about 300,000 child prostitutes. Girl prostitutes are grouped as common prostitutes, singers and dancers, call girls, religious prostitutes or devdasi, and caged brothel prostitutes. Religious prostitutes are mainly found in the South. Caged ones are found in Bombay. A little over 50% of prostitutes come from other countries, such as Nepal and Bangladesh. The girls tend to come from urban slums and poor rural areas. High prostitute supply regions include Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengel states. About 85% are Hindus, and about 66% are from scheduled castes and tribes. Bangalore and Bombay have a higher proportion of girl prostitutes. The causes of prostitution include ill treatment by parents, bad company, family prostitutes, social customs, inability to arrange marriage, lack of sex education, media, prior incest and rape, early marriage and desertion, lack of recreational facilities, ignorance, and acceptance of prostitution. Economic causes include poverty and economic distress. Psychological causes include desire for physical pleasure, greed, and dejection. Most enter involuntarily. A brief profile is given of the life of a prostitute.

Promoting physical activity among adolescent girls: the Girls in Sport group randomized trial.

PubMed

Okely, Anthony D; Lubans, David R; Morgan, Philip J; Cotton, Wayne; Peralta, Louisa; Miller, Judith; Batterham, Marijka; Janssen, Xanne

2017-06-21

Slowing the decline in participation in physical activity among adolescent girls is a public health priority. This study reports the outcomes from a multi-component school-based intervention (Girls in Sport), focused on promoting physical activity among adolescent girls. Group randomized controlled trial in 24 secondary schools (12 intervention and 12 control). Assessments were conducted at baseline (2009) and at 18 months post-baseline (2010). The setting was secondary schools in urban, regional and rural areas of New South Wales, Australia. All girls in Grade 8 in 2009 who attended these schools were invited to participate in the study (N = 1769). Using a Health Promoting Schools and Action Learning Frameworks, each school formed a committee and developed an action plan for promoting physical activity among Grade 8 girls. The action plan incorporated strategies in three main areas - i) the formal curriculum, ii) school environment, and iii) home/school/community links - based on the results of formative data from target girls and staff and on individual needs of the school. A member of the research team supported each school throughout the intervention. The main outcome measure was accelerometer-derived total physical activity (TPA) spent in physical activity. Data were analyzed from December 2011 to March 2012. 1518 girls (mean age 13.6y ±0.02) were assessed at baseline. There was a significant decline in TPA from baseline to 18-month follow-up with no differences between girls in the intervention and control schools. Only one-third of schools (4/12) implemented the intervention as per their action plan. Per-protocol analyses on these schools revealed a smaller decline in percentage of time spent in MVPA among girls in the intervention group (adjusted difference 0.5%, 95% CI = -0.01, 0.99, P = 0.05). The Girls in Sport intervention was not effective in reducing the decline in physical activity among adolescent girls. Lack of implementation by most

Girls and ADHD

MedlinePlus

... Content Article Body The fact that many more boys than girls are diagnosed with ADHD—at a ratio of ... even when their symptoms are the same as boys’, and girls are less likely than boys to receive sufficient ...

A Chinese Longitudinal Study on Work/Family Enrichment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lu, Luo

2011-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore reciprocal relationships between work/family resources, work/family enrichment (WFE), and work/family satisfaction in a Chinese society. Design/methodology/approach: A longitudinal design was adopted using a three-wave panel sample. Data were obtained from 310 Taiwanese employees on three occasions,…

Overweight, family history of diabetes and attending schools of lower academic grading are independent predictors for metabolic syndrome in Hong Kong Chinese adolescents

PubMed Central

Ozaki, Risa; Qiao, Qing; Wong, Gary W K; Chan, Michael H M; So, Wing‐Yee; Tong, Peter C Y; Ho, C S; Ko, Gary Tin‐Choi; Kong, Alice P S; Lam, Christopher W K; Tuomilehto, Jaakko; Chan, Juliana C N

2007-01-01

Background Overweight and metabolic syndrome (MES) are emerging in both adult and paediatric populations. Aims To study the prevalence of and associated risk factors for the MES, using the National Cholesterol Education Program definition, among Hong Kong Chinese adolescents studying in secondary schools. Methods This was a cross‐sectional, population‐based study. A sample of 2115 Chinese adolescents was randomly selected from 14 secondary schools throughout Hong Kong. Data on anthropometric parameters, fasting blood and urine samples were collected in the school setting. Information regarding the adolescent's family history of diabetes, perinatal history, socioeconomic status and school grading was evaluated. Results The prevalence of MES was 2.4% (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.8 to 3.1), with no significant difference between boys (2.9%) and girls (2%). The prevalence of various components of MES was 32.2% (30.2 to 34.2) for hypertension, 10.9% (9.6 to 12.2) for increased triglyceride, 9.0% (7.8 to 10.2) for central adiposity, 2.4% (1.7 to 3) for low high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol and 0.3% (0.1 to 0.6) for impaired fasting glucose. On multivariate analysis, overweight (odds ratio 32.2; 95% CI 13.2 to 78.4), positive family history of diabetes (4.3; 1.3 to 14.1) and studying at schools of lower academic grading (5.5; 2.2 to 13.7) were found to be independent risk factors for MES. Conclusion A comparable prevalence of MES (2%) is observed in our study group Chinese adolescent girls and in US girls (2.1%), but a lower prevalence in Chinese boys (2.9%) than in US boys (6.1%). In our study, 41.8% harbour at least one component of the syndrome. Both families and schools should be alerted to this growing epidemic. PMID:17088339

Mother-Toddler Interaction and Maternal Perception of Child Temperament in Two Ethnic Groups: Chinese-American and European-American.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Sheila; Freedman, Daniel G.

A study was conducted to compare experiential features of mother/toddler interaction and maternal perception of toddler temperament in two ethnic groups: Chinese-Americans and European-Americans. Subjects were 16 mother/toddler dyads with five girls and three boys in each group matched for sex, age, and birth order. Caucasian mothers were…

The Association between Self-Reported Mother-Child Attachment and Social Initiative and Withdrawal in Chinese School-Aged Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Bin-Bin

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine relations between mother-child attachment and social initiative and withdrawal in Chinese urban children. Participants were 487 school-aged children (247 boys, 240 girls) in Shanghai, the People's Republic of China. Data on mother-child attachment styles were collected from children's self-reports.…

NetGirls: the Internet, Facebook, and body image concern in adolescent girls.

PubMed

Tiggemann, Marika; Slater, Amy

2013-09-01

The primary aim of the study was to examine the relationship between Internet exposure and body image concern in adolescent girls, with a particular focus on the social networking site of Facebook. A sample of 1,087 girls in the first two years (Years 8 and 9) of high school (aged 13-15 years) completed questionnaire measures of Internet consumption and body image concerns. The overwhelming majority of girls (95.9%) had access to the Internet in their home. Time spent on the Internet was significantly related to internalization of the thin ideal, body surveillance, and drive for thinness. Further, 75% of the girls had a Facebook profile, and spent an average of 1.5 hours there daily. Facebook users scored significantly more highly on all body image concern measures than non-users. It was concluded that the Internet represents a potent socio-cultural medium of relevance to the body image of adolescent girls. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The Search for Sustainable Girls

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pabst, Anne

2010-01-01

The girls of girls' schools, the author believes, are a kind of Platonic Form of American girl, an ideal to which most of the rest of society, of the country's meritocratic system, aspires for their daughters, a reflection of one's deepest values. She believes girls all over the country, in all high schools, want The Dream. They want to achieve…

The Role of Emotionality in Teacher Change: The Case of Chinese Language Teachers in Hong Kong

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Loh, Elizabeth K. Y.; Tam, Loretta C. W.

2017-01-01

Over the past decade, Chinese language teachers in Hong Kong have experienced a series of educational reforms. They are now expected to design and implement their own school-based Chinese language curriculum, and adopt innovative pedagogies and customized materials in the classroom. The current literature suggests that some teachers are not ready…

A Model Intervention for Girls with Disruptive Behaviour Disorders: The Earlscourt Girls Connection.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walsh, Margaret M.; Pepler, Debra J.; Levene, Kathryn S.

2002-01-01

Reports on the evaluation of the Earlscourt Girls Connection, a program for young girls with conduct problems. Analyses of behavioral change according to primary caregivers' ratings were conducted comparing admission scores with 6-month and 12-month follow-up. At follow-up, the girls were rated as lower on the total score for externalizing…

Babies without Borders: Representations of Transracial Chinese Adoption in Picture Books

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sun, Lina

2016-01-01

Interracial and multi-ethnic families formed through intermarriage and transracial adoption are on the rise in the context of globalization, transforming familiar assumptions about what a family should be. The trend of diversity in family composition is increasing and will continue to evolve. This article attempts to compile a set of useful…

Girls back off mathematics again: the views and experiences of girls in computer-based mathematics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vale, Colleen

2002-12-01

The views and experiences of girls in two co-educational mathematics classrooms in which computers were regularly used were researched. Data were collected by observation and videotaping of lessons, questionnaire, and interviews of students and the teachers. In this paper case studies of six girls are presented. Their `stories' reveal a diversity of experiences and views and multiple gender identities. High achieving girls persisted as "outsiders within," other girls "backed off", and exceptional girls challenged gender stereotypes. Implications for social justice in mathematics in the age of the super highway are discussed.

Promoting Girls' Participation in Sports: Discursive Constructions of Girls in a Sports Initiative

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Svender, Jenny; Larsson, Hakan; Redelius, Karin

2012-01-01

What does it mean to promote girls' participation in sports and which girls are seen as needing support? In this article we focus a government-financed sports venture and scrutinize the frames governing what is possible to say about girls and their participation in sports. By analyzing project applications from local sport clubs we investigate how…

Girl child in rural India.

PubMed

Devendra, K

1995-01-01

This article discusses the status of the girl child in rural India. Rural children lack the advantages of modern amenities and facilities, such as transportation, electricity, media, hygiene, health care, and access to education. A young girl's status is related to her mother's status. Women are valued the most when a son is born. Girl children are considered an economic liability in child care costs, dowry costs, and marriage support. Since the 1970s, dowry demands have increased. Daughters must meet the demands of prospective in-law for education and dowry even after marriage. The attitudes of parents, families, and society encourage sex-selective abortion, infanticide, abuse in childhood, and domestic violence in adulthood. It was reported in 1994 that a woman is molested every 26 minutes and raped every 52 minutes. The government of India developed an action plan in 1992 for developing the girl child. Rural girl children spend their time cooking, cleaning, fetching wood and water, caring for children, and working in the fields sowing, transplanting, and weeding. Girl children contribute over 20% of total work at home. The only advantage a girl child has in rural areas is visibility. The greatest disadvantage is that her mother, who faced neglect herself, discriminates against her. Increasingly girl children contribute income to their household from Beedi making, gem polishing, embroidering, or paper bag making. Sometimes girls and boys work in hazardous occupations. Gender disparity is evident in school enrollment, drop out rates, literacy, and employment. In 1994, India passed a universal female education bill that offers parents incentives for access and punishment for keeping a girl out of school. Communities need to create a demand for rural girl children's education.

Depression Prevention for Early Adolescent Girls

PubMed Central

Chaplin, Tara M.; Gillham, Jane E.; Reivich, Karen; Elkon, Andrea G. L.; Samuels, Barbra; Freres, Derek R.; Winder, Breanna; Seligman, Martin E. P.

2015-01-01

Given the dramatic increase in depression that occurs during early adolescence in girls, interventions must address the needs of girls. The authors examined whether a depression prevention program, the Penn Resiliency Program, was more effective for girls in all-girls groups than in co-ed groups. Within co-ed groups, the authors also tested whether there were greater effects for boys than for girls. Participants were 208 11- to 14-year-olds. Girls were randomly assigned to all-girls groups, co-ed groups, or control. Boys were assigned to co-ed groups or control. Students completed questionnaires on depressive symptoms, hopelessness, and explanatory style before and after the intervention. Girls groups were better than co-ed groups in reducing girls’hopelessness and for session attendance rates but were similar to co-ed groups in reducing depressive symptoms. Co-ed groups decreased depressive symptoms, but this did not differ by gender. Findings support prevention programs and suggest additional benefits of girls groups. PMID:26139955

A comparative study of nutritional status and foodstuffs in adolescent girls in iran.

PubMed

Talaie-Zanjani, A; Faraji, F; Rafie, M; Mohammadbeigi, A

2014-01-01

The prevalence of obesity and overweight in children and adolescents is increasing world-wide. Obesity in children and adolescents is a major risk factor for diabetes, heart diseases, hypertension, and cancer in adulthood. The aim of the study was to compare the nutritional status and food-stuffs among high-school girls in Arak, Iran, in matter of body mass index (BMI) and associated factors. A cross-sectional survey of a representative sample of 278 adolescents was conducted in six randomly chosen high-schools. Height and weight of students were collected using standard methods and the BMI calculated and BMI percentiles of these girls are compared with the Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reference data. The 5(th), 8(th), and 95(th) percentiles of the CDC were adopted as cut-off points for underweight, overweight and obese girls, respectively. Data were analyzed using SPSS by analysis of variance and Chi-square tests. On the basis of CDC, the overall prevalence rates of underweight, overweight, and obesity were estimated 10.1% (28/278), 12.9% (36/278), and 1.4% (4/278), respectively. There was no significant difference between nutritional knowledge scores and the rate of physical activities in various groups. The mean age at menarche was significantly higher among the obese girls (P = 0.02). Consumption of ice-cream and chocolate was significantly higher in the obese girls group (P = 0.03). According to the present study, the prevalence of overweight and obesity in high-school girls of Arak is lower than that of many other parts of Iran and some neighboring countries, which are at the high-risk of overweight and obesity. This study warrants the necessity of paying attention to promote healthy life-style and weight control. The earlier age of menarche is alarming.

American export control, technology spillover and innovation of Chinese pharmaceutical Industry.

PubMed

Hui, Jiang

2017-05-01

This paper was aimed to analyze whether the U.S. strict export control to China affects the technological innovation of Chinese pharmaceutical industry. This paper selected the data of technological innovation and the expenditure of high and new technology adoption in China's pharmaceutical industry from 1995 to 2014, created panel regression model to study the impact of export controls on technology spillovers and the impact of technology spillovers on innovation capacity. The results show that US export control has a significant impact on technology spillovers, but foreign technology spillovers have no significant impact on the innovation of Chinese pharmaceutical industry. Although the US export control prevented foreign technology spillovers to China, but indirectly stimulated the domestic technology spillovers to pharmaceutical manufacturing industry in China. Statistical analysis show that the correlation coefficient between innovation capacity and expenditure for high technology adoption is not significant, but the expenditure of purchasing domestic technical is essential to pharmaceutical innovation. This study shows that US export control indirectly, not directly, affected the technological innovation of China's pharmaceutical industry, affected the allocation of innovative resources, but failed to prevent the technological progress and competitiveness improvement of Chinese pharmaceutical industry.

The role of mothers' and adolescents' perceptions of ethnic-racial socialization in shaping ethnic-racial identity among early adolescent boys and girls.

PubMed

Hughes, Diane; Hagelskamp, Carolin; Way, Niobe; Foust, Monica D

2009-05-01

The current study examined relationships between adolescents' and mothers' reports of ethnic-racial socialization and adolescents' ethnic-racial identity. The sample included 170 sixth graders (49% boys, 51% girls) and their mothers, all of whom identified as Black, Puerto Rican, Dominican, or Chinese. Two dimensions of ethnic-racial socialization (cultural socialization and preparation for bias) were evaluated alongside three dimensions of ethnic-racial identity (exploration, affirmation and belonging, and behavioral engagement). Mothers' reports of their cultural socialization predicted adolescents' reports, but only adolescents' reports predicted adolescents' ethnic-racial identity processes. Mothers' reports of preparation for bias predicted boys' but not girls' reports of preparation for bias. Again, only adolescents' reports of preparation for bias predicted their ethnic-racial identity. Thus, several gender differences in relationships emerged, with mothers' and adolescents' perceptions of cultural socialization, in particular, playing a more important role in girls' than in boys' identity processes. We discuss the implications of these findings for future research.

[Vulvovaginitis in young girls].

PubMed

Olejek, Anita; Kellas-Sleczka, Sylwia; Kozak-Darmas, Iwona; Bilska, Anna; Zamłyński, Jacek; Horak, Stanisław; Nowak, Leszek

2009-12-01

Vulvovaginitis is the most common cause of gynecological complaints in young girls. Factors which cause vulvovaginitis include, among other things, low level of sexual hormones (hypoestrogenism), the anatomical proximity of the rectum and delicate vulvar skin and vaginal mucosa. Usually vulvovaginitis in young girls is caused by non-specific factors. The aim of the study was to present the most frequent causes of vulvovaginitis in young girls.

Chinese adolescents with higher social dominance orientation are less prosocial and less happy: A value-environment fit analysis.

PubMed

Yang, Ying; Li, Wenqi; Sheldon, Kennon M; Kou, Yu

2018-01-10

This study aims to investigate the relationship between social dominance orientation (SDO) and subjective well-being among Chinese adolescents (N = 4246), and to examine the mediating role of prosocial behaviour in this relationship. The structural equation model's results showed that SDO was negatively associated with prosocial behaviour and subjective well-being, that prosocial behaviour was positively associated with subjective well-being, and also that (low) prosocial behaviour partially mediated the negative relationship between SDO and subjective well-being. Multi-group analyses showed that the mediation model was generally similar between boys and girls, but that the negative relationship between SDO and prosocial behaviour was somewhat stronger among girls than boys. This study sheds light on how SDO is associated with positive outcomes among Chinese adolescents and highlights the mediating role of prosocial behaviour as an underlying mechanism between SDO and subjective well-being. Future studies are needed to further discover the role of culture values in the association between SDO and subjective well-being. © 2018 International Union of Psychological Science.

Associations between Maternal Physical Discipline and Peer Victimization among Hong Kong Chinese Children: The Moderating Role of Child Aggression

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duong, Mylien T.; Schwartz, David; Chang, Lei; Kelly, Brynn M.; Tom, Shelley R.

2009-01-01

This study examines the relation between maternal physical discipline and victimization by peers, as moderated by child aggression. The sample consisted of 211 Hong Kong Chinese children (98 boys, 113 girls; average age of 11.9). Physical discipline was assessed with a questionnaire completed by mothers, and victimization by peers and aggression…

Influential Factors for Mobile Learning Acceptance among Chinese Users

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hao, Shuang; Dennen, Vanessa P.; Mei, Li

2017-01-01

This study examines the factors that influence mobile learning adoption among Chinese university students. China's higher education market is large and mobile device ownership is considered a status symbol. Combined, these two factors suggest mobile learning could have a big impact in China. From the literature, we identified three major areas…

Development and Validation of the Chinese Making Sense of Adversity Scale: Acculturative Stressors as an Example

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pan, Jia-Yan; Wong, Daniel Fu Keung; Chan, Kin Sun; Chan, Cecilia Lai Wan

2008-01-01

Objective: The objective of this study is to develop and validate the Chinese Making Sense of Adversity Scale (CMSAS) to measure the cognitive coping strategies that Chinese people adopt to make sense of adversity. Method: A 12-item CMSAS was developed by in-depth interview and item analysis. The scale was validated with a sample of 627 Chinese…

Clever Girls' Stories: The Girl They Call a Nerd

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Foyn, Trine; Solomon, Yvette; Braathe, Hans Jørgen

2018-01-01

In this paper, we explore the issue of gender and mathematics participation, focusing on the ways in which "clever girls" self-author within the discourse order of a high ability group, which has particular significance in the Norwegian context in which this study took place. Contrasting the cases of three girls, only one of whom (Anna)…

[Prevalence of metabolic syndrome of children and adolescent students in Chinese six cities].

PubMed

2013-06-01

To investigate the prevalence of obesity and metabolic syndrome in Chinese children and adolescents and to evaluate clinical applications of two definitions of metabolic syndrome in children and adolescents developed by The Society of Pediatrics, Chinese Medical Association in 2012 (MS-CHN2012) and by International Diabetes Federation in 2007 (MS-IDF2007), respectively. Totally 22 071 children (11 638 were boys and 10 433 were girls) aged 7 to 16 years from 6 representative geographical areas, including Beijing, Tianjin, Hangzhou, Shanghai, Chongqing and Nanning, were surveyed in a random cluster sample in Chinese. Anthropometric parameters and blood pressure were determined. Fasting blood glucose, fasting blood triglyceride, total cholesterol, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels were measured. Then non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C) levels were calculated. The diagnostic concordance of the two definitions for metabolic syndrome (MS-CHN2012 and MS-IDF2007) and its individual components were estimated. (1) The prevalence of overweight and obesity was 19.9% in 7-16-year-old teenagers and the prevalence of obesity was 8.9%. The prevalence of obesity in boys was higher than in girls (10.9% vs. 6.6%, P < 0.001). (2) The prevalence of obesity in Northern region (Beijing, Tianjin), Midwest region (Chongqing and Nanning) and Eastern region (Hangzhou, Shanghai) were significantly different (χ(2) = 1.007×10(3), P < 0.001), the prevalence of obesity in Northern region was the highest (16.9%), in Midwest was 5.9% and in the Eastern region was the lowest (4.9%). The prevalence of obesity in boys was higher than in girls (10.9% vs. 6.6%, P < 0.001). (3) The prevalence of MS diagnosed by MS-CHN2012 and MS-IDF2007 in 7-16-year-old teenagers were 2.4% and 1.4%, respectively, and in obese subjects were 28.8% and 16.8%, respectively. The prevalence of MS diagnosed by MS-CHN2012 was higher than that diagnosed by MS-IDF2007 (P < 0.001). (4) The

Hong Kong homeopathy: how it arrived and how it connected with Chinese medicine.

PubMed

Fan, Ka-wai

2010-07-01

Translated as 'Shunshi Liaofa' in Mandarin, homeopathy received considerable attention from local physicians, thanks to Dr Heribert Schmidt who shared his views on the similarities between this western medical therapy and Chinese medicine during his visit to Hong Kong in 1954. Considered widely as non-scientific and superstitious, Chinese medicine was pushed to the periphery during the 1950s. On the contrary, adopted by western advanced countries, homeopathy was generally regarded as scientific and reliable. Schmidt's acknowledgement of the scientific roots of Chinese medicine excited many traditional therapists. The purpose of this paper is to trace the history of how homeopathy was introduced to Hong Kong and discuss its relationship with scientification of Chinese medicine. 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Wellness-Promoting Practices Through Girl Scouts: A Pragmatic Superiority Randomized Controlled Trial With Additional Dissemination.

PubMed

Cull, Brooke J; Dzewaltowski, David A; Guagliano, Justin M; Rosenkranz, Sara K; Knutson, Cassandra K; Rosenkranz, Richard R

2018-01-01

To evaluate the effectiveness of in-person versus online Girl Scout leader wellness training for implementation of wellness-promoting practices during troop meetings (phase I) and to assess training adoption and current practices across the council (phase II). Pragmatic superiority trial (phase 1) followed by serial cross-sectional study (phase II). Girl Scout troop meetings in Northeast Kansas. Eighteen troop leaders from 3 counties (phase 1); 113 troop leaders from 7 counties (phase II). Phase I: Troop leaders attended 2 wellness training sessions (first in groups, second individually), wherein leaders set wellness-promoting practice implementation goals, self-monitored progress, and received guidance and resources for implementation. Leaders received the intervention in person or online. Phase I: At baseline and postintervention, leaders completed a wellness-promoting practice implementation questionnaire assessing practices during troop meetings (max score = 11). Phase II: Leaders completed a survey about typical troop practices and interest in further training. Phase I: Generalized linear mixed modeling. Phase I: In-person training increased wellness-promoting practice implementation more than online training (in person = 2.1 ± 1.8; online = 0.2 ± 1.2; P = .022). Phase II: Fifty-six percent of leaders adopted the training. For 8 of 11 wellness categories, greater than 50% of leaders employed wellness-promoting practices. In-person training was superior to online training for improvements in wellness-promoting practices. Wellness training was adopted by the majority of leaders across the council.

Age- and Sex-Dependent Values of the Distribution of Body Composition Parameters Among Chinese Children Using the Hattori Chart.

PubMed

Guo, Bin; Hu, Li; Wu, Qiulian; Gong, Jian; Xu, Hao

This study aimed to examine the relationship between the fat-free mass (FFM) and fat mass (FM) and between the fat-free mass index (FFMI) and fat mass index (FMI) in Chinese children using the Hattori chart and to compare the changing pattern with Korean counterparts. In this study, 1541 (764 girls) children and adolescents aged 5-19 yr were recruited from southern China. The subjects' body composition was measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. The relationship between FFM and FM and between FFMI and FMI were delineated using the Hattori chart. Between 5 and 12 yr, a concurrent increase in FFM and FM and in FFMI and FMI was found in both sexes. After 12 yr, the age-related changing patterns are generally characterized by a sharp increase in FM, with a relatively small increase in FFM for girls, and a sharp increase in FFM, with a relatively little fluctuation in FM for boys. The increase in weight and BMI with age for this stage is largely due to the increase in FFM and FFMI in boys and in both the FFM and FM and FFMI and FMI components in girls. Sex differences in the patterns of body composition were found in Chinese children and adolescents. Copyright © 2016 The International Society for Clinical Densitometry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The influence of maturation, body size and physical self-perceptions on longitudinal changes in physical activity in adolescent girls.

PubMed

Fawkner, Samantha; Henretty, Joan; Knowles, Ann-Marie; Nevill, Alan; Niven, Ailsa

2014-01-01

The aim of this study was to adopt a longitudinal design to explore the direct effects of both absolute and relative maturation and changes in body size on physical activity, and explore if, and how, physical self-perceptions might mediate this effect. We recruited 208 girls (11.8 ± 0.4 years) at baseline. Data were collected at three subsequent time points, each 6 months apart. At 18 months, 119 girls remained in the study. At each time point, girls completed the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Children, the Pubertal Development Scale (from which, both a measure of relative and absolute maturation were defined) and the Physical Self-Perception Profile, and had physical size characteristics assessed. Multilevel modelling for physical activity indicated a significant negative effect of age, positive effect for physical condition and sport competence and positive association for relatively early maturers. Absolute maturation, body mass, waist circumference and sum of skinfolds did not significantly contribute to the model. Contrary to common hypotheses, relatively more mature girls may, in fact, be more active than their less mature peers. However, neither changes in absolute maturation nor physical size appear to directly influence changes in physical activity in adolescent girls.

Reconsidering Parenting in Chinese Culture: Subtypes, Stability, and Change of Maternal Parenting Style During Early Adolescence.

PubMed

Zhang, Wenxin; Wei, Xing; Ji, Linqin; Chen, Liang; Deater-Deckard, Kirby

2017-05-01

Parenting in Chinese culture has been a central topic and there have been debate on whether western-derived parenting style is applicable to Chinese cultures in terms of both behavioral profiles and their relationships with child and adolescent adjustment. This study identified the subtypes of Chinese maternal parenting style and examined their stability and changes over the transition to early adolescence. In an urban Chinese sample (N = 2173, 48% girls), four waves of longitudinal data were collected when the adolescents were in the fifth (M = 11.27 years), sixth, seventh, and eighth grades. Latent profile analysis identified four subtypes of parenting style: authoritative, authoritarian, average-level undifferentiated, and strict-affectionate. Adolescents of authoritative mothers exhibited the best overall adjustment, while adolescents of authoritarian mothers showed the worst adjustment. Adolescents of strict-affectionate mothers generally adjusted as well as those of authoritative mothers, except they showed lower academic achievement. The strict-affectionate parenting represented a culture-specific subtype of parenting style in Chinese culture. Latent transition analysis revealed high stability of parenting styles during early adolescence, but transitions between subtypes were also evident. These findings highlight the importance of revisiting Chinese parenting and examining the developmental course of parenting style.

Cross-Cultural Comparison of Perceptions on the Global Scientific Literacy with Australian, Chinese, and Korean Middle School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mun, Kongju; Lee, Hyunju; Kim, Sung-Won; Choi, Kyunghee; Choi, Sung-Youn; Krajcik, Joseph S.

2015-01-01

In this study, we explored the extent to which Australian, Chinese, and Korean middle school students perceived themselves to have scientific literacy as global citizens and attempted to identify differences and/or commonalities in their perceptions. A total of 655 middle school students (8th and 9th grades; 358 girls and 297 boys) from the three…

Future Girls, Transcendent Femininities and New Pedagogies: Toward Girls' Hybrid Bodies?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Azzarito, Laura

2010-01-01

Media provides a material site for girls' identity formation and presents conflicting images of femininity, which challenge young women's self-expression and physicality development. The "problem" with girls' physicality has not been resolved, but rather complicated by discourses of new femininities in sport, fitness and health promoted…

Protecting Black Girls

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morris, Monique W.

