Report for Colorado: Background & Visuals, Math 2005. The Nation's Report Card

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sandoval, Pam A.

2005-01-01

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) 2005 assessment was administered to a stratified random sample of fourth-, eighth-, and twelfth-graders at the national level and to a stratified random sample of fourth- and eighth-graders at the state level. The Mathematics Framework for NAEP was revised in 1996 and again in 2005. The new…

Estimation of population mean in the presence of measurement error and non response under stratified random sampling

PubMed Central

Shabbir, Javid

2018-01-01

In the present paper we propose an improved class of estimators in the presence of measurement error and non-response under stratified random sampling for estimating the finite population mean. The theoretical and numerical studies reveal that the proposed class of estimators performs better than other existing estimators. PMID:29401519

Practising Mental Rotation Using Interactive Desktop Mental Rotation Trainer (iDeMRT)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rafi, Ahmad; Samsudin, Khairulanuar

2009-01-01

An experimental study involving 30 undergraduates (mean age = 20.5 years) in mental rotation (MR) training was conducted in an interactive Desktop Mental Rotation Trainer (iDeMRT). Stratified random sampling assigned students into one experimental group and one control group. The former trained in iDeMRT and the latter trained in conventional…

SNP selection and classification of genome-wide SNP data using stratified sampling random forests.

PubMed

Wu, Qingyao; Ye, Yunming; Liu, Yang; Ng, Michael K

2012-09-01

For high dimensional genome-wide association (GWA) case-control data of complex disease, there are usually a large portion of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that are irrelevant with the disease. A simple random sampling method in random forest using default mtry parameter to choose feature subspace, will select too many subspaces without informative SNPs. Exhaustive searching an optimal mtry is often required in order to include useful and relevant SNPs and get rid of vast of non-informative SNPs. However, it is too time-consuming and not favorable in GWA for high-dimensional data. The main aim of this paper is to propose a stratified sampling method for feature subspace selection to generate decision trees in a random forest for GWA high-dimensional data. Our idea is to design an equal-width discretization scheme for informativeness to divide SNPs into multiple groups. In feature subspace selection, we randomly select the same number of SNPs from each group and combine them to form a subspace to generate a decision tree. The advantage of this stratified sampling procedure can make sure each subspace contains enough useful SNPs, but can avoid a very high computational cost of exhaustive search of an optimal mtry, and maintain the randomness of a random forest. We employ two genome-wide SNP data sets (Parkinson case-control data comprised of 408 803 SNPs and Alzheimer case-control data comprised of 380 157 SNPs) to demonstrate that the proposed stratified sampling method is effective, and it can generate better random forest with higher accuracy and lower error bound than those by Breiman's random forest generation method. For Parkinson data, we also show some interesting genes identified by the method, which may be associated with neurological disorders for further biological investigations.

Accuracy Sampling Design Bias on Coarse Spatial Resolution Land Cover Data in the Great Lakes Region (United States and Canada)

EPA Science Inventory

A number of articles have investigated the impact of sampling design on remotely sensed landcover accuracy estimates. Gong and Howarth (1990) found significant differences for Kappa accuracy values when comparing purepixel sampling, stratified random sampling, and stratified sys...

Trajectories of Familism Values and the Prosocial Tendencies of Mexican American Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Knight, George P.; Mazza, Gina L.; Carlo, Gustavo

2018-01-01

We examined how the development of familism values from 5th to 10th grade relates to 12th-grade prosocial tendencies (after controlling for 10th-grade prosocial tendencies) using a stratified random sample of 749 Mexican American adolescents (M = 10.42 years of age at 5th grade; 48.9% girls) from 35 culturally and economically diverse…

Seroprevalence and some correlates of Helicobacter pylori at adult ages in Gülveren Health District, Ankara, Turkey.

PubMed Central

Akin, L.; Tezcan, S.; Hascelik, G.; Cakir, B.

2004-01-01

The purpose of the study was to detect the frequency and distribution of Helicobacter pylori in the Gülveren Health Centre service area among residents aged between 25 and 64 years and to evaluate the relation of H. pylori infections with general health status, socioeconomic status, and some lifestyle habits. The study included a representative sample of Gülveren Health Centre residents, aged between 25 and 64 years. A stratified random sample of 1672 individuals was selected for study purposes out of 10,569 residents, stratified by age and gender. A standardized questionnaire was completed for all study participants using a face-to-face interview and all participants were invited to the local health centre for a thorough physical examination and blood tests. The overall prevalence of H. pylori was found to be 77.5 % among individuals aged between 25 and 64 years. The frequency of H. pylori was higher among individuals with low socioeconomic status; those who migrated to Ankara after the age of 20 years; members of large families (household size of 4 or above); non-alcohol drinkers; and those who regularly drink tea. PMID:15473147

Evaluating effectiveness of down-sampling for stratified designs and unbalanced prevalence in Random Forest models of tree species distributions in Nevada

Treesearch

Elizabeth A. Freeman; Gretchen G. Moisen; Tracy S. Frescino

2012-01-01

Random Forests is frequently used to model species distributions over large geographic areas. Complications arise when data used to train the models have been collected in stratified designs that involve different sampling intensity per stratum. The modeling process is further complicated if some of the target species are relatively rare on the landscape leading to an...

Methods and analysis of realizing randomized grouping.

PubMed

Hu, Liang-Ping; Bao, Xiao-Lei; Wang, Qi

2011-07-01

Randomization is one of the four basic principles of research design. The meaning of randomization includes two aspects: one is to randomly select samples from the population, which is known as random sampling; the other is to randomly group all the samples, which is called randomized grouping. Randomized grouping can be subdivided into three categories: completely, stratified and dynamically randomized grouping. This article mainly introduces the steps of complete randomization, the definition of dynamic randomization and the realization of random sampling and grouping by SAS software.

Do Children Who Bully Their Peers Also Play Violent Video Games? A Canadian National Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dittrick, Crystal J.; Beran, Tanya N.; Mishna, Faye; Hetherington, Ross; Shariff, Shaheen

2013-01-01

The study examined whether children who bully others are likely to prefer playing video games that are rated high in maturity and violence. A stratified random sample of Canadian children ages 10 to 17 years from the provinces of Canada was obtained. Parents (n = 397) and their children (n = 492) completed an online survey of children's bullying…

Sampling estimators of total mill receipts for use in timber product output studies

Treesearch

John P. Brown; Richard G. Oderwald

2012-01-01

Data from the 2001 timber product output study for Georgia was explored to determine new methods for stratifying mills and finding suitable sampling estimators. Estimators for roundwood receipts totals comprised several types: simple random sample, ratio, stratified sample, and combined ratio. Two stratification methods were examined: the Dalenius-Hodges (DH) square...

A random spatial sampling method in a rural developing nation

Treesearch

Michelle C. Kondo; Kent D.W. Bream; Frances K. Barg; Charles C. Branas

2014-01-01

Nonrandom sampling of populations in developing nations has limitations and can inaccurately estimate health phenomena, especially among hard-to-reach populations such as rural residents. However, random sampling of rural populations in developing nations can be challenged by incomplete enumeration of the base population. We describe a stratified random sampling method...

RECAL: A Computer Program for Selecting Sample Days for Recreation Use Estimation

Treesearch

D.L. Erickson; C.J. Liu; H. Ken Cordell; W.L. Chen

1980-01-01

Recreation Calendar (RECAL) is a computer program in PL/I for drawing a sample of days for estimating recreation use. With RECAL, a sampling period of any length may be chosen; simple random, stratified random, and factorial designs can be accommodated. The program randomly allocates days to strata and locations.

Sample Selection in Randomized Experiments: A New Method Using Propensity Score Stratified Sampling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tipton, Elizabeth; Hedges, Larry; Vaden-Kiernan, Michael; Borman, Geoffrey; Sullivan, Kate; Caverly, Sarah

2014-01-01

Randomized experiments are often seen as the "gold standard" for causal research. Despite the fact that experiments use random assignment to treatment conditions, units are seldom selected into the experiment using probability sampling. Very little research on experimental design has focused on how to make generalizations to well-defined…

Catholic High Schools and Their Finances. 1986.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Augenstein, John J.

This report is based on a randomly selected and stratified sample of 208 United States Catholic high schools. The sample was stratified by governance (diocesan, parochial/interparochial, and private); five categories of enrollment; and six regions. Data are compared with an earlier study, "The Catholic High School: A National Portrait" and show…

[MESGI50 study: description of a cohort on Maturity and Satisfactory Ageing].

PubMed

Corominas Barnadas, Josep María; López-Pousa, Secundino; Vilalta-Franch, Joan; Calvó-Perxas, Laia; Juvinyà Canal, Dolors; Garre-Olmo, Josep

To describe the demographic, health and socio-economic characteristics of the participants in the Study on Maturity and Satisfactory Ageing in Girona (MESGI50 study). Population-based Study linked to the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). The reference population was the inhabitants of the province of Girona (Spain) aged 50 and over. A probabilistic two-stage stratified cluster sampling according to the number of inhabitants and the degree of ageing of the population was used. Twenty-eight municipalities were randomly selected according to their type (demographically aged or young), and then stratified by the population size. The response rate was 65% with a mean of 1.7 eligible individuals per household and a final sample of 2,065 households and 3,331 participants. The design effect was 1.27. 52.9% were women and the mean age was 66.9 years (SD=11.5). The self-rated health status, hand grip strength, restriction in daily life activities and depressive symptomatology increased with age and more markedly in women. There were differences in alcohol consumption and eating patterns depending on the area of residence. The demographic, health and socio-economic characteristics during the ageing process differ depending on age group, gender, and area of residence. Copyright © 2016 SESPAS. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Iodine and mental development of children 5 years old and under: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Bougma, Karim; Aboud, Frances E; Harding, Kimberly B; Marquis, Grace S

2013-04-22

Several reviews and meta-analyses have examined the effects of iodine on mental development. None focused on young children, so they were incomplete in summarizing the effects on this important age group. The current systematic review therefore examined the relationship between iodine and mental development of children 5 years old and under. A systematic review of articles using Medline (1980-November 2011) was carried out. We organized studies according to four designs: (1) randomized controlled trial with iodine supplementation of mothers; (2) non-randomized trial with iodine supplementation of mothers and/or infants; (3) prospective cohort study stratified by pregnant women's iodine status; (4) prospective cohort study stratified by newborn iodine status. Average effect sizes for these four designs were 0.68 (2 RCT studies), 0.46 (8 non-RCT studies), 0.52 (9 cohort stratified by mothers' iodine status), and 0.54 (4 cohort stratified by infants' iodine status). This translates into 6.9 to 10.2 IQ points lower in iodine deficient children compared with iodine replete children. Thus, regardless of study design, iodine deficiency had a substantial impact on mental development. Methodological concerns included weak study designs, the omission of important confounders, small sample sizes, the lack of cluster analyses, and the lack of separate analyses of verbal and non-verbal subtests. Quantifying more precisely the contribution of iodine deficiency to delayed mental development in young children requires more well-designed randomized controlled trials, including ones on the role of iodized salt.

Stemflow estimation in a redwood forest using model-based stratified random sampling

Treesearch

Jack Lewis

2003-01-01

Model-based stratified sampling is illustrated by a case study of stemflow volume in a redwood forest. The approach is actually a model-assisted sampling design in which auxiliary information (tree diameter) is utilized in the design of stratum boundaries to optimize the efficiency of a regression or ratio estimator. The auxiliary information is utilized in both the...

Statistical design and analysis of environmental studies for plutonium and other transuranics at NAEG ''safety-shot'' sites

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

Gilbert, R.O.; Eberhardt, L.L.; Fowler, E.B.

This paper is centered around the use of stratified random sampling for estimating the total amount (inventory) of $sup 239-240$Pu and uranium in surface soil at ten ''safety-shot'' sites on the Nevada Test Site (NTS) and Tonopah Test Range (TTR) that are currently being studied by the Nevada Applied Ecology Group (NAEG). The use of stratified random sampling has resulted in estimates of inventory at these desert study sites that have smaller standard errors than would have been the case had simple random sampling (no stratification) been used. Estimates of inventory are given for $sup 235$U, $sup 238$U, and $supmore » 239-240$Pu in soil at A Site of Area 11 on the NTS. Other results presented include average concentrations of one or more of these isotopes in soil and vegetation and in soil profile samples at depths to 25 cm. The regression relationship between soil and vegetation concentrations of $sup 235$U and $sup 238$U at adjacent sampling locations is also examined using three different models. The applicability of stratified random sampling to the estimation of concentration contours of $sup 239-240$Pu in surface soil using computer algorithms is also investigated. Estimates of such contours are obtained using several different methods. The planning of field sampling plans for estimating inventory and distribution is discussed. (auth)« less

Effect of initial spacing on mechanical properties of lumber sawn from unthinned slash pine at age 40

Treesearch

Robert H. McAlister; Alexander Clark; Joseph R. Saucier

1997-01-01

The effect of initial planting density on strength and stiffness of slash pine (Pinus elliotti Engelm. var elliotti) from a 40-year-old plantation on the Georgia Coastal Plain was examined. A stratified random sample of trees with diameters at breast height ranging from 8 to 16 inches from replicated stands representing tree spacing of 6 by 8, 8 by 8, 10 by 10, and 15...

Age-specific seroprevalence of dengue infection in Hong Kong.

PubMed

Lee, Polly; Yeung, Apple C M; Chen, Zigui; Chan, Martin C W; Sze, Kin Ho; Chan, Paul K S

2018-05-02

A newly developed dengue virus vaccine (chimeric yellow fever virus-tetravalent dengue vaccine [CYD-TDV]) has recently been licensed for clinical use. The World Health Organization recommends vaccination for populations with seroprevalence of at least 70% to maximize public health impact. This study aimed to delineate the seroprevalence of dengue infection in Hong Kong. A total of 105 972 serum samples submitted for clinical testing during the period 2013-2015 were age-stratified and sex-stratified. For each year of collection, 25 samples were randomly selected from each age-sex group. Altogether, 2100 samples were tested for the dengue immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody using a non-type-specific ELISA kit. The overall dengue IgG-positive rate was 4.6% and showed no significant change over the 3 years. The positive rate was not associated with sex, but a steep rise in seroprevalence for persons above 65 years (32.7%) was observed. The low dengue seroprevalence in Hong Kong does not support implementation of a national immunization program. Majority of the population in Hong Kong are susceptible to dengue infection, and a substantial proportion of persons older than 65 years could acquire secondary infection and are prone to develop severe dengue. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Comorbid Visual and Psychiatric Disabilities Among the Chinese Elderly: A National Population-Based Survey.

PubMed

Guo, Chao; Wang, Zhenjie; Li, Ning; Chen, Gong; Zheng, Xiaoying

2017-12-01

To estimate the prevalence of, and association between, co-morbid visual and psychiatric disabilities among elderly (>65 years-of-age) persons in China. Random representative samples were obtained using multistage, stratified, cluster sampling, with probabilities proportional to size. Standard weighting procedures were used to construct sample weights that reflected this multistage, stratified cluster sampling survey scheme. Logistic regression models were used to elucidate associations between visual and psychiatric disabilities. Among the Chinese elderly, >160,000 persons have co-morbid visual and psychiatric disabilities. The weighted prevalence among this cohort is 123.7 per 100,000 persons. A higher prevalence of co-morbid visual and psychiatric disabilities was found in the oldest-old (p<0.001); women (65-79 years-of-age, p=0.001; ≥80 years-of-age, p=0.004); illiterate (65-79 years-of-age, p<0.001; ≥80 years-of-age, p=0.02); and single elders (65-79 years-of-age, p=0.01; ≥80 years-of-age, p=0.001). Presence of a visual disability was significantly associated with a higher risk of having a psychiatric disability among persons aged ≥80 years-of-age [adjusted odds ratio, 1.24; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.03-1.54]. A significant number of Chinese elderly persons were living with co-morbid visual and psychiatric disabilities. To address the challenge of these co-morbid disorders among Chinese elders, it is incumbent upon the government to implement additional and more comprehensive prevention and rehabilitation strategies for health-care systems, reinforce health promotion among the elderly, and improve accessibility to health-care services.

Adjusting for multiple prognostic factors in the analysis of randomised trials

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background When multiple prognostic factors are adjusted for in the analysis of a randomised trial, it is unclear (1) whether it is necessary to account for each of the strata, formed by all combinations of the prognostic factors (stratified analysis), when randomisation has been balanced within each stratum (stratified randomisation), or whether adjusting for the main effects alone will suffice, and (2) the best method of adjustment in terms of type I error rate and power, irrespective of the randomisation method. Methods We used simulation to (1) determine if a stratified analysis is necessary after stratified randomisation, and (2) to compare different methods of adjustment in terms of power and type I error rate. We considered the following methods of analysis: adjusting for covariates in a regression model, adjusting for each stratum using either fixed or random effects, and Mantel-Haenszel or a stratified Cox model depending on outcome. Results Stratified analysis is required after stratified randomisation to maintain correct type I error rates when (a) there are strong interactions between prognostic factors, and (b) there are approximately equal number of patients in each stratum. However, simulations based on real trial data found that type I error rates were unaffected by the method of analysis (stratified vs unstratified), indicating these conditions were not met in real datasets. Comparison of different analysis methods found that with small sample sizes and a binary or time-to-event outcome, most analysis methods lead to either inflated type I error rates or a reduction in power; the lone exception was a stratified analysis using random effects for strata, which gave nominal type I error rates and adequate power. Conclusions It is unlikely that a stratified analysis is necessary after stratified randomisation except in extreme scenarios. Therefore, the method of analysis (accounting for the strata, or adjusting only for the covariates) will not generally need to depend on the method of randomisation used. Most methods of analysis work well with large sample sizes, however treating strata as random effects should be the analysis method of choice with binary or time-to-event outcomes and a small sample size. PMID:23898993

Is a 'convenience' sample useful for estimating immunization coverage in a small population?

PubMed

Weir, Jean E; Jones, Carrie

2008-01-01

Rapid survey methodologies are widely used for assessing immunization coverage in developing countries, approximating true stratified random sampling. Non-random ('convenience') sampling is not considered appropriate for estimating immunization coverage rates but has the advantages of low cost and expediency. We assessed the validity of a convenience sample of children presenting to a travelling clinic by comparing the coverage rate in the convenience sample to the true coverage established by surveying each child in three villages in rural Papua New Guinea. The rate of DTF immunization coverage as estimated by the convenience sample was within 10% of the true coverage when the proportion of children in the sample was two-thirds or when only children over the age of one year were counted, but differed by 11% when the sample included only 53% of the children and when all eligible children were included. The convenience sample may be sufficiently accurate for reporting purposes and is useful for identifying areas of low coverage.

The study of combining Latin Hypercube Sampling method and LU decomposition method (LULHS method) for constructing spatial random field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

WANG, P. T.

2015-12-01

Groundwater modeling requires to assign hydrogeological properties to every numerical grid. Due to the lack of detailed information and the inherent spatial heterogeneity, geological properties can be treated as random variables. Hydrogeological property is assumed to be a multivariate distribution with spatial correlations. By sampling random numbers from a given statistical distribution and assigning a value to each grid, a random field for modeling can be completed. Therefore, statistics sampling plays an important role in the efficiency of modeling procedure. Latin Hypercube Sampling (LHS) is a stratified random sampling procedure that provides an efficient way to sample variables from their multivariate distributions. This study combines the the stratified random procedure from LHS and the simulation by using LU decomposition to form LULHS. Both conditional and unconditional simulations of LULHS were develpoed. The simulation efficiency and spatial correlation of LULHS are compared to the other three different simulation methods. The results show that for the conditional simulation and unconditional simulation, LULHS method is more efficient in terms of computational effort. Less realizations are required to achieve the required statistical accuracy and spatial correlation.

Composition, biomass and structure of mangroves within the Zambezi River Delta

Treesearch

Carl C. Trettin; Christina E. Stringer; Stan Zarnoch

2015-01-01

We used a stratified random sampling design to inventory the mangrove vegetation within the Zambezi River Delta, Mozambique, to provide a basis for estimating biomass pools. We used canopy height, derived from remote sensing data, to stratify the inventory area, and then applied a spatial decision support system to objectively allocate sample plots among five...

The Utility of Discriminant Analysis for Predicting Farmers' Intentions to Participate in Farmer-Managed Irrigation Systems in Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zarafshani, Kiumars; Hossien Alibaygi, Amir; Afshar, Nasrin

Participatory irrigation management has been problematic in most parts of the world and Iran has been no exception. The purpose of this study was to assess farmers' intentions to participate in irrigation management based on selected variables using discriminant analysis. A survey questionnaire was used to collect information from a sample of Water Cooperatives in Javanrood Townships using stratified random sampling (n = 106). Results indicated that age, educational level, attitude towards PIM, irrigation performance, landholding size, agricultural and non-agricultural income affected farmers' intentions to participate in irrigation management.

Effects of unstratified and centre-stratified randomization in multi-centre clinical trials.

PubMed

Anisimov, Vladimir V

2011-01-01

This paper deals with the analysis of randomization effects in multi-centre clinical trials. The two randomization schemes most often used in clinical trials are considered: unstratified and centre-stratified block-permuted randomization. The prediction of the number of patients randomized to different treatment arms in different regions during the recruitment period accounting for the stochastic nature of the recruitment and effects of multiple centres is investigated. A new analytic approach using a Poisson-gamma patient recruitment model (patients arrive at different centres according to Poisson processes with rates sampled from a gamma distributed population) and its further extensions is proposed. Closed-form expressions for corresponding distributions of the predicted number of the patients randomized in different regions are derived. In the case of two treatments, the properties of the total imbalance in the number of patients on treatment arms caused by using centre-stratified randomization are investigated and for a large number of centres a normal approximation of imbalance is proved. The impact of imbalance on the power of the study is considered. It is shown that the loss of statistical power is practically negligible and can be compensated by a minor increase in sample size. The influence of patient dropout is also investigated. The impact of randomization on predicted drug supply overage is discussed. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Testing the Feasibility of Developmental Asset Measures on College Students to Guide Health Promotion Efforts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zullig, Keith J.; Ward, Rose Marie; King, Keith A.; Patton, Jon M.; Murray, Karen A.

2009-01-01

The purpose of this investigation was to assess the reliability and validity of eight developmental asset measures among a stratified, random sample (N = 540) of college students to guide health promotion efforts. The sample was randomly split to produce exploratory and confirmatory samples for factor analysis using principal axis factoring and…

Workforce Readiness: A Study of University Students' Fluency with Information Technology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kaminski, Karen; Switzer, Jamie; Gloeckner, Gene

2009-01-01

This study with data collected from a large sample of freshmen in 2001 and a random stratified sample of seniors in 2005 examined students perceived FITness (fluency with Information Technology). In the fall of 2001 freshmen at a medium sized research-one institution completed a survey and in spring 2005 a random sample of graduating seniors…

Vitamin A deficiency and xerophthalmia in western Yemen.

PubMed

Rosen, D S; al Sharif, Z; Bashir, M; al Shabooti, A; Pizzarello, L D

1996-01-01

To determine the prevalence of xerophthalmia and the extent of vitamin A deficiency in western Yemen. A stratified cluster sample of children aged 1-5 years with clinical examination for signs of xerophthalmia as well as blood serum survey. The 18 districts of western Yemen, of which 10 clusters were chosen at random. All children aged 1-5 years resident in the cluster sites (n = 2438). Clinical signs of xerophthalmia, a history of night blindness, serum retinol levels in a random sample of clinically normal children (n =338) in addition to all children with xerophthalmia. Night blindness was found in 0.5% of the children, Bitot's spots in 1.7%, corneal ulceration in 0.04% and corneal scars in 0.04% Of the subsample, 7.2% (95% confidence interval [c.i.] 4.4-10.0%) had serum retinol values below 10 micrograms/dl; 63.0% (95% c.i. 57.6- 68.4%) had values below 20 micrograms/dl. Xerophthalmia and vitamin A deficiency are public health problems in western Yemen.

[Compliance with process indicators in people with type 2 diabetes and linking incentives in Primary Care].

PubMed

Pascual de la Pisa, Beatriz; Márquez Calzada, Cristina; Cuberos Sánchez, Carla; Cruces Jiménez, José Miguel; Fernández Gamaza, Manuel; Martínez Martínez, María Isabel

2015-03-01

Pay-for-performance programs to improve the quality of health care are extending gradually, particularly en Primary Health Care. Our aim was to explore the relationship between the degree of compliance with the process indicators (PrI) of type 2 diabetes (T2DM) in Primary Care and linkage to incentives. Cross-sectional, descriptive, observational study. Six Primary Health Care centers in Seville Aljarafe District randomly selected and stratified by population size. From 3.647 adults included in Integrated Healthcare Process of T2DM during 2008, 366 patients were included according sample size calculation by stratified random sampling. PrI: eye and feet examination, glycated hemoglobin, lipid profile, microalbuminuria and electrocardiogram. Confounding: Age, gender, characteristics town for patients and professional variables. The mean age was 66.36 years (standard deviation [DE]: 11,56); 48.9% were women. PrI with better compliance were feet examination, glycated hemoglobin and lipid profile (59.6%, 44.3% and 44%, respectively). 2.7% of patients had simultaneous compliance of the six PrI and 11.74% of patients three PrI linkage to incentives. Statistical association was observed in the compliance of the PrI incentives linked or not (P=.001). The degree of compliance with the PrI for screening chronic complications of T2DM is mostly low but this was higher on indicators linked to incentives. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Computerized stratified random site-selection approaches for design of a ground-water-quality sampling network

USGS Publications Warehouse

Scott, J.C.

1990-01-01

Computer software was written to randomly select sites for a ground-water-quality sampling network. The software uses digital cartographic techniques and subroutines from a proprietary geographic information system. The report presents the approaches, computer software, and sample applications. It is often desirable to collect ground-water-quality samples from various areas in a study region that have different values of a spatial characteristic, such as land-use or hydrogeologic setting. A stratified network can be used for testing hypotheses about relations between spatial characteristics and water quality, or for calculating statistical descriptions of water-quality data that account for variations that correspond to the spatial characteristic. In the software described, a study region is subdivided into areal subsets that have a common spatial characteristic to stratify the population into several categories from which sampling sites are selected. Different numbers of sites may be selected from each category of areal subsets. A population of potential sampling sites may be defined by either specifying a fixed population of existing sites, or by preparing an equally spaced population of potential sites. In either case, each site is identified with a single category, depending on the value of the spatial characteristic of the areal subset in which the site is located. Sites are selected from one category at a time. One of two approaches may be used to select sites. Sites may be selected randomly, or the areal subsets in the category can be grouped into cells and sites selected randomly from each cell.

Panels of tumor-derived RNA markers in peripheral blood of patients with non-small cell lung cancer: their dependence on age, gender and clinical stages.

PubMed

Chian, Chih-Feng; Hwang, Yi-Ting; Terng, Harn-Jing; Lee, Shih-Chun; Chao, Tsui-Yi; Chang, Hung; Ho, Ching-Liang; Wu, Yi-Ying; Perng, Wann-Cherng

2016-08-02

Peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC)-derived gene signatures were investigated for their potential use in the early detection of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In our study, 187 patients with NSCLC and 310 age- and gender-matched controls, and an independent set containing 29 patients for validation were included. Eight significant NSCLC-associated genes were identified, including DUSP6, EIF2S3, GRB2, MDM2, NF1, POLDIP2, RNF4, and WEE1. The logistic model containing these significant markers was able to distinguish subjects with NSCLC from controls with an excellent performance, 80.7% sensitivity, 90.6% specificity, and an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.924. Repeated random sub-sampling for 100 times was used to validate the performance of classification training models with an average AUC of 0.92. Additional cross-validation using the independent set resulted in the sensitivity 75.86%. Furthermore, six age/gender-dependent genes: CPEB4, EIF2S3, GRB2, MCM4, RNF4, and STAT2 were identified using age and gender stratification approach. STAT2 and WEE1 were explored as stage-dependent using stage-stratified subpopulation. We conclude that these logistic models using different signatures for total and stratified samples are potential complementary tools for assessing the risk of NSCLC.

Knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of food hygiene among schools students' in Majmaah city, Saudi Arabia.

PubMed

Almansour, Mohammed; Sami, Waqas; Al-Rashedy, Oliyan Shoqer; Alsaab, Rayan Saad; Alfayez, Abdulrahman Saad; Almarri, Nawaf Rashed

2016-04-01

To determine the level of knowledge, attitude, and practice of food hygiene among primary, intermediate and high school students and explore association, if any, with socio-demographic differences. The observational cross-sectional study was conducted at boy's schools in Majmaah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, from February to May 2014. Data was collected using stratified random sampling technique from students aged 8-25 year. Two schools from each level (primary, intermediate and high school) were randomly selected and data was collected from the selected schools using simple random sampling method. A self-administered modified Sharif and Al-Malki questionnaire for knowledge, attitude and practice of food hygiene was used with Arabic translation. The mean age of 377 male students in the study was 14.53±2.647 years. Knowledge levels was less in primary school students compared to high school students (p=0.026). Attitude level was high in primary school students compared to intermediate school students (p< 0.001). No significant difference was observed between groups with regard to practice levels (p=0.152). The students exhibited good practice levels, despite fair knowledge and attitude levels.

Cognitive function and dementia in six areas of England and Wales: the distribution of MMSE and prevalence of GMS organicity level in the MRC CFA Study. The Medical Research Council Cognitive Function and Ageing Study (MRC CFAS).

PubMed

1998-03-01

This two-stage prevalence survey involved geographically delimited areas, four urban (Liverpool, Newcastle, Nottingham and Oxford) and two rural (Cambridgeshire and Gwynedd), including institutions. Stratified random population samples of people in their 65th year and above, from Family Health Service Authorities were studied. The sample was stratified (65-74 years and > or = 75) to provide equal numbers. In Liverpool equal numbers in 5 year age groups were taken. After an initial screening interview, approximately 20% were selected on the basis of age, AGECAT organicity confidence level and MMSE score to proceed to a detailed assessment interview from which the full AGECAT organicity confidence level could be derived. Major influences on MMSE were confirmed as age, sex, social class and educational level. Estimates of prevalence of AGECAT O3 and above for each centre and the entire sample according to age are given, based on 1991 Census population structure, and suggest that around half a million (543,400) people in England and Wales would be defined as case level by this method. The five centres employing the same methodology showed no heterogeneity in prevalence. Prevalence of cognitive impairment and dementia appear not to vary widely across the centres examined in this study, which provides stable estimates by age and sex for AGECAT O3 and above, and norms for MMSE. Using these estimates as an indication of the size of the population affected, around 550,000 individuals in England and Wales would be expected to be suffering from dementia of mild or greater severity.

Prevalence of Overweight and Obesity among Female Adolescents in Jordan: A comparison between Two International Reference Standards

PubMed Central

O. Musaiger, Abdulrahman; Al-Mannai, Mariam; Tayyem, Reema

2013-01-01

Objective: To find out the prevalence of overweight and obesity among female adolescents in Jordan. Methodology: A cross-sectional survey on females aged 15–18 in Amman, Jordan, was carried out using a multistage stratified random sampling method. The total sample size was 475 girls. Weight and height were measured and body mass index for age was used to determine overweight and obesity using the IOTF and WHO international standards. Results: The prevalence of overweight and obesity decreased with age. The highest prevalence of overweight and obesity was reported at age 15 (24.4% and 8.9%, respectively). The WHO standard showed a higher prevalence of obesity than the IOTF standard in all age groups. Conclusions: Overweight and obesity are serious public health problems among adolescents in Jordan, using both international standards. A program to combat obesity among schoolchildren, therefore, should be given a high priority in school health policy in Jordan. PMID:24353605

A comparison of two sampling designs for fish assemblage assessment in a large river

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kiraly, Ian A.; Coghlan, Stephen M.; Zydlewski, Joseph D.; Hayes, Daniel

2014-01-01

We compared the efficiency of stratified random and fixed-station sampling designs to characterize fish assemblages in anticipation of dam removal on the Penobscot River, the largest river in Maine. We used boat electrofishing methods in both sampling designs. Multiple 500-m transects were selected randomly and electrofished in each of nine strata within the stratified random sampling design. Within the fixed-station design, up to 11 transects (1,000 m) were electrofished, all of which had been sampled previously. In total, 88 km of shoreline were electrofished during summer and fall in 2010 and 2011, and 45,874 individuals of 34 fish species were captured. Species-accumulation and dissimilarity curve analyses indicated that all sampling effort, other than fall 2011 under the fixed-station design, provided repeatable estimates of total species richness and proportional abundances. Overall, our sampling designs were similar in precision and efficiency for sampling fish assemblages. The fixed-station design was negatively biased for estimating the abundance of species such as Common Shiner Luxilus cornutus and Fallfish Semotilus corporalis and was positively biased for estimating biomass for species such as White Sucker Catostomus commersonii and Atlantic Salmon Salmo salar. However, we found no significant differences between the designs for proportional catch and biomass per unit effort, except in fall 2011. The difference observed in fall 2011 was due to limitations on the number and location of fixed sites that could be sampled, rather than an inherent bias within the design. Given the results from sampling in the Penobscot River, application of the stratified random design is preferable to the fixed-station design due to less potential for bias caused by varying sampling effort, such as what occurred in the fall 2011 fixed-station sample or due to purposeful site selection.

Nonmanufacturing Businesses. U.S. Metric Study Interim Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cornog, June R.; Bunten, Elaine D.

In this fifth interim report on the feasibility of a United States changeover to a metric system stems from the U.S. Metric Study, a primary stratified sample of 2,828 nonmanufacturing firms was randomly selected from 28,184 businesses taken from Social Security files, a secondary sample of 2,258 firms was randomly selected for replacement…

The Relationship between Teachers Commitment and Female Students Academic Achievements in Some Selected Secondary School in Wolaita Zone, Southern Ethiopia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bibiso, Abyot; Olango, Menna; Bibiso, Mesfin

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between teacher's commitment and female students academic achievement in selected secondary school of Wolaita zone, Southern Ethiopia. The research method employed was survey study and the sampling techniques were purposive, simple random and stratified random sampling. Questionnaire…

Assessment of fracture risk: value of random population-based samples--the Geelong Osteoporosis Study.

PubMed

Henry, M J; Pasco, J A; Seeman, E; Nicholson, G C; Sanders, K M; Kotowicz, M A

2001-01-01

Fracture risk is determined by bone mineral density (BMD). The T-score, a measure of fracture risk, is the position of an individual's BMD in relation to a reference range. The aim of this study was to determine the magnitude of change in the T-score when different sampling techniques were used to produce the reference range. Reference ranges were derived from three samples, drawn from the same region: (1) an age-stratified population-based random sample, (2) unselected volunteers, and (3) a selected healthy subset of the population-based sample with no diseases or drugs known to affect bone. T-scores were calculated using the three reference ranges for a cohort of women who had sustained a fracture and as a group had a low mean BMD (ages 35-72 yr; n = 484). For most comparisons, the T-scores for the fracture cohort were more negative using the population reference range. The difference in T-scores reached 1.0 SD. The proportion of the fracture cohort classified as having osteoporosis at the spine was 26, 14, and 23% when the population, volunteer, and healthy reference ranges were applied, respectively. The use of inappropriate reference ranges results in substantial changes to T-scores and may lead to inappropriate management.

Sampling error in timber surveys

Treesearch

Austin Hasel

1938-01-01

Various sampling strategies are evaluated for efficiency in an interior ponderosa pine forest. In a 5760 acre tract, efficiency was gained by stratifying into quarter acre blocks and sampling randomly from within. A systematic cruise was found to be superior for volume estimation.

Hierarchical model analysis of the Atlantic Flyway Breeding Waterfowl Survey

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sauer, John R.; Zimmerman, Guthrie S.; Klimstra, Jon D.; Link, William A.

2014-01-01

We used log-linear hierarchical models to analyze data from the Atlantic Flyway Breeding Waterfowl Survey. The survey has been conducted by state biologists each year since 1989 in the northeastern United States from Virginia north to New Hampshire and Vermont. Although yearly population estimates from the survey are used by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service for estimating regional waterfowl population status for mallards (Anas platyrhynchos), black ducks (Anas rubripes), wood ducks (Aix sponsa), and Canada geese (Branta canadensis), they are not routinely adjusted to control for time of day effects and other survey design issues. The hierarchical model analysis permits estimation of year effects and population change while accommodating the repeated sampling of plots and controlling for time of day effects in counting. We compared population estimates from the current stratified random sample analysis to population estimates from hierarchical models with alternative model structures that describe year to year changes as random year effects, a trend with random year effects, or year effects modeled as 1-year differences. Patterns of population change from the hierarchical model results generally were similar to the patterns described by stratified random sample estimates, but significant visibility differences occurred between twilight to midday counts in all species. Controlling for the effects of time of day resulted in larger population estimates for all species in the hierarchical model analysis relative to the stratified random sample analysis. The hierarchical models also provided a convenient means of estimating population trend as derived statistics from the analysis. We detected significant declines in mallard and American black ducks and significant increases in wood ducks and Canada geese, a trend that had not been significant for 3 of these 4 species in the prior analysis. We recommend using hierarchical models for analysis of the Atlantic Flyway Breeding Waterfowl Survey.

Sociodemographic factors associated with self-reported exercise and physical activity behaviors and attitudes of South Australians: results of a population-based survey.

PubMed

Thomas, Susie; Halbert, Julie; Mackintosh, Shylie; Quinn, Stephen; Crotty, Maria

2012-03-01

To determine self-reported physical activity barriers, behaviors, and beliefs about exercise of a representative sample and to identify associated sociodemographic factors. Face-to-face interviews conducted between September and December 2008, using a random stratified sampling technique. Barriers injury and illness were associated with being older, single, and not engaged in full-time work; lack of time was associated with being married, younger, female, and working full-time; and lack of motivation and cost were associated with being younger than 65 years. Advancing age was significantly associated (p < .001) with reduced physical activity. Factors including age, education, marital status, and area of residence were all associated with preferences for environment to exercise in, while all age groups (74%) felt that walking was the most important type of exercise for older adults. A better understanding of these factors may improve uptake of and adherence to exercise programs across the ages.

Teachers' Methodologies and Sources of Information on HIV/AIDS for Students with Visual Impairments in Selected Residential and Integrated Schools in Ghana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hayford, Samuel K.; Ocansey, Frederick

2017-01-01

This study reports part of a national survey on sources of information, education and communication materials on HIV/AIDS available to students with visual impairments in residential, segregated, and integrated schools in Ghana. A multi-staged stratified random sampling procedure and a purposive and simple random sampling approach, where…

Modeling of Academic Achievement of Primary School Students in Ethiopia Using Bayesian Multilevel Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sebro, Negusse Yohannes; Goshu, Ayele Taye

2017-01-01

This study aims to explore Bayesian multilevel modeling to investigate variations of average academic achievement of grade eight school students. A sample of 636 students is randomly selected from 26 private and government schools by a two-stage stratified sampling design. Bayesian method is used to estimate the fixed and random effects. Input and…

Spatial Sampling of Weather Data for Regional Crop Yield Simulations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Van Bussel, Lenny G. J.; Ewert, Frank; Zhao, Gang; Hoffmann, Holger; Enders, Andreas; Wallach, Daniel; Asseng, Senthold; Baigorria, Guillermo A.; Basso, Bruno; Biernath, Christian;

Stratification of American hearing aid users by age and audiometric characteristics: a method for representative sampling.

PubMed

Aronoff, Justin M; Yoon, Yang-soo; Soli, Sigfrid D

2010-06-01

Stratified sampling plans can increase the accuracy and facilitate the interpretation of a dataset characterizing a large population. However, such sampling plans have found minimal use in hearing aid (HA) research, in part because of a paucity of quantitative data on the characteristics of HA users. The goal of this study was to devise a quantitatively derived stratified sampling plan for HA research, so that such studies will be more representative and generalizable, and the results obtained using this method are more easily reinterpreted as the population changes. Pure-tone average (PTA) and age information were collected for 84,200 HAs acquired in 2006 and 2007. The distribution of PTA and age was quantified for each HA type and for a composite of all HA users. Based on their respective distributions, PTA and age were each divided into three groups, the combination of which defined the stratification plan. The most populous PTA and age group was also subdivided, allowing greater homogeneity within strata. Finally, the percentage of users in each stratum was calculated. This article provides a stratified sampling plan for HA research, based on a quantitative analysis of the distribution of PTA and age for HA users. Adopting such a sampling plan will make HA research results more representative and generalizable. In addition, data acquired using such plans can be reinterpreted as the HA population changes.

Incidence of migraine and tension-type headache in three different populations at risk within the German DMKG headache study.

PubMed

Khil, Laura; Pfaffenrath, Volker; Straube, Andreas; Evers, Stefan; Berger, Klaus

2012-03-01

Unlike the prevalence, the incidence of headache disorders has attracted only little attention in epidemiological research. Different definitions of the 'population at risk' among the few published migraine and tension-type headache incidence studies limit their comparability and warrant further research. Therefore, we analysed data from the German Migraine and Headache Society (DMKG). Incidences were assessed in the general population in Germany via standardized headache questions using the International Classification of Headache Disorders, 2nd Edition (ICHD-2). The population was drawn from a 5-year age-group- stratified and gender-stratified random sample from the population register. Of the 1312 baseline participants examined between 2003 and 2004, 1122 (85.5%) participated in the follow-up in 2006 and were the basis for three different populations at risk. We found that the three populations differed in size, age, gender and incidence estimate. The total sample incidence of migraine ranged between 0% and 3.3% and of tension-type headache between 5.3% and 9.2% depending on the definition of 'at risk'. We concluded that one significant problem in headache incidence estimation is the definition of 'at risk', limiting comparability. Thus, this study supports the need for a common definition for prospective headache incidence estimations.

Language screening in preschool Chinese children.

PubMed

Wong, V; Lee, P W; Lieh-Mak, F; Yeung, C Y; Leung, P W; Luk, S L; Yiu, E

1992-01-01

The incidence of language delay in Chinese preschool children was studied by a stratified proportional sampling of all 3 year olds in Hong Kong. The Developmental Language Screening Scale (DLSS) devised for use with Cantonese speaking children was used to identify children with language delay. Of 855 children sampled in the stage I screening procedure, 4%, 2.8% and 3.3% were identified as having delay in verbal comprehension, expression or both respectively. The stage II clinical diagnostic study included a randomly selected group of children screened in stage I with or without any associated behavioural problem. Among these, 3.4% were identified as having a language delay using the Reynell Language Developmental Scale (RDLS) with a criterion of language age of less than or equal to two-thirds of the chronological age; 3% had specific language delay using the criteria of language age less than or equal to two-thirds the chronological age and developmental age more than or equal to two-thirds the chronological age. More boys were found to have language delay, although this was not statistically significant.

Gender differences in psychosocial determinants of self-perceived health among Portuguese older adults in nursing homes.

PubMed

Alarcão, Violeta; Madeira, Teresa; Peixoto-Plácido, Catarina; Sousa-Santos, Nuno; Fernandes, Elisabete; Nicola, Paulo; Santos, Osvaldo; Gorjão-Clara, João

2018-05-23

Self-perceived health declines with age, varies by gender and is a predictor of mortality, morbidity, physical and psychological functioning. However, gender differences in health and illness perception are complex and not yet fully understood. This study aimed to explore gender-related differences in psychosocial determinants of self-perceived health among older adults living in nursing homes. Nationwide face-to-face survey of the Portuguese population aged 65 and over. A representative sample of nursing homes residents was obtained through a multistage cluster random sampling of nursing homes, stratified by main Portuguese administrative regions (NUTS II). Overall, 1186 nursing homes residents voluntarily enrolled in this study (participation rate, 93%) and a total of 515 participants (70.1% women) were considered to have adequate cognitive functioning to answer all questionnaires. A significant association between self-rated health and gender was found: 90.6% of all women (95% CI: 85.7-93.9) and 82.3% of all men (95% CI: 72.9-88.9) rated their health as less than good (p = 0.023). Gender-stratified analyses showed differences in psychosocial determinants of self-perceived health. While symptoms of depression and loneliness feelings were the major psychosocial determinants of poor self-perceived health among women, age and subjective financial well-being were the only determinants among men. Factors associated with perceived health, as representative of healthy ageing, were identified by gender, leading to future avenues for fruitful investigation. The acknowledgement of interpersonal and socioeconomic factors that determine the experience of ageing at a national level is crucial to improve the health of elders.

CTEPP STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE FOR SAMPLE SELECTION (SOP-1.10)

EPA Science Inventory

The procedures for selecting CTEPP study subjects are described in the SOP. The primary, county-level stratification is by region and urbanicity. Six sample counties in each of the two states (North Carolina and Ohio) are selected using stratified random sampling and reflect ...

Sleep Promotion Program for Improving Sleep Behaviors in Adolescents: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study

PubMed Central

John, Bindu; Bellipady, Sumanth Shetty; Bhat, Shrinivasa Undaru

2016-01-01

Aims. The purpose of this pilot trial was to determine the efficacy of sleep promotion program to adapt it for the use of adolescents studying in various schools of Mangalore, India, and evaluate the feasibility issues before conducting a randomized controlled trial in a larger sample of adolescents. Methods. A randomized controlled trial design with stratified random sampling method was used. Fifty-eight adolescents were selected (mean age: 14.02 ± 2.15 years; intervention group, n = 34; control group, n = 24). Self-report questionnaires, including sociodemographic questionnaire with some additional questions on sleep and activities, Sleep Hygiene Index, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, The Cleveland Adolescent Sleepiness Questionnaire, and PedsQL™ Present Functioning Visual Analogue Scale, were used. Results. Insufficient weekday-weekend sleep duration with increasing age of adolescents was observed. The program revealed a significant effect in the experimental group over the control group in overall sleep quality, sleep onset latency, sleep duration, daytime sleepiness, and emotional and overall distress. No significant effect was observed in sleep hygiene and other sleep parameters. All target variables showed significant correlations with each other. Conclusion. The intervention holds a promise for improving the sleep behaviors in healthy adolescents. However, the effect of the sleep promotion program treatment has yet to be proven through a future research. This trial is registered with ISRCTN13083118. PMID:27088040

[Growth and development of children in Cuba].

PubMed

Jordán Rodríguez, J; Bebel Agua, A; Rubén, M; Hernández, J

1980-01-01

During the years 1972 to 1974, a great scale study was carried out on development and growth taking at random a stratified sample of multiple stages of 50,311 children from birth to 20 years. Fifteen anthropometric dimensions were considered and evaluation was made of sexual development in both sexes. In girls, the age of menarche was registered. An X-ray of the hand was taken to 10% of the sample. One year later, 30% of the sample was X-rayed again to determine speed of growth. Response of the population was close to 94%. The importance of a national system of growth is recognized, together with the colaboration of the orgaism of masses to achieve these purposes. Information related with some of measurements reported is offered and comments related with these findings are made.

Unmet demand for training among mature age Australians: Prevalence, differentials and perceived causes.

PubMed

Adair, Tim; Lourey, Emma; Taylor, Philip

2016-03-01

To explore the prevalence of unmet demand for training by mature age Australians and to identify the main barriers to accessing training. A total of 3007 Australians aged 45-74 years were surveyed using Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing. The sample frame was randomly selected and stratified based on the capital city and the rest of the state, and data were weighted to be nationally representative. Over one-third (37%) of respondents who had worked in the past five years reported wanting to attend some form of training but were unable to; these were most likely women and those aged 45-54 year. Commonly cited reasons for not being able to attend training included not being able to fit it in with work commitments, affordability and employer reluctance. Reduction of these barriers to workplace training can improve mature age people's ability to remain engaged in the workforce. © 2015 AJA Inc.

A nonparametric method to generate synthetic populations to adjust for complex sampling design features.

PubMed

Dong, Qi; Elliott, Michael R; Raghunathan, Trivellore E

2014-06-01

Outside of the survey sampling literature, samples are often assumed to be generated by a simple random sampling process that produces independent and identically distributed (IID) samples. Many statistical methods are developed largely in this IID world. Application of these methods to data from complex sample surveys without making allowance for the survey design features can lead to erroneous inferences. Hence, much time and effort have been devoted to develop the statistical methods to analyze complex survey data and account for the sample design. This issue is particularly important when generating synthetic populations using finite population Bayesian inference, as is often done in missing data or disclosure risk settings, or when combining data from multiple surveys. By extending previous work in finite population Bayesian bootstrap literature, we propose a method to generate synthetic populations from a posterior predictive distribution in a fashion inverts the complex sampling design features and generates simple random samples from a superpopulation point of view, making adjustment on the complex data so that they can be analyzed as simple random samples. We consider a simulation study with a stratified, clustered unequal-probability of selection sample design, and use the proposed nonparametric method to generate synthetic populations for the 2006 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), and the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), which are stratified, clustered unequal-probability of selection sample designs.

A nonparametric method to generate synthetic populations to adjust for complex sampling design features

PubMed Central

Dong, Qi; Elliott, Michael R.; Raghunathan, Trivellore E.

2017-01-01

Outside of the survey sampling literature, samples are often assumed to be generated by a simple random sampling process that produces independent and identically distributed (IID) samples. Many statistical methods are developed largely in this IID world. Application of these methods to data from complex sample surveys without making allowance for the survey design features can lead to erroneous inferences. Hence, much time and effort have been devoted to develop the statistical methods to analyze complex survey data and account for the sample design. This issue is particularly important when generating synthetic populations using finite population Bayesian inference, as is often done in missing data or disclosure risk settings, or when combining data from multiple surveys. By extending previous work in finite population Bayesian bootstrap literature, we propose a method to generate synthetic populations from a posterior predictive distribution in a fashion inverts the complex sampling design features and generates simple random samples from a superpopulation point of view, making adjustment on the complex data so that they can be analyzed as simple random samples. We consider a simulation study with a stratified, clustered unequal-probability of selection sample design, and use the proposed nonparametric method to generate synthetic populations for the 2006 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), and the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), which are stratified, clustered unequal-probability of selection sample designs. PMID:29200608

A stratified random survey of the proportion of poor quality oral artesunate sold at medicine outlets in the Lao PDR – implications for therapeutic failure and drug resistance

PubMed Central

Sengaloundeth, Sivong; Green, Michael D; Fernández, Facundo M; Manolin, Ot; Phommavong, Khamlieng; Insixiengmay, Vongsavanh; Hampton, Christina Y; Nyadong, Leonard; Mildenhall, Dallas C; Hostetler, Dana; Khounsaknalath, Lamphet; Vongsack, Latsamy; Phompida, Samlane; Vanisaveth, Viengxay; Syhakhang, Lamphone; Newton, Paul N

2009-01-01

Background Counterfeit oral artesunate has been a major public health problem in mainland SE Asia, impeding malaria control. A countrywide stratified random survey was performed to determine the availability and quality of oral artesunate in pharmacies and outlets (shops selling medicines) in the Lao PDR (Laos). Methods In 2003, 'mystery' shoppers were asked to buy artesunate tablets from 180 outlets in 12 of the 18 Lao provinces. Outlets were selected using stratified random sampling by investigators not involved in sampling. Samples were analysed for packaging characteristics, by the Fast Red Dye test, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), mass spectrometry (MS), X-ray diffractometry and pollen analysis. Results Of 180 outlets sampled, 25 (13.9%) sold oral artesunate. Outlets selling artesunate were more commonly found in the more malarious southern Laos. Of the 25 outlets, 22 (88%; 95%CI 68–97%) sold counterfeit artesunate, as defined by packaging and chemistry. No artesunate was detected in the counterfeits by any of the chemical analysis techniques and analysis of the packaging demonstrated seven different counterfeit types. There was complete agreement between the Fast Red dye test, HPLC and MS analysis. A wide variety of wrong active ingredients were found by MS. Of great concern, 4/27 (14.8%) fakes contained detectable amounts of artemisinin (0.26–115.7 mg/tablet). Conclusion This random survey confirms results from previous convenience surveys that counterfeit artesunate is a severe public health problem. The presence of artemisinin in counterfeits may encourage malaria resistance to artemisinin derivatives. With increasing accessibility of artemisinin-derivative combination therapy (ACT) in Laos, the removal of artesunate monotherapy from pharmacies may be an effective intervention. PMID:19638225

A stratified random survey of the proportion of poor quality oral artesunate sold at medicine outlets in the Lao PDR - implications for therapeutic failure and drug resistance.

PubMed

Sengaloundeth, Sivong; Green, Michael D; Fernández, Facundo M; Manolin, Ot; Phommavong, Khamlieng; Insixiengmay, Vongsavanh; Hampton, Christina Y; Nyadong, Leonard; Mildenhall, Dallas C; Hostetler, Dana; Khounsaknalath, Lamphet; Vongsack, Latsamy; Phompida, Samlane; Vanisaveth, Viengxay; Syhakhang, Lamphone; Newton, Paul N

2009-07-28

Counterfeit oral artesunate has been a major public health problem in mainland SE Asia, impeding malaria control. A countrywide stratified random survey was performed to determine the availability and quality of oral artesunate in pharmacies and outlets (shops selling medicines) in the Lao PDR (Laos). In 2003, 'mystery' shoppers were asked to buy artesunate tablets from 180 outlets in 12 of the 18 Lao provinces. Outlets were selected using stratified random sampling by investigators not involved in sampling. Samples were analysed for packaging characteristics, by the Fast Red Dye test, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), mass spectrometry (MS), X-ray diffractometry and pollen analysis. Of 180 outlets sampled, 25 (13.9%) sold oral artesunate. Outlets selling artesunate were more commonly found in the more malarious southern Laos. Of the 25 outlets, 22 (88%; 95%CI 68-97%) sold counterfeit artesunate, as defined by packaging and chemistry. No artesunate was detected in the counterfeits by any of the chemical analysis techniques and analysis of the packaging demonstrated seven different counterfeit types. There was complete agreement between the Fast Red dye test, HPLC and MS analysis. A wide variety of wrong active ingredients were found by MS. Of great concern, 4/27 (14.8%) fakes contained detectable amounts of artemisinin (0.26-115.7 mg/tablet). This random survey confirms results from previous convenience surveys that counterfeit artesunate is a severe public health problem. The presence of artemisinin in counterfeits may encourage malaria resistance to artemisinin derivatives. With increasing accessibility of artemisinin-derivative combination therapy (ACT) in Laos, the removal of artesunate monotherapy from pharmacies may be an effective intervention.