2016-01-01

Statistics show that black girls in U.S. K-12 public schools are overrepresented among students who face disciplinary approaches (such as suspensions) that exclude or even criminalize them. Morris explains how black girls face conditions that make them vulnerable to a phenomenon she calls "school to confinement pathways"--conditions like…

[Preliminary study on main impacting factors on brand equity of listed traditional Chinese medicine companies].

PubMed

Tan, Wei; Geng, Dong-Mei; Rong, Xue; Li, Zi; Liu, Wei; Yang, Li; Xu, Si-Qun; Jie, Xiao-Qian

2013-05-01

The brand equity is valuable intangible assets of traditional Chinese medicine companies, who are excellent representatives of traditional Chinese medicine enterprises and the most promising ones to good international medicine brands. However, there is still no systematic study on how to correctly evaluate the brand equity of listed traditional Chinese medicine companies at present. To make it clear, the main impacting factors on brand equity of listed traditional Chinese medicine companies, both structured open outline pre-research and closed questionnaire research were adopted for the field survey, and some suggestions for how to protect and enhance the brand equity were also presented on the basis of survey and analysis, in the hope of improving the brand management level of listed traditional Chinese medicine companies, and making a beneficial exploration for the development of brand theory of the traditional Chinese medicine industry.

Predicting Chinese Children and Youth's Energy Expenditure Using ActiGraph Accelerometers: A Calibration and Cross-Validation Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhu, Zheng; Chen, Peijie; Zhuang, Jie

2013-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop and cross-validate an equation based on ActiGraph accelerometer GT3X output to predict children and youth's energy expenditure (EE) of physical activity (PA). Method: Participants were 367 Chinese children and youth (179 boys and 188 girls, aged 9 to 17 years old) who wore 1 ActiGraph GT3X…

Paternal and maternal influences on the psychological well-being, substance abuse, and delinquency of Chinese adolescents experiencing economic disadvantage.

PubMed

Shek, Daniel T L

2005-03-01

On two occasions separated by one year, Chinese adolescents with economic disadvantage in Hong Kong (N = 199) responded to instruments measuring perceived parental parenthood qualities (indexed by perceived parenting styles, support and help from parents, and conflict and relationship with the parents) and psychosocial adjustment (psychological well-being, substance abuse, and delinquency). Results showed that parental parenthood variables were concurrently associated with different measures of adolescent psychological well-being and problem behavior at Time 1 and Time 2. While paternal parenthood qualities at Time 1 predicted changes in existential well-being and delinquency in adolescent boys, but not in adolescent girls, at Time 2, maternal parenthood qualities at Time 1 predicted changes in the mental health and problem behavior in adolescent girls, but not in adolescent boys, at Time 2. There is no strong support for the thesis that adolescent adjustment influences perceived parental parenthood qualities over time. The present study suggests that the influences of fathers and mothers on the adjustment of Chinese adolescents experiencing economic disadvantage vary with the gender of adolescent children. 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Girls Leading Outward

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hamed, Heather; Reyes, Jazmin; Moceri, Dominic C.; Morana, Laura; Elias, Maurice J.

2011-01-01

The authors describe a program implemented in Red Bank Middle School in New Jersey to help at-risk, minority middle school girls realize their leadership potential. The GLO (Girls Leading Outward) program was developed by the Developing Safe and Civil Schools Project at Rutgers University and is facilitated by university students. Selected middle…

Fatalism and health promoting behaviors in Chinese and Korean immigrants and Caucasians.

PubMed

Heiniger, Louise E; Sherman, Kerry A; Shaw, Laura-Kate E; Costa, Daniel

2015-02-01

Fatalism has been associated with non-adherence to health behavior in the past. This study compared fatalism of Chinese and Korean immigrants with native-born Caucasians (N = 309) and examined whether the relationship between fatalism and exercise, nutrition and medical screening would be moderated by ethnicity. Chinese reported higher fatalism than Caucasians and Koreans. Higher fatalism was associated with greater exercise among Chinese and Koreans, but less reported exercise among Caucasians. Caucasian participants had higher scores for nutrition and medical screening compared with Chinese and Korean immigrants. These findings indicate that fatalism is more prevalent among Chinese immigrants; however, there is no evidence of a detrimental effect of fatalism on exercise, nutrition or medical screening among the Asian immigrants. Caucasians with higher fatalism may be at greater risk of future illnesses, given the association between fatalism and sedentary behavior in this group. Differences between cultural groups in the adoption of health behavior justify the development and assessment of targeted interventions to optimize health promoting behaviors.

The Greening of Girls' Sports

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Engle, Kathleen M.

1973-01-01

Examines the current nationwide drive to eliminate sexism in school sports. Discusses expenditures for boys' and girls' athletic programs, coaching salaries, facilities, and programs offered. A physician discusses the potentials for girls in competitive sports, and a girl who joined a high school all-male team is interviewed. (DN)

Indiscriminate Friendliness in Children Adopted from China to the United States: A Mixed Methods Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Yanhong; Li, Dan; Xu, Yanqing

2017-01-01

Indiscriminate friendliness (IF) is a prominent issue with children adopted from China to the United States. Through a mixed methods design, the authors explored four Chinese adoptees' experiences of IF within their real-life context, investigated potential factors associated with IF, and examined the IF-attachment relationship. This mixed methods…

Associations between weight perceptions, weight control and body fatness in a multiethnic sample of adolescent girls.

PubMed

Duncan, J Scott; Duncan, Elizabeth K; Schofield, Grant

2011-01-01

The purpose of the present study was to examine the interactions between weight perceptions, weight control behaviours and body fatness in a multiethnic sample of adolescent girls. A cross-sectional study. Girls from European (37.7 %), Pacific Island (21.6 %), East Asian (15.8 %), Maori (10.2 %) and South Asian (9.6 %) populations and from other ethnicities (5.0 %). A sample of 954 girls aged 11-15 years participated in the study. BMI was derived from height and weight, whereas body fat (BF) was determined from hand-to-foot bioimpedance measurements. Weight perceptions, weight control behaviours and pubertal stage were assessed by questionnaire. Body size and fatness varied significantly across ethnic groups. Although few differences in weight perceptions were observed between BMI and %BF percentile groups, a relatively high degree of weight misclassification was evident across all BF categories. The number of girls trying to lose weight exceeded those who perceived themselves as being overweight, with the magnitude of the difference dependent on ethnicity. Of the girls trying to lose weight, the combination of dieting and exercise was the most common weight loss practice; however, a substantial proportion reported neither exercise nor dieting. Weight status perception was a stronger predictor of weight loss intent than actual BF when controlling for all other factors. Interventions and educational campaigns that assist girls in recognising a state of excess BF are a priority for all ethnic groups to increase the likelihood that behavioural changes necessary to combat widespread overweight and obesity are adopted.

Impact of Chinese Culture on Pre-service Science Teachers' Views of the Nature of Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wan, Dongsheng; Zhang, Hongshia; Wei, Bing

2018-04-01

This study examines Chinese pre-service teachers' (N = 30) views on the nature of science (NOS) and how Chinese culture influences their views. Participants were from two teachers' universities in eastern China. As an exploratory and interpretive study, a scenario-based interview approach was adopted. The results indicated that the participants held unique views about the five key aspects of NOS. Many participants have alternative and contemporary views of NOS, but few possess classical views. In fact, teachers adopted features of the Confucian Doctrine of the Mean either consciously or unconsciously to account for their views of NOS. This research reflects that the Doctrine of the Mean affected Chinese teachers' views of NOS, making them rather deficient in their understandings of classical NOS. Based on empirical data, it is argued that science teacher training in China should focus on the content and objectives of classical NOS, rather than just teaching contemporary views of NOS. Taking Chinese culture into consideration, science teacher education in China cannot entirely import the strategies of teaching the classical views of NOS from the developed world, but should develop, design and contextualize local strategies that are suitable for the training of Chinese science teachers. Some issues for further investigation of learners' views of NOS in non-Western contexts are suggested as implications from this study.

Linear dimensions of normal upper airway structure by magnetic resonance imaging in Chinese Han infants and preschool children.

PubMed

Yi, Xiaoli; Yao, Linyin; Yuan, Xinyu; Wei, Yongxiang; Wang, Zhenchang

2017-09-01

To establish normative data of upper airway structure in Chinese Han infants and preschool children. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of 521 Chinese Han infants and preschool children (225 girls, 296 boys) aged from 1 day to 72 months were selected from the children who underwent head MRI at the Capital Institute of Pediatrics Affiliated Children Hospital, Beijing, China. No subjects had sleep-disordered breathing or associated conditions that may have affected the upper airway anatomy. The upper airway dimensions and surrounding soft tissue sizes were measured along the mid-sagittal and axial images. On images from the mid-sagittal image, the normative values of the following were obtained for all age group: thickness of the adenoid and nasopharyngeal area, length and thickness of the soft palate, length and height of the tongue, length of upper airway, distance between the mental spine and clivus, and the adenoid oblique width, soft palate oblique width, and tongue oblique width along the mental spine-clivus line. Normative values of the mean tonsillar width and intertonsillar space on the axial images were also obtained. There were no differences in any measurements between boys and girls in either infants or preschool children. Older children had larger airway dimensions, as expected. Normative values for upper airway structure in Chinese Han infants and preschool children assessed by MRI were established. The upper airway dimension and surrounding soft tissues size, including soft palate, adenoid, tongue, and tonsils, were increased with age. There were no gender differences during the first six years of life. These data may prove useful when studying airway disease in Chinese Han children. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Therapeutic history of Parkinson's disease in Chinese medical treatises.

PubMed

Zheng, Guo-Qing

2009-11-01

Chronological research on the therapeutic history of Parkinson's disease (PD) has been conducted by Chinese medical treatises from ancient to modern times. It outlines the division by the early, middle, and modern periods. The precise records for the clinical symptoms of PD and its preliminary treatment prescriptions could date back to the Eastern Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD). Thereafter (220 AD-1911), due to an increase in the understanding of PD in Chinese medical science, prescriptions for treatment also sprang up. Frequency statistics and cluster analysis have been carried out to elucidate the medication rules and commonly used Chinese medicinal materials (CMM) for prevention and treatment of PD during the middle period. In modern times, the dozens of prescriptions or bioactive ingredients of CMM used for the symptomatic treatment of PD have been shown to be effective in clinical trials. However, an analysis of contemporary Chinese clinical literature on PD has suggested the need for more rigorous research methodology before CMM could be adopted by evidence-based medicine.

Malnutrition and Environmental Enrichment: A Statistical Reappraisal of the Findings of the Adoption Study of Winick et al. (1975).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trueman, Mark

1985-01-01

Critically reviews the influential study "Malnutrition and Environmental Enrichment" by Winick et al. (1975) and highlights what are considered to be statistical flaws in its analysis. Data in the classic study of height, weight, and IQ changes in three groups of adopted, malnourished Korean girls are reanalysed and conclusions…

Ramifications of Giftedness for Girls.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lovecky, Deirdre V.

1995-01-01

Gifted girls (n=30) who participated in psychotherapy tended to focus on either social relationships or achievement. Girls who focused on achievement tended to be the brightest and exhibited the cognitive styles of divergent thinking, integrative thinking, or perceptive thinking. These girls also tended to exhibit problems dealing with peers and…

Body Talk for Girls Growing Up.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stubbs, Margaret L.

This pamphlet, targeted to girls, discusses issues surrounding puberty. The introduction describes the reaction of parents' to their children's process of growing up, as well as the reaction of other boys and girls to the physical changes of puberty. Physical changes that happen during puberty for girls and boys are listed. Books for girls on…

And Girl Justice for All: Blending Girl-Specific & Youth Development Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Muno, Ann

2014-01-01

In this article, the author describes a Seattle-based nonprofit organization, Powerful Voices, designed to help girls realize their dreams, engage their communities, and shape a better world. One among many efforts to address the equity gap for girls of color, Powerful Voices intertwines gender- and race-specific practices with evidence-based…

Exclusion of androgen insensitivity syndrome in girls with inguinal hernias: current surgical practice.

PubMed

Burge, D M; Sugarman, I S

2002-12-01

To review the current approach of paediatric surgeons to the exclusion of androgen insensitivity syndrome (CAIS) in girls with inguinal hernias (IH), a questionnaire was sent to all specialist paediatric surgeons in the United Kingdom and Ireland asking if they exclude CAIS, how they exclude it, and what they say to parents preoperatively. In all, 32 surgeons responded (29%); 41% made no attempt to exclude CAIS because they thought the incidence was too low to justify exclusion; 19(59%) excluded CAIS at the time of surgery by assessment of the internal genitalia. Only 1 performed karyotyping primarily, and then only for bilateral IH. Although most would proceed to karyotyping if the primary assessment suggested CAIS, some would not. Of those who exclude CAIS, only 1 mentions CAIS preoperatively, 6 others mention gonadal inspection, and 12/19 (63%) make no comment. Thirty-one surgeons agreed to take part in a prospective study to define the incidence of CAIS in girls with IH. It is concluded that surgeons who exclude CAIS in girls with IH adopt different assessment methods, some of which may be unreliable. However, many do not attempt to exclude CAIS, believing the incidence to be too low. As the health and medicolegal consequences of failing to exclude CAIS may be considerable, surgeons should consider changing their practice. A prospective study should be undertaken to determine the incidence of CAIS in girls with IH.

Do Overweight Girls Overreport Physical Activity?

PubMed Central

McMurray, Robert G.; Ward, Dianne S.; Elder, John P.; Lytle, Leslie A.; Strikmiller, Patricia K.; Baggett, Christopher D.; Young, Deborah R.

2008-01-01

Objective To determine if overweight adolescent girls are more likely to overreport physical activity compared to normal-weight girls. Methods Participation in physical activities and perceived intensity of activities were assessed from the previous day physical activity recall (PDPAR) in 1021 girls aged 11-14 years old (37% overweight). Daily minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) were measured using accelerometery. Results Girls in the “at-risk for overweight” and “overweight” categories had 17.7% and 19.4% fewer minutes of MVPA per block reported on the PDPAR compared to normal-weight girls (P<0.05). Conclusions Overweight adolescent girls tend to overreport their total amount of physical activity. PMID:18241138

[Theory and practice of bionic cultivation of traditional Chinese medicine].

PubMed

Liu, Dahui; Huang, Luqi; Guo, Lanping; Shao, Aijuan; Chen, Meilan

2009-03-01

The bionic cultivation of medicinal plant is an ecological cultivation pattern, which is adopting ecological engineering and modern agricultural techniques to simulate the natural ecosystem of wild medicinal plant community, and has been given greater attention on the agriculture of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). It is also the cross subject that combines Chinese traditional medicine, agronomy, horticulture, ecology, agricultural engineering and management. Moreover, it has significant technology advantages of promoting the sustainable utilization of medicinal plant resources, improving the ecological environment and harmonizing man and nature. So it's important to develop the bionic cultivation of TCM.

Girls in Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MacAulay, Desmond, Ed.

1984-01-01

Girls are only one of several groups that governments in Australia, as in other parts of the world, have recognized as suffering educational disadvantage. The problems of other groups are clear-cut and appropriate action plainly indicated. But in the case of girls, the causes are far more complex, entrenched in society, and education systems have…

Gender Difference in Body Fat for Healthy Chinese Children and Adolescents.

PubMed

Guo, Bin; Wu, Qiulian; Gong, Jian; Xiao, Zeyu; Tang, Yongjin; Shang, Jingjie; Cheng, Yong; Xu, Hao

2016-04-01

This study aimed to establish gender-related differences and the percentile curves for total body fat mass percentage (Total FM%), trunk/appendicular fat mass ratio (TrAppFMR), and fat mass ratio as % fat trunk/% fat lower limb (TrLLFMR) in Chinese children and adolescents using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Children (n = 1541; 764 girls) and adolescents aged 5 to 19 years were recruited from southern China. Total FM% and regional FM were measured by DXA. TrAppFMR values were calculated as trunk FM divided by appendicular FM, and TrLLFMR values were calculated as the ratio between the percentage of trunk FM and the percentage of lower limb FM. Total FM% peaks for boys were at approximately age 11 years and continued to increase for girls throughout adolescence. Median Total FM% at the age of 19 years was 15.53% and 28.06% for boys and girls, respectively. Median TrAppFMR and TrLLFMR increases were 61% and 81% from 5 to 19 years of age in boys compared with those in girls, 31% and 54%. The curves for median TrAppFMR and TrLLFMR in girls were relatively flat, with TrAppFMR and TrLLFMR remaining near 1.0 after 16 years of age, whereas in boys, median TrAppFMR and TrLLFMR increased with age until approximately 19 years. Gender differences in the patterns of proportion and distribution of body fat were found. We present sex-specific percentile curves for Total FM%-age, TrAppFMR-age, and TrLLFMR-age relationships in this population.

Smart Girls, Black Girls, Mean Girls, and Bullies: At the Intersection of Identities and the Mediating Role of Young Girls' Social Network in Mathematical Communities of Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gholson, Maisie; Martin, Danny B.

2014-01-01

By taking an intersectional and emic view to studying a group of African American girls in a third-grade class, we attempted to capture the complexity of mathematics learning for these girls. Traditionally, children's social networks in school are framed as external to mathematics content learning. Our preliminary analyses of student interviews…

Adopted Adolescents' Preoccupation with Adoption: The Impact on Adoptive Family Relationships.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kohler, Julie K.; Grotevant, Harold D.; McRoy, Ruth G.

2002-01-01

Examines relationship between intensity of adopted adolescents' thinking about their adoptions and their adoptive family relationships in 135 adopted adolescents. Adolescents with extremely high levels of preoccupation reported significantly higher levels of alienation and significantly lower levels of trust for their adoptive mothers and fathers.…

NASA Science4Girls: Engaging Girls in STEM at Their Local Library

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meinke, B.; Smith, D.; Bleacher, L.; Hauck, K.; Soeffing, C.; NASA SMD EPO Community

2014-07-01

The NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) Science Education and Public Outreach Forums coordinate the participation of SMD education and public outreach (EPO) programs in Women's History Month through the NASA Science4Girls and Their Families initiative. The initiative partners NASA science education programs with public libraries to provide NASA-themed hands-on education activities for girls and their families. The initiative has expanded from the successful 2012 Astro4Girls pilot to engage girls in all four NASA science discipline areas, which broadens the impact of the pilot by enabling audiences to experience the full range of NASA science topics and the different career skills each requires. The events focus on engaging underserved and underrepresented audiences in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) via use of research-based best practices, collaborations with libraries, partnerships with local and national organizations, and remote engagement of audiences.

[Analysis on composition principles of formulae containing Gardeniae Fructus in dictionary of traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions].

PubMed

Hu, Yan-Zhen; Wei, Jun-Ying; Tang, Shi-Huan; Yang, Hong-Jun

2016-04-01

Gardeniae Fructus, which is widely used in health foods and clinical medicines, is a type of edible food and medicine. Dictionary of traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions provides good materials for prescription analysis and the R&D of traditional Chinese medicines. The composition regularity of formulae containing Gardeniae Fructus in dictionary of traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions was analyzed on the basis of the traditional Chinese medicine inheritance support system(TCMISS), in order to provide reference for clinical application and the R&D of new drugs. TCMISS was applied to establish a database of prescriptions containing Gardeniae Fructus. The software's frequency statistics and association rules and other date mining technologies were adopted to analyze commonly used drugs, combination rules and core combined formulae containing Gardeniae Fructus. Totally 3 523 prescriptions were included in this study and involved 1 725 Chinese herbs. With a support degree of 352(10%) and confidence coefficient of 90%, 57 most commonly used drug combinations were screened. Drugs adopted in core combinations were relatively concentrated and selected according to definite composition methods. They were used to mainly treat 18 diseases. Gardeniae Fructus have often been combined with herbs for heat-clearing and detoxification, expelling pathogenic wind, relieving exterior syndrome, invigorating the circulation of blood and gas and promoting blood circulation for removing blood stasis to mainly treat jaundice, typhoid, headache and other syndromes. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

The development and discussion of computerized visual perception assessment tool for Chinese characters structures - Concurrent estimation of the overall ability and the domain ability in item response theory approach.

PubMed

Wu, Huey-Min; Lin, Chin-Kai; Yang, Yu-Mao; Kuo, Bor-Chen

2014-11-12

Visual perception is the fundamental skill required for a child to recognize words, and to read and write. There was no visual perception assessment tool developed for preschool children based on Chinese characters in Taiwan. The purposes were to develop the computerized visual perception assessment tool for Chinese Characters Structures and to explore the psychometrical characteristic of assessment tool. This study adopted purposive sampling. The study evaluated 551 kindergarten-age children (293 boys, 258 girls) ranging from 46 to 81 months of age. The test instrument used in this study consisted of three subtests and 58 items, including tests of basic strokes, single-component characters, and compound characters. Based on the results of model fit analysis, the higher-order item response theory was used to estimate the performance in visual perception, basic strokes, single-component characters, and compound characters simultaneously. Analyses of variance were used to detect significant difference in age groups and gender groups. The difficulty of identifying items in a visual perception test ranged from -2 to 1. The visual perception ability of 4- to 6-year-old children ranged from -1.66 to 2.19. Gender did not have significant effects on performance. However, there were significant differences among the different age groups. The performance of 6-year-olds was better than that of 5-year-olds, which was better than that of 4-year-olds. This study obtained detailed diagnostic scores by using a higher-order item response theory model to understand the visual perception of basic strokes, single-component characters, and compound characters. Further statistical analysis showed that, for basic strokes and compound characters, girls performed better than did boys; there also were differences within each age group. For single-component characters, there was no difference in performance between boys and girls. However, again the performance of 6-year-olds was better than

The PRC’s Overseas Chinese Policy

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-06-01

of the Cultural Revolution the overseas Chinese were labeled as “ bourgeoisie ” and “capitalists.” With their fall from grace, Beijing discontinued...and town who led a comfortable bourgeoisie existence, and who were an object of considerable resentment. And while there remained even limited...to include Japan, Germany, France , Italy, Britain, Belgium, Bulgaria and etc. supported China’s adoption of the anti-secession law aimed to prevent

The Adoption of Instructional Technology by Chinese Women Faculty in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lu, Yixin

2013-01-01

While some institutions of higher learning encourage faculty adoption of newer instructional technologies into practice, various factors contribute to integration or hesitancy of acceptance. These base level factors are compounded when issues of culture and identity are considered. This quantitative study examined the characteristics of Chinese…

An Integrated Model for Effective Knowledge Management in Chinese Organizations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

An, Xiaomi; Deng, Hepu; Wang, Yiwen; Chao, Lemen

2013-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to provide organizations in the Chinese cultural context with a conceptual model for an integrated adoption of existing knowledge management (KM) methods and to improve the effectiveness of their KM activities. Design/methodology/approaches: A comparative analysis is conducted between China and the western…

Sixty Girls, Three Nuns, One Home.

PubMed

Smeltzer, Carolyn Hope

2016-04-01

This article describes the experience of a nurse volunteer working with girls in India who had been trafficked and/or were children of mothers who were (are) prostitutes. The article describes how nuns who care, provide values and a safe home give the girls opportunities. The article illustrates how, with little recourse, three nuns care for 60 girls living in one home. The girls range in age from 4 to 18 years. The girls are motivated to live happily, work hard, study often, and play together. Lessons learned from the nurse volunteer who worked and lived with the girls are described. This article illustrates how nurses in retirement can still fulfill their passion of helping others. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Mandarin Chinese Dictionary: English-Chinese.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Fred Fangyu

This dictionary is a companion volume to the "Mandarin Chinese Dictionary (Chinese-English)" published in 1967 by Seton Hall University. The purpose of the dictionary is to help English-speaking students produce Chinese sentences in certain cultural situations by looking up the English expressions. Natural, spoken Chinese expressions within the…

Associations Between Parenting Styles and Perceived Child Effortful Control Within Chinese Families in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Taiwan

PubMed Central

Huang, Ching-Yu; Cheah, Charissa S. L.; Lamb, Michael E.; Zhou, Nan

2017-01-01

The current study examined the associations between parentally perceived child effortful control (EC) and the parenting styles of 122 Chinese mothers (36 first-generation Chinese immigrants in the United Kingdom, 40 first-generation Chinese immigrants in the United States, and 46 Taiwanese mothers) of 5- to 7-year-old (M age = 5.82 years, SD = .805; 68 boys and 54 girls) children. The findings showed significant cultural group differences in mothers’ reported authoritarian parenting style. Significant associations also emerged between mothers’ reports of their children’s EC and some parenting dimensions, although there were no cultural group differences in perceived child EC. Different patterns of associations between perceived child EC and parenting styles in these three groups also demonstrated heterogeneity within the Chinese population, and highlighted the need to consider differences between original and receiving societies when seeking to understand parenting and child development in different immigrant groups. PMID:29276309

Associations Between Parenting Styles and Perceived Child Effortful Control Within Chinese Families in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Taiwan.

PubMed

Huang, Ching-Yu; Cheah, Charissa S L; Lamb, Michael E; Zhou, Nan

2017-07-01

The current study examined the associations between parentally perceived child effortful control (EC) and the parenting styles of 122 Chinese mothers (36 first-generation Chinese immigrants in the United Kingdom, 40 first-generation Chinese immigrants in the United States, and 46 Taiwanese mothers) of 5- to 7-year-old ( M age = 5.82 years, SD = .805; 68 boys and 54 girls) children. The findings showed significant cultural group differences in mothers' reported authoritarian parenting style. Significant associations also emerged between mothers' reports of their children's EC and some parenting dimensions, although there were no cultural group differences in perceived child EC. Different patterns of associations between perceived child EC and parenting styles in these three groups also demonstrated heterogeneity within the Chinese population, and highlighted the need to consider differences between original and receiving societies when seeking to understand parenting and child development in different immigrant groups.

An Exploration of Stem, Entrepreneurship, and Impact on Girls in an Independent Day School

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kelly, Ryan P.

The 21st century has seen a pervasive theme in STEM continue from the 20th century: women do not pursue and persist in STEM careers at anywhere near the rate of men. Furthermore, STEM education has fallen short in preparing its students to enter the workforce as entrepreneurial knowledge workers prepared to innovate. As STEM and entrepreneurship receive unprecedented attention in scholarly circles, the first purpose of this mixed methods study at an independent day school was to examine the impact of a predominately female STEEM (i.e., science, technology, engineering, entrepreneurship and mathematics) teaching staff on girls' perceptions of STEEM. The second purpose of this study was to examine the impact of adding entrepreneurship to a STEM curriculum. The ultimate goals of this study were to inform local policy and practice. Through teacher interviews, student focus groups, and a student survey, this study investigated the impact of female teachers and a recently established entrepreneurship-infused curriculum. The theory of action guiding this school is that female STEEM teachers and the inclusion of entrepreneurship skills and projects can improve girls' perceptions of the STEM classroom, helping them to view STEM as less gender-oriented (i.e., male-oriented), and thereby make these classes feel more welcoming to girls. This is aimed at increasing their adoption of STEM majors in college and STEM careers after they graduate. This study has four major findings. First, the predominantly female STEEM faculty appeared to build girls' confidence in their STEEM classes. Second, the STEEM teachers use active learning and critical thinking to engage the girls in their classes. Third, the introduction of entrepreneurship appears to have helped increase girls' interest in STEM. Last, even while discussing their efforts to increase girls' engagement with STEM, many teachers celebrate gender blindness. These findings raised a number issues that should be important

Helping Girls Get Back on Track: An Implementation Study of the PACE Center for Girls

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Treskon, Louisa; Millenky, Megan; Freedman, Lily

2017-01-01

PACE Center for Girls is a unique program that provides academic and social services to girls ages 11 to 18. Girls eligible for PACE exhibit multiple health, safety, and delinquency risk factors, such as poor academic performance, exposure to abuse or violence, truancy, risky sexual behavior, and substance abuse. PACE seeks to help them onto a…

Inspiring Girls in STEM Subjects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Elson, Jane

2016-01-01

In her science teaching, Jane Elson had always treated the boys and girls the same but, having become conscious of how important it is for girls to see and experience female role models in science, she decided that for one specific event she would give the girls the opportunity to see the range of careers that studying STEM (science technology,…

The Development of Empathy in Chinese and American Children Between Three and Six Years of Age: A Cross-Cultural Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Borke, Helene

A series of social interaction situations representing the four emotions of happy, afraid, sad, and angry were administered to 288 American children and 288 Chinese children. Twenty-four girls and 24 boys, half from middle class families and half from disadvantaged families, were tested at six-month intervals between 3 and 6 years of age. Children…

Girls' Success: Mentoring Guide on Transitioning Girls from School to Work

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barron, Liza; Bertone, Andrea

2011-01-01

Mentoring girls is a challenge. Girls will come to mentors with hard questions and great hope. Sometimes mentors will be able to help make their lives better; other times they will feel that they have not done very much. This guide serves as a road map for mentors. This guide focuses on a very important step in young women's journey toward…

What HIV programs work for adolescent girls?

PubMed

Hardee, Karen; Gay, Jill; Croce-Galis, Melanie; Afari-Dwamena, Nana Ama

2014-07-01

Adolescent girls face unique challenges in reducing their risk of acquiring HIV because of gender inequalities, but much of HIV programming and evaluation lacks a specific focus on female adolescents. This article, based on a review of 150 studies and evaluations from 2001 to June 2013, reviews evidence on programming for adolescents that is effective for girls or could be adapted to be effective for girls. The evidence suggests specific interventions for adolescent girls across 3 critical areas: (1) an enabling environment, including keeping girls in school, promoting gender equity, strengthening protective legal norms, and reducing gender-based violence; (2) information and service needs, including provision of age-appropriate comprehensive sex education, increasing knowledge about and access to information and services, and expanding harm reduction programs for adolescent girls who inject drugs; and (3) social support, including promoting caring relationships with adults and providing support for adolescent female orphans and vulnerable children. Numerous gaps remain in evidence-based programming for adolescent girls, including a lack of sex- and age-disaggregated data and the fact that many programs are not explicitly designed or evaluated with adolescents in mind. However, evidence reinforces bolstering critical areas such as education, services, and support for adolescent girls. This article contributes to the growing body of literature on HIV and adolescent girls and reviews the vulnerabilities of girls, articulates the challenges of programming, develops a framework for addressing the needs of girls, and reviews the evidence for successful programming for adolescent girls.

[Construction of competency model of 'excellent doctor' in Chinese medicine].

PubMed

Jin, Aning; Tian, Yongquan; Zhao, Taiyang

2014-05-01

To evaluate outstanding and ordinary persons from personal characteristics using competency as the important criteria, which is the future direction of medical education reform. We carried on a behavior event interview about famous doctors of old traditional Chinese medicine, compiled competency dictionary, proceed control prediction test. SPSS and AMOS were used to be data analysis tools on statistics. We adopted the model of peer assessment and contrast to carry out empirical research. This project has carried on exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis, established a "5A" competency model which include moral ability, thinking ability, communication ability, learning and practical ability. Competency model of "excellent doctor" in Chinese medicine has been validated, with good reliability and validity, and embodies the characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine personnel training, with theoretical and practical significance for excellence in medicine physician training.

Promoting Physical Activity in Middle School Girls: Trial of Activity for Adolescent Girls

PubMed Central

Webber, Larry S.; Catellier, Diane J.; Lytle, Leslie A.; Murray, David M.; Pratt, Charlotte A.; Young, Deborah R.; Elder, John P.; Lohman, Timothy G.; Stevens, June; Jobe, Jared B.; Pate, Russell R.

2008-01-01

Background Physical activity is important for weight control and good health; however, activity levels decline in the adolescent years, particularly in girls. Design Group randomized controlled trial Setting/participants Middle school girls with English-speaking skills and no conditions to prevent participation in physical activity in 36 schools in six geographically diverse areas of the United States. Random, cross-sectional samples were drawn within schools: 6th graders in 2003 (n=1721) and 8th graders in 2005 (n=3504) and 2006 (n=3502). Intervention A 2-year study-directed intervention (fall 2003 to spring 2005) targeted schools, community agencies, and girls to increase opportunities, support, and incentives for increased physical activity. Components included programs linking schools and community agencies, physical education, health education, and social marketing. A third-year intervention used school and community personnel to direct intervention activities. Main outcome measures The primary outcome, daily MET-weighted minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MET-weighted MVPA), was assessed using accelerometry. Percent body fat was assessed using anthropometry. Results After the staff-directed intervention (pre-stated primary outcome), there were no differences (mean= −0.4, 95% CI= CI= −8.2 to 7.4) in adjusted MET-weighted MVPA between 8th-grade girls in schools assigned to intervention or control. Following the Program Champion–directed intervention, girls in intervention schools were more physically active than girls in control schools (mean difference 10.9 MET-weighted minutes of MVPA, 95% CI=0.52–21.2). This difference is about 1.6 minutes of daily MVPA or 80 kcal per week. There were no differences in fitness or percent body fat at either 8th-grade timepoint. Conclusion A school-based, community-linked intervention modestly improved physical activity in girls. PMID:18312804

Biphasic growth of orbital volume in Chinese children.

PubMed

Wei, Nan; Bi, Hua; Zhang, Bin; Li, Xue; Sun, Fengyuan; Qian, Xuehan

2017-09-01

The aim of this study was to map out the developmental curve of the orbital volume of Chinese children aged 1-15 years. CT scanning was performed on 109 children and the orbital volume, interlateral orbital rim distance (IORD), and extent of exophthalmos were measured on the CT images and plotted against age. The development of the orbit structure followed a biphasic pattern. The first growth phase was before 3 years and the second growth phase was between 7 years and 12 years of age. The growth speed in the first phase was about 3 times that of the second one (first vs second phase: 2.28 cm 3 /year vs 0.67 cm 3 /year for orbital volume, 5.01 mm/year vs 1.57 mm/year for IORD, 1.29 mm/year vs 0.42 mm/year for the exophthalmos). During development, there was no significant difference between the left and right orbits. There was no significant difference between boys and girls before 12 years of age. However, after 12 years of age, boys had significantly larger orbital volumes (22.16±2.28 cm 3 /year vs 18.57±1.16 cm 3 /year, p<0.001) and a greater IORD (96.29±3.18 mm/year vs 91.00±4.54 mm/year, p<0.001) than girls. In Chinese children, the development of orbital volume follows a biphasic pattern and a sex difference becomes significant after the age of 12 years. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Diagnostic accuracy of different body weight and height-based definitions of childhood obesity in identifying overfat among Chinese children and adolescents: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Wang, Lin; Hui, Stanley Sai-chuen

2015-08-20

Various body weight and height-based references are used to define obese children and adolescents. However, no study investigating the diagnostic accuracies of the definitions of obesity and overweight in Hong Kong Chinese children and adolescents has been conducted. The current study aims to investigate the diagnostic accuracy of BMI-based definitions and 1993 HK reference in screening excess body fat among Hong Kong Chinese children and adolescents. A total of 2,134 participants (1,135 boys and 999 girls) were recruited from local schools. The foot-to-foot BIA scale was applied to assess %BF using standard methods. The criterion of childhood obesity (i.e., overfat) was defined as over 25 %BF for boys and over 30 %BF for girls. Childhood obesity was also determined from four BMI-based references and the 1993 HK reference. The diagnostic accuracy of these existing definitions for childhood obesity in screening excess body fat was evaluated using diagnostic indices. Overall, %BF was significantly correlated with anthropometry measurements in both genders (in boys, r = 0.747 for BMI 0.766 for PWH; in girls, r = 0.930 for BMI 0.851 for PWH). The prevalence rates of overweight and obesity determined by BMI-based references were similar with the prevalence rates of obesity in the 1993 HK reference in both genders. All definitions for childhood obesity showed low sensitivity (in boys, 0.325-0.761; in girls, 0.128-0.588) in detecting overfat. Specificities were high for cut-offs among all definitions for childhood obesity (in boys, 0.862-0.980; in girls, 0.973-0.998). In conclusion, prevalence rates of childhood obesity or overweight varied widely according to the diagnostic references applied. The diagnostic performance for weight and height-based references for obesity is poorer than expected for both genders among Hong Kong Chinese children and adolescents. In order to improve the diagnosis accuracy of childhood obesity, either cut-off values of body weight and

Impact of a School-Based Sexual Abuse Prevention Education Program on the Knowledge and Attitude of High School Girls

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ogunfowokan, Adesola A.; Fajemilehin, Reuben B.

2012-01-01

Sexual abuse has been considered a public health issue because of the various health implications resulting from it. The school nurse has a responsibility in assisting the high school girl to prevent victimization. This study adopted a quasi-experimental design in which a sexual abuse prevention education package was developed and used to educate…

Randomized trials published in Chinese or Western journals: comparative empirical analysis.

PubMed

Purgato, Marianna; Cipriani, Andrea; Barbui, Corrado

2012-06-01

A major concern to the inclusion in systematic reviews of studies originating in China and published in Chinese journals refers to the quality of study reporting. In this systematic survey of randomized trials, we compared the characteristics of studies published in Chinese journals with those of studies published in Western journals. We included 69 studies comparing citalopram with other antidepressant drugs in the treatment of major depression. Of these, 37 (54%) were published in Chinese journals. The standard of reporting was generally poor in both Western and Chinese studies. In some Chinese studies, the generation of the randomization sequence raised concern about their experimental nature, and in almost all included studies, the concealment of allocation was not properly described. Blinding was seldom adopted in Chinese studies, and the risk of sponsorship bias was uncertain because Chinese studies did not report any financial support. In most Western studies, outcome data were selectively and incompletely reported. Pooling together all trials revealed that citalopram was similarly effective in comparison with all other antidepressant drugs both in Western studies (standardized mean difference, -0.04; 95% confidence interval, -0.15 to 0.06) and in Chinese studies (standardized mean difference, -0.08, 95% confidence interval, -0.18 to 0.02). Randomized controlled trials published in Chinese journals represent most of the studies included in this review. This suggests that omitting to search biomedical databases originating from China would systematically exclude a relevant proportion of randomized trials published in Chinese journals, with a risk of random error or bias. The increasing inclusion of Chinese studies in systematic reviews reinforces the need to check the quality of randomized trials that are meta-analyzed.

The tribal girl child in Rajasthan.

PubMed

Bhanti, R

1995-01-01

This article describes the status of the girl child among tribes in India. Tribes have son preference but do not discriminate against girls by female infanticide or sex determination tests. Girls do not inherit land, but they are not abused, hated, or subjected to rigid social norms. Girls are not veiled and are free to participate in dancing and other recreational programs. There is no dowry on marriage. The father of the bridegroom pays a brideprice to the father of the girl. Widowed or divorced women are free to marry again. Daughters care for young children, perform housework, and work in the field with their brothers. In the tribal village of Choti Underi girls were not discriminated against in health and nutrition, but there was a gender gap in education. Both girls and boys were equally exposed to infection and undernourishment. Tribals experience high rates of infant and child mortality due to poverty and its related malnutrition. Child labor among tribals is a way of life for meeting the basic needs of the total household. A recent report on tribals in Rajasthan reveals that 15-20% of child labor involved work in mines that were dangerous to children's health. Girl children had no security provisions or minimum wages. Tribal children were exploited by human service agencies. Child laborers were raped. Government programs in tribal areas should focus on improving living conditions for children in general. Special programs for girls are needed for providing security in the workplace and increasing female educational levels. More information is needed on the work burden of tribal girls that may include wage employment as well as housework.

Validation of a questionnaire on behaviour academic competence among Chinese preschool children.

PubMed

Leung, Cynthia; Lo, S K; Leung, Shirley S L

2012-01-01

The aim of this study was to validate a questionnaire on academic competence behaviour for use with Chinese preschool children in Hong Kong. A parent version and a teacher version were developed and evaluated. The participants included 457 children (230 boys and 227 girls) aged four and five years old, their preschool teachers and their parents. Besides, 44 children (39 boys and 5 girls) with developmental disabilities were recruited. The children were assessed on the cognitive domain of the Preschool Development Assessment Scale (PDAS). Their parents completed a questionnaire on academic competence behaviour, as well as the Strength and Difficulty Scale (SDQ). Their teachers completed the questionnaire on academic competence behaviour. Rasch analysis results provided support for the unidimensionality of the parent and teacher versions of the scale, with one item deleted. The parent and teacher versions of the revised scale correlated positively with the cognitive domain of the PDAS and the prosocial scale of the SDQ and negatively with SDQ total problem behaviour score. Children with developmental delay were assigned lower scores by their parents and teachers, compared with preschool children, on the revised versions of the academic competence behaviour scale. Reliability estimates (Cronbach's alpha) of the parent and teacher versions of this revised scale were above .80. The results suggested that the two versions of academic competence behaviour scales were promising instruments for the assessment of academic competence behaviour among Chinese preschool children. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Differences between non-suicidal self injury and suicide attempt in Chinese adolescents.

PubMed

Liang, Sugai; Yan, Jing; Zhang, Tao; Zhu, Cuizhen; Situ, Minging; Du, Na; Fu, Xueyin; Huang, Yi

2014-04-01

Self-harm behaviors are predominant health risks among adolescents. This study aimed to elucidate the lifetime prevalence and differences in social psychological factors between non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and suicide attempt (SA) among Chinese adolescents. Data were collected from 2131 middle school students with a mean age of 13.92 (SD 1.63) years (49.1% girls). Participants were asked to self-report NSSI and SA over their lifetime. Post hoc tests pairwise comparisons and multinomial logistic regression analyses were conducted to investigate differences and similarities between subjects with NSSI and attempted suicide. The prevalence of lifetime NSSI and SA endorsed by the participants were 23.2% and 3.2%, respectively, and the co-occurrence of these two behaviors (NSSI+SA) was reported to 2.3%. Boys were comparable with girls in the prevalence rate of NSSI, but not in the rate of SA. It revealed that single-child was not the risk factor for self-harm behavior in Mainland China, but lower higher family cohesion and adaptability. Factors that distinguished the NSSI+SA group from the NSSI only group were female gender, lower grade, impulsivity, health risk behaviors and family cohesion. Being female gender, single-parent family, depressive symptoms and impulsivity were factors differentiating attempted suicide from NSSI. Our findings suggest that Chinese adolescents engaging both in NSSI and SA had severe suicidal attempts and were different from those who engaged in NSSI alone. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Exploring experiences among adopters during the diffusion of a novel dance intervention in Sweden.

PubMed

Carlsson, Noomi; Kullberg, Agneta; Johansson, Ida-Klara; Bergman, Paula; Skagerström, Janna; Andersson, Agneta

2018-12-01

There is a demand for interventions aimed at adolescent girls with psychosomatic problems. In 2013, positive results were reported from a dance intervention programme addressing girls with internalizing problems. The research team behind the intervention immediately received requests from municipalities and county councils interested in using the intervention. From an implementation point of view it is unclear what made the intervention spread without an active plan. The aim of this study was to explore adopters' experiences about the diffusion and initiation of a public health intervention targeting adolescent girls with internalizing problems. Interviews were conducted with 12 people who were engaged in initiating the intervention in different settings. Data were analysed using conventional content analysis, yielding three categories: perceived appeal and trustworthiness, convenient information, and contextual factors. The results reflected that the participants found that there was a need for an intervention and found the dance intervention to be evidence based and not too complex to perform. Further, there was available information on the project which could easily be distributed to decision makers and others. When initiating the intervention, factors related to economy, possibility for collaboration and recruitment were of importance.

Britney, Beyonce, and Me--Primary School Girls' Role Models and Constructions of the "Popular" Girl

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Read, Barbara

2011-01-01

This paper looks at the ways in which the gendered social construction of the "popular girl" infuses girls' ideas as to their role models: those representing who they would like to be when they "grow up". It will look at the ways in which the gendered characteristics that are seen to be of most value to girls (often embodied by "celebrities" such…

An Inaugural Girl Scout Destinations Astronomy Camp

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lebofsky, Larry A.; McCarthy, Donald W.; Wright, Joe; Wright, Rita; Mace, Mikayla; Floyd, Charmayne

2017-10-01

The University of Arizona (UA) conducted its first teenage Girl Scout Destinations Astronomy Camp. This program was preceded by 24 Leadership Workshops for Adult Girl Scout Leaders, initially supported by EPO funding from NIRCam for JWST. For five days in late June, 24 girls (ages 13-17 years) attended from 16 states. The Camp was led by UA astronomers and long-term educators. Representing Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) were a husband/wife amateur astronomer team who are SOFIA Airborne Astronomy and NASA Solar System Ambassadors. Other leaders included a Stanford undergraduate engineering student who is a lifelong Girl Scout and Gold Award recipient and a recent UA Master’s degree science journalist. The Camp is a residential, hands-on “immersion” adventure in scientific exploration using telescopes in southern Arizona’s Catalina Mountains near Tucson. Under uniquely dark skies girls become real astronomers, operating telescopes (small and large) and associated technologies, interacting with scientists, obtaining images and quantitative data, investigating their own questions, and most importantly having fun actually doing science and building observing equipment. Girls achieve a basic understanding of celestial objects, how and why they move, and their historical significance, leading to an authentic understanding of science, research, and engineering. Girls can lead these activities back home in their own troops and councils, encouraging others to consider STEM field careers. These programs are supported by a 5-year NASA Collaborative Agreement, Reaching for the Stars: NASA Science for Girl Scouts (www.seti.org/GirlScoutStars), through the SETI Institute in collaboration with the UA, GSUSA, Girl Scouts of Northern California, the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, and Aries Scientific, Inc. The Girl Scout Destinations Astronomy Camp aligns with the GSUSA Journey: It’s Your Planet-Love It! and introduces the girls to some of the activities being

"In the Eye of the Beholder...": Girls', Boys' and Teachers' Perceptions of Boys' Aggression to Girls

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Owens, Laurence; Shute, Rosalyn; Slee, Phillip

2005-01-01

Because children and young teenagers usually associate in same-sex groups, psychological research concerned with adolescent aggression has often concentrated on within-sex relationships. However, during adolescence, boys and girls increasingly interact socially. This paper reports a study of boy-to-girl aggression as perceived by girls, boys and…

Urinary tract infection in girls - aftercare

MedlinePlus

... improve within 1 to 2 days in most girls. The advice below may not be as accurate for girls with more complex problems. ... The following steps can help prevent UTIs in girls: Avoid giving your child bubble baths. Have your ...

Attracting Girls into Physics (abstract)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gadalla, Afaf

2009-04-01

A recent international study of women in physics showed that enrollment in physics and science is declining for both males and females and that women are severely underrepresented in careers requiring a strong physics background. The gender gap begins early in the pipeline, from the first grade. Girls are treated differently than boys at home and in society in ways that often hinder their chances for success. They have fewer freedoms, are discouraged from accessing resources or being adventurous, have far less exposure to problem solving, and are not encouraged to choose their lives. In order to motivate more girl students to study physics in the Assiut governorate of Egypt, the Assiut Alliance for the Women and Assiut Education District collaborated in renovating the education of physics in middle and secondary school classrooms. A program that helps in increasing the number of girls in science and physics has been designed in which informal groupings are organized at middle and secondary schools to involve girls in the training and experiences needed to attract and encourage girls to learn physics. During implementation of the program at some schools, girls, because they had not been trained in problem-solving as boys, appeared not to be as facile in abstracting the ideas of physics, and that was the primary reason for girls dropping out of science and physics. This could be overcome by holding a topical physics and technology summer school under the supervision of the Assiut Alliance for the Women.

Validity and test-retest reliability in assessing current body size with figure drawings in Chinese adolescents.

PubMed

Lo, Wing-Sze; Ho, Sai-Yin; Wong, Bonny Yee-Man; Mak, Kwok-Kei; Lam, Tai-Hing

2011-06-01

The reliability and validity of Stunkard's Figure Rating Scale (FRS) as a measure of current body size (CBS) was established in Western adolescent girls but not in non-Western population. We examined the validity and test-retest reliability of Stunkard's FRS in assessing CBS among Chinese adolescents. Methods. In a school-based survey in Hong Kong, 5666 adolescents (boys: 45.1%; mean age 14.7 years) provided data on self-reported height and weight, CBS, perceived weight status, and health-related quality of life using the Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form version 2 (SF-12v2). Height and weight were also objectively measured. Spearman's correlation was used to assess construct validity, concurrent validity and test-retest reliability. Convergent and discriminant validity were good: CBS correlated strongly with weight and self-reported/measured BMI, but only weakly with SF-12v2. CBS correlated strongly with perceived weight status, showing concurrent validity. Spearman's correlation (r) for CBS was 0.78 for girls and 0.72 for boys indicating good test-retest reliability. Validity and reliability results did not differ significantly between senior and junior grade adolescents. Our findings support the use of Stunkard's FRS to measure body size among Chinese adolescents.

Lymphoid papillary hyperplasia of the palatine tonsil: a Chinese case report

PubMed Central

Zhao, Ming; Yu, Jingjing; Li, Changshui

2013-01-01

Lymphoid papillary hyperplasia is a rare abnormality of the tonsils with a predilection for affecting young Asian girls. Herein, we report a 31-year-old Chinese woman presented as right lateral recurrent tonsillar hypertrophy with odynophagia and dysphagia over the past 5 years, worsening over a period of for half a year. Clinically, this lesion was similar to papillomatosis or lymphoid polyposis. However, histopathologic study showed a distinctive form of lymphoid hyperplasia with considerable distinct finger-like projections composed of many phyllodes which contained remarkable follicular lymphoid hyperplasia. This is the only Chinese case of lymphoid papillary hyperplasia of the palatine tonsils that has been reported in the most recent English literature so far. The importance of recognizing this disorder rests in the fact that in spite of the clinical features suggestive of both a benign and a malignant tumor, however, the process is a benign tumor-like proliferation, probably non-neoplastic, could easily be cured by tonsillectomy. PMID:24040465

SciTech Clubs for Girls. [Annual] technical report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nogal, A.M.

1993-02-01

Since January 1992, 9 exhibits have been constructed by the SciTech Clubs for Girls, which involved 63 girls, ages 10 to 14. These exhibits are: Bubble Shapes by the St. Charles Cadette Girl Scout Troop No. 109. Density Games by the South Elgin Cadette Girl Scout Troop No. 132. Electric Fleas by the Warrenville Junior Girl Scout Troop No. 305. Energy vs. Power by the Aurora Junior Girl Scout Troop No. 242. The Organ Pipe by the Bartlett Junior Girl Scout Troop No. 107. Ohm`s Law by the Geneva Junior Girl Scout Troop No. 401. What is Gravity by themore » Pilsen YMCA girls. Insulation at Work by the Algonquin Junior Girl Scout Troop No. 303. Series vs. Parallel by the Leland Junior Girl Scout Troop No. 50. The report is a description of each exhibit and the group that built the exhibit. Each group had a minimum of 10 hours of contact time at SciTech with the SciTech Clubs for Girls Program Coordinator. All mentors are female. Each exhibit building experience includes a trip to the hardware store to purchase supplies. After the exhibit is complete, the girls receive certificates of achievement and a SciTech Club Patch.« less

Microbiological findings of vulvovaginitis in prepubertal girls.

PubMed

Bumbulienė, Žana; Venclavičiūtė, Karolina; Ramašauskaite, Diana; Arlauskiene, Audrone; Bumbul, Elžbieta; Drąsutiene, Gražina

2014-01-01

To compare vaginal culture results between prepubertal girls with and without vulvovaginitis, and obtain an overview of the most commonly encountered microbes. Prospective descriptive study. Outpatient clinic of Vilnius University Hospital Santariskiu Klinikos during September 2011-December 2012. 115 prepubertal girls with vulvovaginitis symptoms and additionally 20 age-matched asymptomatic girls. Each girl had a vaginal smear carried out using a sterile swab from the introitus or lower third of the vagina. All samples were referred to the microbiology laboratory where standard microbiological diagnostic procedures were performed. Positive microbiological findings were seen in all 115 (100%) symptomatic girls and in 12 (60%) control group girls (p<0.001). Pathogenic bacteria were found only in symptomatic girls. Statistically significant differences in bacteria culture results (pure or mixed) and growth of isolated bacteria colonies between patients versus healthy girls were found (p<0.05). The dominant bacteria in the target group, accounting for 66% of all isolated microbes, were Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus coagulase negative, Streptococcus α haemolyticus and A group Streptococcus β haemolyticus. The bacteria of faecal origin were isolated from 61 (53%) girls with vulvovaginitis and from 5 (25%) girls without vaginal inflammation (p<0.05). Instances of Candida species were extremely rare (2.6%). Positive microbiological findings, mixed bacteria cultures and a high growth of bacteria colonies are found significantly more often in girls with vulvovaginitis. The main causative premenarchal vulvovaginitis agents are faecal in origin.

Chinese handwriting performance in preterm children in grade 2

PubMed Central

Chang, Shao-Hsia; Hong, Rong-Bin

2018-01-01

Background First graders born prematurely perform poorly on handwriting speed and legibility. However, whether there are specific legibility factors in which preterm children demonstrate difficulty remains unknown. In addition, handwriting performance beyond the first grade and the influence of sex on handwriting performance in preterm children are still unclear. We aimed to investigate the influence of prematurity and sex on multiple dimensions of handwriting in grade two and to identify the contributors to performance. Methods Sixty-three preterm (34 boys and 29 girls) and 67 full-term (27 boys and 40 girls) peers in grade two were included. Class teachers were asked to complete the Chinese Handwriting Evaluation Form. A subgroup of 39 preterm children received assessments on intelligence, visual perception, tactile and kinesthetic sensation, and fine motor skills. Their inattention behavior was rated using a maternal self-report with a behavioral scale. Results Boys born prematurely exhibited poorer performance in the speed dimension than full-term boys (p = 0.008), whereas there was comparable performance in the two groups of girls (p = 0.221). In the dimensions related to legibility, preterm boys (32.4%) had a higher percentage of children with difficulty in the construction dimension than the other groups (preterm girls: 6.9%, full-term boys: 7.4%, full-term girls: 5.0%). However, no group difference was found in the dimensions of accuracy and directionality. Of the sensory-perceptual-motor factors, attention was the most significant predictor of accuracy in performance (p = 0.046) and speed dimensions (p = 0.001) in preterm children. Conclusions Boys appear to be vulnerable to the adverse impacts of preterm birth in terms of performance in the dimensions of speed and construction in grade two. Based on the significant contribution of attention to handwriting performance in preterm children, assessment and intervention in the area of attention is strongly

Girls and war: an extra vulnerability.

PubMed

Black, M

1998-01-01

It is no longer possible to consider the raping of girls as an isolated atrocity of war. In Uganda, guerrilla forces have kidnapped 6000-10,000 children and have forced the "most desirable" girls to become "wives" of warlords. Girls who manage to escape are deeply traumatized and suffer ill health as well as possible social ostracism. In refugee camps, recognition that adolescent girls face special risks of rape and of engaging in the informal prostitution that may expose them to HIV/AIDS has led to the introduction of new measures to increase female security. Families in refugee camps in Burundi and Somalia protect female honor by submitting their daughters to very early marriage, which also abuses the girls' rights. Girls conscripted to military groups are forced to transport materials, cook, or help loot villages. In conditions of war, even girls who remain at home protected by their families must assume extra responsibilities, especially if men go off to fight leaving women with the agricultural and livestock burdens. Girls will be the first children withdrawn from school to help keep the household afloat. Girls and women are also expected to tend those wounded by the very war that destroys the health care services that are vital to meet women's reproductive needs. Efforts are being made to identify rape as a specific war crime, and these efforts should be extended to the kidnapping and forced recruitment of children into combat roles. Moral codes must be reestablished, even if they are only nominal at present.

Girl child and environment.

PubMed

Gopaldas, T; Gujral, S

1995-01-01

This article discusses the living environment and nutritional status of the girl child in India: dwelling, water source, toilet facilities, diet, literacy status, physical growth pattern, infant mortality, and micronutrient deficiencies. During 1974 and 1980, the normal nutritional pattern of pre-school age children improved. Stunting fluctuated and gradually declined from 57.9% to 44.8%. Wasting declined from 3.5% to 2.4%. Stunting and wasting declined from 3.3% to 2.0%. 8% of children 0-3 years old had vitamin A deficiencies, and 20% of children 3-6 years old had vitamin A deficiencies. Vitamin A deficiencies were highest at 41% among children 10-15 years old. Iron deficiencies ranged from 12% to 48%. The highest deficits were in younger age groups. Girl children begin household chores at the age of 5 years. By the age of 15 years, girls may work 10 hours a day at housework. Girls who obtain water at a distance from the home experience drains in energy from an undernourished body. Women who fetch water are not able to look after their children properly. Unsafe water, unsanitary toilet facilities, and poor sanitation contribute to morbidity and ill health. The proportion of boys reaching secondary levels of schooling was 2-4 times higher than girls. Girls tend to be about 2 cm shorter at birth. Gender gaps in height were wider at 3 years of age. Weight deficits of girls increased from about 5 kgs at 6 years of age to 20 kgs at 15 years of age. Height deficits of almost 8 cm at 6 years of age doubled by 15 years of age. Poorly nourished mothers tend to give birth to low birth weight (LBW) babies (under 145 cm and below 40 kg). LBW babies tend to show poor growth in weight and height over time. The cycle of poor nutrition, poor health, and unsanitary living conditions repeats itself.