A Dexterous Optional Randomized Response Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tarray, Tanveer A.; Singh, Housila P.; Yan, Zaizai

2017-01-01

This article addresses the problem of estimating the proportion Pi[subscript S] of the population belonging to a sensitive group using optional randomized response technique in stratified sampling based on Mangat model that has proportional and Neyman allocation and larger gain in efficiency. Numerically, it is found that the suggested model is…

Occupational position and its relation to mental distress in a random sample of Danish residents.

PubMed

Rugulies, Reiner; Madsen, Ida E H; Nielsen, Maj Britt D; Olsen, Lis R; Mortensen, Erik L; Bech, Per

2010-08-01

To analyze the distribution of depressive, anxiety, and somatization symptoms across different occupational positions in a random sample of Danish residents. The study sample consisted of 591 Danish residents (50% women), aged 20-65, drawn from an age- and gender-stratified random sample of the Danish population. Participants filled out a survey that included the 92 item version of the Hopkins Symptom Checklist (SCL-92). We categorized occupational position into seven groups: high- and low-grade non-manual workers, skilled and unskilled manual workers, high- and low-grade self-employed, and unemployed. Compared to the reference group of high-grade non-manual workers, the depressive symptom score was statistically significantly elevated among unskilled manual workers (P = 0.043) and the unemployed (P < 0.001), after adjustment for age, gender, cohabitation, life events, and low household income. The anxiety symptom score was elevated only among the unemployed (P = 0.004). The somatization symptom score was elevated among unskilled manual workers (P = 0.002), the low-grade self-employed (P = 0.023), and the unemployed (P = 0.001). When we analyzed caseness of severe symptoms, we found that unskilled manual workers (OR = 3.27, 95% CI = 1.06-10.04) and the unemployed (OR = 6.20, 95% CI = 1.98-19.42) had a higher prevalence of severe depressive symptoms, compared to the reference group of high-grade non-manual workers. The unemployed also had a higher prevalence of severe somatization symptoms (OR = 6.28, 95% CI = 1.39-28.46). Unskilled manual workers, the unemployed, and, to a lesser extent, the low-grade self-employed showed an increased level of mental distress. Activities to promote mental health in the Danish population should be directed toward these groups.

A Facility Specialist Model for Improving Retention of Nursing Home Staff: Results from a Randomized, Controlled Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pillemer, Karl; Meador, Rhoda; Henderson, Charles, Jr.; Robison, Julie; Hegeman, Carol; Graham, Edwin; Schultz, Leslie

2008-01-01

Purpose: This article reports on a randomized, controlled intervention study designed to reduce employee turnover by creating a retention specialist position in nursing homes. Design and Methods: We collected data three times over a 1-year period in 30 nursing homes, sampled in stratified random manner from facilities in New York State and…

Prevalence of drug use among drivers based on mandatory, random tests in a roadside survey

PubMed Central

Alcañiz, Manuela; Guillen, Montserrat

2018-01-01

Background In the context of road safety, this study aims to examine the prevalence of drug use in a random sample of drivers. Methods A stratified probabilistic sample was designed to represent vehicles circulating on non-urban roads. Random drug tests were performed during autumn 2014 on 521 drivers in Catalonia (Spain). Participation was mandatory. The prevalence of drug driving for cannabis, methamphetamines, amphetamines, cocaine, opiates and benzodiazepines was assessed. Results The overall prevalence of drug use is 16.4% (95% CI: 13.9; 18.9) and affects primarily younger male drivers. Drug use is similarly prevalent during weekdays and on weekends, but increases with the number of occupants. The likelihood of being positive for methamphetamines is significantly higher for drivers of vans and lorries. Conclusions Different patterns of use are detected depending on the drug considered. Preventive drug tests should not only be conducted on weekends and at night-time, and need to be reinforced for drivers of commercial vehicles. Active educational campaigns should focus on the youngest age-group of male drivers. PMID:29920542

Comparison of sampling strategies for object-based classification of urban vegetation from Very High Resolution satellite images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rougier, Simon; Puissant, Anne; Stumpf, André; Lachiche, Nicolas

2016-09-01

Vegetation monitoring is becoming a major issue in the urban environment due to the services they procure and necessitates an accurate and up to date mapping. Very High Resolution satellite images enable a detailed mapping of the urban tree and herbaceous vegetation. Several supervised classifications with statistical learning techniques have provided good results for the detection of urban vegetation but necessitate a large amount of training data. In this context, this study proposes to investigate the performances of different sampling strategies in order to reduce the number of examples needed. Two windows based active learning algorithms from state-of-art are compared to a classical stratified random sampling and a third combining active learning and stratified strategies is proposed. The efficiency of these strategies is evaluated on two medium size French cities, Strasbourg and Rennes, associated to different datasets. Results demonstrate that classical stratified random sampling can in some cases be just as effective as active learning methods and that it should be used more frequently to evaluate new active learning methods. Moreover, the active learning strategies proposed in this work enables to reduce the computational runtime by selecting multiple windows at each iteration without increasing the number of windows needed.

Using known map category marginal frequencies to improve estimates of thematic map accuracy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Card, D. H.

1982-01-01

By means of two simple sampling plans suggested in the accuracy-assessment literature, it is shown how one can use knowledge of map-category relative sizes to improve estimates of various probabilities. The fact that maximum likelihood estimates of cell probabilities for the simple random sampling and map category-stratified sampling were identical has permitted a unified treatment of the contingency-table analysis. A rigorous analysis of the effect of sampling independently within map categories is made possible by results for the stratified case. It is noted that such matters as optimal sample size selection for the achievement of a desired level of precision in various estimators are irrelevant, since the estimators derived are valid irrespective of how sample sizes are chosen.

The Association Between Body Mass Index and Open-angle Glaucoma in a South Korean Population-based Sample.

PubMed

Lin, Shuai-Chun; Pasquale, Louis R; Singh, Kuldev; Lin, Shan C

2018-03-01

The purpose of this article is to investigate the association between body mass index (BMI) and open-angle glaucoma (OAG) in a sample of the South Korean population. The sample consisted of a cross-sectional, population-based sample of 10,978 participants, 40 years of age and older, enrolled in the 2008 to 2011 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. All participants had measured intraocular pressure <22 mm Hg and open anterior chamber angles. OAG was defined using disc and visual field criteria established by the International Society for Geographical and Epidemiological Ophthalmology. Multivariable analyses were performed to determine the association between BMI and OAG. These analyses were also performed in a sex-stratified and age-stratified manner. After adjusting for potential confounding variables, lower BMI (<19 kg/m) was associated with greater risk of OAG compared with normal BMI (19 to 24.9 kg/m) [odds ratio (OR), 2.28; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.22-4.26]. In sex-stratified analyses, low BMI remained adversely related to glaucoma in women (OR, 3.45; 95% CI, 1.42-8.38) but not in men (OR, 1.72; 95% CI, 0.71-4.20). In age-stratified analyses, lower BMI was adversely related to glaucoma among subjects 40- to 49-year old (OR, 5.16; 95% CI, 1.86-14.36) but differences in glaucoma prevalence were not statistically significant between those with low versus normal BMI in other age strata. Lower BMI was associated with increased odds of OAG in a sample of the South Korean population. Multivariate analysis revealed the association to be statistically significant in women and those in the youngest age stratum.

Overweight/obesity and hypertension in schoolchildren aged 6-16 years, Aden Governorate, Yemen, 2009.

PubMed

Badi, M A H; Garcia-Triana, B E; Suarez-Martinez, R

2012-07-01

Hypertension and obesity in children are increasing concerns worldwide. A cross-sectional study of hypertension in relation to overweight/obesity was conducted in 2009 among schoolchildren aged 6-16 years in Aden, Yemen. Using multistage stratified random sampling 1885 children were classified into wasted, normal weight, overweight and obese according to body mass index. The prevalence of wasting was 10.1%, normal weight 69.2%, overweight 12.7% and obesity 8.0%. The rate of high blood pressure (World Health Organization criteria) was 8.2% for prehypertension and 2.4% for hypertension and was significantly related to the presence of overweight or obesity. Child's body mass index combined with age was a predictor for systolic and diastolic blood pressure. The study provides further evidence that overweight/obesity is associated with hypertension in these schoolchildren.

Evaluation of Students' Perceptions about Efficiency of Educational Club Practices in Primary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gelen, Ismail; Onay, Ihsan; Varol, Volkan

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study is to examine the efficiency of "Educational Club Practices" that has been in Elementary School program since 2005-2006, by examining the attitudes of students about "Educational Club Practices". Sample was selected in two steps. First, stratified sampling was employed and then random sampling was…

A New Stratified Sampling Procedure which Decreases Error Estimation of Varroa Mite Number on Sticky Boards.

PubMed

Kretzschmar, A; Durand, E; Maisonnasse, A; Vallon, J; Le Conte, Y

2015-06-01

A new procedure of stratified sampling is proposed in order to establish an accurate estimation of Varroa destructor populations on sticky bottom boards of the hive. It is based on the spatial sampling theory that recommends using regular grid stratification in the case of spatially structured process. The distribution of varroa mites on sticky board being observed as spatially structured, we designed a sampling scheme based on a regular grid with circles centered on each grid element. This new procedure is then compared with a former method using partially random sampling. Relative error improvements are exposed on the basis of a large sample of simulated sticky boards (n=20,000) which provides a complete range of spatial structures, from a random structure to a highly frame driven structure. The improvement of varroa mite number estimation is then measured by the percentage of counts with an error greater than a given level. © The Authors 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

A direct observation method for auditing large urban centers using stratified sampling, mobile GIS technology and virtual environments.

PubMed

Lafontaine, Sean J V; Sawada, M; Kristjansson, Elizabeth

2017-02-16

With the expansion and growth of research on neighbourhood characteristics, there is an increased need for direct observational field audits. Herein, we introduce a novel direct observational audit method and systematic social observation instrument (SSOI) for efficiently assessing neighbourhood aesthetics over large urban areas. Our audit method uses spatial random sampling stratified by residential zoning and incorporates both mobile geographic information systems technology and virtual environments. The reliability of our method was tested in two ways: first, in 15 Ottawa neighbourhoods, we compared results at audited locations over two subsequent years, and second; we audited every residential block (167 blocks) in one neighbourhood and compared the distribution of SSOI aesthetics index scores with results from the randomly audited locations. Finally, we present interrater reliability and consistency results on all observed items. The observed neighbourhood average aesthetics index score estimated from four or five stratified random audit locations is sufficient to characterize the average neighbourhood aesthetics. The SSOI was internally consistent and demonstrated good to excellent interrater reliability. At the neighbourhood level, aesthetics is positively related to SES and physical activity and negatively correlated with BMI. The proposed approach to direct neighbourhood auditing performs sufficiently and has the advantage of financial and temporal efficiency when auditing a large city.

An Efficient Alternative Mixed Randomized Response Procedure

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Singh, Housila P.; Tarray, Tanveer A.

2015-01-01

In this article, we have suggested a new modified mixed randomized response (RR) model and studied its properties. It is shown that the proposed mixed RR model is always more efficient than the Kim and Warde's mixed RR model. The proposed mixed RR model has also been extended to stratified sampling. Numerical illustrations and graphical…

The Role of Religiosity in Influencing Adolescent and Adult Alcohol Use in Trinidad

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rollocks, Steve C. T.; Dass, Natasha; Seepersad, Randy; Mohammed, Linda

2008-01-01

This study examined the role of religiosity among adolescents' and adults' alcohol use in Trinidad. A stratified random sample design of 369 adolescents and 210 adult parents belonging to the various religious groups in Trinidad was employed. Participants were randomly selected from various educational districts across Trinidad. Adolescent…

Teachers' Attitude towards Implementation of Learner-Centered Methodology in Science Education in Kenya

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ndirangu, Caroline

2017-01-01

This study aims to evaluate teachers' attitude towards implementation of learner-centered methodology in science education in Kenya. The study used a survey design methodology, adopting the purposive, stratified random and simple random sampling procedures and hypothesised that there was no significant relationship between the head teachers'…

Testing homogeneity of proportion ratios for stratified correlated bilateral data in two-arm randomized clinical trials.

PubMed

Pei, Yanbo; Tian, Guo-Liang; Tang, Man-Lai

2014-11-10

Stratified data analysis is an important research topic in many biomedical studies and clinical trials. In this article, we develop five test statistics for testing the homogeneity of proportion ratios for stratified correlated bilateral binary data based on an equal correlation model assumption. Bootstrap procedures based on these test statistics are also considered. To evaluate the performance of these statistics and procedures, we conduct Monte Carlo simulations to study their empirical sizes and powers under various scenarios. Our results suggest that the procedure based on score statistic performs well generally and is highly recommended. When the sample size is large, procedures based on the commonly used weighted least square estimate and logarithmic transformation with Mantel-Haenszel estimate are recommended as they do not involve any computation of maximum likelihood estimates requiring iterative algorithms. We also derive approximate sample size formulas based on the recommended test procedures. Finally, we apply the proposed methods to analyze a multi-center randomized clinical trial for scleroderma patients. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Weight Status and Behavioral Problems among Very Young Children in Chile.

PubMed

Kagawa, Rose M C; Fernald, Lia C H; Behrman, Jere R

2016-01-01

Our objective was to explore the association between weight status and behavioral problems in children before school age. We examined whether the association between weight status and behavioral problems varied by age and sex. This study used cross-sectional data from a nationally-representative sample of children and their families in Chile (N = 11,207). These children were selected using a cluster-stratified random sampling strategy. Data collection for this study took place in 2012 when the children were 1.5-6 years of age. We used multivariable analyses to examine the association between weight status and behavioral problems (assessed using the Child Behavior Checklist), while controlling for child's sex, indigenous status, birth weight, and months breastfed; primary caregiver's BMI and education level; and household wealth. Approximately 24% of our sample was overweight or obese. Overweight or obese girls showed more behavioral problems than normal weight girls at age 6 (β = 0.270 SD, 95% CI = 0.047, 0.493, P = 0.018). Among boys age 1 to 5 years, overweight/obesity was associated with a small reduction in internalizing behaviors (β = -0.09 SD, 95% CI = -0.163, -0.006, P = 0.034). Our data suggest that the associations between weight status and behavioral problems vary across age and sex.

Visitor and community survey results for Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge: Completion report

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sexton, Natalie R.; Stewart, Susan C.; Koontz, Lynne; Ponds, Phadrea; Walters, Katherine D.

2007-01-01

Community residents’ perceptions and opinions Data for this study were collected using a survey administered to visitors to Prime Hook NWR and individuals living in the communities surrounding the Refuge. Surveys were randomly distributed to both consumptive and nonconsumptive use visitors over a one year period (September 2004 to September 2005) to account for seasonal variation in Refuge use. Three hundred thirty-two visitor surveys were returned for a response rate of 80 percent with a confidence interval of ± 5.4. Surveys were also distributed to a stratified random sample of community members in adjacent and surrounding areas (Slaughter Beach, Broadkill Beach, Prime Hook Beach, Milton, Lewes, Milford, and surrounding communities). Four hundred ninety-one surveys from the overall community sample were returned for a response rate of 39 percent with a ± 4.4 confidence interval. Community member results were weighted by U.S. Census Bureau data to correct for age and gender bias, and for community proportionality.

[Prevalence of hepatitis A antibody among population covered by different hepatitis A immunization strategies in Shandong Province, 2015, China].

PubMed

Kong, Q; Yan, B Y; Lyu, J J; Feng, Y; Liu, J Y; Song, L Z; Xu, Q; Zhang, L; Xu, A Q

2017-06-06

Objective: To evaluate prevalence of hepatitis A antibody (anti-HAV IgG) among population covered by different hepatitis A vaccine immunization strategies in Shandong Province in 2015. Methods: In October 2015, according to the geographical location of Shandong Province, the stratified random sampling method was used to stratify the 17 municipal distrcts, and the random number table method was used for sampling, First, two eastern cites (Qingdao, Rizhao), two western cities (Liaocheng, Zaozhuang) and three central cities (Jinan, Zibo and Laiwu) were selected; secondly, one county was drawn from each city. Finally, the participants were divided into five age groups including ≤7 years (age group covered by free hepatitis A vaccination strategy), 8-11 years (age group who receive hepatitis A vaccination at their own charge), 12-24 years (age group covered by catch-up vaccination of hepatitis A), 25-34 years (age group born before hepatitis A vaccine was used) and ≥35 years (age group born before hepatitis A vaccine was used). After all the paticipants or their guardians asked and registered basic information such as age, gender, home address, blood samples were collected from them and anti-HAV IgG was detected by ELISA method. The positive rate of anti-HAV IgG and 95% CI were calculated. Results: A total of 1 654 participants were involved in the final analysis, including 856 males (51.75%) and 798 females (48.25%) whose mean age was (13.44±13.06) years. The crude positive rate of anti-HAV IgG was 91.41% (1 512/1 654, 95% CI: 89.96%-92.72%) and the age-adjusted rate was 90.93% (95% CI: 90.92%-90.94%). The positive rates of anti-HAV IgG was at the highest level in the age group of ≤7 years (95.90%, 95% CI: 95.88%-95.91%) and was at the lowest level in the age group of 25-34 years (83.23%, 95% CI: 83.21%-83.25%). The age-specific positive rates of anti-HAV IgG in eastern areas (96.79%, 95% CI: 96.78%-96.80%) were higher than those in both middle areas (86.66%, 95% CI: 86.65%-86.67%) and western areas (91.96%, 95% CI: 91.95%-91.97%). Conclusion: The positive rate of anti-HAV IgG was high among the general population in Shandong Province, but relatively low among young and middle-aged adults. Besides the routine immunization of hepatitis A among the children, more efforts should be taken for the prevention and control of hepatitis A among young and middle-aged adults in Shandong Province, especially in central and western areas.

Physical Activity among Rural Older Adults with Diabetes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arcury, Thomas A.; Snively, Beverly M.; Bell, Ronny A.; Smith, Shannon L.; Stafford, Jeanette M.; Wetmore-Arkader, Lindsay K.; Quandt, Sara A.

2006-01-01

Purpose: This analysis describes physical activity levels and factors associated with physical activity in an ethnically diverse (African American, Native American, white) sample of rural older adults with diabetes. Method: Data were collected using a population-based, cross-sectional stratified random sample survey of 701 community-dwelling…

Remote Sensing, Sampling and Simulation Applications in Analyses of Insect Dispersion and Abundance in Cotton

Treesearch

J. L. Willers; J. M. McKinion; J. N. Jenkins

2006-01-01

Simulation was employed to create stratified simple random samples of different sample unit sizes to represent tarnished plant bug abundance at different densities within various habitats of simulated cotton fields. These samples were used to investigate dispersion patterns of this cotton insect. It was found that the assessment of spatial pattern varied as a function...

The prevalence of domestic violence within different socio-economic classes in Central Trinidad.

PubMed

Nagassar, R P; Rawlins, J M; Sampson, N R; Zackerali, J; Chankadyal, K; Ramasir, C; Boodram, R

2010-01-01

Domestic violence is a medical and social issue that often leads to negative consequences for society. This paper examines the association between the prevalence of domestic violence in relation to the different socio-economic classes in Central Trinidad. The paper also explores the major perceived causes of physical abuse in Central Trinidad. Participants were selected using a two-stage stratified sampling method within the Couva district. Households, each contributing one participant, were stratified into different socioeconomic classes (SES Class) and each stratum size (or its share in the sample) was determined by the portion of its size in the sampling frame to the total sample; then its members were randomly selected. The sampling method attempted to balance and then minimize racial, age, cultural biases and confounding factors. The participant chosen had to be older than 16-years of age, female and a resident of the household. If more than one female was at home, the most senior was interviewed. The study found a statistically significant relationship between verbal abuse (p = 0.0017), physical abuse (p = 0.0012) and financial abuse (p = 0.001) and socio-economic class. For all the socio-economic classes considered, the highest prevalence of domestic violence occurred amongst the working class and lower middle socio-economic classes. The most prominent reasons cited for the physical violence was drug and alcohol abuse (37%) and communication differences (16.3%). These were the other two main perceived causes of the violence. The power of the study was 0.78 and the all strata prevalence of domestic violence was 41%. Domestic violence was reported within all socio-economic class groupings but it was most prevalent within the working class and lower middle socio-economic classes. The major perceived cause of domestic violence was alcohol/drug abuse.

Improvement of Predictive Ability by Uniform Coverage of the Target Genetic Space

PubMed Central

Bustos-Korts, Daniela; Malosetti, Marcos; Chapman, Scott; Biddulph, Ben; van Eeuwijk, Fred

2016-01-01

Genome-enabled prediction provides breeders with the means to increase the number of genotypes that can be evaluated for selection. One of the major challenges in genome-enabled prediction is how to construct a training set of genotypes from a calibration set that represents the target population of genotypes, where the calibration set is composed of a training and validation set. A random sampling protocol of genotypes from the calibration set will lead to low quality coverage of the total genetic space by the training set when the calibration set contains population structure. As a consequence, predictive ability will be affected negatively, because some parts of the genotypic diversity in the target population will be under-represented in the training set, whereas other parts will be over-represented. Therefore, we propose a training set construction method that uniformly samples the genetic space spanned by the target population of genotypes, thereby increasing predictive ability. To evaluate our method, we constructed training sets alongside with the identification of corresponding genomic prediction models for four genotype panels that differed in the amount of population structure they contained (maize Flint, maize Dent, wheat, and rice). Training sets were constructed using uniform sampling, stratified-uniform sampling, stratified sampling and random sampling. We compared these methods with a method that maximizes the generalized coefficient of determination (CD). Several training set sizes were considered. We investigated four genomic prediction models: multi-locus QTL models, GBLUP models, combinations of QTL and GBLUPs, and Reproducing Kernel Hilbert Space (RKHS) models. For the maize and wheat panels, construction of the training set under uniform sampling led to a larger predictive ability than under stratified and random sampling. The results of our methods were similar to those of the CD method. For the rice panel, all training set construction methods led to similar predictive ability, a reflection of the very strong population structure in this panel. PMID:27672112

Characteristics and Course of Heart Failure Stages A-B and Determinants of Progression - design and rationale of the STAAB cohort study.

PubMed

Wagner, Martin; Tiffe, Theresa; Morbach, Caroline; Gelbrich, Götz; Störk, Stefan; Heuschmann, Peter U

2017-03-01

Background Data from the general population on the natural course of heart failure is lacking. The objectives of the STAAB cohort study are to determine the prevalence of heart failure stages A-B in a representative sample of the general population and to prospectively investigate the progression from asymptomatic cardiac dysfunction into symptomatic heart failure. Here we present study design, participation rates and baseline characteristics of the first 1468 enrolled subjects. Methods A random sample of inhabitants from the city of Würzburg stratified by age (30-79 years) and gender was drawn from the local registration office. Subjects receive invitation letters, while send-out batches are continuously adapted to response rates by age and gender. At baseline examination, data on echocardiographic cardiac function, comorbidities and preclinical cardiovascular phenotypes are collected. After 3-5 years, changes in cardiac function and occurrence of clinical events will be assessed in a follow-up visit. Results Between December 2013 and April 2015, 4499 subjects were invited; of those, 1510 (34.6%) responded positively, and 1468 were examined (32.6%). Stratified recruitment was on-target while the participation rate was highest in subjects aged 60-69 years (38%). Hypertension (42%) and dyslipidaemia (37%) were the most commonly reported comorbidities; 7% reported on diabetes and 23% of men ( vs. 17% of women) were smokers. Conclusions STAAB recruits a representative population-based sample suited to provide reliable estimates of the frequency of asymptomatic cardiac dysfunction and determinants of disease progression into symptomatic heart failure. These findings will build the ground for developing preventive strategies for heart failure at different stages of the disease continuum.

MID-ATLANTIC COASTAL STREAMS STUDY: STATISTICAL DESIGN FOR REGIONAL ASSESSMENT AND LANDSCAPE MODEL DEVELOPMENT

EPA Science Inventory

A network of stream-sampling sites was developed for the Mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain (New Jersey through North Carolina) a collaborative study between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Geological Survey. A stratified random sampling with unequal weighting was u...

Employee Engagement and Performance of Lecturers in Nigerian Tertiary Institutions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Agbionu, Uchenna Clementina; Anyalor, Maureen; Nwali, Anthony Chukwuma

2018-01-01

The study investigated employee engagement and performance of lecturers in Nigerian Tertiary Institutions. It employed descriptive and correlation research designs. Stratified random sampling was used to select three tertiary institutions in Nigeria and the sample size of 314 lecturers was obtained through Taro Yamane. Questionnaires were…

MID-ATLANTIC COASTAL STREAMS STUDY: STATISTICAL DESIGN FOR REGIONAL ASSESSMENT AND LANDSCAPE MODEL DEVELOPMENT

EPA Science Inventory

A network of stream-sampling sites was developed for the Mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain (New Jersey through North Carolina) as part of collaborative research between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Geological Survey. A stratified random sampling with unequal wei...

Resource Utilisation and Curriculum Implementation in Community Colleges in Kenya

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kigwilu, Peter Changilwa; Akala, Winston Jumba

2017-01-01

The study investigated how Catholic-sponsored community colleges in Nairobi utilise the existing physical facilities and teaching and learning resources for effective implementation of Artisan and Craft curricula. The study adopted a mixed methods research design. Proportional stratified random sampling was used to sample 172 students and 18…

Detection and monitoring of invasive exotic plants: a comparison of four sampling methods

Treesearch

Cynthia D. Huebner

2007-01-01

The ability to detect and monitor exotic invasive plants is likely to vary depending on the sampling method employed. Methods with strong qualitative thoroughness for species detection often lack the intensity necessary to monitor vegetation change. Four sampling methods (systematic plot, stratified-random plot, modified Whittaker, and timed meander) in hemlock and red...

Relationships among Teachers' Self-Efficacy and Students' Motivation, Atmosphere, and Satisfaction in Physical Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pan, Yi-Hsiang

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to confirm the relationships among teachers' self-efficacy, and students' learning motivation, learning atmosphere, and learning satisfaction in senior high school physical education (PE). A sample of 462 PE teachers and 2681 students was drawn using stratified random sampling and cluster sampling from high schools in…

Extricating Sex and Gender in Air Pollution Research: A Community-Based Study on Cardinal Symptoms of Exposure

PubMed Central

Oiamo, Tor H.; Luginaah, Isaac N.

2013-01-01

This study investigated sex and gender differences in cardinal symptoms of exposure to a mixture of ambient pollutants. A cross sectional population-based study design was utilized in Sarnia, ON, Canada. Stratified random sampling in census tracts of residents aged 18 and over recruited 804 respondents. Respondents completed a community health survey of chronic disease, general health, and socioeconomic indicators. Residential concentrations of NO2, SO2, benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and o/m/p-xylene were estimated by land use regression on data collected through environmental monitoring. Classification and Regression Tree (CART) analysis was used to identify variables that interacted with sex and cardinal symptoms of exposure, and a series of logistic regression models were built to predict the reporting of five or more cardinal symptoms (5+ CS). Without controlling for confounders, higher pollution ranks increased the odds ratio (OR) of reporting 5+ CS by 28% (p < 0.01; Confidence Interval (CI): 1.07–1.54). Females were 1.52 (p < 0.05; CI: 1.03–2.26) times more likely more likely to report 5+ CS after controlling for income, age and chronic diseases. The CART analysis showed that allergies and occupational exposure classified the sample into the most homogenous groups of males and females. The likelihood of reporting 5+ CS among females was higher after stratifying the sample based on occupational exposure. However, stratifying by allergic disease resulted in no significant sex difference in symptom reporting. The results confirmed previous research that found pre-existing health conditions to increase susceptibility to ambient air pollution, but additionally indicated that stronger effects on females is partly due to autoimmune disorders. Furthermore, gender differences in occupational exposure confound the effect size of exposure in studies based on residential levels of air pollution. PMID:23975108

Public Participation Guide: Citizen Juries

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Citizen juries involve creating a “jury” a representative sample of citizens (usually selected in a random or stratified manner) who are briefed in detail on the background and current thinking relating to a particular issue or project.

Age at first intercourse in an Australian national sample of technical college students.

PubMed

Grunseit, A C; Richters, J

2000-02-01

This study aims to broaden the current body of knowledge regarding the sexual behaviour of young Australians by examining the age and correlates of age of first intercourse in a national sample of Technical and Further Education apprentices. In 1995, students at randomly selected technical colleges in Australia were surveyed on HIV-related issues. Questionnaires were administered to a stratified cluster sample of automotive, hairdressing and commercial cookery apprentices. Respondents were asked the age at which they first had heterosexual vaginal or anal intercourse. Of 4,055 respondents aged 15-24 years, 3,848 answered the question; 3,195 (83%) had had intercourse. Males and females did not differ significantly. Median age at first intercourse was 16 (range 12-23). In multivariate analysis, older age at first intercourse was associated with: greater age at interview; higher school education; church attendance; and State of residence. The model, however, accounted for only 14% of the variance in age at first intercourse. In this sample, those apprentices who completed secondary school became sexually active later on average than those who left before the end of Year 10. For sex education to occur before sexual initiation, it needs to be offered in primary schools and the first year of high school (aged 11-13 years). Further, as technical college students are likely to initiate sex earlier than their age mates still at school, colleges may be in a position to take responsibility for the continuing sexual education of this group, especially for those students entering college at 15 or 16 years of age.

NEKTON-HABITAT ASSOCIATIONS IN A PACIFIC NORTHWEST (USA) ESTUARY

EPA Science Inventory

Nekton−habitat associations were determined in Yaquina Bay, Oregon, United States, using a stratified-by-habitat, random, estuary-wide sampling design. Three habitats (intertidal eelgrass [Zostera marina], mud shrimp [Upogebia pugettensis], and ghost shrimp [Neotrypaea californie...

[Is Work in Older Age Healthy? Findings from Family Run Businesses Using the Example of Bavarian Rural Economics].

PubMed

Hetzel, C; Holzer, M; Allinger, F; Watzele, R; Hörmann, G; Weber, A

2016-05-01

Working in second half of life is individually and socially important. The aim of this study is to multidimensionally evaluate the subjective health situation of older people, in particular those beyond the legal age of retirement who are working or assisting in family run businesses, using the example of Bavarian rural economics. A 3 stage random sample stratified proportionally to regional population numbers was selected for a cross-sectional questionnaire survey (personal delivery, postal return n=3 176, 39.1%). Sample results can be generalised (men 59.8%, at least 65 years old 60.8%, smallest/small enterprises 61.8%). Life satisfaction is similar to that of the German age cohort population. In comparison to commercial and technical fields, physic and psychological complaints are lower and work pleasure is much higher. Health indicators are not dependent on enterprise structures, but on age and gender - on age partly non-linearly. Our results indicate that working in older age can be a source of subjective health. Process of family business succession may effect health. RESULTS might be applicable to other structurally similar agriculture regions and to craft sector. They promote individual confrontation with and social debate on a positive image of old age and aging. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Trends in physical activity and sedentary behaviour in adolescence: ethnic and socioeconomic differences

PubMed Central

Brodersen, Naomi Henning; Steptoe, Andrew; Boniface, David R; Wardle, Jane

2007-01-01

Objective To assess developmental trends in physical activity and sedentary behaviour in British adolescents in relation to sex, ethnicity and socioeconomic status (SES). Design A 5‐year longitudinal study of a diverse cohort of students aged 11–12 years at baseline in 1999. Setting 36 London schools sampled using a stratified random sampling procedure. Participants A total of 5863 students categorised as white, black or Asian, and stratified for SES using the Townsend Index. Main outcome measures Number of days per week of vigorous activity leading to sweating and breathing hard. Hours of sedentary behaviour, including watching television and playing video games. Data were analysed using multilevel, linear, mixed models. Results Marked reductions in physical activity and increases in sedentary behaviour were noticed between ages 11–12 and 15–16 years. Boys were more active than girls, and the decline in physical activity was greater in girls (46% reduction) than in boys (23%). Asian students were less active than whites, and this was also true of black girls but not boys. Black students were more sedentary than white students. Levels of sedentary behaviour were greater in respondents from lower SES. Most differences between ethnic and SES groups were present at age 11 years, and did not evolve over the teenage years. Conclusions Physical activity declines and sedentary behaviour becomes more common during adolescence. Ethnic and SES differences are observed in physical activity and sedentary behaviour in British youth that anticipate adult variations in adiposity and cardiovascular disease risk. These are largely established by age 11–12 years, so reversing these patterns requires earlier intervention. PMID:17178773

Evaluation of different approaches for identifying optimal sites to predict mean hillslope soil moisture content

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liao, Kaihua; Zhou, Zhiwen; Lai, Xiaoming; Zhu, Qing; Feng, Huihui

2017-04-01

The identification of representative soil moisture sampling sites is important for the validation of remotely sensed mean soil moisture in a certain area and ground-based soil moisture measurements in catchment or hillslope hydrological studies. Numerous approaches have been developed to identify optimal sites for predicting mean soil moisture. Each method has certain advantages and disadvantages, but they have rarely been evaluated and compared. In our study, surface (0-20 cm) soil moisture data from January 2013 to March 2016 (a total of 43 sampling days) were collected at 77 sampling sites on a mixed land-use (tea and bamboo) hillslope in the hilly area of Taihu Lake Basin, China. A total of 10 methods (temporal stability (TS) analyses based on 2 indices, K-means clustering based on 6 kinds of inputs and 2 random sampling strategies) were evaluated for determining optimal sampling sites for mean soil moisture estimation. They were TS analyses based on the smallest index of temporal stability (ITS, a combination of the mean relative difference and standard deviation of relative difference (SDRD)) and based on the smallest SDRD, K-means clustering based on soil properties and terrain indices (EFs), repeated soil moisture measurements (Theta), EFs plus one-time soil moisture data (EFsTheta), and the principal components derived from EFs (EFs-PCA), Theta (Theta-PCA), and EFsTheta (EFsTheta-PCA), and global and stratified random sampling strategies. Results showed that the TS based on the smallest ITS was better (RMSE = 0.023 m3 m-3) than that based on the smallest SDRD (RMSE = 0.034 m3 m-3). The K-means clustering based on EFsTheta (-PCA) was better (RMSE <0.020 m3 m-3) than these based on EFs (-PCA) and Theta (-PCA). The sampling design stratified by the land use was more efficient than the global random method. Forty and 60 sampling sites are needed for stratified sampling and global sampling respectively to make their performances comparable to the best K-means method (EFsTheta-PCA). Overall, TS required only one site, but its accuracy was limited. The best K-means method required <8 sites and yielded high accuracy, but extra soil and terrain information is necessary when using this method. The stratified sampling strategy can only be used if no pre-knowledge about soil moisture variation is available. This information will help in selecting the optimal methods for estimation the area mean soil moisture.

Mathematics Skill of Fifteen Years Old Students in Yogyakarta in Solving Problems Like PISA

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wulandari, Nidya Ferry; Jailani

2018-01-01

The aims of this research were to describe mathematics skill of 8th fifteen-year old students in Yogyakarta in solving problem of PISA. The sampling was combination of stratified and cluster random sampling. The sample consisting of 400 students was selected from fifteen schools. The data collection was by tests. The research finding revealed that…

An Analysis of Job Satisfaction Among Public, College or University, and Special Librarians.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miniter, John J.

Usable data relating to six elements of job satisfaction: work, supervision, people, pay, promotion, and total satisfaction, were collected from 190 of a total sample of 310 librarians, chosen by stratified random sampling techniques from library association membership lists. The librarians, both male and female, represented three types of…

Factors Influencing Mathematic Problem-Solving Ability of Sixth Grade Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pimta, Sakorn; Tayraukham, Sombat; Nuangchalerm, Prasart

2009-01-01

Problem statement: This study aims to investigate factors influencing mathematic problem-solving ability of sixth grade students. One thousand and twenty eight of sixth grade students, studying in the second semester of academic year 2007 were sampled by stratified random sampling technique. Approach: The research instruments used in the study…

Community of Inquiry Method and Language Skills Acquisition: Empirical Evidence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Preece, Abdul Shakhour Duncan

2015-01-01

The study investigates the effectiveness of community of inquiry method in preparing students to develop listening and speaking skills in a sample of junior secondary school students in Borno state, Nigeria. A sample of 100 students in standard classes was drawn in one secondary school in Maiduguri metropolis through stratified random sampling…

A Study of the Effects of an Altered Workweek.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wood Educational Consultants, Edmonton (Alberta).

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of organizational change arising from alterations in the structuring of the workweek. Data were collected from a stratified random sample of management and nonmanagement personnel employed within the various branches of the Alberta Department of Education. The sample consisted of 132 standard…

Academic Optimism and Organizational Citizenship Behaviour amongst Secondary School Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Makvandi, Abdollah; Naderi, Farah; Makvandi, Behnam; Pasha, Reza; Ehteshamzadeh, Parvin

2018-01-01

The purpose of the study was to investigate the simple and multiple relationships between academic optimism and organizational-citizenship behavior amongst high school teachers in Ramhormoz, Iran. The sample consisted of 250 (125 female and 125 male) teachers, selected by stratified random sampling in 2016- 2017. The measurement tools included…

Perceptions of Preservice Teachers regarding the Integration of Information and Communication Technologies in Turkish Education Faculties

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Akbulut, Yavuz; Odabasi, H. Ferhan; Kuzu, Abdullah

2011-01-01

This study explored the views of pre-service teachers regarding the indicators of information and communication technologies (ICT) at Turkish education faculties. A cross-sectional survey design was implemented with graduating students enrolled in Turkish education faculties. A combination of stratified random sampling and systematic sampling was…

Presence of psychoactive substances in oral fluid from randomly selected drivers in Denmark.

PubMed

Simonsen, K Wiese; Steentoft, A; Hels, T; Bernhoft, I M; Rasmussen, B S; Linnet, K

2012-09-10

This roadside study is the Danish part of the EU-project DRUID (Driving under the Influence of Drugs, Alcohol, and Medicines) and included three representative regions in Denmark. Oral fluid samples (n=3002) were collected randomly from drivers using a sampling scheme stratified by time, season, and road type. The oral fluid samples were screened for 29 illegal and legal psychoactive substances and metabolites as well as ethanol. Fourteen (0.5%) drivers were positive for ethanol (alone or in combination with drugs) at concentrations above 0.53g/l, which is the Danish legal limit. The percentage of drivers positive for medicinal drugs above the Danish legal concentration limit was 0.4%; while, 0.3% of the drivers tested positive for one or more illicit drug at concentrations exceeding the Danish legal limit. Tetrahydrocannabinol, cocaine, and amphetamine were the most frequent illicit drugs detected above the limit of quantitation (LOQ); while, codeine, tramadol, zopiclone, and benzodiazepines were the most frequent legal drugs. Middle aged men (median age 47.5 years) dominated the drunk driving group, while the drivers positive for illegal drugs consisted mainly of young men (median age 26 years). Middle aged women (median age 44.5 years) often tested positive for benzodiazepines at concentrations exceeding the legal limits. Interestingly, 0.6% of drivers tested positive for tramadol, at concentrations above the DRUID cut off; although, tramadol is not included in the Danish list of narcotic drugs. It can be concluded that driving under the influence of drugs is as serious a road safety problem as drunk driving. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

Psycho-social influences on food choice in Southern France and Central England.

PubMed

Pettinger, C; Holdsworth, M; Gerber, M

2004-06-01

This study used attitudinal scales to investigate the nature of attitudes to diet and health in a northern European country (Central England) and a southern European country (Mediterranean France). Cross-sectional studies were conducted using self-administered postal questionnaires that were distributed simultaneously in April 2001 in Montpellier, France and Nottingham, England. A stratified random sample of 1000 males and 1000 females aged 18-65 years was generated from the electoral roll in each country. The final sample comprised England: n = 826 (58% male and 42% female; mean age=44 years) and France: n = 766 (42% male and 58% female; mean age=42 years). This study has demonstrated that the pleasurable and social aspects of eating, certain food quality issues, as well as health as a value were regarded as priorities by French respondents. On the other hand, English respondents reported that organic and ethical issues and convenience were important factors influencing their food choices. In conclusion, the two populations can be differentiated overall in their attitudes and beliefs to food choice.

Evaluation design of New York City's regulations on nutrition, physical activity, and screen time in early child care centers.

PubMed

Breck, Andrew; Goodman, Ken; Dunn, Lillian; Stephens, Robert L; Dawkins, Nicola; Dixon, Beth; Jernigan, Jan; Kakietek, Jakub; Lesesne, Catherine; Lessard, Laura; Nonas, Cathy; O'Dell, Sarah Abood; Osuji, Thearis A; Bronson, Bernice; Xu, Ye; Kettel Khan, Laura

2014-10-16

This article describes the multi-method cross-sectional design used to evaluate New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene's regulations of nutrition, physical activity, and screen time for children aged 3 years or older in licensed group child care centers. The Center Evaluation Component collected data from a stratified random sample of 176 licensed group child care centers in New York City. Compliance with the regulations was measured through a review of center records, a facility inventory, and interviews of center directors, lead teachers, and food service staff. The Classroom Evaluation Component included an observational and biometric study of a sample of approximately 1,400 children aged 3 or 4 years attending 110 child care centers and was designed to complement the center component at the classroom and child level. The study methodology detailed in this paper may aid researchers in designing policy evaluation studies that can inform other jurisdictions considering similar policies.

Supporting Students in Learning with Multiple Representation to Improve Student Mental Models on Atomic Structure Concepts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sunyono; Yuanita, L.; Ibrahim, M.

2015-01-01

The aim of this research is identify the effectiveness of a multiple representation-based learning model, which builds a mental model within the concept of atomic structure. The research sample of 108 students in 3 classes is obtained randomly from among students of Mathematics and Science Education Studies using a stratified random sampling…

Methodology Series Module 5: Sampling Strategies.

PubMed

Setia, Maninder Singh

2016-01-01

Once the research question and the research design have been finalised, it is important to select the appropriate sample for the study. The method by which the researcher selects the sample is the ' Sampling Method'. There are essentially two types of sampling methods: 1) probability sampling - based on chance events (such as random numbers, flipping a coin etc.); and 2) non-probability sampling - based on researcher's choice, population that accessible & available. Some of the non-probability sampling methods are: purposive sampling, convenience sampling, or quota sampling. Random sampling method (such as simple random sample or stratified random sample) is a form of probability sampling. It is important to understand the different sampling methods used in clinical studies and mention this method clearly in the manuscript. The researcher should not misrepresent the sampling method in the manuscript (such as using the term ' random sample' when the researcher has used convenience sample). The sampling method will depend on the research question. For instance, the researcher may want to understand an issue in greater detail for one particular population rather than worry about the ' generalizability' of these results. In such a scenario, the researcher may want to use ' purposive sampling' for the study.

Reliability of N-terminal proBNP assay in diagnosis of left ventricular systolic dysfunction within representative and high risk populations.

PubMed

Hobbs, F D R; Davis, R C; Roalfe, A K; Hare, R; Davies, M K

2004-08-01

To determine the performance of a new NT-proBNP assay in comparison with brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) in identifying left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD) in randomly selected community populations. Blood samples were taken prospectively in the community from 591 randomly sampled individuals over the age of 45 years, stratified for age and socioeconomic status and divided into four cohorts (general population; clinically diagnosed heart failure; patients on diuretics; and patients deemed at high risk of heart failure). Definite heart failure (left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) < 40%) was identified in 33 people. Samples were handled as though in routine clinical practice. The laboratories undertaking the assays were blinded. Using NT-proBNP to diagnose LVEF < 40% in the general population, a level of > 40 pmol/l had 80% sensitivity, 73% specificity, 5% positive predictive value (PPV), 100% negative predictive value (NPV), and an area under the receiver-operator characteristic curve (AUC) of 76% (95% confidence interval (CI) 46% to 100%). For BNP to diagnose LVSD, a cut off level of > 33 pmol/l had 80% sensitivity, 88% specificity, 10% PPV, 100% NPV, and AUC of 88% (95% CI 75% to 100%). Similar NPVs were found for patients randomly screened from the three other populations. Both NT-proBNP and BNP have value in diagnosing LVSD in a community setting, with similar sensitivities and specificities. Using a high cut off for positivity will confirm the diagnosis of LVSD but will miss cases. At lower cut off values, positive results will require cardiac imaging to confirm LVSD.

[Analysis of the epidemiological characteristics of metabolic syndrome among 10-16 adolescents in 7 provinces in China, 2012].

PubMed

Wang, Z H; Zou, Z Y; Wang, S; Dong, Y H; Yang, Z G; Yang, Z P; Wang, X J; Ma, J

2017-04-06

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MS) among children and adolescents aged 10-16 years old in 7 provinces in China. Methods: Using the method of stratified cluster random sampling, 93 primary and secondary schools were selected from Guangdong, Hunan, Liaoning, Shanghai, Chongqing, Tianjin, and Ningxia provinces in China. A total of 9 296 students aged 10-16 years old with complete physical and biochemical parameters were selected as the subjects of the present study from above 93 primary and secondary schools. MS was determined using the definition of 'guideline of 2010 Chinese children and adolescents MS definition and treatment'. The standardized age-sex composition of the 2010 census was used to standardize the MS detection rate of every province. Chi-square test was used to compare the difference of MS prevalence among participants with different characteristics. Results: The prevalence of MS was 4.1% (384/9 296) among children and adolescents aged 10-16 years old in 7 provinces in China. The prevalence of MS among males was 5.0% (237/4 754), which was significantly higher than females (3.2%) (147/4 542) ( P< 0.05). Stratified by nutrition conditions, the prevalence of MS was 0, 0.6% (39/6 733), 8.9% (104/1 170), 30.0% (241/803) for thin, normal weight, overweight, and obese population, respectively. The MS prevalence increased with the increase of body mass index (BMI) ( P< 0.001). Stratified by provinces, the prevalence of MS was the highest in Tianjin (9.2%) and the lowest in Hunan province (0.8%). Conclusion: The prevalence of MS was high among children and adolescents aged 10-16 years old in 7 provinces in China. MS prevalence among males was higher than females; MS prevalence among overweight/obese population was higher than normal weight population. The detection rate of metabolic syndrome was different in different provinces.

Methodology Series Module 5: Sampling Strategies

PubMed Central

Setia, Maninder Singh

2016-01-01

Once the research question and the research design have been finalised, it is important to select the appropriate sample for the study. The method by which the researcher selects the sample is the ‘ Sampling Method’. There are essentially two types of sampling methods: 1) probability sampling – based on chance events (such as random numbers, flipping a coin etc.); and 2) non-probability sampling – based on researcher's choice, population that accessible & available. Some of the non-probability sampling methods are: purposive sampling, convenience sampling, or quota sampling. Random sampling method (such as simple random sample or stratified random sample) is a form of probability sampling. It is important to understand the different sampling methods used in clinical studies and mention this method clearly in the manuscript. The researcher should not misrepresent the sampling method in the manuscript (such as using the term ‘ random sample’ when the researcher has used convenience sample). The sampling method will depend on the research question. For instance, the researcher may want to understand an issue in greater detail for one particular population rather than worry about the ‘ generalizability’ of these results. In such a scenario, the researcher may want to use ‘ purposive sampling’ for the study. PMID:27688438

[Assessing quality of life in an urban population in Chengdu using the SF-12].

PubMed

Li, Ning-xiu; Liu, Dan-ping; Liu, Chao-jie; Ren, Xiao-hui; Gao, Bo

2010-11-01

To assess the health-related quality of life in an urban population in Chengdu China using the SF-12. A random sampling strategy stratified by age and sex was adopted to select the participants in Chengdu. A total of 1365 respondents with an age of older than 18 years completed the interviewer-administered SF-12 survey. The physical (PCS) and mental (MCS) component summary measures of the SF-12 were calculated using the standard US scoring method and compared to the urban population norms of Hong Kong and Australia. Similar PCS and MCS scores were obtained for the urban Chengdu population compared to the Hong Kong and Australian population norms, albeit a closer similarity between the Chengdu and Hong Kong populations. The PCS and MCS scores of the SF-12 changed with sex and age. The age- and sex-adjusted PCS and MCS scores of the SF-12 in the urban Chengdu population can serve as a reference for future studies using the SF-12 in China.

Health literacy in old age: results of a German cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Vogt, Dominique; Schaeffer, Doris; Messer, Melanie; Berens, Eva-Maria; Hurrelmann, Klaus

2017-03-22

Health literacy is especially important for older people to maintain or enhance remaining health resources and self-management skills. The aim of the study was to determine the level of health literacy and the association between health literacy, demographic and socio-economic factors in German older adults aged 65 years and above stratified by age group. Health literacy was assessed via computer-assisted personal interviews using HLS-EU-Q47 on a representative sample of the German-speaking population. Descriptive statistics, bivariate analyses and logistic regression modelling stratified by age group were conducted to assess health literacy of 475 respondents aged 65 years and above. Overall, 66.3% of all respondents aged 65 years and above had limited health literacy. Limited health literacy was especially prevalent among respondents above 76 years of age (80.6%). Limited health literacy was associated with financial deprivation (OR: 3.05; 95% CI: 1.99-4.67) and limited functional health literacy (OR: 2.16; 95% CI: 1.29-3.61). Financial deprivation was strongest predictor for limited health literacy in the total sample and stratified by age group. Limited health literacy is a frequent phenomenon in German adults aged 65 years and above. Research on health literacy in old age and the role in health disparities is urgently needed. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Determination of reference values for elevated fasting and random insulin levels and their associations with metabolic risk factors among rural Pakistanis from Sindh Province.

PubMed

Ahmadani, Muhammad Yakoob; Hakeem, Rubina; Fawwad, Asher; Basit, Abdul; Shera, A Samad

2008-06-01

To assess insulin levels and their association with metabolic risk factors (family history of diabetes, abnormal glucose tolerance, hypertension, overweight and android obesity) among a representative group of Pakistan. The study data was taken from the database of a population-based survey conducted in Sindh Province, Pakistan, in 1994 to assess the prevalence of diabetes mellitus and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT). Through stratified random sampling; oral glucose tolerance tests were performed in 967 adults; every fifth sample was estimated for fasting and random (2-hour post-75 gm glucose load) insulin levels. The total number of metabolic risk factors was counted for each subject, and their association with insulin levels studied. Of the 130 subjects, 56.1% were females and 95.4% were Sindhi. The mean age of males and females was 43.84 and 40.61 years, respectively. Family history for diabetes and frequency of overweight had significant positive associations with both fasting and random insulin levels (P < 0.05). Association between hypertension and insulin levels was significant only for random insulin levels, and between android obesity, abnormal glucose tolerance, or male gender and insulin levels only for fasting insulin levels (P < 0.05). Metabolic risk factors had significant positive associations with both fasting (r = 0.351 P = 0.000) as well as random insulin levels (r = 0.364 P = 0.000). This paper provides baseline pioneering information applicable to the Pakistani population. Furthermore, the observations made in this study about differences in association of fasting or random insulin levels with various metabolic risk factors highlight the possibility of using either of them for risk assessment. This finding needs to be assessed in a larger and nationally representative sample.

Emotional, Social, Educational Adjustment of Higher Secondary School Students in Relation to Academic Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sekar, J. Master Arul; Lawrence, A.S. Arul

2016-01-01

The present study aims to investigate whether there is any significant relationship between adjustment and academic achievement of higher secondary school students. In this survey study, the investigators used stratified random sampling technique for selecting the sample from the population. The stratification was done on the basis of gender and…

Assessing accuracy of point fire intervals across landscapes with simulation modelling

Treesearch

Russell A. Parsons; Emily K. Heyerdahl; Robert E. Keane; Brigitte Dorner; Joseph Fall

2007-01-01

We assessed accuracy in point fire intervals using a simulation model that sampled four spatially explicit simulated fire histories. These histories varied in fire frequency and size and were simulated on a flat landscape with two forest types (dry versus mesic). We used three sampling designs (random, systematic grids, and stratified). We assessed the sensitivity of...

Jackknifing Techniques for Evaluation of Equating Accuracy. Research Report. ETS RR-09-39

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haberman, Shelby J.; Lee, Yi-Hsuan; Qian, Jiahe

2009-01-01

Grouped jackknifing may be used to evaluate the stability of equating procedures with respect to sampling error and with respect to changes in anchor selection. Properties of grouped jackknifing are reviewed for simple-random and stratified sampling, and its use is described for comparisons of anchor sets. Application is made to examples of item…

The Relationship between Happiness, Subjective Well-Being, Creativity and Job Performance of Primary School Teachers in Ramhormoz City

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jalali, Zohreh; Heidari, Alireza

2016-01-01

The research aimed to investigate the relationship between happiness, subjective well-being, creativity and job performance of primary school teachers in Ramhormoz City. Hence, a sample of 330 individuals was selected through random stratified sampling. The research tools included Oxford Happiness Inventory, Subjective Well-being Scale by Keyes…

Inclusive Education in Spain: How Do Skills, Resources, and Supports Affect Regular Education Teachers' Perceptions of Inclusion?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chiner, Esther; Cardona, Maria Cristina

2013-01-01

This study examined regular education teachers' perceptions of inclusion in elementary and secondary schools in Spain and how these perceptions may differ depending on teaching experience, skills, and the availability of resources and supports. Stratified random sampling procedures were used to draw a representative sample of 336 general education…

Strategies for Coping with the Challenges of Incarceration among Nigerian Prison Inmates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Agbakwuru, Chikwe; Awujo, Grace C.

2016-01-01

This paper investigated the strategies for coping with the challenges of incarceration among inmates of Port Harcourt Prison, Nigeria. The population was 2,997 inmates of the prison while the sample was 250 inmates drawn through stratified random sampling technique from the same Port Harcourt prison. Six research questions were posed and data for…

Employment Opportunities in Applied Biological and Agricultural Occupations in the Metropolitan Area of Chicago.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomas, Hollie B.; Neavill, Arthur

Based on questionnaire data collected from a sample of employers, this phase of a larger research project ascertained employment opportunities in the area of applied biological and agricultural occupations in the metropolitan area of Chicago. Specific fields of business surveyed by stratified random sample were animal care, animal health care,…

Society Membership Survey: 1986 Salaries.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Skelton, W. Keith; And Others

The fourth in a series of reports produced by the Education and Employment Statistics division of the American Insititute of Physics (AIP) is presented. Data are based on a stratified random sample survey of one-sixth of the U.S. and Canadian membership of the AIP member societies. In the spring of 1986, every individual in the sample received a…

Teaching Aptitude of Student Teachers and their Academic Achievements at Graduate Level

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sajan, K. S.