Fighting like a girl fighting like a guy: gender identity, ideology, and girls at early adolescence.

PubMed

Brown, Lyn Mikel; Tappan, Mark B

2008-01-01

In this chapter we explore the phenomenon of "girls fighting like guys" by listening to adolescent girls' justification for physical fighting with other girls. We argue that physical girlfighting is a particular kind of gendered performance--a performance of identity that expresses, at least in part, an answer to the question, "Who am I?"--that both perpetuates and challenges the usual notions of masculinity and femininity and the differential power associated with these discourses. We present a sociocultural approach to identity that we believe not only holds promise for helping us to understand girl-fighting behavior but also highlights the clear interrelationship between social identity and personal identity. We conclude by highlighting several implications of this analysis for those who work with girls (and boys) in educational and clinical settings.

Menarcheal age of girls from dysfunctional families.

PubMed

Toromanović, Alma; Tahirović, Husref

2004-07-01

The objective of the present study was to determine median age at menarche and the influence of familial instability on maturation. The sample included 7047 girls between the ages of 9 and 17 years from Tuzla Canton. The girls were divided into two groups. Group A (N=5230) comprised girls who lived in families free of strong traumatic events. Group B (N=1817) included girls whose family dysfunction exposed them to prolonged distress. Probit analysis was performed to estimate mean menarcheal age using the Probit procedure of SAS package. The mean menarcheal age calculated by probit analysis for all the girls studied was 13.07 years. In girls from dysfunctional families a very clear shift toward earlier maturation was observed. The mean age at menarche for group B was 13.0 years, which was significantly lower that that for group A, 13.11 years (t=2.92, P<0.01). The results surveyed here lead to the conclusion that girls from dysfunctional families mature not later but even earlier than girls from normal families. This supports the hypothesis that stressful childhood life events accelerate maturation of girls.

A model for promoting physical activity among rural South African adolescent girls

PubMed Central

Kinsman, John; Norris, Shane A.; Kahn, Kathleen; Twine, Rhian; Riggle, Kari; Edin, Kerstin; Mathebula, Jennifer; Ngobeni, Sizzy; Monareng, Nester; Micklesfield, Lisa K.

2015-01-01

Background In South Africa, the expanding epidemic of non-communicable diseases is partly fuelled by high levels of physical inactivity and sedentary behaviour. Women especially are at high risk, and interventions promoting physical activity are urgently needed for girls in their adolescence, as this is the time when many girls adopt unhealthy lifestyles. Objective This qualitative study aimed to identify and describe facilitating factors and barriers that are associated with physical activity among adolescent girls in rural, north-eastern South Africa and, based on these, to develop a model for promoting leisure-time physical activity within this population. Design The study was conducted in and around three secondary schools. Six focus group discussions were conducted with adolescent girls from the schools, and seven qualitative interviews were held with sports teachers and youth leaders. The data were subjected to thematic analysis. Results Seven thematic areas were identified, each of which was associated with the girls’ self-reported levels of physical activity. The thematic areas are 1) poverty, 2) body image ideals, 3) gender, 4) parents and home life, 5) demographic factors, 6) perceived health effects of physical activity, and 7) human and infrastructural resources. More barriers to physical activity were reported than facilitating factors. Conclusions Analysis of the barriers found in the different themes indicated potential remedial actions that could be taken, and these were synthesised into a model for promoting physical activity among South African adolescent girls in resource-poor environments. The model presents a series of action points, seen both from the ‘supply-side’ perspective (such as the provision of resources and training for the individuals, schools, and organisations which facilitate the activities) and from the ‘demand-side’ perspective (such as the development of empowering messages about body image for teenage girls, and

Employability as a New Mission? Organizational Changes in Chinese Vocational Colleges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yang, Po; Lin, Xiao Ying

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study is to analyze the recent development of Chinese vocational colleges from two perspectives: the adoption of employability as a new institutional mission and organizational changes in six areas. The analysis is based on a multiple-case study. The analytical frameworks are developed from sociological theory and…

Social Aggression among Girls.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Underwood, Marion K.

Noting recent interest in girls' social or "relational" aggression, this volume offers a balanced, scholarly analysis of scientific knowledge in this area. The book integrates current research on emotion regulation, gender, and peer relations, to examine how girls are socialized to experience and express anger and aggression from infancy…

Application of Toxic Chinese Medicine in Chinese Pharmacopoeia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Hui; Feng, Yu; Mao, Mingsan

2018-01-01

Objective: Explore the application characteristics of proprietary Chinese medicine prescriptions containing toxic herbs in pharmacopoeia. Methods: In this paper, according to the clinical application of pharmacopoeia proprietary Chinese medicine is divided into table agent, Qushu agent, diarrhea agent, heat agent, Wen Li agent, cough and asthma agents, resuscitation agent, Gutian agent, Fuzheng agent, Anshen agent, hemostatic agent, The traditional Chinese medicine prescription and the clinical application of the Chinese herbal medicine containing the toxic Chinese medicine were analyzed and sorted out., Summed up the compatibility of toxic herbs and application characteristics. Results: Toxic Chinese herbal medicine in the cure of traditional Chinese medicine to play a long-standing role, through the overall thinking, dialectical thinking, and thinking of toxic Chinese medicine in the analysis of Chinese medicine that [2], toxic Chinese medicine in the application of proprietary Chinese medicine can not lack. Conclusion: Pharmacopoeia included proprietary Chinese medicine not only in the clinical treatment of good, but also the application of its toxic traditional Chinese medicine and its understanding of the enrichment of the toxic characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine and treatment-related disease pathology between the points of contact for patients with clinical applications Based on and theoretical guidance of Chinese medicine [3].

Syntactic priming in Chinese sentence comprehension: evidence from event-related potentials.

PubMed

Chen, Qingrong; Xu, Xiaodong; Tan, Dingliang; Zhang, Jingjing; Zhong, Yuan

2013-10-01

Using the event-related potential (ERP) technique, this study examined the nature of syntactic priming effects in Chinese. Participants were required to read prime-target sentence pairs each embedding an ambiguous relative clause (RC) containing either the same verb or a synonymous verb. In Chinese, the word de serves as a relative clause marker. During reading a potential Chinese RC structure (either the prime or the target sentence), Chinese readers initially expect to read an subject-verb-object (SVO) structure but the encounter of a relative clause marker de would make readers abandon the initial strategy and reanalyze the structure as a relative clause. A reduced P600 effect was elicited by the critical word de in the target sentence containing the same initial verb as in the prime sentence. No significant reduction of the P600 was observed in the target sentences in the synonymous condition. The results demonstrated that verb repetition but not similarity in meaning produced a syntactic priming effect in Chinese. The constraint-based lexicalist hypothesis and the argument structure theory were adopted to explain the syntactic priming effect obtained in the current study. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Emotion regulation, emotional eating and the energy-rich dietary pattern. A population-based study in Chinese adolescents.

PubMed

Lu, Qingyun; Tao, Fangbiao; Hou, Fangli; Zhang, Zhaocheng; Ren, Ling-Ling

2016-04-01

Research investigating the influence of emotion regulation (ER) strategies on emotional eating and diet among Chinese adolescents is scarce. The aim of this study was to test associations between two ER strategies (suppression/cognitive reappraisal), emotional eating, and an energy-rich dietary pattern. A total of 4316 adolescents from 10 high schools were surveyed. Dietary patterns were derived using factor analysis. Bivariate correlations were analyzed to examine associations between ER strategies, emotional eating behavior and an energy-rich dietary pattern, by gender. The mediating effect of emotional eating in the relationship between ER and energy-rich food consumption by gender was estimated using structural equation modeling. A higher level of suppression, but no lack of cognitive reappraisal, was associated with emotional eating in boys and girls. A higher level of suppression and lack of cognitive reappraisal were associated with a greater intake of energy-rich foods in girls only. Emotional eating mediated the relationship between a higher level of suppression and a greater intake of energy-rich food in girls. This study revealed significant associations between two ER strategies and an energy-rich dietary pattern in girls, and provided evidence that higher levels of suppression may put girls at risk for emotional eating, potentially affecting the energy-rich dietary pattern. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

STEM Girls Night In at Goddard

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-11-04

Girls Night In was held at Goddard on Nov 4-5, 2016. This is a pilot program which reinvigorates, Girls Night In was held at Goddard on Nov 4-5, inspires and engages high school girls who may be struggling or not fully engaged in STEM

Black and white girls' racial preferences in media and peer choices and the role of socialization for black girls.

PubMed

O'Connor, L A; Brooks-Gunn, J; Graber, J

2000-09-01

This exploratory research compared Black and White girls' racial preferences as exhibited through their media (music and television) and peer choices. The sample included 140 8- and 9-year-old Black and White girls of various socioeconomic levels. Findings suggested that both Black and White girls have more Black music preferences than White or no-race music preferences. Also, both Black and White girls made more White television program choices than Black or no-race choices. In their peer selections, all girls preferred same-race peers. Black mothers who engaged in racial socialization practices had girls who were more likely to prefer Black music and television to the other categories. Further, Black mothers who promoted more cultural distance and mothers who were poor had girls with more same-race peer preferences.

Girls Talk Math - Engaging Girls Through Math Media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bernardi, Francesca; Morgan, Katrina

2017-11-01

``Girls Talk Math: Engaging Girls through Math Media'' is a free two-week long summer day camp for high-school girls in the Triangle area of NC. This past June the camp had its second run thanks to renewed funding from the Mathematical Association of America Tensor Women and Mathematics Grant. The camp involved 35 local high-school students who identify as female. Campers complete challenging problem sets and research the life of a female scientist who worked on similar problems. They report their work in a blog post and record a podcast about the scientist they researched. The curriculum has been developed by Mathematics graduate students at UNC from an inquiry based learning perspective; problem sets topics include some theoretical mathematics, but also more applied physics-based material. Campers worked on fluid dynamics, special relativity, and quantum mechanics problem sets which included experiments. The camp has received positive feedback from the local community and the second run saw a large increase in the number of participants. The program is evaluated using pre and post surveys, which measure campers' confidence and interest in pursuing higher level courses in STEM. The results from the past two summers have been encouraging. Mathematical Association of America Tensor Women and Mathematics Grant.

Epidemiology characteristics, reporting characteristics, and methodological quality of systematic reviews and meta-analyses on traditional Chinese medicine nursing interventions published in Chinese journals.

PubMed

Yang, Min; Jiang, Li; Wang, Aihong; Xu, Guihua

2017-02-01

To evaluate the epidemiological characteristics, reporting characteristics, and methodological quality of systematic reviews in the traditional Chinese medicine nursing field published in Chinese journals. The number of systematic reviews in the traditional Chinese medicine nursing field has increased, but their epidemiology, quality, and reporting characteristics have not been assessed completely. We generated an overview of reviews using a narrative approach. Four Chinese databases were searched for systematic reviews from inception to December 2015. The Preferred Reporting Items of Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses and the Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews checklists were adopted to evaluate reporting and methodological quality, respectively. A total of 73 eligible systematic reviews, published from 2005 to 2015, were included. The deficiencies in reporting characteristics mainly lay in the lack of structured abstract or protocol, incomplete reporting of search strategies, study selection, and risk of bias. The deficiencies in methodological quality were reflected in the lack of a priori design and conflict of interest, incomplete literature searches, and assessment of publication bias. The quality of the evaluated reviews was unsatisfactory; attention should be paid to the improvement of reporting and methodological quality in the conduct of systematic reviews. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Comparison of traditional Chinese medicine education between mainland China and Australia-a case study.

PubMed

Chen, Ji; Loyeung, Bertrand; Zaslawski, Chris; Liang, Fan-Rong; Li, Wei-Hong

2016-07-01

To analyze and compare the curriculum and delivery of a Chinese and Australian university-level Chinese medicine program. A review of PubMed and the Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure for relevant educational papers was undertaken. Online and paper documents available at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) and the Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (CDUTCM) were read and analyzed. In addition, in-depth interviews with academics from the two universities were conducted during 2014 to 2015. The two Chinese medicine programs share the common goal of providing health services to the local community, but differ in some aspects when the curricula are compared. Areas such as student profile, curriculum structure, teaching approaches and education quality assurance were found to be different. The UTS program adopts a "flipped learning" approach with the use of educational technology aiming at improving learning outcomes. On the other hand, the CDUTCM has better clinical facilities and specialist physician resources. A better understanding of the different curricula and approaches to Chinese medicine education will facilitate student learning and educational outcomes.

The effects of educating mothers and girls on the girls' attitudes toward puberty health: a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Afsari, Atousa; Mirghafourvand, Mojgan; Valizadeh, Sousan; Abbasnezhadeh, Massomeh; Galshi, Mina; Fatahi, Samira

2017-04-01

The attitude of a girl toward her menstruation and puberty has a considerable impact on her role during motherhood, social adjustment, and future marital life. This study was conducted in 2014 with the aim of comparing the effects of educating mothers and girls on the attitudes of adolescent girls of Tabriz City, Iran, towards puberty health. This randomized control clinical trial was conducted on 364 adolescent girls who experienced menstruation. Twelve schools were selected randomly among 107 secondary schools for girls. One-third of the students of each school were selected randomly using a table of random numbers and socio-demographic and each participant was asked to answer the attitude questionnaires. The schools were randomly allocated to the groups of mother's education, girl's education, and no-intervention. The attitude questionnaire was filled out by the participants again 2 months after intervention. The general linear model, in which the baseline values were controlled, was employed to compare the scores of the three groups after the intervention. No significant differences were observed among the three groups in terms of the attitude score before intervention (p>0.05). Attitude score improvement after intervention in the girl's education group was significantly higher than the one of both mother's education (adjusted mean difference [AMD]: 1.8; [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.4-1.3]) and no-intervention groups (AMD: 1.3; [95% CI: 0.0-2.6]) by controlling the attitude score before intervention. Based on the findings, it is more effective to educate girls directly about puberty health to improve adolescent girls' attitudes than educating mothers and asking them to transfer information to the girls. Nevertheless, studies with longer training period and follow-up are proposed to determine the effects of educating girls (through their mothers) on their attitudes about puberty health.

Total arsenic concentrations in Chinese children's urine by different geographic locations, ages, and genders.

PubMed

Zhang, Xuan; Wang, Beibei; Cui, Xiaoyong; Lin, Chunye; Liu, Xitao; Ma, Jin

2018-06-01

Little is known about the variation of Chinese children's exposure to arsenic by geography, age, gender, and other potential factors. The main objective of this study was to investigate the total arsenic concentration in Chinese children's urine by geographic locations, ages, and genders. In total, 259 24-h urine samples were collected from 210 2- to 12-year-old children in China and analyzed for total arsenic and creatinine concentrations. The results showed that the upper limit (upper limit of the 90% confidence interval for the 97.5 fractile) was 27.51 µg/L or 55.88 µg/g creatinine for Chinese children. The total urinary arsenic levels were significantly different for children in Guangdong, Hubei, and Gansu provinces (P < 0.05), where the upper limits were 24.29, 58.70, and 44.29 µg/g creatinine, respectively. In addition, the total urinary arsenic levels were higher for 2- to 7-year-old children than for 7- to 12-year-old children (P < 0.05; the upper limits were 59.06 and 44.29 µg/g creatinine, respectively) and higher for rural children than for urban children (P < 0.05; the upper limits were 59.06 and 50.44 µg/g creatinine, respectively). The total urinary arsenic levels for boys were not significantly different from those for girls (P > 0.05), although the level for boys (the upper limit was 59.30 µg/g) was slightly higher than that for girls (the upper limit was 58.64 µg/g creatinine). Because the total urinary arsenic concentrations are significantly different for general populations of children in different locations and age groups, the reference level of total urinary arsenic might be dependent on the geographic site and the child's age.

"FAILING GIRLS": Understanding Connections among Identity Negotiation, Personal Relevance, and Engagement in Science Learning from Underachieving Girls

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thompson, Jessica J.; Windschitl, Mark

Contemporary critiques of science education have noted that girls often fail to engage in science learning because the activities lack relevance for them, and they cannot "see themselves" in the work of science. Despite the empirical support for these claims, theory around the important connections between relevance, emerging self-identity, and engagement for girls remains underdeveloped. This qualitative, exploratory investigation examines engagement in science learning among five underachieving high school girls. Data sources include in-depth interviews, classroom observations, and teacher surveys. The girls were asked to describe engagement within three learning contexts: science class, a favorite class, and an extracurricular activity. From the girls' voices emerge three themes reflecting the centrality of self: "who I am," "who I am becoming," and "the importance of relationships." It is important that these themes of self and of identity negotiation are integrated with the ways these girls find learning personally relevant. One pattern of extracurricular engagement and two patterns of science engagement (integrated and situational) are described. This study attempts to expand the dialogue around the relationships between identity, relevance, and engagement among underachieving girls and suggests ways in which curriculum can be grounded in students' lives and developing identities.

Ocular biometric parameters among 3-year-old Chinese children: testability, distribution and association with anthropometric parameters

PubMed Central

Huang, Dan; Chen, Xuejuan; Gong, Qi; Yuan, Chaoqun; Ding, Hui; Bai, Jing; Zhu, Hui; Fu, Zhujun; Yu, Rongbin; Liu, Hu

2016-01-01

This survey was conducted to determine the testability, distribution and associations of ocular biometric parameters in Chinese preschool children. Ocular biometric examinations, including the axial length (AL) and corneal radius of curvature (CR), were conducted on 1,688 3-year-old subjects by using an IOLMaster in August 2015. Anthropometric parameters, including height and weight, were measured according to a standardized protocol, and body mass index (BMI) was calculated. The testability was 93.7% for the AL and 78.6% for the CR overall, and both measures improved with age. Girls performed slightly better in AL measurements (P = 0.08), and the difference in CR was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The AL distribution was normal in girls (P = 0.12), whereas it was not in boys (P < 0.05). For CR1, all subgroups presented normal distributions (P = 0.16 for boys; P = 0.20 for girls), but the distribution varied when the subgroups were combined (P < 0.05). CR2 presented a normal distribution (P = 0.11), whereas the AL/CR ratio was abnormal (P < 0.001). Boys exhibited a significantly longer AL, a greater CR and a greater AL/CR ratio than girls (all P < 0.001). PMID:27384307

Iranian adolescent girls' barriers in accessing sexual and reproductive health information and services: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Shariati, Mohammed; Babazadeh, Raheleh; Mousavi, Seyed Abbas; Najmabadi, Khadijeh Mirzaii

2014-10-01

Adolescence is a critical period of transition from childhood to adulthood. In today's world, to pass through this period successfully it is necessary to have adequate information and knowledge about sexual and reproductive health (SRH) issues. In Iran, it is crucial that special attention be paid to reproductive health services for adolescents, especially for girls. This study aimed to explore the views and experiences of adolescent girls and key adults around the barriers to access of Iranian adolescent girls to SRH information and services. In this qualitative study, data were gathered through focus groups and semi-structured interviews with 247 adolescent girls and 71 key adults including mothers, teachers, health providers, governmental, nongovernmental and international managers of health programmes, health policymakers, sociologists and clergy in four Iranian cities. Data were coded and categorised using content analysis by MAXQDA10. The main barriers identified were classified in four categories: (1) social and cultural barriers such as taboos; (2) structural and administrative barriers such as inappropriate structure of the health system; (3) political barriers such as lack of an adopted strategy by the government and (4) non-use of religious potential. Adolescent SRH in Iran should be firmly established as a priority for government leaders and policymakers. They should try to provide those services that are consistent with the community's cultural and religious values for adolescent girls. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Dreams of Tigers and Flowers: Child Gender Predictions and Preference in an Urban Mainland Chinese Sample during Pregnancy

PubMed Central

Loo, Kek Khee; Luo, Xiying; Su, Hong; Presson, Angela; Li, Yan

2009-01-01

In an urban, mainland Chinese sample, we investigated expectant mothers’ stated gender preference for a boy or girl child, their conjectures on the fetal gender, the culture-specific beliefs for making their predictions, and their relations to sociodemographic variables. A total of 174 women were interviewed at 12–19 weeks gestation. Among 84 women who made a prediction on gender, 56 (67%) thought they were carrying a boy, and 28 (33%) expected a girl. The most frequent reasons cited for their speculation were personal feelings (36%), food/taste preference (13%), feedback from others (13%), somatic responses (13%) and dreams (7%). Out of 63 women who stated a wish for a boy or girl child, 45 (71%) wished for a girl and 18 (29%) wished for a boy. Women with undergraduate or graduate degrees were more likely to indicate a preference for boys. Older expectant mothers were more likely to report that they thought they were carrying boys. In conclusion, the majority of the women did not state a distinct choice for gender of the child. When they expressed a gender preference, more mothers expressed a desire to have a girl. However, boy child conjectures were more frequent than girl child conjectures. Greater boy child preference and prediction among the most highly educated and older expectant mothers might be reflective of implicit social status in having sons in urban China. PMID:19485234

U.S. Families' Adoption of Chinese Daughters: A Narrative Analysis of Family Themes in Children's Books

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fitzpatrick, Jacki; Kostina-Ritchey, Erin

2013-01-01

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the ways in which family formation processes were presented in international children's adoption books. Guided by Pinderhughes' (1996) adoptive family development model, we conducted a content analysis for the representation of two developmental phases (anticipation and accommodation). A total…

Microbiological aspects of vulvovaginitis in prepubertal girls.

PubMed

Ranđelović, Gordana; Mladenović, Vesna; Ristić, Ljiljana; Otašević, Suzana; Branković, Sofija; Mladenović-Antić, Snežana; Bogdanović, Milena; Bogdanović, Dragan

2012-08-01

This study aimed to establish the vaginal introitus microbial flora in girls with and without symptoms of vulvovaginitis, and to present the distribution of isolated microorganisms by age groups in girls with vulvovaginitis. We enrolled 500 girls with vulvovaginitis symptoms, aged 2-12 years, referred by their pediatricians for microbiological examination of the vaginal introitus swabs, and 30 age-matched asymptomatic girls. Similar microbial flora was isolated in both groups, but the symptomatic girls had significantly more common positive microbiological findings compared to controls (p < 0.001). In symptomatic girls, the following pathogenic bacteria were isolated: Streptococcus pyogenes (4.2%), Haemophilus influenzae (0.4%), and Staphylococcus aureus (5.8%). Bacteria of fecal origin were found in vaginal introitus swabs in 33.8% of cases, most commonly Proteus mirabilis (14.4%), Enterococcus faecalis (12.2%), and Escherichia coli (7.0%). The finding of fecal flora was more common compared to controls, reaching a statistical significance (p < 0.05), as well as in girls aged up to 6 years (p < 0.001). Candida species were found in 2.4% of girls with vulvovaginitis symptoms. The microbial ecosystem in girls with clinical signs of vulvovaginitis is complex and variable, and the presence of a microorganism does not necessarily imply that it is the cause of infection. The diagnosis of vulvovaginitis in prepubertal girls requires a complex and comprehensive approach, and microbiological findings should be interpreted in the context of clinical findings.

Congruences in Chinese and Western medicine from 1830-1911: smallpox, plague and cholera.

PubMed Central

Summers, W. C.

1994-01-01

A close examination of three examples, smallpox, plague and cholera, suggest that for acute infectious diseases the Chinese viewed the symptomatologies, the causes, and the rational treatments of these illnesses in many ways similar to that of their contemporary Western counterparts. Rather than holding an opposing, clashing or incongruent system of medical thoughts for these common, well-recognized infectious diseases, the Chinese were prepared, by a long tradition of ontological thinking, to be receptive to the adoption, incorporation or modification of Western medical ideas in the late nineteenth century. PMID:7544052

Construction of a New Growth References for China Based on Urban Chinese Children: Comparison with the WHO Growth Standards

PubMed Central

Zong, Xin-Nan; Li, Hui

2013-01-01

Introduction Growth references for Chinese children should be updated due to the positive secular growth trends and the progress of the smoothing techniques. Human growth differs among the various ethnic groups, so comparison of the China references with the WHO standards helps to understand such differences. Methods The China references, including weight, length/height, head circumference, weight-for-length/height and body mass index (BMI) aged 0–18 years, were constructed based on 69,760 urban infants and preschool children under 7 years and 24,542 urban school children aged 6–20 years derived from two cross-sectional national surveys. The Cole’s LMS method is employed for smoothing the growth curves. Results The merged data sets resulted in a smooth transition at age 6–7 years and continuity of curves from 0 to 18 years. Varying differences were found on the empirical standard deviation (SD) curves in each indicator at nearly all ages between China and WHO. The most noticeable differences occurred in genders, final height and boundary centiles curves. Chinese boys’ weight is strikingly heavier than that of the WHO at age 6–10 years. The height is taller than that of the WHO for boys below 15 years and for girls below 13, but is significantly lower when boys over 15 years and girls over 13. BMI is generally higher than that of the WHO for boys at age 6–16 years but appreciably lower for girls at 3–18 years. Conclusions The differences between China and WHO are mainly caused by the reference populations of different ethnic backgrounds. For practitioners, the choices of the standards/references depend on the population to be assessed and the purpose of the study. The new China references could be applied to facilitate the standardization assessment of growth and nutrition for Chinese children and adolescents in clinical pediatric and public health. PMID:23527219

Horse-Girl Assemblages: Towards a Post-Human Cartography of Girls' Desire in an Ex-Mining Valleys Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Renold, Emma; Ivinson, Gabrielle

2014-01-01

The paper works with queer and feminist post-human materialist scholarship to understand the way young teen valleys' girls experienced ubiquitous feelings of fear, risk, vulnerability and violence. Longitudinal ethnographic research of girls (aged 12-15) living in an ex-mining semi-rural community suggests how girls are negotiating complex…

Attracting Girls Into Physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hosny, Hala M.; Kahil, Heba M.

2005-10-01

From our national statistics, it is evident that in the population of physicists there are considerably fewer women than men. Our role is to attract girls to physics and thus decrease this gap. The institutional structure in Egypt provides an equal opportunity for girls to study sciences, including physics. It is reckoned that girls refrain from studying physics due to a group of social and economic factors. We will discuss teaching physics at schools and present some ideas to develop it. The media should play a role in placing female physicists in the spotlight. Unfortunately, careers that require intellectual skills are considered men's careers. This necessitates that society changes the way it sees women and trusts more in their skills and talents. We therefore call for the cooperation of governmental and nongovernmental bodies, together with universities and the production sectors involved. This will ultimately lead to enhancing the entrepreneurial projects related to physics and technology on the one hand, and will encourage girls to find challenging opportunities on the other.

[A novel homozygous mutation p.E25X in the HSD3B2 gene causing salt wasting 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases deficiency in a Chinese pubertal girl: a delayed diagnosis until recurrent ovary cysts].

PubMed

Huang, Yonglan; Zheng, Jipeng; Xie, Ting; Xiao, Qing; Lu, Shaomei; Li, Xiuzhen; Cheng, Jing; Chen, Lihe; Liu, Li

2014-12-01

3β- hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase deficiency (3βHSD), a rare form of congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) resulted from mutations in the HSD3B2 gene that impair steroidogenesis in both adrenals and gonads. We report clinical features and the results of HSD3B2 gene analysis of a Chinese pubertal girl with salt wasting 3βHSD deficiency. We retrospectively reviewed clinical presentations and steroid profiles of the patient diagnosed in Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center in 2013. PCR and direct sequencing were used to identify any mutation in the HSD3B2 gene. A 13-year-old girl was diagnosed as CAH after birth because of salt-wasting with mild clitorimegaly and then was treated with glucocorticoid replacement. Breast and pubic hair development were normal, and menarche occurred at 12 yr, followed by menstrual bleeding about every 45 days. In the last one year laparoscopic operation and ovariocentesis were performed one after another for recurrent ovary cysts. Under corticoid acetate therapy, ACTH 17.10 pmol/L (normal 0-10.12), testosterone 1.31 nmol/L (normal <0.7), dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate 13.30 µmol/L (normal 0.95 - 11.67), cortisol 720 nmol/L (normal 130-772.8), androstenedione, 17-hydroxyprogesterone and progesterone were normal. Estradiol 461 pmol/L, follicle-stimulating hormone 3.04 IU/L, luteinizing hormone 8.52 IU/L in follicular phase. A pelvic ultrasound showed lateral ovaries cysts (58 mm × 50 mm × 35 mm) and a midcycle-type endometrium. A novel nonsense mutation c.73G >T (p.E25X) was identified in HSD3B2 gene. The girl was homozygous and her mother was heterozygous, while her father was not identified with this mutation. A classic 3βHSD deficiency is characterized by salt wasting and mild virilization in female. Ovary cysts may be the one of features of gonad phenotype indicating ovary 3βHSD deficiency. A novel homozygous mutation c.73G >T(p.E25X) was related to the classical phenotype.

Girls' Workplace Destinations in a Changed Social Landscape: Girls and Their Mothers Talk

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walshaw, Margaret

2006-01-01

Changes in participation and achievement patterns mark a turning point for girls in schooling and place female empowerment squarely in the public domain. Using data from a longitudinal study of girls, this paper looks at female empowerment by exploring the relationship between the production of female subjectivity and the processes operating in…

Elementary girls' science reading at home and school

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ford, Danielle J.; Brickhouse, Nancy W.; Lottero-Perdue, Pamela; Kittleson, Julie

2006-03-01

Although reading is a critical part of science and science learning, it is no longer a part of many children's elementary science instruction. This is of concern because girls often develop strong identities as readers, but do not develop scientific identities with ease. In this study, we investigate girls' science reading to know (1) if science books were available to girls in homes and classrooms, (2) if girls were choosing to read them, and (3) what influences their choices. Forty-five third-grade girls, 29 of their families, and three of their teachers were interviewed to ascertain girls' preferences among various book genres, as well as to learn the ways in which families and teachers influence the choices girls make. We found that girls had access to science books at school, and teachers had strategies to encourage reading them. At home, parents encouraged reading, but were generally less directive than teachers as to what the girls read, and underestimated their daughters' science-related interests. The families studied rely largely on major bookstores as their primary source of books. Our findings suggest we need to understand better the way gender influences girls' engagement with science in a variety of contexts, particularly those in which girls exercise choice.

High prevalence of hirsutism and menstrual disorders in obese adolescent girls and adolescent girls with type 1 diabetes mellitus despite different hormonal profiles.

PubMed

Samara-Boustani, Dinane; Colmenares, Ana; Elie, Caroline; Dabbas, Myriam; Beltrand, Jacques; Caron, Virgile; Ricour, Claude; Jacquin, Paul; Tubiana-Rufi, Nadia; Levy-Marchal, Claire; Delcroix, Christine; Martin, Delphine; Benadjaoud, Lila; Jacqz Aigrain, Evelyne; Trivin, Christine; Laborde, Kathleen; Thibaud, Elisabeth; Robert, Jean-Jacques; Polak, Michel

2012-02-01

To compare the pubertal development, the hormonal profiles and the prevalence of hirsutism and menstrual disorders in obese adolescent girls and adolescent girls with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). Data were collected from 96 obese adolescent girls and 78 adolescent girls with T1DM at Tanner stage IV or V, whose ages ranged between 11.9 and 17.9 years. High prevalence of hirsutism and menstrual disorder was found in the obese adolescent girls (36.5 and 42% respectively) and the adolescent girls with T1DM (21 and 44% respectively). The obese girls were significantly younger at pubarche, thelarche and menarche than the girls with T1DM. Hirsutism in the obese girls and those with T1DM was associated with hyperandrogenaemia and a raised free androgen index (FAI). When the cause of the raised FAI was investigated in both the groups of girls with hirsutism, the raised FAI in the obese girls was due to low serum sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) levels. In contrast, the raised FAI of the girls with T1DM and hirsutism was due to hyperandrogenaemia. Menstrual disorders in the T1DM girls were associated also with hyperandrogenaemia unlike obese girls. Hirsutism and menstrual disorders are common in obese adolescent girls and adolescent girls with T1DM. Although hyperandrogenaemia is present in both groups of girls, the androgenic profiles of the two groups differ. The hyperandrogenaemia in the obese girls is primarily due to their decreased serum SHBG levels, whereas the hyperandrogenaemia in the girls with T1DM is due to their increased androgen production.

Exploring Work: Fun Activities for Girls.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Education Development Center, Inc., Newton, MA. Women's Educational Equity Act Dissemination Center.

This document contains learning activities to help middle school girls begin the career planning process and resist gender-role stereotyping. The activities are designed for individuals and/or groups of girls either in classroom settings or in organizations such as Girl Scouts and 4-H Clubs. A total of 30 activities are organized into 4 sections…

A novel germline mutation (c.A527G) in STK11 gene causes Peutz–Jeghers syndrome in a Chinese girl

PubMed Central

Zhao, Zi-Ye; Jiang, Yu-Liang; Li, Bai-Rong; Yang, Fu; Li, Jing; Jin, Xiao-Wei; Sun, Shu-Han; Ning, Shou-Bin

2017-01-01

Abstract Rationale: Peutz–Jeghers syndrome (PJS) is a Mendelian autosomal dominant disease caused by mutations in the tumor suppressor gene, serine/threonine kinase 11 (STK11). The features of this syndrome include gastrointestinal (GI) hamartomas, melanin spots on the lips and the extremities, and an increased risk of developing cancer. Early onset of disease is often characterized by mucocutaneous pigmentation and intussusception due to GI polyps in childhood. Patient concerns: A girl with a positive family history grew oral pigmentation at 1 and got intussusception by small bowel hamartomas at 5. Diagnoses: She was diagnosed with PJS based on oral pigmentation and a positive family history of PJS. Interventions: Enteroscopy was employed to treat the GI polyps. Sanger sequencing was used to investigate STK11 mutation in this family. Outcomes: A large jejunal polyp together with other smaller ones was resected, and the girl recovered uneventfully. We discovered a heterozygous substitution in STK11, c.A527G in exon 4, in the girl and her father who was also a PJS patient, and the amine acid change was an aspartic acid-glycine substitution in codon 176. This mutation was not found in other healthy family members and 50 unrelated non-PJS controls, and it is not recorded in databases, which prove it a novel mutation. Evolutionary conservation analysis of amino acid residues showed this aspartic acid is a conserved one between species, and protein structure prediction by SWISS-MODEL indicated an obvious change in local structure. In addition, PolyPhen-2 score for this mutation is 1, which indicates it probably damaging. Lessons: PJS can cause severe complication like intussusception in young children, and early screening for small bowel may be beneficial for these patients. The mutation of STK11 found in this girl is a novel one, which enlarges the spectrum of STK11. Our analysis supported it a causative one in PJS. PMID:29245219

Leadership Workshops for Adult Girl Scout Leaders

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lebofsky, Larry A.; McCarthy, Donald; DeVore, Edna; Harman, Pamela; Reaching Stars Team

2016-10-01

This year, the University of Arizona is conducting its first two Leadership Workshops for Girl Scout adult leaders. These workshops are being supported by a five-year NASA Collaborative Agreement, Reaching for the Stars: NASA Science for Girl Scouts (www.seti.org/GirlScoutStars), through the SETI Institute in collaboration with the University of Arizona, Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA), the Girl Scouts of Northern California, the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, and Aries Scientific, Inc. These workshops are an outgrowth of Astronomy Camp for Girl Scout Leaders, a 14-year "Train the Trainer" program funded by NASA through the James Webb Space Telescope's Near Infrared Camera (NIRCam) education and outreach team. We are continuing our long-term relationship with all Girl Scout Councils to engage girls and young women not only in science and math education, but also in the astronomical and technological concepts relating to NASA's scientific mission. Our training aligns with the GSUSA Journey: It's Your Planet-Love It! and introduces participants to some of the activities that are being developed by the Girl Scout Stars team for GSUSA's new space science badges for all Girl Scout levels being developed as a part of Reaching for the Stars: NASA Science for Girl Scouts.The workshops include hands-on activities in basic astronomy (night sky, stars, galaxies, optics, telescopes, etc.) as well as some more advanced concepts such as lookback time and the expansion of the Universe. Since the inception of our original Astronomy Camp in 2003, our team has grown to include nearly 280 adult leaders, staff, and volunteers from over 79 Councils in 43 states and the District of Columbia so they can, in turn, teach young women essential concepts in astronomy, the night sky environment, applied math, and engineering. Our workshops model what astronomers do by engaging participants in the process of science inquiry, while equipping adults to host astronomy-related programs with

A Longitudinal Analysis of the Effects of Socioeconomic Factors, Foreign Media, and Attitude toward Appearance on General and Central Adiposity in Chinese Adolescents.

PubMed

Felicitas, Jamie Q; Tanenbaum, Hilary C; Li, Yawen; Chou, Chih-Ping; Palmer, Paula H; Spruijt-Metz, Donna; Reynolds, Kim D; Johnson, C Anderson; Xie, Bin

This paper explores the longitudinal effects of socioeconomic factors (i.e., parent education and family income level), foreign media, and attitude toward appearance on general and central adiposity among Chinese adolescents. A longitudinal analysis was performed using data from the China Seven Cities Study, a health promotion and smoking prevention study conducted in seven cities across Mainland China between 2002 and 2005. Participants included 5,020 middle and high school students and their parents. Explanatory variables included foreign media exposure, attitude toward appearance, parent education, and family income. Three-level, random-effect models were used to predict general adiposity (i.e., body mass index) and central adiposity (i.e., waist circumference). The Generalized Estimating Equation approach was utilized to determine the effect of explanatory variables on overweight status. Among girls, foreign media exposure was significantly negatively associated with general adiposity over time (β=-0.06, p=0.01 for middle school girls; β=-0.06, p=0.03 for high school girls). Attitude toward appearance was associated with lesser odds of being overweight, particularly among high school girls (OR=0.86, p<0.01). Among boys, parental education was significantly positively associated with general adiposity (β=0.62, p<0.01 for middle school boys; β=0.37, p=0.02 for high school boys) and associated with greater odds of being overweight (OR=1.55, p<0.01 for middle school boys; OR=1.26, p=0.04 for high school boys). Across all gender and grade levels, family income was significantly negatively associated with central adiposity over time. Interventions addressing Chinese adolescent overweight/obesity should consider these factors as potential focus areas.

The Face of Digital Literacy for Muslim Teenage Girls: A Comparative Study of Bradford Muslim Girl Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Iqbal, Javed; Hardaker, Glenn; Sabki, Aishah Ahmad; Elbeltagi, Ibrahim

2014-01-01

This paper is grounded in a qualitative approach, to call forth the views of Muslim teenage girls on their access and use of learning technologies for inclusive educational practice. The 45 Muslim teenage girls, aged 14-19 years old, from three British Muslim girls schools participated in this empirical study. Semi-structured interviews were used…

Why do girls persist in science? A qualitative study of the decision-making processes of pre-adolescent and adolescent girls

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

James, Holly Mcdonnell

2002-09-01

Girls are often found to drop out of science in greater numbers and sooner than boys. Because previous research has focused on gender differences, rather than examining differences and similarities among girls, little is known about why some girls choose to pursue science, particularly the physical sciences, rather than drop it. Specifically, little is known about how and why girls make their decisions to persist or not in specific science careers and the courses leading up to them. Through the use of semi-structured, in-depth, qualitative, interviews conducted over the span of a year, this thesis explored the choice of classes and career decisions of twelve elementary through high school girls who participated in an engineering camp. The purpose was to gain an understanding of why these girls chose to persist or not in a science and engineering career over time. Age-related differences were found in the reasons the girls gave for wanting to take future classes. The elementary school girls believed that interest would be their only reason while the high school girls gave multiple reasons, including interest, utility, perceptions of ability, and who would be teaching the class. The implications of these findings for Eccles' model of academic choice are discussed. Overall, the girls in this study liked their science classes because they involved hands-on activities. By high school they showed a preference for and a greater knowledge of biology rather than physics. All of the girls were unsure about what kinds of science information they would need to know for future jobs. Half of the girls were considering biology-based careers, such as doctors and veterinarians, because they wanted to help and take care of people and animals. Only one girl was considering engineering, a physics-based career, and only because her parents required it. Despite believing that they were doing well in school in general, at least half of the girls believed they were doing poorly in math

Individualism, collectivism, and Chinese adolescents' aggression: intracultural variations.

PubMed

Li, Yan; Wang, Mo; Wang, Cixin; Shi, Junqi

2010-01-01

This study examined the relations between cultural values (i.e., individualism and collectivism) and aggression among 460 (234 girls) Chinese adolescents. Conflict level and social status insecurity were examined as potential explaining mechanisms for these relations. The results showed that adolescents' endorsement of collectivism was negatively related to their use of overt and relational aggression as reported by teachers and peers, whereas positive associations were found between the endorsement of individualism and adolescent aggression. Adolescents' conflict level and social status insecurity accounted for a significant part of these associations. Findings of this study demonstrate the importance of examining intracultural variations of cultural values in relation to adolescent aggression as well as the process variables in explaining the relations. (c) 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Lesbianism in the Chinese of Hong Kong.

PubMed

Lieh-Mak, F; O'Hoy, K M; Luk, S L

1983-02-01

Some historical and literary background regarding lesbianism in China is given. The demographic data, family background, and behavioral characteristics of 15 Chinese lesbians are described and compared with a matched group of married women. More lesbians were adopted, reported unhappy childhoods and hostile family atmospheres, had parents who preferred them to be boys, and attended sexually segregated schools. The subjects differ from their Western counterparts in having a closer relationship with their mothers and in the absence of oral sexual practice.

Helping Girls Get Back on Track: An Implementation Study of the PACE Center for Girls. Executive Summary

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Treskon, Louisa; Millenky, Megan; Freedman, Lily

2017-01-01

PACE Center for Girls is a unique program that provides academic and social services to girls ages 11 to 18. Girls eligible for PACE exhibit multiple health, safety, and delinquency risk factors, such as poor academic performance, exposure to abuse or violence, truancy, risky sexual behavior, and substance abuse. PACE seeks to help them onto a…

Girl child and gender bias.

PubMed

Chowdhry, D P

1995-01-01

This article identifies gender bias against female children and youth in India. Gender bias is based on centuries-old religious beliefs and sayings from ancient times. Discrimination is reflected in denial or ignorance of female children's educational, health, nutrition, and recreational needs. Female infanticide and selective abortion of female fetuses are other forms of discrimination. The task of eliminating or reducing gender bias will involve legal, developmental, political, and administrative measures. Public awareness needs to be created. There is a need to reorient the education and health systems and to advocate for gender equality. The government of India set the following goals for the 1990s: to protect the survival of the girl child and practice safe motherhood; to develop the girl child in general; and to protect vulnerable girl children in different circumstances and in special groups. The Health Authorities should monitor the laws carefully to assure marriage after the minimum age, ban sex determination of the fetus, and monitor the health and nutrition of pre-school girls and nursing and pregnant mothers. Mothers need to be encouraged to breast feed, and to breast feed equally between genders. Every village and slum area needs a mini health center. Maternal mortality must decline. Primary health centers and hospitals need more women's wards. Education must be universally accessible. Enrollments should be increased by educating rural tribal and slum parents, reducing distances between home and school, making curriculum more relevant to girls, creating more female teachers, and providing facilities and incentives for meeting the needs of girl students. Supplementary income could be provided to families for sending girls to school. Recreational activities must be free of gender bias. Dowry, sati, and devdasi systems should be banned.

Attracting girls to physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borg, Anne; Sui, Manling

2013-03-01

Large regional differences remain in the number of girls studying physics and the number of female physicists in academic positions. While many countries struggle with attracting female students to university studies in physics, climbing the academic ladder is the main challenge for these women. Furthermore, for many female physicists the working climate is not very supportive. The workshop Attracting Girls to Physics, organized as part of the 4th IUPAP International Conference on Women in Physics, South Africa 2011, addressed attitudes among education-seeking teenagers and approaches for attracting young girls to physics through successful recruitment plans, including highlighting the broad spectrum of career opportunities for those with physics qualifications. The current paper presents findings, examples of best practices, and recommendations resulting from this workshop.

[Adoption].

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pawl, Jeree, Ed.; And Others

1990-01-01

This newsletter theme issue addresses adoption and the young child's life. Contributors suggest ways in which practitioners in many professions and settings can better understand and support adoptive families. The first article, "Adoption, 1990" by Barbara F. Nordhaus and Albert J. Solnit, reviews the history of adoption and notes obstacles to…

[Methodological quality evaluation of randomized controlled trials for traditional Chinese medicines for treatment of sub-health].

PubMed

Zhao, Jun; Liao, Xing; Zhao, Hui; Li, Zhi-Geng; Wang, Nan-Yue; Wang, Li-Min

2016-11-01

To evaluate the methodological quality of the randomized controlled trials(RCTs) for traditional Chinese medicines for treatment of sub-health, in order to provide a scientific basis for the improvement of clinical trials and systematic review. Such databases as CNKI, CBM, VIP, Wanfang, EMbase, Medline, Clinical Trials, Web of Science and Cochrane Library were searched for RCTS for traditional Chinese medicines for treatment of sub-health between the time of establishment and February 29, 2016. Cochrane Handbook 5.1 was used to screen literatures and extract data, and CONSORT statement and CONSORT for traditional Chinese medicine statement were adopted as the basis for quality evaluation. Among the 72 RCTs included in this study, 67 (93.05%) trials described the inter-group baseline data comparability, 39(54.17%) trials described the unified diagnostic criteria, 28(38.89%) trials described the unified standards of efficacy, 4 (5.55%) trials mentioned the multi-center study, 19(26.38%) trials disclosed the random distribution method, 6(8.33%) trials used the random distribution concealment, 15(20.83%) trials adopted the method of blindness, 3(4.17%) study reported the sample size estimation in details, 5 (6.94%) trials showed a sample size of more than two hundred, 19(26.38%) trials reported the number of withdrawal, defluxion cases and those lost to follow-up, but only 2 trials adopted the ITT analysis,10(13.89%) trials reported the follow-up results, none of the trial reported the test registration and the test protocol, 48(66.7%) trials reported all of the indicators of expected outcomes, 26(36.11%) trials reported the adverse reactions and adverse events, and 4(5.56%) trials reported patient compliance. The overall quality of these randomized controlled trials for traditional Chinese medicines for treatment of sub-health is low, with methodological defects in different degrees. Therefore, it is still necessary to emphasize the correct application of principles

Depression literacy among Australians of Chinese-speaking background in Melbourne, Australia

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background This study investigated the knowledge of depression and preference for professional help, medications and treatment methods among Australians of Chinese-speaking background, and the perceptions of this population of the causes of mental illness. Methods Adopting a cluster convenience sampling method, the study recruited 200 Chinese-speaking subjects from four major areas in metropolitan Melbourne where many Chinese live. The respondents were presented with a vignette describing an individual with depression and then asked questions to assess their understanding of depression and preference for professional help, medications and treatment methods. A comparative approach was used to compare the findings with those of a previous study of the mental health literacy of Australian and Japanese adults. Results Compared to the Australian and Japanese samples, a much lower percentage of Chinese-speaking Australians (14%) could correctly identify major depression described in the vignette, and a higher percentage believed that counseling professionals could be helpful. Higher percentages of those who believed that close family members could be helpful were found in the Chinese-speaking Australian and Japanese samples, and these two groups also expressed more uncertainty about the usefulness or harmfulness of certain medications compared to the Australian sample. Higher percentages of respondents in both the Chinese-speaking Australian and the Australian sample considered "lifestyle changes" to be helpful compared to the Japanese sample. In the Chinese-speaking sample, 30%, 17.4%, 33% and 27% of the respondents rated "traditional Chinese medicine doctors," "Chinese herbal medications," "taking Chinese nutritional foods/supplements" and "qiqong" as helpful. Many perceived "changing fungshui" and "traditional Chinese worship" to be harmful. Regarding the perception of causes of mental illness, items related to psychosocial perspectives including "life stress" and

Depression literacy among Australians of Chinese-speaking background in Melbourne, Australia.

PubMed

Wong, Fu Keung Daniel; Lam, Yuk Kit Angus; Poon, Ada

2010-01-19

This study investigated the knowledge of depression and preference for professional help, medications and treatment methods among Australians of Chinese-speaking background, and the perceptions of this population of the causes of mental illness. Adopting a cluster convenience sampling method, the study recruited 200 Chinese-speaking subjects from four major areas in metropolitan Melbourne where many Chinese live. The respondents were presented with a vignette describing an individual with depression and then asked questions to assess their understanding of depression and preference for professional help, medications and treatment methods. A comparative approach was used to compare the findings with those of a previous study of the mental health literacy of Australian and Japanese adults. Compared to the Australian and Japanese samples, a much lower percentage of Chinese-speaking Australians (14%) could correctly identify major depression described in the vignette, and a higher percentage believed that counseling professionals could be helpful. Higher percentages of those who believed that close family members could be helpful were found in the Chinese-speaking Australian and Japanese samples, and these two groups also expressed more uncertainty about the usefulness or harmfulness of certain medications compared to the Australian sample. Higher percentages of respondents in both the Chinese-speaking Australian and the Australian sample considered "lifestyle changes" to be helpful compared to the Japanese sample. In the Chinese-speaking sample, 30%, 17.4%, 33% and 27% of the respondents rated "traditional Chinese medicine doctors," "Chinese herbal medications," "taking Chinese nutritional foods/supplements" and "qiqong" as helpful. Many perceived "changing fungshui" and "traditional Chinese worship" to be harmful. Regarding the perception of causes of mental illness, items related to psychosocial perspectives including "life stress" and "interpersonal conflict" were

Realization of Culture in English Textbooks in Chinese High School Level

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aliakbari, Mohammad; Jamalvandi, Behrouz

2012-01-01

This study reflects on the presentation of culture in the English textbooks adopted in Chinese high school level. The categorization by Ramirez and Hall (1990) shaped the basis of the textbook analysis. The main objectives of the inquiry were to examine the quality of representation of source, target and other cultures in the ELT textbooks.…

Cool Girls, Inc.: Promoting the Positive Development of Urban Preadolescent and Early Adolescent Girls

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kuperminc, Gabriel P.; Thomason, Jessica; DiMeo, Michelle; Broomfield-Massey, Kimberley

2011-01-01

The past two decades have seen a transformation in youth programming toward a comprehensive positive youth development (YD) framework. Cool Girls, Inc., a YD program, focuses on improving girls' life chances by promoting positive behaviors and attitudes in multiple domains. These include self-concept, academic orientation, future orientation, and…

Girls and Mathematics: Parental Variables.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stamp, Peggy

1979-01-01

Girls taking A-level mathematics were compared with girls taking A-level French on masculinity/femininity, parental identification, and attitudes toward their school subjects. Subject choice was related to both parents' attitudes, but subject attitudes related only to the mothers' attitudes. (Editor/SJL)

Counseling Girls for Equal Opportunity.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gaskell, Jane

1983-01-01

Suggests that the unequal position of women in the labor force is a critical issue for guidance counselors. Counselors should encourage girls to try different areas and counteract stereotypes that both students and teachers have concerning education and careers for girls. (JAC)

Chinese nurses' perceived barriers and facilitators of ethical sensitivity.

PubMed

Huang, Fei Fei; Yang, Qing; Zhang, Jie; Khoshnood, Kaveh; Zhang, Jing Ping

2016-08-01

An overview of ethical sensitivity among Chinese registered nurses is needed to develop and optimize the education programs and interventions to cultivate and improve ethical sensitivity. The study was conducted to explore the barriers to and facilitators of ethical sensitivity among Chinese registered nurses working in hospital settings. A convergent parallel mixed-methods research design was adopted. In the cross-sectional quantitative study, the Chinese Moral Sensitivity Questionnaire-revised version was used to assess the levels of ethical sensitivity among registered nurses, and the scores were correlated with key demographics, training experiences in ethics, and workplace cultural environments (n = 306). In the qualitative study, semi-structured interviews were used to elicit the nurses' perceptions of the barriers and facilitators in nurturing ethical sensitivity (n = 15). The data were collected from February to June 2014. This study was approved by the Institutional Review Boards of Yale University and Central South University. Despite moderately high overall Chinese Moral Sensitivity Questionnaire-revised version scores, the ethical sensitivity among Chinese nurses lags in practice. Barriers to ethical sensitivity include the lack of knowledge related to ethics, lack of working experience as a nurse, the hierarchical organizational climate, and the conformist working attitude. The positive workplace cultural environments and application of ethical knowledge in practice were considered potential facilitators of ethical sensitivity. The findings of this study were compared with studies from other countries to examine the barriers and facilitators of ethical sensitivity in Chinese nurses. This mixed-methods study showed that even though the Chinese nurses have moderately high sensitivity to the ethical issues encountered in hospitals, there is still room for improvement. The barriers to and facilitators of ethical sensitivity identified here offer new and

The meaning of running away for girls.

PubMed

Peled, Einat; Cohavi, Ayelet

2009-10-01

The aim of this qualitative research was to understand how runaway girls perceive the processes involved in leaving home and the meaning they attribute to it. Findings are based on in-depth interviews with 10 Israeli girls aged 13-17 with a history of running away from home. The meaning of running away as it emerged from the girls' descriptions of their lives prior to leaving home was that of survival - both psychological and physical. The girls' stories centered on their evolving experiences of alienation, loneliness and detachment, and the failure of significant relationships at home and outside of home to provide them with the support they needed. These experiences laid the ground for the "final moments" before leaving, when a feeling of "no alternative," a hope for a better future, and various particular triggers led the girls to the decision to leave home. Participants' insights about the dynamics leading to running-away center on the meaning of family relationships, particularly those with the mother, as constituting the girl's psychological home. The girls seemed to perceive running away as an inevitability, rather than a choice, and even portrayed the running away as "living suicide." Yet, their stories clearly demonstrate their ability to cope and the possession of strengths and skills that enabled them to survive in extremely difficult home situations. The findings of this research highlight the importance of improving services for reaching out and supporting girls who are on the verge of running away from home. Such services should be tailored to the needs of girls who experience extreme but often silenced distress at home, and should facilitate alternative solutions to the girls' plight other than running away. An understanding of the dynamics leading to running away from the girls' perspective has the potential to improve the efficacy of services provided by contributing to the creation of a caring, empowering, understanding and trustful professional

Gifted Girls and Nonmathematical Aspirations: A Longitudinal Case Study of Two Gifted Korean Girls

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Kyeong Hwa; Sriraman, Bharath

2012-01-01

In this longitudinal study of two gifted Korean girls, experiences with early admittance into a gifted program are charted alongside their family and societal experiences that ultimately influenced their career choices in nonmathematical fields. The 8-year-long qualitative study involved extensive interviews with the two gifted girls and their…

Open adoption: adoptive parents' reactions two decades later.

PubMed

Siegel, Deborah H

2013-01-01

Unlike in the past, most adoption agencies today offer birth parents and adoptive parents the opportunity to share identifying information and have contact with each other. To understand the impacts of different open adoption arrangements, a qualitative descriptive study using a snowball sample of 44 adoptive parents throughout New England began in 1988. Every seven years these parents who adopted infants in open adoptions have participated in tape-recorded interviews to explore their evolving reactions to their open adoption experiences. This article reports the results of in-depth interviews with these parents now that their children have reached young adulthood. This longitudinal research illuminates how open adoptions change over the course of childhood and adolescence, parents' feelings about open adoption, challenges that emerge in their relationships with their children's birth families, how those challenges are managed and viewed, and parents' advice for others living with open adoption and for clinical social work practice and policy. Findings reveal that regardless of the type of openness, these adoptive parents generally feel positive about knowing the birth parents and having contact with them, are comfortable with open adoption, and see it serving the child's best interests.

Efficacy of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy with Chinese ADHD Children: Randomized Controlled Trial

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leung, Cynthia; Tsang, Sandra; Ng, Gene S. H.; Choi, S. Y.

2017-01-01

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) in Chinese children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or ADHD features. Methods: This study adopted a randomized controlled trial design without blinding. Participants were randomized into either the intervention group (n = 32) and…

Strengthening Adoption Practice, Listening to Adoptive Families

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Atkinson, Anne; Gonet, Patricia

2007-01-01

In-depth interviews with 500 adoptive families who received postadoption services through Virginia's Adoptive Family Preservation (AFP) program paint a richly detailed picture of the challenges adoptive families face and what they need to sustain adoption for many years after finalization. Findings document the need for support in a variety of…

Prevalence and Correlates of Direct Self-Injurious Behavior among Chinese Adolescents: Findings from a Multicenter and Multistage Survey.