2010-01-01

The present investigation aims at studying teaching aptitude of student teachers with respect to their gender and academic achievement at graduate level examination. The sample for this study is selected by stratified random sampling from the Teacher Education institutions of Malabar area of Kerala. Teaching Aptitude Test Battery (T A T B)…

Problems of Female School Teachers in District Kulgam (J&K)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rashid, Ruhee; Maharashi, Santosh Kumar

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study is to find the problems of employed female school teachers in district Kulgam. Sample of 100 employed women are selected from different education institutions as 20 Rehaber e Taleem (ReT) female teachers, 40 female teachers, 20 female masters and 20 female lecturers using stratified random sampling. In this study we use…

The Importance of Motivational Appeals to Cooperative Extension Agricultural Clientele. Summary of Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilson, Gary; Newcomb, L. H.

A study was conducted to determine the relationship of certain motivational appeals to the extent of participation of extension clientele, as perceived by these clientele. A stratified random sample of thirty counties from the ten extension supervisory areas of Ohio was used for the study. This sample provided for 395 adult agricultural clientele…

The 1989 Georgia Survey of Adolescent Drug and Alcohol Use. Volume I: The Narrative Report for Survey Findings.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adams, Ronald D.; And Others

The 1989 Georgia Survey of Adolescent Drug and Alcohol Use was conducted in 373 schools throughout Georgia. The stratified random sample was obtained from schools that participated in the 1987 survey (in which 93% of the school systems in Georgia participated) and were selected randomly from strata based on size of community and geographic…

Randomized Trial Using Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Agonist Triptorelin for the Preservation of Ovarian Function During (Neo)Adjuvant Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer

PubMed Central

Munster, Pamela N.; Moore, Amy P.; Ismail-Khan, Roohi; Cox, Charles E.; Lacevic, Mensura; Gross-King, Margaret; Xu, Ping; Carter, W. Bradford; Minton, Susan E.

2012-01-01

Purpose Chemotherapy-induced amenorrhea is a serious concern for women undergoing cancer therapy. This prospective randomized trial evaluated the use of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) analog triptorelin to preserve ovarian function in women treated with chemotherapy for early-stage breast cancer. Patients and Methods Premenopausal women age 44 years or younger were randomly assigned to receive either triptorelin or no triptorelin during (neo)adjuvant chemotherapy and were further stratified by age (< 35, 35 to 39, > 39 years), estrogen receptor status, and chemotherapy regimen. Objectives included the resumption of menses and serial monitoring of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and inhibin A and B levels. Results Targeted for 124 patients with a planned 5-year follow-up, the trial was stopped for futility after 49 patients were enrolled (median age, 39 years; range, 21 to 43 years); 47 patients were treated according to assigned groups with four cycles of adriamycin plus cyclophosphamide alone or followed by four cycles of paclitaxel or six cycles of fluorouracil, epirubicin, and cyclophosphamide. Menstruation resumed in 19 (90%) of 21 patients in the control group and in 23 (88%) of 26 in the triptorelin group (P= .36). Menses returned after a median of 5.8 months (range, 1 to 19 months) after completion of chemotherapy in the triptorelin versus 5.0 months (range, 0 to 28 months) in the control arm (P= .58). Two patients (age 26 and 35 years at random assignment) in the control group had spontaneous pregnancies with term deliveries. FSH and inhibin B levels correlated with menstrual status. Conclusion When stratified for age, estrogen receptor status, and treatment regimen, amenorrhea rates on triptorelin were comparable to those seen in the control group. PMID:22231041

Randomized trial using gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist triptorelin for the preservation of ovarian function during (neo)adjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer.

PubMed

Munster, Pamela N; Moore, Amy P; Ismail-Khan, Roohi; Cox, Charles E; Lacevic, Mensura; Gross-King, Margaret; Xu, Ping; Carter, W Bradford; Minton, Susan E

2012-02-10

Chemotherapy-induced amenorrhea is a serious concern for women undergoing cancer therapy. This prospective randomized trial evaluated the use of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) analog triptorelin to preserve ovarian function in women treated with chemotherapy for early-stage breast cancer. Premenopausal women age 44 years or younger were randomly assigned to receive either triptorelin or no triptorelin during (neo)adjuvant chemotherapy and were further stratified by age (< 35, 35 to 39, > 39 years), estrogen receptor status, and chemotherapy regimen. Objectives included the resumption of menses and serial monitoring of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and inhibin A and B levels. Targeted for 124 patients with a planned 5-year follow-up, the trial was stopped for futility after 49 patients were enrolled (median age, 39 years; range, 21 to 43 years); 47 patients were treated according to assigned groups with four cycles of adriamycin plus cyclophosphamide alone or followed by four cycles of paclitaxel or six cycles of fluorouracil, epirubicin, and cyclophosphamide. Menstruation resumed in 19 (90%) of 21 patients in the control group and in 23 (88%) of 26 in the triptorelin group (P= .36). Menses returned after a median of 5.8 months (range, 1 to 19 months) after completion of chemotherapy in the triptorelin versus 5.0 months (range, 0 to 28 months) in the control arm (P= .58). Two patients (age 26 and 35 years at random assignment) in the control group had spontaneous pregnancies with term deliveries. FSH and inhibin B levels correlated with menstrual status. When stratified for age, estrogen receptor status, and treatment regimen, amenorrhea rates on triptorelin were comparable to those seen in the control group.

Stratified exact tests for the weak causal null hypothesis in randomized trials with a binary outcome.

PubMed

Chiba, Yasutaka

2017-09-01

Fisher's exact test is commonly used to compare two groups when the outcome is binary in randomized trials. In the context of causal inference, this test explores the sharp causal null hypothesis (i.e. the causal effect of treatment is the same for all subjects), but not the weak causal null hypothesis (i.e. the causal risks are the same in the two groups). Therefore, in general, rejection of the null hypothesis by Fisher's exact test does not mean that the causal risk difference is not zero. Recently, Chiba (Journal of Biometrics and Biostatistics 2015; 6: 244) developed a new exact test for the weak causal null hypothesis when the outcome is binary in randomized trials; the new test is not based on any large sample theory and does not require any assumption. In this paper, we extend the new test; we create a version of the test applicable to a stratified analysis. The stratified exact test that we propose is general in nature and can be used in several approaches toward the estimation of treatment effects after adjusting for stratification factors. The stratified Fisher's exact test of Jung (Biometrical Journal 2014; 56: 129-140) tests the sharp causal null hypothesis. This test applies a crude estimator of the treatment effect and can be regarded as a special case of our proposed exact test. Our proposed stratified exact test can be straightforwardly extended to analysis of noninferiority trials and to construct the associated confidence interval. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Training set optimization under population structure in genomic selection.

PubMed

Isidro, Julio; Jannink, Jean-Luc; Akdemir, Deniz; Poland, Jesse; Heslot, Nicolas; Sorrells, Mark E

2015-01-01

Population structure must be evaluated before optimization of the training set population. Maximizing the phenotypic variance captured by the training set is important for optimal performance. The optimization of the training set (TRS) in genomic selection has received much interest in both animal and plant breeding, because it is critical to the accuracy of the prediction models. In this study, five different TRS sampling algorithms, stratified sampling, mean of the coefficient of determination (CDmean), mean of predictor error variance (PEVmean), stratified CDmean (StratCDmean) and random sampling, were evaluated for prediction accuracy in the presence of different levels of population structure. In the presence of population structure, the most phenotypic variation captured by a sampling method in the TRS is desirable. The wheat dataset showed mild population structure, and CDmean and stratified CDmean methods showed the highest accuracies for all the traits except for test weight and heading date. The rice dataset had strong population structure and the approach based on stratified sampling showed the highest accuracies for all traits. In general, CDmean minimized the relationship between genotypes in the TRS, maximizing the relationship between TRS and the test set. This makes it suitable as an optimization criterion for long-term selection. Our results indicated that the best selection criterion used to optimize the TRS seems to depend on the interaction of trait architecture and population structure.

Use of psychotherapy in a representative adult community sample in São Paulo, Brazil

PubMed Central

Blay, Sergio L.; Fillenbaum, Gerda G.; da Silva, Paula Freitas R.; Peluso, Erica T.

2014-01-01

Little is known about the use of psychotherapy to treat common mental disorders in a major city in a middle income country. Data come from in-home interviews with a stratified random sample of 2,000 community residents age 18–65 in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. The information obtained included sociodemographic characteristics; psychotropic drugs; mental status; and lifetime, previous 12 months, and current use of psychotherapy. Logistic regression was used to examine determinants of use of psychotherapy. Of the sample, 22.7% met General Health Questionnaire-12 criteria for common mental disorders. Lifetime, previous 12 months, and current use of psychotherapy were reported by 14.6%, 4.6%, and 2.3% of the sample respectively. Users were typically women, more educated, higher income, not married, unemployed, with common mental disorders. Further analysis found that 47% (with higher education and income) paid out-of-pocket, and 53% used psychotropic medication. Psychotherapy does not appear to be the preferred treatment for common mental disorders. PMID:25118139

[Motivation to change unhealthy life styles and cardiovascular risk].

PubMed

Pérez-Manchón, David; Alvarez-García, Gema María; González-López, Esteban

2014-01-01

Study the relationship between motivation to change unhealthy life styles and cardiovascular risk. Cross sectional study, random, stratified by age, carried out in the field of primary care with a sample of 369 people. It was felt that with smoking or smoking cessation active consumption less than a year, the physical habit was valued at work and leisure, food habits were assessed in adherence to mediterranean diet and the stages of motivation were categorized precontemplative phase to maintenance phase. The cardiovascular risk was stratified with the SCORE table calibrated in Spain. The 49.6% were men and 50.4% were women, with an average age of 41.2 years. The prevalence of smoking was 31.4% (95% CI 26.56-36,30), 58% in sedentary lifestyle (95% CI 52.27-62,63) and 68% for bad diet (95% CI 63.97-73,69). The 69.8% of smokers, 77.8% of sedentary and 48.4% of people without proper diet was precontemplative to change their lifestyles. Precontemplative stages in unhealthy life styles have association with risk factors and increase the global cardiovascular risk. The transtheoretical model is a useful tool for the assessment of unhealthy behaviors in lifestyles. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Cross-Age Tutoring: A Strategy for Increasing Reading Achievement and Improving Self-Concept for Elementary School Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wood, Edwin Leon

This study attempted to determine the effects of a twice-weekly, four-month-long, cross-age tutoring program on children's reading achievement levels and self-concepts. A total of 240 students, stratified by grade and sex, were randomly assigned to four experimental groups. Within each group, students were matched by grade: grade four with grade…

The association between pre-hypertension status and oxidative stress markers related to atherosclerotic disease: the ATTICA study.

PubMed

Chrysohoou, Christina; Panagiotakos, Demosthenes B; Pitsavos, Christos; Skoumas, John; Economou, Manolis; Papadimitriou, Lambros; Stefanadis, Christodoulos

2007-05-01

We sought to evaluate the association between pre-hypertension status and oxidative stress markers (total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and oxidized low density lipoprotein (LDL)), in a random sample of cardiovascular disease-free adults. The ATTICA study is a cross-sectional population-based survey that conducted in Attica region during 2001-2002. Based on a multistage and stratified random sampling, 1514 men and 1528 women (18-89 years old) were enrolled. The survey included a detailed interview; blood samples collected after 12h of fasting and, among other clinical measurements, status of blood pressure levels was evaluated. Six hundred and fifty-three men (43%) and 535 women (35%) were defined as pre-hypertensives. Both systolic and diastolic blood pressures were inversely correlated with TAC (p<0.001) and positively correlated to oxidized LDL (p<0.001). Particularly, compared to normotensive subjects, pre-hypertensives had 7% lower TAC levels (p<0.001) and 15% higher oxidized LDL levels (p<0.05), after correcting for multiple comparisons and adjusting for age, body mass index, blood lipids, glucose, food groups consumed and other potential confounders. Studying a large sample of cardiovascular disease-free adults, we revealed an association of pre-hypertension with oxidative stress markers linking to atherosclerotic process.

Estimation of infection prevalence and sensitivity in a stratified two-stage sampling design employing highly specific diagnostic tests when there is no gold standard.

PubMed

Miller, Ezer; Huppert, Amit; Novikov, Ilya; Warburg, Alon; Hailu, Asrat; Abbasi, Ibrahim; Freedman, Laurence S

2015-11-10

In this work, we describe a two-stage sampling design to estimate the infection prevalence in a population. In the first stage, an imperfect diagnostic test was performed on a random sample of the population. In the second stage, a different imperfect test was performed in a stratified random sample of the first sample. To estimate infection prevalence, we assumed conditional independence between the diagnostic tests and develop method of moments estimators based on expectations of the proportions of people with positive and negative results on both tests that are functions of the tests' sensitivity, specificity, and the infection prevalence. A closed-form solution of the estimating equations was obtained assuming a specificity of 100% for both tests. We applied our method to estimate the infection prevalence of visceral leishmaniasis according to two quantitative polymerase chain reaction tests performed on blood samples taken from 4756 patients in northern Ethiopia. The sensitivities of the tests were also estimated, as well as the standard errors of all estimates, using a parametric bootstrap. We also examined the impact of departures from our assumptions of 100% specificity and conditional independence on the estimated prevalence. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The Effective Management of Primary Schools in Ekiti State, Nigeria: An Analytical Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adeyemi, T. O.

2009-01-01

This study investigated the management of education in primary schools in Ekiti State, Nigeria. As a correlational research, the study population comprised all the 694 primary schools in the State. Out of this, a sample of 320 schools was selected through the stratified random sampling technique. Two instruments were used to collect data for the…

A Validation Study of the Revised Personal Safety Decision Scale

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, HaeJung; Hopkins, Karen M.

2017-01-01

Objective: The purpose of this study is to examine the reliability and validity of an 11-item Personal Safety Decision Scale (PSDS) in a sample of child welfare workers. Methods: Data were derived from a larger cross-sectional online survey to a random stratified sample of 477 public child welfare workers in a mid-Atlantic State. An exploratory…

North Carolina's Summer School Program for High-Risk Students: A Two-Year Follow-Up of Student Achievement.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ward, Martha Szegda

The long-term effectiveness of the North Carolina Basic Education Summer School Program (BEP) was examined. North Carolina has instituted a testing and summer remediation program for academically at-risk students at grades 3, 6, and 8. The BEP sample was obtained by a stratified random sampling of schools in North Carolina. Results were…

Increasing the Precision of Estimates in Follow-Up Surveys: A Case Study. AIR 1983 Annual Forum Paper.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clark, Sheldon B.; Nichols, James O.

Survey data concerning teacher education program graduates were used to demonstrate the advantages of a stratified random sampling approach, with followup, relative to a one-shot mailing to an entire population. Sampling issues involved in such an approach are addressed, particularly with regard to quantifying the effects of nonresponse on the…

Survey Response in a Statewide Social Experiment: Differences in Being Located and Collaborating, by Race and Hispanic Origin

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nam, Yunju; Mason, Lisa Reyes; Kim, Youngmi; Clancy, Margaret; Sherraden, Michael

2013-01-01

This study examined whether and how survey response differs by race and Hispanic origin, using data from birth certificates and survey administrative data for a large-scale statewide experiment. The sample consisted of mothers of infants selected from Oklahoma birth certificates using a stratified random sampling method (N = 7,111). This study…

High resolution satellite remote sensing used in a stratified random sampling scheme to quantify the constituent land cover components of the shifting cultivation mosaic of the Democratic Republic of Congo

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Molinario, G.; Hansen, M.; Potapov, P.

2016-12-01

High resolution satellite imagery obtained from the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency through NASA was used to photo-interpret sample areas within the DRC. The area sampled is a stratifcation of the forest cover loss from circa 2014 that either occurred completely within the previosly mapped homogenous area of the Rural Complex, at it's interface with primary forest, or in isolated forest perforations. Previous research resulted in a map of these areas that contextualizes forest loss depending on where it occurs and with what spatial density, leading to a better understading of the real impacts on forest degradation of livelihood shifting cultivation. The stratified random sampling approach of these areas allows the characterization of the constituent land cover types within these areas, and their variability throughout the DRC. Shifting cultivation has a variable forest degradation footprint in the DRC depending on many factors that drive it, but it's role in forest degradation and deforestation had been disputed, leading us to investigate and quantify the clearing and reuse rates within the strata throughout the country.

The prevalence of depressive symptoms among adolescents in Nairobi public secondary schools: association with perceived maladaptive parental behaviour.

PubMed

Khasakhala, L I; Ndetei, D M; Mutiso, V; Mbwayo, A W; Mathai, M

2012-03-01

Depression in adolescents is a matter of concern because of its high prevalence, potential recurrence and impairment of functioning in the affected individual. The study sought to determine the prevalence of depressive symptoms among adolescents in Nairobi (Kenya) public secondary schools; make a comparison between day and boarding students; and identify associated factors in this population. A random sample of school going adolescents was taken from a stratified sample of 17 secondary schools out of the 49 public secondary schools in Nairobi province. The sample was stratified to take into account geographical distribution, day and boarding schools, boys only, girls only and mixed (co-education) schools in the capital city of Kenya. Self administered instruments (EMBU and CDI) were used to measure perceived parental behaviour and levels of depression in a total of 1,276 students excluding those who had no living parent. The prevalence of clinically significant depressive symptoms was 26.4%. The occurrence was higher in girls than it was in boys p<0.001. Students in boarding schools had more clinically significant depressive symptoms compared to day students (p=0.01). More girls exhibited suicidal behaviour than boys (p<0.001). There was a significant correlation between depressive symptoms and suicidal behaviour (p<0.001). CDI scores correlated positively with age (p<0.001) with an increase in CDI score with unit increase in age among students 14-17 years old, perceived rejecting maternal parenting behaviour (p<0.001), perceived no emotional attachment paternal behaviour (p<0.001), perceived no emotional attachment maternal behaviour (p<0.001), and perceived under protective paternal behaviour (p=0.005). Perceived maladaptive parental behaviours are substantially associated with the development of depressive symptoms and suicidal behaviour in children.

Assessing technical performance at diverse ambulatory care sites.

PubMed

Osterweis, M; Bryant, E

1978-01-01

The purpose of the large study reported here was to develop and test methods for assessing the quality of health care that would be broadly applicable to diverse ambulatory care organizations for periodic comparative review. Methodological features included the use of an age-sex stratified random sampling scheme, dependence on medical records as the source of data, a fixed study period year, use of Kessner's tracer methodology (including not only acute and chronic diseases but also screening and immunization rates as indicators), and a fixed tracer matrix at all test sites. This combination of methods proved more efficacious in estimating certain parameters for the total patient populations at each site (including utilization patterns, screening, and immunization rates) and the process of care for acute conditions than it did in examining the process of care for the selected chronic condition. It was found that the actual process of care at all three sites for the three acute conditions (streptococcal pharyngitis, urinary tract infection, and iron deficiency anemia) often differed from the expected process in terms of both diagnostic procedures and treatment. For hypertension, the chronic disease tracer, medical records were frequently a deficient data source from which to draw conclusions about the adequacy of treatment. Several aspects of the study methodology were found to be detrimental to between-site comparisons of the process of care for chronic disease management. The use of an age-sex stratified random sampling scheme resulted in the identification of too few cases of hypertension at some sites for analytic purposes, thereby necessitating supplementary sampling by diagnosis. The use of a fixed study period year resulted in an arbitrary starting point in the course of the disease. Furthermore, in light of the diverse sociodemographic characteristics of the patient populations, the use of a fixed matrix of tracer conditions for all test sites is questionable. The discussion centers on these and other problems encountered in attempting to compare technical performance within diverse ambulatory care organizations and provides some guidelines as to the utility of alternative methods for assessing the quality of health care.

Change in Coping and Defense Mechanisms across Adulthood: Longitudinal Findings in a European American Sample

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Diehl, Manfred; Chui, Helena; Hay, Elizabeth L.; Lumley, Mark A.; Grühn, Daniel; Labouvie-Vief, Gisela

2014-01-01

This study examined longitudinal changes in coping and defense mechanisms in an age- and gender-stratified sample of 392 European American adults. Nonlinear age-related changes were found for the coping mechanisms of sublimation and suppression and the defense mechanisms of intellectualization, doubt, displacement, and regression. The change…

Prevalence of self-reported diagnosis of diabetes mellitus and associated risk factors in a national survey in the US population: SHIELD (Study to Help Improve Early evaluation and management of risk factors Leading to Diabetes)

PubMed Central

Bays, Harold E; Bazata, Debbra D; Clark, Nathaniel G; Gavin, James R; Green, Andrew J; Lewis, Sandra J; Reed, Michael L; Stewart, Walter; Chapman, Richard H; Fox, Kathleen M; Grandy, Susan

2007-01-01

Background Studies derived from continuous national surveys have shown that the prevalence of diagnosed diabetes mellitus in the US is increasing. This study estimated the prevalence in 2004 of self-reported diagnosis of diabetes and other conditions in a community-based population, using data from the Study to Help Improve Early evaluation and management of risk factors Leading to Diabetes (SHIELD). Methods The initial screening questionnaire was mailed in 2004 to a stratified random sample of 200,000 households in the US, to identify individuals, age ≥ 18 years of age, with diabetes or risk factors associated with diabetes. Follow-up disease impact questionnaires were then mailed to a representative, stratified random sample of individuals (n = 22,001) in each subgroup of interest (those with diabetes or different numbers of risk factors for diabetes). Estimated national prevalence of diabetes and other conditions was calculated, and compared to prevalence estimates from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999–2002. Results Response rates were 63.7% for the screening, and 71.8% for the follow-up baseline survey. The SHIELD screening survey found overall prevalence of self-reported diagnosis of diabetes (either type 1 or type 2) was 8.2%, with increased prevalence with increasing age and decreasing income. In logistic regression modeling, individuals were more likely to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes if they had abdominal obesity (odds ratio [OR] = 3.50; p < 0.0001), BMI ≥28 kg/m2 (OR = 4.04; p < 0.0001), or had been diagnosed with dyslipidemia (OR = 3.95; p < 0.0001), hypertension (OR = 4.82; p < 0.0001), or with cardiovascular disease (OR = 3.38; p < 0.0001). Conclusion The SHIELD design allowed for a very large, community-based sample with broad demographic representation of the population of interest. When comparing results from the SHIELD screening survey (self-report only) to those from NHANES 1999–2002 (self-report, clinical and laboratory evaluations), the prevalence of diabetes was similar. SHIELD allows the identification of respondents with and without a current diagnosis of the illness of interest, and potential longitudinal evaluation of risk factors for future diagnosis of that illness. PMID:17915014

Capturing children and young people's perspectives to identify the content for a novel vision-related quality of life instrument.

PubMed

Rahi, Jugnoo S; Tadić, Valerie; Keeley, Sarah; Lewando-Hundt, Gillian

2011-05-01

To describe a child-centered approach to identifying content for a novel self-report questionnaire for assessing vision-related quality of life (QoL) of visually impaired (VI) or blind (BL) children and young people. Questionnaire development. A stratified random patient sample of children and young people who are VI/BL (visual acuity in the better eye Snellen <6/18; logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution <0.51) as the result of any visual disorder, but in the absence of any other significant impairment, aged 10 to 15 years (N=49); and a convenience school-based sample of children and young people who are VI/BL and aged 10 to 17 years (N=29). Individual interviews were conducted with a stratified random sample of 32 children and young people, aged 10 to 15 years, who were VI/BL. The interviews followed a topic guide based on vision-related issues identified from a focus group of affected children and young people, combined with a literature review and consultations with professionals. Collaborative qualitative thematic analysis was undertaken and used to derive draft items of the instrument, using the children's own language wherever possible. Items were reduced, rephrased, and refined through individual consultation, as well as an expert reference group of children and young people who were VI/BL, and supplemented by the research team's consensus. A draft 47-item instrument. A total of 874 potential questionnaire items were initially generated spanning the following domains: social relations, acceptance, and participation; independence and autonomy; psychological and emotional well-being; future-aspirations and fears; functioning-home, school, and leisure; and treatment of eye condition. This was eventually reduced to a 47-item instrument with each item presented as a vignette describing a QoL issue from an "illustrative" child's perspective. Thus, the responding child reports on how much he/she is presently like and how much he/she wishes to be like that child, using a 4-point Likert-type scale. We demonstrate that a child-centered approach to identifying the content for a self-report vision-related QoL questionnaire is feasible. We suggest this approach is critical to accurately capturing children and young peoples' subjective perspectives on the impact of living with impaired vision. Copyright © 2011 American Academy of Ophthalmology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Education Needs of Michigan Farmers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Suvedi, Murari; Jeong, Eunseong; Coombs, John

2010-01-01

In 2008 MSU Extension evaluated their program to identify the major areas of educational need for Michigan farmers and agribusiness operators. Surveys were mailed to a stratified random sample from Michigan Agricultural Statistics Service records of dairy, livestock, swine, cash crops, fruit, vegetable, and nursery/greenhouse producers. Findings…

New Mathematical Strategy Using Branch and Bound Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tarray, Tanveer Ahmad; Bhat, Muzafar Rasool

In this paper, the problem of optimal allocation in stratified random sampling is used in the presence of nonresponse. The problem is formulated as a nonlinear programming problem (NLPP) and is solved using Branch and Bound method. Also the results are formulated through LINGO.

[Study of spatial stratified sampling strategy of Oncomelania hupensis snail survey based on plant abundance].

PubMed

Xun-Ping, W; An, Z

2017-07-27

Objective To optimize and simplify the survey method of Oncomelania hupensis snails in marshland endemic regions of schistosomiasis, so as to improve the precision, efficiency and economy of the snail survey. Methods A snail sampling strategy (Spatial Sampling Scenario of Oncomelania based on Plant Abundance, SOPA) which took the plant abundance as auxiliary variable was explored and an experimental study in a 50 m×50 m plot in a marshland in the Poyang Lake region was performed. Firstly, the push broom surveyed data was stratified into 5 layers by the plant abundance data; then, the required numbers of optimal sampling points of each layer through Hammond McCullagh equation were calculated; thirdly, every sample point in the line with the Multiple Directional Interpolation (MDI) placement scheme was pinpointed; and finally, the comparison study among the outcomes of the spatial random sampling strategy, the traditional systematic sampling method, the spatial stratified sampling method, Sandwich spatial sampling and inference and SOPA was performed. Results The method (SOPA) proposed in this study had the minimal absolute error of 0.213 8; and the traditional systematic sampling method had the largest estimate, and the absolute error was 0.924 4. Conclusion The snail sampling strategy (SOPA) proposed in this study obtains the higher estimation accuracy than the other four methods.

Occupational therapy practitioners' perceptions of important competencies for handwriting evaluation and intervention in school-aged children.

PubMed

Giroux, Peter; Woodall, William; Weber, Mark; Bailey, Jessica

2012-02-01

The primary purpose of this study was to identify the practitioner competencies that occupational therapists perceive as important for handwriting evaluation and intervention in school-aged children. A secondary purpose was to compare the practitioner perceptions of those in school-based practice with those from other primary practice settings. A stratified random sample of 376 occupational therapists recruited from a national professional organization database participated by completing a survey instrument containing 80 competency items. A majority of the 80 practitioner competency items were perceived to be of high importance to the respondent groups. A significance difference in perception when comparing the school-based practitioners to all other practitioners was revealed in only 3-12 competency summary categories. Practitioner competency survey items were perceived to be of high importance to the participants. School-based practitioner perceptions of competency were, for the most part, mainly similar to those in other primary practice settings.

An Improved Version of the Cervical Vertebral Maturation (CVM) Method for the Assessment of Mandibular Growth in Deutero-Malay Sub Race

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oscandar, Fahmi; Malinda, Yuti; Azhari, H.; Murniati, Nani; Yeh Ong, Sing; Subiyanto; Supian, Sudradjat

2018-01-01

In this paper, Cervical Vertebral Maturation method was used to assess the mandibular growth in Deutero-Malay sub race. Twenty eight laterals Cephalometric radiographs of Deutero-Malay sub race aged 9-15 were observed. The observation used stratified random sampling by measuring the quantitative and qualitative assessment of the 2nd through 4th cervical vertebra of the subjects. It produced the diagram of developmental stages of cervical vertebrae for Deutero-Malay sub race. The diagram can be used to determine mandibular growth in term of qualitative by matching the shape of cervical vertebrae. It was obtained that the Cervical Vertebral Maturation method can be used to assess mandibular growth in Deutero-Malay sub race by matching the shape of cervical vertebrae to the diagram of developmental stages of cervical vertebrae. In addition, Cervical Vertebral Maturation method can be used to identification person’s age.

Omega-3 (ω-3) and social skills interventions for reactive aggression and childhood externalizing behavior problems: a randomized, stratified, double-blind, placebo-controlled, factorial trial.

PubMed

Raine, Adrian; Ang, Rebecca P; Choy, Olivia; Hibbeln, Joseph R; Ho, Ringo M-H; Lim, Choon Guan; Lim-Ashworth, Nikki S J; Ling, Shichun; Liu, Jean C J; Ooi, Yoon Phaik; Tan, Yi Ren; Fung, Daniel S S

2018-05-10

While studies suggest that nutritional supplementation may reduce aggressive behavior in children, few have examined their effects on specific forms of aggression. This study tests the primary hypothesis that omega-3 (ω-3), both alone and in conjunction with social skills training, will have particular post-treatment efficacy for reducing childhood reactive aggression relative to baseline. In this randomized, double-blind, stratified, placebo-controlled, factorial trial, a clinical sample of 282 children with externalizing behavior aged 7-16 years was randomized into ω-3 only, social skills only, ω-3 + social skills, and placebo control groups. Treatment duration was 6 months. The primary outcome measure was reactive aggression collected at 0, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months, with antisocial behavior as a secondary outcome. Children in the ω-3-only group showed a short-term reduction (at 3 and 6 months) in self-report reactive aggression, and also a short-term reduction in overall antisocial behavior. Sensitivity analyses and a robustness check replicated significant interaction effects. Effect sizes (d) were small, ranging from 0.17 to 0.31. Findings provide some initial support for the efficacy of ω-3 in reducing reactive aggression over and above standard care (medication and parent training), but yield only preliminary and limited support for the efficacy of ω-3 in reducing overall externalizing behavior in children. Future studies could test further whether ω-3 shows promise in reducing more reactive, impulsive forms of aggression.

Determinants of serum zinc in a random population sample of four Belgian towns with different degrees of environmental exposure to cadmium

PubMed Central

Thijs, Lutgarde; Staessen, Jan; Amery, Antoon; Bruaux, Pierre; Buchet, Jean-Pierre; Claeys, FranÇoise; De Plaen, Pierre; Ducoffre, Geneviève; Lauwerys, Robert; Lijnen, Paul; Nick, Laurence; Remy, Annie Saint; Roels, Harry; Rondia, Désiré; Sartor, Francis

1992-01-01

This report investigated the distribution of serum zinc and the factors determining serum zinc concentration in a large random population sample. The 1977 participants (959 men and 1018 women), 20–80 years old, constituted a stratified random sample of the population of four Belgian districts, representing two areas with low and two with high environmental exposure to cadmium. For each exposure level, a rural and an urban area were selected. The serum concentration of zinc, frequently used as an index for zinc status in human subjects, was higher in men (13.1 μmole/L, range 6.5–23.0 μmole/L) than in women (12.6 μmole/L, range 6.3–23.2 μmole/L). In men, 20% of the variance of serum zinc was explained by age (linear and squared term, R = 0.29), diurnal variation (r = 0.29), and total cholesterol (r = 0.16). After adjustment for these covariates, a negative relationship was observed between serum zinc and both blood (r = −0.10) and urinary cadmium (r = −0.14). In women, 11% of the variance could be explained by age (linear and squared term, R = 0.15), diurnal variation in serum zinc (r = 0.27), creatinine clearance (r = −0.11), log γ-glutamyltranspeptidase (r = 0.08), cholesterol (r = 0.07), contraceptive pill intake (r = −0.07), and log serum ferritin (r = 0.06). Before and after adjustment for significant covariates, serum zinc was, on average, lowest in the two districts where the body burden of cadmium, as assessed by urinary cadmium excretion, was highest. These results were not altered when subjects exposed to heavy metals at work were excluded from analysis. PMID:1486857

Analysis of cattle breeder’s income in South Kualuh sub-district of Labuhan Batu Utara Regency

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hasnudi; Berutu, I. S.; Daulay, A. H.; Ginting, N.; Sembiring, I.

2018-02-01

Beef cattle breeding is a business of the majority people in South Kualuh Subdistrict among others business. Therefore it is necessary to know the people income of beef cattle farms in the district. This research was conducted in South Kualuh Subdistrict of Labuhan Batu Utara Regency of North Sumatera Province from October to December 2016. This research used survey method with family respondent unit that raising beef cattle. The sample was obtained through Proportional Stratified Random Sampling method and obtained by 97 farmers such as, from Tanjung Pasir village, 64 respondents, Simangalam village was 24 respondents and Lobu Huala village was 9 respondents. Data was analysed by multiple linear regression analysis. The results showed that scale of business, education of farmers positively affect the income of beef cattle farms while the age, breeding experience and the number of family dependents negatively affect to the income of beef cattle farms.

Insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR) levels in a general adult population: curves percentile by gender and age. The EPIRCE study.

PubMed

Gayoso-Diz, Pilar; Otero-Gonzalez, Alfonso; Rodriguez-Alvarez, María Xosé; Gude, Francisco; Cadarso-Suarez, Carmen; García, Fernando; De Francisco, Angel

2011-10-01

To describe the distribution of HOMA-IR levels in a general nondiabetic population and its relationships with metabolic and lifestyles characteristics. Cross-sectional study. Data from 2246 nondiabetic adults in a random Spanish population sample, stratified by age and gender, were analyzed. Assessments included a structured interview, physical examination, and blood sampling. Generalized additive models (GAMs) were used to assess the effect of lifestyle habits and clinical and demographic measurements on HOMA-IR. Multivariate GAMs and quantile regression analyses of HOMA-IR were carried out separately in men and women. This study shows refined estimations of HOMA-IR levels by age, body mass index, and waist circumference in men and women. HOMA-IR levels were higher in men (2.06) than women (1.95) (P=0.047). In women, but not men, HOMA-IR and age showed a significant nonlinear association (P=0.006), with increased levels above fifty years of age. We estimated HOMA-IR curves percentile in men and women. Age- and gender-adjusted HOMA-IR levels are reported in a representative Spanish adult non-diabetic population. There are gender-specific differences, with increased levels in women over fifty years of age that may be related with changes in body fat distribution after menopause. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

A System Approach to Navy Medical Education and Training. Appendix 18. Radiation Technician.

DTIC Science & Technology

1974-08-31

attrition was forecast to approximate twenty percent, final sample and sub-sample sizes were adjusted accordingly. Stratified random sampling... HYPERTENSIVE INTRAVENOUS PYELOGRAMS 2 ITAKE RENAL LOOPOGRAMI I 3 ITAKE CIXU, I.Eo CONSTANT INFUSION 4 10 RENAL SPLIT FUNCTION TEST, E.G. STAMEY 5...ITAKE PORTAL FILM OF AREA BEING TREATED WITH COBALT 32 [INFORM DOCTOR OF UNEXPECTED X-RAY FINDINGS 33 IREAD X-RAY FILMS FOR TECHNICAL ADEQUACY 34

Crime Victimization in Adults With Severe Mental Illness

PubMed Central

Teplin, Linda A.; McClelland, Gary M.; Abram, Karen M.; Weiner, Dana A.

2006-01-01

Context Since deinstitutionalization, most persons with severe mental illness (SMI) now live in the community, where they are at great risk for crime victimization. Objectives To determine the prevalence and incidence of crime victimization among persons with SMI by sex, race/ethnicity, and age, and to compare rates with general population data (the National Crime Victimization Survey), controlling for income and demographic differences between the samples. Design Epidemiologic study of persons in treatment. Independent master’s-level clinical research interviewers administered the National Crime Victimization Survey to randomly selected patients sampled from 16 randomly selected mental health agencies. Setting Sixteen agencies providing outpatient, day, and residential treatment to persons with SMI in Chicago, Ill. Participants Randomly selected, stratified sample of 936 patients aged 18 or older (483 men, 453 women) who were African American (n = 329), non-Hispanic white (n = 321), Hispanic (n = 270), or other race/ethnicity (n = 22). The comparison group comprised 32449 participants in the National Crime Victimization Survey. Main Outcome Measure National Crime Victimization Survey, developed by the Bureau of Justice Statistics. Results More than one quarter of persons with SMI had been victims of a violent crime in the past year, a rate more than 11 times higher than the general population rates even after controlling for demographic differences between the 2 samples (P<.001). The annual incidence of violent crime in the SMI sample (168.2 incidents per 1000 persons) is more than 4 times higher than the general population rates (39.9 incidents per 1000 persons) (P<.001). Depending on the type of violent crime (rape/sexual assault, robbery, assault, and their subcategories), prevalence was 6 to 23 times greater among persons with SMI than among the general population. Conclusions Crime victimization is a major public health problem among persons with SMI who are treated in the community. We recommend directions for future research, propose modifications in public policy, and suggest how the mental health system can respond to reduce victimization and its consequences. PMID:16061769

Crime victimization in adults with severe mental illness: comparison with the National Crime Victimization Survey.

PubMed

Teplin, Linda A; McClelland, Gary M; Abram, Karen M; Weiner, Dana A

2005-08-01

Since deinstitutionalization, most persons with severe mental illness (SMI) now live in the community, where they are at great risk for crime victimization. To determine the prevalence and incidence of crime victimization among persons with SMI by sex, race/ethnicity, and age, and to compare rates with general population data (the National Crime Victimization Survey), controlling for income and demographic differences between the samples. Epidemiologic study of persons in treatment. Independent master's-level clinical research interviewers administered the National Crime Victimization Survey to randomly selected patients sampled from 16 randomly selected mental health agencies. Sixteen agencies providing outpatient, day, and residential treatment to persons with SMI in Chicago, Ill. Randomly selected, stratified sample of 936 patients aged 18 or older (483 men, 453 women) who were African American (n = 329), non-Hispanic white (n = 321), Hispanic (n = 270), or other race/ethnicity (n = 22). The comparison group comprised 32 449 participants in the National Crime Victimization Survey. National Crime Victimization Survey, developed by the Bureau of Justice Statistics. More than one quarter of persons with SMI had been victims of a violent crime in the past year, a rate more than 11 times higher than the general population rates even after controlling for demographic differences between the 2 samples (P<.001). The annual incidence of violent crime in the SMI sample (168.2 incidents per 1000 persons) is more than 4 times higher than the general population rates (39.9 incidents per 1000 persons) (P<.001). Depending on the type of violent crime (rape/sexual assault, robbery, assault, and their subcategories), prevalence was 6 to 23 times greater among persons with SMI than among the general population. Crime victimization is a major public health problem among persons with SMI who are treated in the community. We recommend directions for future research, propose modifications in public policy, and suggest how the mental health system can respond to reduce victimization and its consequences.

Staff satisfaction and its components in residential aged care.

PubMed

Chou, Shu-Chiung; Boldy, Duncan P; Lee, Andy H

2002-06-01

The purpose of this study was to assess the direction and magnitude of the effects among the components of staff satisfaction in residential aged care and to examine whether the relationships among satisfaction components vary according to facility type (i.e. nursing homes and hostels). A hostel is a low care facility in which residents are more independent, have a lower level of care needs, and receive personal but not nursing care. A cross-sectional survey design was adopted to collect the required information, and a stratified random sampling approach was utilized to select facilities. Structural equation modeling was used to examine relationships among satisfaction components. Seventy residential aged care facilities in Western Australia. The sample includes 610 nursing home and 373 hostel care staff. The relationships among satisfaction components are different for nursing home and hostel staff. Professional support is found to have a strong and positive effect on all other aspects of staff satisfaction. The findings lead to an improved understanding of the interrelationship among staff satisfaction components, which has important implications through enhancing professional support. This needs to be recognized and emphasized by managers, care providers, and policy makers so as to maintain stable personnel and continuity of care.

Computers in Public Education Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

HBJ Enterprises, Highland Park, NJ.

This survey conducted for the National Institute of Education reports the use of computers in U.S. public schools in the areas of instructional computing, student accounting, management of educational resources, research, guidance, testing, and library applications. From a stratified random sample of 1800 schools in varying geographic areas and…

Multi-Sensory Intervention Observational Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thompson, Carla J.

2011-01-01

An observational research study based on sensory integration theory was conducted to examine the observed impact of student selected multi-sensory experiences within a multi-sensory intervention center relative to the sustained focus levels of students with special needs. A stratified random sample of 50 students with severe developmental…

Mother Knows Best? Inhibitory Maternal Gatekeeping, Psychological Control, and the Mother-Adolescent Relationship

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holmes, Erin Kramer; Dunn, KayLee C.; Harper, James; Dyer, W. Justin; Day, Randal D.

2013-01-01

We used structural equation modeling to explore associations between inhibitory maternal gatekeeping attitudes, reports of inhibitory maternal gatekeeping behaviors, maternal psychological control, observed mother-adolescent warmth, and adolescent reports of maternal involvement. Our random stratified sample consisted of 315 mothers and their…

Improving depression and enhancing resilience in family dementia caregivers: a pilot randomized placebo-controlled trial of escitalopram.

PubMed

Lavretsky, Helen; Siddarth, Prabha; Irwin, Michael R

2010-02-01

This study examined the potential of an antidepressant drug, escitalopram, to improve depression, resilience to stress, and quality of life in family dementia caregivers in a randomized placebo-controlled double-blinded trial. Forty family caregivers (43-91 years of age, 25 children and 15 spouses; 26 women) who were taking care of their relatives with Alzheimer disease were randomized to receive either escitalopram 10 mg/day or placebo for 12 weeks. Severity of depression, resilience, burden, distress, quality of life, and severity of care-recipient's cognitive and behavioral disturbances were assessed at baseline and over the course of the study. The Hamilton Depression Rating Scale scores at baseline ranged between 10 and 28. The groups were stratified by the diagnosis of major and minor depression. Most outcomes favored escitalopram over placebo. The severity of depression improved, and the remission rate was greater with the drug compared with placebo. Measures of anxiety, resilience, burden, and distress improved on escitalopram compared with placebo. Among caregivers, this small randomized controlled trial found that escitalopram use resulted in improvement in depression, resilience, burden and distress, and quality of life. Our results need to be confirmed in a larger sample.

Development of a sampling strategy and sample size calculation to estimate the distribution of mammographic breast density in Korean women.

PubMed

Jun, Jae Kwan; Kim, Mi Jin; Choi, Kui Son; Suh, Mina; Jung, Kyu-Won

2012-01-01

Mammographic breast density is a known risk factor for breast cancer. To conduct a survey to estimate the distribution of mammographic breast density in Korean women, appropriate sampling strategies for representative and efficient sampling design were evaluated through simulation. Using the target population from the National Cancer Screening Programme (NCSP) for breast cancer in 2009, we verified the distribution estimate by repeating the simulation 1,000 times using stratified random sampling to investigate the distribution of breast density of 1,340,362 women. According to the simulation results, using a sampling design stratifying the nation into three groups (metropolitan, urban, and rural), with a total sample size of 4,000, we estimated the distribution of breast density in Korean women at a level of 0.01% tolerance. Based on the results of our study, a nationwide survey for estimating the distribution of mammographic breast density among Korean women can be conducted efficiently.

[Seroprevalence of varicella-zoster virus in children with cancer in six hospitals in Santiago, Chile].

PubMed

Izquierdo, Giannina; Zubieta, Marcela; Martínez G, María J; Alvarez, Ana M; Aviles, Carmen L; Becker, Ana; Peña, Mónica; Salgado, Carmen; Silva, Pamela; Topelberg, Santiago; Tordecilla, Juan; Varas, Mónica; Villarroel, Milena; Viviani, Tamara; Santolaya, María E

2012-12-01

Infections with varicella-zoster virus (VVZ) in immunocompromised children imply a high mortality. There is no data about VVZ seroprevalence in children with cancer in our country. To determine the prevalence of VVZ antibodies in children with cancer who have undergone chemotherapy or have undergone a hematopoietic stem cell transplant. collaborative, multicenter study. Serum samples were collected from 281 children with cancer and episodes of febrile neutropenia from 6 hospitals belonging to the public health network in the Metropolitan Region between June 2004 and August 2006. These samples were stored at -70 ° C, and 200 of them were randomly chosen and analyzed to determine VVZ IgG (ELISA). 179 samples from 179 children, 65% male. Ninety eighth/179 (55%) were positive, 72/179 (40%) negative and 9/179 (5%) indeterminate. Stratified by age, seropositive percentage was: 1 to 4 years 32%, 5-9 years 42%, 10-14 years 78%, over 15 years 88%. Forty percent of children treated for cancer are seronegative to VVZ infection, a frequency that decreases with age. These results support the adoption of preventive measures to avoid infection in this population of children at risk of developing a serious and possibly fatal illness.

The asthma knowledge and perceptions of older Australian adults: implications for social marketing campaigns.

PubMed

Evers, Uwana; Jones, Sandra C; Caputi, Peter; Iverson, Don

2013-06-01

The purpose of this research is to gain an understanding of the asthma perceptions of older adults and identify gaps in their asthma knowledge. In regional New South Wales, Australia, a stratified, random sample of 4066 adults, aged 55 years and over, both with and without an asthma diagnosis, completed a survey based on the Health Belief Model about asthma knowledge and perceptions. Almost half of the sample had experienced symptoms of breathlessness in the past four weeks. Breathlessness was a predictor of lower health ratings and poorer mood. Older adults reported low susceptibility to developing asthma. The sample demonstrated poor knowledge of key asthma symptoms including shortness of breath, tightness in the chest and a cough at night. There is a general lack of asthma awareness in this age group. This could result in not seeking medical help, and thus a reduced quality of life. Older adults should be made aware of key symptoms and the prevalence of asthma in the older adult population, and be empowered to take control of their respiratory health. Audience segmentation for an intervention should be based on recent experience of breathlessness and asthma diagnosis. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Scientific Reasoning and Its Relationship with Problem Solving: The Case of Upper Primary Science Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alshamali, Mahmoud A.; Daher, Wajeeh M.

2016-01-01

This study aimed at identifying the levels of scientific reasoning of upper primary stage (grades 4-7) science teachers based on their use of a problem-solving strategy. The study sample (N = 138; 32 % male and 68 % female) was randomly selected using stratified sampling from an original population of 437 upper primary school teachers. The…

The Relationship of Family Satisfaction to Satisfaction with the Military Way of Life among Soldiers. Technical Report 864.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bowen, Gary L.

This study investigated the relationship between soldiers' satisfaction with the environment for families in the Army and satisfaction with the military way of life. The report is based on a secondary analysis of the responses of a stratified random sample of 9,198 Army personnel, a sample that participated in the 1985 Department of Defense…

Fall Risk Assessment in Geriatric-Psychiatric Inpatients to Lower Events (FRAGILE).

PubMed

Nanda, Sudip; Dey, Tanujit; Gulstrand, Rudolph E; Cudnik, Daniel; Haller, Harold S

2011-02-01

The objectives of this retrospective case-control study were to identify risk factors of falls in geriatric-psychiatric inpatients and develop a screening tool to accurately predict falls. The study sample consisted of 225 geriatric-psychiatric inpatients at a Midwestern referral facility. The sample included 136 inpatients who fell and a random stratified sample of 89 inpatients who did not fall. Data collected included age, gender, activities of daily living, and nursing parameters such as bathing assistance, bed height, use of bed rails, one-on-one observation, fall warning system, Conley Scale fall risk assessment, medical diagnosis, and medications. History of falls, impaired judgment, impaired gait, dizziness, delusions, delirium, chronic use of sedative or antipsychotic agents, and anticholinergic urinary bladder medications significantly increased fall risk. Alzheimer's disease, acute use of sedative or anti-psychotic agents, and depression reduced fall risk. A falls risk tool, Fall Risk Assessment in Geriatric-psychiatric Inpatients to Lower Events (FRAGILE), was developed for assessment and risk stratification with new diagnoses or medications. Copyright 2011, SLACK Incorporated.

A guide for the utilization of Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service National Patient Samples

PubMed Central

Kim, Logyoung; Kim, Jee-Ae; Kim, Sanghyun

2014-01-01

The claims data of the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA) is an important source of information for healthcare service research. The claims data of HIRA is collected when healthcare service providers submit a claim to HIRA to be reimbursed for a service that they provided to patients. To improve the accessibility of healthcare service researchers to claims data of HIRA, HIRA has developed the Patient Samples which are extracted using a stratified randomized sampling method. The Patient Samples of HIRA consist of five tables: a table for general information (Table 20) containing socio-demographic information such as gender, age and medical aid, indicators for inpatient and outpatient services; a table for specific information on healthcare services provided (Table 30); a table for diagnostic information (Table 40); a table for outpatient prescriptions (Table 53) and a table for information on healthcare service providers (Table of providers). Researchers who are interested in using the Patient Sample data for research can apply via HIRA’s website (https://www.hira.or.kr). PMID:25078381

Association Between Circulating Osteogenic Progenitor Cells and Disability and Frailty in Older Persons: The Nepean Osteoporosis and Frailty Study.

PubMed

Gunawardene, Piumali; Bermeo, Sandra; Vidal, Christopher; Al-Saedi, Ahmed; Chung, Philip; Boersma, Derek; Phu, Steven; Pokorski, Izabella; Suriyaarachchi, Pushpa; Demontiero, Oddom; Duque, Gustavo

2016-09-01

Circulating osteogenic progenitor (COP) cells are considered as surrogates of the mesenchymal repository in the body. In this study, we hypothesized that COP cells decrease with age and that lower levels of COP cells are associated with greater frailty and disability in older persons. Using well-established clinical criteria, we quantified physical performance and disability and stratified frailty in a random sample of community-dwelling individuals enrolled in the Nepean Osteoporosis and Frailty (NOF) Study (mean age 82.8; N = 77; 70% female; 27 nonfrail, 23 prefrail, and 27 frail). Percentage of COP cells was quantified by flow cytometry. Logistic regression models estimated the relationship between the percentage of COP cells and prevalent disability, poor physical performance, and frailty. We found that aging is associated with a significant decrease in COP cells (p < .001). Lower percentages of COP cells were associated with disability and poor physical performance (p < .001). Older adults with COP cells in the lower quartile were more likely to be frail (odds ratio 2.65, 95% confidence interval 2.72-3.15, p < .001). In conclusion, COP cells in the circulation decrease with age. Lower percentages of COP cells in late life are associated with prevalent frailty and disability. Further longitudinal studies are needed to understand COP cells as a risk stratifier, biomarker, or therapeutic target and to predict disability in frail older persons. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Kindergarten Teachers' Experience with Reporting Child Abuse in Taiwan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Feng, Jui-Ying; Huang, Tzu-Yi; Wang, Chi-Jen

2010-01-01

Objective: The objectives were to examine factors associated with reporting child abuse among kindergarten teachers in Taiwan based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). Method: A stratified quota sampling technique was used to randomly select kindergarten teachers in Taiwan. The Child Abuse Intention Report Scale, which includes demographics,…

Physical Activity among Older People Living Alone in Shanghai, China

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Yu; While, Alison E; Hicks, Allan

2015-01-01

Objective: To investigate physical activity among older people living alone in Shanghai, People's Republic of China, and key factors contributing to their physical activity. Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was administered in nine communities in Shanghai, using a stratified random cluster sample: 521 community-dwelling older people…

Determinants of Teachers' Attitudes towards E- Learning in Tanzanian Higher Learning Institutions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kisanga, Dalton H.

2016-01-01

This survey research study presents the findings on determinants of teachers' attitudes towards e-learning in Tanzanian higher learning institutions. The study involved 258 teachers from 4 higher learning institutions obtained through stratified, simple random sampling. Questionnaires and documentary review were used in data collection. Data were…

Abundance and population characteristics of Northern Spotted Owls (Strix occidentalis caurina) in Olympic National Park, Washington

Treesearch

D. Erran Seaman

1997-01-01

We monitored the threatened Northern Spotted Owl (Strix occidentalis caurina) in Olympic National Park from 1992 through 1996. We used a stratified random sampling scheme to survey 35 plots totaling 236 km?, approximately 10 percent of the forested area of the park.

Empirically Exploring Higher Education Cultures of Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fuller, Matthew B.; Skidmore, Susan T.; Bustamante, Rebecca M.; Holzweiss, Peggy C.

2016-01-01

Although touted as beneficial to student learning, cultures of assessment have not been examined adequately using validated instruments. Using data collected from a stratified, random sample (N = 370) of U.S. institutional research and assessment directors, the models tested in this study provide empirical support for the value of using the…

Drug and Alcohol Use by Canadian University Athletes: A National Survey.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spence, John C.; Gauvin, Lise

1996-01-01

Using a stratified random sampling procedure, 754 student athletes were surveyed regarding drug and alcohol use in eight different sports from eight universities across Canada. Provides statistics of substances athletes reported using, including pain medications, weight loss products, anabolic steroids, smokeless tobacco products, alcohol,…

Women in University Management: The Nigerian Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abiodun-Oyebanji, Olayemi; Olaleye, F.

2011-01-01

This study examined women in university management in Nigeria. It was a descriptive research of the survey type. The population of the study comprised all the public universities in southwest Nigeria, out of which three were selected through the stratified random sampling technique. Three hundred respondents who were in management positions were…

Causative factors and countermeasures for rural and suburban pedestrian accidents : accident data collection and analysis

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1977-03-01

The objectives of the study were to collect and analyze data on rural pedestrian accidents and to identify potential countermeasures. Data on a stratified random sample of over 1,500 rural and suburban accidents from six states was collected during i...

School Nurse Communication Effectiveness with Physicians and Satisfaction with School Health Services

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Volkman, Julie E.; Hillemeier, Marianne M.