PubMed

Xin, Xiuhong; Wang, Yuping; Fang, Jianqun; Ming, Qingsen; Yao, Shuqiao

2017-05-01

Direct self-injurious behavior (DSIB) has become an important focus due to its perniciousness and perplexity. Little is known about its prevalence and correlative factors in Chinese adolescents, including how data may differ according to gender. A multicenter, multistage stratified cluster random sampling was used to examine the previous 12-month prevalence of DSIB, as well as the possible correlates of demographics, risky behaviors, suicidality, and psychosocial factors associated with DSIB in a school-based sample of 11,880 students (49.5 % boys and 50.5 % girls). Approximately 30 % of the adolescents in the sample reported at least one incident of DSIB in the past 12-month period. After controlling for demographic variables, analyses of the independent relationships of DSIB with risky behaviors, suicidality, and psychosocial factors were conducted for each gender. Smoking, binge drinking, running away from home, suicide ideation, suicide plans, positive affect, and physical symptoms were identified as common factors associated with DSIB for both genders in the final model. In addition, truancy, fighting, physical inactivity, motor impulsiveness, and depressed affect were found to be related to DSIB in boys, whereas suicide attempts and somatic complaints were found to be related to DSIB in girls. Separation anxiety and social anxiety associated negatively with DSIB in boys and girls, respectively. DSIB was not found to independently relate to attention impulsiveness, non-planned impulsiveness, self-esteem, or harm avoidance in either genders. DSIB was prevalent in Chinese adolescents. Programs intended to promote physical and mental health in adolescents should take into account gender differences in DSIB-associated factors, including risky behaviors, suicidality, and psychosocial factors.

Sleeping Beauty Redefined: African American Girls in Transition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kusimo, Patricia S.

This paper examines the interests, perceptions, and participation of 16 African American girls in a program designed to improve girls' persistence in science, mathematics, and technology (SMT). The girls are among 33 African American and 73 total original participants in "Rural and Urban Images: Voices of Girls in Science, Mathematics, and…

American Immigrant Girls' Understanding of Female Body Image in Disney: A Critical Analysis of Young Korean Girls' Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Lena

2009-01-01

This paper discusses young Korean immigrant girls' understanding of American popular culture in a small-scale qualitative study in order to disclose young American immigrant girls' perspectives on such culture. In particular, this paper explores how these Korean girls (age five to eight) perceive female body images in American popular culture -…

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) in Preadolescent Girls is Associated with Delayed Breast Development Compared to Girls without OSA

PubMed Central

Shaw, Natalie D.; Goodwin, James L.; Silva, Graciela E.; Hall, Janet E.; Quan, Stuart F.; Malhotra, Atul

2013-01-01

Study Objective: Adults with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) have lower sex steroid levels than controls. We sought to determine whether OSA also interferes with reproductive hormones in adolescence by tracking the pace of pubertal development. Methods: One hundred seventy-two children in the Tucson Children's Assessment of Sleep Apnea study (TuCASA) underwent two home polysomnographic studies, spaced 4-5 years apart. Height and weight were measured at both visits, and Tanner staging of breasts/genitals and pubic hair were self-assessed by a pictorial questionnaire at follow-up. Results: Eighty-seven girls and 85 boys, age 8.9 ± 1.6 years (mean ± SD) at baseline and 13.4 ± 1.6 years at follow-up, participated. Twenty-seven percent of participants were over-weight or obese at baseline, and the majority remained so at follow-up. Twenty-six percent of girls and 28% of boys met criteria for OSA, defined as a respiratory disturbance index (RDI) ≥ 1/h associated with a 3% desaturation (RDI 3%), at baseline. There was an inverse relationship between baseline log RDI 3% and Tanner breast stage at follow-up (coefficient -1.3, p = 0.02) in girls after adjusting for age (p < 0.001), body mass index (p < 0.005), and ethnicity. Girls with OSA at baseline were more than 1 Tanner breast stage behind girls without OSA at follow-up. OSA did not affect genital development in boys or pubic hair development in either sex. Conclusions: OSA in preadolescent girls predicts delayed breast development relative to girls without OSA. Sleep fragmentation and/or hypoxia seen in OSA may interfere with reproductive development in girls. Citation: Shaw ND; Goodwin JL; Silva GE; Hall JE; Quan SF; Malhotra A. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in preadolescent girls is associated with delayed breast development compared to girls without OSA. J Clin Sleep Med 2013;9(8):813-818. PMID:23946712

ProjectHeartforGirls.com: Development of a Web-Based HIV/STD Prevention Program for Adolescent Girls Emphasizing Sexual Communication Skills.

PubMed

Widman, Laura; Golin, Carol E; Noar, Seth M; Massey, Joy; Prinstein, Mitchell J

2016-10-01

This article describes the development of ProjectHeartforGirls.com , an interactive web-based program designed to improve sexual communication skills and reduce the risk of HIV/STDs among adolescent girls, a population at heightened risk for negative sexual health outcomes (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2013). Although sexual communication is a critical predictor of safer sex among teens, there are few online interventions that target these skills as a central program component. We developed ProjectHeartforGirls.com to fill this gap. Program development involved (1) identifying the target population (ethnically diverse high school girls), (2) clarifying the theoretical foundation (Reasoned Action Model), (3) conducting formative qualitative research (n = 25 girls), (4) drafting initial program content, (5) receiving ongoing feedback from a teen advisory board (n = 5 girls), (6) programming online content, and (7) conducting usability testing (n = 6 girls). These steps are described along with the final intervention product, which is currently being evaluated in a randomized controlled trial.

Immunization status of internationally adopted children in Italy.

PubMed

Viviano, Enza; Cataldo, Francesco; Accomando, Salvatore; Firenze, Alberto; Valenti, Rosalia Maria; Romano, Nino

2006-05-08

An increasing number of internationally adopted children is coming to Italy, and their immunization status is unknown. We evaluated the immunization status of such children in Palermo, Italy. We searched for the presence of a BCG scar in 88 children, 49 boys and 39 girls (mean age 76+/-32 months), most of whom (98%) came from Eastern Europe. Presence of BCG scar was observed in 59 (67.1%) of them, included five children without any pre-adoptive medical records. Twenty-three out of 29 children without any evidence of BCG scar were tested by Mantoux. Seven (30.4%) of 23 were tuberculin positive and diagnosed as having latent tuberculosis infection. We also examined immunization status against poliovirus 1-3, tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis, measles, mumps, rubella and hepatitis B of 70 internationally adopted children and we compared it with the pre-adoptive immunization records of their birth country. Protective titers (>1:8) against poliovirus 1-3, were found respectively in 67.1%, 91.4%, 42.8% of 70 immunized children, and only 38.5% of them had at the same time full protection against all three types of poliovirus. Protective titers against tetanus and diphtheria were found in 91.4% and 95.7% of 70 vaccinated children. Presence of antibodies against pertussis, measles, mumps and rubella was observed respectively in 16 (32.6%) of 49, 40 (62.5%) of 64, 28 (56%) of 50 and 24 (85.7%) of 28 children who had received the vaccine. As regards hepatitis B, only 20 of 29 vaccinated children had detectable hepatitis B surface antibodies, while four of 29 vaccinated and two of 41 not vaccinated children were positive for both hepatitis B surface antibodies and hepatitis B core antibodies. Finally three of 41 not vaccinated children were both hepatitis B surface antigen and hepatitis B core antibodies positive. No relation was found between health status and immunization and between age and antibody positiveness of vaccinated children except for hepatitis B, therefore the

A decade of debate on the schooling of girls in physics: Where are we now?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kearney, Dorothy

1993-12-01

The last decade has seen an explosion of interest in issues concerned with girls and science education, and the nature of the dialogue has become increasingly sophisticated. Current writing stresses the importance of acknowledging differences between women, as well as differences between women and men. This paper will outline some of the positions it is possible to adopt in the discussion. It will raise some questions concerning the implications of the choice of a position for classroom teachers of science and, in particular, physics teachers.

Traditional Chinese rehabilitative therapy in the process of modernization.

PubMed

Zhuo, D H

1988-01-01

In the past few years modalities of traditional Chinese rehabilitative therapy have changed from an experimental approach towards the shaping of a modernized and scientific system. The landmark of this process is characterized by adoption of scientific methods in the appraisal of efficacy, provision of experimental evidence to unveil the mechanisms for the treatments and development of new modalities by innovation with modern technology. Recent advances in clinical and experimental studies on acupuncture, Chinese massage and manipulation, qigong, and Tai Ji exercise are reviewed, with a focus on new findings in physiological mechanisms and effects on anti-senility. Comments are made on new modalities such as 'physical therapy on acupoints'. Progress in the use of qigong (meditation therapy) in tapping mental potentials and remediating mental deficiency is also reported.

Girls' Attitudes Towards Science in Kenya

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chetcuti, Deborah A.; Kioko, Beriter

2012-07-01

This study investigated girls' attitudes towards science in Kenya. It was carried out with 120 girls from four secondary schools in the Eastern province of Kenya. These were an urban single-sex (SS) and co-educational (Co-Ed) school and a rural SS and Co-Ed school. Different schools were chosen in order to explore whether there are any differences in attitudes in SS and Co-Ed schools and in schools in rural and urban areas. The methodology included the use of both questionnaires and focus group interviews. The main aim was to gain insight into the extent and depth of students' attitudes towards science. The findings of the study showed that the majority of Kenyan girls who participated in the study have a favourable attitude towards science. Girls in SS schools were found to have a more favourable attitude than those in Co-Ed schools, while girls in rural area schools were found to find science more relevant than those in urban schools. It emerged from this study that the attitudes of Kenyan girls are influenced by their perceptions of the relevance of science, enjoyment of studying science, perceptions of the suitability of science for a career, and their perceptions of subject difficulty.

Gender differences in mental health literacy among Chinese-speaking Australians in Melbourne, Australia.

PubMed

Wong, Daniel Fu Keung; Lam, Angus Yuk Kit; Poon, Ada; Chow, Amy Yin Man

2012-03-01

This study attempted to understand gender differences in knowledge of mental illness, preference for professional help, and medications and treatment methods among Australians of Chinese-speaking background. This study adopted a cluster convenience sampling method in which subjects were taken from the four major areas in cosmopolitan Melbourne where most Chinese people are living. A total of 200 Chinese-speaking Australians participated in the study. They were presented with two vignettes describing an individual with acute depression or acute schizophrenia and then questions were asked to assess their understanding of the conditions, preference for professional help, medications and treatment methods. More female than male respondents could correctly identify the conditions in the two vignettes. Female participants also perceived medications to be relatively more harmful than their male counterparts. In contrast, there were significantly more males than females who adhered to traditional views on the causation of mental illness; had significantly higher percentages of endorsement of 'deal with it alone'; believed 'traditional Chinese medical doctor' and 'Chinese herbal medicines' to be helpful to the person in the schizophrenia vignette; and significantly endorsed 'psychiatric ward', 'electro-convulsive treatment', 'changing fungshui' and 'traditional Chinese worship' to be helpful for the persons in both vignettes. A combination of factors, which included age, duration of migration and traditional Chinese cultural values, were put forward to explain the above differences. Campaigns to improve the mental health literacy of Chinese-speaking Australians must take into account the gender differences between male and female Chinese-speaking Australians so that culturally relevant and gender-specific education programmes can be developed.

Scaling up... : Professional Development to Serve Young Children in Chinese Welfare Institutions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Edwards, Carolyn Pope; Cotton, Janice N.; Zhao, Wen; Muntaner-Gelabert, Jeronia

2010-01-01

In 1998 a group of American adoptive parents led by Jenny Bowen created Half the Sky Foundation (HTS) to provide nurturing care and education for children living in Chinese orphanages (known as children's welfare institutions). Jenny, a former screenwriter and film director, and her husband Richard wanted to ensure that the children still waiting…

Sexual Abuse in Cameroon: A Four-Year-Old Girl Victim of Rape in Buea Case Study.

PubMed

Chishugi, John; Franke, Trixy

2016-01-01

A young girl was brought to the emergency unit after suffering sexual abuse by an older male. Additional abuses against women and girls include physical beating, forced marriage, female genital mutilation, breast ironing, widow's rites, psychological abuse, and discrimination in education, finance, employment, and legal access. Cameroon has adopted strategies aimed at eliminating violence against women, including ratification of international policies, penal codes, and support of local and international efforts that promote women; however, many of the laws remain in name only and are rarely enforced, given women's lack of financial access to quality lawyers and an unsympathetic male-dominated police force. Underreporting and culturally accepted abuses remain a challenge, too, as the country seeks to understand the extent of abuses and how to effectively fight against them. A complete paradigm shift in cultural attitude toward the female gender is required for abuses to cease.

Adoption

MedlinePlus

... the birth nor adoptive parents know the others' identities. Other adoptions are handled more openly. Open adoptions, ... desire to seek out more information about the identity of the birth family. Most of us (whether ...

Invisible Girls: At Risk Adolescent Girls' Writing within and beyond School. Adolescent Cultures, School and Society. Volume 58

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lesley, Mellinee

2012-01-01

"Invisible Girls" is an examination of twenty-four at-risk adolescent girls' writing practices in a Third Space setting located within a school but outside of the confines of a regular classroom. Through a description of the girls' writing over a three-and-a-half-year period in this setting, Mellinee Lesley details phenomena that both support and…

Adoptive parenting.

PubMed

Grotevant, Harold D; Lo, Albert Yh

2017-06-01

Challenges in adoptive parenting continue to emerge as adoption policies and practices evolve. We review three areas of research in adoptive parenting that reflect contemporary shifts in adoption. First, we highlight recent findings concerning openness in adoption contact arrangements, or contact between a child's families of birth and rearing. Second, we examine research regarding racial and cultural socialization in transracial and international adoptions. Finally, we review investigations of parenting experiences of lesbian and gay adoptive parents. Overall, parenting processes (e.g., supportive vs. problematic family interaction) are better predictors of child adjustment than are group differences (e.g., open vs. closed adoptions; adoption by heterosexual vs. same-sex parents). The distinctive needs of adopted children call for preparation of adoption-competent mental health, casework, education, and health care professionals. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Chinese health beliefs of older Chinese in Canada.

PubMed

Lai, Daniel W L; Surood, Shireen

2009-02-01

Objectives. This study examines the cultural health beliefs held by older Chinese in Canada. Methods. Chinese surnames are randomly selected from the local Chinese telephone directories. Telephone screening is then conducted to identify eligible Chinese people 55 years of age or older to take part in a face-to-face interview to complete a structured survey questionnaire. Results. The results of exploratory factor analysis indicate that the health beliefs of the older Chinese are loaded onto three factors related to beliefs about traditional health practices, beliefs about traditional Chinese medicine, and beliefs about preventive diet. Education, religion, country of origin, length of residency in Canada, and city of residency are the major correlates of the various Chinese health beliefs scales. Discussion. The findings support the previous prescriptive knowledge about Chinese health beliefs and illustrate the intragroup sociocultural diversity that health practitioners should acknowledge in their practice.

Improving Girls' Education in Guatemala. Impact Evaluation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Agency for International Development (IDCA), Washington, DC. Center for Development Information and Evaluation.

In Guatemala, many girls attend no school. A project by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Basic Education Strengthening (BEST), demonstrated that improving educational quality is the best approach to enhancing girls' participation. BEST included a Girls Education Program (GEP) activity. Under the BEST/GEP umbrella,…

"Wh-on-Earth" in Chinese Speakers' L2 English: Evidence of Dormant Features

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yuan, Boping

2014-01-01

Adopting a decompositional approach to items in the lexicon, this article reports on an empirical study investigating Chinese speakers' second language (L2) acquisition of English "wh-on-earth" questions (i.e. questions with phrases like what on earth or "who on earth"). An acceptability judgment task, a discourse-completion…

Girls Are Great. Contemporary Issues: Growing Up Female.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mosatche, Harriet S.; And Others

This document is designed to help Girl Scout leaders understand the maturation of girls and how to assist the girls in their development. The information and activities described in this booklet are designed to help girls see themselves in a positive way, understand some of the forces that influence them as they develop, and cope with the stresses…

Understanding Aggressive Girls in Canada: A Literature Review.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Artz, Sibylle; Nicholson, Diana

This review of the literature on aggression and violence in girls, especially girls in Canada, begins with data showing increasing rates of assault and other violent crimes by Canadian girls, although the rate for girls continues to be much less than for boys (a fact possibly responsible for the small amount of research on this population). The…

What Every Girl in School Needs To Know.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ransome, Whitney

This document provides a brief overview on the short-changing of girls in the education system. The paper suggests one solution may lie in the single-sex school for girls. Girls' schools are united in a long-standing commitment to learning environments that place girls first and foremost. All mentors and roles models provided are female, so that…

Peer deviance, parenting and disruptive behavior among young girls.

PubMed

Miller, Shari; Loeber, Rolf; Hipwell, Alison

2009-02-01

This study examined concurrent and longitudinal associations between peer deviance, parenting practices, and conduct and oppositional problems among young girls ages 7 and 8. Participants were 588 African American and European American girls who were part of a population-based study of the development of conduct problems and delinquency among girls. Affiliations with problem-prone peers were apparent among a sizeable minority of the girls, and these associations included both males and females. Although peer delinquency concurrently predicted disruptive behaviors, the gender of these peers did not contribute to girls' behavior problems. Harsh parenting and low parental warmth showed both concurrent and prospective associations with girls' disruptive behaviors. Similar patterns of association were seen for African American and European American girls. The findings show that peer and parent risk processes are important contributors to the early development of young girls' conduct and oppositional behaviors. These data contribute to our understanding of girls' aggression and antisocial behaviors and further inform our understanding of risk processes for these behaviors among young girls in particular.

Brokering Identity and Learning Citizenship: Immigration Settlement Organizations and New Chinese Immigrants in Canada

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhu, Yidan

2015-01-01

This paper examines citizenship learning and identity construction of new Chinese immigrants in a Canadian immigration settlement organization (ISO). I address the gap between the concept of "settlement" and "citizenship" generated by government-funded ISOs and new immigrants' actual practices in these programs. I adopt Dorothy…

Problem-based learning: ancient Chinese educational philosophy reflected in a modern educational methodology.

PubMed

Lee, Wai Man; Wong, Frances Kam Yuet; Mok, Esther S B

2004-02-01

Problem-based learning (PBL) has been widely adopted as a strategy by nurse educators all over the world. Many studies have been carried out to examine its process and outcomes. There are few studies discussing the relevance of PBL to students with different cultural background. This study reports the experiences of Chinese students in Hong Kong using PBL and explores if their experiences were compatible with the educational philosophy documented in traditional Chinese literature. The phenomenological approach was used in the treatment of data. The informants were students enrolled in the post-registration nursing degree programme at a university in Hong Kong during 1997-1998. A total of 94 journals were included in the analysis. Seven main themes emerged from the phenomenological analysis. They were the integration of knowing and doing, critical reflection and debate, individuality of learning, self-motivated learning, critical inquiry and independent thinking, timeliness of instruction and cooperative learning. This study provides evidence to show that PBL is an approach that is compatible with the Chinese way of learning. The result of this study shows that aspects of the modern PBL process harken back to an ancient Chinese learning philosophy that underpins Chinese learning today.

Girls and Computer Technology: Barrier or Key?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gipson, Joella

1997-01-01

Discusses the disparity in numbers of girls and boys taking math, science, and computer classes in elementary and secondary schools, and examines steps being taken to better prepare girls, especially minority girls, for an increasingly technical society. A program in Michigan is described that involved a school and business partnership. (LRW)

Associations between high levels of conduct problems and co-occurring problems among the youngest boys and girls in schools: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Kirkhaug, Bente; Drugli, May Britt; Lydersen, Stian; Mørch, Willy-Tore

2013-08-01

Few studies have focused on conduct problems and co-occurring problems among the youngest children in schools, such as social, internalizing and attention problems. In particular, there is a lack of studies that differentiate between boys and girls in terms of such problems. The aim of the current study was to test associations between conduct problems and social, internalizing and attention problems, as well as adaptive school functioning, which was rated by the teachers of boys and girls in grades 1-3. In a cross-sectional study, 103 boys and 108 girls in grades 1-3 at six schools participated in a national Norwegian study of child conduct problems in the normal population. Linear regression analysis was used to test the associations between conduct problems, social skills, problems of internalization, attention problems and adaptation to school among boys and girls. There were significant associations between high levels of conduct problems and social skills problems, attention problems and low adaptive school functioning scores among boys and girls. Attention problems had the most powerful associations with conduct problems for both genders. Young schoolchildren with high levels of conduct problems also had co-occurring problems. Schools and teachers need to adopt a comprehensive approach to help these children during their first years in school.

A longitudinal analysis of the effects of socioeconomic factors, foreign media, and attitude toward appearance on general and central adiposity in Chinese adolescents

PubMed Central

Felicitas, Jamie Q.; Tanenbaum, Hilary C.; Li, Yawen; Chou, Chih-Ping; Palmer, Paula H.; Spruijt-Metz, Donna; Reynolds, Kim D.; Johnson, C. Anderson; Xie, Bin

2015-01-01

This paper explores the longitudinal effects of socioeconomic factors (i.e., parent education and family income level), foreign media, and attitude toward appearance on general and central adiposity among Chinese adolescents. A longitudinal analysis was performed using data from the China Seven Cities Study, a health promotion and smoking prevention study conducted in seven cities across Mainland China between 2002 and 2005. Participants included 5,020 middle and high school students and their parents. Explanatory variables included foreign media exposure, attitude toward appearance, parent education, and family income. Three-level, random-effect models were used to predict general adiposity (i.e., body mass index) and central adiposity (i.e., waist circumference). The Generalized Estimating Equation approach was utilized to determine the effect of explanatory variables on overweight status. Among girls, foreign media exposure was significantly negatively associated with general adiposity over time (β = − 0.06, p = 0.01 for middle school girls; β = − 0.06, p = 0.03 for high school girls). Attitude toward appearance was associated with lesser odds of being overweight, particularly among high school girls (OR = 0.86, p < 0.01). Among boys, parental education was significantly positively associated with general adiposity (β = 0.62, p < 0.01 for middle school boys; β = 0.37, p = 0.02 for high school boys) and associated with greater odds of being overweight (OR = 1.55, p < 0.01 for middle school boys; OR = 1.26, p = 0.04 for high school boys). Across all gender and grade levels, family income was significantly negatively associated with central adiposity over time. Interventions addressing Chinese adolescent overweight/obesity should consider these factors as potential focus areas. PMID:26279973

How Israeli social workers perceive adolescent girls in prostitution.

PubMed

Peled, Einat; Lugasi, Reut

2015-04-01

The phenomenon of girls in prostitution poses great challenges to professionals who work with adolescent girls at risk and in distress. Prostitution is socially stigmatized and seen as something shameful. However, current theory and research show adolescent girls in prostitution to be victims of violence, exploitation and trauma. This naturalistic qualitative study examined the views of 15 social workers at six Adolescent Girls Treatment Units in Israel on prostitution and on adolescent girls in prostitution. Data was collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews. The participants struggled to link the term "prostitution" with the adolescent girls in their care. The findings explore the source this perceived conflict, and its manifestation in the participants' professional intervention with the girls. The discussion examines the participants' professional discourse about adolescent girls in prostitution, and offers explanations for their difficulty in associating the adolescent girls in their care with prostitution. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Chinese newspaper coverage of genetically modified organisms

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Debates persist around the world over the development and use of genetically modified organisms (GMO). News media has been shown to both reflect and influence public perceptions of health and science related debates, as well as policy development. To better understand the news coverage of GMOs in China, we analyzed the content of articles in two Chinese newspapers that relate to the development and promotion of genetically modified technologies and GMOs. Methods Searching in the Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure Core Newspaper Database (CNKI-CND), we collected 77 articles, including news reports, comments and notes, published between January 2002 and August 2011 in two of the major Chinese newspapers: People’s Daily and Guangming Daily. We examined articles for perspectives that were discussed and/or mentioned regarding GMOs, the risks and benefits of GMOs, and the tone of news articles. Results The newspaper articles reported on 29 different kinds of GMOs. Compared with the possible risks, the benefits of GMOs were much more frequently discussed in the articles. 48.1% of articles were largely supportive of the GM technology research and development programs and the adoption of GM cottons, while 51.9% of articles were neutral on the subject of GMOs. Risks associated with GMOs were mentioned in the newspaper articles, but none of the articles expressed negative tones in regards to GMOs. Conclusion This study demonstrates that the Chinese print media is largely supportive of GMOs. It also indicates that the print media describes the Chinese government as actively pursuing national GMO research and development programs and the promotion of GM cotton usage. So far, discussion of the risks associated with GMOs is minimal in the news reports. The media, scientists, and the government should work together to ensure that science communication is accurate and balanced. PMID:22551150

Chinese newspaper coverage of genetically modified organisms.

PubMed

Du, Li; Rachul, Christen

2012-06-08

Debates persist around the world over the development and use of genetically modified organisms (GMO). News media has been shown to both reflect and influence public perceptions of health and science related debates, as well as policy development. To better understand the news coverage of GMOs in China, we analyzed the content of articles in two Chinese newspapers that relate to the development and promotion of genetically modified technologies and GMOs. Searching in the Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure Core Newspaper Database (CNKI-CND), we collected 77 articles, including news reports, comments and notes, published between January 2002 and August 2011 in two of the major Chinese newspapers: People's Daily and Guangming Daily. We examined articles for perspectives that were discussed and/or mentioned regarding GMOs, the risks and benefits of GMOs, and the tone of news articles. The newspaper articles reported on 29 different kinds of GMOs. Compared with the possible risks, the benefits of GMOs were much more frequently discussed in the articles. 48.1% of articles were largely supportive of the GM technology research and development programs and the adoption of GM cottons, while 51.9% of articles were neutral on the subject of GMOs. Risks associated with GMOs were mentioned in the newspaper articles, but none of the articles expressed negative tones in regards to GMOs. This study demonstrates that the Chinese print media is largely supportive of GMOs. It also indicates that the print media describes the Chinese government as actively pursuing national GMO research and development programs and the promotion of GM cotton usage. So far, discussion of the risks associated with GMOs is minimal in the news reports. The media, scientists, and the government should work together to ensure that science communication is accurate and balanced.

[Evaluation of nutrition manner and nutritional status of girls during the period of adolescence, including girls who apply slimming diets].

PubMed

Goluch-Koniuszy, Zuzanna; Fugiel, Joanna

2009-01-01

The purpose of the research was the evaluation of nutrition methods and the nutrition status of girls in the age ranging between 15 and 16, who had body substance, height, waist measurements taken; and the BMI, WC, and WHtR indicators were calculated. Three day menus were also evaluated and an inquiry containing questionnaire concerning the manner of apply slimming diets. It has also been ascertained that 40.8% of fifteen year old and 31% of sixteen year old girls apply slimming diets. It was discovered that only in 76% of younger girls and in 71% of older girls the value of the BMI indicator was proper. The problem of accumulation of fat tissue (WC > or = 95 c) around the waist concerned 4% younger girls and 10% older. It was discovered that the values of WHtR > or = 90 c were almost 10% and 23% in the cases of younger and older girls, respectively. Analysis of nutrition of the girls showed low energy value of the diet, too low total protein level, too low of complex carbohydrates, minerals (K, Ca, Mg, Cu, Zn) and vitamins (A, E, B group) and also liquids shortage. The girls have been educated in the form of workshops in the matter concerning healthy nutrition.

GeoGirls: A Geology and Geophysics Field Camp for Middle School Girls at Mount St. Helens

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Samson, C.; Allstadt, K.; Melander, S.; Groskopf, A.; Driedger, C. L.; Westby, E.

2015-12-01

The August 2015 GeoGirls program was a project designed to inspire girls to gain an appreciation and enthusiasm for Earth sciences using Mount St. Helens as an outdoor volcanic laboratory. Occupations in the field of science and engineering tend to be held by more males than females. One way to address this is to introduce girls to possible opportunities within the geosciences and encourage them to learn more about the dynamic environment in which they live. In 2015, the GeoGirls program sought to accomplish this goal through organizing a five day-long field camp for twenty middle school-aged girls, along with four high school-aged mentors and two local teachers. This group explored Mount St. Helens guided by female scientists from the USGS Cascade Volcano Observatory (CVO), the Mount St. Helens Institute (MSHI), UNAVCO, Boise State, Georgia Tech, University of Washington and Oregon State University. To introduce participants to techniques used by volcanologists, the girls participated in hands-on experiments and research projects focusing on seismology, GPS, terrestrial lidar, photogrammetry, water and tephra. Participants also learned to collect samples, analyze data and use microscopes. Through this experience, participants acquired strategies for conducting research by developing hypotheses, making observations, thinking critically and sharing their findings with others. The success of the GeoGirls program was evaluated by participant and parent survey questionnaires, which allowed assessment of overall enthusiasm and interest in pursuing careers in the geosciences. The program was free to participants and was run jointly by MSHI and CVO and funded by NSF, the American Association of University Women, the Association for Women Geoscientists, the Association of Environmental & Engineering Geologists and private donors. The program will run again in the summer of 2016.

Why do Adolescent Girls Idolize Male Celebrities?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Engle, Yuna; Kasser, Tim

2005-01-01

Girls often idolize male celebrities, but this phenomenon has been studied little. The authors therefore assessed celebrity idolization among 142 junior high school girls and found that girls who strongly idolized a male celebrity had more experience dating, reported secure and preoccupied attachments to same-age boys, and were rated higher in…

[Application of Chinese Medical Syndrome Scores in Effectiveness Evaluation: a Critical Appraisal of 240 Randomized Controlled Trials].

PubMed

Luo, Hui; Liao, Xing; Wang, Qian

2015-10-01

To explore the role of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome scores in effectiveness evaluation of clinical studies. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of TCM published in five journals in 2013 were retrieved, including Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine (JTCM), Chinese Journal of Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine (CJITWM), Chinese Journal of Integrative Medicine (CJIM), Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine (ECAM), and American Journal of Chinese Medicine (AJCM). The details of TCM syndrome scores and other relevant factors reported in articles were extracted and analyzed. Descriptive statistics and Chi-square test were used to describe general features of inclusive studies, ratios of reports on CM syndrome scores in each journal, formulated evidence, adopted evaluation rules, important degrees. The difference in the application rate of CM syndrome scores were compared in various diseases, diseases with or without CM syndrome typing, places where clinical studies were implemented, and different journals. A total of 240 RCTs were included, involving 178 published in Chinese version and 62 in English version. CM syndrome scores were used for effectiveness evaluation in 27.1% (65/240) of RCTs, of which, the highest application percentage was 35.3% (18/51) in RCTs published in CJITWM, and the lowest was 0 (0/7) in RCTs published in AJCM. There were 17 methods for grading TCM syndrome scores, of which Guideline for Clinical Research of New Chinese Herbal Medicine was most commonly used. Detailed grading standards for CM syndrome scores were reported in 46 RCTs, and CM syndrome scores were taken as primary or secondary outcomes in 6 RCTs. When describing the percentages of RCTs adopting TCM syndrome score by diseases classification, the lowest was 9.5% (2/21) in mental and behavioral disorders, and the highest was 39.1% (9/23) in endocrine, nutritional, and metabolic diseases. RCTs with TCM syndrome differentiation had a higher

[Situation analysis of physical fitness among Chinese Han students in 2014].

PubMed

Song, Y; Lei, Y T; Hu, P J; Zhang, B; Ma, J

2018-06-18

To analyze the situation of physical fitness among Chinese Han students in 2014, so as to develop the guideline of physical activity regarding to the targeted students and to provide bases for the improvements of students' physical fitness. Subjects were from 2014 Chinese National Surveys on Students' Constitution and Health (CNSSCH). In this survey, 212 401 Han students aged 7-18 years participated and the measurement of physical fitness completed. The qualified rates of indicators regarding to physical fitness were evaluated based on "National Students Constitutional Health Standards" (2014 revised edition). Logistic regression was used to assess the association between the indicators of pull ups (boys) and endurance run (boys and girls) and influencing factors. In 2014, among the boys, the qualified rates of pull ups and endurance run were 18.7% and 76.6% respectively, while the qualified rate of endurance run was 80.6% among the girls. These two indicators were the weak items of physical fitness among the Chinese Han students. There was regional difference in the qualified rates of physical fitness, and the students in Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces had higher qualified rates. Logistic regression showed that the urban students (OR=0.67), the students with malnutrition (OR=0.76), overweight (OR=0.32) or obesity (OR=0.12) were less likely to be qualified to pull ups; the students who had physical activity more than 1 h per day (OR=1.31) was more likely to be qualified to pull ups. The influencing factors of endurance run showed the similar pattern, in addition, the students with enough physical education (PE) were more likely to be qualified to endurance run, while the students with "Squeeze" or "no" PE class were less likely to be qualified to endurance run. The pull ups and endurance run have become the weak items of the physical fitness among primary and secondary school students in our national and provincial levels. Based on ensuring physical exercise time

Maternal characteristics predicting young girls' disruptive behavior.

PubMed

van der Molen, Elsa; Hipwell, Alison E; Vermeiren, Robert; Loeber, Rolf

2011-01-01

Little is known about the relative predictive utility of maternal characteristics and parenting skills on the development of girls' disruptive behavior. The current study used five waves of parent- and child-report data from the ongoing Pittsburgh Girls Study to examine these relationships in a sample of 1,942 girls from age 7 to 12 years. Multivariate generalized estimating equation analyses indicated that European American race, mother's prenatal nicotine use, maternal depression, maternal conduct problems prior to age 15, and low maternal warmth explained unique variance. Maladaptive parenting partly mediated the effects of maternal depression and maternal conduct problems. Both current and early maternal risk factors have an impact on young girls' disruptive behavior, providing support for the timing and focus of the prevention of girls' disruptive behavior.

Where the girls aren't: High school girls and advanced placement physics enrollment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barton, Susan O'brien

During the high school years, when many students first have some choice in course selection, research indicates that girls choose to enroll in more math and science courses, take more advanced placement courses, and take more honors courses in English, biology, chemistry, mathematics, and foreign languages than ever before. Yet, not only are boys more likely to take all of the three core science courses (biology, chemistry, and physics), boys enroll in advanced placement physics approximately three times as often as do girls. This study examines the perceptions, attitudes, and aspirations of thirty high school girls enrolled in senior-level science electives in an attempt to understand their high school science course choices, and what factors were influencing them. This is a qualitative investigation employing constructivist grounded theory methods. There are two main contributions of this study. First, it presents a new conceptual and analytical framework to investigate the problem of why some high school girls do not enroll in physics coursework. This framework is grounded in the data and is comprised of three existing feminist perspectives along the liberal/radical continuum of feminist thought. Second, this study illuminates a complex set of reasons why participants avoided high school physics (particularly advanced placement physics) coursework. These reasons emerged as three broad categories related to: (a) a lack of connectedness with physics curriculum and instruction; (b) prior negative experiences with physics and math classroom climates; and (c) future academic goals and career aspirations. Taken together, the findings of this study indicate that the problem of high school girls and physics enrollment---particularly advanced placement physics enrollment---is a problem that cannot be evaluated or considered from one perspective.

Gender-Typed Play Behavior in Early Childhood: Adopted Children with Lesbian, Gay, and Heterosexual Parents

PubMed Central

Goldberg, Abbie E.; Kashy, Deborah A.; Smith, JuilAnna Z.

2012-01-01

This study examined whether the gender-typed play of young children varies as a function of family structure. Using a sample of 126 couples (44 lesbian couples, 34 gay male couples, and 48 heterosexual couples) located throughout the United States, with an adopted child between the age of 2 and 4 years old (mean = 2.5 years), we examined parent reports of children’s gender-typed play behavior utilizing the Pre-School Activities Inventory (PSAI; Golombok & Rust, 1993). Findings revealed that the perceived play behaviors of boys and girls in same-gender parent families were more similar (i.e., less gender-stereotyped) than the perceived play behavior of boys and girls in heterosexual-parent families (which were more divergent; that is, gender-stereotyped). Sons of lesbian mothers were less masculine in their play behavior than sons of gay fathers and sons of heterosexual parents. Our findings have implications for researchers who study gender development in children and adolescents. PMID:23420542

ProjectHeartForGirls.com: Development of a web-based HIV/STD prevention program for adolescent girls emphasizing sexual communication skills

PubMed Central

Widman, Laura; Golin, Carol E.; Noar, Seth M.; Massey, Joy; Prinstein, Mitchell J.

2017-01-01

This article describes the development of ProjectHeartforGirls.com, an interactive web-based program designed to improve sexual communication skills and reduce the risk of HIV/STDs among adolescent girls, a population at heightened risk for negative sexual health outcomes (CDC, 2013). Although sexual communication is a critical predictor of safer sex among teens, there are few online interventions that target these skills as a central program component. We developed ProjectHeartforGirls.com to fill this gap. Program development involved 1) identifying the target population (ethnically-diverse high school girls); 2) clarifying the theoretical foundation (Reasoned Action Model); 3) conducting formative qualitative research (n=25 girls); 4) drafting initial program content; 5) receiving ongoing feedback from a teen advisory board (n=5 girls); 6) programming online content; and 7) conducting usability testing (n=6 girls). These steps are described along with the final intervention product, which is currently being evaluated in a randomized controlled trial. PMID:27710087

Adopting a child with cleft lip and palate: a study of parents' experiences.

PubMed

Hansson, Emma; Ostman, Jenny; Becker, Magnus

2013-02-01

Adoption of Chinese children with cleft lip and palate (CLP) has become increasingly more common in Sweden. The aim of this study was to examine parents' experience when adopting a child with CLP. Since 2008, 34 adopted children with CLP have been treated in our department. A questionnaire was sent to 33 of the families and 30 of them answered (91%). The parents had queued from 1 month to 8 years before they were offered a child. Eighteen families reported that they received information on CLP from the adoption agency and 87% contacted the department of plastic surgery for additional information. In 15 cases (45%) previously unknown medical conditions or birth defects other than CLP were discovered in Sweden. Most parents (67%) had been informed before the adoption that their child could be a carrier of resistant bacteria, but not all had received enough information to grasp what it implies to be a carrier. The great majority of the families did not feel that the early hospitalisation for the first operation had a negative impact on the attachment between them and their adopted child. They thought that the aesthetic and functional results of the operations were "better than expected". Seventeen families stated that people react to the cleft and four of them think that the reactions are a problem. Presumptive adoptive parents should be informed that the child might have unsuspected medical conditions, resistant bacteria, what carriage implies, and that needed treatment and long-term results are not predictable.

Development of a New Growth Standard for Breastfed Chinese Infants: What Is the Difference from the WHO Growth Standards?

PubMed

Huang, Xiaona; Chang, Jenjen; Feng, Weiwei; Xu, Yiqun; Xu, Tao; Tang, He; Wang, Huishan; Pan, Xiaoping

2016-01-01

The objectives of this longitudinal study were to examine the trajectory of breastfed infants' growth in China to update growth standards for early childhood, and to compare these updated Chinese growth standards with the growth standards recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2006.This longitudinal cohort study enrolled 1,840 healthy breastfed infants living in an "optimal" environment favorable to growth and followed up until one year of age from 2007 to 2010. The study subjects were recruited from 60 communities in twelve cities in China. A participating infant's birth weight was measured within the first hour of the infant's life, and birth length and head circumference within 24 hours after birth. Repeated weekly and monthly anthropometric measurements were also taken. Multilevel (ML) modelling via MLwiN2.25 was fitted to estimate the growth curves of weight-for-age (WFA), length-for-age (LFA), and head circumference-for-age (HFA) for the study sample as a whole and by child sex, controlling for mode of delivery, the gravidity and parity of the mother, infant's physical measurements at birth, infant's daily food intaking frequency per day, infant's medical conditions, the season when the infant's physical measurement was taken, parents' ages, heights, and attained education, and family structure and income per month. During the first four weeks after birth, breastfed infants showed an increase in weight, length, and head circumference of 1110g, 4.9 cm, and 3.2 cm, respectively, among boys, and 980 g, 4.4 cm, and 2.8 cm, respectively, among girls. Throughout infancy, the total growth for these three was 6930 g, 26.4 cm, and 12.5 cm, respectively, among boys, and 6480 g, 25.5 cm, and 11.7 cm, respectively, among girls. As expected, there was a significant sex difference in growth during the first year. In comparison with the WHO growth standards, breastfed children in our study were heavier in weight, longer in length, and bigger in head

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Pubertal Preparedness Program in Terms of Knowledge and Attitude Regarding Pubertal Changes Among Pre-Adolescent Girls.

PubMed

Rani, Manisha; Sheoran, Poonam; Kumar, Yogesh; Singh, Navjyot

2016-09-01

Objective: To compare the knowledge and attitude regarding pubertal changes among pre - adolescent girls before and after the pubertal preparedness program (PPP) in experimental and comparison group. Materials and methods: A Quasi experimental (non- equivalent comparison group pretest posttest) design was adopted with 104pre-adolescentgirls (52 in each experimental and comparison group) of age 12-14years, selected by purposive sampling from two different Government schools of Ambala District. Knowledge and attitude was assessed using structured knowledge questionnaire (KR-20 = 0.74) and 5 point likert scale (Cronbach's alpha = 0.79) respectively. On the same day of pretest, PPP was administered and on 12 th day FAQs reinforcement session was held only for experimental group. After 28 days, posttest was taken. Results: The computed t value of pretest of knowledge and attitude scores of pre-adolescent girls (1.97), (1.95) respectively in experimental and comparison group was found non-significant at 0.05 level of significance which shows that both group didn't differ significantly in their knowledge and attitude before the administration of intervention. Findings of unpaired 't' value of posttest knowledge and attitude scores of pre-adolescent girls (19.77), (17.17) respectively in experimental and comparison group were found significant at 0.05 level of significance, Thus knowledge and attitude of pre-adolescent girls were improved with PPP and FAQs session. Conclusion: Pubertal preparedness program and FAQs reinforcement session are effective in enhancing knowledge and developing favorable attitude among pre-adolescent girls.

You Look Familiar: How Malaysian Chinese Recognize Faces

PubMed Central

Tan, Chrystalle B. Y.; Stephen, Ian D.; Whitehead, Ross; Sheppard, Elizabeth

2012-01-01

East Asian and white Western observers employ different eye movement strategies for a variety of visual processing tasks, including face processing. Recent eye tracking studies on face recognition found that East Asians tend to integrate information holistically by focusing on the nose while white Westerners perceive faces featurally by moving between the eyes and mouth. The current study examines the eye movement strategy that Malaysian Chinese participants employ when recognizing East Asian, white Western, and African faces. Rather than adopting the Eastern or Western fixation pattern, Malaysian Chinese participants use a mixed strategy by focusing on the eyes and nose more than the mouth. The combination of Eastern and Western strategies proved advantageous in participants' ability to recognize East Asian and white Western faces, suggesting that individuals learn to use fixation patterns that are optimized for recognizing the faces with which they are more familiar. PMID:22253762

Maternal Characteristics Predicting Young Girls' Disruptive Behavior

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van der Molen, Elsa; Hipwell, Alison E.; Vermeiren, Robert; Loeber, Rolf

2011-01-01

Little is known about the relative predictive utility of maternal characteristics and parenting skills on the development of girls' disruptive behavior. The current study used five waves of parent- and child-report data from the ongoing Pittsburgh Girls Study to examine these relationships in a sample of 1,942 girls from age 7 to 12 years.…

Girls and Science Education - Cause For Concern?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kelly, Alison; And Others

This collection of papers resulted from the observation that girls, before boys, are eased out of science education. An overview of the problem is presented in the first paper, with an identification of some of the factors that discourage girls from pursuing study or careers in science. Justification for teaching science to girls as well as to…

The Meaning of Home for Runaway Girls

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peled, Einat; Muzicant, Amit

2008-01-01

This naturalistic qualitative study examines the concept of "home" for runaway girls. Through the "home story" of girls who run away from home, the authors hoped to understand the many facets of home, as well as broaden the existing knowledge-base about the phenomenon of adolescent runaway girls. Data consisted of in-depth interviews with 15 girls…

Middle School Girls' Envisioned Future in Computing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Friend, Michelle

2015-01-01

Experience is necessary but not sufficient to cause girls to envision a future career in computing. This study investigated the experiences and attitudes of girls who had taken three years of mandatory computer science classes in an all-girls setting in middle school, measured at the end of eighth grade. The one third of participants who were open…

The convergence of Chinese county government health expenditures: capitation and contribution.

PubMed

Zhang, Guoying; Zhang, Luwen; Wu, Shaolong; Xia, Xiaoqiong; Lu, Liming

2016-08-19

The disparity between government health expenditures across regions is more severe in developing countries than it is in developed countries. The capitation subsidy method has been proven effective in developed countries in reducing this disparity, but it has not been tested in China, the world's largest developing country. The convergence method of neoclassical economics was adopted to test the convergence of China's regional government health expenditure. Data were obtained from Provinces, Prefectures and Counties Fiscal Statistical Yearbook (2003-2007) edited by the Chinese Ministry of Finance, and published by the Chinese Finance & Economics Publishing House. The existence of σ-convergence and long-term and short-term β-convergence indicated the effectiveness of the capitation subsidy method in the New Rural Cooperative Medical Scheme on narrowing county government health expenditure disparities. The supply-side variables contributed the most to the county government health expenditure convergence, and factors contributing to convergence of county government health expenditures per capita were different in three regions. The narrowing disparity between county government health expenditures across regions supports the effectiveness of the capitation subsidy method adopted by China's New Rural Cooperative Scheme. However, subsidy policy still requires further improvement.

Being Chinese or Being Different: Chinese Undergraduates' Use of Discourses of Chineseness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Skyrme, Gillian

2014-01-01

Myths about "the Chinese learner" developed from an outsider perspective abound in the Western world. The focus of this article, however, is how discourses of Chineseness were used by the Chinese international students themselves who, as undergraduate students in a New Zealand university, were the subjects of my doctoral research. It…

Engaging Girls in STEM: How to Plan or Revamp Your EPO Resources or Activities to be More Effective for Girls

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bleacher, Lora V.; Peterson, Karen A.; Sharma, Mangala; Smith, Denise

2012-01-01

This two-hour workshop, which was held as a follow-on to the plenary session "Engaging Girls in STEM: A Discussion of Foundational and Current Research on What Works," offered research-based insights, resources, and tips to help participants plan or revamp programs and resources aimed at encouraging girls in science. Led by Karen Peterson, PI for the National Girls Collaborative Project,1 the workshop included: a brief discussion about effective strategies recommended for encouraging girls in STEM; hands-on experience, where participants-availing of the expert's guidance-applied the recommended strategies to alter or tailor an existing or planned program/resource to be more girl-friendly; and a sharing out, where the participants reflected on the results of the hands-on exercise and developed action items to continue carrying out the girl-friendly best practices in science, technology, engineering, and math education and public outreach.

Girl Scouts and Subject Matter Experts: What’s the Connection?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harman, Pamela; Girls Scouts of Northern California, Girl Scouts USA, Astronomical Society of the Pacifica, Univeristy of Arizona, and ARIES Scientific.

2018-01-01

Reaching for the Stars: NASA Science for Girl Scouts (Girl Scout Stars) fosters interaction between Girl Scouts and NASA Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), disseminates NASA STEM education-related resources, and engages Girl Scouts in NASA science and programs through space science badges and summer camps.A space science badge is in development for each of the six levels of Girl Scouts: Daisies, Grades K – 1; Brownies, Grades 2 -3; Juniors, Grades 4 -5; Cadettes, Grades 6 -8; Seniors, Grades 9 -10; and Ambassadors, Grades 11 -12. Indirectly, SMEs will reach tens of thousands of girls through the badges. SETI Institute SMEs Institute and SME Co-Is located at ARIES Scientific, Astronomical Society of the Pacific, University of Arizona, and Girl Scouts of Northern California developed and modified astronomy activities for the Girl Scouts USA badge writers to finesse into the Girl Scout formats. Revisions are reviewed by SMEs for accuracy. Each badge includes a step option that encourages girls to connect with SMEs, and recommendations for volunteers.A total of 127 girls from 31 states and the District of Columbia attendedTotal Eclipse Destination Camps at three locations. SMEs led activities and tours, inspiring girls to consider STEM careers. University of Arizona (U of A) SMEs lead Astronomy Camp for Volunteers, enabling volunteers to lead and inspire Girl Scouts in their respective Girl Scout Councils. A Destination Camp for Girl Scouts was also held at U of A. Girls experience authentic astronomy, learning how to collect and analyze data.Eleven teams comprised of two Girl Scouts, a volunteer or Council Staff, and an amateur astronomer attended Astronomy Club Camp, held at NASA GSFC. SMEs delivered science content. The girls will lead the formation of astronomy clubs in their councils, and will train their successors. SMEs will present and coach the clubs during monthly webinars.This presentation will highlight success and discuss lessons learned that are applicable

Bone Status of Adolescent Girls in Pune (India) Compared to Age Matched South Asian & White Caucasian UK Girls

PubMed Central

Khadilkar, A; Crabtree, N J; Ward, K A; Khadilkar, V; Shaw, N J; Mughal, M Z

2014-01-01

Purpose To determine whether adolescent girls from a low socioeconomic group in Pune, India, who had low dietary calcium intake (449 mg/day; range 356-538) and hypovitaminosis D (median serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D 23.4 nmol/l; range 13.5-31.9), would have lower lumbar spine (LS) bone mineral apparent density (BMAD), and total body (TB) bone mineral content (BMC) adjusted for lean body mass (LBM). Methods Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry was used to measure TB and LS BMC, bone area (BA) and TBLBM in 50 post menarcheal girls from Pune. These variables were compared with data from 34 South Asian and 82 White Caucasian age matched girls from the UK. Results Pune girls were shorter, lighter and had less LBM for height, compared to both UK groups; they had later age of menarche than UK Asians. The mean (SE) BA adjusted TB BMC and LSBMAD were reduced for Pune girls [1778g (17); 0.335g/cm3(0.006)], compared to the UK South Asians [1864g (18); 0.332 g/cm3 (0.005)] and UK White Caucasians [1864g (13); 0.345 g/cm3 (0.004)]. In contrast both LS and TBBMC adjusted for TBLBM were not significantly different between the groups. Conclusions Pune girls had low bone mass for projected bone area relative to UK South Asian & White Caucasian girls but had the appropriate amount of BMC for their LBM. PMID:19727907

Good/Bad Girls Read Together: Pre-Adolescent Girls' Co-Authorship of Feminine Subject Positions during a Shared Reading Event.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Enciso, Patricia E.

1998-01-01

Discusses reading with pre-teens Francine Pascal's "Sweet Valley Twins: Best Friends," one of a series of pre-romance novels featuring identical twin sisters. Interviews six girls using the Symbolic Representation Interview (SRI) about the good girl/bad girl dichotomy in novels and other media. Provides comments by Tom Romano and Diana Mitchell.…

Changing Girls' Education in Guatemala.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Provasnik, Stephen; Brush, Lorie; Heyman, Cory; Fanning, Marina; Lent, Drew; De Wilde, Johan

Guatemala's school completion rates are among the lowest in Latin America and are particularly low in rural indigenous areas ravaged by 36 years of civil conflict. In 1997, USAID launched the Girls' Education Activity, known as Proyecto Global in Guatemala, to increase the percentage of girls who complete fifth grade, especially in rural areas and…

Where the Ocean Meets the Girl Guides, Exploring the Interface Between Teaching Science and Using Specialized Programs to Engage Girls in Ocean Literacy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pelz, M. S.; Ewing, N.; Davidson, E.; Hoeberechts, M.

2016-02-01

This presentation focuses on Ocean Aware, a joint project between Ocean Networks Canada (ONC) and the British Columbia Girl Guides Canada (Girl Guides). On World Oceans Day 2014, Girl Guides launched a new challenge to its members: "Are you Ocean Aware?" To answer this question, girls of any age can now earn their Ocean Aware Challenge crest. Ocean Networks Canada (ONC), an initiative of the University of Victoria, operates cabled ocean observatories which supply continuous power and Internet connectivity to a broad suite of subsea instruments from the coast to the deep sea. This Internet connectivity permits researchers, students and members of the public to download freely available data on their computers anywhere around the globe, in near real-time. Girl Guides provides a safe, all-girl environment that invites girls to challenge themselves, to find their voice, meet new friends, have fun and make a difference in the world. Girl Guides strives to ensure that girls and women from all walks of life, identities and lived experiences feel a sense of belonging and can fully participate. Girl Guides of Canada is a member of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts. Through a partnership between ONC and Girl Guides, Ocean Aware was created to promote ocean literacy and ocean technology to thousands of Guiders in British Columbia and beyond. One of the most interesting challenges was to present STEM learning outcomes in such a way that they are accessible to girls, facilitators, and communities that are both on the coast and inland. With a creative eye to the preforming arts, hands-on experiments, interactive experiences and games, this challenge successfully brings the 7 Principles of Ocean Literacy to any girl, in any community. In this presentation we will share some of the strategies, challenges and impacts of creating a successful program that engages a large audience in ocean science through a novel partnership.

Girls Helping Girls: Assessing the Influence of College Student Mentors in an Afterschool Engineering Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holmes, Stephanie; Redmond, Adrienne; Thomas, Julie; High, Karen

2012-01-01

Current data suggest fewer females than males continue to be interested in engineering and that this gender gap is first evidenced during middle school years. One might expect that female engineering role models would encourage adolescent girls to pursue future careers in engineering and thereby increase the girls' interests in and attitudes…

Self-Efficacy Manipulation Influences Physical Activity Enjoyment in Chinese Adolescents.

PubMed

Hu, Liang; Cheng, Shoubin; Lu, Jiaying; Zhu, Lele; Chen, Ling

2016-02-01

In this study, we examined the effect of the manipulation of exercise self-efficacy on the enjoyment of physical activity in a sample of 44 Chinese adolescents (age = 14.27 ± .87 y), including 22 boys and 22 girls. The participants were randomized into a low-efficacy or high-efficacy condition, and their self-efficacy beliefs for engaging in moderate-intensity physical activity were manipulated by providing false feedback after a submaximal exercise test. The participants' self-efficacy was measured and compared before and after the exercise test and the participants' enjoyment of physical activity was assessed after the exercise test. It was found that exercise self-efficacy was successfully manipulated in the expected direction in both conditions, which significantly influenced the participants' enjoyment of physical activity. After the exercise test, the participants in the low-efficacy condition reported lower enjoyment scores relative to the high-efficacy participants. These results suggest that self-efficacy may have an important influence on the enjoyment of physical activity among Chinese adolescents. We recommend that physical activity promotion programs should be tailored to enhance adolescents' self-efficacy beliefs and enjoyment of the experience of physical activity.

On standardization of basic datasets of electronic medical records in traditional Chinese medicine.

PubMed

Zhang, Hong; Ni, Wandong; Li, Jing; Jiang, Youlin; Liu, Kunjing; Ma, Zhaohui

2017-12-24

Standardization of electronic medical record, so as to enable resource-sharing and information exchange among medical institutions has become inevitable in view of the ever increasing medical information. The current research is an effort towards the standardization of basic dataset of electronic medical records in traditional Chinese medicine. In this work, an outpatient clinical information model and an inpatient clinical information model are created to adequately depict the diagnosis processes and treatment procedures of traditional Chinese medicine. To be backward compatible with the existing dataset standard created for western medicine, the new standard shall be a superset of the existing standard. Thus, the two models are checked against the existing standard in conjunction with 170,000 medical record cases. If a case cannot be covered by the existing standard due to the particularity of Chinese medicine, then either an existing data element is expanded with some Chinese medicine contents or a new data element is created. Some dataset subsets are also created to group and record Chinese medicine special diagnoses and treatments such as acupuncture. The outcome of this research is a proposal of standardized traditional Chinese medicine medical records datasets. The proposal has been verified successfully in three medical institutions with hundreds of thousands of medical records. A new dataset standard for traditional Chinese medicine is proposed in this paper. The proposed standard, covering traditional Chinese medicine as well as western medicine, is expected to be soon approved by the authority. A widespread adoption of this proposal will enable traditional Chinese medicine hospitals and institutions to easily exchange information and share resources. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Female teachers' math anxiety affects girls' math achievement.

PubMed

Beilock, Sian L; Gunderson, Elizabeth A; Ramirez, Gerardo; Levine, Susan C

2010-02-02

People's fear and anxiety about doing math--over and above actual math ability--can be an impediment to their math achievement. We show that when the math-anxious individuals are female elementary school teachers, their math anxiety carries negative consequences for the math achievement of their female students. Early elementary school teachers in the United States are almost exclusively female (>90%), and we provide evidence that these female teachers' anxieties relate to girls' math achievement via girls' beliefs about who is good at math. First- and second-grade female teachers completed measures of math anxiety. The math achievement of the students in these teachers' classrooms was also assessed. There was no relation between a teacher's math anxiety and her students' math achievement at the beginning of the school year. By the school year's end, however, the more anxious teachers were about math, the more likely girls (but not boys) were to endorse the commonly held stereotype that "boys are good at math, and girls are good at reading" and the lower these girls' math achievement. Indeed, by the end of the school year, girls who endorsed this stereotype had significantly worse math achievement than girls who did not and than boys overall. In early elementary school, where the teachers are almost all female, teachers' math anxiety carries consequences for girls' math achievement by influencing girls' beliefs about who is good at math.