2008-01-01

This study examined school nurses' communication with community physicians and its relationship to school nurse satisfaction with school health services. A stratified random sample of school nurses in Pennsylvania (N = 615) were surveyed about communication effectiveness with community physicians, satisfaction with school health services for…

Training Neighborhood Residents to Conduct a Survey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Back, Susan Malone; Tseng, Wan-Chun; Li, Jiaqi; Wang, Yuanhua; Phan, Van Thanh; Yeter, Ibrahim Halil

2015-01-01

As a requirement for a federal neighborhood revitalization grant, the authors trained resident interviewers and coordinated the conduct of more than 1000 door-to-door interviews of a stratified random sample. The targeted area was a multiethnic, lower income neighborhood that continues to experience the effects of past segregation. Monitoring and…

APPLICATION OF A MULTIPURPOSE UNEQUAL-PROBABILITY STREAM SURVEY IN THE MID-ATLANTIC COASTAL PLAIN

EPA Science Inventory

A stratified random sample with unequal-probability selection was used to design a multipurpose survey of headwater streams in the Mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain. Objectives for data from the survey include unbiased estimates of regional stream conditions, and adequate coverage of un...

Change in Sense of Community: An Empirical Finding

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Loomis, Colleen; Dockett, Kathleen H.; Brodsky, Anne E.

2004-01-01

This study investigated changes in students' psychological sense of community (SOC) under two conditions of external threat against their urban, historically Black, public nonresidential university in a U.S. mid-Atlantic city. Two independent stratified random samples (N = 801 and N = 241) consisting of undergraduate and graduate women (61%) and…

EXTENT, PROPERTIES, AND LANDSCAPE SETTING OF GEOGRAPHICALLY ISOLATED WETLANDS IN URBAN SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND WATERSHEDS

EPA Science Inventory

We assessed the extent and characteristics of geographically isolated wetlands (i.e., wetlands completely surrounded by upland) in a series of drainage basins in the urban northeast U.S. We employed a random sampling design that stratifies study sites according to their degree o...

Psychological Security-Insecurity of Illinois Central College Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grout, David R.

This study attempted to discover the distribution of feelings of security and insecurity in the population of Illinois Central College (ICC) and whether significant differences exist among various subgroups. A 10 per cent stratified random sample of students were administered Maslow's Security-Insecurity Inventory. No significant difference was…

Homophobia in Registered Nurses: Impact on LGB Youth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blackwell, Christopher W.; Kiehl, Ermalynn M.

2008-01-01

This study examined registered nurses' overall attitudes and homophobia towards gays and lesbians in the workplace. Homophobia scores, represented by the Attitudes Toward Lesbians and Gay Men (ATLG) Scale, was the dependent variable. Overall homophobia scores were assessed among a randomized stratified sample of registered nurses licensed in the…

The Analysis of Iranian Students' Persistence in Online Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mahmodi, Mahdi; Ebrahimzade, Issa

2015-01-01

In the following research, the relationship between instructional interaction and student persistence in e-learning has been analyzed. In order to conduct a descriptive-analytic survey, 744 undergraduate e-students were selected by stratified random sampling method to examine not only the frequency and the methods of establishing an instructional…

Causative factors and countermeasures for rural and suburban pedestrian accidents : accident data collection and analysis--appendices

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1977-06-01

The objectives of the study were to collect and analyze data on rural pedestrian accidents and to identify potential countermeasures. Data on a stratified random sample of over 1,500 rural and suburban accidents from six states was collected during i...

Do Social Workers Make Better Child Welfare Workers than Non-Social Workers?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perry, Robin E.

2006-01-01

Objective: To empirically examine whether the educational background of child welfare workers in Florida impacts on performance evaluations of their work. Method: A proportionate, stratified random sample of supervisor and peer evaluations of child protective investigators and child protective service workers is conducted. ANOVA procedures are…

Assessing Principals' Quality Assurance Strategies in Osun State Secondary Schools, Nigeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fasasi, Yunus Adebunmi; Oyeniran, Saheed

2014-01-01

This paper examined principals' quality assurance strategies in secondary schools in Osun State, Nigeria. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. Stratified random sampling technique was used to select 10 male and 10 female principals, and 190 male and190 female teachers. "Secondary School Principal Quality Assurance…

Factors Associated with the Fulfillment of Residential Preferences.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hwang, Sean-Shong; Albrecht, Don E.

A 1983 survey of Texas homebuyers reveals a high degree of mismatch between the preferred and actual residence of homebuyers. Such mismatch is examined using social/psychological, life-cycle, racial, socioeconomic, and occupational factors as possible explanations. Questionnaires mailed to a stratified random sample of 960 homebuyers across 12…

Interpersonal Features and Functions of Nonsuicidal Self-Injury

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Muehlenkamp, Jennifer; Brausch, Amy; Quigley, Katherine; Whitlock, Janis

2013-01-01

Etiological models of nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) suggest interpersonal features may be important to understand this behavior, but social functions and correlates have not been extensively studied. This study addresses existing limitations by examining interpersonal correlates and functions of NSSI within a stratified random sample of 1,243…

Factors Associated with Successful Functioning in American Indian Youths

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Silmere, Hile; Stiffman, Arlene Rubin

2006-01-01

This study examines environmental and cultural factors related to successful functioning in a stratified random sample of 401 American Indian youths. The success index included seven indicators: good mental health, being alcohol and drug free, absence of serious misbehavior, clean police record, good grades, positive psychosocial functioning, and…

Job Insecurity and Employee Well-Being.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vance, Robert J.; Kuhnert, Karl W.

This study explored the consequences of perceived job security and insecurity on the psychological and physical health of employees. Data were gathered from employees of a large midwestern manufacturing organization that produced products for material removal applications. Surveys were sent through company mail to a stratified random sample of 442…

Cluster-Randomized Trial to Increase Hepatitis B Testing among Koreans in Los Angeles

PubMed Central

Bastani, Roshan; Glenn, Beth A.; Maxwell, Annette E.; Jo, Angela M.; Herrmann, Alison K.; Crespi, Catherine M.; Wong, Weng K.; Chang, L. Cindy; Stewart, Susan L.; Nguyen, Tung T.; Chen, Moon S.; Taylor, Victoria M.

2015-01-01

Background In the United States, Korean immigrants experience a disproportionately high burden of chronic hepatitis B (HBV) viral infection and associated liver cancer compared to the general population. However, despite clear clinical guidelines, HBV serologic testing among Koreans remains persistently sub-optimal. Methods We conducted a cluster-randomized trial to evaluate a church-based small group intervention to improve HBV testing among Koreans in Los Angeles. Fifty-two Korean churches, stratified by size (small, medium, large) and location (Koreatown versus other), were randomized to intervention or control conditions. Intervention church participants attended a single-session small-group discussion on liver cancer and HBV testing and control church participants attended a similar session on physical activity and nutrition. Outcome data consisted of self-reported HBV testing obtained via 6-month telephone follow-up interviews. Results We recruited 1123 individuals, 18-64 years of age, across the 52 churches. Ninety-two percent of the sample attended the assigned intervention session and 86% completed the 6-month follow-up. Sample characteristics included: mean age 46 years, 65% female, 97% born in Korea, 69% completed some college, and 43% insured. In an intent-to-treat analysis, the intervention produced a statistically significant effect (OR = 4.9, p < .001), with 19% of intervention and 6% of control group participants reporting a HBV test. Conclusion Our intervention was successful in achieving a large and robust effect in a population at high risk of HBV infection and sequelae. Impact The intervention was fairly resource efficient and thus has high potential for replication in other high-risk Asian groups. PMID:26104909

DSM-5 field trials in the United States and Canada, Part I: study design, sampling strategy, implementation, and analytic approaches.

PubMed

Clarke, Diana E; Narrow, William E; Regier, Darrel A; Kuramoto, S Janet; Kupfer, David J; Kuhl, Emily A; Greiner, Lisa; Kraemer, Helena C

2013-01-01

This article discusses the design,sampling strategy, implementation,and data analytic processes of the DSM-5 Field Trials. The DSM-5 Field Trials were conducted by using a test-retest reliability design with a stratified sampling approach across six adult and four pediatric sites in the United States and one adult site in Canada. A stratified random sampling approach was used to enhance precision in the estimation of the reliability coefficients. A web-based research electronic data capture system was used for simultaneous data collection from patients and clinicians across sites and for centralized data management.Weighted descriptive analyses, intraclass kappa and intraclass correlation coefficients for stratified samples, and receiver operating curves were computed. The DSM-5 Field Trials capitalized on advances since DSM-III and DSM-IV in statistical measures of reliability (i.e., intraclass kappa for stratified samples) and other recently developed measures to determine confidence intervals around kappa estimates. Diagnostic interviews using DSM-5 criteria were conducted by 279 clinicians of varied disciplines who received training comparable to what would be available to any clinician after publication of DSM-5.Overall, 2,246 patients with various diagnoses and levels of comorbidity were enrolled,of which over 86% were seen for two diagnostic interviews. A range of reliability coefficients were observed for the categorical diagnoses and dimensional measures. Multisite field trials and training comparable to what would be available to any clinician after publication of DSM-5 provided “real-world” testing of DSM-5 proposed diagnoses.

What Accounts for Rib Fractures in Older Adults?

PubMed Central

Wuermser, Lisa-Ann; Achenbach, Sara J.; Amin, Shreyasee; Khosla, Sundeep; Melton, L. Joseph

2011-01-01

To address the epidemiology of rib fractures, an age- and sex-stratified random sample of 699 Rochester, Minnesota, adults age 21–93 years was followed in a long-term prospective study. Bone mineral density (BMD) was assessed at baseline, and fractures were ascertained by periodic interview and medical record review. During 8560 person-years of followup (median, 13.9 years), 56 subjects experienced 67 rib fracture episodes. Risk factors for falling predicted rib fractures as well as BMD, but both were strongly age-related. After age-adjustment, BMD was associated with rib fractures in women but not men. Importantly, rib fractures attributed to severe trauma were associated with BMD in older individuals of both sexes. Self-reported heavy alcohol use doubled fracture risk but did not achieve significance due to limited statistical power. Bone density, along with heavy alcohol use and other risk factors for falling, contributes to the risk of rib fractures, but no one factor predominates. Older women with rib fractures, regardless of cause, should be considered for an osteoporosis evaluation, and strategies to prevent falling should be considered in both sexes. PMID:22028986

What accounts for rib fractures in older adults?

PubMed

Wuermser, Lisa-Ann; Achenbach, Sara J; Amin, Shreyasee; Khosla, Sundeep; Melton, L Joseph

2011-01-01

To address the epidemiology of rib fractures, an age- and sex-stratified random sample of 699 Rochester, Minnesota, adults age 21-93 years was followed in a long-term prospective study. Bone mineral density (BMD) was assessed at baseline, and fractures were ascertained by periodic interview and medical record review. During 8560 person-years of followup (median, 13.9 years), 56 subjects experienced 67 rib fracture episodes. Risk factors for falling predicted rib fractures as well as BMD, but both were strongly age-related. After age-adjustment, BMD was associated with rib fractures in women but not men. Importantly, rib fractures attributed to severe trauma were associated with BMD in older individuals of both sexes. Self-reported heavy alcohol use doubled fracture risk but did not achieve significance due to limited statistical power. Bone density, along with heavy alcohol use and other risk factors for falling, contributes to the risk of rib fractures, but no one factor predominates. Older women with rib fractures, regardless of cause, should be considered for an osteoporosis evaluation, and strategies to prevent falling should be considered in both sexes.

The prevalence of crash risk factors in a population-based study of motorcycle riders.

PubMed

de Rome, Liz; Fitzharris, Michael; Baldock, Matthew; Fernandes, Ralston; Ma, Alice; Brown, Julie

2016-09-01

Motorcyclists represent an increasing proportion of road traffic casualties but, while factors associated with crashes are readily identifiable, little is known about the prevalence of those risk factors in the motorcycling population. A stratified random-sampling frame was used to survey the population of registered motorcycles owners in New South Wales (NSW) when they attended motor registry offices. The postal codes in the State database of registered motorcycle were used to stratify the population into quartiles based on socioeconomic characteristics and to determine sample weights. Participants (n=506) represented 47% of eligible riders approached. On average participants were aged 43, rode 7h/week and had 17 years of riding experience. Estimates based on multiple ownership rates suggest motorcycle registration numbers exceed the active riding population by approximately 15%. Less than half rode under 101km/week, 25% rode over 300km/week and just 42% rode every day. More rode frequently for leisure (70%) than for commuting (53%) and over half rarely rode in dark (52%) or wet (67%) conditions. Most wore protective clothing - helmets (100%), jackets (82%), pants (56%), boots (57%) and gloves (73%). Those with traffic infringements (32%) were mostly for driving (25%), not riding (10%) offences. In the past year, 13% had one or more motorcycle crashes including minor spills and 76% one or more near-crash experiences. The youngest riders (15-19) reported the highest rates of exposure in kilometres, hours, frequency of riding and commuting. They also reported lower crash involvement (3%) but more near-crashes (80%). This study provides an account of the prevalence of key risk factors across age groups in a population of active motorcycle riders in NSW. Novice riders were represented in all age groups although most novices were under 40 years. These data can be used to guide the development of targeted countermeasures aimed at improving motorcycling safety for riders of different age groups. Crown Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Aggregating pixel-level basal area predictions derived from LiDAR data to industrial forest stands in North-Central Idaho

Treesearch

Andrew T. Hudak; Jeffrey S. Evans; Nicholas L. Crookston; Michael J. Falkowski; Brant K. Steigers; Rob Taylor; Halli Hemingway

2008-01-01

Stand exams are the principal means by which timber companies monitor and manage their forested lands. Airborne LiDAR surveys sample forest stands at much finer spatial resolution and broader spatial extent than is practical on the ground. In this paper, we developed models that leverage spatially intensive and extensive LiDAR data and a stratified random sample of...

Gambling problems in the family--a stratified probability sample study of prevalence and reported consequences.

PubMed

Wenzel, Hanne Gro; Oren, Anita; Bakken, Inger Johanne

2008-12-16

Prior studies on the impact of problem gambling in the family mainly include help-seeking populations with small numbers of participants. The objective of the present stratified probability sample study was to explore the epidemiology of problem gambling in the family in the general population. Men and women 16-74 years-old randomly selected from the Norwegian national population database received an invitation to participate in this postal questionnaire study. The response rate was 36.1% (3,483/9,638). Given the lack of validated criteria, two survey questions ("Have you ever noticed that a close relative spent more and more money on gambling?" and "Have you ever experienced that a close relative lied to you about how much he/she gambles?") were extrapolated from the Lie/Bet Screen for pathological gambling. Respondents answering "yes" to both questions were defined as Concerned Significant Others (CSOs). Overall, 2.0% of the study population was defined as CSOs. Young age, female gender, and divorced marital status were factors positively associated with being a CSO. CSOs often reported to have experienced conflicts in the family related to gambling, worsening of the family's financial situation, and impaired mental and physical health. Problematic gambling behaviour not only affects the gambling individual but also has a strong impact on the quality of life of family members.

Gambling problems in the family – A stratified probability sample study of prevalence and reported consequences

PubMed Central

Wenzel, Hanne Gro; Øren, Anita; Bakken, Inger Johanne

2008-01-01

Background Prior studies on the impact of problem gambling in the family mainly include help-seeking populations with small numbers of participants. The objective of the present stratified probability sample study was to explore the epidemiology of problem gambling in the family in the general population. Methods Men and women 16–74 years-old randomly selected from the Norwegian national population database received an invitation to participate in this postal questionnaire study. The response rate was 36.1% (3,483/9,638). Given the lack of validated criteria, two survey questions ("Have you ever noticed that a close relative spent more and more money on gambling?" and "Have you ever experienced that a close relative lied to you about how much he/she gambles?") were extrapolated from the Lie/Bet Screen for pathological gambling. Respondents answering "yes" to both questions were defined as Concerned Significant Others (CSOs). Results Overall, 2.0% of the study population was defined as CSOs. Young age, female gender, and divorced marital status were factors positively associated with being a CSO. CSOs often reported to have experienced conflicts in the family related to gambling, worsening of the family's financial situation, and impaired mental and physical health. Conclusion Problematic gambling behaviour not only affects the gambling individual but also has a strong impact on the quality of life of family members. PMID:19087339

Sampling designs for HIV molecular epidemiology with application to Honduras.

PubMed

Shepherd, Bryan E; Rossini, Anthony J; Soto, Ramon Jeremias; De Rivera, Ivette Lorenzana; Mullins, James I

2005-11-01

Proper sampling is essential to characterize the molecular epidemiology of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). HIV sampling frames are difficult to identify, so most studies use convenience samples. We discuss statistically valid and feasible sampling techniques that overcome some of the potential for bias due to convenience sampling and ensure better representation of the study population. We employ a sampling design called stratified cluster sampling. This first divides the population into geographical and/or social strata. Within each stratum, a population of clusters is chosen from groups, locations, or facilities where HIV-positive individuals might be found. Some clusters are randomly selected within strata and individuals are randomly selected within clusters. Variation and cost help determine the number of clusters and the number of individuals within clusters that are to be sampled. We illustrate the approach through a study designed to survey the heterogeneity of subtype B strains in Honduras.

Health status measurement in Toxic Oil Syndrome.

PubMed

Gómez de la Cámara, A; Posada de la Paz, M; Abaitua Borda, I; Barainca Oyagüe, M T; Abraira Santos, V; Ruiz-Navarro, M D; Terracini, B

1998-10-01

Toxic Oil Syndrome (TOS) is a previously unreported condition which affected more than 20,000 people in Spain in 1981 and whose natural history is unknown. In 1993-94, a stratified random sample of 1400 survivors was drawn to measure their health status through clinical examination and their self-perception of well-being through the Nottingham Health Profile Questionnaire (NHPQ). Two-thirds of the sample population responded; indirect estimates suggest that selection bias was limited. Clear and intermediate signs of neuropathy were found in one-fifth and one-half of the patients, respectively. One-fourth and one-sixth showed some degree of scleroderma and contractures. All conditions were more frequent in women than in men and in age >50 than in younger ages. Although no concurrent control group was included in the study, prevalences of these conditions are well above expectations and are largely attributable to TOS. NHPQ scores increased with age in both sexes up to age 50, after which they reached a plateau (with values around 48 in men and 62 in women). Scores were associated to the occurrence of peripheral neurological changes, contractures, and scleroderma-like conditions. A multivariate analysis indicated age, sex, and severity of neurological conditions as major determinants of the NHPQ scores. This overall pattern of findings is peculiar to TOS and differs from the typical post-disaster nonspecific syndrome.

Design of the Chicago Health and Aging Project (CHAP).

PubMed

Bienias, Julia L; Beckett, Laurel A; Bennett, David A; Wilson, Robert S; Evans, Denis A

2003-10-01

The design of the Chicago Health and Aging Project (CHAP) is described. CHAP is a longitudinal population study of common chronic health problems of older persons, especially of risk factors for incident Alzheimer's disease, in a biracial neighborhood of the south side of Chicago. Special attention is given to three unusual design features of the study. One feature is that clinical evaluation for Alzheimer's disease is confined to a stratified random sample of all participants. This feature results in substantial cost savings and substantially less bias than screening approaches but has the disadvantages of adding analytic complexity and requiring the use of indirect means to identify a disease-free cohort for the development of incident Alzheimer's disease. The second unusual feature is efficiently combining in analyses the successive independent multiple samples that are drawn, one from each data collection cycle. The third unusual feature is entering successive age cohorts of community residents into the study as they attain 65 years of age. This has the advantages of enhancing direct investigation of the effect of age on the action of risk factors for Alzheimer's disease and direct examination of cohort effects. The interaction of these features is described, especially as they pertain to a study in which data are collected in successive waves. The results from these waves must be combined for effective analysis of the relation among risk factors and incident disease.

Cool-season annual pastures with clovers to supplement wintering beef cows nursing calves

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Every December, for 3 years, 87 beef cows, nursing cows, (594 ' 9.8 kg; calving season, September to November) were stratified by body condition score, body weight, cow age, and calf gender. They were divided randomly into 6 groups and assigned to 1 of 6 cool-season annual swards (0.45 hectares/cow...

The risk-stratified osteoporosis strategy evaluation study (ROSE): a randomized prospective population-based study. Design and baseline characteristics.

PubMed

Rubin, Katrine Hass; Holmberg, Teresa; Rothmann, Mette Juel; Høiberg, Mikkel; Barkmann, Reinhard; Gram, Jeppe; Hermann, Anne Pernille; Bech, Mickael; Rasmussen, Ole; Glüer, Claus C; Brixen, Kim

2015-02-01

The risk-stratified osteoporosis strategy evaluation study (ROSE) is a randomized prospective population-based study investigating the effectiveness of a two-step screening program for osteoporosis in women. This paper reports the study design and baseline characteristics of the study population. 35,000 women aged 65-80 years were selected at random from the population in the Region of Southern Denmark and-before inclusion-randomized to either a screening group or a control group. As first step, a self-administered questionnaire regarding risk factors for osteoporosis based on FRAX(®) was issued to both groups. As second step, subjects in the screening group with a 10-year probability of major osteoporotic fractures ≥15% were offered a DXA scan. Patients diagnosed with osteoporosis from the DXA scan were advised to see their GP and discuss pharmaceutical treatment according to Danish National guidelines. The primary outcome is incident clinical fractures as evaluated through annual follow-up using the Danish National Patient Registry. The secondary outcomes are cost-effectiveness, participation rate, and patient preferences. 20,904 (60%) women participated and included in the baseline analyses (10,411 in screening and 10,949 in control group). The mean age was 71 years. As expected by randomization, the screening and control groups had similar baseline characteristics. Screening for osteoporosis is at present not evidence based according to the WHO screening criteria. The ROSE study is expected to provide knowledge of the effectiveness of a screening strategy that may be implemented in health care systems to prevent fractures.

Mechanisms of Learning Transfer in Adventure Education: Qualitative Results from the NOLS Transfer Survey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sibthorp, Jim; Furman, Nate; Paisley, Karen; Gookin, John; Schumann, Scott

2011-01-01

Transfer of learning from adventure programs remains of critical interest to adventure education professionals. Although some research has investigated what transfers, notably less has focused on mechanisms that might influence transfer. This paper explores the mechanisms of transfer reported by a stratified random sample of National Outdoor…

The Effects of Grouping Practices and Curricular Adjustments on Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tieso, Carol

2005-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of curricular (textbook, revised, and differentiated) and grouping (whole, between, and within-class) practices on intermediate students' achievement in mathematics. A pretest-posttest, quasi-experimental design using a stratified random sample of 31 teachers and their students (N = 645) was…

Collaborative Job Training in Rural Areas

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Green, Gary Paul; Galetto, Valeria; Haines, Anna

2003-01-01

We examine collaborative efforts by employers to provide job training in rural areas and assess how this collaboration affects the willingness of employers to train workers. Data are drawn from a telephone survey conducted in 2001 of a stratified random sample of 1,590 nonmetropolitan firms in the U.S. The literature on job training suggests that…

Private Sector Views of Vocational Education: A Statewide Employer Survey.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Owens, Thomas R.; Monthey, Wanda

A study examined the views of private sector employers in Oregon on vocational education. During the study, researchers mailed questionnaires to a stratified random sample of 1,500 employers throughout Oregon. In addition, they surveyed another 140 employers who were identified as hiring the largest numbers of vocational education completers in…

Impact of Teachers' Beliefs on Mathematics Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bayaga, Anass; Wadesango, Newman; Wadesango, Ongayi Vongai

2015-01-01

The objective of the current study was to analyse the impact of teachers' personal theory and beliefs (PTB) towards Mathematics teaching. A total of 183 respondents were involved in this study, using the stratified random sampling method with Cronbach's alpha of 0.87. Due to the objective of the research and the hypothesis, it was positioned…

Cultural Diversity of Los Angeles County Residents Using Undeveloped Natural Areas

Treesearch

Patrick T. Tierney; Rene F. Dahl; Chavez Deborah J.

1998-01-01

A model of ethnic participation at undeveloped natural areas was developed and tested. The proposed model included the constructs of socio-economic status, perceived discrimination, assimilation, and ethnicity. Undeveloped natural areas were defined as being located outside of cities and primarily natural in composition. A telephone survey of a stratified random sample...

Multimedia Usage among Islamic Education Lecturers at Higher Education Institution

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hamzah, Mohd Isa; Rinaldi; Razak, Khadijah Abdul

2014-01-01

This study aims to examine the level of multimedia usage among Islamic education lecturers at higher education institutions in West Sumatera, Indonesia. The participants were chosen from three types of higher institutions by using stratified random sampling. The data was collected from 250 students using questionnaires. The findings showed that…

Training Objectives, Transfer, Validation and Evaluation: A Sri Lankan Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wickramasinghe, Vathsala M.

2006-01-01

Using a stratified random sample, this paper examines the training practices of setting objectives, transfer, validation and evaluation in Sri Lanka. The paper further sets out to compare those practices across local, foreign and joint-venture companies based on the assumption that there may be significant differences across companies of different…

Job Demand in the Cosmetology Industry.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rudner, Lawrence M.; Deutermann, William V., Jr.

In order to determine job demand in the cosmetology industry, a survey was made of a nationally representative stratified random sample of 1,454 beauty salons, barber shops, and unisex salons in July 1991. Salon owners were asked about 1990 and their plans for the future. Survey results were supplemented with information about the industry…

Recruitment to Teaching: Career Expectations of South Carolina Young People.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lyson, Thomas A.

Using data collected from a stratified random sample of South Carolina high school seniors in 1969, the study compared the patterns of occupational choices among white and black boys and girls, and examined the relationship among race, sex, and teacher recruitment. Social class origin, local residence place, and scholastic performance were…

Workforce Improvement Network 2000 Survey of Virginia Employers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Foucar-Szocki, Diane; Bolt, Les

A stratified random sample of Virginia's 4,000 employers with over 100 employees was surveyed about workplace-based foundational basic skills (oral and written communication, reading, math, thinking skills, teamwork, English proficiency, and basic computer literacy). A total of 446 surveys were sent with a usable response rate of 18 percent.…

Evaluation of LEAA Funded Courts Training Programs. Volume I.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McManis Associates, Inc., Washington, DC.

An impact evaluation of eight courts training project (CTP) institutes funded by the Law Enforcement Assistance Administration was conducted. After a literature search and visits to potential evaluation sites in all fifty states, twelve sites were selected from a random stratified sample of court systems. Data were obtained from 1047 respondents…

Social Strain, Self-Control, and Juvenile Gambling Pathology: Evidence From Chinese Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cheung, Nicole W. T.

2016-01-01

Despite recent concerns over youthful problem gambling, few gambling studies have looked into Asian adolescent populations. This study of a stratified, random sample of high school students in Hong Kong is designed to estimate the prevalence of gambling pathology among Chinese adolescents and to examine the relationships between social strain,…

An Employer Needs Assessment for Vocational Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Muraski, Ed J.; Whiteman, Dick

An employer needs assessment study was performed at Porterville College (PC), in California in 1991 as part of a comprehensive educational planning process for PC and the surrounding area. A validated survey instrument was sent to a stratified random sampling of 593 employers in the community, asking them to provide general information about their…

Screening and Brief Intervention for Tobacco Use by Student Health Providers on College Campuses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sutfin, Erin L.; McNamara, Robert S.; Blocker, Jill N.; Ip, Edward H.; O'Brien, Mary Claire; Wolfson, Mark

2012-01-01

Objective: This study assessed college students' reports of tobacco screening and brief intervention by student health center providers. Participants: Participants were 3,800 students from 8 universities in North Carolina. Methods: Web-based survey of a stratified random sample of undergraduates. Results: Fifty-three percent reported ever visiting…

Factors Influencing Federal Employee Worker Satisfaction: A Baseline Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schmidt, Wallace V.; And Others

Utilizing data from the Federal Employee Attitude Survey, 1979, a survey was distributed to a stratified random sample of 20,000 employees to identify and analyze the factors influencing federal employee worker satisfaction. Questions on the survey ranged from demographics to personal evaluations of the work environment as recorded on a…

School Instructional Climate and Student Achievement: An Examination of Group Norms for Differentiated Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goddard, Yvonne; Goddard, Roger; Kim, Minjung

2015-01-01

The purpose of this article is to investigate the relationship between school instructional climate and students' fifth-grade mathematics and reading achievement, with a particular emphasis on norms for practice consistent with differentiated instruction. Using data from a stratified random sample of Michigan elementary schools, we employed…

Secondary School Science and Mathematics Teachers, Characteristics and Service Loads.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mills, Thomas J.

Determined were the educational and professional backgrounds, and some aspects of the operational environment of teachers of secondary school science and mathematics (Grades 7-12) in the public and private schools of the United States during the school year 1960-61. A stratified random sampling method was used to ensure proportional representation…

An Employer Needs Assessment for Vocational Education: Palomar Community College District.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Muraski, Ed J.; Barker, Cherie

A study was conducted to determine the employment needs within the Palomar Community College District. Surveys were mailed to a stratified random sample of 600 North San Diego County employers, requesting respondents to provide information on type and size of business, to rank the occupational programs offered by Palomar according to employment…

Influences on Students Selecting Cooperative Education Programs in Michigan High Schools. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Woloszyk, Carl A.

Factors influencing the decision of high school students to enroll in cooperative education programs were investigated in a survey. The stratified random sample consisted of 275 high school students currently enrolled in cooperative education programs in five different types of communities throughout Michigan. The survey questionnaire included 8…

Maneuvering the Role as a Community College Artist-Educator: Scholarship Assessed

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gibson, John R.; Murray, John P.

2009-01-01

This study examined how Texas community college artist-educators balance artistic productivity with their teaching responsibilities. The 98 survey respondents represented 76.6% of a stratified random sample of the full-time instructors in visual arts departments within the 50 Texas public community college districts. Access to studio space and…

Impact Evaluation of Further Mathematics Curriculum in Nigeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Odili, Godwin Alo; Asuru, Vincent A.

2011-01-01

This research was a perceptual survey study carried out to determine whether the goals of Further Mathematics Curriculum (FMC) are being achieved at the Senior Secondary School level. The sample for the study consisted of 240 FM final year students, 45 FM teachers and 180 undergraduates who were selected by a multistage stratified random sampling…

AIP Report, 1989 Salaries: Society Membership Survey.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kellman, Dawn; Scholz, Catherine

This report examines the variations in salaries by degree level, employment sector, geographic location, and work activity among members of the scientific labor force and educational system. The data are based on a stratified random sample of one-sixth of the U.S. membership of the American Institute of Physics Member Societies; approximately…

Public-Private Partnership and Infrastructural Development in Nigerian Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oduwaiye, R. O.; Sofoluwe, A. O.; Bello, T. O.; Durosaro, I. A.

2014-01-01

This study investigated the degree to which Public-Private Partnership (PPP) services are related to infrastructural development in Nigerian Universities. The research design used was descriptive survey method. The population for the study encompassed all the 20 universities in South-west Nigeria. Stratified random sampling was used to select 12…

Cigarette Smoking and Anti-Smoking Counseling Practices among Physicians in Wuhan, China

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gong, Jie; Zhang, Zhifeng; Zhu, Zhaoyang; Wan, Jun; Yang, Niannian; Li, Fang; Sun, Huiling; Li, Weiping; Xia, Jiang; Zhou, Dunjin; Chen, Xinguang

2012-01-01

Purpose: The paper seeks to report data on cigarette smoking, anti-smoking practices, physicians' receipt of anti-smoking training, and the association between receipt of the training and anti-smoking practice among physicians in Wuhan, China. Design/methodology/approach: Participants were selected through the stratified random sampling method.…

Student Teaching in the United States. Executive Summary

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Council on Teacher Quality, 2011

2011-01-01

In an effort to understand what makes a student teaching experience strong, the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) has undertaken this comprehensive review. Over a period of two years, NCTQ researchers examined the student teaching programs of a stratified random sample of 134 higher education institutions across the United States, with at…

Effects of spatial allocation and parameter variability on lakewide estimates from surveys of Lake Superior, North America’s largest lake

EPA Science Inventory

Lake Superior was sampled in 2011 using a Generalized Random Tessellation Stratified design (n=54 sites) to characterize biological and chemical properties of this huge aquatic resource, with statistical confidence. The lake was divided into two strata (inshore <100m and offsh...

An Investigation of the Difficulties Faced by EFL Undergraduates in Speaking Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Al-Jamal, Dina A.; Al-Jamal, Ghadeer A.

2014-01-01

Since speaking well in English is crucial for English language literature undergraduates, the present study aimed at describing difficulties that may be encountered at an EFL setting. The sample was stratified random as drawn from six Jordanian public universities. Survey questionnaires as well as semi-structured interviews were constructed. 64…

Maternal Religiosity, Family Resources and Stressors, and Parent-Child Attachment Security in Northern Ireland

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goeke-Morey, Marcie C.; Cairns, Ed; Merrilees, Christine E.; Schermerhorn, Alice C.; Shirlow, Peter; Cummings, E. Mark

2013-01-01

This study explores the associations between mothers' religiosity, and families' and children's functioning in a stratified random sample of 695 Catholic and Protestant mother-child dyads in socially deprived areas in Belfast, Northern Ireland, a region which has experienced centuries of sectarian conflict between Protestant Unionists and…

Sex Roles and Perceived Job Stress of Washington Elementary Principals.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Torelli, Joseph A.

The relationship between elementary principals' perceived job stress and sex role is examined. Questionnaires mailed to a random stratified sample of 200 elementary principals in Washington state (50 females, 150 males) yielded 172 useable returns, an 86 percent response rate. Two measurement instruments were used: the Bem Sex Role Inventory…

Correlates of Home Health Care Services Use among the Elderly.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Starrett, Richard A.; And Others

The use of health and social services is influenced by economic, community, geographic, organizational, societal, and environmental factors. A study was conducted to examine predisposing, enabling, and need-for-care factors related to the use of home health care services by a stratified random sample of 400 older adults. Predisposing factors…

Mitigating budget constraints on visitation volume surveys: the case of U.S. National forests

Treesearch

Ashley E. Askew; Donald B.K. English; Stanley J. Zarnoch; Neelam C. Poudyal; J.M. Bowker

2014-01-01

Stratified random sampling (SRS) provides a scientifically based estimate of a population comprising mutually exclusive, homogenous subgroups. In the National Visitor Use Monitoring (NVUM) program, SRS is used to estimate recreation visitation and visitor characteristics across activities on National forests. However, with rising costs and declining budgets, carrying...

Exploring the Impact of Applicants' Gender and Religion on Principals' Screening Decisions for Assistant Principal Applicants

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bon, Susan C.

2009-01-01

In this experimental study, a national random sample of high school principals (stratified by gender) were asked to evaluate hypothetical applicants whose resumes varied by religion (Jewish, Catholic, nondenominational) and gender (male, female) for employment as assistant principals. Results reveal that male principals rate all applicants higher…

Exploring Student Understanding of Grades and Report Cards

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gwidt, Kathleen M.

2010-01-01

This qualitative study was designed to identify how students from a single high school in the rural Midwest perceive grades and report cards. Stratified purposeful random sampling resulted in the inclusion of 14 students who provided journal entries and participated in one-on-one interviews for the purpose of exploring student understanding of…

Information Needs of State Directors of Vocational Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCracken, J. David

To identify the critical problems of state directors of vocational education and the information sources utilized by them, data were collected by mail questionnaire and a series of telephone interviews with a stratified random sample of 15 state directors. Analysis of the data with respect to major problems, methods used to seek information,…

Reference List Accuracy in Social Work Journals: A Follow-Up Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mitchell-Williams, Missy T.; Skipper, Antonius D.; Alexander, Marvin C.; Wilks, Scott E.

2017-01-01

Purpose: Following up an "Research on Social Work Practice" article published a decade ago, this study aimed to examine reference error rates among five, widely circulated social work journals. Methods: A stratified random sample of references was selected from the year 2013 (N = 500, 100/journal). Each was verified against the original…

Primary Teacher Trainees Preparedness to Teach Science: A Gender Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mutisya, Sammy M.

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine Primary Teacher Education (PTE) Trainees' perceptions regarding their preparedness to teach science in primary schools. A descriptive survey research design was used and stratified proportionate random sampling techniques used to select 177 males and 172 females. The study found out that more male trainee…

Monitoring Achievement of Educational Governance/Management Policy Goals.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sederberg, Charles H.; Hendrix, Vernon L.

This paper reports on a field test of a system for monitoring the achievement of selected educational governance/management goals. The study entailed (1) collection of enrollment, revenue, expenditure, and teacher assignment data from a stratified random sample of Minnesota districts for a seven-year period, 1969-70 through 1975-76; (2) reduction…

Social Attitudes and Educational Needs of Women in the Chaffey Community College District.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lyman-Viera, Karen A.; Boggs, John

A socio-economically stratified sample of 368 randomly selected adult women residents of the Chaffey College district were interviewed to determine their demographic characteristics, educational needs and interests, perceived barriers to educational participation, and the adequacy of current college programs to meet the needs of women. Results of…

Assessment of the Implementation of Continuous Assessment: The Case of METTU University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walde, Getinet Seifu

2016-01-01

This paper examines the status of the implementation of continuous assessment (CA) in Mettu University. A random stratified sampling method was used to select 309 students and 29 instructors and purposive method used to select quality assurance and faculty Deans. Questionnaires, focus group discussion, interview and documents were used for data…

An Investigation on Secondary School Students' Attitude towards Science in Ogun State, Nigeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sakariyau, A. O.; Taiwo, Michael O.; Ajagbe, Olalere W.

2016-01-01

The study investigated the attitudes of secondary school students towards science in Odeda Local Government Area of Ogun State, Nigeria. Two hundred senior secondary school students consisting of 84 males and 116 females were selected from five secondary schools using stratified random sampling techniques. A 20-item Attitude to Science…

Conflict Resolution Strategies in Non-Government Secondary Schools in Benue State, Nigeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oboegbulem, Angie; Alfa, Idoko Alphonusu

2013-01-01

This study investigated perceived CRSs (conflict resolution strategies) for the resolution of conflicts in non-government secondary schools in Benue State, Nigeria. Three research questions and three hypotheses guided this study. Proportionate stratified random sampling technique was used in drawing 15% of the population which gave a total of 500…

Doing More with Less: A Preliminary Study of the School District Investment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MacPhail-Wilcox, Bettye

1983-01-01

Changes in cash management practices from 1978 to 1981 were investigated in a random sample of 145 North Carolina school districts, stratified by attendance size. Analysis using chi-square tests indicated the level of investment sophistication (as measured by the proportion of cash invested) has increased, especially for large districts. (RW)

Correlates of BMI misreporting among apparently healthy individuals: the ATTICA study.

PubMed

Yannakoulia, Mary; Panagiotakos, Demosthenes B; Pitsavos, Christos; Stefanadis, Christodoulos

2006-05-01

The aim of this study was to investigate correlates of misreporting in BMI, based on self-reported weight and height, in a randomly selected population sample of Greek adults and to evaluate the effect of obesity status misclassification on the associations between obesity and disease. During 2001 to 2002, we randomly enrolled 1514 men (18 to 87 years old) and 1528 women (18 to 89 years old) from the Attica area, Greece; the sampling was stratified by the age-sex distribution of the region. Various sociodemographic, clinical, and psychological characteristics were self-reported, and weight and height were measured and recorded in all participants. The proportions of true positives and true negatives for correct obesity status identification were 62% and 97%, respectively. Women were 9 times more likely to be under-reporters than men, whereas men were 7.5 times more likely to be over-reporters. A 10-year increase in age was associated with a 48% higher likelihood of being an under-reporter and 26% lower likelihood of being an over-reporter, irrespective of sex and other characteristics of the participants. Clinical status, such as the presence of hypertension and diabetes, was associated with under-reporting of body weight. Furthermore, the use of self-reported data may substantially exaggerate associations between obesity and obesity-related diseases, such as diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, and hypertension. The study indicates that, apart from age and sex, disease status may be another factor that influences misreporting of obesity status, with diabetic and hypertensive people to be more likely to under-report their overweight. Use of self-reported data may bias obesity-disease associations.

SAS procedures for designing and analyzing sample surveys

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stafford, Joshua D.; Reinecke, Kenneth J.; Kaminski, Richard M.

2003-01-01

Complex surveys often are necessary to estimate occurrence (or distribution), density, and abundance of plants and animals for purposes of re-search and conservation. Most scientists are familiar with simple random sampling, where sample units are selected from a population of interest (sampling frame) with equal probability. However, the goal of ecological surveys often is to make inferences about populations over large or complex spatial areas where organisms are not homogeneously distributed or sampling frames are in-convenient or impossible to construct. Candidate sampling strategies for such complex surveys include stratified,multistage, and adaptive sampling (Thompson 1992, Buckland 1994).

Improved Horvitz-Thompson Estimation of Model Parameters from Two-phase Stratified Samples: Applications in Epidemiology

PubMed Central

Breslow, Norman E.; Lumley, Thomas; Ballantyne, Christie M; Chambless, Lloyd E.; Kulich, Michal

2009-01-01

The case-cohort study involves two-phase sampling: simple random sampling from an infinite super-population at phase one and stratified random sampling from a finite cohort at phase two. Standard analyses of case-cohort data involve solution of inverse probability weighted (IPW) estimating equations, with weights determined by the known phase two sampling fractions. The variance of parameter estimates in (semi)parametric models, including the Cox model, is the sum of two terms: (i) the model based variance of the usual estimates that would be calculated if full data were available for the entire cohort; and (ii) the design based variance from IPW estimation of the unknown cohort total of the efficient influence function (IF) contributions. This second variance component may be reduced by adjusting the sampling weights, either by calibration to known cohort totals of auxiliary variables correlated with the IF contributions or by their estimation using these same auxiliary variables. Both adjustment methods are implemented in the R survey package. We derive the limit laws of coefficients estimated using adjusted weights. The asymptotic results suggest practical methods for construction of auxiliary variables that are evaluated by simulation of case-cohort samples from the National Wilms Tumor Study and by log-linear modeling of case-cohort data from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study. Although not semiparametric efficient, estimators based on adjusted weights may come close to achieving full efficiency within the class of augmented IPW estimators. PMID:20174455

Can patient comorbidities be included in clinical performance measures for radiation oncology?

PubMed

Owen, Jean B; Khalid, Najma; Ho, Alex; Kachnic, Lisa A; Komaki, Ritsuko; Tao, May Lin; Currey, Adam; Wilson, J Frank

2014-05-01

Patient comorbidities may affect the applicability of performance measures that are inherent in multidisciplinary cancer treatment guidelines. This article describes the distribution of common comorbid conditions by disease site and by patient and facility characteristics in patients who received radiation therapy as part of treatment for cancer of the breast, cervix, lung, prostate, and stomach, and investigates the association of comorbidities with treatment decisions. Stratified two-stage cluster sampling provided a random sample of radiation oncology facilities. Eligible patients were randomly sampled from each participating facility for each disease site, and data were abstracted from medical records. The Adult Comorbidity Evaluation Index (ACE-27) was used to measure comorbid conditions and their severity. National estimates were calculated using SUDAAN statistical software. Multivariable logistic regression models predicted the dependent variable "treatment changed or contraindicated due to comorbidities." The final model showed that ACE-27 was highly associated with change in treatment for patients with severe or moderate index values compared to those with none or mild (P < .001). Two other covariates, age and medical coverage, had no (age) or little (medical coverage) significant contribution to predicting treatment change in the multivariable model. Disease site was associated with treatment change after adjusting for other covariates in the model. ACE-27 is highly predictive of treatment modifications for patients treated for these cancers who receive radiation as part of their care. A standardized tool identifying patients who should be excluded from clinical performance measures allows more accurate use of these measures. Copyright © 2014 by American Society of Clinical Oncology.

Can Patient Comorbidities Be Included in Clinical Performance Measures for Radiation Oncology?

PubMed Central

Owen, Jean B.; Khalid, Najma; Ho, Alex; Kachnic, Lisa A.; Komaki, Ritsuko; Tao, May Lin; Currey, Adam; Wilson, J. Frank

2014-01-01

Purpose: Patient comorbidities may affect the applicability of performance measures that are inherent in multidisciplinary cancer treatment guidelines. This article describes the distribution of common comorbid conditions by disease site and by patient and facility characteristics in patients who received radiation therapy as part of treatment for cancer of the breast, cervix, lung, prostate, and stomach, and investigates the association of comorbidities with treatment decisions. Materials and Methods: Stratified two-stage cluster sampling provided a random sample of radiation oncology facilities. Eligible patients were randomly sampled from each participating facility for each disease site, and data were abstracted from medical records. The Adult Comorbidity Evaluation Index (ACE-27) was used to measure comorbid conditions and their severity. National estimates were calculated using SUDAAN statistical software. Results: Multivariable logistic regression models predicted the dependent variable “treatment changed or contraindicated due to comorbidities.” The final model showed that ACE-27 was highly associated with change in treatment for patients with severe or moderate index values compared to those with none or mild (P < .001). Two other covariates, age and medical coverage, had no (age) or little (medical coverage) significant contribution to predicting treatment change in the multivariable model. Disease site was associated with treatment change after adjusting for other covariates in the model. Conclusions: ACE-27 is highly predictive of treatment modifications for patients treated for these cancers who receive radiation as part of their care. A standardized tool identifying patients who should be excluded from clinical performance measures allows more accurate use of these measures. PMID:24643573

Sampling Methods in Cardiovascular Nursing Research: An Overview.

PubMed

Kandola, Damanpreet; Banner, Davina; O'Keefe-McCarthy, Sheila; Jassal, Debbie

2014-01-01

Cardiovascular nursing research covers a wide array of topics from health services to psychosocial patient experiences. The selection of specific participant samples is an important part of the research design and process. The sampling strategy employed is of utmost importance to ensure that a representative sample of participants is chosen. There are two main categories of sampling methods: probability and non-probability. Probability sampling is the random selection of elements from the population, where each element of the population has an equal and independent chance of being included in the sample. There are five main types of probability sampling including simple random sampling, systematic sampling, stratified sampling, cluster sampling, and multi-stage sampling. Non-probability sampling methods are those in which elements are chosen through non-random methods for inclusion into the research study and include convenience sampling, purposive sampling, and snowball sampling. Each approach offers distinct advantages and disadvantages and must be considered critically. In this research column, we provide an introduction to these key sampling techniques and draw on examples from the cardiovascular research. Understanding the differences in sampling techniques may aid nurses in effective appraisal of research literature and provide a reference pointfor nurses who engage in cardiovascular research.

Data splitting for artificial neural networks using SOM-based stratified sampling.

PubMed

May, R J; Maier, H R; Dandy, G C

2010-03-01

Data splitting is an important consideration during artificial neural network (ANN) development where hold-out cross-validation is commonly employed to ensure generalization. Even for a moderate sample size, the sampling methodology used for data splitting can have a significant effect on the quality of the subsets used for training, testing and validating an ANN. Poor data splitting can result in inaccurate and highly variable model performance; however, the choice of sampling methodology is rarely given due consideration by ANN modellers. Increased confidence in the sampling is of paramount importance, since the hold-out sampling is generally performed only once during ANN development. This paper considers the variability in the quality of subsets that are obtained using different data splitting approaches. A novel approach to stratified sampling, based on Neyman sampling of the self-organizing map (SOM), is developed, with several guidelines identified for setting the SOM size and sample allocation in order to minimize the bias and variance in the datasets. Using an example ANN function approximation task, the SOM-based approach is evaluated in comparison to random sampling, DUPLEX, systematic stratified sampling, and trial-and-error sampling to minimize the statistical differences between data sets. Of these approaches, DUPLEX is found to provide benchmark performance with good model performance, with no variability. The results show that the SOM-based approach also reliably generates high-quality samples and can therefore be used with greater confidence than other approaches, especially in the case of non-uniform datasets, with the benefit of scalability to perform data splitting on large datasets. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Injury-related mortality in South Africa: a retrospective descriptive study of postmortem investigations.

PubMed

Matzopoulos, Richard; Prinsloo, Megan; Pillay-van Wyk, Victoria; Gwebushe, Nomonde; Mathews, Shanaaz; Martin, Lorna J; Laubscher, Ria; Abrahams, Naeemah; Msemburi, William; Lombard, Carl; Bradshaw, Debbie

2015-05-01

To investigate injury-related mortality in South Africa using a nationally representative sample and compare the results with previous estimates. We conducted a retrospective descriptive study of medico-legal postmortem investigation data from mortuaries using a multistage random sample, stratified by urban and non-urban areas and mortuary size. We calculated age-specific and age-standardized mortality rates for external causes of death. Postmortem reports revealed 52,493 injury-related deaths in 2009 (95% confidence interval, CI: 46,930-58,057). Almost half (25,499) were intentionally inflicted. Age-standardized mortality rates per 100,000 population were as follows: all injuries: 109.0 (95% CI: 97.1-121.0); homicide 38.4 (95% CI: 33.8-43.0; suicide 13.4 (95% CI: 11.6-15.2) and road-traffic injury 36.1 (95% CI: 30.9-41.3). Using postmortem reports, we found more than three times as many deaths from homicide and road-traffic injury than had been recorded by vital registration for this period. The homicide rate was similar to the estimate for South Africa from a global analysis, but road-traffic and suicide rates were almost fourfold higher. This is the first nationally representative sample of injury-related mortality in South Africa. It provides more accurate estimates and cause-specific profiles that are not available from other sources.

Effects of education of the head of the household on the prevalence of malnutrition in children.

PubMed

El-Mouzan, Mohammad I; Al-Salloum, Abdullah A; Al-Herbish, Abdullah S; Qurachi, Mansour M; Al-Omar, Ahmad A

2010-03-01

To explore the effect of the educational level of the head of household on the prevalence of malnutrition in Saudi children. The study was conducted over 2 years in 2004 and 2005 in all regions of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). The design consisted of a stratified multistage probability random sampling of the population of the KSA. The educational level of the heads of the household, and measurements of weight and height of the children were obtained during house visits. Nutritional indicators in the form of weight for age, height for age, and weight for height for children below 5 years of age were determined, and the prevalence of each indicator below -2 standard deviations (SD) was calculated for each level of education. The sample size was 7390 in the weight for age, 7275 height for age, and 7335 for weight for height. The prevalence of underweight (weight for age below -2 SD) increased from 7.4% for the university level to 15.2% in the children of illiterate heads of household. Similar patterns were found for the prevalence of stunting (height for age below -2 SD) and wasting (weight for height below -2 SD). This study demonstrates that the higher the education level of the heads of the household, the lower the prevalence of malnutrition in their children, suggesting that completing at least 9-12 years of education (intermediate and secondary school) is needed for better improvement in the nutritional status of the children.

Adjunctive Mitomycin C or Amniotic Membrane Transplantation for Ahmed Glaucoma Valve Implantation: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

PubMed

Yazdani, Shahin; Mahboobipour, Hassan; Pakravan, Mohammad; Doozandeh, Azadeh; Ghahari, Elham

2016-05-01

To determine whether adjunctive mitomycin C (MMC) or amniotic membrane transplantation (AMT) improve the outcomes of Ahmed glaucoma valve (AGV) implantation. This double-blind, stratified, 3-armed randomized clinical trial includes 75 eyes of 75 patients aged 7 to 75 years with refractory glaucoma. Eligible subjects underwent stratified block randomization; eyes were first stratified to surgery in the superior or inferior quadrants based on feasibility; in each subgroup, eyes were randomly assigned to the study arms using random blocks: conventional AGV implantation (group A, 25 eyes), AGV with MMC (group B, 25 eyes), and AGV with AMT (group C, 25 eyes). The 3 study groups were comparable regarding baseline characteristics and mean follow-up (P=0.288). A total of 68 patients including 23 eyes in group A, 25 eyes in group B, and 20 eyes group C completed the follow-up period and were analyzed. Intraocular pressure was lower in the MMC group only 3 weeks postoperatively (P=0.04) but comparable at other time intervals. Overall success rate was comparable in the 3 groups at 12 months (P=0.217). The number of eyes requiring medications (P=0.30), time to initiation of medications (P=0.13), and number of medications (P=0.22) were comparable. Hypertensive phase was slightly but insignificantly more common with standard surgery (82%) as compared with MMC-augmented (60%) and AMT-augmented (70%) procedures (P=0.23). Complications were comparable over 1 year (P=0.28). Although adjunctive MMC and AMT were safe during AGV implantation, they did not influence success rates or intraocular pressure outcomes. Complications, including hypertensive phase, were also comparable.

Prevalence and determinants of type 2 diabetes mellitus in a Greek adult population.

PubMed

Tsirona, Sofia; Katsaros, Fotis; Bargiota, Alexandra; Polyzos, Stergios A; Arapoglou, George; Koukoulis, George N

2016-01-01

The prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) is increasing worldwide reaching epidemic proportions. The aim of the present study was to estimate the prevalence of DM in Thessaly, a large region of Central Greece, and to extrapolate our results to the population of the entire country. A random sample of 805 adults (421 females and 384 men) living in Thessaly, aged 18-80 years, was surveyed. After completing a questionnaire about health status and a thorough physical examination, a blood sample was obtained from each participant for biochemical analysis. Participants with fasting glucose levels between 100-125 mg/dl underwent an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). A second survey was also conducted, via telephone call-interviews, in a randomly selected sample age- and sex-stratified to the country's adult population in order to extrapolate the DM data from Thessaly to the whole country. The frequency of DM based on patient history and fasting blood glucose levels was 6.96%, comparable to that observed in the telephone-based nationwide survey (7.38%, p=0.669). However, after the OGTT an additional 3.72% of the population had undiagnosed DM, increasing DM prevalence to 10.68% (age adjusted 11.77%). The prevalence of pre-diabetes was 8.70%, with impaired fasting glucose at 5.84% and impaired glucose tolerance at 2.86%. The prevalence of DM was significantly higher in men (14.58%) than in women (7.13%, p<0.001), increased with age in both sexes and was more prevalent in hypertensive (p<0.001) and obese subjects (p=0.001) and in those living in rural areas (p=0.003). In the multiple logistic regression analysis, significant predictors of pre-diabetes and DM together were age, homeostasis model of assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), alcohol consumption and educational status, whereas those of DM alone were age, HOMA-IR and triglycerides. Extrapolating our data to the whole country, the age-adjusted prevalence of DM was estimated at 11.97% (men 13.98%, women 9.25%), clearly indicating a major public health problem.