Influences of Biological and Adoptive Mothers’ Depression and Antisocial Behavior on Adoptees’ Early Behavior Trajectories

PubMed Central

Kerr, David C. R.; Leve, Leslie D.; Harold, Gordon T.; Natsuaki, Misaki; Neiderhiser, Jenae M.; Shaw, Daniel S.; Reiss, David

2013-01-01

Research clearly demonstrates that parents pass risk for depression and antisocial behavior on to their children. However, most research confounds genetic and environmental mechanisms by studying genetically related individuals. Furthermore, most studies focus on either depression or antisocial behavior in parents or children, despite evidence of co-occurrence and shared etiology, and few consider the early origins of these problems in childhood. We estimated the influence of biological and adoptive mothers’ depression and antisocial behavior on growth in child externalizing and internalizing behaviors across early childhood using data from a prospective adoption study. Participants were 346 matched triads of physically healthy children (196 boys; 150 girls), biological mothers (BM), and adoptive mothers (AM). Latent growth curve models were estimated using AM reports of child internalizing and externalizing behaviors at ages 18, 27, and 54 months. Predictors of intercept (18 months) but not slope were identified. BM lifetime histories of major depressive disorder predicted child externalizing behaviors and BM antisocial behavior predicted child internalizing behavior. AM depressive symptoms and antisocial behavior were associated with both child outcomes. AM paths, but not BM paths were partially replicated using adopted fathers’ reports of child outcomes. BM obstetric complications, prenatal depressive symptoms, and postnatal adoptive family contact with BM did not account for BM paths. This adoption study distinguished risks conferred by biological mothers’ depression and antisocial behavior to children’s behaviors from those associated with adoptive mothers’ related symptoms. Future studies should examine gene-environment interplay to explain the emergence of serious problem trajectories in later childhood. PMID:23408036

Influences of biological and adoptive mothers' depression and antisocial behavior on adoptees' early behavior trajectories.

PubMed

Kerr, David C R; Leve, Leslie D; Harold, Gordon T; Natsuaki, Misaki N; Neiderhiser, Jenae M; Shaw, Daniel S; Reiss, David

2013-07-01

Research clearly demonstrates that parents pass risk for depression and antisocial behavior on to their children. However, most research confounds genetic and environmental mechanisms by studying genetically related individuals. Furthermore, most studies focus on either depression or antisocial behavior in parents or children, despite evidence of co-occurrence and shared etiology, and few consider the early origins of these problems in childhood. We estimated the influence of biological and adoptive mothers' depression and antisocial behavior on growth in child externalizing and internalizing behaviors across early childhood using data from a prospective adoption study. Participants were 346 matched triads of physically healthy children (196 boys; 150 girls), biological mothers (BM), and adoptive mothers (AM). Latent growth curve models were estimated using AM reports of child internalizing and externalizing behaviors at ages 18, 27, and 54 months. Predictors of intercept (18 months) but not slope were identified. BM lifetime histories of major depressive disorder predicted child externalizing behaviors and BM antisocial behavior predicted child internalizing behavior. AM depressive symptoms and antisocial behavior were associated with both child outcomes. AM paths, but not BM paths were partially replicated using adopted fathers' reports of child outcomes. BM obstetric complications, prenatal depressive symptoms, and postnatal adoptive family contact with BM did not account for BM paths. This adoption study distinguished risks conferred by biological mothers' depression and antisocial behavior to children's behaviors from those associated with adoptive mothers' related symptoms. Future studies should examine gene-environment interplay to explain the emergence of serious problem trajectories in later childhood.

Girls in Distress in Israel.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Steiner, Yosepha

The typical girl in distress in Israel comes from a Jewish family of oriental origin. Her distress is partially due to the strains of immigrating to Israel from, in most cases, North Africa. Authority models in distressed girls' families feature either the role of the father as the commanding familial authority figure; the mother as the dominant…

The "Right" Sexuality for Girls

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lamb, Sharon

2008-01-01

Feminist researchers in psychology and education have been theorizing about the kind of sexuality girls ought to have. They are not afraid to investigate morality and what makes a good life. While they explore the meaning and cultural context of girls' sexual development, the good sexual life they describe may be an elusive ideal that, in the end,…

A Study of Interactional Metadiscourse in English Abstracts of Chinese Economics Research Articles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Ping; Huang, Xu

2017-01-01

This study adopts the revised interpersonal model of metadiscourse to discover whether and to what extent Chinese authors employ a varying amount of Interactional Metadiscourse (IM) in the past decade in English abstracts of economics Research Articles (RAs). The data was drawn from a prestigious economics journal in China to compose a corpus of…

Characteristics of violence among high-risk adolescent girls.

PubMed

Secor-Turner, Molly; Garwick, Ann; Sieving, Renee; Seppelt, Ann

2014-01-01

Recent evidence demonstrates increasing rates of involvement with violence among adolescent girls. The objective of this study was to describe the types and sources of violence experienced within social contexts of adolescent girls at high risk for pregnancy. Qualitative data for this analysis are drawn from intervention summary reports of 116 girls participating in Prime Time, a youth development intervention for adolescent girls. Descriptive content analysis techniques were used to identify types and sources of violence experienced by girls within their daily contexts. Types of violence included physical fighting, witnessing violence, physical abuse, gang-related violence, verbal fighting, verbal abuse, and sexual abuse. Sources of violence included family, peers and friends, romantic partners, community violence, and self-perpetrated violence. Many girls in this study experienced violence in multiple contexts. It is imperative that efforts to assess and prevent violence among adolescent girls include paying attention to the social contexts in which these adolescents live. Copyright © 2014 National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Girls' Success: Mentoring Guide for Life Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Academy for Educational Development, 2009

2009-01-01

Mentoring girls is a challenge. Girls will come to mentors with hard questions and great hope. Mentoring is about building trust over a long period of time. If a mentor cares about the girls and follows through with the promises that he or she makes to them, a mentor will be successful in helping them to improve their lives. This "Guide"…

Open Adoption: Adoptive Parents' Reactions Two Decades Later

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Siegel, Deborah H.

2013-01-01

Unlike in the past, most adoption agencies today offer birth parents and adoptive parents the opportunity to share identifying information and have contact with each other. To understand the impacts of different open adoption arrangements, a qualitative descriptive study using a snowball sample of 44 adoptive parents throughout New England began…

Chinese Business Students' Changes in Beliefs and Strategy Use in a Constructively Aligned PBL Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhao, Ke; Zhang, Jie; Du, Xiangyun

2017-01-01

This study adopted a longitudinal retrospective case study approach to investigate Chinese business students' transitional learning experience in a problem-based learning (PBL) course with innovative assessment practices. The study focused on students' beliefs and strategy use in a constructively aligned PBL course for business communication.…

"Oh, Those Loud Black Girls!": A Phenomenological Study of Black Girls Talking with an Attitude

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koonce, Jacqueline B.

2012-01-01

Current research suggests that it is imperative for researchers and educators to pay more attention to the needs of African American adolescent girls and how their race and gender affect schooling (Fordham, 1993; Morris, 2007). The purpose of this study was to highlight the lived experiences of two African American adolescent girls when they used…

Learning from the Barbarians? Reflections on Chinese Identity and "Race" in the Educational Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yan, Hektor K. T.

2016-01-01

This paper takes a reflective look at the notions of identity, "race" and ethnicity using a few ancient and modern Chinese "texts". It begins with an examination of the reforms known as "adopting the costume of barbarian/foreign people and practicing mounted archery [hufuqishe]' carried out by King Wuling [Chinese…

Bridging the Divide: Openness in Adoption and Post-adoption Psychosocial Adjustment among Birth and Adoptive Parents

PubMed Central

Ge, Xiaojia; Natsuaki, Misaki N.; Martin, David; Leve, Leslie; Neiderhiser, Jenae; Shaw, Daniel S.; Villareal, Georgette; Scaramella, Laura; Reid, John; Reiss, David

2008-01-01

Using 323 matched parties of birth mothers and adoptive parents, this study examined the association between the degree of adoption openness (e.g., contact and knowledge between parties) and birth and adoptive parents’ post-adoption adjustment shortly after the adoption placement (6 to 9 months). Data from birth fathers (N=112), an understudied sample, also were explored. Openness was assessed by multiple informants. Results indicated that openness was significantly related to satisfaction with adoption process among adoptive parents and birth mothers. Increased openness was positively associated with birth mothers’ post-placement adjustment as indexed by birth mothers’ self reports and the interviewers’ impression of birth mothers’ adjustment. Birth fathers’ report of openness was associated with their greater satisfaction with the adoption process and better post-adoption adjustment. PMID:18729667

Promoting ball skills in preschool-age girls.

PubMed

Veldman, Sanne L C; Palmer, Kara K; Okely, Anthony D; Robinson, Leah E

2017-01-01

Evidence supports that girls are less proficient than boys at performing ball skills. This study examined the immediate and long-term effects of a ball skill intervention on preschool-age girls' ball skill performance. Randomized controlled trial. Girls (M age =47.24±7.38 months) were randomly assigned to a high autonomy, mastery-based 9-week motor skill intervention (the Children's Health Activity Motor Program; CHAMP, 540min; n=38) or a control group (free-play; n=16). Ball skill proficiency was assessed at pretest, posttest, and retention test (after 9 weeks) using the object control subscale of the Test of Gross Motor Development - 2nd Edition. Treatment efficacy was examined using linear mixed models. Two models were fit: one for short-term changes (pretest to posttest) and one for long-term changes (pretest to retention). Linear mixed models revealed a significantly time*treatment interaction for both models. Post hoc analysis confirmed that girls in CHAMP experienced significant gains in ball skills from pretest to posttest (p<.001) and pretest to retention (p<.001). Moreover, girls in CHAMP were no different from the control group at pretest (p>.05) but had significantly higher ball skills scores at both posttest (p<.001) and retention (p<.001). This study demonstrates the positive effects of a ball skill intervention (i.e., CHAMP) on improving girls' ball skills both short- and long-term. Findings suggest that early childhood interventions that focus on the development of ball skills in young girls might be an avenue to improve girls' ball skill performance. Copyright © 2016 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of acupressure vs reflexology on pre-menstrual syndrome among adolescent girls--a pilot study.

PubMed

Padmavathi, P

2014-01-01

Premenstrual syndrome is the most common of gynaecologic complaints. It affects half of all female adolescents today and represents the leading cause of college/school absenteeism among that population. It was sought to assess the effectiveness of acupressure Vs reflexology on premenstrual syndrome among adolescents. Two-group pre-test and post-test true experimental design was adopted for the study. Forty adolescent girls from Government Girls Secondary School, Erode with pre- menstrual syndrome fulfilling the inclusion criteria were selected by simple random sampling. A pre-test was conducted by using premenstrual symptoms assessment scale. Immediately after pre-test acupressure Vs reflexology was given once a week for 6 weeks and again post-test was conducted to assess the effectiveness of treatment. Collected data was analysed by using descriptive and inferential statistics. In post-test, the mean score of the experimental group I sample was 97.3 (SD = 2.5) and the group II mean score was 70:8 (SD = 10.71) with paired 't' value of 19.2 and 31.9. This showed that the reflexology was more effective than acupressure in enhancing the practice of the sample regarding pre-menstrual syndrome. Statistically no significant association was found between the post-test scores of the sample with their demographic variables. The findings imply the need for educating adolescent girls on effective management of pre-menstrual syndrome.

[Psychosocial disadvantages in incarcerated girls and boys].

PubMed

Plattner, Belinda; Bessler, Cornelia; Vogt, Gunnar; Linhart, Susanne; Thun-Hohenstein, Leonhard; Aebi, Marcel

2016-01-01

Longitudinal studies found that criminal behavior in juveniles often concurs with neighborhood disadvantage and family dysfunction, especially in girls. In this study we assessed the psychosocial background in incarcerated juveniles and analyzed the data for each gender separately. The Multidimensional Clinical Screening Inventory for delinquent juveniles (MCSI) was used to assess school history, psychiatric history, family background, abuse and neglect and motive for crime. The sample consisted of 294 juveniles (46 females and 248 males). Innerfamilial abuse/neglect was reported by 91% (girls) and 79% (boys). 76% (girls) and 88% (boys) reported school-problems. 57% (girls) and 29% (boys) reported to have recieved psychiatric pretreatment. In girls we found significantly higher prevalence rates for parental divorce, incarceration of mother, abuse/neglect and psychiatric pretreatment. Significantly more girls reported a co-occurrence of school-problems and experiences of separation and loss and abuse (65.2% vs. 46.4%, χ²=5.51, df=1, p<.05). Incarcerated juveniles, especially females, are and have been exposed to multiple psychosocial burdens. Therefore it is necessary to implement prevention programs for psychosocially stressed families. Forensic intervention in and after detention has to include a family centered approach.

Emotion recognition in girls with conduct problems.

PubMed

Schwenck, Christina; Gensthaler, Angelika; Romanos, Marcel; Freitag, Christine M; Schneider, Wolfgang; Taurines, Regina

2014-01-01

A deficit in emotion recognition has been suggested to underlie conduct problems. Although several studies have been conducted on this topic so far, most concentrated on male participants. The aim of the current study was to compare recognition of morphed emotional faces in girls with conduct problems (CP) with elevated or low callous-unemotional (CU+ vs. CU-) traits and a matched healthy developing control group (CG). Sixteen girls with CP-CU+, 16 girls with CP-CU- and 32 controls (mean age: 13.23 years, SD=2.33 years) were included. Video clips with morphed faces were presented in two runs to assess emotion recognition. Multivariate analysis of variance with the factors group and run was performed. Girls with CP-CU- needed more time than the CG to encode sad, fearful, and happy faces and they correctly identified sadness less often. Girls with CP-CU+ outperformed the other groups in the identification of fear. Learning effects throughout runs were the same for all groups except that girls with CP-CU- correctly identified fear less often in the second run compared to the first run. Results need to be replicated with comparable tasks, which might result in subgroup-specific therapeutic recommendations.

Preparing Girls for Menstruation: Recommendations from Adolescent Girls.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koff, Elissa; Rierdan, Jill

1995-01-01

Ninth-grade girls (n=157) rated their own experience of menarche and answered 4 open-ended questions. Responses suggested several ways that early preparation could be revised, and supported a conceptualization of menstrual education as a long-term, continuous process, beginning well before menarche and continuing long after. (JPS)

The Indian "girl" psychology: A perspective.

PubMed

Rao, G Prasad; Vidya, K L; Sriramya, V

2015-07-01

India has one of the fastest growing youth populations in the world. Girls below 19 years of age comprise one-quarter of India's rapidly growing population. In spite of India's reputation for respecting women, to an extent to treat her as a goddess, the moment a baby is born, the first thing comes to mind is "boy or girl?" as the differences are beyond just being biological. This article examines the significance of various psychological constructs and psychosocial issues that are important in the life of a "girl" baby born in our country.

Parenting style of Chinese fathers in Hong Kong: correlates with children's school-related performance.

PubMed

Tam, Vicky C W; Lam, Rebecca S Y

2003-01-01

This study investigates parenting styles among Chinese fathers in Hong Kong as perceived by their school-age children. Four parenting styles, namely inductive, indulgent, indifferent, and dictatorial parenting, are assessed using the Parent Behavior Report (1988). Data were collected through a questionnaire survey on a sample of 1011 Primary Three to Five Chinese students from six schools in Hong Kong and 471 fathers. Findings show that among Chinese fathers, the least common parenting style is inductive, while the other three styles are of similar occurrence. Chi-square analysis shows no significant association between children's grade level and father's parenting style. However, there is a significant association with gender, with fathers more likely to be perceived as dictatorial with boys and indulgent with girls. The effect of paternal styles on children's school-related performance is also examined. MANOVA results show that significant differences are found among children of the four paternal style groups with respect to academic performance, interest in school work, aspiration for education, involvement in extracurricular activities, and efficacy for self-regulated learning. Post-hoc tests reveal that children's performance is similar between the groups with indulgent and inductive fathers, and between children of indifferent and dictatorial fathers, with the former groups performing better than the latter in general. Findings are discussed with regard to research on parenting style and paternal behavior, as well as understanding the roles of fathers in Chinese families in the socio-cultural context in Hong Kong.

Girls' Rumination and Anxiety Sensitivity: Are They Related after Controlling for Girl, Maternal, and Parenting Factors?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gardner, Christie; Epkins, Catherine C.

2012-01-01

Background: Rumination and anxiety sensitivity are posited cognitive vulnerabilities in the development and/or maintenance of depression and anxiety and have only been examined separately in youth. Objective: We examined the relation between rumination and anxiety sensitivity in girls, after controlling for other girl, maternal, and parenting…

Influences of Risk History and Adoption Preparation on Post-Adoption Services Use in U.S. Adoptions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wind, Leslie H.; Brooks, Devon; Barth, Richard P.

2007-01-01

In spite of the need for pre- and post-adoption support, studies indicate low levels of services utilization among adoptive families, particularly those involving children with special needs. This study examines the relationship between utilization of adoptions services and adoptive child and family characteristics, pre-adoptive risk history, and…

Butterfly Girls; promoting healthy diet and physical activity to young African American girls online: rationale and design.

PubMed

Thompson, Debbe; Mahabir, Rory; Bhatt, Riddhi; Boutte, Cynthia; Cantu, Dora; Vazquez, Isabel; Callender, Chishinga; Cullen, Karen; Baranowski, Tom; Liu, Yan; Walker, Celeste; Buday, Richard

2013-08-02

Young African American girls have a high risk of obesity. Online behavior change programs promoting healthy diet and physical activity are convenient and may be effective for reducing disparities related to obesity. This report presents the protocol guiding the design and evaluation of a culturally and developmental appropriate online obesity prevention program for young African American girls. The Butterfly Girls and the Quest for Founder's Rock is an 8-episode online program delivered as an animated, interactive comic. The program promotes healthy diet and physical activity and is specifically designed for 8-10 year old African American girls. Girls, parents, and community representatives provided formative feedback on cultural relevance and developmental appropriateness. A three-group (treatment, comparison, wait-list control) randomized design (n=390 parent/child dyads) is employed, with child as the unit of assignment. Change in body mass index is the primary outcome; change in fruit and vegetable consumption, water, and physical activity are secondary outcomes. Data collection occurs at baseline, approximately 3 months after baseline (i.e., completion of the online program), and approximately three months later (i.e., maintenance assessment). Two dietary recalls are collected at each data collection period by trained interviewers using the Nutrient Data System for Research (NDSR 2012) system. Physical activity is objectively measured by seven days of accelerometry. Psychosocial and process data are also collected. Girls in the treatment and comparison groups will be interviewed at post 1 to obtain information on personal reactions to the program. This research will develop and evaluate the efficacy of an online program for reducing obesity risk among girls at risk of obesity and related diseases. Online programs offer the potential for wide dissemination, thus reducing disparities related to obesity. NCT01481948.

Developmental Trajectories of Attention in Typically Developing Chinese Children: A Four-Wave Longitudinal Study.

PubMed

Yan, Chao; Zhou, Hui; Wei, Wei; Wang, Yi-Ji; Cui, Lixian; Chan, Raymond C K; Deng, Ci-Ping

2018-06-22

We conducted a 4-year longitudinal study to investigate trajectories of attention in a sample of 145 Chinese children. The Test of Everyday Attention was administered and latent growth modeling was used to capture developmental trajectories. We found that children's selective attention showed a linear increase, whereas attentional control and sustained attention increased rapidly then slowed down over 4 years. There was no significant correlation between the slopes of growth model for any subsystems. Girls showed higher initial levels of selective attention than boys, but no difference in growth rate. These findings support different developmental patterns in the attention network systems.

Return to Gender: Boys' and Girls' Attitudes and Achievements.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clark, Ann; Trafford, John

1996-01-01

Examines factors having a bearing on boy/girl performance in second-language classes in the United Kingdom. Findings indicate that boys attach less importance to learning a foreign language than girls do; girls are more conscientious about their schoolwork than boys are; expectations for boys and girls are different; and students value the…

Girls' Bodily Activities in Physical Education How Current Fitness and Sport Discourses Influence Girls' Identity Construction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walseth, Kristin; Aartun, Iselin; Engelsrud, Gunn

2017-01-01

Girls' identity constructions are influenced by the dominant sport, health and beauty discourses in their society. Recent research indicates that sport and health discourses embedded in physical education (PE) compete for influence. Some of these studies have illustrated how these discourses inform girls' social construction of body ideals and…

A Ray of Hope for Girls in Trouble: Alternative Education Services in a Singapore Girls' Home

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhang, Kaili Chen; Wu, Deirdra I-Hwey

2009-01-01

This paper provides a trans-cultural perspective of emotional/behavioral difficulties and a brief overview of the subculture of today's young adolescent girls. Features of successful alternative education services provided at a Singapore girls' home are also presented. This paper concludes with a consideration of implications for teachers and…

Mean Girls, Homosociality and Football: An Education on Social and Power Dynamics between Girls and Women

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sanders, Kellie

2015-01-01

Relationships between girls and women have typically been explored through the lexicon of "friendship" or, where there is a presence of sexual desire, "lesbian". This article suggests the complexity and impact of female (same-sex) sociality, and its relationship to heteronormativity and power dynamics between girls and women…

Girls & Technology: An Idea Book for Educators & Parents.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Coalition of Girls' Schools, Concord, MA.

This booklet represents an effort to combine research findings, strategies, teaching and parenting tips, activities, career profiles, and print and online information that can help make technology more accessible to girls. Chapters include: "Why a Focus on Girls & Technology: New Priorities"; "Girls & Technology: Different…

The Texas Adoption Project: adopted children and their intellectual resemblance to biological and adoptive parents.

PubMed

Horn, J M

1983-04-01

Intelligence test scores were obtained from parents and children in 300 adoptive families and compared with similar measures available for the biological mothers of the same adopted children. Results supported the hypothesis that genetic variability is an important influence in the development of individual differences for intelligence. The most salient finding was that adopted children resemble their biological mothers more than they resemble the adoptive parents who reared them from birth. A small subset of the oldest adopted children did not resemble their biological mothers. The suggestion that the influence of genes declines with age is treated with caution since other adoption studies report a trend in the opposite direction.

Teenage boys and girls in West Germany.

PubMed

Sigusch, V; Schmidt, G

1973-05-01

In 1970 the Institute for Sex Research at the University of Hamburg conducted a study of 302 males and 300 females aged 16-17. By age 16, 92% of the boys and 50% of the girls had experienced masturbation, 35% of the boys and 30% of the girls had experienced coitus. In the year before the study, 50% of the girls had an orgasm often or always during coitus. Boys achieved 80% of their orgasms through masturbation, 6% through petting, and 14% through coitus. The girls achieve 1/3 of their orgasms through each of these patterns. 18% of the boys and 6% of the girls had had at least 1 homosexual experience. About 70% of the respondents used contraception regularly. 40% to 50% used oral contraceptives and 20%-30% used condoms. The attitudes towards premarital coitus have become more permissive in the last 10 years, but the majority are still in favor of love and fidelity, and are oriented towards marriage.

Sexual exploitation of very young Hmong girls.

PubMed

Edinburgh, Laurel; Saewyc, Elizabeth; Thao, Tru; Levitt, Carolyn

2006-07-01

Recent increases in Hmong girls referred to a Midwest hospital-based child advocacy center prompted this comparison of abuse experiences for Hmong extra-familial sexual abuse cases versus peers. Retrospective chart review of all girls, aged 10 to 14 years, with extra-familial sexual abuse 1998-2003 (n = 226). Fourteen percent of cases were Hmong (n = 32). Demographics, risk behaviors, abuse experiences, physical findings and legal outcomes were compared for Hmong (H) and Other (O) girls using chi-square. Multivariate logistic regressions explored differences in gynecologic findings and sexually transmitted disease (STD) results. Hmong girls were more likely to be runaways (90% H vs. 8% O), truant (97% H vs. 13% O), self-mutilating (38% H vs. 10% O), and suicidal (41% H vs. 21% O). Seventy-seven percent of Hmong reported gang rape, prostitution, or multiple assaults versus 16% Others; most had 5+ perpetrators (69% H vs. 2% O) and 5+ assaults (75% H vs. 24% O, both p < .001). Gynecologic findings were more prevalent among Hmong girls (63% H vs. 21% O). Controlling for penetration, number of partners/assaults, and acuity at examination, Hmong ethnicity predicted gynecologic findings (adjusted odds ration [AOR] = 6.57). Hmong girls were more likely to have a positive chlamydia screen (36% H vs. 4% O, p < .001), but only number of perpetrators was an independent predictor (AOR = 15.09). Most cases were prosecuted, but Hmong had higher prosecution rates (83% H vs. 57% O, p < .001). Hmong girl assault experiences were markedly more severe than peers. Health care providers need appropriate knowledge of Hmong culture to conduct forensic examinations. Abused Hmong girls need culturally sensitive, developmentally appropriate after-care that helps connect them back with families and school.

"The Girl Is Brought up Knowing She's Nothing": Listening to Voices of Tanzanian Women and Girls

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hagues, Rachel

2017-01-01

Despite positive changes made in Tanzania to promote gender equality, discrimination toward women and girls still exists, especially in some remote areas. Often such inequality exists within family, schools, and the community, leading to a devaluing of girls that results in normalization of their exploitation. The author discusses findings from…

"Girls Have More Challenges; They Need to Be Locked Up": A Qualitative Study of Gender Norms and the Sexuality of Young Adolescents in Uganda.

PubMed

Ninsiima, Anna B; Leye, Els; Michielsen, Kristien; Kemigisha, Elizabeth; Nyakato, Viola N; Coene, Gily

2018-01-24

Unequal power and gender norms expose adolescent girls to higher risks of HIV, early marriages, pregnancies and coerced sex. In Uganda, almost half of the girls below the age of 18 are already married or pregnant, which poses a danger to the lives of young girls. This study explores the social construction of gender norms from early childhood, and how it influences adolescents' agency. Contrary to the mainstream theory of agency, which focuses on the ability to make informed choices, adolescents' agency appears constrained by context-specific obstacles. This study adopted qualitative research approaches involving 132 participants. Of these, 44 were in-depth interviews and 11 were focus group discussions, parcelled out into separate groups of adolescents (12-14 years), teachers, and parents ( n = 88), in Western Uganda. Data were analysed manually using open and axial codes, and conclusions were inductive. Results show that gender norms are established early in life, and have a very substantial impact on the agency of young adolescents. There were stereotypical gender norms depicting boys as sexually active and girls as restrained; girls' movements were restricted; their sexual agency constrained; and prevention of pregnancy was perceived as a girl's responsibility. Programs targeting behavioural change need to begin early in the lives of young children. They should target teachers and parents about the values of gender equality and strengthen the legal system to create an enabling environment to address the health and wellbeing of adolescents.

Intercountry versus Transracial Adoption: Analysis of Adoptive Parents' Motivations and Preferences in Adoption

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhang, Yuanting; Lee, Gary R.

2011-01-01

The United States is one of the major baby-receiving countries in the world. Relatively little research has focused on why there is such a high demand for intercountry adoption. Using in-depth qualitative interviews with adoptive parents, the authors explored the reasons why Americans prefer to adopt foreign-born children instead of adopting…

Improving academic self-efficacy, school connectedness, and identity in struggling middle school girls: a preliminary study of the REAL girls program.

PubMed

Mann, Michael J; Smith, Megan L; Kristjansson, Alfgeir L

2015-02-01

Girls struggling to be successful in middle school are often dealing with negative life experiences that affect their ability to achieve academically. Frequently, their academic failures and problem behaviors are associated with feeling overwhelmed by difficult and challenging life circumstances. In the absence of intervention, these patterns may contribute to girls chronically underperforming in school, dropping out of school, and becoming involved in delinquent and high-risk behaviors. This article describes a quasi-experimental, mixed-methods study of the REAL Girls program. REAL Girls was designed to help struggling middle school girls develop resilience--particularly academic self-efficacy, school connectedness, and identity--and achieve successful outcomes in school and life. In this study, using a crossover design, 48 girls identified as experiencing academic failure, school behavior problems, or truancy participated in one of two implementations of this 3-day intervention. Findings based on both quantitative and qualitative data suggest that REAL Girls contributed to positive increases in academic self-efficacy, school connectedness, and identity. Repeated measures analysis of variance and paired t tests suggest significant increases in each outcome variable, both immediately after program delivery and 2 weeks later, and effect size estimates suggest moderate to large program impact. Focus groups conducted 90 days after implementation of the program confirmed the quantitative findings and support the efficacy of the REAL Girls program and approach. © 2014 Society for Public Health Education.

EVALUATION OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL PROGRAM FOR PREGNANT GIRLS.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

RICHARDSON, ANN

TO ASSESS THE SHORT RANGE EFFECTS OF PARTICIPATION IN A SPECIAL SCHOOL PROGRAM ESTABLISHED IN 1963 FOR PREGNANT SCHOOL AGE GIRLS, INTERVIEWERS IN 1965 OBTAINED INFORMATION FROM 109 GIRLS WHO HAD ATTENDED THE PROGRAM IN ITS FIRST YEAR, 123 GIRLS WHO HAD BEEN REFERRED BUT HAD NOT ATTENDED, AND MOTHERS OF THE GIRLS. THE SPECIAL PROGRAM FOCUSED ON…

Teen Girls and Technology: What's the Problem, What's the Solution?