Multilevel analysis of hepatitis A infection in children and adolescents: a household survey in the Northeast and Central-west regions of Brazil

PubMed Central

de Alencar Ximenes, Ricardo Arraes; Martelli, Celina Maria Turchi; Merchán-Hamann, Edgar; Montarroyos, Ulisses Ramos; Braga, Maria Cynthia; de Lima, Maria Luíza Carvalho; Cardoso, Maria Regina Alves; Turchi, Marília Dalva; Costa, Marcelo Abrahão; de Alencar, Luiz Cláudio Arraes; Moreira, Regina Célia; Figueiredo, Gerusa Maria; Pereira, Leila Maria Moreira Beltrão

2008-01-01

Background The objectives were to estimate the prevalence of hepatitis A among children and adolescents from the Northeast and Midwest regions and the Federal District of Brazil and to identify individual-, household- and area-levels factors associated with hepatitis A infection. Methods This population-based survey was conducted in 2004–2005 and covered individuals aged between 5 and 19 years. A stratified multistage cluster sampling technique with probability proportional to size was used to select 1937 individuals aged between 5 and 19 years living in the Federal capital and in the State capitals of 12 states in the study regions. The sample was stratified according to age (5–9 and 10- to 19-years-old) and capital within each region. Individual- and household-level data were collected by interview at the home of the individual. Variables related to the area were retrieved from census tract data. The outcome was total antibodies to hepatitis A virus detected using commercial EIA. The age distribution of the susceptible population was estimated using a simple catalytic model. The associations between HAV infection and independent variables were assessed using the odds ratio and corrected for the random design effect and sampling weight. Multilevel analysis was performed by GLLAMM using Stata 9.2. Results The prevalence of hepatitis A infection in the 5–9 and 10–19 age-group was 41.5 and 57.4%, respectively for the Northeast, 32.3 and 56.0%, respectively for the Midwest and 33.8 and 65.1% for the Federal District. A trend for the prevalence of HAV infection to increase according to age was detected in all sites. By the age of 5, 31.5% of the children had already been infected with HAV in the Northeast region compared with 20.0% in the other sites. By the age of 19 years, seropositivity was ∼70% in all areas. The curves of susceptible populations differed from one area to another. Multilevel modeling showed that variables relating to different levels of education were associated with HAV infection in all sites. Conclusion The study sites were classified as areas with intermediate endemicity area for hepatitis A infection. Differences in age trends of infection were detected among settings. This multilevel model allowed for quantification of contextual predictors of hepatitis A infection in urban areas. PMID:18653514

Dipolar eddies in a decaying stratified turbulent flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Voropayev, S. I.; Fernando, H. J. S.; Morrison, R.

2008-02-01

Laboratory experiments on the evolution of dipolar (momentum) eddies in a stratified fluid in the presence of random background motions are described. A turbulent jet puff was used to generate the momentum eddies, and a decaying field of ambient random vortical motions was generated by a towed grid. Data on vorticity/velocity fields of momentum eddies, those of background motions, and their interactions were collected in the presence and absence of the other, and the main characteristics thereof were parametrized. Similarity arguments predict that dipolar eddies in stratified fluids may preserve their identity in decaying grid-generated stratified turbulence, which was verified experimentally. Possible applications of the results include mushroomlike currents and other naturally/artificially generated large dipolar eddies in strongly stratified layers of the ocean, the longevity of which is expected to be determined by the characteristics of the eddies and random background motions.

[Hepatitis B prevalence among women in child-bearing age in Shandong Province, China, 2014].

PubMed

Zhang, L; Liu, J Y; Lyu, J J; Yan, B Y; Feng, Y; Wu, W L; Song, L Z; Xu, A Q

2017-06-06

Objective: To know the prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) among women in child-bearing age in Shandong Province, China, providing references to the improvement of HBV control strategy. Methods: The participants were randomly selected by two-stage sampling method from 12 counties which were representative for the whole province. Firstly two townships were selected from each county by probability proportional to size sampling (PPS) method. Then participants aged 1-4 years, 5-14 years, 15-29 years and 30-59 years were selected by stratified random sampling method. The women in child-bearing age (20-49 years) were involved in this study. Questionnaire survey and 5 ml blood collection were conducted among all participants. Blood samples were detected for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), antibody against HBsAg (anti-HBs) and antibody against hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc). Those who were positive for HBsAg were further detected for hepatitis e antigen (HBeAg), antibody against HBeAg (anti-HBe) and the load of HBV DNA. The basic information of the participants including age, gender, occupation, nationality and residence place were collected. The prevalence of HBV infection indicators after weight adjustment were calculated and compared between participants with different demographic characteristics. Results: A total of 1 151 women in child-bearing age were involved in this study. Twenty-seven participants were positive for HBsAg and the prevalence rate was 2.10% (95 % CI: 0.97%-3.23%). Five participants were positive for both HBsAg and HBeAg and the prevalence rate was 0.36% (95 % CI: 0-0.84%). There were 567 and 291 participants who were positive for anti-HBs and anti-HBc respectively and the corresponding prevalence rates were 47.72% (95 %CI: 41.68%-53.75%) and 24.40% (95 % CI: 18.50%-30.30%). The number of participants susceptible for HBV was 527 and the percentage of HBV susceptible women was 47.55% (95 % CI: 41.63%-53.47%). Conclusion: HBV infection among women in child-bearing age has attained very low level in Shandong Province, China. However, the high proportion of women in child-bearing age were still susceptible for HBV and hepatitis B immunization should be improved among them.

Alcohol- and Drug-Involved Driving in the United States: Methodology for the 2007 National Roadside Survey

PubMed Central

Lacey, John H.; Kelley-Baker, Tara; Voas, Robert B.; Romano, Eduardo; Furr-Holden, C. Debra; Torres, Pedro; Berning, Amy

2013-01-01

This article describes the methodology used in the 2007 U.S. National Roadside Survey to estimate the prevalence of alcohol- and drug-impaired driving and alcohol- and drug-involved driving. This study involved randomly stopping drivers at 300 locations across the 48 continental U.S. states at sites selected through a stratified random sampling procedure. Data were collected during a 2-hour Friday daytime session at 60 locations and during 2-hour nighttime weekend periods at 240 locations. Both self-report and biological measures were taken. Biological measures included breath alcohol measurements from 9,413 respondents, oral fluid samples from 7,719 respondents, and blood samples from 3,276 respondents. PMID:21997324

Prevalence of transactive response DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43) proteinopathy in cognitively normal older adults: systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Nascimento, C; Di Lorenzo Alho, A T; Bazan Conceição Amaral, C; Leite, R E P; Nitrini, R; Jacob-Filho, W; Pasqualucci, C A; Hokkanen, S R K; Hunter, S; Keage, H; Kovacs, G G; Grinberg, L T; Suemoto, C K

2018-04-01

To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis on the prevalence of transactive response DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43) proteinopathy in cognitively normal older adults. We systematically reviewed and performed a meta-analysis on the prevalence of TDP-43 proteinopathy in older adults with normal cognition, evaluated by the Mini-Mental State Examination or the Clinical Dementia Rating. We estimated the overall prevalence of TDP-43 using random-effect models, and stratified by age, sex, sample size, study quality, antibody used to assess TDP-43 aggregates, analysed brain regions, Braak stage, Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease score, hippocampal sclerosis and geographic location. A total of 505 articles were identified in the systematic review, and 7 were included in the meta-analysis with 1196 cognitively normal older adults. We found an overall prevalence of TDP-43 proteinopathy of 24%. Prevalence of TDP-43 proteinopathy varied widely across geographic location (North America: 37%, Asia: 29%, Europe: 14%, and Latin America: 11%). Estimated prevalence of TDP-43 proteinopathy also varied according to study quality (quality score >7: 22% vs. quality score <7: 42%), antibody used to assess TDP-43 proteinopathy (native: 18% vs. hyperphosphorylated: 24%) and presence of hippocampal sclerosis (without 24% vs. with hippocampal sclerosis: 48%). Other stratified analyses by age, sex, analysed brain regions, sample size and severity of AD neuropathology showed similar pooled TDP-43 prevalence. Different methodology to access TDP-43, and also differences in lifestyle and genetic factors across different populations could explain our results. Standardization of TDP-43 measurement, and future studies about the impact of genetic and lifestyle characteristics on the development of neurodegenerative diseases are needed. © 2017 British Neuropathological Society.

Improving depression and enhancing resilience in family dementia caregivers: a pilot randomized placebo-controlled trial of escitalopram

PubMed Central

Lavretsky, H.; Siddarth, P.; Irwin, M. R.

2009-01-01

Background This study examined the potential of an antidepressant drug, escitalopram, to improve depression, resilience to stress, and quality of life in family dementia caregivers in a randomized placebo-controlled double-blind trial. Methods Forty family caregivers (43–91 years of age, 25 children and 15 spouses; 26 women) who were taking care of their relatives with Alzheimer’s disease were randomized to receive either escitalopram 10 mg/day or placebo for 12 weeks. Severity of depression, resilience, burden, distress, quality of life, and severity of care-recipient’s cognitive and behavioral disturbances were assessed at baseline and over the course of the study. The Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) scores at baseline ranged between 10–28. The groups were stratified by the diagnosis of major and minor depression. Results Most outcomes favored escitalopram over placebo. The severity of depression improved and the remission rate was greater with the drug compared to placebo. Measures of anxiety, resilience, burden and distress improved on escitalopram compared to placebo. Discussion Among caregivers, this small randomized controlled trial found that escitalopram use resulted in improvement in depression, resilience, burden and distress, and quality of life. Our results need to be confirmed in a larger sample. PMID:20104071

The Health and Social Impacts of Easy Access to Alcohol and Exposure to Alcohol Advertisements Among Women of Childbearing Age in Urban and Rural South Africa.

PubMed

Amanuel, Hanna; Morojele, Neo; London, Leslie

2017-03-07

The purpose of this study was to analyze the impact of easy access to alcohol and exposure to alcohol advertisements on women's alcohol consumption, reproductive history, and health and social outcomes in an urban and rural site in South Africa. Trained fieldworkers conducted face-to-face interviews with 1,018 women of childbearing age in the Moot, Mamelodi, and Eesterus areas of the City of Tshwane (Gauteng province) and in the rural Cederberg, Bergrivier, and Swartland municipalities (Western Cape province), recruited through random sampling and stratified cluster random sampling, respectively. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted, stratified according to the urban and rural sites and controlled for four demographic factors. In Tshwane, complications in the last pregnancy (odds ratio [OR] = 7.84, 95% CI [1.77, 34.80]), interpartner binge drinking (OR = 6.50, 95% CI [3.85, 10.94]), and community drinking (OR = 7.92, 95% CI [4.59, 13.65]) were positively associated with alcohol accessibility. Interpartner violence (OR = 4.16, 95% CI [1.99, 8.70]) and community drinking (OR = 3.39, 95% CI [2.07, 5.53]) were positively associated with exposure to alcohol advertisements. In Western Cape, community drinking (OR = 10.26, 95% CI [4.02, 26.20]) was positively associated with alcohol accessibility, whereas ability to pay for health care (OR = 0.48, 95% CI [0.24, 0.96]) was inversely associated. Hazardous drinking on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT; OR = 2.26, 95% CI [1.03, 4.95]) and CAGE (OR = 4.51, 95% CI [1.30, 15.61]), interpartner violence (OR = 1.69, 95% CI [1.04, 2.76]), and community drinking (OR = 3.39, 95% CI [2.07, 5.53]) were positively associated with exposure to alcohol advertisements. Easy access to alcohol and exposure to alcohol advertisements are positively associated with adverse health and social outcomes. Although further studies are needed, these findings lend support to emphasizing upstream policy interventions to limit access to alcohol and advertisements.

Work-based social networks and health status among Japanese employees.

PubMed

Suzuki, E; Takao, S; Subramanian, S V; Doi, H; Kawachi, I

2009-09-01

Despite the worldwide trend towards more time being spent at work by employed people, few studies have examined the independent influences of work-based versus home-based social networks on employees' health. We examined the association between work-based social networks and health status by controlling for home-based social networks in a cross-sectional study. By employing a two-stage stratified random sampling procedure, 1105 employees were identified from 46 companies in Okayama, Japan, in 2007. Work-based social networks were assessed by asking the number of co-workers whom they consult with ease on personal issues. The outcome was self-rated health; the adjusted OR for poor health compared employees with no network with those who have larger networks. Although a clear (and inverse) dose-response relationship was found between the size of work-based social networks and poor health (OR 1.53, 95% CI 1.03 to 2.27, comparing those with the lowest versus highest level of social network), the association was attenuated to statistical non-significance after we controlled for the size of home-based social networks. In further analyses stratified on age groups, in older workers (> or =50 years) work-based social networks were apparently associated with better health status, whereas home-based networks were not. The reverse was true among middle-aged workers (30-49 years). No associations were found among younger workers (<30 years). The present study suggests a differential association of alternative sources of social support on health according to age groups. We hypothesise that these patterns reflect generational differences in workers' commitment to their workplace.

Dental Service Utilization: Patterns and Barriers among Rural Elderly in Guntur District, Andhra Pradesh

PubMed Central

Koka, Krishna Mohan; Pachava, Srinivas; Sanikommu, Suresh; Ravoori, Srinivas; Chandu, Viswa Chaitanya

2016-01-01

Introduction The biological process of ageing is outside human control and has its own dynamics. It is a known fact that elderly people have more treatment needs compared to the younger population and at the same time elderly people are facing a multitude of barriers in utilization of health care as well as oral health care. Aim To identify the utilization patterns of oral health care and barriers for utilization among rural population. Materials and Methods A cross-sectional study was done on 621 rural elderly subjects to identify the utilization of oral health care services and the barriers for utilization. Using stratified cluster sampling study area was stratified into 13 rural clusters, fifty houses were randomly selected from each stratum. All the elderly subjects, as defined by the age criteria were considered for study. The data were analysed using SPSS 20 v and Chi-square tests were used to analyse the data. Results Only 31.9% of participants reported visiting a dentist in the past while 36.7% reported experiencing a dental problem at some point in their life. There were no significant differences in utilization of dental services based on gender, socio-economic status, age groups and religion. However, significant differences were found in utilization of dental services based on the response of participants to past experience of dental problems. Conclusion The present study results conclude that fear was one of the most commonly reported barriers for utilisation of dental services and there is a need for oral health education and promotion among elderly population. PMID:27135000

Evaluation of Trace Elements and Their Relationship with Growth and Development of Young Children.

PubMed

Cao, Jia; Gao, Zhenyan; Yan, Jin; Li, Minming; Su, Jia; Xu, Jian; Yan, Chong-Huai

2016-06-01

This study was conducted to assess the levels of trace elements and their relationship with growth and development of children in Shanghai, China, to offer scientific evidence for supplementing trace elements in children. A stratified, clustered, random sampling method was used in the study. Blood samples were taken from 2141 Shanghai children from 0 to 6.0 years old, and the concentrations of zinc (Zn), calcium (Ca), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), and magnesium (Mg) were measured using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Nutritional status was determined and Z-scores of anthropometric parameters, such as height for age (HFA), weight for age (WFA), and body mass index (BMI) were calculated, indicated by HAZ, WAZ, and BMIZ, respectively. The overall median blood levels of Zn, Ca, Fe, Cu, and Mg were 8.83, 79.02, 9.49, 1.04, and 15.45 mg/L, respectively. Fe, Cu, and Mg increased with age and Zn, Fe, and Cu differed by sex. HAZ and WAZ were positively correlated with Zn (r (2) = 0.072 and 0.053, respectively; P < 0.05). Trace elements were significantly related to children's growth and development. Dietary supplementation and screening of nutritional states are potential solutions to improve children's growth and development.

Age and sex prevalence of infectious dermatoses among primary school children in a rural South-Eastern Nigerian community

PubMed Central

Kalu, Eziyi Iche; Wagbatsoma, Victoria; Ogbaini-Emovon, Ephraim; Nwadike, Victor Ugochukwu; Ojide, Chiedozie Kingsley

2015-01-01

Introduction Various dermatoses, due to their morbidity characteristics, have been shown to negatively impact on learning. The most epidemiologically important seem to be the infectious types because of their transmissibility and amenability to simple school-health measures. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and sex/age correlates of infectious dermatoses in a rural South-eastern Nigerian community. Methods The pupils were proportionately recruited from the three primary schools based on school population. Stratified simple random sampling method was adopted and a table of random numbers was used to select required pupils from each arm. Clinical and laboratory examination was done to establish diagnoses of infectious skin disease. Data collected were analyzed using SPSS version 16. Results The 400 pupils consisted of 153 males and 247 females. Age range was between 6 and 12 years. The prevalence of infectious dermatoses was 72.3%. The five most prevalent clinical forms of infectious dermatoses, in order of decreasing prevalence, were tinea capitis (35.2%), scabies (10.5%), tinea corporis (5.8%), tinea pedis (5.5%), and impetigo (5.0%). More cases, generally, occurred among males than females (80.4% vs 67.2%)); while some specific clinical types, pediculosis and seborrheic dermatitis, exhibited predilection for females. Pyodermas and scabies were significantly more prevalent in the 7-9 age-group; while tinea capitis, tinea corporis, seborrheic dermatitis and pediculosis were more associated with ≥10 age-group. Conclusion Infectious dermatoses were highly prevalent in the surveyed population. Many of the clinical types exhibited sex- and age-specificity. PMID:26430479

Diet survey of two cultural groups in a coastal British Columbia community.

PubMed

Jin, A; Teschke, K; Marion, S A

1998-01-01

As part of a larger study of polychlorinated dibenzodioxin (PCDD) and dibenzofuran (PCDF) pollution, to describe and compare Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal residents' recalled diets. We surveyed a stratified random sample aged 25 to 64 years: forest products mill employees (n = 84), Aboriginal reserve residents (n = 78), and other residents (n = 80). We administered a questionnaire on intake of fish/seafood, wild game and plants, domesticated animal meat and eggs, dairy products, vegetable oils and cereals; age, gender, childbearing, lactation, residence and smoking. We measured height and weight. Reserve residents ate less seafood, but more fish roe, eulachon grease, smoked salmon, clams and sea urchins, more deer organs, hamburger meat, pork, fried chicken, and hot-dogs, but less rabbit, beef steaks/roasts, high-fibre cereals, potato chips, bread, cheese and milk. We cannot yet quantify PCDD and PCDF intakes. The wild food consumption data are unique and may be useful for risk assessments in the target population and similar communities.

Personal space smoking restrictions among African Americans.

PubMed

King, Gary; Mallett, Robyn; Kozlowski, Lynn; Bendel, Robert B; Nahata, Sunny

2005-01-01

This paper investigates the association between implementing a personal space smoking restriction for the home or automobile, and various sociodemographic, social, behavioral, and attitudinal variables. Approximately 1000 African-American adults (aged >18 years) residing in non-institutionalized settings were randomly selected using a cross-sectional stratified cluster sample of ten U.S. congressional districts represented by African Americans. A 62.0% and 70.4% ban was found, respectively, on smoking in homes and cars. Multivariate analysis revealed that region, marital status, number of friends who smoked, beliefs about environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), and smoking status predicted home smoking bans, while age, number of children in household, number of friends who smoked, and beliefs about ETS and smoking status predicted car smoking bans. Results suggest that a substantial segment of African Americans have accepted and translated public policy concerns about ETS into practice and reveal other variables that could be targeted in future interventions to increase implementation of personal space smoking restrictions.

HIV/AIDS behavioral surveillance among Angolan military men.

PubMed

Bing, Eric G; Ortiz, Daniel J; Ovalle-Bahamón, Ricardo E; Cheng, Karen G; Huang, Fannie H; Ernesto, Francisco; Duan, Naihua

2008-07-01

To assess HIV-related risk behavior among military men in a post-conflict sub-Saharan African country with low HIV prevalence this study evaluated sexual risk taking and related behaviors among a stratified random sample of 1,710 military personnel in four regions of Angola. Over 90% were sexually active and 60% had two or more sexual partners within the past year. Condom use varied depending on partner type, from a low of 10% to a high of 54%. Factors independently predicting the number of sexual partners included younger age, younger age of sexual debut, being away from home, being in the eastern part of the country, higher military rank, higher education, alcohol before sex, and problem alcohol use. Independent predictors of sexually transmitted infection symptoms included age of sexual debut, lower education, higher rank, and having had sex with a casual partner or a commercial sex worker in the previous 12 months. These findings indicate high rates of HIV risk-taking behaviors among military personnel and the need for aggressive prevention campaigns to reduce HIV risk among military personnel and the populations they serve.

Cluster-Randomized Trial to Increase Hepatitis B Testing among Koreans in Los Angeles.

PubMed

Bastani, Roshan; Glenn, Beth A; Maxwell, Annette E; Jo, Angela M; Herrmann, Alison K; Crespi, Catherine M; Wong, Weng K; Chang, L Cindy; Stewart, Susan L; Nguyen, Tung T; Chen, Moon S; Taylor, Victoria M

2015-09-01

In the United States, Korean immigrants experience a disproportionately high burden of chronic hepatitis B (HBV) viral infection and associated liver cancer compared with the general population. However, despite clear clinical guidelines, HBV serologic testing among Koreans remains persistently suboptimal. We conducted a cluster-randomized trial to evaluate a church-based small group intervention to improve HBV testing among Koreans in Los Angeles. Fifty-two Korean churches, stratified by size (small, medium, large) and location (Koreatown versus other), were randomized to intervention or control conditions. Intervention church participants attended a single-session small-group discussion on liver cancer and HBV testing, and control church participants attended a similar session on physical activity and nutrition. Outcome data consisted of self-reported HBV testing obtained via 6-month telephone follow-up interviews. We recruited 1,123 individuals, 18 to 64 years of age, across the 52 churches. Ninety-two percent of the sample attended the assigned intervention session and 86% completed the 6-month follow-up. Sample characteristics included were as follows: mean age 46 years, 65% female, 97% born in Korea, 69% completed some college, and 43% insured. In an intent-to-treat analysis, the intervention produced a statistically significant effect (OR = 4.9, P < 0.001), with 19% of intervention and 6% of control group participants reporting a HBV test. Our intervention was successful in achieving a large and robust effect in a population at high risk of HBV infection and sequelae. The intervention was fairly resource efficient and thus has high potential for replication in other high-risk Asian groups. ©2015 American Association for Cancer Research.

Enhancing Asthma Self-Management in Rural School-Aged Children: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

PubMed

Horner, Sharon D; Brown, Adama; Brown, Sharon A; Rew, D Lynn

2016-06-01

To test the effects of 2 modes of delivering an asthma educational intervention on health outcomes and asthma self-management in school-aged children who live in rural areas. Longitudinal design with data collected 4 times over 12 months. The target sample was composed of children in grades 2-5 who had a provider diagnosis of asthma. Elementary schools were stratified into high or low socioeconomic status based on student enrollment in the free or reduced-cost lunch program. Schools were then randomly assigned to 1 of 3 treatment arms: in-school asthma class, asthma day camp, or the attention-control group. Sample retention was good (87.7%) and equally distributed by study arm. Improvements in emergency department visits and office visits were related to attending either the asthma class or asthma day camp. Asthma severity significantly decreased in both asthma treatment groups. Other factors such as hospitalizations, parent asthma management, and child asthma management improved for all groups. Both asthma class and asthma day camp yielded significant reductions in asthma severity. There were reductions in the emergency department and office visits for the 2 asthma arms, and hospitalizations declined significantly for all groups. Asthma self-management also improved in all groups, while it was somewhat higher in the asthma arms. This may be due to the attention being drawn to asthma management by study participation and the action of completing questionnaires about asthma management, asthma symptoms, and health outcomes. © 2015 National Rural Health Association.

In the Aftermath of Act 10: The Changed State of Teaching in a Changed State

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swalwell, Katy; Schweber, Simone; Sinclair, Kristin; Gallagher, Jennifer; Schirmer, Eleni

2017-01-01

Act 10, the 2011 legislative ruling in Wisconsin that reduced public-sector unions' collective bargaining power, provides a descriptive case study to examine what happens to teachers when collective bargaining disappears. Analysis of interviews with social studies teachers (n = 26) from a stratified random sample of 13 districts shows that the…

Impact of Sex Education in Kogi State, Nigeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sule, H. A.; Akor, J. A.; Toluhi, O. J.; Suleiman, R. O.; Akpihi, L.; Ali, O. U.

2015-01-01

The focus of this study was to investigate the impact of family sex education in secondary schools on students in Kogi State, Nigeria. The descriptive survey design was used for the study. A total of 1,960 secondary school students were drawn by stratified random sampling from 40 schools within Kogi State, Nigeria. Three research questions were…

Marital and Procreative Projections of Rural Louisiana Youth: A Historical Comparison.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Kevin B.; Ohlendorf, George W.

Changes in marital and procreative projections among rural Louisiana high school youth between 1968 and 1972 were examined. In 1968 a proportionate, stratified, random cluster sampling technique was employed to secure data on seniors from 13 white and 7 black high schools. In 1972 public school integration and the establishment of private schools…

Teachers' Perception of Evaluation and Testing in Nigerian Secondary School System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oguzor, Nkasiobi Silas; Opara, Jacinta Agbarachi

2013-01-01

This study was aimed to find out from the teachers in Nigeria, their perception of the functionalism and their participation in the internal testing programme of secondary schools special reference to a state in southern Nigeria. A sample of 1,000 teachers was randomly stratified from the entire teachers' population of 6,000 in government-own…

Mental Health and Childhood Adversities: A Longitudinal Study in Kabul, Afghanistan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Panter-Brick, Catherine; Goodman, Anna; Tol, Wietse; Eggerman, Mark

2011-01-01

Objective: To identify prospective predictors of mental health in Kabul, Afghanistan. Method: Using stratified random-sampling in schools, mental health and life events for 11- to 16-year-old students and their caregivers were assessed. In 2007, 1 year after baseline, the retention rate was 64% (n = 115 boys, 119 girls, 234 adults) with no…

Gender, Ethnicity, and Students' Perceptions about Science and Science-Related Careers in Fiji.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rennie, L. J.; Dunne, M.

1994-01-01

From data obtained from a questionnaire administered to a stratified, random sample of Form 5 (16-year-old) students in Fiji, it was concluded that gender and ethnicity were found to have no consistent relationship with students' perceptions, attitudes, and attributions about science. Different kinds of career advice were given to students on the…

Selected Health Practices Among Ohio's Rural Residents.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Phillips, G. Howard; Pugh, Albert

Using a stratified random sample of 12 of Ohio's 88 counties, this 1967 study had as its objectives (1) to measure the level of participation in selected health practices by Ohio's rural residents, (2) to compare the level of participation in selected health practices of farm and rural nonfarm residents, and (3) to examine levels of participation…

Vocational + Academic Integration: Preparing Texas Students for the Work Force. Evaluation Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Texas State Council on Vocational Education, Austin.

In a study of integration of vocational and academic education in Texas, administrators of a stratified random sample of 112 school districts in the state were surveyed, and 65% responded. Steps toward integration were being taken in 84% of the districts; however, only four districts have implemented integration plans described as comprehensive.…

Demographic trends in Claremont California’s street tree population

Treesearch

Natalie S. van Doorn; E. Gregory McPherson

2018-01-01

The aim of this study was to quantify street tree population dynamics in the city of Claremont, CA. A repeated measures survey (2000 and 2014) based on a stratified random sampling approach across size classes and for the most abundant 21 species was analyzed to calculate removal, growth, and replacement planting rates. Demographic rates were estimated using a...

Unmet Dental Needs and Barriers to Dental Care among Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lai, Bien; Milano, Michael; Roberts, Michael W.; Hooper, Stephen R.

2012-01-01

Mail-in pilot-tested questionnaires were sent to a stratified random sample of 1,500 families from the North Carolina Autism Registry. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine the significance of unmet dental needs and other predictors. Of 568 surveys returned (Response Rate = 38%), 555 were complete and usable. Sixty-five…

A Correlation of Biology Teachers' Pupil Control Ideology and Their Classroom Teaching Practices.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Paul L.; Blankenship, Jacob W.

The Pupil Control Ideology Form (PCI Form) and the Biology Classroom Activity Checklist (BCAC) were used to determine the relationship between teachers' stated pupil control ideology and the extent to which their students reported the use of inquiry methods in the classroom. Data were collected from a stratified random sample of 168 teachers and…

The Development and Validation of a Mechanical Critical Thinking Scale for High School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yu, Kuang-Chao; Lin, Kuen-Yi; Chang, Shu-Fen

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to develop a mechanical critical thinking scale for high school students. A stratified random sampling method was used to establish the norms. After pre-tests and item analysis, the scale was determined to have five subtest sections (i.e., recognition of assumptions, induction, deduction, interpretation, and…

Factors Affecting the Establishment of Young Farm Operators in Iowa and Implications for Agricultural Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crawford, Harold R.

A stratified random sample of 307 young farm operators from the five farming areas of Iowa were interviewed to: (1) ascertain factors influencing the establishment of young farm operators, (2) estimate the number of young farm operators becoming established each year, (3) determine their agricultural education needs, (4) examine differences among…

A Survey of Theatre in American Secondary Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gillespie, Patti; And Others

In a survey of the status of theatre in high schools throughout the United States, questionnaires were sent to a random sample of high schools stratified by state and by school size. Analysis of the responses obtained from 606 schools (20.2% return) indicated that most secondary-school drama programs operate on the cocurricular level and emphasize…

Awareness, Knowledge and Exercise of Individual Employment Rights. Employment Relations Research Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meager, Nigel; Tyers, Claire; Perryman, Sarah; Rick, Jo; Willison, Rebecca

Recent employment law reforms in England precipitated a telephone survey of a stratified random sample of 5,120 employed people (1,000 respondents) that was intended to find their levels of awareness and knowledge of employment rights and their exercise of those rights. Survey results included the following: (1) nearly 70% of those questioned…

Multiple Intelligences Patterns of Students at King Saud University and Its Relationship with Mathematics' Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kandeel, Refat A. A.

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the multiple intelligences patterns of students at King Saud University and its relationship with academic achievement for the courses of Mathematics. The study sample consisted of 917 students were selected a stratified random manner, the descriptive analysis method and Pearson correlation were used, the…

The Interrelationships of Preadolescents' Student Characteristics Influencing Selection of Career Exploration Courses [And Abstract]. Industrial Arts Education Monograph No. 1.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meehan, Merrill L.

The study investigated the interaction of personal and environmental factors influencing seventh graders' selection of career exploration courses for increased exploration in the eighth grade. A stratified random sample (496 students) was drawn from the Pittsburgh Public School's Occupational, Vocational, and Technical Exploratory Program.…

A Classroom Observational Study of Qatar's Independent Schools: Instruction and School Reform

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Palmer, Douglas J.; Sadiq, Hissa M.; Lynch, Patricia; Parker, Dawn; Viruru, Radhika; Knight, Stephanie; Waxman, Hersh; Alford, Beverly; Brown, Danielle Bairrington; Rollins, Kayla; Stillisano, Jacqueline; Abu-Tineh, Abdullah M. Hamdan; Nasser, Ramzi; Allen, Nancy; Al-Binali, Hessa; Ellili, Maha; Al-Kateeb, Haithem; Al-Kubaisi, Huda

2016-01-01

Qatar initiated a K-12 national educational reform in 2001. However, there is limited information on the instructional practices of the teachers in the reform schools. This project was an observational study of classrooms with a stratified random sample of the first six cohorts of reform schools. Specifically, 156 classrooms were observed in 29…

The Malleability of Spatial Ability under Treatment of a FIRST LEGO League-Based Robotics Unit

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coxon, Steven Vincent

2012-01-01

Spatial ability is important to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) success, but spatial talents are rarely developed in schools. Likewise, the gifted may become STEM innovators, but they are rarely provided with pedagogy appropriate to develop their abilities in schools. A stratified random sample of volunteer participants (n = 75)…

Date Fighting Experiences among College Students: Are They Associated with Other Health-Risk Behaviors?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DuRant, Robert; Champion, Heather; Wolfson, Mark; Omli, Morrow; McCoy, Thomas; D'Agostino, Ralph B., Jr.; Wagoner, Kim; Mitra, Ananda

2007-01-01

Objective: The authors examined the clustering of health-risk behaviors among college students who reported date fight involvement. Participants and Methods: The authors administered a Web-based survey to a stratified random sample of 3,920 college students from 10 universities in North Carolina. Results: Among men, 5.6% reported date fight…

A Citation Analysis of Who's Who in Introductory Textbooks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Griggs, Richard A.; Proctor, Derrick L.

2002-01-01

Given the many changes in the introductory psychology textbook market in the past 2 decades and the lack of a recent citation study of introductory texts, we conducted a citation analysis of a stratified random sample of current texts. To provide a more comprehensive picture of current citation emphases, we extended our analysis to the top 60…

An unconventional approach to ecosystem unit classification in western North Carolina, USA

Treesearch

W. Henry McNab; Sara A. Browning; Steven A. Simon; Penelope E. Fouts

1999-01-01

The authors used an unconventional combination of data transformation and multivariate analyses to reduce subjectivity in identification of ecosystem units in a mountainous region of western North Carolina, USA. Vegetative cover and environmental variables were measured on 79 stratified, randomly located, 0.1 ha sample plots in a 4000 ha watershed. Binary...

Understanding Intermediate-Level Speakers' Strengths and Weaknesses: An Examination of OPIc Tests from Korean Learners of English

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cox, Troy L.

2017-01-01

This study profiled Intermediate-level learners in terms of their linguistic characteristics and performance on different proficiency tasks. A stratified random sample of 300 Korean learners of English with holistic ratings of Intermediate Low (IL), Intermediate Mid (IM), and Intermediate High (IH) on Oral Proficiency Interviews-computerized…

Development of Antisocial Personality Disorder in Detained Youths: The Predictive Value of Mental Disorders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Washburn, Jason J.; Romero, Erin Gregory; Welty, Leah J.; Abram, Karen M.; Teplin, Linda A.; McClelland, Gary M.; Paskar, Leah D.

2007-01-01

Antisocial personality disorder (APD) is a serious public and mental health concern. Understanding how well conduct disorder (CD) and other mental disorders predict the development of APD among youths involved in the juvenile justice system is critical for prevention. The authors used a stratified random sample of 1,112 detained youths to examine…

Educational Service Quality in Zanjan University of Medical Sciences from Students' Point of View

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mohammadi, Ali; Mohammadi, Jamshid

2014-01-01

This study aims at evaluating perceived service quality in Zanjan University of Medical Sciences (ZUMS). This study was cross-sectional and authors surveyed educational services at ZUMS. Through stratified random sampling, 384 students were selected and an adapted SERVQUAL instrument was used for data collection. Data analysis was performed by…

Teaching Effectiveness in Private Higher Education Institutions in Botswana: Analysis of Students' Perceptions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baliyan, Som Pal; Moorad, Fazlur Rehman

2018-01-01

This quantitative study analyzed the perceptions of students on teaching effectiveness in private higher education institutions in Botswana. An exploratory and descriptive survey research design was adopted in this study. A valid and reliable questionnaire was used to collect data through a survey of 560 stratified randomly sampled students in…

Students' and Human Rights Awareness in Secondary Schools' Environment in Delta State

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Akiri, Agharuwhe A.

2013-01-01

The paper reviewed the concept of human rights, possible origin and relevance to human society in general and the school system in particular. It evaluated people's level of awareness of these rights amongst students and teachers of secondary schools in Delta Central Senatorial District. The stratified random sampling technique was adopted to…

The Long-Term Effects of Florida's Third Grade Retention Policy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Andre K.

2016-01-01

The purpose of this quantitative causal-comparative study was to evaluate the long-term effects of Florida's Third-Grade Retention policy on low performing students' subsequent academic performance as measured by FCAT reading scores. The study included a random stratified sample of 1500 retained third graders for failure to meet Florida's…

Do Human-Figure Drawings of Children and Adolescents Mirror Their Cognitive Style and Self-Esteem?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dey, Anindita; Ghosh, Paromita

2016-01-01

The investigation probed relationships among human-figure drawing, field-dependent-independent cognitive style and self-esteem of 10-15 year olds. It also attempted to predict human-figure drawing scores of participants based on their field-dependence-independence and self-esteem. Area, stratified and multi-stage random sampling were used to…

Implementation of Possession Laws and the Social Ecology of Tobacco Control

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Livingood, William C.; Woodhouse, Lynn D.; Wludyka, Peter

2009-01-01

The objective of this evaluation research was to assess the impact of programs intended to support the enforcement component of a comprehensive youth tobacco control. The research method was a survey of a randomly stratified cluster sample of law enforcement officers. Results of the evaluation showed that the enforcement behaviors of officers were…

Brain Hemisphericity and Mathematics Achievement of High School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fernandez, Sanny F.

2011-01-01

This study aimed to find out the brain hemisphericity and mathematics achievement of high school students. The respondents of the study were the 168 first year high school students of Colegio de San Jose, during school year 2010-2011 who were chosen through stratified random sampling. The descriptive and interview methods of research were used in…

The Degree of Symmetrical among the Teaching Staff at Tafila Technical University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kraimeen, Hani; Al-Hajaya, Suleiman

2017-01-01

The study was conducted to identify the degree of symmetrical among the teaching staff members at Tafila Technical University. The study community was comprised of all the 239 members of the teaching staff at Tafila Technical University. The study sample was selected by using the stratified random method according to the faculty variable which…

Level of Discipline among University Academic Staff as a Correlate of University Development in Nigeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Uhoman, Anyi Mary

2017-01-01

This study entitled "Level of Discipline Among University Academic Staff as a Correlate of University Development in Nigeria" adopted the correlation design with a population of 2,301 academic staff purposively selected from four Universities in the North-Central Geo-Political zone of Nigeria. The Stratified Random Sampling Method was…

Focus Group Studies on Food Safety Knowledge, Perceptions, and Practices of School-Going Adolescent Girls in South India

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gavaravarapu, Subba Rao M.; Vemula, Sudershan R.; Rao, Pratima; Mendu, Vishnu Vardhana Rao; Polasa, Kalpagam

2009-01-01

Objective: To understand food safety knowledge, perceptions, and practices of adolescent girls. Design: Focus group discussions (FGDs) with 32 groups selected using stratified random sampling. Setting: Four South Indian states. Participants: Adolescent girls (10-19 years). Phenomena of Interest: Food safety knowledge, perceptions, and practices.…

Factors That Predict Negative Versus Positive Addictions in Offspring: Are Dependent Exercisers Different Than Victims of Other Addictions?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Manning, Terri M.

The study reported here assessed individuals' selection of excessive exercise dependent behaviors as they relate to self-esteem, family environment, and perceptions of family members exhibiting dysfunctional behaviors or addictions. A survey was taken of exercisers from a stratified random sample of competitive triathletes selected from the…

Culture, Motivation, and Vocational Decision-Making of Australian Senior High School Students in Private Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jung, Jae Yup; McCormick, John; Gregory, Gary; Barnett, Kerry

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the roles of culture and motivation in the occupational decisions of senior high school students attending private schools. A theoretical framework guided the study. A questionnaire was administered to 492 Grade 11 students attending a stratified random sample of six independent (private) schools…

WRITING SKILLS--ARE LARGE CLASSES CONDUCTIVE TO EFFECTIVE LEARNING.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

HOPPER, HAROLD H.; KELLER, HELEN

BY A STRATIFIED RANDOM SAMPLING, 274 STUDENTS WERE ASSIGNED TO THREE SECTIONS OF 56 STUDENTS EACH AND FOUR SECTIONS OF 28 STUDENTS. EVALUATION OF THE INSTRUCTION IN THE LARGE AND SMALL GROUPS INVOLVED ANALYSIS OF TWO ESSAYS AND INSTRUCTOR-STUDENT EVALUATIONS. WHILE THERE WAS SOME VARIATION IN STUDENT PREFERENCES, THE RESULTS OF THE PRETEST AND THE…

Evaluation of the Impact of Media Marketing Strategies on Continuing Education Enrollments. AIR Forum 1982 Paper.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Campbell, Jill F.; Spiro, Louis M.

The impact of media marketing strategies on continuing education enrollment at the State University of New York College at Brockport (SUNY-CB), was evaluated. The evaluation of advertising impacts used advertising records of SUNY-CB and other area colleges and a telephone questionnaire instrument. A stratified, random countywide sample, in…

A Study of the Relationships between Distributed Leadership, Teacher Academic Optimism and Student Achievement in Taiwanese Elementary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chang, I-Hua

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships between distributed leadership, teachers' academic optimism and student achievement in learning. The study targeted public elementary schools in Taiwan and adopted stratified random sampling to investigate 1500 teachers. Teachers' perceptions were collected by a self-report scale. In…

Investigating the Relationship between School Level and a School Growth Mindset

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hanson, Janet; Ruff, William; Bangert, Arthur

2016-01-01

This study explored the relationship between school level and the psychosocial construct of a growth mindset school culture. Data was collected on the What's My School Mindset (WMSM) Survey from a stratified random sample of PK-12 faculty and administrators (n = 347) in 30 schools across a large northwestern state. The overarching research…

Cigarette advertising and children's smoking: why Reg was withdrawn.

PubMed

Hastings, G B; Ryan, H; Teer, P; MacKintosh, A M

1994-10-08

To examine the appeal of the Embassy Regal "Reg" campaign to young people. Three quantitative surveys and one piece of qualitative research: (a) self completion questionnaire administered in classrooms, (b) questionnaire led interviews with children, (c) questionnaire led interviews with adults, and (d) group discussions with children and adults. (a) Secondary and middle schools in England; (b) north of England, Scotland, and Wales; (c) north of England, Scotland, and Wales; and (d) Glasgow. (a) 5451 schoolchildren aged 11-15 recruited by stratified random sampling; (b) 437 children aged 5-10 recruited by quota sampling; (c) 814 adults aged 15-65 recruited by quota sampling; and (d) 12 groups of children aged 10-15, three groups of adults aged 18-24, and three groups of adults aged 35-55. Children were familiar with cigarette advertising and in particular the Reg campaign. Although younger children struggled to understand the creative content of the adverts, older and smoking children could understand and appreciate the humour. They considered Reg to be amusing and could relate to the type of joke used in the advert. In addition Reg's flippant attitude towards serious issues appealed to the children. While adults aged 18-24 understood the campaign they did not identify with it, and 35-55 year olds (the campaign's supposed target) were unappreciative of the campaign. The Reg campaign was getting through to children more effectively than it was to adults and held most appeal for teenagers, particularly 14-15 year old smokers. It clearly contravened the code governing tobacco advertising, which states that advertising must not appeal to children more than it does to adults, and it may have had a direct impact on teenage smoking. In view of these findings the Advertising Standards Authority's decision to withdraw the Reg campaign seems appropriate.

[Prevalence and sequelae of childhood sexual abuse in Spain].

PubMed

López, F; Carpintero, E; Hernández, A; Martín, M J; Fuertes, A

1995-09-01

The aim of this research was to determine the prevalence of sexual abuse in Spain and its long and short effects. A representative sample of Spanish society was studied (N = 1.821) through proportional stratified random sampling. Data were obtained by interview (Personal History of Sexual Abuse), carried out in the subjects home and by means of a Self Reporting Questionnaire (S.R.Q.), which the interviewer gave the subject to be returned by post. The results show a high prevalence of sexual abuse prior to age 17 (15% of males and 22% of females) with short-term effects (lack of trust, disgust, fear, hostility towards the aggressor, shame, anxiety, etc.) and in long-term a greater tendency towards mental health problems (F = 7.7; p < .01), as well as other problems throughout the life cycle (running away from home, school failure, sexual dissatisfaction, drug-taking, etc.). The high prevalence and the clear long and short effect make prevention programs and help for the victims advisable.

Prevalence of alcohol-impaired drivers based on random breath tests in a roadside survey in Catalonia (Spain).

PubMed

Alcañiz, Manuela; Guillén, Montserrat; Santolino, Miguel; Sánchez-Moscona, Daniel; Llatje, Oscar; Ramon, Lluís

2014-04-01

Sobriety checkpoints are not usually randomly located by traffic authorities. As such, information provided by non-random alcohol tests cannot be used to infer the characteristics of the general driving population. In this paper a case study is presented in which the prevalence of alcohol-impaired driving is estimated for the general population of drivers. A stratified probabilistic sample was designed to represent vehicles circulating in non-urban areas of Catalonia (Spain), a region characterized by its complex transportation network and dense traffic around the metropolis of Barcelona. Random breath alcohol concentration tests were performed during spring 2012 on 7596 drivers. The estimated prevalence of alcohol-impaired drivers was 1.29%, which is roughly a third of the rate obtained in non-random tests. Higher rates were found on weekends (1.90% on Saturdays and 4.29% on Sundays) and especially at night. The rate is higher for men (1.45%) than for women (0.64%) and it shows an increasing pattern with age. In vehicles with two occupants, the proportion of alcohol-impaired drivers is estimated at 2.62%, but when the driver was alone the rate drops to 0.84%, which might reflect the socialization of drinking habits. The results are compared with outcomes in previous surveys, showing a decreasing trend in the prevalence of alcohol-impaired drivers over time. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Precompetitive achievement goals, stress appraisals, emotions, and coping among athletes.

PubMed

Nicholls, Adam R; Perry, John L; Calmeiro, Luis

2014-10-01

Grounded in Lazarus's (1991, 1999, 2000) cognitive-motivational-relational theory of emotions, we tested a model of achievement goals, stress appraisals, emotions, and coping. We predicted that precompetitive achievement goals would be associated with appraisals, appraisals with emotions, and emotions with coping in our model. The mediating effects of emotions among the overall sample of 827 athletes and two stratified random subsamples were also explored. The results of this study support our proposed model in the overall sample and the stratified subsamples. Further, emotion mediated the relationship between appraisal and coping. Mediation analyses revealed that there were indirect effects of pleasant and unpleasant emotions, which indicates the importance of examining multiple emotions to reveal a more accurate representation of the overall stress process. Our findings indicate that both appraisals and emotions are just as important in shaping coping.

The Prevalence of Four Types of Childhood Maltreatment in Denmark

PubMed Central

Christoffersen, Mogens N; Armour, Cherie; Lasgaard, Mathias; Andersen, Tonny E; Elklit, Ask

2013-01-01

Objectives: To estimate the prevalence of four types of childhood maltreatment in Denmark while taking into considerations how each of the types of maltreatment vary as a function of gender or child-protection status. Methods: Data were collected from a Danish national study conducted by The Danish National Centre for Social Research in 2008 and 2009. The study used a stratified random probability sample of young people aged 24 years. A sample of 4718 young adults were randomly selected by Statistics Denmark using the total birth cohort of all children born in 1984. The response rate was 63% leaving a total effective sample size of 2980. A structured residential or telephone interview enquired about a range of respondents maltreatment experiences. Results: Maltreatment is experienced by a significant proportion of Danish children. The reported prevalence rates were; physical neglect (3.0%), emotional abuse (5.2%), physical abuse (5.4%) and sexual abuse (3.4%). All trauma types were experienced by a greater percentage of females compared to males with the exception of physical abuse and all trauma types were experienced by a greater percentage of children given child-protection status. Conclusions: Female children and children who are given child protection status are those most at risk for experiencing maltreatment in Denmark. However, variability in prevalence rates of maltreatment across studies is problematic. Methodological variations and variation in abuse definitions may be partly attributable. PMID:24155769

U.S. consumer demand for restaurant calorie information: targeting demographic and behavioral segments in labeling initiatives.

PubMed

Kolodinsky, Jane; Reynolds, Travis William; Cannella, Mark; Timmons, David; Bromberg, Daniel

2009-01-01

To identify different segments of U.S. consumers based on food choices, exercise patterns, and desire for restaurant calorie labeling. Using a stratified (by region) random sample of the U.S. population, trained interviewers collected data for this cross-sectional study through telephone surveys. Center for Rural Studies U.S. national health survey. The final sample included 580 responses (22% response rate); data were weighted to be representative of age and gender characteristics of the U.S. population. Self-reported behaviors related to food choices, exercise patterns, desire for calorie information in restaurants, and sample demographics. Clusters were identified using Schwartz Bayesian criteria. Impacts of demographic characteristics on cluster membership were analyzed using bivariate tests of association and multinomial logit regression. Cluster analysis revealed three clusters based on respondents' food choices, activity levels, and desire for restaurant labeling. Two clusters, comprising three quarters of the sample, desired calorie labeling in restaurants. The remaining cluster opposed restaurant labeling. Demographic variables significantly predicting cluster membership included region of residence (p < .10), income (p < .05), gender (p < .01), and age (p < .10). Though limited by a low response and potential self-reporting bias in the phone survey, this study suggests that several groups are likely to benefit from restaurant calorie labeling. Specific demographic clusters could be targeted through labeling initiatives.

[Overweight and obesity: prevalence and determining social factors of overweight in the Peruvian population (2009-2010)].

PubMed

Álvarez-Dongo, Doris; Sánchez-Abanto, Jose; Gómez-Guizado, Guillermo; Tarqui-Mamani, Carolina

2012-01-01

Estimate the prevalence of overweight, obesity and the determining social factors of overweight in the Peruvian population. A cross-cut study was conducted which included family members from homes in the sample of the National Household Survey, 2009-2010. Stratified random and multistage sampling was used. The sample included 69 526 members; the anthropometric measurements were done based on the international methodology. To evaluate overweight and obesity, weight-for-height (children <5 years), BMI for age (children and teenagers from 5 to 19 years old), and BMI for adults were used. An analysis of complex samples was made in SPSS and the weighting factor was adjusted. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression were calculated with a 95% confidence interval. Overweight and obesity were higher in young adults (62.3%) and lower in children <5 years old (8.2%). The determining social factors for overweight according to age group were: not being poor (child <5 years old, children 5-9 years old, teenagers and the elderly), living in urban areas (child <5 years old, teenagers, young adults, adults and the elderly) and being a woman (children 5-9 years old, adults and the elderly). Overweight and obesity are indeed a public health issue in Peru. Not being poor and living in urban areas are determining social factors of overweight among Peruvian people.

High-level physical activity in childhood seems to protect against low back pain in early adolescence.

PubMed

Wedderkopp, N; Kjaer, P; Hestbaek, L; Korsholm, L; Leboeuf-Yde, C

2009-02-01

The evidence on the impact of physical activity on back pain in children and adolescents has been contradicting. It has also been shown that the physical activity cannot accurately be estimated in children using questionnaires. The aim of this study was to establish if physical activity in childhood had any impact on back pain reporting in early adolescence (3 years later), using an objective instrumental measurement of physical activity. Prospective cohort study. Representative random sample of Danish children from the city of Odense sampled at age 9 years and followed-up at age 12 years. The 1-month period prevalence of back pain (neck pain, mid back pain, and low back pain) was established using a structured interview. Physical activity was assessed with the MTI-accelerometer. The accelerometer provides a minute-by-minute measure of the physical activity performed. An overall measure of physical activity and time spent in high activity were studied in relation to back pain using logistic regression. The analyses were performed on the total sample and then stratified on back pain (yes/no) at baseline. High physical activity (HPA) levels seem to protect against future low back pain and appear to actually "treat" and reduce the odds of future mid back pain. When comparing the least active children to the most active children, the least active had a multivariate odds ratio of 3.3 of getting low back pain and 2.7 of getting mid back pain 3 years later. When stratified on back pain at baseline, this effect on mid back pain was especially noticeable in children who had had mid back pain already at baseline, with an odds ratio of 7.2. HPA in childhood seems to protect against low back pain and mid back pain in early adolescence. Larger prospective studies with repetitive follow-ups and preferably intervention studies should be performed, to see if these findings can be reproduced.

Ethical issues in primary health care: a survey of practitioners' perceptions.

PubMed

Robillard, H M; High, D M; Sebastian, J G; Pisaneschi, J I; Perritt, L J; Mahler, D M

1989-01-01

While most health care is provided at the primary care level, little research has been done to document the ethical issues of such care. A stratified random sample of 702 physicians, nurses, physical therapist, and physician assistants within one southeastern state was surveyed to determine the frequency of ethical issues in primary care. The most frequently occurring issue concerned moral decisions about the amount of time to spend with each patient. A comparison of physician and nonphysician professional groups revealed significant differences in frequencies of the issues. Age had a slight impact on the responses, while gender, religion, and region of practice had none. The study showed that the most frequently occurring issues are pragmatic, not dramatic, and center on patient self-determination, adequacy of care and professional responsibility, and distribution of resources.

Correlates of Illicit Drug Use Among Indigenous Peoples in Canada: A Test of Social Support Theory.

PubMed

Cao, Liqun; Burton, Velmer S; Liu, Liu

2018-02-01

Relying on a national stratified random sample of Indigenous peoples aged 19 years old and above in Canada, this study investigates the correlates of illicit drug use among Indigenous peoples, paying special attention to the association between social support measures and illegal drug use. Results from multivariate logistical regression show that measures of social support, such as residential mobility, strength of ties within communities, and lack of timely counseling, are statistically significant correlates of illicit drug use. Those identifying as Christian are significantly less likely to use illegal drugs. This is the first nationwide analysis of the illicit drug usage of Indigenous peoples in Canada. The results are robust because we have controlled for a range of comorbidity variables as well as a series of sociodemographic variables. Policy implications from these findings are discussed.

Determinants of birthweight: gender based analysis.

PubMed

Halileh, Samia; Abu-Rmeileh, Niveen; Watt, Graham; Spencer, Nick; Gordon, Nahida

2008-09-01

The objective of this cross sectional study is to look at determinants of birth weight and their association with the gender of the baby in 2,795 full term children living in the occupied Palestinian territory, derived from a stratified random sample of 2,994 households in the West Bank and 2,234 households in the Gaza Strip. The response rate was 85%. Multivariable analysis using analysis of variance for mixed models showed that sex and birth order, maternal age and education and to a lesser extent region were determinants of birth weight for all children. The effect of maternal education on birth weight differed for female and male infants, tending to be relatively unchanged for male infants and with mean birth weights increasing with maternal education in female infants. The effect of birth order differed by maternal age, with mean birth weight increasing with maternal age for first and second births; but being unaffected by maternal age for infants of birth order greater than two. We conclude that birth weight is influenced by common biological determinants across cultures, but is also influenced by social, ethnic, and environmental factors that are culture specific, of which some might be gender related.

Are effort-reward imbalance and social isolation mediating the association between education and depressiveness? Baseline findings from the lidA(§)-study.

PubMed

du Prel, Jean-Baptist; Iskenius, Mario; Peter, Richard

2014-12-01

To investigate multiple mediations of the association between education and depressive symptoms (BDI-V) by work-related stress (ERI) and social isolation, the regional variation of the first mediation and a potential moderating effect of regional unemployment rate. 6339 employees born in 1959 and 1965 were randomly recruited from 222 sample points in a German cohort study on work, age, health and work participation. A multilevel model of moderated lower-level mediation was used to investigate the confirmatory research question. Multiple mediations were tested corresponding to Baron and Kenny. These analyses were stratified for age and adjusted for sex, negative affectivity and overcommitment. In the association between education and depressive symptoms, indirect effects of work-related stress and social isolation were significant in both age cohorts whereas a direct association was observable in the younger cohort, only. The significant regional variation in the association between work-related stress and depressive symptoms was not statistically explained by regional unemployment rate. Our findings point out that work-related stress and social isolation play an intermediary role between education and depressive symptoms in middle-aged employees.

Migration, urbanisation and mortality: 5-year longitudinal analysis of the PERU MIGRANT study

PubMed Central

Pena, Melissa S Burroughs; Bernabé-Ortiz, Antonio; Carrillo-Larco, Rodrigo M; Sánchez, Juan F; Quispe, Renato; Pillay, Timesh D; Málaga, Germán; Gilman, Robert H; Smeeth, Liam; Miranda, J Jaime

2015-01-01

Objective To compare all-cause and cause-specific mortality among 3 distinct groups: within-country, rural-to-urban migrants, and rural and urban dwellers in a longitudinal cohort in Peru. Methods The PERU MIGRANT Study, a longitudinal cohort study, used an age-stratified and sex-stratified random sample of urban dwellers in a shanty town community in the capital city of Peru, rural dwellers in the Andes, and migrants from the Andes to the shanty town community. Participants underwent a questionnaire and anthropomorphic measurements at a baseline evaluation in 2007–2008 and at a follow-up visit in 2012–2013. Mortality was determined by death certificate or family interview. Results Of the 989 participants evaluated at baseline, 928 (94%) were evaluated at follow-up (mean age 48 years; 53% female). The mean follow-up time was 5.1 years, totalling 4732.8 person-years. In a multivariable survival model, and relative to urban dwellers, rural participants had lower all-cause mortality (HR=0.27; 95% CI 0.07 to 0.98), and both the rural (HR=0.07; 95% CI 0.01 to 0.87) and migrant (HR=0.13; 95% CI 0.02 to 0.81) groups had lower cardiovascular mortality. Conclusions Cardiovascular mortality of migrants remains similar to that of the rural group, suggesting that rural-to-urban migrants do not appear to catch up with urban mortality in spite of having a more urban cardiovascular risk factor profile. PMID:25987723

Effect of "this side up" T-shirts on infant sleep position.

PubMed

Barnes-Josiah, Debora L; Eurek, Paula; Huffman, Sue; Heusinkvelt, Jan; Severe-Oforah, Jennifer; Schwalberg, Renee

2007-01-01

To assess the impact of "This Side Up" T-shirts on parental practices in Nebraska. A random sample of 3,210 Nebraska women who gave birth in 2004, stratified by race/ethnicity, was mailed a brief questionnaire on their receipt of a T-shirt and SIDS risk reduction materials at their birthing hospital, and on infant sleep position. Response rates were low (25.9%), ranging from 10.6% for Native American mothers to 46.4% for White mothers. Half (52.0%) had received a T-shirt and 71.6% had received SIDS information. Two-thirds (64.0%) reported that their infants slept on their backs; African-American and Hispanic infants were significantly less likely to back sleep. In univariate logistic regression models, African-American race, Hispanic ethnicity and maternal age 30-39 were significant negative predictors of back sleeping; White race and having received a SIDS brochure were positive predictors. In the fully controlled model African American and Asian race and Hispanic ethnicity were negative predictors of back sleeping; neither receiving SIDS information nor the infant T-shirt was significant. Effects of maternal age and a SIDS informational brochure appeared in models stratified by race/ethnicity. In these data, receiving an infant T-shirt was not related to how mothers placed their infants to sleep. Additional research is needed on effective methods of delivering targeted counseling and promoting safe sleep practices among families, particularly among racial and ethnic subgroups.

Examining an Alternative to Score Equating: A Randomly Equivalent Forms Approach. Research Report. ETS RR-08-14

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liao, Chi-Wen; Livingston, Samuel A.

2008-01-01

Randomly equivalent forms (REF) of tests in listening and reading for nonnative speakers of English were created by stratified random assignment of items to forms, stratifying on item content and predicted difficulty. The study included 50 replications of the procedure for each test. Each replication generated 2 REFs. The equivalence of those 2…

Safety and Immune Responses in Children After Concurrent or Sequential 2009 H1N1 and 2009–2010 Seasonal Trivalent Influenza Vaccinations

PubMed Central

Frey, Sharon E.; Bernstein, David I.; Gerber, Michael A.; Keyserling, Harry L.; Munoz, Flor M.; Winokur, Patricia L.; Turley, Christine B.; Rupp, Richard E.; Hill, Heather; Wolff, Mark; Noah, Diana L.; Ross, Allison C.; Cress, Gretchen; Belshe, Robert B.

2012-01-01

Background. Administering 2 separate vaccines for seasonal and pandemic influenza was necessary in 2009. Therefore, we conducted a randomized trial of monovalent 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine (2009 H1N1 vaccine) and seasonal trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine (TIV; split virion) given sequentially or concurrently in previously vaccinated children. Methods. Children randomized to 4 study groups and stratified by age received 1 dose of seasonal TIV and 2 doses of 2009 H1N1 vaccine in 1 of 4 combinations. Injections were given at 21-day intervals and serum samples for hemagglutination inhibition antibody responses were obtained prior to and 21 days after each vaccination. Reactogenicity and adverse events were monitored. Results. All combinations of vaccines were safe in the 531 children enrolled. Generally, 1 dose of 2009 H1N1 vaccine and 1 dose of TIV, regardless of sequence or concurrency of administration, was immunogenic in children ≥10 years of age; children <10 years of age required 2 doses of 2009 H1N1 vaccine. Conclusions. Vaccines were generally well tolerated. The immune responses to 2009 H1N1 vaccine were adequate regardless of the sequence of vaccination in all age groups but the sequence affected titers to TIV antigens. Two doses of 2009 H1N1 vaccine were required to achieve a protective immune response in children <10 years of age. Clinical Trials Registration. NCT00943202. PMID:22802432

Reaching the Hard-to-Reach: A Probability Sampling Method for Assessing Prevalence of Driving under the Influence after Drinking in Alcohol Outlets

PubMed Central

De Boni, Raquel; do Nascimento Silva, Pedro Luis; Bastos, Francisco Inácio; Pechansky, Flavio; de Vasconcellos, Mauricio Teixeira Leite

2012-01-01

Drinking alcoholic beverages in places such as bars and clubs may be associated with harmful consequences such as violence and impaired driving. However, methods for obtaining probabilistic samples of drivers who drink at these places remain a challenge – since there is no a priori information on this mobile population – and must be continually improved. This paper describes the procedures adopted in the selection of a population-based sample of drivers who drank at alcohol selling outlets in Porto Alegre, Brazil, which we used to estimate the prevalence of intention to drive under the influence of alcohol. The sampling strategy comprises a stratified three-stage cluster sampling: 1) census enumeration areas (CEA) were stratified by alcohol outlets (AO) density and sampled with probability proportional to the number of AOs in each CEA; 2) combinations of outlets and shifts (COS) were stratified by prevalence of alcohol-related traffic crashes and sampled with probability proportional to their squared duration in hours; and, 3) drivers who drank at the selected COS were stratified by their intention to drive and sampled using inverse sampling. Sample weights were calibrated using a post-stratification estimator. 3,118 individuals were approached and 683 drivers interviewed, leading to an estimate that 56.3% (SE = 3,5%) of the drivers intended to drive after drinking in less than one hour after the interview. Prevalence was also estimated by sex and broad age groups. The combined use of stratification and inverse sampling enabled a good trade-off between resource and time allocation, while preserving the ability to generalize the findings. The current strategy can be viewed as a step forward in the efforts to improve surveys and estimation for hard-to-reach, mobile populations. PMID:22514620

Relative Risk of Acute Myocardial Infarction in People with Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder: A Population-Based Cohort Study.

PubMed

Wu, Shu-I; Chen, Su-Chiu; Liu, Shen-Ing; Sun, Fang-Ju; Juang, Jimmy J M; Lee, Hsin-Chien; Kao, Kai-Liang; Dewey, Michael E; Prince, Martin; Stewart, Robert

2015-01-01

Despite high mortality associated with serious mental illness, risk of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) remains unclear, especially for patients with bipolar disorder. The main objective was to investigate the relative risk of AMI associated with schizophrenia and bipolar disorders in a national sample. Using nationwide administrative data, an 11-year historic cohort study was assembled, comprised of cases aged 18 and above who had received a diagnosis of schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, compared to a random sample of all other adults excluding those with diagnoses of serious mental illness. Incident AMI as a primary diagnosis was ascertained. Hazard ratios stratified by age and gender were calculated and Cox regression models were used to adjust for other covariates. A total of 70,225 people with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder and 207,592 people without serious mental illness were compared. Hazard ratios in men adjusted for age, income and urbanization were 1.15 (95% CI 1.01~1.32) for schizophrenia and 1.37 (1.08~1.73)for bipolar disorder, and in women, 1.85 (1.58~2.18) and 1.88(1.47~2.41) respectively. Further adjustment for treated hypertension, diabetes and hyperlipidaemia attenuated the hazard ratio for men with schizophrenia but not the other comparison groups. Hazard ratios were significantly stronger in women than men and were stronger in younger compared to older age groups for both disorders; however, gender modification was only significant in people with schizophrenia, and age modification only significant in people with bipolar disorder. In this large national sample, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder were associated with raised risk of AMI in women and in the younger age groups although showed differences in potential confounding and modifying factors.

A population based study of herpes simplex virus 2 seroprevalence in rural Costa Rica

PubMed Central

Rodriguez, A; Castle, P; Smith, J; Bratti, C; Hildesheim, A; Schiffman, M; Viscidi, R; Burk, R; Ashley, R; Castellsague, X; Herrero, R

2003-01-01

Objectives: To determine seroprevalence and determinants of herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-2) seropositivity, in a random sample of a population based cohort of 10 049 women of Guanacaste, Costa Rica, using a highly sensitive and specific serological assay. Methods: Seroprevalence was determined by a type specific HSV-2 ELISA assay in an age stratified random sample of 1100 women. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for risk factors of seropositivity. Results: Overall age adjusted HSV-2 seroprevalence was 38.5% (95% CI, 37.5 to 39.5), and it was strongly associated with increasing age (pTrend<0.0001), both among monogamous women and women with multiple sexual partners. A greater number of lifetime sexual partners increased the risk of seropositivity, with a 28.2% (95% CI, 24.4 to 32.2) seroprevalence among monogamous women and 75% (95% CI, 65.6 to 83.0) seroprevalence for those with four or more partners (OR = 7.6 95% CI, 4.7 to 12.4 pTrend<0.0001). Barrier contraceptive use was negatively associated with HSV-2 seropositivity (OR 0.54, 95% CI, 0.31 to 0.94). Women with antibodies against HPV 16, 18, or 31 were 1.6 times more likely to be HSV-2 seropositive (OR 1.6, 95% CI, 1.2 to 2.1). Conclusions: HSV-2 infection is highly endemic in Guanacaste, even among lifetime monogamous women, suggesting a role of male behaviour in the transmission of the infection. Until vaccination against HSV-2 is available, education to prevent high risk sexual behaviour and the use of condoms appear as preventive measures against HSV-2. PMID:14663121

Randomized clinical trial: pharmacokinetics and safety of multimatrix mesalamine for treatment of pediatric ulcerative colitis.

PubMed

Cuffari, Carmen; Pierce, David; Korczowski, Bartosz; Fyderek, Krzysztof; Van Heusen, Heather; Hossack, Stuart; Wan, Hong; Edwards, Alena Y Z; Martin, Patrick

2016-01-01

Limited data are available on mesalamine (5-aminosalicylic acid; 5-ASA) use in pediatric ulcerative colitis (UC). To evaluate pharmacokinetic and safety profiles of 5-ASA and metabolite acetyl-5-ASA (Ac-5-ASA) after once-daily, oral administration of multimatrix mesalamine to children and adolescents with UC. Participants (5-17 years of age; 18-82 kg, stratified by weight) with UC received multi-matrix mesalamine 30, 60, or 100 mg/kg/day once daily (to 4,800 mg/day) for 7 days. Blood samples were collected pre-dose on days 5 and 6. On days 7 and 8, blood and urine samples were collected and safety was evaluated. 5-ASA and Ac-5-ASA plasma and urine concentrations were analyzed by non-compartmental methods and used to develop a population pharmacokinetic model. Fifty-two subjects (21 [30 mg/kg]; 22 [60 mg/kg]; 9 [100 mg/kg]) were randomized. On day 7, systemic exposures of 5-ASA and Ac-5-ASA exhibited a dose-proportional increase between 30 and 60 mg/kg/day cohorts. For 30, 60, and 100 mg/kg/day doses, mean percentages of 5-ASA absorbed were 29.4%, 27.0%, and 22.1%, respectively. Simulated steady-state exposures and variabilities for 5-ASA and Ac-5-ASA (coefficient of variation approximately 50% and 40%-45%, respectively) were similar to those observed previously in adults at comparable doses. Treatment-emergent adverse events were reported by ten subjects. Events were similar among different doses and age groups with no new safety signals identified. Children and adolescents with UC receiving multimatrix mesalamine demonstrated 5-ASA and Ac-5-ASA pharmacokinetic profiles similar to historical adult data. Multimatrix mesalamine was well tolerated across all dose and age groups. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01130844.

HIV and Child Mental Health: A Case-Control Study in Rwanda

PubMed Central

Scorza, Pamela; Kanyanganzi, Frederick; Fawzi, Mary C. Smith; Sezibera, Vincent; Cyamatare, Felix; Beardslee, William; Stulac, Sara; Bizimana, Justin I.; Stevenson, Anne; Kayiteshonga, Yvonne

2014-01-01

BACKGROUND: The global HIV/AIDS response has advanced in addressing the health and well-being of HIV-positive children. Although attention has been paid to children orphaned by parental AIDS, children who live with HIV-positive caregivers have received less attention. This study compares mental health problems and risk and protective factors in HIV-positive, HIV-affected (due to caregiver HIV), and HIV-unaffected children in Rwanda. METHODS: A case-control design assessed mental health, risk, and protective factors among 683 children aged 10 to 17 years at different levels of HIV exposure. A stratified random sampling strategy based on electronic medical records identified all known HIV-positive children in this age range in 2 districts in Rwanda. Lists of all same-age children in villages with an HIV-positive child were then collected and split by HIV status (HIV-positive, HIV-affected, and HIV-unaffected). One child was randomly sampled from the latter 2 groups to compare with each HIV-positive child per village. RESULTS: HIV-affected and HIV-positive children demonstrated higher levels of depression, anxiety, conduct problems, and functional impairment compared with HIV-unaffected children. HIV-affected children had significantly higher odds of depression (1.68: 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.15–2.44), anxiety (1.77: 95% CI 1.14–2.75), and conduct problems (1.59: 95% CI 1.04–2.45) compared with HIV-unaffected children, and rates of these mental health conditions were similar to HIV-positive children. These results remained significant after controlling for contextual variables. CONCLUSIONS: The mental health of HIV-affected children requires policy and programmatic responses comparable to HIV-positive children. PMID:25049342

Serum Copper Status in School-Age Children and Pregnant Women in China Nutrition and Health Survey 2010-2012.

PubMed

Liu, Xiaobing; Piao, Jianhua; Zhang, Yu; Li, Min; Li, Weidong; Yang, Lichen; Yang, Xiaoguang

2016-10-01

Serum copper is an insensitive but reliable biomarker reflecting the change of copper nutritional status in both depleted and replete populations. The current study aimed to establish the reference values of serum copper in school-age children and pregnant women in China and to explore the adequate range of serum copper for both these two categories of people. A multistage, stratified, random sampling combined with probability proportionate to regional size sampling method was employed. A total of 4019 subjects (2736 school-age children and 1283 pregnant women) were selected from China Nutrition and Health Survey 2010-2012 (CNHS 2010-2012). The concentration of serum copper was determined by sector field inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (SF-ICP-MS). The adequate range of serum copper was determined by the logistic sigmoid saturation curve of the median derivatives. The median concentration of serum copper was 1140.9 μg/L with a range of 746.7-1677.6 μg/L for school-age children and 1933.4 μg/L with a range of 947.4-3391.4 μg/L for pregnant women. The adequate range of serum copper was 905.7-1440.7 μg/L for school-age children and 1308.8-2537.8 μg/L for pregnant women. These parameters represent an essential prerequisite for the assessment of copper nutritional status, as well as nutrition interventions.

Operationalizing multimorbidity and autonomy for health services research in aging populations - the OMAHA study

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background As part of a Berlin-based research consortium on health in old age, the OMAHA (Operationalizing Multimorbidity and Autonomy for Health Services Research in Aging Populations) study aims to develop a conceptual framework and a set of standardized instruments and indicators for continuous monitoring of multimorbidity and associated health care needs in the population 65 years and older. Methods/Design OMAHA is a longitudinal epidemiological study including a comprehensive assessment at baseline and at 12-month follow-up as well as brief intermediate telephone interviews at 6 and 18 months. In order to evaluate different sampling procedures and modes of data collection, the study is conducted in two different population-based samples of men and women aged 65 years and older. A geographically defined sample was recruited from an age and sex stratified random sample from the register of residents in Berlin-Mitte (Berlin OMAHA study cohort, n = 299) for assessment by face-to-face interview and examination. A larger nationwide sample (German OMAHA study cohort, n = 730) was recruited for assessment by telephone interview among participants in previous German Telephone Health Surveys. In both cohorts, we successfully applied a multi-dimensional set of instruments to assess multimorbidity, functional disability in daily life, autonomy, quality of life (QoL), health care services utilization, personal and social resources as well as socio-demographic and biographical context variables. Response rates considerably varied between the Berlin and German OMAHA study cohorts (22.8% vs. 59.7%), whereas completeness of follow-up at month 12 was comparably high in both cohorts (82.9% vs. 81.2%). Discussion The OMAHA study offers a wide spectrum of data concerning health, functioning, social involvement, psychological well-being, and cognitive capacity in community-dwelling older people in Germany. Results from the study will add to methodological and content-specific discourses on human resources for maintaining quality of life and autonomy throughout old age, even in the face of multiple health complaints. PMID:21352521

Development of a diagnostic test set to assess agreement in breast pathology: practical application of the Guidelines for Reporting Reliability and Agreement Studies (GRRAS).

PubMed

Oster, Natalia V; Carney, Patricia A; Allison, Kimberly H; Weaver, Donald L; Reisch, Lisa M; Longton, Gary; Onega, Tracy; Pepe, Margaret; Geller, Berta M; Nelson, Heidi D; Ross, Tyler R; Tosteson, Aanna N A; Elmore, Joann G

2013-02-05

Diagnostic test sets are a valuable research tool that contributes importantly to the validity and reliability of studies that assess agreement in breast pathology. In order to fully understand the strengths and weaknesses of any agreement and reliability study, however, the methods should be fully reported. In this paper we provide a step-by-step description of the methods used to create four complex test sets for a study of diagnostic agreement among pathologists interpreting breast biopsy specimens. We use the newly developed Guidelines for Reporting Reliability and Agreement Studies (GRRAS) as a basis to report these methods. Breast tissue biopsies were selected from the National Cancer Institute-funded Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium sites. We used a random sampling stratified according to woman's age (40-49 vs. ≥50), parenchymal breast density (low vs. high) and interpretation of the original pathologist. A 3-member panel of expert breast pathologists first independently interpreted each case using five primary diagnostic categories (non-proliferative changes, proliferative changes without atypia, atypical ductal hyperplasia, ductal carcinoma in situ, and invasive carcinoma). When the experts did not unanimously agree on a case diagnosis a modified Delphi method was used to determine the reference standard consensus diagnosis. The final test cases were stratified and randomly assigned into one of four unique test sets. We found GRRAS recommendations to be very useful in reporting diagnostic test set development and recommend inclusion of two additional criteria: 1) characterizing the study population and 2) describing the methods for reference diagnosis, when applicable.

Feeding Tube Placement in Patients with Advanced Dementia: The Beliefs and Practice Patterns of Speech-Language Pathologists

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sharp, Helen M.; Shega, Joseph W.

2009-01-01

Purpose: To describe the beliefs and practices of speech-language pathologists (SLPs) about the use of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) among patients with advanced dementia and dysphagia. Method: A survey was mailed to a geographically stratified random sample of 1,050 medical SLPs. Results: The response rate was 57%, and 326 surveys met…

Outcomes of Parental Use of Psychological Aggression on Children: A Structural Model from Sri Lanka

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de Zoysa, Piyanjali; Newcombe, Peter A.; Rajapakse, Lalini

2010-01-01

The objective of this study was to explore the existence and, if so, the nature of the association between parental use of psychological aggression and psychological maladjustment in a 12-year-old Sri Lankan school population. A stratified random sampling technique was used to select 1,226 children from Colombo district schools. Three instruments,…

Effectiveness of a Test-Taking Strategy on Achievement in Essay Tests for Students with Learning Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Therrien, William J.; Hughes, Charles; Kapelski, Cory; Mokhtari, Kouider

2009-01-01

Research was conducted to ascertain if an essay-writing strategy was effective at improving the achievement on essay tests for 7th- and 8th-grade students with reading and writing disabilities. Students were assigned via a stratified random sample to treatment or control group. Student scores were also compared to students without learning…

Commuters and Parking at UNC-G. Preliminary Findings from the Commuting Student Survey.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reichard, Donald J.; McArver, Patricia P.

Data gleaned from items relating to transportation and parking from the Commuting Student Survey are reported. The survey questionnaire was designed to provide an overview of several aspects of the commuting student's relationship with the university and was sent to a stratified random sample of 2,140 students who were enrolled for the spring 1975…

What Does Professional Rank Mean to Teachers? A Survey of the Multiple Impacts of Professional Rank on Urban and Rural Compulsory Education Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yuyou, Qin; Wenjing, Zeng

2018-01-01

Professional rank is an important indicator of the professional capacity of compulsory education teachers. A rational professional rank evaluation system plays an important role in mobilizing the enthusiasm of teachers, improving the overall quality of teachers, and promoting the development of education. Based on stratified random sample data…

Demographic and Psychographic Variables Associated with Hispanic Business Majors Intending to Pursue Graduate Studies: Marketing Implications

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adams, Russell; Kalliny, Morris; Saran, Anshu; de los Santos, Gilberto

2005-01-01

Increasing shifts in population proportions have led to an increasing demand on education institutions to recruit Hispanics. A random and stratified national sample was used to answer the following questions: (1) What are the psychographic typologies that are likely to identify Hispanic students by their desire to pursue or not to pursue graduate…

Dentists' Preferences for Diagnosis, Management and Referral of Chronic Oro-Facial Pain: Results from a National Survey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aggarwal, Vishal R.; Joughin, Amy; Zakrzewska, Joanna; Appelbe, Priscilla; Tickle, Martin

2012-01-01

Aim: To explore the diagnosis, treatment and referral patterns of chronic oro-facial pain patients by generalist primary care dentists (GDPs) in the UK. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a non-stratified random sample of 500 GDPs who were selected from the General Dental Council register. A self-complete postal questionnaire…

The Invisible Student: A Longitudinal Study of the Beginning Freshman Class of 1963 at the University of New Mexico.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Winther, Sven F.; And Others

The 1963 Freshman class at the University of New Mexico was studied through June, 1968, for performance patterns in relation to overall performance, high school grade-point average, male-female, Spanish surnames and non-Spanish surnames. In addition to university furnished data, questionnaires were submitted to a stratified random sample of…

Effect of Foreign Language Anxiety on Gender and Academic Achievement among Yemeni University EFL Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Razak, Norizan Abdul; Yassin, Amr Abdullatif; Maasum, Tengku Nor Rizan Bt Tengku Mohamad

2017-01-01

This study aimed to investigate the gender differences in terms of anxiety among Yemeni university EFL learners. It also aimed to investigate the correlation between the level of anxiety and the academic achievement of the students. The participants of this study were 155 students chosen from the population through stratified random sampling. The…

Student, Teacher, and Business Leader Perceptions of Academic, Work-Related, and Personal Skills in Rural Appalachian Communities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bobbett, Gordon C.; And Others

The results of a study of six rural Appalachian high schools in Kentucky and Tennessee are presented. Multiple data sources were used to identify the relative effectiveness of these schools. Data were collected via administration of the: Wayson School Climate and Context Inventory to a stratified random sample of 20 faculty; Likert's…

Knowledge Level of Pre-Service Teachers in the Faculty of Education about Student Rights

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Topsakal, Cem

2012-01-01

As regards this study, it was aimed to determine the knowledge level of pre-service teachers in YYU faculty of education about student rights. The population of the study consisted of 3538 undergraduates in 2010-2011 academic year of YYU. By stratified and multi-phase sampling, 538 students from all departments and grades were randomly selected.…

Individual and Familial Correlates of Career Salience among Upwardly Mobile College Women. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guttmacher, Mary Johnson

A case study was conducted using a sample of 271 women selected from a state college by a stratified random cluster technique that approximates proportional representation of women in all four classes and all college majors. The data source was an extensive questionnaire designed to measure the attitudes and behavior of interest. The major…

The Association of Health and Functional Status with Private and Public Religious Practice among Rural, Ethnically Diverse, Older Adults with Diabetes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arcury, Thomas A.; Stafford, Jeanette M.; Bell, Ronny A.; Golden, Shannon L.; Snively, Beverly M.; Quandt, Sara A.

2007-01-01

Purpose: This analysis describes the association of health and functional status with private and public religious practice among ethnically diverse (African American, Native American, white) rural older adults with diabetes. Methods: Data were collected using a population-based, cross-sectional, stratified, random sample survey of 701…

Self-Efficacy, Risk-Taking Behavior and Mental Health as Predictors of Personal Growth Initiative among University Undergraduates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ogunyemi, Ajibola O.; Mabekoje, Sesan Ola

2007-01-01

Introduction: This study sought to determine the combined and relative efficacy of self-efficacy, risk-taking behaviour and mental health on personal growth initiative of university undergraduates. Method: The expo-facto research design was used to conduct the study. Stratified random sampling technique was used to select 425 participants from 6…

Analysis of Teachers' Adoption of Technology for Use in Instruction in Seven Career and Technical Education Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kotrlik, Joe W.; Redmann, Donna H.

2009-01-01

This study addressed utilization of technology in instruction by secondary career and technical education (CTE) teachers in seven program areas in Louisiana. A stratified random sample was utilized, with 539 teachers responding to the survey after three data collection efforts. The data were determined to be representative of all CTE teachers in…

Assesment of Perceived Academic and Incentive Needs of Senior Secondary School Biology Teachers in Kwara State, Nigeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ahmed, Mulkah Adebisi; Moradeyo, Ismail; Abimbola, Isaac Olakanmi

2016-01-01

The study investigated the Assessment of perceived academic and incentive needs of senior secondary school biology teachers in Kwara State, Nigeria. Stratified random sampling technique was used to select two hundred and fifty (250) biology teachers from the three senatorial district of Kwara State. A questionnaire was prepared, validated and used…

Assessing change in large-scale forest area by visually interpreting Landsat images

Treesearch

Jerry D. Greer; Frederick P. Weber; Raymond L. Czaplewski

2000-01-01

As part of the Forest Resources Assessment 1990, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations visually interpreted a stratified random sample of 117 Landsat scenes to estimate global status and change in tropical forest area. Images from 1980 and 1990 were interpreted by a group of widely experienced technical people in many different tropical countries...

Socio-Psychological Correlates of Non-Medical Use of Drugs Among University Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mehra, N.

This study was designed to collect and analyze study reactions on a broad range of social, cultural and educational issues including the nonmedical use of drugs. Two questionnaires and a personality inventory were used in the collection of data that was obtained from a stratified random sample of 282 students of the University of Alberta. An…

Restrictive Access to Books in School Library Media Centers in Georgia. Research Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DuPree, Vi

This study sought to determine the extent of restrictive access to books in Georgia school library media centers and to discover by whose authority and for what reason these books might be placed on restrictive shelves. Questionnaires were completed and received from a stratified random sampling of 119 media specialists in high schools, middle or…

The Effect of School Bureaucracy on the Relationship between Principals' Leadership Practices and Teacher Commitment in Malaysia Secondary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kean, Teoh Hong; Kannan, Sathiamoorthy; Piaw, Chua Yan

2017-01-01

The main aim of this research paper was to ascertain the relationship between principal leadership practices and teacher commitment. The study was conducted using quantitative survey questionnaire to 384 secondary school teachers, ranging from band 1 to band 6 in Malaysia using multi stage stratified cluster random sampling. This study was using…

Bridging the Gap: A Longitudinal Study of the Relationship between Pedagogical Continuity and Early Chinese Literacy Acquisition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Li, Hui; Rao, Nirmala; Tse, Shek Kam

2011-01-01

This longitudinal study examined the relationship between pedagogical continuity in literacy education and early literacy development by comparing Chinese children in Hong Kong and Shenzhen. Stratified random sampling was used to select 24 preschool and Primary 1 classes in four communities catering to middle-class families in each city. The 24…

Wisconsin Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Executive Summary and Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sloan, Matt

The 1999 Wisconsin Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) was conducted as part of a national survey effort by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A stratified random sample of classrooms in all public schools with ninth through twelfth grades was taken. The YRBS was administered to 1,336 students in 46 public schools in Wisconsin in…

Correlates to Human Papillomavirus Vaccination Status and Willingness to Vaccinate in Low-Income Philadelphia High School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bass, Sarah B.; Leader, Amy; Shwarz, Michelle; Greener, Judith; Patterson, Freda

2015-01-01

Background: Little is known about the correlates of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination or willingness to be vaccinated in urban, minority adolescents. Methods: Using responses to the 2013 Youth Risk Behavior Survey in Philadelphia, a random sample of high schools provided weighted data representing 20,941 9th to 12th graders. Stratified by…

Scholars' Satisfaction with Digital Library Collection and Gaps in the Provision of Effective Information Resources and Services: A Pakistani Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khan, Amjid; Ahmed, Shamshad; Masrek, Mohamad Noorman

2014-01-01

The study aims to explore the researchers' satisfaction with digital library resources and services and how they improved the research culture in Pakistani universities. A descriptive survey method was employed to achieve objectives of this study. Using stratified random sampling, for this survey we selected 14 public sector universities of Khyber…

Effects of Mayfield's Four Questions (M4Q) on Nursing Students' Self-Efficacy and Multiple-Choice Test Scores

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mayfield, Linda Riggs

2010-01-01

This study examined the effects of being taught the Mayfield's Four Questions multiple-choice test-taking strategy on the perceived self-efficacy and multiple-choice test scores of nursing students in a two-year associate degree program. Experimental and control groups were chosen by stratified random sampling. Subjects completed the 10-statement…

'Pygmy' old-growth redwood characteristics on an edaphic ecotone in Mendocino County, California

Treesearch

Will Russell; Suzie. Woolhouse

2012-01-01

The 'pygmy forest' is a specialized community that is adapted to highly acidic, hydrophobic, nutrient deprived soils, and exists in pockets within the coast redwood forest in Mendocino County. While coast redwood is known as an exceptionally tall tree, stunted trees exhibit unusual growth-forms on pygmy soils. We used a stratified random sampling procedure to...

Teachers' Opinions on the Incorporation of Environmental Education in the Nigerian Primary School Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jekayinfa, Alice Arinlade; Yusuf, Abdul Raheem

2008-01-01

This paper presents the report of a research carried out in Kwara Sate of Nigeria to seek the opinions of teachers on the incorporation of Environmental Education (EE) in the Nigerian Primary School Curriculum. The descriptive survey method was employed for the study. 200 teachers were selected through stratified random sampling technique to cater…

The Influence of Instructional Minutes on Grade 11 Language Arts and Mathematics High School Proficiency Assessment Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Welcome, Simone E.

2017-01-01

The purpose for this cross-sectional, non-experimental explanatory quantitative research study was to explain the amount of variance in the High School Proficiency Assessment-11 Language Arts and Mathematics scores accounted for by the amount of instructional minutes at high schools in New Jersey. A proportional, stratified random sample which…

Measures and Predictors of Educational Growth with Four Years of College. AIR Forum 1980 Paper.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dumont, Richard G.; Troelstrup, Richard L.

Use of the American College Testing (ACT) Program assessment battery for the measurement of student growth at a regional state university is described. A stratified random sample of 112 seniors at Tennessee Technological University was given the residual form of the ACT Assessment battery for comparison with their pre-college ACT test performance.…

Decision Processes Among the Elderly: Do They Differ?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goodchilds, Jacqueline D.; Bikson, Tora K.

Decision making processes among older adults were investigated within the context of grocery selection, using a stimulus array involving two product classes (bread and cheese) with 10 items per class. The sample (N=580) was stratified by sex, household status (living alone or with spouse), and age, employing three age groupings: 25-34 (young),…

Prevalence Incidence Mixture Models

Cancer.gov

The R package and webtool fits Prevalence Incidence Mixture models to left-censored and irregularly interval-censored time to event data that is commonly found in screening cohorts assembled from electronic health records. Absolute and relative risk can be estimated for simple random sampling, and stratified sampling (the two approaches of superpopulation and a finite population are supported for target populations). Non-parametric (absolute risks only), semi-parametric, weakly-parametric (using B-splines), and some fully parametric (such as the logistic-Weibull) models are supported.

The Stroop Color-Word Test: Influence of Age, Sex, and Education; and Normative Data for a Large Sample Across the Adult Age Range

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van der Elst, Wim; Van Boxtel, Martin P. J.; Van Breukelen, Gerard J. P.; Jolles, Jelle

2006-01-01

The Stroop Color-Word Test was administered to 1,856 cognitively screened, healthy Dutch-speaking participants aged 24 to 81 years. The effects of age, gender, and education on Stroop test performance were investigated to adequately stratify the normative data. The results showed that especially the speed-dependent Stroop scores (time to complete…

The predictors and consequences of adolescent amphetamine use: findings from the Victoria Adolescent Health Cohort Study.

PubMed

Degenhardt, Louisa; Coffey, Carolyn; Moran, Paul; Carlin, John B; Patton, George C

2007-07-01

Previous work has highlighted the adverse consequences of early-onset cannabis use. However, little is known about the predictors and effects of early-onset amphetamine use. We set out to examine these issues using a representative cohort of young people followed-up over 11 years in Victoria, Australia. A stratified, random sample of 1943 adolescents was recruited from secondary schools across Victoria at age 14-15 years. This cohort was interviewed on eight occasions until the age of 24-25 years (78% follow-up at that age). Cross-sectional associations were assessed using logistic regression with allowance for repeated measures. Both proportional hazards models and logistic regression models were used to assess prospective associations. Approximately 7% of the sample had used amphetamines by the age of 17 years. Amphetamine use by this age was associated with poorer mental health and other drug use. The incidence of amphetamine use during the teenage years was predicted by heavier drug use and by mental health problems. By young adulthood (age 24-25 years), adolescent amphetamine users were more likely to meet criteria for dependence upon a range of drugs, to have greater psychological morbidity and to have some limitations in educational attainment. Most of these associations were not sustained after adjustment for early-onset cannabis use. Young people in Australia who begin amphetamine use by age 17 years are at increased risk for a range of mental health, substance use and psychosocial problems in young adulthood. However, these problems are largely accounted for by their even earlier-onset cannabis use.

A study of depression among Alexandria preparatory school adolescents.

PubMed

Abou Nazel, M W; Fahmy, S I; Younis, I A; Seif el-Din, A G; Abdel Fatah, M; Mokhtar, S; Ayoub, A I

1991-01-01

Using a constructed Arabic version of Children Depression Inventory (CDI), screening of a stratified random sample of 1% (1561) of Alexandria Preparatory school adolescents was carried out. The prevalence of depressive scorers was 10.25% of total sample. A sub-sample of depressed scorers (111 pupils) were compared with controls (non-depressed scorers) matched on age and sex to study a variety of personal, familial, medical and scholastic ecological variables. Pupils neuroticism scorers were most predictive of depressive scorers where they explained 59.79% of the variance. Other ecological factors including peer and sibling relationships, introversive and lie scale scorers and scholastic performance explained an additional 14.87% of the variance. Using Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Mother-Father relationship check list, a sub-sample of depressed pupils' mothers were compared with controls of non-depressed pupils' mothers (42 mothers for each). Results indicated a strong positive correlation between pupils, CDI scores and their mothers BDI scores. On the other hand poor mother-father relationship was significantly associated with depressive scores of pupils. Findings, pointed to the need for reconsideration of school mental health program, since the presented medical and social services to depressed pupils were very poor.

Injury-related mortality in South Africa: a retrospective descriptive study of postmortem investigations

PubMed Central

Prinsloo, Megan; Pillay-van Wyk, Victoria; Gwebushe, Nomonde; Mathews, Shanaaz; Martin, Lorna J; Laubscher, Ria; Abrahams, Naeemah; Msemburi, William; Lombard, Carl; Bradshaw, Debbie

2015-01-01

Abstract Objective To investigate injury-related mortality in South Africa using a nationally representative sample and compare the results with previous estimates. Methods We conducted a retrospective descriptive study of medico-legal postmortem investigation data from mortuaries using a multistage random sample, stratified by urban and non-urban areas and mortuary size. We calculated age-specific and age-standardized mortality rates for external causes of death. Findings Postmortem reports revealed 52 493 injury-related deaths in 2009 (95% confidence interval, CI: 46 930–58 057). Almost half (25 499) were intentionally inflicted. Age-standardized mortality rates per 100 000 population were as follows: all injuries: 109.0 (95% CI: 97.1–121.0); homicide 38.4 (95% CI: 33.8–43.0; suicide 13.4 (95% CI: 11.6–15.2) and road-traffic injury 36.1 (95% CI: 30.9–41.3). Using postmortem reports, we found more than three times as many deaths from homicide and road-traffic injury than had been recorded by vital registration for this period. The homicide rate was similar to the estimate for South Africa from a global analysis, but road-traffic and suicide rates were almost fourfold higher. Conclusion This is the first nationally representative sample of injury-related mortality in South Africa. It provides more accurate estimates and cause-specific profiles that are not available from other sources. PMID:26229201

Using maximum entropy modeling for optimal selection of sampling sites for monitoring networks

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stohlgren, Thomas J.; Kumar, Sunil; Barnett, David T.; Evangelista, Paul H.

2011-01-01

Environmental monitoring programs must efficiently describe state shifts. We propose using maximum entropy modeling to select dissimilar sampling sites to capture environmental variability at low cost, and demonstrate a specific application: sample site selection for the Central Plains domain (453,490 km2) of the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON). We relied on four environmental factors: mean annual temperature and precipitation, elevation, and vegetation type. A “sample site” was defined as a 20 km × 20 km area (equal to NEON’s airborne observation platform [AOP] footprint), within which each 1 km2 cell was evaluated for each environmental factor. After each model run, the most environmentally dissimilar site was selected from all potential sample sites. The iterative selection of eight sites captured approximately 80% of the environmental envelope of the domain, an improvement over stratified random sampling and simple random designs for sample site selection. This approach can be widely used for cost-efficient selection of survey and monitoring sites.

Prevalence and associated factors of pinguecula in a rural population in Shanghai, Eastern China.

PubMed

Le, Qihua; Xiang, Jun; Cui, Xinhan; Zhou, Xiaodong; Xu, Jianjiang

2015-04-01

To determine the prevalence and associated factors of pinguecula in a rural Chinese population aged ≥ 50 years in Eastern China. This cross-sectional, population-based survey included an age-stratified random sample of 1108 residents living in Lvxiang Town of Jinshan District. Participants were requested to complete a comprehensive questionnaire to collect demographic data, history of systemic diseases and lifestyle details. The presence of pinguecula on slit lamp examination was recorded. The prevalence of pinguecula and its associated factors were investigated by logistic regression models. Among 1108 eligible subjects, 959 participated in the study, with an average age of 65.1 ± 9.2 years (range 50-89 years). The overall age-adjusted prevalence of pinguecula in this population was 75.57% (95% confidence interval 71.79-79.35%). Logistic regression analysis revealed that age (p = 0.002) and working outdoors (daily sunlight exposure ≥ 2 hours; p = 0.001) were independent risk factors for pinguecula. In addition, sex, education level, alcohol intake, smoking and decreased tear break-up time did not have associations with the development of pinguecula after adjusting for age and outdoor work occupations. The prevalence of pinguecula was 75.57% in this Chinese population aged ≥ 50 years from a coastal rural area of Shanghai, Eastern China, which was higher than the majority of previous findings. Age and working outdoors were independent risk factors for pinguecula.

Sexual activity, fertility and contraceptive use in middle-aged and older men: Men in Australia, Telephone Survey (MATeS).

PubMed

Holden, C A; McLachlan, R I; Cumming, R; Wittert, G; Handelsman, D J; de Kretser, D M; Pitts, M

2005-12-01

With limited information regarding fertility and sexual activity in the older population, men's behaviour, attitudes and concerns were explored in a representative population of middle-aged and older men using the Men in Australia, Telephone Survey (MATeS). A stratified random national sample of 5990 men participated in a standardized computer-assisted telephone interview. Equal numbers in the age strata 40-49, 50-59, 60-69 and >or=70 years were surveyed with findings census-standardized to the national population. Broad aspects of men's health and well-being, including reproductive health, were explored. The majority of men were sexually active in the last 12 months (age-standardized proportion, 78.3%) with approximately 37% of men aged >or=70 years still continuing sexual activity. Overall, 12.2% of men had never fathered children, of whom most (7.7%) had chosen not to have children. Questioning on failed attempts to produce a pregnancy suggested an involuntary infertility rate of 7.6%. The age-standardized vasectomy rate was 25.1%, with 5.6% of vasectomized men having no children. Although 9.2% of vasectomized men regretted sterilization, only 1.4% had undergone vasectomy reversal. Continuing sexual activity, fertility and contraception needs in middle-aged and older men suggests that education and service delivery must be more appropriately directed to an ageing population.

Speech and language disorders in children from public schools in Belo Horizonte

PubMed Central

Rabelo, Alessandra Terra Vasconcelos; Campos, Fernanda Rodrigues; Friche, Clarice Passos; da Silva, Bárbara Suelen Vasconcelos; Friche, Amélia Augusta de Lima; Alves, Claudia Regina Lindgren; Goulart, Lúcia Maria Horta de Figueiredo

2015-01-01

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of oral language, orofacial motor skill and auditory processing disorders in children aged 4-10 years and verify their association with age and gender. Methods: Cross-sectional study with stratified, random sample consisting of 539 students. The evaluation consisted of three protocols: orofacial motor skill protocol, adapted from the Myofunctional Evaluation Guidelines; the Child Language Test ABFW - Phonology; and a simplified auditory processing evaluation. Descriptive and associative statistical analyses were performed using Epi Info software, release 6.04. Chi-square test was applied to compare proportion of events and analysis of variance was used to compare mean values. Significance was set at p≤0.05. Results: Of the studied subjects, 50.1% had at least one of the assessed disorders; of those, 33.6% had oral language disorder, 17.1% had orofacial motor skill impairment, and 27.3% had auditory processing disorder. There were significant associations between auditory processing skills’ impairment, oral language impairment and age, suggesting a decrease in the number of disorders with increasing age. Similarly, the variable "one or more speech, language and hearing disorders" was also associated with age. Conclusions: The prevalence of speech, language and hearing disorders in children was high, indicating the need for research and public health efforts to cope with this problem. PMID:26300524

Who are the new amphetamine users? A 10-year prospective study of young Australians.

PubMed

Degenhardt, Louisa; Coffey, Carolyn; Carlin, John B; Moran, Paul; Patton, George C

2007-08-01

Despite good evidence of increased availability and use of amphetamines world-wide, relatively little is known about the epidemiology of young adult amphetamine use; relationships with social functioning, other drug use and mental health at this age; nor of the adolescent predictors of such use. We examined these issues using a representative cohort of young people followed-up in Victoria, Australia. A stratified, random sample of 1943 adolescents was recruited from secondary schools across Victoria at age 14-15 years. This cohort was interviewed on eight occasions until the age of 24-25 years (78% follow-up at that age). Cross-sectional and predictive associations were assessed using logistic regression. At age 24 years, 12% of the sample had used amphetamines in the past year, with 1-2% using at least weekly. Young adult amphetamine use was predicted strongly by adolescent drug use and was associated robustly with other drug use and dependence in young adulthood. Associations were stronger for more frequent users. Among young adults who had not been using amphetamines at age 20 years, the strongest predictor of use at age 24 years was the use of other drugs, particularly cannabis, at 20 years. Psychological distress did not predict independently an increased likelihood of amphetamine use in this cohort. Young people in Australia using amphetamine at age 24 years are highly likely to be significant polydrug users. The risks for both initiation of young adult amphetamine use, and maintenance of such use, pertain to the heavy use of other drugs. Interventions for heavy amphetamine users at this age are likely to require attention to multiple drug problems.

Health risk behaviours of Palestinian youth: findings from a representative survey.

PubMed

Glick, Peter; Al-Khammash, Umaiyeh; Shaheen, Mohammed; Brown, Ryan; Goutam, Prodyumna; Karam, Rita; Linnemayr, Sebastian; Massad, Salwa

2018-05-03

There is little systematic information about health risk behaviours among youth in Middle Eastern countries, leaving public health authorities unprepared to deal with emerging public health threats at a time of major social change. The Palestinian Youth Health Risk study investigates patterns of risk behaviours among Palestinian youth, their perceptions of the risks and benefits of such behaviours, and the relationship of exposure to violence with mental health and engagement in risk behaviours. We conducted a representative survey among 2500 individuals aged 15-24 years in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, permitting reliable comparison across sex and rural-urban divisions. A stratified 2-stage random sample was drawn from the 2007 population census, with strata formed by crossing the 12 governorates with urban, rural and refugee camp locations. Within strata, 208 survey clusters were sampled with probability proportional to size. Within each cluster, 14 households with youth of the appropriate age were sampled. Among youth aged 20-24 years, 22.4% of males and 11.6% of females reported trying alcohol; 10.5% of males and 4.3% of females reported trying drugs. Almost one quarter of unmarried youth aged 20-24 years reported any sexual experience. Tobacco use is high, even among younger youth (45.4% of males and 21.2% of females aged 15-19 smoke). Risk behaviours are higher among males, older youth and in urban areas and refugee camps. While smoking is of particular concern, prevention outreach for all behaviours should be directed at subgroups and areas identified as highest risk. Copyright © World Health Organization (WHO) 2018. Some rights reserved. This work is available under the CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/igo).

Serum and erythrocyte folate status of New Zealand women of childbearing age following a countrywide voluntary programme by the baking industry to fortify bread with folic acid.

PubMed

Bradbury, Kathryn E; Williams, Sheila M; Mann, Jim I; Oey, Indrawati; Aitchison, Cindy; Parnell, Winsome; Fleming, Liz; Brown, Rachel C; Skeaff, C Murray

2016-11-01

To estimate the folate status of New Zealand women of childbearing age following the introduction, in 2010, of a new voluntary folic acid fortification of bread programme. The 2011 Folate and Women's Health Survey was a cross-sectional survey of women aged 18-44 years carried out in 2011. The survey used a stratified random sampling technique with the Electoral Roll as the sampling frame. Women were asked about consumption of folic-acid-fortified breads and breakfast cereals in a telephone interview. During a clinic visit, blood was collected for serum and erythrocyte folate measurement by microbiological assay. A North Island (Wellington) and South Island (Dunedin) city centre in New Zealand. Two hundred and eighty-eight women, of whom 278 completed a clinic visit. Geometric mean serum and erythrocyte folate concentrations were 30 nmol/l and 996 nmol/l, respectively. Folate status was 30-40 % higher compared with women of childbearing age sampled as part of a national survey in 2008/09, prior to the introduction of the voluntary folic acid bread fortification programme. In the 2011 Folate and Women's Health Survey, reported consumption of fortified bread and fortified breakfast cereal in the past week was associated with 25 % (P=0·01) and 15 % (P=0·04) higher serum folate concentrations, respectively. Serum and erythrocyte folate concentrations have increased in New Zealand women of childbearing age since the number of folic-acid-fortified breads was increased voluntarily in 2010. Consumption of fortified breads and breakfast cereals was associated with a higher folate status.

The relationships between sex hormones and sexual function in middle-aged and older European men.

PubMed

O'Connor, Daryl B; Lee, David M; Corona, Giovanni; Forti, Gianni; Tajar, Abdelouahid; O'Neill, Terence W; Pendleton, Neil; Bartfai, Gyorgy; Boonen, Steven; Casanueva, Felipe F; Finn, Joseph D; Giwercman, Aleksander; Han, Thang S; Huhtaniemi, Ilpo T; Kula, Krzysztof; Labrie, Fernand; Lean, Michael E J; Punab, Margus; Silman, Alan J; Vanderschueren, Dirk; Wu, Frederick C W

2011-10-01

Limited data are available exploring the associations between sex hormones, multiple domains of sexual functioning, and sexual function-related distress in nonpatient samples in Europe. The aim of the study was to investigate the relationships between serum testosterone (T), estradiol (E2), and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and sexual function in a multicenter population-based study of aging in men. Using stratified random sampling, 2838 men aged 40-79 yr completed the European Male Ageing Study-Sexual Function Questionnaire and provided a blood sample for hormone measurements. T, E2, and DHT were measured using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. We conducted a community-based population survey in eight European centers. Self-reported sexual function (overall sexual function, sexual function-related distress, erectile dysfunction, masturbation) was measured. Total and free T, but not E2 or DHT, was associated with overall sexual function in middle-aged and older men. E2 was the only hormone associated with sexual function-related distress such that higher levels were related to greater distress. Free T levels were associated with masturbation frequency and erectile dysfunction in the fully adjusted models, such that higher T was associated with less dysfunction and greater frequency. Moreover, there was a T threshold for the relationship between total T, sexual function, and erectile dysfunction. At T concentrations of 8 nmol/liter or less, T was associated with worse sexual functioning, whereas at T levels over 8 nmol/liter, the relationship came to a plateau. These findings suggest that different hormonal mechanisms may regulate sexual functioning (T) vs. the psychological aspects (E2) of male sexual behavior. Moreover, there was a T threshold for overall sexual function such that at levels greater than 8 nmol/liter the relationship between T and sexual function did not become stronger.

Latin Hypercube Sampling (LHS) UNIX Library/Standalone

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

2004-05-13

The LHS UNIX Library/Standalone software provides the capability to draw random samples from over 30 distribution types. It performs the sampling by a stratified sampling method called Latin Hypercube Sampling (LHS). Multiple distributions can be sampled simultaneously, with user-specified correlations amongst the input distributions, LHS UNIX Library/ Standalone provides a way to generate multi-variate samples. The LHS samples can be generated either as a callable library (e.g., from within the DAKOTA software framework) or as a standalone capability. LHS UNIX Library/Standalone uses the Latin Hypercube Sampling method (LHS) to generate samples. LHS is a constrained Monte Carlo sampling scheme. Inmore » LHS, the range of each variable is divided into non-overlapping intervals on the basis of equal probability. A sample is selected at random with respect to the probability density in each interval, If multiple variables are sampled simultaneously, then values obtained for each are paired in a random manner with the n values of the other variables. In some cases, the pairing is restricted to obtain specified correlations amongst the input variables. Many simulation codes have input parameters that are uncertain and can be specified by a distribution, To perform uncertainty analysis and sensitivity analysis, random values are drawn from the input parameter distributions, and the simulation is run with these values to obtain output values. If this is done repeatedly, with many input samples drawn, one can build up a distribution of the output as well as examine correlations between input and output variables.« less

Shrub succession on eight mixed-severity wildfires in western Montana, northeastern Oregon, and northern Idaho

Treesearch

Dennis E. Ferguson; John C. Byrne

2016-01-01

The response of 28 shrub species to wildfire burn severity was assessed for 8 wildfires on 6 national forests in the northern Rocky Mountains, USA. Stratified random sampling was used to choose 224 stands based on burn severity, habitat type series, slope steepness, stand height, and stand density, which resulted in 896 plots measured at approximately 2-year intervals...

The Ambivalence of the Israeli Academic Profession: Research vs. Teaching. The Academic Profession Approaches the Twenty-First Century: the Carnegie Foundation International Survey, Symposium.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gottlieb, Esther E.; And Others

Attitudes of Israeli senior faculty concerning research and teaching were evaluated using the Carnegie international questionnaire. Approximately one third of the total faculty population in Israel was randomly sampled, but stratified by institutional size. The questionnaire was sent to 2,225 faculty and 502 returned completed forms (22.56…

Gender Differences and Public Sector Managers: Women's Perceptions of Equality in State Government.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whitcraft, Carol; Williams, M. Lee

A study assessed the equality of women managers in 11 of the largest state agencies in Texas. It also investigated the perceptions of men and women managers concerning a variety of work related issues in Texas state government. A stratified random sample of 25 percent of all managers was drawn, and 1,844 responses, representing a 55.5% response…

Teachers Use of Writing to Support Students' Learning in Middle School: A National Survey in the United States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ray, Amber B.; Graham, Steve; Houston, Julia D.; Harris, Karen R.

2016-01-01

A random sample of middle school teachers (grades 6-9) from across the United States was surveyed about their use of writing to support students' learning. The selection process was stratified so there were an equal number of English language arts, social studies, and science teachers. More than one-half of the teachers reported applying 15 or…

The Davis Social Environment-1990: A Report of Student Opinions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Low, Jane M.

A study was done to examine student opinion of the social environment on the University of California Davis campus in Spring 1990 as a follow up to a similar study conducted in 1987. The study used the Student Opinion Survey and mailed it to a stratified random sample of 1,649 students. Of the surveys sent, 57.7 percent were returned. The…

Public Perceptions of Agriculture: The Role of Government, Support for the Family Farm and Support of Domestic Food Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mu'min, Ridgely A.; And Others

There are few racial or urban/rural differences in public attitudes toward agriculture and government agricultural policies. The Farming in American Life Study, a collaborative effort by 14 land grant institutions in the South and Midwest, gathered 3,239 completed questionnaires from a national stratified random sample for a completion rate of 46…

Effects of low intensity prescribed fires on ponderosa pine forests in wilderness areas of Zion National Park, Utah

Treesearch

Henry V. Bastian

2001-01-01

Vegetation and fuel loading plots were monitored and sampled in wilderness areas treated with prescribed fire. Changes in ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) forest structure tree species and fuel loading are presented. Plots were randomly stratified and established in burn units in 1995. Preliminary analysis of nine plots 2 years after burning show litter was reduced 54....

Validity of the Child Observation Record: An Investigation of the Relationship between Cor Dimensions and Social-Emotional and Cognitive Outcomes for Head Start Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sekino, Yumiko; Fantuzzo, John

2005-01-01

The study examined the validity of the Child Observation Record (COR). Participants were 242 children, a stratified, random sample of a large, urban Head Start program. Teachers trained to collect COR data provided assessments on the Cognitive, Social Engagement, and Coordinated Movement dimensions of the COR. Outcome data included cognitive and…

The Psychological Effect of Errors in Standardized Language Test Items on EFL Students' Responses to the Following Item

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khaksefidi, Saman

2017-01-01

This study investigates the psychological effect of a wrong question with wrong items on answering to the next question in a test of structure. Forty students selected through stratified random sampling are given 15 questions of a standardized test namely a TOEFL structure test in which questions number 7 and number 11 are wrong and their answers…

Graduate Science Enrollment in Fall 1975 is Up Again for Second Straight Year. Science Resources Studies Highlights, December 31, 1975.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Science Foundation, Washington, DC. Div. of Science Resources Studies.

This report is based upon the National Science Foundation (NSF) 1975 Quick Response Survey which consisted of a stratified random sample of l,297 departments in 294 institutions (including 67 medical schools) granting a Ph.D. in science or engineering. Variables investigated were: (1) area of science, (2) full-time enrollment number, (3) part-time…

A Comparative Study of Students' Access to and Utilization of Learning Resources in Selected Public and Private Universities in Southwest, Nigeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lawal, B. O.; Viatonu, Olumuyiwa

2017-01-01

The study investigated students' access to and utilization of some learning resources in selected public and private universities in southwest Nigeria. Stratified random sampling technique was used to select 585 (295 public and 290 private) students from 12 (six public and six private) universities in southwest Nigeria. Two instruments--Cost and…

The Needs of Tribal Men and the Social Service Providers on or Near the Nez Perce Indian Nation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

High Eagle, Gordon; And Others

This report results from an action research project of the Nee Mee Poom Ha Hum (Men's Coalition), investigating the needs of tribal men in the Nez Perce Indian Nation, as part of planning to improve men's development. Research was directed toward interviewing a stratified random sample of tribal men and interviewing the directors and employees of…

Relationship between Staff-Reported Culture Change and Occupancy Rate and Organizational Commitment among Nursing Homes in South Korea

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Minhong; Choi, Jae-Sung; Lim, Jinseop; Kim, Young Sun

2013-01-01

Purpose: This study aims to examine culture change in nursing homes in South Korea and to identify the outcomes of culture change implementation. Design and Methods: Data were taken from survey responses from 223 top- or mid-level staff among nursing homes in South Korea that were selected through a proportionate random-stratified sampling method…

Children Without Homes: An Examination of Public Responsibility to Children in Out-of-Home Care.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Knitzer, Jane; And Others

This book is the seventh Children's Defense Fund report on major problems facing American children at risk of placement or already placed out of their homes. The findings are based on a survey of child welfare and probation offices in a stratified random sample of 140 counties (27 with populations over 300,000, and 113 with populations under…

Re-Engineering Vocational and Technical Education (VTE) for Sustainable Development in North Central Geo-Political Zone, Nigeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sofoluwe, Abayomi Olumade

2013-01-01

The purpose of the study is to re-engineer vocational and technical education for sustainable development in the North Central Geo-Political Zone in Nigeria. The research design adopted was a survey inferential type. Stratified random was used to select 36 schools out of 98 schools while 920 students out of 3680 students were sampled. The data…

Geostatistical Sampling Methods for Efficient Uncertainty Analysis in Flow and Transport Problems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liodakis, Stylianos; Kyriakidis, Phaedon; Gaganis, Petros

2015-04-01

In hydrogeological applications involving flow and transport of in heterogeneous porous media the spatial distribution of hydraulic conductivity is often parameterized in terms of a lognormal random field based on a histogram and variogram model inferred from data and/or synthesized from relevant knowledge. Realizations of simulated conductivity fields are then generated using geostatistical simulation involving simple random (SR) sampling and are subsequently used as inputs to physically-based simulators of flow and transport in a Monte Carlo framework for evaluating the uncertainty in the spatial distribution of solute concentration due to the uncertainty in the spatial distribution of hydraulic con- ductivity [1]. Realistic uncertainty analysis, however, calls for a large number of simulated concentration fields; hence, can become expensive in terms of both time and computer re- sources. A more efficient alternative to SR sampling is Latin hypercube (LH) sampling, a special case of stratified random sampling, which yields a more representative distribution of simulated attribute values with fewer realizations [2]. Here, term representative implies realizations spanning efficiently the range of possible conductivity values corresponding to the lognormal random field. In this work we investigate the efficiency of alternative methods to classical LH sampling within the context of simulation of flow and transport in a heterogeneous porous medium. More precisely, we consider the stratified likelihood (SL) sampling method of [3], in which attribute realizations are generated using the polar simulation method by exploring the geometrical properties of the multivariate Gaussian distribution function. In addition, we propose a more efficient version of the above method, here termed minimum energy (ME) sampling, whereby a set of N representative conductivity realizations at M locations is constructed by: (i) generating a representative set of N points distributed on the surface of a M-dimensional, unit radius hyper-sphere, (ii) relocating the N points on a representative set of N hyper-spheres of different radii, and (iii) transforming the coordinates of those points to lie on N different hyper-ellipsoids spanning the multivariate Gaussian distribution. The above method is applied in a dimensionality reduction context by defining flow-controlling points over which representative sampling of hydraulic conductivity is performed, thus also accounting for the sensitivity of the flow and transport model to the input hydraulic conductivity field. The performance of the various stratified sampling methods, LH, SL, and ME, is compared to that of SR sampling in terms of reproduction of ensemble statistics of hydraulic conductivity and solute concentration for different sample sizes N (numbers of realizations). The results indicate that ME sampling constitutes an equally if not more efficient simulation method than LH and SL sampling, as it can reproduce to a similar extent statistics of the conductivity and concentration fields, yet with smaller sampling variability than SR sampling. References [1] Gutjahr A.L. and Bras R.L. Spatial variability in subsurface flow and transport: A review. Reliability Engineering & System Safety, 42, 293-316, (1993). [2] Helton J.C. and Davis F.J. Latin hypercube sampling and the propagation of uncertainty in analyses of complex systems. Reliability Engineering & System Safety, 81, 23-69, (2003). [3] Switzer P. Multiple simulation of spatial fields. In: Heuvelink G, Lemmens M (eds) Proceedings of the 4th International Symposium on Spatial Accuracy Assessment in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, Coronet Books Inc., pp 629?635 (2000).

Maternal prenatal cortisol predicts infant negative emotionality in a sex-dependent manner.

PubMed

Braithwaite, Elizabeth C; Pickles, Andrew; Sharp, Helen; Glover, Vivette; O'Donnell, Kieran J; Tibu, Florin; Hill, Jonathan

2017-06-01

Prenatal stress influences fetal developmental trajectories, which may implicate glucocorticoid mechanisms. There is also emerging evidence that effects of prenatal stress on offspring development are sex-dependent. However, little is known about the prospective relationship between maternal prenatal cortisol levels and infant behaviour, and whether it may be different in male and female infants. We sought to address this question using data from a prospective longitudinal cohort, stratified by risk. The Wirral Child Health and Development Study (WCHADS) cohort (n=1233) included a stratified random sub-sample (n=216) who provided maternal saliva samples, assayed for cortisol, at home over two days at 32weeks of pregnancy (on waking, 30-min post-waking and during the evening) and a measure of infant negative emotionality from the Neonatal Behavioural Assessment Scale (NBAS) at five weeks-of-age. General population estimates of associations among measures were obtained using inverse probability weights. Maternal prenatal cortisol sampled on waking predicted infant negative emotionality in a sex-dependent manner (interaction term, p=0.005); female infants exposed to high levels of prenatal cortisol were more negative (Beta=0.440, p=0.042), whereas male infants were less negative (Beta=-0.407, p=0.045). There was no effect of the 30-min post-waking measure or evening cortisol. Our findings add to an emerging body of work that has highlighted sex differences in fetal programming, whereby females become more reactive following prenatal stress, and males less reactive. A more complete understanding of sex-specific developmental trajectories in the context of prenatal stress is essential for the development of targeted prevention strategies. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

The Edgecombe County High Blood Pressure Control Program: III. Social support, social stressors, and treatment dropout.

PubMed Central

Williams, C A; Beresford, S A; James, S A; LaCroix, A Z; Strogatz, D S; Wagner, E H; Kleinbaum, D G; Cutchin, L M; Ibrahim, M A

1985-01-01

In a hypertension prevalence survey of a stratified random sample of 1,000 households, 2,030 adults (aged 18 years and over) were interviewed and information on psychosocial variables collected. Among 359 hypertensives, there was a consistent relationship between indicators of difficulty in the social environment and dropout from treatment in women. Compared to those who remained in treatment, women who dropped out can be characterized as having less social support on the job, having less perceived spouse approval (if married), having a lower level of perceived access to supportive resources, and being more likely to report feeling pushed most or all of the time if they are homemakers. Relationships between indicators of social support and dropout from treatment in men were found only with support on the job, and for White men, with perceived friend approval. PMID:3872605

Physician assistants and nurse practitioners in the National Health Service Corps.

PubMed

Pathman, Donald E; Konrad, Thomas R; Hooker, Roderick S

2014-12-01

This study describes the experiences of physician assistants (PAs) and nurse practitioners (NPs) in the National Health Service Corps' (NHSC) loan repayment program in 2010. In 2011, a stratified random sample of NHSC clinicians was surveyed. Data from the 148 PA and 137 NP respondents were analyzed (52.4% response rate). PAs were younger than NPs (mean age 31 versus 35 years), less often female (68% versus 91%), and more often carried educational debt over $100,000 (56% versus 24%). Both groups were serving in states familiar to them and within communities where they felt accepted. The groups were generally satisfied on most measures of work, with PAs more satisfied than NPs on some measures. The NHSC's PAs and NPs are well matched to communities and satisfied with their work. Maximizing their NHSC experiences and retention requires recognizing their differences in demographics, debt, and areas of job satisfaction.

Socioeconomic inequality and child maltreatment in Iranian schoolchildren.

PubMed

Hosseinkhani, Z; Nedjat, S; Aflatouni, A; Mahram, M; Majdzadeh, R

2016-02-01

Socioeconomic inequality and child maltreatment have not been studied using the concentration index as an indicator of inequality. The study aimed to assess the association of child maltreatment with socioeconomic status among schoolchildren in Qazvin province, Islamic Republic of Iran. In this cross-sectional study a questionnaire based on the ISPCAN Child Maltreatment Screening Tool-Children's Version and the Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire was filled by 1028 children aged 9-14 years, selected through multistage stratified random sampling. The concentration indices for economic inequality were -0.086 for any type of child maltreatment and -0.155, -0.098 and -0.139 for the physical, psychological and neglect subtypes of maltreatment respectively. The number of children and the economic status of the family also showed a significant association with child maltreatment in all 3 subtypes. Appropriate planning for effective interventions for at-risk children of lower socioeconomic status should be considered by the relevant decision-makers.

Dietary habits and physical activity levels in Jordanian adolescents attending private versus public schools.

PubMed

Tayyem, R F; Al-Hazzaa, H M; Abu-Mweis, S S; Bawadi, H A; Hammad, S S; Musaiger, A O

2014-07-08

The present study examined differences in dietary habits and physical activity levels between students attending private and public high schools in Jordan. A total of 386 secondary-school males and 349 females aged 14-18 years were randomly recruited using a multistage, stratified, cluster sampling technique. Dietary habits and physical activity level were self-reported in a validated questionnaire. The prevalence of obesity was significantly higher among adolescents in private (26.0%) than in public schools (16.7%). The frequency of breakfast intake was significantly higher among adolescents in private schools, whereas French fries and sweets intake was significantly higher in public schools. Television viewing showed a significant interaction with school type by sex. A higher rate of inactivity was found among students attending private schools. Despite a slightly better overall dietary profile for students in private schools, they had a higher rate of overweight and obesity compared with those in public schools.

Academic Research Equipment in Selected Science Engineering Fields: 1982-83 to 1985-86.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burgdorf, Kenneth; Chaney, Bradford

This report presents information for identification of the national trends in the amount, age, loss, condition, and perceived adequacy of academic research equipment in selected science and engineering fields. The data were obtained from a stratified probability sample of 55 colleges and universities and from a separately selected sample of 24…

Standardization of Brief Inventory of Social Support Exchange Network (BISSEN) in Japan.

PubMed

Aiba, Miyuki; Tachikawa, Hirokazu; Fukuoka, Yoshiharu; Lebowitz, Adam; Shiratori, Yuki; Doi, Nagafumi; Matsui, Yutaka

2017-07-01

This study describes the Brief Inventory of Social Support Exchange Network (BISSEN) as a standardized brief inventory measuring various aspects of social support. We confirmed the reliability and validity for function and direction of support and standardized the BISSEN. For Sample 1, a stratified random sampling method was used to select 5200 residents in Japan. We conducted mail surveys and responses were retrieved from 2274 participants (collection rate 43.7%). Participants completed a questionnaire packet that included BISSEN, suicidal ideation, depression, support seeking, and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS). Sample 2 surveys for test-retest reliability were conducted on 23 residents at approximately two-week intervals. Participants were asked about gender, age, and BISSEN. First, we assessed the internal consistency, test-retest reliability, construct, convergent, and concurrent validity. McDonald's omega (.73-.92) and test-retest correlations (.78-.85) demonstrated adequate internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Depression, support seeking, and MSPSS were significantly correlated with all scores of BISSEN. The non-suicidal ideation group had significantly more support compared to the suicidal ideation group. Therefore, function and direction of support in BISSEN had sufficient reliability and validity. Next, we standardized BISSEN using Z-scores and percentile rank with respect to each 12 norm groups by age and gender. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

A methodology for small scale rural land use mapping in semi-arid developing countries using orbital imagery. Part 5: Experimental and operational techniques of mapping land use

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vangenderen, J. L. (Principal Investigator); Lock, B. F.

1976-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. Scope of the preprocessing techniques was restricted to standard material from the EROS Data Center accompanied by some enlarging procedures and the use of the diazo process. Investigation has shown that the most appropriate sampling strategy for this study is the stratified random technique. A viable sampling procedure, together with a method for determining minimum number of sample points in order to test results of any interpretation are presented.

Community Clinicians and the Veterans Choice Program for PTSD Care: Understanding Provider Interest During Early Implementation.

PubMed

Finley, Erin P; Noël, Polly H; Mader, Michael; Haro, Elizabeth; Bernardy, Nancy; Rosen, Craig S; Bollinger, Mary; Garcia, Hector; Sherrieb, Kathleen; Pugh, Mary Jo V

2017-07-01

In 2014, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) implemented the Veterans Choice Program (VCP) to provide reimbursement for community-based care to eligible veterans. Inadequate networks of participating providers may impact the utility of VCP for veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a complex condition occurring at lower frequency among civilians. To compare characteristics and attitudes of community-based primary care and mental health providers reporting interest or no interest in VCP participation during early implementation; and to examine perceptions and experiences of VCP among "early adopters." Cross-sectional surveys with 2 samples: a stratified random sample of mental health and primary care prescribers and psychotherapists drawn from state licensing boards (Community Sample); and a stratified random sample of prescribers and psychotherapists identified as VCP-authorized providers (VCP-Authorized). Five hundred fifty-three respondents in the Community Sample and 115 in the VCP-Authorized (total, n=668; 21.1% response). Surveys assessed provider and practice characteristics, attitudes to VA and VCP, and experiences and satisfaction with the VCP; an open-ended survey item assessed providers' reasons for interest or lack of interest in VCP participation. Few providers reported VCP participation during this period. Interest in VCP participation was associated across provider groups with factors including being a veteran and receiving VA reimbursement; currently providing treatment for PTSD was associated with interest in VCP participation among psychotherapists, but not prescribers. Developing networks of VCP providers to serve Veterans with PTSD is likely to require targeting more receptive provider groups, reducing barriers to participation, and more effectively communicating the value of VCP participation to providers.

Predicting the onset and persistence of episodes of depression in primary health care. The predictD-Spain study: Methodology

PubMed Central

Bellón, Juan Ángel; Moreno-Küstner, Berta; Torres-González, Francisco; Montón-Franco, Carmen; GildeGómez-Barragán, María Josefa; Sánchez-Celaya, Marta; Díaz-Barreiros, Miguel Ángel; Vicens, Catalina; de Dios Luna, Juan; Cervilla, Jorge A; Gutierrez, Blanca; Martínez-Cañavate, María Teresa; Oliván-Blázquez, Bárbara; Vázquez-Medrano, Ana; Sánchez-Artiaga, María Soledad; March, Sebastia; Motrico, Emma; Ruiz-García, Victor Manuel; Brangier-Wainberg, Paulette Renée; del Mar Muñoz-García, María; Nazareth, Irwin; King, Michael

2008-01-01

Background The effects of putative risk factors on the onset and/or persistence of depression remain unclear. We aim to develop comprehensive models to predict the onset and persistence of episodes of depression in primary care. Here we explain the general methodology of the predictD-Spain study and evaluate the reliability of the questionnaires used. Methods This is a prospective cohort study. A systematic random sample of general practice attendees aged 18 to 75 has been recruited in seven Spanish provinces. Depression is being measured with the CIDI at baseline, and at 6, 12, 24 and 36 months. A set of individual, environmental, genetic, professional and organizational risk factors are to be assessed at each follow-up point. In a separate reliability study, a proportional random sample of 401 participants completed the test-retest (251 researcher-administered and 150 self-administered) between October 2005 and February 2006. We have also checked 118,398 items for data entry from a random sample of 480 patients stratified by province. Results All items and questionnaires had good test-retest reliability for both methods of administration, except for the use of recreational drugs over the previous six months. Cronbach's alphas were good and their factorial analyses coherent for the three scales evaluated (social support from family and friends, dissatisfaction with paid work, and dissatisfaction with unpaid work). There were 191 (0.16%) data entry errors. Conclusion The items and questionnaires were reliable and data quality control was excellent. When we eventually obtain our risk index for the onset and persistence of depression, we will be able to determine the individual risk of each patient evaluated in primary health care. PMID:18657275

Association between Periodontal disease and Prostate cancer: Results of a 12-year Longitudinal Cohort Study in South Korea

PubMed Central

Lee, Jae-Hong; Kweon, Helen Hye-In; Choi, Jung-Kyu; Kim, Young-Taek; Choi, Seong-Ho

2017-01-01

The incidence of prostate cancer (PC) accompanying periodontal disease (PD) is anticipated to increase due to population aging. The aim of this study was to determine the association between PD and PC using data in the National Health Insurance Service-Health Examinee Cohort (NHIS-HEC). A random stratified sample of 187,934 South Koreans was collected from the NHIS database from 2002 to 2013. We assessed the relationship between PD and PC while adjusting for potential confounding factors (sex, age, household income, insurance status, residence area, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, cerebral infarction, angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, smoking status, alcohol intake, and regular exercise). The overall incidence of PC with PD among those aged 40 years and older was 0.28% (n = 531). In the multivariate Cox proportional-hazard regression analysis with adjustment for confounding factors, PD was associated with a 14% higher risk of PC (HR = 1.14, 95% CI = 1.01-1.31, P = 0.042). The findings of this study suggest that PD is significantly and positively associated with PC. Further studies are required to identify the mechanisms underlying the links between PD and PC. PMID:28928887

Prevalence of osteoporosis in Australian women: Geelong Osteoporosis Study.

PubMed

Henry, M J; Pasco, J A; Nicholson, G C; Seeman, E; Kotowicz, M A

2000-01-01

To evaluate the prevalence of osteoporosis at various sites among Australian women, cross-sectional bone mineral density (BMD) data for adult females was obtained from an age-stratified population-based sample (n = 1494; 20-94 yr) drawn at random from the Barwon Statistical Division, a population characteristic of Australia. Age- and weight- (and for three sites, height) matched reference ranges for BMD at the lumbar spine, proximal femur, forearm, and total body were developed using regression techniques. The cutoff BMD level for osteoporosis at the PA spine was 0. 917g/cm(2) and 0.713 g/cm(2) at the femoral neck according to the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. The upper cutoff level for osteopenia was 1.128 g/cm(2) at the PA spine and 0.913g/cm(2) for the femoral neck. The proportion of Australian women categorized as having osteoporosis at the PA spine, femoral neck, or midforearm ranged from 0.9% among those aged 40-44 yr to 87.0% for those older than 79 yr. This study provides reference data representative of the Australian female population. A large proportion of elderly Australian women has osteoporosis according to the WHO guidelines.

Associations between socioeconomic status and cardiovascular risk factors in an urban population in China.

PubMed

Yu, Z; Nissinen, A; Vartiainen, E; Song, G; Guo, Z; Zheng, G; Tuomilehto, J; Tian, H

2000-01-01

In developed countries socioeconomic status has been proven to be an important factor in the progression of cardiovascular disease. The present article reports the results of a cross-sectional assessment to investigate the association between socioeconomic status and cardiovascular risk factors in a Chinese urban population. In 1996, a behavioural risk factor survey was carried out in Tianjin, the third largest city in China. A sample of 4000 people aged 15-69 years, stratified by sex and 10-year age groups, was drawn randomly from urban areas of the city. The present study covers respondents aged 25-69 years (1615 men and 1592 women). Four socioeconomic indicators (education, occupation, income, and marital status), blood pressure, body mass index, and cigarette smoking were determined in the survey. Educational level seemed to be the most important measure of the four socioeconomic indicators in relation to the cardiovascular risk factors in the study population. People with lower socioeconomic status had higher levels of cardiovascular risk factors. The association between socioeconomic status and cardiovascular risk factors was more consistent among women than men. Our findings do not seem to differ from those observed in developed countries.

Job satisfaction of the oral health labour force in Australia.

PubMed

Luzzi, L; Spencer, A J

2011-03-01

Job satisfaction among registered clinical dentists in Australia was measured to identify issues influencing recruitment and retention. A questionnaire was mailed to a random sample of 2202 dentists, stratified by state and gender, selected from the 2005 Australian Dental Association directory. A total of 61.9% of dentists responded. Analyses showed significant differences in levels of satisfaction for various dimensions of job satisfaction by gender, age group, practice type and geographic area. Differences in satisfaction between male and female dentists related to the relationships with colleagues and administrative responsibilities dimensions. Dentists of different age groups differed on eight dimensions: relationships with colleagues, patients, staff; personal time; intrinsic satisfaction; community; administrative responsibilities and resources. Differences among private and public dentists related to autonomy, relationships with patients, staff, community, compensation and resources dimensions. Dentists working in different geographic areas differed on relationships with staff and community dimensions. Differences existed between private and public dentists, metropolitan and non-metropolitan dentists, male and female dentists and dentists of different ages. Such differences should be addressed in order to improve recruitment and retention rates of dentists. Workplaces that offer job autonomy, competitive pay, flexible working hours and minimal administrative burden may improve dentist job satisfaction. © 2010 Australian Dental Association.

Suicide prevention program for at-risk groups: pointers from an epidemiological study.

PubMed

Maniam, T; Chinna, Karuthan; Lim, C H; Kadir, A B; Nurashikin, I; Salina, A A; Mariapun, Jeevitha

2013-01-01

The aim of this paper is to identify at-risk groups for a focused suicide prevention program for Malaysia. Data from 20,552 persons aged 16 years and above (males 45.9%), was obtained using stratified, random sampling in a national survey of psychiatric morbidity using locally validated General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) which included questions on suicidal ideation. The overall prevalence of suicidal ideation (SI) was 6.3%, CI 6.1-6.8 (n=1288). Logistic regression analysis was performed with age, ethnicity, gender, urban/rural residence, age group, marital status, household income, type of household, presence of chronic pain, social dysfunction, somatic, anxiety or depressive symptoms, obesity, and chronic medical illnesses as independent variables. Only Insomnia, Religion, Marital Status, Depression, Social Dysfunction and Anxiety were seen to be significant predictors. Prevalence of SI was significantly higher among Indians (11.0%, CI 9.5-12.5), especially those of the Hindu faith (12.2%, CI 10.5-14.0), Chinese (9.7%, CI 8.8-10.7) and those having depressive symptoms. In a developing country with competing priorities, prudent allocation of resources requires focusing suicide prevention efforts on treating depression in vulnerable groups. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Quality of life and visual function in Nigeria: findings from the National Survey of Blindness and Visual Impairment.

PubMed

Tran, Hang My; Mahdi, Abdull M; Sivasubramaniam, Selvaraj; Gudlavalleti, Murthy V S; Gilbert, Clare E; Shah, Shaheen P; Ezelum, C C; Abubakar, Tafida; Bankole, Olufunmilayo O

2011-12-01

To assess associations of visual function (VF) and quality of life (QOL) by visual acuity (VA), causes of blindness and types of cataract procedures in Nigeria. Multi-stage stratified cluster random sampling was used to identify a nationally representative sample of persons aged ≥ 40 years. VF/QOL questionnaires were administered to participants with VA <6/60 in one or both eyes and/or Mehra-Minassian cataract grade 2B or 3 in one or both eyes and a random sample of those with bilateral VA ≥ 6/12. VF/QOL questionnaires were administered to 2076 participants. Spearman's rank correlation showed a strong correlation between decreasing VA and VF/QOL scores (p<0.0001) with greatest impact on social (p<0.0001) and mobility-related activities (p<0.0001). People who were blind due to glaucoma had lower VF and QOL scores than those who were blind due to cataract. Mean VF and QOL scores were lower after couching compared with conventional cataract surgery (mean VF score=51.0 vs 63.0 and mean QOL score=71.3 vs 79.3). Finally, VF and QOL scores were lower among populations with specific characteristics. Populations with the following characteristics should be targeted to improve VF and QOL: people who are blind, older people, women, manual labourers, people living in rural areas, those living in the northern geopolitical zones, those practising Islamic and Traditionalism faith, those not currently married and those who have undergone couching.

Out-of-pocket healthcare expenditures of older Americans with depression.

PubMed

Harman, Jeffrey S; Kelleher, Kelly J; Reynolds, Charles F; Pincus, Harold Alan

2004-05-01

The objective of this study was to estimate mean annual out-of-pocket (OOP) healthcare expenditures of Americans aged 65 and older with self-reported depression and compare these expenditures with the OOP expenditures of older Americans with hypertension, heart disease, diabetes mellitus, and arthritis. Data from the 1999 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, which employs a nationally representative stratified random sample of households in the United States, were used to estimate mean OOP expenditures for health care during 1999. The data were limited to observations on individuals aged 65 and older living in households in the United States included in the 1999 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey sample (N=2,730). Mean OOP expenditures for older Americans with depression were $1,835 in 1999. Most of the spending ($1,090) was for prescription drugs in this population. For patients with depression, only 8% of total OOP spending was for depression-specific services and treatments. Mean OOP spending was greater for persons with depression than it was for older Americans with hypertension ($1,181) and arthritis ($1,190), whereas OOP spending for depression was similar to spending of older Americans with heart disease ($1,412) and diabetes mellitus ($1,527). Older Americans with depression have high OOP expenditures, with most of this spending for health services and drugs to treat general medical conditions.

RBANS Norms based on the Relationship of Age, Gender, Education, and WRAT-3 Reading to Performance within an Older African American Sample.

PubMed

Andreotti, Charissa; Hawkins, Keith A

2015-01-01

Due to factors including differences in educational opportunity, African Americans and Caucasians frequently differ on cognitive tests creating diagnostic error risks. Such differences have been found on the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS), and preliminary norms based on a small sample of African Americans have been generated. In a larger sample of community-dwelling older African Americans, we explored sources of variance including age, gender, common medical conditions, years of education, and reading level to generate norms stratified on the most relevant bases. Three hundred and fifty-five African Americans aged 55+ and living independently completed the RBANS and health, education, and psychosocial interviews. Hypertension and type 2 diabetes were unrelated to overall RBANS performance once age and education were accounted for. Age, education, and WRAT-3 Reading score (a proxy for scholastic attainment) were independent predictors of RBANS performance. Females performed better on List Learning, Story Memory, Fluency, Coding, List Recall, and List Recognition; males were superior on Line Orientation and Picture Naming. In addition to generating norms stratified by age, we provide descriptive statistics grouped by age and education, and by age and WRAT-3 Reading grade level, to provide clinicians with the opportunity to tailor their interpretation of scores based upon perceived best fit for their patient. Regression formulas are provided to address gender differences. To complement the standard index norms, we provide norms for alternative indexes representing additional an factor structure of cognitive domains.

Economic stress in childhood and adulthood, and poor psychological health: three life course hypotheses.

PubMed

Lindström, Martin; Fridh, Maria; Rosvall, Maria

2014-02-28

Investigations of mental health in a life course perspective are scarce. The aim is to investigate associations between economic stress in childhood and adulthood, and poor psychological health in adulthood with reference to the accumulation, critical period and social mobility hypotheses in life course epidemiology. The 2008 public health survey in Skåne is a cross-sectional postal questionnaire study. A random sample was invited which yielded 28,198 respondents aged 18-80 (55% participation). Psychological health was assessed with the GHQ12 instrument. Logistic regression models were used to investigate the associations adjusting for age, country of birth, socioeconomic status, emotional support, instrumental support and trust, and stratifying by sex. The accumulation hypothesis was confirmed because combined childhood and adulthood exposures to economic stress were associated with poor psychological health in a graded manner. The social mobility hypothesis was also confirmed. The critical period hypothesis was not confirmed because both childhood and adulthood economic stress remained significantly associated with poor psychological health in adulthood. Economic stress in childhood is associated with mental health in adulthood. © 2013 Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

Analysis on leisure patterns of the pre-elderly adults.

PubMed

Cho, Gun-Sang; Yi, Eun-Surk

2013-01-01

The purpose of study is to analyze how leisure activities affect the near elders' preparation for successful and productive aging. To achieve the purpose of the study, this study was conducted in 2012 and the data was collected by using multi-stage stratified cluster random sampling method in the great city area (6 places), metropolitan area (7 places), medium-sized urban area (6 places), and rural area (6 places). Out of the total number of 1,000 copies of questionnaire distributed to pre-elders (Baby-boomers from 55 yr to 64 yr), 978 were collected and used for data analysis. According to the result, the more time, frequency and intensity in leisure and recreational participation, the higher the satisfaction level and the happiness level in their life. It means that leisure and recreational activities play an important role for their life. In other words, for pre-elders, leisure activities can be regarded as the important element for preparation of their old age. Therefore, the leisure and recreation for pre-elderly adults should not be recognized as a tool for improving the economic productivity but for reinforcing the recovery resilience.

Predictors and correlations of emotional intelligence among medical students at King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah

PubMed Central

Ibrahim, Nahla Khamis; Algethmi, Wafaa Ali; Binshihon, Safia Mohammad; Almahyawi, Rawan Aesh; Alahmadi, Razan Faisal; Baabdullah, Maha Yousef

2017-01-01

Objectives: To determine the predictors of Emotional Intelligence (EI), and its relationship with academic performance, leadership capacity, self-efficacy and the perceived stress between medical students at King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Methods: A cross-sectional study was done among 540 students selected through a multi-stage stratified random sampling method during 2015/2016. A standardized, confidential data collection sheet was used. It included Schutte Self-Report Emotional Intelligence (SSREI) scale, Authentic Leadership questionnaire, General Self-Efficacy Scale and the short version of Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-4). Both descriptive and inferential statistics were done, and a multiple linear regression model was constructed. Results: The predictors of high EI were gender (female), increasing age, and being non-smoker. EI was positively associated with better academic performance, leadership capacity and self-efficacy. It was negatively correlated to perceived-stress. Conclusion: Female gender, age, non-smoking were the predictors of high EI. Conduction of holistic training programs on EI, leadership and self-efficacy are recommended. More smoking control programs and stress management courses are required. PMID:29142542

Social welfare utilization and needs of older adults in Taiwan: survey research.

PubMed

Hsieh, Hsiu-Fen; Chen, Kuei-Min; Lin, Mei-Hui; Wang, Yueh-Chin; Huang, Hsin-Ting

2014-01-01

The demand for long-term care for older adults has escalated sharply. A good policy dedicated to the welfare of older adults has improved their quality of life. The purpose of this study was to explore the social welfare utilization and needs of older adults and compare their differences among age groups, genders, and functional dependency levels. Three hundred eighty-four stratified, random-sampled Taiwanese community-dwelling older adults were recruited for this survey research. Participants rated their utilization of and needs for the 30 social welfare services provided by the government on a Likert-type scale. The most widely used and needed social welfare services by the older adults were senior monetary stipend and a subsidy for the national health insurance premium. Young-old, male, and functionally independent older adults had more knowledge of the social welfare services than their counterparts. While designing a comprehensive social welfare system, differing needs of different age groups, genders, and functional dependency levels should be taken into consideration. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Workplace violence: differences in perceptions of nursing work between those exposed and those not exposed: a cross-sector analysis.

PubMed

Hegney, Desley; Tuckett, Anthony; Parker, Deborah; Eley, Robert M

2010-04-01

Nurses are at high risk of incurring workplace violence during their working life. This paper reports the findings on a cross-sectional, descriptive, self-report, postal survey in 2007. A stratified random sample of 3000 of the 29 789 members of the Queensland Nurses Union employed in the public, private and aged care sectors resulted in 1192 responses (39.7%). This paper reports the differences: between those nurses who experienced workplace violence and those who did not; across employment sectors. The incidence of workplace violence is highest in public sector nursing. Patients/clients/residents were the major perpetrators of workplace violence and the existence of a workplace policy did not decrease levels of workplace violence. Nurses providing clinical care in the private and aged care sectors experienced more workplace violence than more senior nurses. Although workplace violence was associated with high work stress, teamwork and a supportive workplace mitigated workplace violence. The perception of workplace safety was inversely related to workplace violence. With the exception of public sector nursing, nurses reported an inverse relationship with workplace violence and morale.

Identification, Prevention, and Management of Childhood Overweight and Obesity in a Pediatric Primary Care Center.

PubMed

Reed, Monique; Cygan, Heide; Lui, Karen; Mullen, Mary

2016-08-01

Background In the United States, overweight/obesity among youth has reached epidemic proportions. The purpose of this project was to (1) examine primary care provider adherence to American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines; (2) compare adherence based on patients' weight classification, age, race, and gender; and (3) identify areas for improvement in health care delivery. Methods A retrospective chart audit and feedback quality improvement project was conducted with a stratified random sample of 175 charts of 6- to 19-year-olds seen for well-child visits. Frequencies of provider adherence were reported. χ(2) Analyses of weight classification, age, race, or gender influence on adherence was calculated. Results After discussion with the primary care providers, 5 areas were identified as priorities for change (diagnosis based on BMI, parental history of obesity, sleep assessment, endocrine assessment, and attendance of patients at the follow-up visit). Conclusion Cost-efficient, feasible strategies to improve provider adherence to recommendations for identification, prevention and management of childhood overweight and obesity were identified. © The Author(s) 2015.

Cross-sectional study of height and weight in the population of Andalusia from age 3 to adulthood

PubMed Central

López-Siguero, Juan Pedro; García, Juan Manuel Fernández; Castillo, Juan de Dios Luna; Molina, Jose Antonio Moreno; Cosano, Carlos Ruiz; Ortiz, Antonio Jurado

2008-01-01

Background and objectives In Andalusia there were no studies including a representative sample of children and adolescent population assessing growth and weight increase. Our objectives were to develop reference standards for weight, height and BMI for the Andalusian pediatric population, from 3 to 18 years of age for both genders, and to identify the final adult height in Andalusia. Subjects and methods Two samples were collected. The first included individuals from 3 to 18 years of age (3592 girls and 3605 boys). They were stratified according type of study center, size of population of origin, age (32 categories of 0.5 years) and gender, using cluster sampling. Subjects from >18 to 23 years of age (947 women and 921 men) were sampled in 6 non-university educational centers and several university centers in Granada. Exclusion criteria included sons of non-Spanish mother or father, and individuals with chronic conditions and/or therapies affecting growth. Two trained fellows collected the data through February to December 2004, for the first sample, and through January to May 2005, for the second. Reference curves were adjusted using Cole's LMS method, and the quality of the adjustment was assessed using the tests proposed by Royston. In addition, a sensitivity analysis was applied to the final models obtained. Results Data for 9065 cases (4539 women and 4526 men) were obtained; 79.39% (n = 7197) in the up to 18 years of age group. In the first sampling only 0.07% (3 girls and 2 boys) refused to participate in the study. In addition, 327 students (4.5%) were absent when sampling was done. We present mean and standard deviation fort height, weight and BMI at 0.5 years intervals, from 3 to 23 years of age, for both genders. After adjustment with the different models, percentiles for height, weight (percentiles 3, 5, 10, 25, 50, 75, 90, 95, and 97) and BMI (percentiles 3, 5, 50, 85, 95, and 97) are presented for both genders. Conclusion This is the first study in Andalusia with a representative sample from the child-juvenile population to investigate weight, height and BMI in subjects from 3 to 23 years of age. The great variability observed in the values from sample of 18 to 23 years of age individuals, ensures the inclusion of extreme values, although random sampling was not used. There still is a lack of standard reference values for the Andalusian population younger done 3 years of age. PMID:18673524

Dental erosion among children aged 3-6 years and its associated indicators.

PubMed

Tao, Dan-Ying; Hao, Gu; Lu, Hai-Xia; Tian, Yu; Feng, Xi-Ping

2015-01-01

To analyze the status quo of dental erosion in 3- to 6-year-old children in Shanghai. A stratified, cluster, multistage random sampling methods was applied to 3- to 6-year-old children in Shanghai in 2012. Both questionnaire and clinical oral examination were performed in the survey. The questionnaire included general information, such as age, gender, parental education, dietary habit, oral health behavior, general medical health, and socioeconomic status. The clinical examination focused on the eroded tooth surface and dental erosion extent. SPSS v19.0 software package was utilized for statistical analysis. A total of 1,837 children aged 3-6 years were randomly selected in Shanghai. The overall dental erosion prevalence was 15.1 percent. Among different age groups, a relatively high prevalence of 17.1 percent was found in the 4-year-old group, and a relatively low prevalence of 12.0 percent was observed in the 3-year-old group. Surprisingly, there was no significant difference among the four age groups. The occurrence of dental erosion was influenced by habits of vinegar/coffee/tea consumption, mother's educational background, birthplace, and regurgitation (P < 0.05). The dental erosion prevalence in 3- to 6-year-old children in Shanghai appears to be close to that of other Chinese provinces as well as that observed in most of surveys carried out in different parts of the world. Efforts should be made to raise public awareness about the disease. Moreover, further studies targeted to explore the relationship between dental erosion and risk factors are needed. It is also necessary to establish a unified diagnostic standard for future epidemiological investigations. © 2015 American Association of Public Health Dentistry.

Prevalence of diabetes mellitus and prediabetes in the adult Romanian population: PREDATORR study.

PubMed

Mota, Maria; Popa, Simona Georgiana; Mota, Eugen; Mitrea, Adina; Catrinoiu, Doina; Cheta, Dan Mircea; Guja, Cristian; Hancu, Nicolae; Ionescu-Tirgoviste, Constantin; Lichiardopol, Radu; Mihai, Bogdan Mircea; Popa, Amorin Remus; Zetu, Cornelia; Bala, Cornelia Gabriela; Roman, Gabriela; Serafinceanu, Cristian; Serban, Viorel; Timar, Romulus; Veresiu, Ioan Andrei; Vlad, Adrian Radu

2016-05-01

The PREDATORR (PREvalence of DiAbeTes mellitus, prediabetes, overweight, Obesity, dyslipidemia, hyperuricemia and chronic kidney disease in Romania) study is the first national study analyzing the prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) and prediabetes, and their association with cardiometabolic, sociodemographic, and lifestyle risk factors in the Romanian population aged 20-79 years. This was an epidemiological study with a stratified, cross-sectional, cluster random sampling design. Sociodemographic, lifestyle, and anamnestic data were collected through self- and interviewer-administered questionnaires, and biochemical assays and oral glucose tolerance tests were performed. In all, 2728 participants from 101 clinics of general practitioners were randomly selected, with a probability proportional to population size according to the 2002 Romanian Census. The participation rate was 99.6%. Impaired glucose regulation (prediabetes, known and unknown DM) was found in 28.1% of the study population. The overall age- and sex-adjusted prevalence of DM was 11.6% (95% CI 9.6%-13.6%), of which 2.4% (95% CI 1.7%-3.1%) had unknown DM. The prevalence of DM increased with age and was higher in men than in women. The age- and sex-adjusted prevalence of prediabetes was 16.5% (95%CI 14.8%-18.2%), with the highest percentage in the 60-79 year age group and in women. Obesity, abdominal obesity, dyslipidemia, low education level, and a family history of diabetes were associated with glucose metabolism disorders. The PREDATORR study shows a high prevalence of impaired glucose regulation in the adult Romanian population, providing data on the prevalence of DM and prediabetes and their association with several risk factors. © 2015 Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine and John Wiley Sons & Australia, Ltd.

Migration, urbanisation and mortality: 5-year longitudinal analysis of the PERU MIGRANT study.

PubMed

Burroughs Pena, Melissa S; Bernabé-Ortiz, Antonio; Carrillo-Larco, Rodrigo M; Sánchez, Juan F; Quispe, Renato; Pillay, Timesh D; Málaga, Germán; Gilman, Robert H; Smeeth, Liam; Miranda, J Jaime

2015-07-01

To compare all-cause and cause-specific mortality among 3 distinct groups: within-country, rural-to-urban migrants, and rural and urban dwellers in a longitudinal cohort in Peru. The PERU MIGRANT Study, a longitudinal cohort study, used an age-stratified and sex-stratified random sample of urban dwellers in a shanty town community in the capital city of Peru, rural dwellers in the Andes, and migrants from the Andes to the shanty town community. Participants underwent a questionnaire and anthropomorphic measurements at a baseline evaluation in 2007-2008 and at a follow-up visit in 2012-2013. Mortality was determined by death certificate or family interview. Of the 989 participants evaluated at baseline, 928 (94%) were evaluated at follow-up (mean age 48 years; 53% female). The mean follow-up time was 5.1 years, totalling 4732.8 person-years. In a multivariable survival model, and relative to urban dwellers, migrant participants had lower all cause mortality (HR=0.30; 95% CI 0.12-0.78), and both the migrant (HR=0.07; 95% CI 0.01-0.41) and rural (HR=0.06; 95% CI 0.01-0.62) groups had lower cardiovascular mortality. Cardiovascular mortality of migrants remains similar to that of the rural group, suggesting that rural-to-urban migrants do not appear to catch up with urban mortality in spite of having a more urban cardiovascular risk factor profile. 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.

Influences of sampling size and pattern on the uncertainty of correlation estimation between soil water content and its influencing factors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lai, Xiaoming; Zhu, Qing; Zhou, Zhiwen; Liao, Kaihua

2017-12-01

In this study, seven random combination sampling strategies were applied to investigate the uncertainties in estimating the hillslope mean soil water content (SWC) and correlation coefficients between the SWC and soil/terrain properties on a tea + bamboo hillslope. One of the sampling strategies is the global random sampling and the other six are the stratified random sampling on the top, middle, toe, top + mid, top + toe and mid + toe slope positions. When each sampling strategy was applied, sample sizes were gradually reduced and each sampling size contained 3000 replicates. Under each sampling size of each sampling strategy, the relative errors (REs) and coefficients of variation (CVs) of the estimated hillslope mean SWC and correlation coefficients between the SWC and soil/terrain properties were calculated to quantify the accuracy and uncertainty. The results showed that the uncertainty of the estimations decreased as the sampling size increasing. However, larger sample sizes were required to reduce the uncertainty in correlation coefficient estimation than in hillslope mean SWC estimation. Under global random sampling, 12 randomly sampled sites on this hillslope were adequate to estimate the hillslope mean SWC with RE and CV ≤10%. However, at least 72 randomly sampled sites were needed to ensure the estimated correlation coefficients with REs and CVs ≤10%. Comparing with all sampling strategies, reducing sampling sites on the middle slope had the least influence on the estimation of hillslope mean SWC and correlation coefficients. Under this strategy, 60 sites (10 on the middle slope and 50 on the top and toe slopes) were enough to ensure the estimated correlation coefficients with REs and CVs ≤10%. This suggested that when designing the SWC sampling, the proportion of sites on the middle slope can be reduced to 16.7% of the total number of sites. Findings of this study will be useful for the optimal SWC sampling design.

Keeping adolescent orphans in school to prevent human immunodeficiency virus infection: evidence from a randomized controlled trial in Kenya.

PubMed

Cho, Hyunsan; Hallfors, Denise D; Mbai, Isabella I; Itindi, Janet; Milimo, Benson W; Halpern, Carolyn T; Iritani, Bonita J

2011-05-01

We report the findings from a pilot study in western Kenya, using an experimental design to test whether comprehensive support used to keep adolescent orphans in school can reduce risk factors associated with infection with human immunodeficiency virus. Adolescent orphans aged 12-14 years (N = 105) in Nyanza Province were randomized to condition, after stratifying by household, gender, and baseline survey report of sexual behavior. The intervention comprised school fees, uniforms, and a "community visitor" who monitored school attendance and helped to resolve problems that would lead to absence or dropout. Data were analyzed using generalized estimating equations over two time points, controlling for gender and age. Compared with the control group, intervention students were less likely to drop out of school, commence sexual intercourse, or report attitudes supporting early sex. School support also increased prosocial bonding and gender equity attitudes. After 1 year of exposure to the intervention, we found evidence suggesting that comprehensive school support can prevent school dropout, delay sexual debut, and reduce risk factors associated with infection with human immunodeficiency virus. Further research, with much larger samples, is needed to better understand factors that mediate the association between educational support and delayed sexual debut, and how gender might moderate these relationships. Copyright © 2011 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Are drivers with CVD more at risk for motor vehicle crashes? Study of men aged 45 to 70.

PubMed Central

Guibert, R.; Potvin, L.; Ciampi, A.; Loiselle, J.; Philibert, L.; Franco, E. D.

1998-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To examine whether male drivers aged 45 to 70 years suffering from cardiovascular disease (CVD) are more likely to be involved in motor vehicle crashes (MVC) that are reported to the police. DESIGN: Population-based case-control study. SETTING: Data on drivers' ages and medical conditions were compiled from the Societé de l'assurance automobile du Québec's (SAAQ) computerized files. A questionnaire was mailed to all subjects to collect additional information on annual distances driven and various driving behaviours. PARTICIPANTS: Age-stratified population-based random sample. Subjects were 2504 drivers involved in MVCs during a 6-month period; controls were 2520 drivers not involved in crashes. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Proportion of drivers with CVD involved in MVCs. RESULTS: Response rate to the questionnaire was 35.5%. Analysis of the SAAQ files' entire sample of 5024 drivers showed that drivers suffering from CVD were less likely to be involved in MVCs (odds ratio [OR] 0.82, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.67 to 0.99) than drivers without CVD. Although the estimate of risk remains unchanged when adjusted for age, it becomes statistically insignificant. It also remains unchanged and statistically insignificant when adjusted for yearly distance driven and driver behaviour, as shown by responses to the questionnaire. Drivers suffering from CVD drove significantly less each year (8900 km) than drivers without medical conditions (13,000 km). CONCLUSION: This study shows no increased risk of motor vehicle crashes for drivers suffering from CVD. PMID:9585850

Prevalence of Dupuytren disease in The Netherlands.

PubMed

Lanting, Rosanne; van den Heuvel, Edwin R; Westerink, Bram; Werker, Paul M N

2013-08-01

Dupuytren disease is a fibroproliferative disease of palmar fascias of the hand. The prevalence of Dupuytren disease and the association with potential risk factors have been the subject of several studies, although there is a paucity of such data from The Netherlands. To study the prevalence of Dupuytren disease, the authors drew a random sample of 1360 individuals, stratified by age, from the northern part of The Netherlands. Of this sample, 763 individuals aged 50 to 89 years participated in this cross-sectional study. The authors examined both hands for signs of Dupuytren disease, and a questionnaire was conducted to identify potential risk factors. The effects of these risk factors were investigated using logistic regression analysis. Additional analyses were performed to develop a logistic prediction model for the prevalence of Dupuytren disease. The prevalence of Dupuytren disease was 22.1 percent. Nodules and cords were seen in 17.9 percent, and flexion contractures were present in 4.2 percent of the study population. Prevalence increased with age, from 4.9 percent in participants aged 50 to 55 years to 52.6 percent among those aged 76 to 80 years. Men were more often affected than women; 26.4 percent versus 18.6 percent, respectively (p=0.007). Other significant risk factors were previous hand injury, excessive alcohol consumption, familial occurrence of Dupuytren disease, and presence of Ledderhose disease. The results show a high prevalence of Dupuytren disease in The Netherlands, particularly the nodular form. Using the developed logistic prediction model, the prevalence of Dupuytren disease can be estimated, based on the presence of significant risk factors. Risk, III.

[Penis growth and development in children and adolescents: a study based on GAMLSS].

PubMed

Yi, Qing-Jie; Zeng, Yan; Zeng, Qing; Wang, Yi-Nan; Xiong, Feng

2017-08-01

To investigate penis development in children and adolescents aged 0-16 years, and to plot the percentile curve for penis development in different age groups. A total of 3 024 normal male neonates, children, and adolescents aged 0-16 years in Chongqing, China were selected by simple random sampling and stratified cluster sampling. The length and diameter of the penis were measured for all subjects. A descriptive statistical analysis was used to investigate the data characteristics of the penis, and the GAMLSS fitting model was used to plot the percentile curves of P 3 , P 10 , P 25 , P 50 , P 75 , P 90 , and P97 and obtain percentile reference values. The length and diameter of the penis grew rapidly before the age of 1 year, grew relatively slowly from 1 to 11 years old, and entered a rapid growth period from 11 years old. The length of the penis was positively correlated with its diameter (r=0.961, P<0.01). The percentile reference values of penis length and diameter were obtained and the percentile curve was plotted. The growth and development of penis length is consistent with that of penis diameter in male children and adolescents in Chongqing, and 0-1 year and 11-16 years are rapid growth periods of penis length and diameter. The percentile curve of penis length and diameter in children and adolescents aged 0-16 years in Chongqing which has been established will provide a reference for further studies on sexual development in children and adolescents.

Health disparities between Black Hispanic and Black non-Hispanic cervical cancer cases in the USA.

PubMed

Khan, Hafiz Mohammad Rafiqullah; Gabbidon, Kemesha; Abdool-Ghany, Faheema; Saxena, Anshul; Gomez, Esneider; Stewart, Tiffanie Shauna-Jeanne

2014-01-01

Globally, cervical cancer is a major public health concern. Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among women, resulting in approximately 500,000 cases per year. The purpose of this study is to compare disease characteristics between Black Hispanic (BH) and Black non-Hispanic (BNH) women in the US. We used stratified random sampling to select cervical cancer patient records from the SEER database (1973-2009). We used Chi-square and independent samples t-test to examine differences in proportions and means. The sample included 2,000 cervical cancer cases of Black non-Hispanic and 91 Black Hispanic women. There were statistically significant differences between black Hispanic and black non- Hispanics in mean age at diagnosis (p<0.001), mean survival time (p<0.001), marital status (p<0.001), primary site of cancer (p<0.001); lymph node involvement (p<0.001); grading and differentiation (p<0.0001); and tumor behavior (p<0.001). Black women were more likely to develop cervical cancer and to have the highest mortality rates from the disease. Findings from this study show clear racial and ethnic disparities in cervical cancer incidence and prognosis that should be addressed.

Socioeconomic differences in attitudes and beliefs about healthy lifestyles.

PubMed

Wardle, J; Steptoe, A

2003-06-01

s: The factors underlying socioeconomic status differences in smoking, leisure time physical activity, and dietary choice are poorly understood. This study investigated attitudes and beliefs that might underlie behavioural choices, including health locus of control, future salience, subjective life expectancy, and health consciousness, in a nationally representative sample. Data were collected as part of the monthly Omnibus survey of the Office of National Statistics in Britain. A stratified, probability sample of 2728 households was selected by random sampling of addresses. One adult from each household was interviewed. Higher SES respondents were less likely to smoke and more likely to exercise and eat fruit and vegetables daily. Lower SES was associated with less health consciousness (thinking about things to do to keep healthy), stronger beliefs in the influence of chance on health, less thinking about the future, and lower life expectancies. These attitudinal factors were in turn associated with unhealthy behavioural choices, independently of age, sex, and self rated health. Socioeconomic differences in healthy lifestyles are associated with differences in attitudes to health that may themselves arise through variations in life opportunities and exposure to material hardship and ill health over the life course.

Stratifying to reduce bias caused by high nonresponse rates: A case study from New Mexico’s forest inventory

Treesearch

Sara A. Goeking; Paul L. Patterson

2013-01-01

The USDA Forest Service’s Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) Program applies specific sampling and analysis procedures to estimate a variety of forest attributes. FIA’s Interior West region uses post-stratification, where strata consist of forest/nonforest polygons based on MODIS imagery, and assumes that nonresponse plots are distributed at random across each stratum...

Response of six non-native invasive plant species to wildfires in the northern Rocky Mountains, USA

Treesearch

Dennis E. Ferguson; Christine L. Craig

2010-01-01

This paper presents early results on the response of six non-native invasive plant species to eight wildfires on six National Forests (NFs) in the northern Rocky Mountains, USA. Stratified random sampling was used to choose 224 stands based on burn severity, habitat type series, slope steepness, stand height, and stand density. Data for this report are from 219 stands...

A Description of the Building Materials Data Base for Portland, Maine.

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-06-01

WORDS (Continue on reveree side if neceseary and Identify by block number)". Acid precipitation, , Data bases, Damage assessment, Environmental...protection) Damage from acid deposition, Portland, Maine Damage to buildings, - Statistical analysis, . 20. ASsrRACT (Conlaue a reverse e(A It n -cwery md...types and amounts of building surface materials ex- posed to acid deposition. The stratified, systematic, unaligned random sampling approach was used

Accuracy assessments and areal estimates using two-phase stratified random sampling, cluster plots, and the multivariate composite estimator

Treesearch

Raymond L. Czaplewski

2000-01-01

Consider the following example of an accuracy assessment. Landsat data are used to build a thematic map of land cover for a multicounty region. The map classifier (e.g., a supervised classification algorithm) assigns each pixel into one category of land cover. The classification system includes 12 different types of forest and land cover: black spruce, balsam fir,...

Incidence of non-lung solid cancers in Czech uranium miners: a case-cohort study

PubMed Central

Kulich, M.; Řeřicha, V.; Řeřicha, R.; Shore, D.L.; Sandler, D.P.

2011-01-01

Objectives Uranium miners are chronically exposed to radon and its progeny, which are known to cause lung cancer and may be associated with leukemia. This study was undertaken to evaluate risk of non-lung solid cancers among uranium miners in Příbram region, Czech Republic. Methods A retrospective stratified case-cohort study in a cohort of 22,816 underground miners who were employed between 1949 and 1975. All incident non-lung solid cancers were ascertained among miners who worked underground for at least 12 months (n = 1020). A subcohort of 1707 subjects was randomly drawn from the same population by random sampling stratified on age. The follow-up period lasted from 1977 to 1996. Results Relative risks comparing 180 WLM (90th percentile) of cumulative lifetime radon exposure to 3 WLM (10th percentile) were 0.88 for all non-lung solid cancers combined (95% CI 0.73 – 1.04, n = 1020), 0.87 for all digestive cancers (95% CI 0.69 – 1.09, n = 561), 2.39 for gallbladder cancer (95% CI 0.52 – 10.98, n = 13), 0.79 for larynx cancer (95% CI 0.38 – 1.64, n = 62), 2.92 for malignant melanoma (95% CI 0.91 – 9.42, n = 23), 0.84 for bladder cancer (95% CI 0.43 – 1.65, n = 73), and 1.13 for kidney cancer (95% CI 0.62 – 2.04, n = 66). No cancer type was significantly associated with radon exposure; only malignant melanoma and gallbladder cancer showed elevated but non-significant association with radon. Conclusions Radon was not significantly associated with incidence of any cancer of interest, although a positive association of radon with malignant melanoma and gallbladder cancer cannot be entirely ruled out. PMID:21256480

Incidence of non-lung solid cancers in Czech uranium miners: a case-cohort study.

PubMed

Kulich, M; Reřicha, V; Reřicha, R; Shore, D L; Sandler, D P

2011-04-01

Uranium miners are chronically exposed to radon and its progeny, which are known to cause lung cancer and may be associated with leukemia. This study was undertaken to evaluate risk of non-lung solid cancers among uranium miners in Příbram region, Czech Republic. A retrospective stratified case-cohort study in a cohort of 22,816 underground miners who were employed between 1949 and 1975. All incident non-lung solid cancers were ascertained among miners who worked underground for at least 12 months (n=1020). A subcohort of 1707 subjects was randomly drawn from the same population by random sampling stratified on age. The follow-up period lasted from 1977 to 1996. Relative risks comparing 180 WLM (90th percentile) of cumulative lifetime radon exposure to 3 WLM (10th percentile) were 0.88 for all non-lung solid cancers combined (95% CI 0.73-1.04, n=1020), 0.87 for all digestive cancers (95% CI 0.69-1.09, n=561), 2.39 for gallbladder cancer (95% CI 0.52-10.98, n=13), 0.79 for larynx cancer (95% CI 0.38-1.64, n=62), 2.92 for malignant melanoma (95% CI 0.91-9.42, n=23), 0.84 for bladder cancer (95% CI 0.43-1.65, n=73), and 1.13 for kidney cancer (95% CI 0.62-2.04, n=66). No cancer type was significantly associated with radon exposure; only malignant melanoma and gallbladder cancer showed elevated but non-significant association with radon. Radon was not significantly associated with incidence of any cancer of interest, although a positive association of radon with malignant melanoma and gallbladder cancer cannot be entirely ruled out. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[The vitamin D nutritional status in Chinese urban women of child-bearing age from 2010 to 2012].

PubMed

Lu, J X; Liu, X B; Chen, J; Hu, Y C; Yun, C F; Li, W D; Wang, R; Yang, Y H; Mao, D Q; Piao, J H; Yang, X G; Yang, L C

2017-02-06

Objective: To evaluate the vitamin D nutritional status in Chinese women of child-bearing age by analyzing serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level in 2010-2012. Methods: Data were obtained from the China Nutrition and Health Survey in 2010-2012. Using cluster sampling and proportional stratified random sampling, 1 514 women of child-bearing age (18-44 years old) from 34 metropolis and 41 small and medium-sized cities were included in this study. Demographic information was collected by questionnaire and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration was determined by radioimmunoassay, in accordance with the 2010 Institute of Medicine of the National Academies standards. We compared differences in vitamin D levels, specifically serious deficiency, lack of deficiency, insufficiency, and excess. Results: The overall serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level of Chinese urban women of child-bearing age ( P (50) ( P (25)- P (75))) was 20.1 (15.1-26.3) ng/ml; minorities had a significantly higher serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level of 22.0 (15.9-27.5) ng/ml compared with women of Han nationality (19.8 (14.9-26.2) ng/ml) (χ(2)=7.02, P= 0.008). The proportions of women with serious deficiency, lack of deficiency, insufficiency, and excess vitamin D were 11.6% ( n= 175), 37.9% ( n= 574), 35.1% ( n= 531), and 0.3% ( n= 5), respectively. Only 15.1% ( n= 229) of women of child-bearing age had normal vitamin D nutritional status. No significant differences in vitamin D nutritional status were observed according to age, body mass index, city, nationality, educational level, marital status, or household income per capita ( P> 0.05). Conclusion: Most Chinese urban women of child-bearing age have poor vitamin D levels and require vitamin D supplementation.

Malnutrition Has No Effect on the Timing of Human Tooth Formation

PubMed Central

Elamin, Fadil; Liversidge, Helen M.

2013-01-01

The effect of nutrition on the timing of human tooth formation is poorly understood. Delays and advancements in dental maturation have all been reported as well as no effect. We investigated the effect of severe malnutrition on the timing of human tooth formation in a large representative sample of North Sudanese children. The sample (1102 males, 1013 females) consisted of stratified randomly selected healthy individuals in Khartoum, Sudan, aged 2-22 years using a cross-sectional design following the STROBE statement. Nutritional status was defined using WHO criteria of height and weight. Body mass index Z-scores and height for age Z-scores of ≤−2 (cut-off) were used to identify the malnourished group (N = 474) while the normal was defined by Z-scores of ≥0 (N = 799). Clinical and radiographic examination of individuals, with known ages of birth was performed including height and weight measurements. Mandibular left permanent teeth were assessed using eight crown and seven root established tooth formation stages. Mean age at entry and mean age within tooth stages were calculated for each available tooth stage in each group and compared using a t-test. Results show the mean age at entry and mean age within tooth stages were not significantly different between groups affected by severe malnutrition and normal children (p>0.05). This remarkable finding was evident across the span of dental development. We demonstrate that there is little measurable effect of sustained malnutrition on the average timing of tooth formation. This noteworthy finding supports the notion that teeth have substantial biological stability and are insulated from extreme nutritional conditions compared to other maturing body systems. PMID:24023614

Study of occlusal characteristics of primary dentition and the prevalence of maloclusion in 4 to 6 years old children in India

PubMed Central

Bhayya, Deepak P; Shyagali, Tarulatha R; Dixit, Uma B; Shivaprakash

2012-01-01

Background: To assess the prevalence of malocclusion and to determine the different occlusal characteristics in primary dentition of 4 to 6 years old children in India. Materials and Methods: The target population comprised 4 to 6 years old children attending different nursery, kindergarten and primary schools of Bagalkot city. Stratified cluster random sampling procedure was executed to collect the representative sample. Each subject was assessed for various occlusal characteristics. Results: Occlusal characteristic found were flush terminal plane (52.5%), class I canine relationship (84%), maxillary developmental spaces (35.4%), primate spaces in maxilla (47.6%), mandibular crowding (4.6%), mandibular midline shift (5.6%), anterior multiple tooth crossbite (1.3%), scissors bite (0.6%), anterior open bite (1%), over bite of 0-2 mm (81.6%) and overjet of 0-2 mm (84.5%). The age wise difference for the occlusal characteristics was statistically significant. Conclusions: The data revealed that most of the children had malocclusion. This highlights the importance of identifying children who are in need of orthodontic treatment for dental health or aesthetic reasons. PMID:23559929

The relationships between sixteen perfluorinated compound concentrations in blood serum and food, and other parameters, in the general population of South Korea with proportionate stratified sampling method.

PubMed

Kim, Hee-Young; Kim, Seung-Kyu; Kang, Dong-Mug; Hwang, Yong-Sik; Oh, Jeong-Eun

2014-02-01

Serum samples were collected from volunteers of various ages and both genders using a proportionate stratified sampling method, to assess the exposure of the general population in Busan, South Korea to perfluorinated compounds (PFCs). 16 PFCs were investigated in serum samples from 306 adults (124 males and 182 females) and one day composite diet samples (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) from 20 of the serum donors, to investigate the relationship between food and serum PFC concentrations. Perfluorooctanoic acid and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid were the dominant PFCs in the serum samples, with mean concentrations of 8.4 and 13 ng/mL, respectively. Perfluorotridecanoic acid was the dominant PFC in the composite food samples, ranging from

Cardiorespiratory Fitness Levels among U.S. Youth Aged 12-15 Years: United States, 1999-2004 and 2012

MedlinePlus

... use a complex, stratified, multistage probability cluster sampling design. NHANES data collection is based on a nationally ... conjunction with the 2012 NHANES and the survey design was based on the design for NHANES, with ...

Reduction of Racial Disparities in Prostate Cancer

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-12-01

erectile dysfunction , and female sexual dysfunction ). Wherever possible, the questions and scales employed on BACH were selected from published...Methods. A racially and ethnically diverse community-based survey of adults aged 30-79 years in Boston, Massachusetts. The BACH survey has...recruited adults in three racial/ethnic groups: Latino, African American, and White using a stratified cluster sample. The target sample size is equally

Development of Creative Behavior Observation Form: A Study on Validity and Reliability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dere, Zeynep; Ömeroglu, Esra

2018-01-01

This study, Creative Behavior Observation Form was developed to assess creativity of the children. While the study group on the reliability and validity of Creative Behavior Observation Form was being developed, 257 children in total who were at the ages of 5-6 were used as samples with stratified sampling method. Content Validity Index (CVI) and…

Risk factors for conduct disorder among Navajo Indian men and women.

PubMed

Kunitz, S J; Gabriel, K R; Levy, J E; Henderson, E; Lampert, K; McCloskey, J; Quintero, G; Russell, S; Vince, A

1999-04-01

To describe the risk factors for conduct disorder before age 15 among Navajo Indians. The study was based on a survey of a stratified random sample of adult Navajo Indians between the ages of 21 and 65 living on and adjacent to two different areas of the Navajo Reservation. There were 531 male and 203 female respondents. The average age (SD) of the men was 38.7 (10.5) years and of the women 35.5 (9.0) years. Conduct disorder was diagnosed retrospectively using the Diagnostic Interview Schedule first developed for the Epidemiological Catchment Area study. The responses were combined into a continuous scale. Significant risk factors for increased scores on the conduct disorder scale were: histories of physical and sexual abuse in childhood; abusive maternal drinking; a small number of households per camp; younger age; and being male rather than female. Measures of social status and religion in which subjects were raised were not significant. Many of the risk factors that are associated with conduct disorder in other populations are also risk factors in the Navajo population. There is suggestive evidence that some of these risk factors have become more common since World War II, raising the possibility that conduct disorder has become more prevalent, as is thought to be the case nationwide.

Prevalence of uncorrected refractive errors among children aged 3-10 years in western Saudi Arabia

PubMed Central

Alrahili, Nojood Hameed R.; Jadidy, Esraa S.; Alahmadi, Bayan Sulieman H.; Abdula’al, Mohammed F.; Jadidy, Alaa S.; Alhusaini, Abdulaziz A.; Mojaddidi, Moaz A.; Al-Barry, Maan A.

2017-01-01

Objectives: To determine the prevalence of uncorrected refractive errors (URE) among children 3-10 years and to affirm the necessity of a national school-based visual screening program for school-aged children. Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted in Medina, Saudi Arabia in 2015. Children were selected through a multistage stratified random sampling from 8 kindergarten and 8 primary schools. Those included were screened to diagnose UREs using a visual acuity chart and an auto refractometer according to American guidelines. The prevalence and types of UREs were estimated. Results: Of the 2121 children enumerated, 1893 were examined, yielding a response rate of 89.3%. The prevalence of UREs was 34.9% (95% CI = 32.8%-37.1%), with significant differences in different age groups. The prevalence of astigmatism (25.3%) was higher compared to that of anisometropia (7.4%), hypermetropia (1.5%), and myopia (0.7%). Risk of uncorrected refractive error was positively associated with age, and this was noted in astigmatism, myopia, and anisometropia. In addition, the risk of hypermetropia was associated with boys and that of myopia was associated with girls. Conclusions: The prevalence of UREs, particularly astigmatism, was high among children aged 3-10 years in Medina, with significant age differences. Vision screening programs targeting kindergarten and primary schoolchildren are crucial to lessen the risk of preventable visual impairment due to UREs. PMID:28762432

Prevalence of uncorrected refractive errors among children aged 3-10 years in western Saudi Arabia.

PubMed

Alrahili, Nojood Hameed R; Jadidy, Esraa S; Alahmadi, Bayan Sulieman H; Abdula'al, Mohammed F; Jadidy, Alaa S; Alhusaini, Abdulaziz A; Mojaddidi, Moaz A; Al-Barry, Maan A

2017-08-01

To determine the prevalence of uncorrected refractive errors (URE) among children 3-10 years and to affirm the necessity of a national school-based visual screening program for school-aged children. Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted in Medina, Saudi Arabia in 2015. Children were selected through a multistage stratified random sampling from 8 kindergarten and 8 primary schools. Those included were screened to diagnose UREs using a visual acuity chart and an auto refractometer according to American guidelines. The prevalence and types of UREs were estimated. Results: Of the 2121 children enumerated, 1893 were examined, yielding a response rate of 89.3%. The prevalence of UREs was 34.9% (95% CI = 32.8%-37.1%), with significant differences in different age groups. The prevalence of astigmatism (25.3%) was higher compared to that of anisometropia (7.4%), hypermetropia (1.5%), and myopia (0.7%). Risk of uncorrected refractive error was positively associated with age, and this was noted in astigmatism, myopia, and anisometropia. In addition, the risk of hypermetropia was associated with boys and that of myopia was associated with girls. Conclusions: The prevalence of UREs, particularly astigmatism, was high among children aged 3-10 years in Medina, with significant age differences. Vision screening programs targeting kindergarten and primary schoolchildren are crucial to lessen the risk of preventable visual impairment due to UREs.

Two-year changes in refractive error and related biometric factors in an adult Chinese population.

PubMed

He, Mingguang; Kong, Xiangbin; Chen, Qianyun; Zeng, Yangfa; Huang, Yuanzhou; Zhang, Jian; Morgan, Ian G; Meltzer, Mirjam E; Jin, Ling; Congdon, Nathan

2014-08-01

This article provides, to our knowledge, the first longitudinal population-based data on refractive error (RE) in Chinese persons. To study cohort effects and changes associated with aging in REs among Chinese adults. A 2-year, longitudinal population-based cohort study was conducted in southern China. Participants, identified using cluster random sampling, included residents of Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, China, aged 35 years or older who had undergone no previous eye surgery. Participants underwent noncycloplegic automated refraction and keratometry in December 2008 and December 2010; in a random 50% sample of the participants, anterior segment ocular coherence tomography measurement of lens thickness, as well as measurement of axial length and anterior chamber depth by partial coherence laser interferometry, were performed. Two-year change in spherical equivalent refraction (RE), lens thickness, axial length, and anterior chamber depth in the right eye. A total of 745 individuals underwent biometric testing in both 2008 and 2010 (2008 mean [SD] age, 52.2 [11.5] years; 53.7% women). Mean RE showed a 2-year hyperopic shift from -0.44 (2.21) to -0.31 (2.26) diopters (D) (difference, +0.13; 95% CI, 0.11 to 0.16). A consistent 2-year hyperopic shift of 0.09 to 0.22 D was observed among participants aged 35 to 64 years when stratifying by decade, suggesting that a substantial change in RE with aging may occur during this 30-year period. Cross-sectionally, RE increased only in the cohort younger than 50 years (0.11 D/y; 95% CI, 0.06 to 0.16). In the cross-sectional data, axial length decreased at -0.06 mm/y (95% CI, -0.09 to -0.04), although the 2-year change in axial length was positive and thus could not explain the cross-sectional difference. These latter results suggest a cohort effect, with greater myopia developing among younger persons. This first Chinese population-based longitudinal study of RE provides evidence for both important longitudinal aging changes and cohort effects, most notably greater myopia prevalence among younger persons.

Relationship between blood lead concentration and nutritional status among Malay primary school children in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

PubMed

Elias, S M; Hashim, Z; Marjan, Z M; Abdullah, A S; Hashim, J H

2007-01-01

A cross-sectional study was conducted to identify the relationship between blood lead concentration and nutritional status among primary school children in Kuala Lumpur. A total of 225 Malay students, 113 male and 112 female, aged 6.3 to 9.8 were selected through a stratified random sampling method. The random blood samples were collected and blood lead concentration was measured by a Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. The nutrient intake was determined by the 24-hour Dietary Recall method and Food Frequency Questionnaire. An anthropometric assessment was reported according to growth indices (z-scores of weight-for-age, height-for-age, and weight-for-height). The mean blood lead concentration was low (3.4 +/- 1.91 ug/dL) and was significantly different between gender. Only 14.7% of the respondents fulfilled the daily energy requirement. The protein and iron intakes were adequate for a majority of the children. However, 34.7% of the total children showed inadequate intake of calcium. The energy, protein, fat and carbohydrate intakes were significantly different by gender, that is, males had better intake than females. Majority of respondents had normal mean z-score of growth indices. Ten percent of the respondents were underweight, 2.8% wasted and 5.4% stunted. Multiple linear regression showed inverse significant relationships between blood lead concentration with children's age (beta = -0.647, p < 0.001) and per capita income (beta = -0.001, p = 0.018). There were inverse significant relationships between blood lead concentration with children's age (beta = -0.877, p = 0.001) and calcium intake (beta = -0.011, p = 0.014) and positive significant relationship with weight-for-height (beta = 0.326, p = 0.041) among those with inadequate calcium intake. Among children with inadequate energy intake, children's age (beta = -0.621, p < 0.001), per capita income (beta = -0.001, p = 0.025) and protein intake (beta = -0.019, p = 0.027) were inversely and significantly related with blood lead concentration. In conclusion, nutritional status might affect the children's absorption of lead and further investigation is required for confirmation.

Diet, physical activity and socio-economic disparities of obesity in Lebanese adults: findings from a national study.

PubMed

Chamieh, Marie Claire; Moore, Helen J; Summerbell, Carolyn; Tamim, Hani; Sibai, Abla Mehio; Hwalla, Nahla

2015-03-21

The prevalence of obesity within countries varies by gender, age, lifestyle and socioeconomic factors. Identification of behavioural factors that are associated with obesity within the country's context is critical for the development of effective public health programs which aim to prevent and manage obesity. The objective of this study was to assess age and gender differentials in the prevalence of obesity in Lebanon and examine correlates of obesity with a focus on socioeconomic disparities. Following the WHO STEPwise guidelines, a national survey was conducted in Lebanon in 2008-2009. Households were selected randomly from all Governorates based on stratified cluster sampling method. One adult aged 20 years and over was randomly selected from each household for the interview. Anthropometric measurements and 24 hour recall dietary intake were obtained. The final sample included 1244 men and 1453 women. Descriptive statistics were computed for BMI, waist circumference, and percent body fat. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was carried out to assess the relationship between energy intake and obesity adjusted for relevant co-variables. The prevalence of obesity among Lebanese adults was 26.1%. Gender differences in obesity estimates were observed across age groups and the three obesity classes, with men showing higher prevalence rates at the younger age groups (20-49 years), and women showing higher prevalence rates in older age groups (50 years and above). Obesity showed significant associations with socio-economic status in women; it decreased with higher educational attainment (OR = 0.54, 95% CI: 0.32, 0.91), greater household assets (OR = 0.26; 95% CI: 0.10, 0.72) and lower crowding index (OR = 0.62; 95% CI: 0.39, 0.98), net of the effect of other co-variates. There was a significant positive association between obesity and energy intake in both genders, and a negative association between obesity and physical activity, significantly among women. Lifestyle and socioeconomic determinants of obesity are identified in this Lebanese population. Policy makers and service providers need to tailor public health strategies to tackle obesity accordingly.

Meal patterns and cooking practices in Southern France and Central England.

PubMed

Pettinger, Clare; Holdsworth, Michelle; Gerber, Mariette

2006-12-01

To evaluate whether meal patterns and cooking practices in Central England and Mediterranean France conform to popular stereotypes, eating together as a household, preparation of meals, food purchasing patterns, cooking practices and eating out were investigated. Cross-sectional studies conducted simultaneously in April 2001 using self-administered postal questionnaires. England (Nottingham, East Midlands) and France (Montpellier, Languedoc-Roussillon). A stratified random sample of 1000 males and 1000 females aged 18-65 years was generated from the electoral roll in each country. The final sample comprised 826 subjects in England (58% males, 42% females; mean age 44 years) and 766 subjects in France (42% males, 58% females; mean age 42 years). Analyses were conducted on samples standardised for sociodemographic differences. The French cooked from raw ingredients most often (P<0.001), ate together as a household more regularly (P<0.001) and were most likely to follow a regular meal pattern of three meals a day. On the other hand, the English relied more on ready-prepared (P<0.001) and take-away (P<0.001) meals, as well as on energy-dense snack foods such as crisps (P<0.001). Females in both countries reported having most responsibility for preparing meals. Some of the study's findings confirm popular stereotypes of French and English food cultures, as the importance of the convivial aspects of eating, as well as more traditional practices such as cooking meals from basic ingredients, structured mealtimes and less between-meal snacking, remain more prominent within the French population. This may contribute to the differences in prevalence of obesity seen between the two countries.

Prevalence, Awareness, Treatment and Control of Diabetes Mellitus-A Population Based Study in Shanghai, China.

PubMed

Qin, Yuchen; Wang, Rui; Ma, Xiuqiang; Zhao, Yanfang; Lu, Jian; Wu, Cheng; He, Jia

2016-05-19

In this study, we aimed to investigate the prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control of diabetes in Shanghai, China. A sample of 3600 residents aged from 18 to 80 years selected by a randomized stratified multiple-stage sampling method in Shanghai was investigated, with blood samples collected. Diabetes was defined as fasting plasma glucose (FPG) ≥ 7.0 mmol/L, or glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) ≥ 6.5% (48 mmol/mol), or previous diagnosis by a physician. Adequate control of diabetes was taken as a level of HbA1c < 7.0% (53 mmol/mol) among people with treated diabetes. Multivariable regression analysis was used to explore associated factors for diabetes and prediabetes. In the 3136 participants suitable for analysis, the prevalences of diabetes, prediabetes, and previously diagnosed diabetes were 15.91%, 37.37%, and 4.46%, respectively. Among those with diabetes, only 28.06% were aware of their condition, 25.85% were currently undergoing medication treatment, and 12.42% achieved glycaemic control. Logistic regression showed that old age, preobesity, obesity, elevated triglyceride (TG), elevated C-reactive protein (CRP), and lower education level were associated with an increased risk of diabetes; old age, obesity, elevated TG, and elevated low-density lipoprotein (LDL) were associated with an increased risk of prediabetes, while male sex and rural residence were associated with a decreased risk of prediabetes. In summary, the state of diabetes in China is alarming; the rates of awareness, treatment, and control were relatively low. More efforts should be made to promote the prevention and control of diabetes in china.

Knowledge and attitude towards total knee arthroplasty among the public in Saudi Arabia: a nationwide population-based study.

PubMed

Al-Mohrej, Omar A; Alshammari, Faris O; Aljuraisi, Abdulrahman M; Bin Amer, Lujain A; Masuadi, Emad M; Al-Kenani, Nader S

2018-04-01

Studies on total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in Saudi Arabia are scarce, and none have reported the knowledge and attitude of the procedure in Saudi Arabia. Our study aims to measure the knowledge and attitude of TKA among the adult Saudi population. To encompass a representative sample of this cross-sectional survey, all 13 administrative areas were used as ready-made geographical clusters. For each cluster, stratified random sampling was performed to maximize participation in the study. In each area, random samples of mobile phone numbers were selected with a probability proportional to the administrative area population size. Sample size calculation was based on the assumption that 50% of the participants would have some level of knowledge, with a 2% margin of error and 95% confidence level. To reach our intended sample size of 1540, we contacted 1722 participants with a response rate of 89.4%. The expected percentage of public knowledge was 50%; however, the actual percentage revealed by this study was much lower (29.7%). A stepwise multiple logistic regression was used to assess the factors that positively affected the knowledge score regarding TKA. Age [P = 0.016 with OR of 0.47], higher income [P = 0.001 with OR of 0.52] and participants with a positive history of TKA or that have known someone who underwent the surgery [P < 0.001 with OR of 0.15] had a positive impact on the total knowledge score. There are still misconceptions among the public in Saudi Arabia concerning TKA, its indications and results. We recommend that doctors use the results of our survey to assess their conversations with their patients, and to determine whether the results of the procedure are adequately clarified.

The use of single-date MODIS imagery for estimating large-scale urban impervious surface fraction with spectral mixture analysis and machine learning techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deng, Chengbin; Wu, Changshan

2013-12-01

Urban impervious surface information is essential for urban and environmental applications at the regional/national scales. As a popular image processing technique, spectral mixture analysis (SMA) has rarely been applied to coarse-resolution imagery due to the difficulty of deriving endmember spectra using traditional endmember selection methods, particularly within heterogeneous urban environments. To address this problem, we derived endmember signatures through a least squares solution (LSS) technique with known abundances of sample pixels, and integrated these endmember signatures into SMA for mapping large-scale impervious surface fraction. In addition, with the same sample set, we carried out objective comparative analyses among SMA (i.e. fully constrained and unconstrained SMA) and machine learning (i.e. Cubist regression tree and Random Forests) techniques. Analysis of results suggests three major conclusions. First, with the extrapolated endmember spectra from stratified random training samples, the SMA approaches performed relatively well, as indicated by small MAE values. Second, Random Forests yields more reliable results than Cubist regression tree, and its accuracy is improved with increased sample sizes. Finally, comparative analyses suggest a tentative guide for selecting an optimal approach for large-scale fractional imperviousness estimation: unconstrained SMA might be a favorable option with a small number of samples, while Random Forests might be preferred if a large number of samples are available.

Cigarette advertising and children's smoking: why Reg was withdrawn.

PubMed Central

Hastings, G. B.; Ryan, H.; Teer, P.; MacKintosh, A. M.

1994-01-01

OBJECTIVE--To examine the appeal of the Embassy Regal "Reg" campaign to young people. DESIGN--Three quantitative surveys and one piece of qualitative research: (a) self completion questionnaire administered in classrooms, (b) questionnaire led interviews with children, (c) questionnaire led interviews with adults, and (d) group discussions with children and adults. SETTINGS--(a) Secondary and middle schools in England; (b) north of England, Scotland, and Wales; (c) north of England, Scotland, and Wales; and (d) Glasgow. SUBJECTS--(a) 5451 schoolchildren aged 11-15 recruited by stratified random sampling; (b) 437 children aged 5-10 recruited by quota sampling; (c) 814 adults aged 15-65 recruited by quota sampling; and (d) 12 groups of children aged 10-15, three groups of adults aged 18-24, and three groups of adults aged 35-55. RESULTS--Children were familiar with cigarette advertising and in particular the Reg campaign. Although younger children struggled to understand the creative content of the adverts, older and smoking children could understand and appreciate the humour. They considered Reg to be amusing and could relate to the type of joke used in the advert. In addition Reg's flippant attitude towards serious issues appealed to the children. While adults aged 18-24 understood the campaign they did not identify with it, and 35-55 year olds (the campaign's supposed target) were unappreciative of the campaign. CONCLUSIONS--The Reg campaign was getting through to children more effectively than it was to adults and held most appeal for teenagers, particularly 14-15 year old smokers. It clearly contravened the code governing tobacco advertising, which states that advertising must not appeal to children more than it does to adults, and it may have had a direct impact on teenage smoking. In view of these findings the Advertising Standards Authority's decision to withdraw the Reg campaign seems appropriate. Images p935-a PMID:7950668

Telephone vs. mail survey gives different SF-36 quality-of-life scores among cancer survivors.

PubMed

Buskirk, Trent D; Stein, Kevin D

2008-10-01

To assess whether SF-36 quality-of-life (QOL) subscale scores varied across two survey modes controlling for cancer type and diagnosis cohort. Stratified random samples of 720 cancer survivors from six cancer types and three time-since diagnosis cohorts were selected from two state cancer registries. Selected survivors were randomly assigned to mail, telephone, or choice of these for survey administration. This study analyzes completed questionnaires obtained from 140 and 155 survivors who were assigned to telephone and mail, respectively. A significant multivariate effect for survey mode was noted. Mean levels for each subscale controlling for age and accounting for cancer type were higher for telephone compared to mail respondents; significant differences were noted for vitality, role physical, and mental health. The impact of cancer type on QOL subscales was not significant, and the effect of mode was consistent across cancer type. Previous findings in mode effects for the SF-36 are reproduced here among cancer survivors who may feel more comfortable revealing physical and emotional deficits via mail rather than by telephone. For cancer survivors, it may be that "social desirability" favors responses implying more functioning be it perceived, mental, or physical.

Toward cost-efficient sampling methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, Peng; Li, Yongli; Wu, Chong; Zhang, Guijie

2015-09-01

The sampling method has been paid much attention in the field of complex network in general and statistical physics in particular. This paper proposes two new sampling methods based on the idea that a small part of vertices with high node degree could possess the most structure information of a complex network. The two proposed sampling methods are efficient in sampling high degree nodes so that they would be useful even if the sampling rate is low, which means cost-efficient. The first new sampling method is developed on the basis of the widely used stratified random sampling (SRS) method and the second one improves the famous snowball sampling (SBS) method. In order to demonstrate the validity and accuracy of two new sampling methods, we compare them with the existing sampling methods in three commonly used simulation networks that are scale-free network, random network, small-world network, and also in two real networks. The experimental results illustrate that the two proposed sampling methods perform much better than the existing sampling methods in terms of achieving the true network structure characteristics reflected by clustering coefficient, Bonacich centrality and average path length, especially when the sampling rate is low.

Spatial inventory integrating raster databases and point sample data. [Geographic Information System for timber inventory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Strahler, A. H.; Woodcock, C. E.; Logan, T. L.

1983-01-01

A timber inventory of the Eldorado National Forest, located in east-central California, provides an example of the use of a Geographic Information System (GIS) to stratify large areas of land for sampling and the collection of statistical data. The raster-based GIS format of the VICAR/IBIS software system allows simple and rapid tabulation of areas, and facilitates the selection of random locations for ground sampling. Algorithms that simplify the complex spatial pattern of raster-based information, and convert raster format data to strings of coordinate vectors, provide a link to conventional vector-based geographic information systems.

Health-related quality of life in Indian children: A community-based cross-sectional survey

PubMed Central

Raj, Manu; Sudhakar, Abish; Roy, Rinku; Champaneri, Bhavik; Joy, Teena Mary; Kumar, Raman Krishna

2017-01-01

Background & objectives: There are limited data on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) related to Indian children. The objective of this study was to construct a generic HRQOL reference for children aged 2-18 yr from a community setting. Methods: The study was a community-based cross-sectional survey. A total of 719 children/adolescents in the age group of 2-18 yr were enrolled using stratified random cluster sampling. A total of 40 clusters (cluster size 18) were selected for the study. The data contained child self-report and parent proxy report from healthy children and their parents/caretakers. The Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory 4.0 (PedsQL4.0) Generic Core Scale was used to collect HRQOL data. Questionnaires were self-administered for parents and children aged 8-18 yr. In the age group of five to seven years, parents assisted the children in filling questionnaires. Results: The mean HRQOL total scores from child self-report and parent proxy report were 87.50±11.10 and 90.10±9.50 respectively, for children aged 2-18 yr. Social functioning had the highest scores and emotional functioning had the lowest scores for the entire sample and subgroups. The mean values for HRQOL in the current study were significantly different from the reference study for both child (87.39 vs. 83.91, P<0.001) and parent proxy reports (90.03 vs. 82.29, P<0.001) when compared between children aged 2-16 yr. Interpretation & conclusions: The study provided reference values for HRQOL in healthy children and adolescents from Kerala, India, that appeared to be different from existing international reference. Similar studies need to be done in different parts of India to generate a country-specific HRQOL reference for Indian children. PMID:28862185

Health-related quality of life in Indian children: A community-based cross-sectional survey.

PubMed

Raj, Manu; Sudhakar, Abish; Roy, Rinku; Champaneri, Bhavik; Joy, Teena Mary; Kumar, Raman Krishna

2017-04-01

There are limited data on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) related to Indian children. The objective of this study was to construct a generic HRQOL reference for children aged 2-18 yr from a community setting. The study was a community-based cross-sectional survey. A total of 719 children/adolescents in the age group of 2-18 yr were enrolled using stratified random cluster sampling. A total of 40 clusters (cluster size 18) were selected for the study. The data contained child self-report and parent proxy report from healthy children and their parents/caretakers. The Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory 4.0 (PedsQL4.0) Generic Core Scale was used to collect HRQOL data. Questionnaires were self-administered for parents and children aged 8-18 yr. In the age group of five to seven years, parents assisted the children in filling questionnaires. The mean HRQOL total scores from child self-report and parent proxy report were 87.50±11.10 and 90.10±9.50 respectively, for children aged 2-18 yr. Social functioning had the highest scores and emotional functioning had the lowest scores for the entire sample and subgroups. The mean values for HRQOL in the current study were significantly different from the reference study for both child (87.39 vs. 83.91, P<0.001) and parent proxy reports (90.03 vs. 82.29, P<0.001) when compared between children aged 2-16 yr. The study provided reference values for HRQOL in healthy children and adolescents from Kerala, India, that appeared to be different from existing international reference. Similar studies need to be done in different parts of India to generate a country-specific HRQOL reference for Indian children.

Age-Related Changes in Pharyngeal Lumen Size: A Retrospective MRI Analysis.

PubMed

Molfenter, Sonja M; Amin, M R; Branski, R C; Brumm, J D; Hagiwara, M; Roof, S A; Lazarus, C L

2015-06-01

Age-related loss of muscle bulk and strength (sarcopenia) is often cited as a potential mechanism underlying age-related changes in swallowing. Our goal was to explore this phenomenon in the pharynx, specifically, by measuring pharyngeal wall thickness and pharyngeal lumen area in a sample of young versus older women. MRI scans of the neck were retrospectively reviewed from 60 women equally stratified into three age groups (20s, 60s, 70+). Four de-identified slices were extracted per scan for randomized, blinded analysis: one mid-sagittal and three axial slices were selected at the anterior inferior border of C2 and C3, and at the pit of the vallecula. Pixel-based measures of pharyngeal wall thickness and pharyngeal lumen area were completed using ImageJ and then converted to metric units. Measures of pharyngeal wall thickness and pharyngeal lumen area were compared between age groups with one-way ANOVAs using Sidak adjustments for post-hoc pairwise comparisons. A significant main effect for age was observed across all variables whereby pharyngeal wall thickness decreased and pharyngeal lumen area increased with advancing age. Pairwise comparisons revealed significant differences between 20s versus 70+ for all variables and 20s versus 60s for all variables except those measured at C2. Effect sizes ranged from 0.54 to 1.34. Consistent with existing sacropenia literature, the pharyngeal muscles appear to atrophy with age and consequently, the size of the pharyngeal lumen increases.

Correcting Classifiers for Sample Selection Bias in Two-Phase Case-Control Studies

PubMed Central

Theis, Fabian J.

2017-01-01

Epidemiological studies often utilize stratified data in which rare outcomes or exposures are artificially enriched. This design can increase precision in association tests but distorts predictions when applying classifiers on nonstratified data. Several methods correct for this so-called sample selection bias, but their performance remains unclear especially for machine learning classifiers. With an emphasis on two-phase case-control studies, we aim to assess which corrections to perform in which setting and to obtain methods suitable for machine learning techniques, especially the random forest. We propose two new resampling-based methods to resemble the original data and covariance structure: stochastic inverse-probability oversampling and parametric inverse-probability bagging. We compare all techniques for the random forest and other classifiers, both theoretically and on simulated and real data. Empirical results show that the random forest profits from only the parametric inverse-probability bagging proposed by us. For other classifiers, correction is mostly advantageous, and methods perform uniformly. We discuss consequences of inappropriate distribution assumptions and reason for different behaviors between the random forest and other classifiers. In conclusion, we provide guidance for choosing correction methods when training classifiers on biased samples. For random forests, our method outperforms state-of-the-art procedures if distribution assumptions are roughly fulfilled. We provide our implementation in the R package sambia. PMID:29312464

Financing Adult Education: How Adequate Are Current Sources in Facilitating Access and Participation in Centres in Murang'a South Sub-County, Murang'a County, Kenya?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maina, Ndonga James; Orodho, John Aluko

2016-01-01

The thrust of this study was to examine the level of adequacy of current sources in facilitating access and participation in adult education centres in Murang'a South Sub-County, Murang'a County, Kenya. The study adopted the descriptive survey design. Combinations of purposive and stratified random sampling techniques were used to select 82…

Teacher Education, Motivation, Compensation, Workplace Support, and Links to Quality of Center-Based Child Care and Teachers' Intention to Stay in the Early Childhood Profession

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Torquati, Julia C.; Raikes, Helen; Huddleston-Casas, Catherine A.

2007-01-01

The purposes of this study were to present a conceptual model for selection into the early childhood profession and to test the model using contemporaneous assessments. A stratified random sample of center-based child care providers in 4 Midwestern states (n=964) participated in a telephone interview, and 223 were also assessed with the Early…

A Comparative Study of the Academic Stress and Depression among High School Girl and Boy Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khanehkeshi, Ali; Basavarajappa

2012-01-01

This paper compares the difference between boy and girl high school students of 1st grade to 3rd grade in academic stress and depression. Using a random stratified sampling 120 girl and boy students (60 girls and 60 boys) were selected from 1st grade (n = 40), 2nd grade (n = 40) and 3rd grade (n = 40) high school students. In this study gender and…

The Effectiveness of Using Brainstorming Strategy in the Development of Academic Achievement of Sixth Grade Students in English Grammar at Public Schools in Jordan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Malkawi, Nibal Abdelkarim Mousa; Smadi, Mona

2018-01-01

The study aims to identify the effect of using brainstorming method in the teaching of English grammar; to improve the level of sixth grade students in English grammar at public schools in Jordan. The study population consisted of all sixth grade students of both sexes. The sample of the study was chosen in the random stratified manner,…

[Speech and language disorders in children from public schools in Belo Horizonte].

PubMed

Rabelo, Alessandra Terra Vasconcelos; Campos, Fernanda Rodrigues; Friche, Clarice Passos; da Silva, Bárbara Suelen Vasconcelos; de Lima Friche, Amélia Augusta; Alves, Claudia Regina Lindgren; de Figueiredo Goulart, Lúcia Maria Horta

2015-12-01

To investigate the prevalence of oral language, orofacial motor skill and auditory processing disorders in children aged 4-10 years old and verify their association with age and gender. Cross-sectional study with stratified, random sample consisting of 539 students. The evaluation consisted of three protocols: orofacial motor skill protocol, adapted from the Myofunctional Evaluation Guidelines; the Child Language Test ABFW--Phonology, and a simplified auditory processing evaluation. Descriptive and associative statistical analyses were performed using Epi Info software, release 6.04. Chi-square test was applied to compare proportion of events and analysis of variance was used to compare mean values. Significance was set at p≤0.05. Of the studied subjects, 50.1% had at least one of the assessed disorders; of those, 33.6% had oral language disorder, 17.1%, had orofacial motor skill impairment, and 27.3% had auditory processing disorder. There were significant associations between auditory processing skills' impairment, oral language impairment and age, suggesting a decrease in the number of disorders with increasing age. Similarly, the variable "one or more speech, language and hearing disorders" was also associated with age. The prevalence of speech, language and hearing disorders in children was high, indicating the need for research and public health efforts to cope with this problem. Copyright © 2015 Sociedade de Pediatria de São Paulo. Publicado por Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

Physical fitness percentile charts for children aged 6-10 from Portugal.

PubMed

Roriz De Oliveira, M S; Seabra, A; Freitas, D; Eisenmann, J C; Maia, J

2014-12-01

The present study aims (1) to provide reference percentile charts for the following measures of Physical Fitness (PF): the sit-and-reach, handgrip, standing long jump, 50 yards' dash, 4x10m shuttle run and 1-mile run/walk tests in children aged 6 to 10 years, and (2) to compare the performance of the Portuguese children with their age- and sex peers. A total of 3804 Portuguese children (1985 boys and 1819 girls) aged 6-10 years old participated in this study. The sample was stratified from 20 public elementary schools and children were randomly selected in each school. Charts were separately built for each sex using the LMS method. Boys showed better results than girls in handgrip, standing long jump, 50 yards' dash, 4x10 m shuttle run and 1-mile run/walk, while girls are better performers than boys in sit-and-reach. Age- and gender- percentiles for a set of physical fitness tests for 6-10 year old (primary school) Portuguese children have been established. Boys showed greater overall PF than girls, except in the flexibility test, in which girls performed better. The reported normative values provide ample opportunities to accurately detect individual changes during childhood. These reference values are especially important in healthcare and educational settings, and can be added to the worldwide literature on physical fitness values in children.

A Portuguese value set for the SF-6D.

PubMed

Ferreira, Lara N; Ferreira, Pedro L; Pereira, Luis N; Brazier, John; Rowen, Donna

2010-08-01

The SF-6D is a preference-based measure of health derived from the SF-36 that can be used for cost-effectiveness analysis using cost-per-quality adjusted life-year analysis. This study seeks to estimate a system weight for the SF-6D for Portugal and to compare the results with the UK system weights. A sample of 55 health states defined by the SF-6D has been valued by a representative random sample of the Portuguese population, stratified by sex and age (n = 140), using the Standard Gamble (SG). Several models are estimated at both the individual and aggregate levels for predicting health-state valuations. Models with main effects, with interaction effects and with the constant forced to unity are presented. Random effects (RE) models are estimated using generalized least squares (GLS) regressions. Generalized estimation equations (GEE) are used to estimate RE models with the constant forced to unity. Estimations at the individual level were performed using 630 health-state valuations. Alternative functional forms are considered to account for the skewed distribution of health-state valuations. The models are analyzed in terms of their coefficients, overall fit, and the ability for predicting the SG-values. The RE models estimated using GLS and through GEE produce significant coefficients, which are robust across model specification. However, there are concerns regarding some inconsistent estimates, and so parsimonious consistent models were estimated. There is evidence of under prediction in some states assigned to poor health. The results are consistent with the UK results. The models estimated provide preference-based quality of life weights for the Portuguese population when health status data have been collected using the SF-36. Although the sample was randomly drowned findings should be treated with caution, given the small sample size, even knowing that they have been estimated at the individual level.

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder in elementary school students in Shantou, China: prevalence, subtypes, and influencing factors.

PubMed

Huang, Yanhong; Zheng, Shaoxiong; Xu, Chongtao; Lin, Kun; Wu, Kusheng; Zheng, Maochun; Zhang, Jie; Xu, Haiyun

2017-01-01

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a frequent childhood-onset psychiatric condition and categorized into three subtypes of predominantly inattentive (ADHD-I), hyperactive impulsive (ADHD-H), and combined (ADHD-C). The prevalence and subtypes of ADHD vary considerably. The primary aim of this study was to provide a prevalence estimate of ADHD in elementary school students living in Shantou, a district of China, and in addition to examine the influence of informants, age, and gender on the prevalence. A total of 3,497 students aged 7-12 years were enrolled by random and stratified sampling. In stage I, teachers and parents of all participating students in randomly selected schools were asked to complete Chinese versions of the Conners' 10-item scale. In stage II, students with high scores (>15) were interviewed by a psychiatrist for a diagnosis with or without ADHD. Parents rated many more students with high scores than teachers did in stage I. The prevalence of ADHD determined by Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders , fifth edition (DSM-5) was 5.91% (5.27%-6.55%), which is comparable to the rates reported in previous studies with Chinese children. This hits the low border of the ADHD prevalence range from 5.9 to 7.1% worldwide, and is lower than that of Chinese children living in Hong Kong, suggesting an important influence of Chinese culture on the diagnosis of ADHD. The constituent ratios of ADHD-I, ADHD-C, and ADHD-H subtypes were 67.43, 24.57, and 8.00%, respectively. The rate of ADHD-H decreased with age, whereas that of ADHD-I remained at the highest levels in all age groups, suggesting that symptoms in the inattention domain are the most persistent and refractory.

Effectiveness of a two-step population-based osteoporosis screening program using FRAX: the randomized Risk-stratified Osteoporosis Strategy Evaluation (ROSE) study.

PubMed

Rubin, K H; Rothmann, M J; Holmberg, T; Høiberg, M; Möller, S; Barkmann, R; Glüer, C C; Hermann, A P; Bech, M; Gram, J; Brixen, K

2018-03-01

The Risk-stratified Osteoporosis Strategy Evaluation (ROSE) study investigated the effectiveness of a two-step screening program for osteoporosis in women. We found no overall reduction in fractures from systematic screening compared to the current case-finding strategy. The group of moderate- to high-risk women, who accepted the invitation to DXA, seemed to benefit from the program. The purpose of the ROSE study was to investigate the effectiveness of a two-step population-based osteoporosis screening program using the Fracture Risk Assessment Tool (FRAX) derived from a self-administered questionnaire to select women for DXA scan. After the scanning, standard osteoporosis management according to Danish national guidelines was followed. Participants were randomized to either screening or control group, and randomization was stratified according to age and area of residence. Inclusion took place from February 2010 to November 2011. Participants received a self-administered questionnaire, and women in the screening group with a FRAX score ≥ 15% (major osteoporotic fractures) were invited to a DXA scan. Primary outcome was incident clinical fractures. Intention-to-treat analysis and two per-protocol analyses were performed. A total of 3416 fractures were observed during a median follow-up of 5 years. No significant differences were found in the intention-to-treat analyses with 34,229 women included aged 65-80 years. The per-protocol analyses showed a risk reduction in the group that underwent DXA scanning compared to women in the control group with a FRAX ≥ 15%, in regard to major osteoporotic fractures, hip fractures, and all fractures. The risk reduction was most pronounced for hip fractures (adjusted SHR 0.741, p = 0.007). Compared to an office-based case-finding strategy, the two-step systematic screening strategy had no overall effect on fracture incidence. The two-step strategy seemed, however, to be beneficial in the group of women who were identified by FRAX as moderate- or high-risk patients and complied with DXA.

Vitamin D intake from food and supplements among Ontario women based on the US block food frequency questionnaire with and without modification for Canadian food values.

PubMed

Anderson, Laura N; Cotterchio, Michelle; Boucher, Beatrice A; Knight, Julia A; Block, Torin

2010-01-01

To measure and compare dietary vitamin D intake among women in Ontario using a modified Block 1998 (US) food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) before and after modification for Canadian-specific vitamin D food fortification. An age-stratified random sample of 3,471 women in Ontario (aged 25-74) was identified using random digit dialing methods. Standard US food values and a modified Canadian-specific vitamin D nutrient analysis were applied to the FFQ. Intake of vitamin D from foods (Canadian nutrient analysis) was 5.3 +/- 3.4 microg/day (mean +/- SD) and 45% of women reported vitamin D intake from supplements. Total vitamin D intakes met the current Adequate Intakes of 5, 10 and 15 microg/day for only 62%, 47%, and 28% of women aged < or = 50, 51-70 and > or = 71, respectively. Relatively high agreement was found between the US and Canadian nutrient analysis methods of measuring vitamin D from food (weighted kappa = 0.74, 95% CI 0.72-0.76). Intake differences (US minus Canadian) ranged from -5.0 microg/day to +2.0 microg/day (1st-99th percentile); however, the mean difference was only -0.54 microg/day (95% CI: -0.58 to -0.50). Lower than recommended total vitamin D intakes were observed among our study participants which may negatively impact the health status of women. Adjustment for Canadian food fortification and the inclusion of fatty fish had little impact on the measurement of vitamin D from food.

Proposal for a Breakfast Quality Index (BQI) for children and adolescents.

PubMed

Monteagudo, Celia; Palacín-Arce, Alba; Bibiloni, Maria del Mar; Pons, Antoni; Tur, Josep A; Olea-Serrano, Fatima; Mariscal-Arcas, Miguel

2013-04-01

To propose and apply an instrument to assess the breakfast quality of children and adolescents in the Mediterranean area. Randomized, cross-sectional survey of breakfast consumption using a validated semi-quantitative FFQ administered at school by trained dietitians between Tuesday and Friday. A Breakfast Quality Index (BQI) score was developed, assigning a positive value to the consumption of cereals, fruit, vegetables, dairy products, MUFA, Ca and compliance with energy recommendations, and to the absence of SFA and trans-rich fats. Data were analysed by Student's t test and ANOVA. Schools in Granada and Balearic Islands (Spain). All schoolchildren (n 4332) aged 8-17 years at randomly selected and representative schools between 2006 and 2008, stratified by age and sex. Breakfast was not consumed by 6·5 % of participants. BQI score was highest for children aged 7-9 years and decreased with age (P = 0·001). Females scored higher in all age groups. The lowest score was in males aged 14-17 years and the highest in females aged 7-9 years (P = 0·006). The proposed BQI appears useful to estimate the breakfast quality of schoolchildren and to form a basis for nutrition education.

Therapy service use in children and adolescents with cerebral palsy: An Australian perspective.

PubMed

Meehan, Elaine; Harvey, Adrienne; Reid, Susan M; Reddihough, Dinah S; Williams, Katrina; Crompton, Kylie E; Omar, Suhaila; Scheinberg, Adam

2016-03-01

The aim of this study was to describe the patterns of therapy service use for a sample of children and adolescents with cerebral palsy over a 1 year period and to identify factors associated with frequency of therapy and parental satisfaction with therapy frequency. Parents of 83 children completed a survey on their child's use of occupational therapy, physiotherapy and speech and language pathology services over the previous year. Participants were randomly selected from a sample stratified by age and Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) level. During the year prior to survey completion, 83% of children had received occupational therapy, 88% had received physiotherapy and 60% had received speech and language pathology services. Frequency of therapy was higher for younger children (P < 0.01), those classified at GMFCS levels IV-V (P < 0.05) and those attending schools specifically for children with disabilities. Current structures for therapy service delivery for children with cerebral palsy are systems-based, and age-based funding systems and the organisation of services around the education system are preventing the delivery of needs-based therapy. Paediatricians that care for children and young people with cerebral palsy need to pay particular attention to those that may miss out on therapy due to age or school type, and support these families in accessing appropriate therapy. © 2015 The Authors. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health © 2015 Paediatrics and Child Health Division (Royal Australasian College of Physicians).

Impact of the Health Insurance Coverage Policy on Oral Anticoagulant Prescription among Patients with Atrial Fibrillation in Korea from 2014 to 2016.

PubMed

Ko, Young-Jin; Kim, Seonji; Park, Kyounghoon; Kim, Minsuk; Yang, Bo Ram; Kim, Mi-Sook; Lee, Joongyub; Park, Byung-Joo

2018-06-04

To evaluate oral anticoagulant (OAC) utilization in patients with atrial fibrillation after the changes in the health insurance coverage policy in July 2015. We used the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service-National Patient Samples (HIRA-NPS) between 2014 and 2016. The HIRA-NPS, including approximately 1.4 million individuals, is a stratified random sample of 3% of the entire Korean population using 16 age groups and 2 sex groups. The HIRA-NPS comprises personal and medical information such as surgical or medical treatment provided, diagnoses, age, sex, region of medical institution, and clinician characteristics. The studied drugs included non-vitamin K antagonist OACs (NOACs) such as apixaban, dabigatran, edoxaban, and rivaroxaban, and were compared with warfarin. We analyzed drug utilization pattern under three aspects: person, time, and place. The number of patients with atrial fibrillation who were prescribed OACs was 3,114, 3,954, and 4,828; and the proportions of prescribed NOACs to total OACs were 5.1%, 36.2%, and 60.8% in 2014, 2015, and 2016, respectively. The growth rate of OACs prescription increased from 61.4 patients/quarter before June 2015 to 147.7 patients/quarter thereafter. These changes were predominantly in elderly individuals aged more than 70 years. The proportion of NOACs to OACs showed significant regional difference. The change of health insurance coverage policy substantially influenced OACs prescription pattern in whole Korean region. But the impact has been significantly different among regions and age groups, which provides the evidence for developing standard clinical practice guideline on OACs use.

Brief assessment of cognition in schizophrenia: normative data in an English-speaking ethnic Chinese sample.

PubMed

Eng, Goi Khia; Lam, Max; Bong, Yioe Ling; Subramaniam, Mythily; Bautista, Dianne; Rapisarda, Attilio; Kraus, Michael; Lee, Jimmy; Collinson, Simon Lowes; Chong, Siow Ann; Keefe, Richard S E

2013-12-01

There is a dearth of non-Western normative data for neuropsychological batteries designed to measure cognitive deficits in schizophrenia. Here, we provide normative data for English-speaking ethnic Chinese on the widely used Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia acquired from 595 healthy community participants between ages 14 and 55. Means and standard deviations of subtests and composite scores were stratified by age group and sex. We also explored linear regression approaches to generate continuous norms adjusted for age, sex, and education. Notable differences in subtest performances were found against a Western comparison sample. Normative data established in the current sample are essential for clinical and research purposes as it serves as a reference source of cognition for ethnic Chinese.